Pusat Komas director Jerald Joseph said the paper, titled Our Asean: People At The Core, was handed over to the foreign ministry by 13 representatives of Malaysian NGOs this morning.

Jerald, a former Suhakam commissioner, said civil society was a key player if Putrajaya was serious about the aspects of inclusivity and sustainability in Asean.

“The issues concern political freedom, minorities, migration, development, building inclusive economies, gender rights, sexual identity, as well as racial and ethnic discrimination.

“People are at the core,” he said at a press conference here.

Among other things, the NGOs urged Asean member states to ensure a separation of religion and state to foster tolerance and prevent religious extremism, and also called for a more “open and democratic Asean”.

Southeast Asia, home to 800 million people, is one of the most religiously diverse regions in the world with major religions including Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and indigenous animist beliefs.

The groups also urged Asean to resolve the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, as well as to ratify the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol.

They said there was a need to integrate refugee protection into Asean’s Vision 2045 during Malaysia’s chairmanship, and for member states to share the responsibility of protecting and aiding refugees and asylum seekers.

Pushpan Murugiah, CEO of the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, urged Asean leaders to address corruption in Southeast Asia, describing it as a matter of concern in the region.

Suara Rakyat Malaysia’s (Suaram) Jernell Tan said there was a need for a regional framework to protect human rights activists. He expressed concern over a purported increase in transnational repression in Southeast Asia.

Transnational repression refers to when a nation acts beyond its jurisdiction to intimidate, harass or harm its diaspora in a foreign country.