ASEAN BRIEFS

Vol. 4 / Issue 4 / April 2017

Fighting for Freedom: Combatting Human Trafficking in ASEAN

The Habibie Center -ASEAN Studies Program ASEAN Briefs

Project Supervisor: Rahimah Abdulrahim (Executive Director) Hadi Kuntjara (Deputy Director for Operations)

Head of ASEAN Studies Program/Editor: A. Ibrahim Almuttaqi

Researcher: Fina Astriana Muhamad Arif Askabea Fadhilla Agustha Lumban Tobing Hana Hanifah Bastaman Vierna Tasya Wensatama

Finance and Administration: Mila Oktaviani Design and Publication: Rahma Simamora Tongki Ari Wibowo

ASEAN Briefs is a regular publication about current developments on ASEAN regionalism, especially in the Political-Security, Economic as well as Socio - Cultural Pillars.

This edition of ASEAN Briefs explores the current trend of human trafficking in Southeast Asia and the regional as well as national efforts to combat human trafficking. Regionally and nationally, ASEAN member states have adopted a number of laws and regulations to deal with human trafficking as human rights violation. However, looking at the prevalence of various forms of human trafficking in Southeast Asia, it is clear

that the existing approach has not yielded a sustainable result in ending the root cause of this crime. There is an urgency for ASEAN to explore new strategy that considers sustainability in ending the root causes of human trafficking. This Briefs aims to offer

a more sustainable strategy to supplement the current approach by paying more attention to the influence of the structure of global and regional economy, as well as the

gendered nature of human trafficking policy.

Executive Summary

Global trend data:

Regional trend dataAsia Pacific had the biggest number of victims,

30.5 million in 2016(Global Slavery Index 2016)

USD 150 billionof illegal profits generatedby human trafficking per year (ILO estimation, 2014)

Fighting for Freedom: Combatting Human Trafficking in ASEAN

6 AMS have ratified ACTIP:Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore,

Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar.

more than

1 million Rohingya

are denied citizenship and

at high risk of human trafficking

Greater Mekong Sub-Region has the

most extensive flows

92% of 1.525victims assisted by IOM in ASEAN in 2015 wereforced labours

25% of global victims assisted by IOM came from ASEAN countries

45.8 million people trapped in

modern slavery(Global Slavery Index, 2016)

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Introduction:

Human trafficking remains one of the toughest transnational crimes yet to be solved. As much as it is a form of crime against human rights, human trafficking is also a form of illegal international business. In 2014, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that human trafficking generates around USD 150 billion of illegal profits a year, which is more than the GDP of most African countries and three times the revenues of Apple.1 With figure such as that, human trafficking is one of the largest criminal industries in the world.

As an illegal industry, human trafficking has victimised millions of people around the world. According to the Global Slavery Index 2016, there are around 45.8 million people trapped in modern slavery, which is more than the combined population of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, and Lao PDR.2No region or countryaroundthe world is immune fromhuman trafficking. Asia Pacific, however, had the biggest number of victims, which was almost 30.5 million in 2016, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa with around 6.2 million victims.3

Recognising the magnitude of the problem, ASEAN has joined the global effort to combat human trafficking. Human trafficking, especially women and children trafficking, has received considerable attention in ASEAN. At the regional level, several treaty and non-treaty instruments exist as the overall guideline for ASEAN’s efforts in countering human trafficking. There are also various national and bilateral instruments that are committed to eliminating trafficking in persons. All these efforts are regarded as an important commitment by ASEAN to deliver more effective counter-trafficking

measures. However, the prevalence of human trafficking cases proves that the existing ASEAN mechanism in countering human trafficking is not effective. Something needs to be fixed.

The focus of this issue of ASEAN Briefs is to review the current trend of human trafficking in Southeast Asia and to examine the existing ASEAN mechanism in countering human trafficking. By paying attention to the influence of the structure of global and regional economy, as well as the gendered nature of human trafficking policy, this Briefs aims to offer a more sustainable solutions to supplement the existing efforts.

Laws and Order: Legal Instruments to Counter Human Trafficking in ASEAN

Generally, the term “human trafficking” has been used interchangeably with “trafficking in persons” (TIP) and “modern slavery” as an umbrella terms to categorise various forms of human exploitation. All the terms emphasise the element of the use of force, threat or other forms of coercion, and consider victims’ consent to be irrelevant where the use of force has been used. There are various purposes of exploitation, including, but not limited to, sex trafficking, domestic servitude, bonded labour, forced labour, child labour, forced marriage, and child soldiers recruitment. Whilst most cases of human trafficking are considered to be transnational crimes, most international or national regulations have recognised that the means of trafficking and the exploitation can happen both within and across national borders.

