Individual Paper
8. Negotiating Margins: Representations, Resistances, Agencies
In 1990s the ‘Asian values debate’ was characterised by contestation around the notion of ‘human rights and its compatibility, applicability, and value for Asian States. While since that period, human rights have become widely institutionalised politically and legally in many democratic countries across Asia, recently there appears to be a resurgence in State leaders’ expressions of reluctance and even hostility towards the notion of human rights. This can clearly be seen in the Philippines, under presidency of Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2022) where the notion of human rights was heavily disparaged. This has been noted by scholars who described Duterte as having shown an “oratorical animosity against human rights” (Ragragio, 2020, p. 857) rarely seen in past presidencies in the country. It has also been highlighted by civil society groups who have criticised him of “tarnishing” human rights and turning it into a “bad word” (Ong et al., 2021, p.8). This paper critically examines the contours of Duterte’s discourse against human rights and explores the various tactics it employs. Its aim is to better understand the techniques that contemporary contestations against rights rely on as well as to reflect upon its wider implications for human rights advocacy.
References
Ong, J. C., Tintiangko, J., & Fallorina, R. (2021). Human Rights in Survival Mode: Rebuilding Trust and Supporting Digital Workers in the Philippines. https://doi.org/10.37016/TASC-2021-04
Ragragio, J. (2020). Strongman, patronage and fake news: Anti-human rights discourses and populism in the Philippines. Journal of Language and Politics, 20(6), 852–872. https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.20039.rag
Syme de Leon
The University of Melbourne, Australia