Becoming an advocate: Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) and the evolution of local NGOs in Asia

Abstract

Asia has been a region of origin, transit and destination for refugees; however, it has remained without a concrete regional mechanism to protect them. During the twentieth century, the lack of legal and political institutions led to the isolation and marginalisation of refugee non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Asia, preventing them from providing the necessary refugee protection. However, since the creation of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), the role of NGOs in refugee protection has expanded rapidly in Asia. This research focuses on responding to the following questions. What factor(s) contributed to the emergence of Asian refugee NGOs as prominent advocates in refugee protection? How did local NGOs overcome structural obstacles to participate in national, regional and global advocacy? I argue that the theories of cognitive liberation, contentious politics and increased autonomy can help to explain how the APRRN, as a transnational network organisation, empowered NGOs, specifically in the Global South, to become active advocates. The APRRN facilitates the integration of the information, experience and resources that have been developed in Asian civil society, thus supporting local NGOs to effectively mobilise and distribute resources to overcome the structural asymmetry of power relationships in the global governance of refugee protection.