Human Rights Education in the School Systems in Southeast Asia
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HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA CAMBODIA, INDONESIA, LAO PDR AND THAILAND Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center in cooperation with The Office of Human Rights Studies and Social Development, Mahidol University Human Rights Education in the School Systems in Southeast Asia - Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Thailand was published by the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center 2-8-24 Chikko, Minato-ku, Osaka 552-0021 Japan in cooperation with The Office of Human Rights Studies and Social Development Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University Salaya Campus, Nakhon Pathom, 73170 Bangkok, Thailand Copyright © Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center, 2009 Lay-out design by Nutthamon Nutthanapong Printed and bound by ANT Office Express Co., Ltd. Bangkok, Thailand All rights reserved. ISBN 978-974-11-1061-2 Disclaimer This publication was prepared with the financial support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNESCO. The opinions expressed in it are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations. Human Rights Education in the School Systems in Southeast Asia i Preface The first phase plan of action of the United Nations (UN) World Programme for Human Rights Education (WPHRE) promotes that idea that each UN member-state, regardless of the accomplishment that might have been achieved, should take stock of the current situation and start anew in supporting human rights education in the school system. While there are experiences in assessing national achievements in the field of human rights education in the school system in some Asian countries by either government or non-government educational institutions, the first phase plan of action provides a guide toward a comprehensive, inclusive, and multi-stakeholder-oriented national assessment exercise. This Southeast Asian project under the first phase plan of action of the WPHRE is the only multi-country project that the UNESCO and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have supported in Asia during the period of the first phase plan. Limited financial resources allowed only five countries in Southeast Asia to be covered by the project, which later on was reduced to four countries when one country did not send a response to the joint UNESCO-OHCHR invitation to join the project. The project has shown the importance of national-level assessment of human rights education in the school system. The national reports indicate the need to link separate government educational programs and projects in order to highlight their human rights education component, maximize their impact, and bring to the attention of the education community of the opportunities for pursuing human rights education within these existing educational programs and projects. The project should have been an educational experience for the people involved in the national assessment exercise in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Thailand. We in the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA) see the important contribution of this project in understanding the experiences and prospects of human rights education in the Asian school systems. We do hope that the United Nations as a whole will provide more attention to human rights education in the Asian school systems through the projects its agencies, offices and treaty bodies implement in the countries of Southeast Asia in particular and Asia in general. Osamu Shiraishi Director HURIGHTS OSAKA ii Human Rights Education in the School System in Southeast Asia Foreword The international community has repeatedly stressed the importance of human rights education as an essential tool for promoting respect, participation, equality and non- discrimination, as well as stable and harmonious relations among communities, mutual understanding and peace. Such consensus has led to the adoption of various intergovernmental frameworks aimed at encouraging the development of relevant national strategies and programmes. In particular, in December 2004, United Nations Member States proclaimed at their General Assembly the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005-ongoing), structured in consecutive phases. The first phase, covering the period 2005-2009, focuses on primary and secondary school systems; the related Plan of Action, adopted in July 2005, proposes a concrete strategy and practical guidance for integrating human rights education in the national education system, touching upon various components, including policy development, policy implementation, teaching and learning processes and tools, education and professional development of personnel and the learning environment. Ministries of education or equivalent institutions have a major responsibility for ensuring national implementation in close cooperation with all stakeholders. In this context, the Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) launched the project “Regional mapping, collection of best practices and coordination of initiatives to promote human rights education in South-East Asian school systems” in 2006. The project aimed to assist the Governments of Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand to review the status of human rights education in their school systems with a view to further supporting its development and improving its effectiveness, in line with the World Programme’s Plan of Action. The work undertaken in these countries, which is documented in this publication, has shown that there is always space within the school system for implementing human rights education programmes as a collaborative effort of all involved, with the aim of ensuring quality education to younger generations. We wish to express our appreciation to the four Governments concerned for the fruitful partnership established, in particular in the context of this project. We would also like to thank HURIGHTS OSAKA - in particular, the regional project team led by Jefferson R. Plantilla - for having followed up and ensured project implementation on behalf of our organizations. OHCHR and UNESCO continue to stand ready to assist in the elaboration or development of human rights education strategies and programmes by all relevant actors, within and beyond the school system. Homayoun Alizadeh Sheldon Shaeffer Regional Representative Director for South-East Asia Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau Office of the United Nations for Education High Commissioner for Human Rights United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Human Rights Education in the School Systems in Southeast Asia iii Acknowledgment The Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA) expresses its appreciation to the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (Bangkok Office) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for entrusting to it the implementation of this project entitled “Regional mapping, collection of best practices and coordination of initiatives to promote human rights education in South-East Asian school systems.” HURIGHTS OSAKA likewise appreciates the extension of the project period under the OHCHR grant agreement in view of the difficulties encountered in the project implementation. Finally, HURIGHTS OSAKA acknowledges the support provided by the Office of Human Rights Studies and Social Development of the Faculty of Graduate Studies of Mahidol University in implementing the project and in preparing this report. iv Human Rights Education in the School System in Southeast Asia Table of Contents Preface ii Foreword iii Acknowledgment iv Introduction 1 Reports National Report on Human Rights Education in the School System of Cambodia 17 Chin Yahan National Report on Human Rights Education in the School System of Indonesia 53 Agung Purwadi, Philip Suprastowo and Iskandar Agung National Report on Human Rights Education in the School System of the Lao PDR 83 Yangxia Lee and Somthavinh Nanthavong National Report on Human Rights Education in the School System of Thailand 111 Suwitra Wongvaree Best Practices in Human Rights Education in the School Systems in Asia 141 Human Rights Education in the School Systems in Southeast Asia 193 Jefferson R. Plantilla and Bencharat Sae Chua Appendix 209 Human Rights Education in the School Systems in Southeast Asia v INTRODUCTION Introduction On 10 December 2004, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed the World Programme for Human Rights Education (WPHRE)1 that focuses in its first phase (2005-2007)2 on the primary and secondary school systems. WPHRE supports countries in the implementation of international commitments contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (article 26), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (article 13), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (article 29), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (article 10), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (article 7) and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (Part I, paras. 33-34 and Part II, paras. 78-82), as well as the Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa,