Politics & Governance / Law & Institutions / International Law & Treaties

The Hidden War: How International Law Fights National Sovereignty in Asia (2012)

Asian Yearbook of International Law (Vol. 18, 2012)

Jaclyn L. Neo, Koesrianti, Abdullah Al Faruque

In 2012, a pregnant teacher in Malaysia was fired for being pregnant. She took her case to court, armed with the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). But the judge told her: this treaty is not law here. This is the reality of legal dualism, where international promises crash into national walls. This video dives into the 18th volume of the Asian Yearbook of International Law, revealing the brutal struggles of millions of Indonesian female migrant workers trapped in debt bondage, the landmark ITLOS ruling on the Bangladesh-Myanmar maritime boundary, and the quiet judicial revolution where judges are smuggling human rights into local courts through interpretive incorporation. Featuring insights from authors like Jaclyn L. Neo, Koesrianti, and Abdullah Al Faruque, we expose the tension between global ideals and local power. Watch to understand how a few brave individuals are chipping away at the walls of sovereignty, one case at a time.