Crawford School of Public Policy

Episode Summary

On this week’s episode of Policy Forum Pod, we look at the state of human rights in Southeast Asia, why the United Nations failed to address the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, and what central role ASEAN could play in realising human rights in the region.

Episode Notes

From the violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar, to President Duterte’s support for extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, to intensifying efforts in Cambodia to curtail political freedom – Southeast Asia has seen many human rights violations in the past few years. And it seems that international and regional organisations, as well as third countries, have had a hard time addressing these acts of state-sanctioned violence.

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, we talk to our panel – Catherine Renshaw, Cecilia Jacob, and Hunter Marston – about ASEAN’s quiet diplomacy approach, why the UN didn’t apply more pressure on Myanmar, and what role China and the US play in shaping human rights in the region. Listen here.

Our presenters Paul Wyrwoll and Julia Ahrens also look at some of your comments and suggestions for future podcasts.

Cecilia Jacob is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the Coral Bell School. Her work focuses on civilian protection, mass atrocity prevention, and international human protection norms.

Hunter Marston is a PhD candidate at the Coral Bell School. His research focuses on great power competition in Southeast Asia. Prior to joining the ANU, Hunter worked as a Senior Research Assistant at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, in the Center for East Asia Policy Studies.

Catherine Renshaw is Deputy Head of the Thomas More Law School. Her research focuses on human rights and democracy in Southeast Asia and she has recently carried out fieldwork in Myanmar and Thailand.

Paul Wyrwoll is an environmental and resources economist. His research considers the design and application of water pricing to hydropower management.

Julia Ahrens is a Marketing and Communications Coordinator at the Crawford School of Public Policy and a presenter on Policy Forum Pod.

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