Asean and the Responsibility to Protect : An Ambivalent Relationship

This book adopts a sociolegal and interdisciplinary approach to examine how the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) has been understood within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Historically, the international community has struggled to effectively address humanitarian crises worldwide. The concept of the 'Responsibility to Protect' (R2P) has emerged over the past two decades as a principle that could guide states’ efforts to prevent and respond to humanitarian crises. However, R2P's interpretation varies across different regions, and it remains to be established whether it can successfully achieve its goals. This book adopts an interdisciplinary approach to analyse how R2P has been perceived and applied within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China. In particular, it explores ASEAN’s, ASEAN member-states’ and China’s understanding and implementation of R2P, paying special attention to the 1999 East Timor crisis, the Rohingya crisis, and the West Papua conflict. The book assesses whether R2P has influenced the actions of ASEAN, its member states, and China. At a broader level, the book also explores regional approaches to international law, shedding light on Southeast Asian states’ perspectives on this aspect of global governance.

This book will be of much interest to students of Responsibility to Protect, Asian politics, human rights, international law, and International Relations in general.

Thida Chanthima Neth holds a PhD in Public International Law from City University, London, UK, and is a Strategic Advisor at the Asian Vision Institute, Cambodia.