Edmund Bon

The five Representatives to AICHR reaffirmed AICHR’s commitment to advancing human rights in ASEAN through constructive dialogue, strengthened cooperation, capacity-building initiatives, and inclusive engagement.

Tiga wakil hak asasi manusia daripada AICHR mengemukakan tujuh cadangan untuk fasa Pelan Induk Pengupayaan ASEAN 2025: Pengarusperdanaan Hak Orang Kurang Upaya seterusnya.

Three Representatives to AICHR put forward seven recommendations for the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which has driven progress in aligning national laws, policies, and measures with international human rights standards.

At AICHR’s Special Meeting 4/2025 held in Melaka, Malaysia, Edmund Bon, Representative of Malaysia to AICHR, expressed his concern about the current state of human rights, particularly the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, and the situation in Myanmar.

AICHR Chair Edmund Bon stated that ASEAN and the EU must both confront pressing, complex, and evolving human rights realities, which know no borders. There is great potential for ASEAN and the EU to strengthen cooperation in the promotion and protection of human rights.

Pengerusi AICHR Edmund Bon menyeru semua negara yang mengekalkan hukuman mati untuk menghentikan hukuman mati sekarang dan bergerak dengan tegas ke arah pemansuhan.

AICHR Chair Edmund Bon called on all countries that retain capital punishment to halt executions and move decisively toward meaningful reform. In particular, he called for an immediate ASEAN-wide moratorium for concrete steps toward abolition of the death penalty.

The discussions during the first AICHR programme of this kind aim to bring a human rights lens and to mainstream human rights approaches in drug policies — from punitive, criminalisation-based approaches towards evidence-based, community-centred, and health-driven strategies.

AICHR Chair Edmund Bon said that regional human rights mechanisms bring human rights from the global to the local. Regional systems also provide a crucial layer of protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms alongside domestic laws and institutions.

Edmund Bon, AICHR Chair and Representative of Malaysia to AICHR, addressed, among others, five current human rights issues — the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand; the situations in Myanmar, Indonesia, and Gaza; and the use of the death penalty.

AICHR Chair Edmund Bon said that AICHR can operate to lead the region in meeting human rights challenges. He elaborated that the consultation will continue to explore good practices for adoption, foster dialogue, and generate recommendations on ways to make AICHR more effective.

AICHR Chair Edmund Bon stated that AICHR’s view is that the ASEAN Community of Practice’s objectives on women, peace and security will be further strengthened by incorporating a human rights-based approach into its activities, which recognises that sustainable peace and security are fully achieved when fundamental human rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled.

Edmund Bon presented a 2022 SUHAKAM report that found that Malaysian laws are partially compatible with nine UNCAT provisions, but not compatible with seven others. He spoke on the need for political will by the Malaysian Government to accede to UNCAT, and for more research and advocacy on the compatibility of UNCAT with Islamic principles and practices.

Edmund Bon, AICHR Chair and Representative of Malaysia to AICHR, described the youth debate as an enabling environment and safe space provided by AICHR for ASEAN youths, where they can maximise the exercise of the right to freedom of speech, expression, and opinion, without interference.

According to AICHR Chair Edmund Bon, gender equality is not just a “women’s issue”; it is a human rights issue, a development issue, and an economic issue, all of which must be viewed through an intersectional lens, as inclusivity demands.

AICHR Chair Edmund Bon put forward seven proposals for optimising and scaling up people-facing coordination efforts. These include establishing a dedicated channel or pathway for people and communities in vulnerable situations to access ASEAN bodies for remedies and to provide constructive feedback loops, and publishing an annual ASEAN Human Rights Report.

AICHR Chair Edmund Bon stated that development currently faces two major challenges: climate change and human mobility. Climate change impedes development by undermining livelihoods, deepening inequality, fuelling internal tensions, and forcing families to flee.

AICHR Chair Edmund Bon spoke on the importance of the role of regional human rights institutions such as AICHR in advancing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Edmund Bon, AICHR Chair and Representative of Malaysia to AICHR, called on AICHR to pivot to a more action-oriented, resilient, and strategic institution capable of addressing complex and growing human rights issues in the ASEAN region, and to reimagine how ASEAN can do more and better in moving towards a shared future.

Edmund Bon said, among others, that it is an opportune time for ASEAN to declare and commemorate its “ASEAN Human Rights Day” on 18 November every year. This date is significant because the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration was adopted 13 years ago, on 18 November 2012.