BANGKOK, Thailand (22 July 2025) – The Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) encourage the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF) to strengthen its network during its Technical Working Group Meeting in Yogyakarta.
From 21 to 25 July 2025, SEANF members are attending its second Technical Working Group Meeting this year, as chaired by the National Human Rights Commission of Indonesia. The meeting will review the implementation of decisions from the previous Annual Meeting and prepare for the upcoming Annual Meeting and Conferences.
Established in 2007, SEANF consists of six national human rights institutions (NHRIs) members from across the region, including Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, and Myanmar. SEANF members promote regional cooperation on transnational human rights concerns like migration, statelessness, and governance.
Five out of the six SEANF members received an “A” status as NHRIs, which is the highest international accreditation from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). An “A” status means that an NHRI has fully complied with the Paris Principles, the minimum international standards for independent, credible, and effective NHRIs.
“SEANF continues to play a key role in the region’s human rights landscape. ANNI and FORUM-ASIA urge SEANF members to strengthen their credibility, independence, and collaboration in line with the ASEAN’s Vision 2045 of fostering responsive, agile, and adaptive institutions,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA which serves as the Secretariat to ANNI.
Call to action
Finalize amendments to the Rules of Procedure
We urge SEANF to finalize pending amendments to its Rules of Procedure, clarifying the definition of NHRIs in full compliance with the Paris Principles. Likewise, other proposed amendments aimed at streamlining SEANF’s decision-making processes must be finalized. Such amendments are crucial to enhancing SEANF’s effectiveness and operational integrity.
Remove the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission
We reiterate our strong call for SEANF to remove the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) from its network, given the Commission’s longstanding complicity in the military junta’s atrocities. GANHRI has already expelled and removed the MNHRC’s accreditation, followed by the Asia Pacific Forum. We urge the SEANF to follow suit. Keeping the MNHRC’s membership risks lending false legitimacy to the Myanmar military junta, thereby undermining SEANF’s credibility as a regional human rights platform.
Strengthen AICHR and civil society engagement
We encourage the SEANF to closely engage with civil society and the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).
On 8 July 2025, civil society organizations constructively engaged with AICHR in Kuala Lumpur, during which ANNI advocated for closer cooperation between AICHR and SEANF. We urged AICHR to disengage from the Myanmar military junta’s representatives—including the MNHRC—at the regional level.
Malaysia is currently serving as ASEAN Chair, while its Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) will be taking over the SEANF Chairship in 2026. Meanwhile, the Philippines will be assuming the ASEAN Chairship in 2026, with its Commission on Human Rights (CHRP) likely chairing SEANF in 2027. We encourage SUHAKAM and CHRP to closely coordinate with ASEAN to ensure the continuity and consistency of its human rights agenda across different leaderships.
ANNI and FORUM-ASIA remain committed to upholding human rights and strengthening NRHIs in Asia and beyond. We look forward to continuing our close partnership with the SEANF.
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Asian NGOs Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI)
The Asian NGOs Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) was established in December 2006. It is a network of Asian non-governmental organisations and human rights defenders working on issues related to National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). ANNI has members that are national organisations from all over Asia. ANNI currently has 33 member organisations from 21 countries or territories. The work of ANNI members focuses on strengthening the work and functioning of Asian NHRIs to better promote and protect human rights as well as to advocate for the improved compliance of Asian NHRIs with international standards, including the Paris Principles and General Observations of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the Global Alliance of NHRIs (GANHRI). The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) has served as the Secretariat of ANNI since its establishment in 2006. http://l.forum-asia.org/ANNI
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