Page 81 - The Ethics of ASEAN

Ethical leadership of ASEAN and in ASEAN

occupation, war and genocide and the non-alignment principle
was strategically used in several Southeast Asian countries
to deal with internal conflicts as well as superpower rivalry.
The lasting impact of the Cold War actually delayed the early
development of Southeast Asia after the Second World War.
In the mid-1980s, with the passing of the Cold War many
Southeast Asian countries shifted their focus to export-
oriented industrialization and rapid economic growth. Law
during this period of time became more of a tool for maintaining
social order rather than improving social justice. Human rights
were viewed as an ideal rather than a policy to enforce. In this
context, ethics had no place in ASEAN’s regional politics and
was considered more of an obstacle than a need.
From 2007 onwards, however, a great shift in ASEAN
took place. It was more open to ethics and the ASEAN Charter
called for the establishment of a human rights body. In 2009
the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights
(AICHR) was created with the mission to strengthen regional
cooperation on human rights based on consultation and
consensus.
2
The question now is how much progress has actually been
made in developing ethical leadership from and in ASEAN?
According to Dr Marzuki, there are three challenges for ASEAN
leaders.
First is the challenge of balancing inclusiveness and
diversity in ASEAN as a regional community. Dr Marzuki
described it as going from “unity in diversity” to “diversity in
unity.” In other words, ASEAN is not a melting pot but more like
a mosaic.
Second, the region needs to reimagine solidarity. Echoing
Ramos-Horta’s comments on leadership ethics, Dr Marzuki
sees the ethics of compassion as a leadership trait which
encourages goodness but the collective ethical commitment is
with each other as a community.
Third, we the need for ASEAN to reimagine its future and
build the ethical leadership that will make it happen. Over the
past fifty years since its foundation, there is an impression that
ASEAN has produced generations of people and leaders who
struggle to break their silence and express their concerns for
their fellow human beings, especially in crisis where there is
human suffering.

2 ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (NA). Structure,
Work and History of the AICHR. https://aichr.org/about-aichr-2/ retrieved 6
May 2023

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