166-417 Human Rights Theory & Practice: S.E.Asia

Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth year honours in political science or Asian studies, or a postgraduate coursework program in MIALS.

This subject examines the discourse of human rights and its critics from a historical and comparative perspective. It introduces students to international human rights discourses (covenants, resolutions, truth commissions) and looks at their social significance and impact in different Southeast Asian countries. Are human rights NGOs weakening or strengthening the nation-states in Southeast Asia? How has technology (e.g. internet activism) transformed the practice of human rights work in Southeast Asia? The subject explores the factors that have given rise to differing conception of rights and social justice (political, economic, cultural, religious, ideological) and looks at their implementation at the local, national, and international levels. It introduces students to other aspects of rights, justice and violence such as war and mental disorders; attitudes towards the body, bodily integrity, and the practice of torture and political rape; attitudes toward the invalid and those with HIV/AIDS; the history of state prisons and surveillance; forms of criminality and corruption; domestic politics and violence against women; and environmental rights. On completion of the subject students should have a broad and critical knowledge of alternative human rights regimes and be able to examine political violence in Southeast Asia beyond creating inventories of violations and narratives of victimisation.

Two 2500 word essays.

• P Hirsch & C Warren (eds), The Politics of Environment in Southeast Asia. Routledge, 1998.
• W Bello, S Cunningham & L Keng Poh (eds), A Siamese Tragedy: Development and Disintegration in Modern Thailand. St Martin's Press, 1999.
• J Fox & D Soares (eds), Out of the Ashes: The Destruction and Reconstruction of East Timor.