Fighting for Freedom: Combatting Human Trafficking in ASEAN 3

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In regards to human trafficking, ASEAN has one main treaty and several other supporting instruments. The ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP) serves as the main treaty that encompasses the overall guidance for ASEAN’s efforts in countering human trafficking. Adopted at the 27th ASEAN Summit in November 2015, the treaty is regarded as an important commitment for ASEAN to deliver more effective counter-trafficking efforts. The treaty supports the UN Protocol to Suppress, Prevent and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (UN TIP Protocol, 2000) and adopted its definition on trafficking.

ASEAN puts all activities that enable trafficking to be illegal and subject to prosecution. ASEAN also emphasises that the consent of the victim is irrelevant when any of the means that include the use of force and coercion have been used.4 In other words, all persons who are involved as the object of trafficking must be regarded as victim.5Withregard to the purpose of trafficking, ASEAN basically recognises that it can include many forms of exploitation of a person, which is not limited to forced labour or sexual exploitation.6 ASEAN also acknowledges that trafficking can happen both within and across national borders.

In ASEAN, human trafficking is framed mainly as a human rights issue. By recalling the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the ASEAN Charter, and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, the ASEAN TIP Convention linked the efforts to eradicate trafficking in persons with the promotion and protection of human rights, fundamental freedoms, fair treatment, and rule of law.7 The fight against human trafficking in ASEAN is also supported by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).Moreover, with special emphasis on women and children, ASEAN has placed the issue of human trafficking as one of the main agenda of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC).

ASEAN member stateshave also devised several bilateral instruments amongst themselves. As of 2016, bilateral agreements to deal with human trafficking are mainly concentrated in the Greater Mekong Sub-region that involves Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar.8 Similar with the ASEAN TIP Convention, bilateral

instruments addressing human trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-region mostly emphasise women and children as victims, and include measures from victim identification to rehabilitation.

Nationally, all ASEAN member states have their own law against human trafficking. Indonesia, for example, has the Law of the Republic of Indonesia No. 21 on Eradication of the Criminal Act of Human Trafficking (2007). Myanmar has its Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law (2005), and Singapore has its Prevention of Human Trafficking Act (2014). Whilst the definition of human trafficking varies, each law has similar components with the UN TIP Protocol. Generally, human trafficking is considered to bea criminal offense and human rights violation with specific emphasis for cases involving women and children as victims. Some countries, such as Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines extend and add specific definition for various forms of human trafficking purposes, such as debt bondage, servitude, and servile forms of marriage.9

Numbers Don’t Lie: Human Trafficking Prevalence in Southeast Asia

Even with the existing legal instruments, Southeast Asia remains one of the regions with the highest number of human trafficking offense. Generally, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, Southeast Asia is a destination region for short, medium and long-distance human trafficking.10 Asia Pacific has been reported as a region with the largestnumber of human trafficking cases, and within Asia Pacific, the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) has the most extensive flows of migration and human trafficking.11 In fact, in 2015, 25 percent of global human trafficking victims requiring assistanceby the International Organization for Migration (IOM) came from ASEAN countries.12

The current landscape of human trafficking in Southeast Asia is mainly concerned with the trafficking of displaced Rohingya people. The unresolved conflicts in Myanmar havedisplaced tens of thousands of Rohingnya as well as Kachin and Shan civilians and made them especially vulnerable to trafficking. The government of Myanmar continues to deny citizenship status to more than 1 million Rohingya and detains around 120,000 Muslims inmore than 40 camps, putting

Fighting for Freedom: Combatting Human Trafficking in ASEAN 5

them at high risk of human trafficking.13 Traffickers have smuggled thousands of Rohingyamostly to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, demanded ransom or sold them for forced labour.14

