ASEAN representatives say peaceful, just societies need unity, religious pluralism, human dignity and open dialogue
Southeast Asia’s diversity and multi-religiosity were explored by a diverse group of dignitaries and delegates on April 23, as representatives from ASEAN shared at the Third Annual Religious Freedom & Human Dignity Conference their varied perspectives on religious pluralism and human dignity. The panel-led discussions put forward the significance of unity amidst diversity, religious freedom, human dignity, secure identities and genuine dialogue in building a peaceful, just and inclusive society.
The panelists for this session were Ambassador Yong Chanthalangsy, a representative of Lao People’s Democratic Republic to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR); Eugene Tan, an associate professor from Singapore Management University and representative of Singapore to the AICHR; Edmund Bon Tai Soon, a representative of Malaysia to the AICHR; and Yuyun Wahyuningrum, the executive director of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).
Unity amidst diversity
Rich with diverse ethnic groups, customs and practices, Southeast Asia was described by Yong as a vibrant community of 700 million people. While praising the beauty of diversity, he also emphasized the importance of standing together, saying one country cannot carry all the weight on its own. “Diversity, yes, but at the same time, we have to be unified. [Together], we are powerful enough to talk to others, to bargain and make ourselves heavy enough for others to listen to us,” he voiced. With 11 countries working together, he said the burden is equally shared.
ASEAN encompasses tens of thousands of islands, spanning from the Indonesian archipelago to nearly reaching the Himalayas, covering the northern regions of Myanmar and Laos, and stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. He said each Southeast Asian country is extremely diverse in terms of culture, language and religion, preserving hundreds of festivities, dialects, scripts and spiritual beliefs. “That is the vibrant ASEAN,” he said.
On the topic of diversity, Yong shared his multicultural background. “I am a son of a Chinese Cantonese and my mother is Vietnamese, but I’m not,” he shared, saying the law granted him the freedom to choose his citizenship. “The Constitution allowed me to be a free man of free choice, [so] I chose to be Lao,” he expressed. Despite growing up surrounded by the literature of different cultures like French and Thai, he said he has always strived to preserve his Lao identity.
He said this personal diversity he enjoys— living as a mosaic of multiple cultures— reflects the broader diversity characterizing Southeast Asia. “We have been changing much, because in history, we have been dominated and invaded by [foreign powers],” he stated. Amidst this constantly shifting cultural, religious and political landscape, he said the region was still able to keep its stories and identities intact.
In the pursuit of unity while respecting diversity, he said ASEAN is grounded in two things. “One is that all 11 nations have to work together in order to find out what could be the most reliable values that we have to develop together and consider as our common values,” he shared. The second one, he continued, is a set of values they must adopt to keep the ASEAN community alive.
Shared values and secured identities
Tan approached religious pluralism and human dignity with three key themes: Acknowledging multiple identities, executing religious freedom as a basis for secured identities and human dignity, and understanding that multi-religiosity and religious harmony are not preordained. “When you look at ASEAN documents, it’s clear religious freedom is something all must promote and protect,” he stated. He emphasized the importance of faith and religious communities to the nation-building process in Southeast Asia.
Sharing his insights on the centrality and interdependence of multiple identities, Tan said, “The security of all these different identities are interdependent. So if one component does not feel secure, I think it affects all the other entities,” he expressed. He said it is important to recognize people’s different identities, whether ethnic, religious or civic.
“In nation-states, in order to thrive, we need to have a civic identity,” he stated. He said that is why governments must strive to make citizenship meaningful and secure. “Citizenship can define values and identities,” he noted. He said securing people’s civic identities, caring for their emotions and roles as citizens, is crucial in achieving human dignity. “Human dignity is about the recognition of an individual’s inherent value and worth,” he stressed.
Tan also said diverse nation-states are not sustainable without a coherent set of national values. “For example, all mountaineers have a shared purpose, but shared values will tell them what it is they ought to do in the quest to reach the summit,” he shared. The architecture of peace, inclusion, and freedom and dignity, for him, is rooted in shared values.
“Multi-religiosity and religious harmony are not preordained. It is a journey rather than a destination,” Tan stated. He said Southeast Asia’s religious diversity is not a recent phenomenon, but something that has gone on for millennia. “Religion matters,” he stressed, saying it remains a potent force in Southeast Asian societies. Taking note of the region’s extreme diversity and its power to give rise to conflicts, he encouraged people to disagree in an agreeable manner.
Power dynamics and genuine dialogue
Soon prefaced his discussion with the challenges of operationalizing macro-level principles at the micro level. “It’s very easy to come to conferences like this to speak about macros, and everybody will come and agree,” he stated. While it is simple to reach agreement on fundamental principles and values, he said the real hurdle lies in going beyond that and delving into the complexities of executing religious freedom and human dignity. “It’s not black or white,” he stressed.
He introduced Galtung’s conflict triangle— which illustrates the interconnectedness of direct, structural and cultural violence— as a useful tool for expanding people’s perspective on peace. “We keep talking about direct violence, but we also need to think and talk about structural violence and cultural violence,” he expressed. He said promoting peace goes beyond addressing physical harm. It also deals with how different groups are depicted and perceived. Being dehumanized, he explained, is cultural violence, while stripping individuals of their citizenship is structural.
He said religion plays an important part within that framework. “Religion comes within that triangle as one of the drivers, enablers and also disablers of matters that come within cultural violence,” he explained. He urged for more discourse around the existence of structural and cultural violence, saying these types of devastating atrocities often go unnoticed.
Soon also emphasized the central role of power in religious issues across the world. “If we just look at it from the lens of religion and [conclude] it’s a religious conflict as opposed to a power conflict or power imbalance, then it becomes a very narrow perspective,” he said. Speaking from the perspective of a human rights advocate, he said this is where human rights come into play. “Human rights provide a limit to power,” he stated.
He encouraged the attendees to keep pondering how they can engage in genuine dialogue and consider the power dynamics that are inextricably tied to it. He said when one group controls the media, government, and other social institutions, the conversation’s authenticity is compromised. “You cannot have genuine dialogue where one party, or one religion, or one representative from that particular community has extreme power,” he voiced. Addressing this, he emphasized the value of listening to diverse viewpoints.
A peaceful and inclusive Southeast Asia
Wahyuningrum said religious freedom is not a luxury but a fundamental right— protected by international law and deeply rooted in Southeast Asia’s cultural and spiritual traditions. Parliamentarians, she added, bear the responsibility to promote and defend that freedom. “[It is] an issue that lies at the heart of our collective pursuit to a peaceful and inclusive Southeast Asia,” she stated. To address this, she said the APHR conducts fact-finding missions, hosts regional conferences and engages in global advocacy, providing a space where lawmakers can act together to uphold justice and dignity beyond national borders.
“Religious pluralism is not merely about tolerance. It is about justice, equality and belonging,” she emphasized. Human dignity, she added, is non-negotiable— it cannot be defended for some while being denied from others. “Let us move forward together, across borders, across faiths, and across political differences to defend this freedom, because pluralism demands more than tolerance— it demands leadership, courage and unwavering commitment to equality,” she expressed.
Southeast Asia is lauded as one of the most religiously plural regions in the world. “This diversity is a treasure. It should be a source of strength. And yet in far too many places, it is manipulated into a source of fear,” she voiced. As she pointed out, a troubling rise of religious intolerance, hate speech and political oppression can be witnessed worldwide. “We have both the authority and the responsibility to be in this fight,” she expressed.
Among APHR’s recent efforts, Wahyuningrum highlighted the adoption of the Jakarta Declaration. “This declaration outlines the shared commitment to stand in solidarity with victims of religious persecution and denounce all forms of incitement of hatred,” she stated. The declaration, she explained, is a collective roadmap for advocating and protecting religious freedom.