World · Malaysia Bureau
ASEAN's non-interference principle hampering forced migration response
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights has highlighted how the bloc's foundational non-interference doctrine is undermining coordinated efforts to address forced migration. The challenge is compounded by most member states' reluctance to sign the 1951 Refugee Convention.
LSN Malaysia ·
Regional cooperation on forced migration remains fragmented across Southeast Asia, with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) pointing to the bloc's core principle of non-interference as a significant obstacle to comprehensive action.
The AICHR's assessment reflects a persistent tension within ASEAN, where member states' commitment to respecting each other's sovereignty has historically limited coordinated responses to transnational challenges. This approach has resulted in disjointed policies across the region, preventing the development of unified mechanisms to protect vulnerable populations displaced by conflict, persecution, or economic hardship.
A fundamental complication is that most ASEAN member states remain non-signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the cornerstone international instrument for refugee protection. This legal gap, combined with ASEAN's reluctance to enforce binding human rights standards across borders, has created enforcement challenges and left migrants and refugees with limited protections under regional frameworks.
The AICHR's findings suggest that addressing forced migration effectively in Southeast Asia requires either a recalibration of ASEAN's non-interference doctrine or renewed commitment from member states to adopt international refugee protection standards. Without such changes, the region's fragmented approach is likely to persist, leaving enforcement and humanitarian response largely dependent on individual nation capacities and bilateral arrangements.