Other than that, forced labour is also one of the most prevalent forms of human trafficking in Southeast Asia. In 2015, 92 percent of 1,525 human trafficking victims assisted by IOM in ASEAN countries were exploited as forced labour.15 Common sectors for forced labour are domestic work, fisheries, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and entertainment.16Between 2015 and 2016, the Global Slavery Index reported that there were cases of forced labour in the Malaysian electronics industry and palm oil plantations, debt bondage in the apparel industries in Vietnam, forced labour in the fishing industries in Indonesia, Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Thailand, as well as exploitation of illegal domestic workers in Singapore.17 According to ILO, the majority of forced labour is perpetrated by private entities and individuals, but there are also some casesof state-imposed forced labour.18

Sexual exploitation, mostly in the form of forced prostitution as well as bride and child bride trafficking, is also common in Southeast Asia. UNODC reported that sexual exploitation is the most frequently detected form of exploitation in East Asia and the Pacific, contributingto about 61 percent of human trafficking cases recorded between 2012 and 2014.19According to most of the reports, women and girls, especially those who are migrant workers, refugees or indigenous people, are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking in this region. UNODC reported that around 79 percent of detected human trafficking victims in East Asia and the Pacific are women and girls.20

Recently, child-bride trafficking in Southeast Asia has gained considerable attention from the media, NGOs and activists. Reuters, for example, reported that due to the lack of better options, Rohingya girls were forced to be child-bride in Malaysia for safety and protection.21 Amongst ASEAN member states, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam are the three countries with the highest number of forced marriage and child-bride trafficking victims, who are usually sold to China or other countries in ASEAN.22

Looking at the high prevalence of human trafficking problems in Southeast Asia, ASEAN seems to have

a serious problem, especially in implementing all the legal frameworks it has.

Between Framing and Implementing: What is Lacking in ASEAN?

Generally, there are three main problems withregards to ASEAN’s approach in combatting human trafficking. The first is the limited framing of the issue of human trafficking as human rights violations, which has marginalised the structural economic factors. Second, there is also the enduring technical problem of policy implementation. Lastly, there is a persistent gendered framing of the issue, which has generally limited women and girls’ characterisation as victims.

It’s the economy: economic drivers of human trafficking

In ASEAN, as in most regions, the framing of human trafficking usually focuses on the principle of human rights and that most of the efforts to combat human trafficking have been classified as part of the humanitarian, social policy or human security sectors. In fact, ACTIP reaffirms the agenda of transnational crime as part of the comprehensive security commitment in the ASEAN Charter.23It is true that any purposes of human trafficking violate the human rights of the victims and that it mostly relates with conflicts and insecurities, but this dominant discourse has marginalisedanother structural cause of human trafficking, which is the structural economic factors.

Human trafficking is one of the world’s largest illegal businesses exactly because it generates profits, especially for the traffickers and the employers. Human trafficking is basically a labour market, in which the vulnerable populations are seen as the unwilling supply source for cheap labour. On the other hand, employers create the demand for cheap labour in order to produce products at lower costs, whiletraffickers act as intermediaries that connect the supply and demand.

Whilst profit is the main driving motive for human trafficking, the condition of poverty, lack of employment opportunity, as well as lack of education and skills might be more influential as the push factors that drive people to be traffickers or to be lured as victims.24In this case, however, the

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victims receive very little or no income at all, and their consent is no longer valid due to the use of force and threat from the traffickers. In most cases, traffickers took the victims’ passport and put them in bondage to establish unequal power relations. In other words, traffickers, and the employers, are capitalising on the victims’ vulnerability and their lack of alternatives to exploit them for personal economic gain.

Furthermore, it is no coincidence that Southeast Asia is one of the regions with the highest number of human trafficking victims.The structures of the regional and global economy contribue to this.Similar to countries like South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, most ASEAN member states experienced quick economic growth that resulted in a surge of demand for affordable labour and economic opportunities, which make them to be the source and destination countries of human trafficking.25Traffickers usually use the appeal of new economic opportunities in more developed areas to trick people from less developed areas that they will have better welfare. Unresolved armed conflict and political instability have also created insecurity that displaced many populations and made them more vulnerable to be trafficking victims as they desperately search for better livelihood in neighbouring countries.26

It is also no help that the economic globalisation have put most of ASEAN member states at the bottom of the global supply chain and pressured them to deregulate and lower production cost in order to have a competitive advantage. In Asia, the strategy to lower production cost is generally achieved by providing low skilled labour with low wages for the production stage of global industries, including garments, fishing, technology, and food production.27This condition has supported the demand creation for cheap labour, which is abused by traffickers to exploit vulnerable populations as cheap, if not free, labour.

Diminishing the contribution of the economic factors has made it harder to hold private companies and contractors accountable for dismissing the fact that most of their products might be produced by forced labour. It is also important to pay attention to the economic factors to construct a more sustainable solution by breakingthe demand and the supply for this illegal, inhumane, business.

Gap in normative ideal and real capacity

Indeed, ASEAN member states faceproblems in implementing most of the measures, nationally and regionally. The 2016 U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report indicates that most of ASEAN member statesare categorised as Tier 2 Watch List, which means that they still have high number of victims and there is a lack of increasing efforts or advanced commitments to implement various mechanisms against human trafficking.28 An article published by IOM even suggested that for criminals, the risks of human trafficking are lower than the risks of trafficking illegal drugs or arms as indicated by the low number of discovered cases and prosecutions.29Some reports have suggested that the lack of border control, corruption, lack of coordination between related institutions, statelessness or unclear citizenship status, and the lack of funding are amongst the most common technical problems that have hindered an effective enforcement of human trafficking laws and regulations in Southeast Asia. It has also been hard to synchronise an effective concerted effort amongst ASEAN member states due to different definitions and standards on prosecuting human trafficking case.

Furthermore, not all ASEAN member stateshave ratified ACTIP. With the Philippines’ ratification of ACTIP in February 2017, currently only six ASEAN member states, including Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar, have ratified ACTIP. This also means that ACTIP has only been in force since 8 March 2017.30 Its performance could not be fully assessed until it has been effectively implemented. Other ASEAN member states, including Indonesia, are still preparing the necessary materials for ACTIP ratification.

ASEAN itself does not have the political capacity to force its members to ratify the ACTIP and synchronise their national regulations to combat human trafficking. The principle of the ‘ASEAN Way’, which is adopted in all agreements and treaties, has made it clear that the national sovereignty of its member states mustbe respected and that ASEAN remains an intergovernmental body. This means that whilst ASEAN can give recommendations and encourage its members to ratify a treaty, the decision to implement the suggested measures depends on the willingness

Fighting for Freedom: Combatting Human Trafficking in ASEAN 7

of the national governments, which may have their own political considerations and technical capacity to do so.

It’s not a girl’s thing: perpetuation of female victimisation

It is not a coincidence that sexual exploitation is one of the most prevalent forms of human trafficking in the region. With a net profit margin of over 70 percent, and the fact that it is easy to procure, move and exploit vulnerable women and girls, sex trafficking is one of the most profitable business in the world.31 Women and girls have been the main target of human trafficking because of the gendered stereotype attached to them.

The social and economic structure is not gender neutral. The socially determined roles for women and girls, which usually centred onthe private sphere of the household sector, are less valued. Because of that, they have been marginalised from the ownership and control over material, such as income and land, as well as non-material resources, such as time and political participation. Women and girls are usually expected to be obedient daughters, wives, mothers, and consumers, making them dependent on their protectors, usually the bread-winning men, and limit their aspiration and fall-back plan. Women’s lack of agency has put them in the perpetual dependence on their protectors, usually men, which make them more desirable and vulnerable to be sold for the purpose of forced marriage and sexual exploitation.

In the labour market, women are particularly more desirable as forced labour in the export-oriented, labour-intensive industries because of their constructed submissive character and the lack of skill.32UN Women reported that in ASEAN, girls continue to have lower average school attendance compared to boys, whilst women have low access to credit and formal banking, which make it harder for them to have a secure income.33 The loss of economic opportunities due to the low socio-economic status of women and girls, coupled with insecurities resulting from ongoing conflict and political instability, have supported the pull factors of human trafficking that consist of the promises of steady employment, better living conditions, and demand for cheap unskilled labour and sexual services.34

It is good that the current national and regional instruments to combat human trafficking have prioritised women and girls. However, such policy framing limits the narrative of human trafficking as women-only issues rather than a systemic problem that affects all. Whilst it is true that specific attention must be given for women and girls who are more vulnerable to human trafficking, the framing of women and girls as victims has actually limit their sense of agency as an inherent vulnerable victims of violence whoare in need of masculine protectors. Instead of giving women and girls, especially those who live in poverty and conflict situation, a sustainable sense of agency by empowering them with education and access to economic resources, the current human trafficking instruments only focuses on stopping thetraffickers without necessarily promoting a sustainable approach toend the chain of vulnerability.

