ASEAN is establishing a panel of experts charged with reviewing the constrictive mandate of its rights body, but observers are not holding their breaths as they are concerned that progress on that front would likely be very slow.The Foreign Ministry’s director general of ASEAN affairs, Jose Tavares, said the panel members were appointed by senior officials of member states, following up on an instruction issued from the foreign ministers’ level during their last meeting held to explore the possibility of reviewing the terms of reference (TOR) of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).“We have held consultations with civil society organizations that have been providing input and fresh ideas. We will also have experts who will talk about this,” he told reporters this week.The panel is expected to address the mandate and functions of the AICHR, as well as its...