The class of the UP Asian Center, PS 279, will be holding the webinar, “Transitional Justice in the ASEAN Context: Lessons from the Past and Ways Forward,” on 17 June 2023, 1:00 to 4:00 PM, Philippine time via Zoom. The webinar is free and open to the public, but registration and signing in to a (free) Zoom account are required.
ABOUT THE WEBINAR
After the Second World War, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Argentina underwent decades of dictatorship that led to widespread human rights abuses. During these transitions away from repressive regimes, it is imperative that societies work towards implementing pillars of transitional justice to guard against relapses that would allow human rights violations to be committed anew.
Transitional justice comprises efforts to 1.) uncover the whole truth about the extent and nature of abuses committed during repressive regimes; 2.) try and hold perpetrators of abuses to account; 3) compensate the victims or relatives of those who suffered human rights violations, or repair damages that were done; 4.) guarantee that abuses can no longer be committed.
It is in this light that the UP Asian Center PS 279 (Special Topics on Philippine Foreign Relations) class is inviting you to this webinar titled “Transitional Justice in Asean: Lessons From The Past and Ways Forward” that will compare the accounts and experiences of human rights abuses during the dictatorship periods in the above-mentioned countries. The invited speakers, who are also human rights defenders, will share their experiences with pursuing justice for their loved ones and their own personal observations about their country’s efforts to achieve transitional justice.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
ATTY. CECILIA JIMENEZ (Philippines)
Lawyer, International Humanitarian Law; Human Rights Law
Atty. Jimenez is a human rights lawyer who previously served as UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons. She earned her law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and obtained her LLM from King’s College London.
RON DE VERA (Philippines)
Human Rights Defender
Ron de Vera is a human rights defender whose mother was a political detainee during the Marcos dictatorship. He is currently the treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus and previously worked with Amnesty International and the Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances.
ATTY. INDRIA FERNIDA ALPHASONNY (Indonesia)
Regional Program Coordinator, Asia Justice, and Rights (AJAR)
Atty. Alphasonny is a human rights lawyer who currently serves as a Regional Program Manager in the Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) and manages a secretariat of transitional justice experts in the Transitional Justice Asia Network (TJAN). She previously worked closely with the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commissions in Indonesia and the Centro Nacional Chega in Timor Leste.
RATTANAK LY (Cambodia)
Program Manager, Women Peace Maker- Cambodia
Mr. Rattanak Ly is a Peace Program Manager at the NGO Women Peace Makers (WPM) in Cambodia. His work experience mainly concentrates on dealing with the past, addressing historical and interethnic conflict, peacebuilding, and promoting a culture of nonviolence in addressing conflict in diverse societies.
ATTY. LUCIANO HAZAN (Argentina)
Former Chairperson, UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
Atty. Hazan previously served as a member and Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances from 2017 to 2023, and a former member of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances in 2011 and 2017. His legal career includes representing the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo Association and becoming an undersecretary both at the Ministry of Justice and human rights of Argentina.
ATTY. DEBBIE STOTHARD (Malaysia)
Secretary General, Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-BURMA)
Atty. Stothard is a human rights lawyer in Indonesia who previously served as Deputy Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence. Her work was instrumental in the reunification of disappeared Timorese children with their biological families in Timor-Leste after the period of Indonesian occupation. She is also the founder of the Myanmar-focused human rights NGO ALTSEAN-Burma.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
The event is organized by the students of the UP Asian Center Philippine Studies 279 (Special Topics in Philippine Foreign Relations) class of Prof. Mary Aileen D. Bacalso for the second semester, A.Y. 2022–2023.
PS 279 – Special Topics in Philippine Foreign Relations: HUMAN RIGHTS AND PHILIPPINE INTERESTS
The course aims to facilitate the students’ understanding of the Philippines’ role as a member of the United Nations; identify, understand, analyze, and discuss major human rights issues in the country; facilitate their knowledge of the core international treaties with focus on some of them. It further aims to facilitate the students’ appreciation of victims’ and survivors’ struggle for truth and justice by studying concrete stories of challenges and success. See more.
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VIEW: REGISTRATION GUIDE AND HOUSE RULES
The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.