Conclusion and policy recommendations

It becomes clear that ASEAN’s current approach to human trafficking is problematic. The framing and implementation of human trafficking instruments in the region have largely disregarded a more sustainable approach to end the supply and demand for this specific illegal business. There is an urgent need for ASEAN member statesto review and strengthen theirshortcomings to come up with a new sustainable strategy to combat human trafficking. With regard to this, this edition of ASEAN Briefs would like to offer some recommendations so that ASEAN can tackle the root problems and bring about freedom by combatting human trafficking.

First, including the economic factors in policy framing.It is important to consider the economic factors of human trafficking to design more sustainable approaches that can address the root problems that have created the supply and demand for this illegal business. Beyond the use of deterrence and punishment, ASEAN member statesmust be able to ensure better welfare and awareness for its people, especially those who live in areas with high occurrence of trafficking cases, by providing adequate education, safe economic opportunities, fair citizenship status, and solving the conflicts and political instability. Measures to combat human trafficking must be included in

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market regulations to eliminate the demand for forced labour. Private companies and contractors must be held accountable if found to be involved in using or in any way supporting the illegal forced labour trafficking. Consumers must be made aware of this problem in order for them to push for safer ways of doing business.

Second, strengthening the political commitment and technical capacity. It is time for ASEAN member statesto have stronger political will to coordinate and build stronger collective efforts to combat human trafficking. ASEAN member statesmust be able to cooperate better and push for conflict resolutions and solve economic deprivation. Funding and technical expertise must be increased for member statesto have better border control and effective law enforcement. Transparency and accountability must be reinforced in uncovering and prosecuting human trafficking cases in order to have a better evaluation of law enforcement as well as to create better evidence-based policy.

Third, change the stigma around women and girls, and provide them with sustainable empowerment.ASEAN member statesmust continue to put special attention to women and girls as the most vulnerable victims of human trafficking whilst at the same time provide them with better channels of empowerment to make them more independent and stronger. The empowerment programme must be designed based on the specific context of their needs. For example, in conflict-ridden situation it is important to provide women and girls with safe shelter, and in the case of poverty, women and girls must be provided with easier access to education, employment and cheap credits. It is also important for ASEAN member statesto explore the potential roles of women as traffickers as well as protectors and law enforcers to generate a comprehensive strategy that includes women’s full potential and threat. Furthermore, it is highly advisable for the member statesto start promoting an alternative narrative of gender roles that is more equal and non-discriminative through education or public campaign.

References

2. Walk Free Foundation (2016), The Global Slavery In-dex, retrieved from: <http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/download/>, pp. 4. (Country population equiva-lent based on population data in 2015 according to World Bank).

3. Ibid.

4. ACTIP (2015), Article 2 – a, pp. 4.

5. ACWC (2016), Regional Review on Laws, Policies and Practices within ASEAN relating to the Identi-fication, Management and Treatment of Victims of Trafficking, especially Women and Children, Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, retrieved from: <http://asean.org/storage/2016/09/ACWC-Regional-Review.pdf>.

6. ACTIP (2015), Article 2 – a, pp. 4.

7. Ibid., Preamble.

8. ACWC (2016), Op. Cit., pp. 12.

9. Ibid., pp. 26.

10. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (2016), Global Report on Trafficking in persons 2016, New York: United Nations publication, pp. 103.

11. Annette Lyth (interview with DW) (2015), “Why Southeast Asia struggles to tackle modern day slavery,” retrieved from: <http://www.dw.com/en/why-southeast-asia-struggles-to-tackle-modern-day-slavery/a-18371333>.

12. IOM infographic

13. Fortify Rights (2016) http://www.fortifyrights.org/publication-20160701.html

14. Amnesty International (2015) https://www.amnesty.org/en/press-releases/2015/10/southeast-asia-per-secuted-rohingya-refugees-from-myanmar-suffer-horrific-abuses-at-sea/

15. International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2015), “Human Trafficking 2015.” Retrieved from: < https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/infographic/ASEAN-CT-Infographic-05july2016.png>.

16. Ibid.

17. Walk Free Foundation (2016), Op. cit.

18. International Labour Organization (ILO) (n.d.), “Forced Labour,” retrieved from: <http://www.ilo.org/asia/areas/forced-labour/lang--en/index.htm>.

19. UNODC (2016), Op. cit., pp. 103.

20. UNODC (2016), “Data Collection on Detected Vic-tims and Their Profiles,” retrieved from: <https://www.unodc.org/unodc/data-and-analysis/glotip.html>.

1. Rosamund Hutt (2016), “The horrors of modern slavery in numbers,” retrieved from: <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/12/the-horrors-of-mod-ern-slavery-in-numbers>.

Fighting for Freedom: Combatting Human Trafficking in ASEAN 9

21. RozannaLatiff and Ebrahim Harris (2017), “Sold into Marriage: How Rohingya Girls become Child Brides in Malaysia,” Reuters, retrieved from: <http://www.reuters.com/article/uk-myanmar-ro-hingya-childbrides-insight-idUSKBN15U009>.

22. Walk Free Foundation (2016), Op. cit., pp. 52.

23. ACTIP (2015), Preamble.

24. Elizabeth M. Wheaton, Edward J. Schauer, and Thomas V. Galli (2010), “Economics of Human Traf-ficking,” International Migration, Vol. 48 (4).

25. Stephanie Hepburn and Rita J. Simon (2013), Hu-man Trafficking Around the World – Hidden in Plain Sight, New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 7.

26. Ibid.

27. Walk Free Foundation (2016), Op. cit.

28. The U.S. Department of State (2016), Trafficking in Persons Report, retrieved from: <https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2016/>.

29. Elizabeth M. Wheaton, Edward J. Schauer, and Thomas V. Galli (2010), Op. cit.

30. ASEAN Secretariat (2017), “ASEAN Welcomes Entry into Force of ACTIP,” retrieved from: <http://asean.org/asean-welcomes-entry-into-force-of-actip/>.

31. Baylee Molloy (2016), “The Economics of Human Trafficking,” Institute for Faith, Work and Econom-ics, retrieved from: <https://tifwe.org/the-econom-ics-of-human-trafficking/>.

32. See for example L. Salzinger (2003), Genders in Production: Making Workers in Mexico’s Global Factories, Berkeley: University of California Press; and L. Beneria, G. Berik and M. S. Floro (2016), Gender, Development, and Globalization – Eco-nomics as if All People Mattered. New York: Rout-ledge.

33. UN Women (2017), “Infographics – ASEAN Women are a potential boost to the region’s labour force and economy,” retrieved from: <http://asiapa-cific.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publica-tions/2016/07/infographics--asean-women-are-a-potential-boost-to-the-regions-labour-force-and-economy>.

34. SofijaVoronova and Anja Radjenovic(2016), “The Gender Dimension of Human Trafficking,” EU Briefing, February 2016, retrieved from: <http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/577950/EPRS_BRI(2016)577950_EN.pdf>.

Talking ASEAN is a monthly public dialogue held at The Habibie Center in Jakarta. Covering a wide array of issues related to ASEAN, Talking ASEAN addresses topics of: Economic Integration, Socio-cultural, & Democracy, human rights and regional peace, among others. Featuring local and visiting experts, Talking ASEAN is one of a series of twelve dialogues regularly held each month and open to a target audience consisting of ASEAN officials, foreign ambassadors & diplomats, academics, university students, businesses, and the media.

The Habibie Center was founded by Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie and family in 1999 as an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organisation. The vision of The Habibie Center is to create a structurally democratic society founded on the morality and integrity of cultural and religious values. The mission of The Habibie Center are first, to establish a structurally and culturally democratic society that recognizes, respects, and promotes human rights by undertaking study and advocacy of issues related to democratization and human rights, and second, to increase the effectiveness of the management of human resources and the spread of technology.

About The Habibie Center

About ASEAN Studies Program

About Talking ASEAN

The ASEAN Studies Program was established on February 24, 2010, to become a center of excellence on ASEAN related issues, which can assist in the development of the ASEAN Community by 2015. The Habibie Center through its ASEAN Studies Program, alongside other institutions working towards the same goal, hopes to contribute to the realization of a more people-oriented ASEAN that puts a high value on democracy and human rights. The objective of the ASEAN Studies Program is not merely only to conduct research and discussion within academic and government circles, but also to strengthen public awareness by forming a strong network of civil society in the region that will be able to help spread the ASEAN message. With the establishment of ASEAN Studies Program, The Habibie Center aims to play its part within our capabilities to the ASEAN regional development.

Cover Image: theconversation.comCracking down on slavery and human trafficking.

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