Civil groups want regular meets with Asean leaders

By Kavi Chongkittavorn
The Nation
Published on February 26, 2009

Asean-based civil society groups hope that their dialogue with Asean leaders can become a regular feature of regional meetings as Thailand kicks off the 14th summit in Cha-am today.

Yam Swee Seng, executive director of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia), said a dialogue with the leaders of Asean was a right of citizens living in the region, not a privilege. He underscored the importance of the dialogue after a series of discussions between Asean-based civil society organisations.

"This form of engagement, however, should be improved and strengthened. And we call on Surin to ensure the institutionalisation of these processes," he said referring to Dr Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of Asean, who held a two-hour meeting with representatives of civil groups and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

More than 1,500 journalists from Thailand and 25 other countries have registered to cover the three-day event in the seaside resort of Cha-am.

Participants at the summit will consider issues related to the global economic crisis, the plight of Rohingyas, and the recovery effort inside Burma after cyclone Nargis last year.

Japanese, Chinese and Asean media make up the bulk of 500 or so foreign journalists due to cover the event for outlets in their home countries.

Besides the Asean summit, there are two additional back-to-back summit meetings - the 4th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle - (IMT-GT), and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (or Bimp-Eaga). Abhisit will attend the first of these, the IMT-GT.

The highlight of the Asean summit is the scheduled 30-minute dialogue between Asean leaders and representatives of Asean civil groups.

The dialogue will be chaired and conducted by Dr Thitinan Pongsuthirak of Chualongkorn University.

Representatives from Asean member states' civil groups will sit on a sofa opposite the Asean leaders.

The meeting will include a photo "opportunity", a briefing from representatives of civil groups followed by an informal exchange between the two.

The meeting will end with the handing of a statement from the civil groups to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The Nation has learned the seven-page statement contains the views and positions of Asean-based civil groups that cover the whole gamut of relations between Asean and its people on all aspects of their life and the rest of the world.

The statement also contains elements that aim to improve the human rights situation in Asean member countries.

Asean leaders will also be briefed on the progress of draft terms of reference for the Asean Human Rights Body, which will be vetted by Asean foreign ministers tomorrow.

More than 40 Asean-related documents will be signed by the Asean leaders in regard to cooperation on security, economic and socio-cultural areas.

Among them is the Declaration on the Roadmap for an Asean Community 2009-2015, which includes blueprints for the security and socio-cultural communities.

The blueprint for Aseans' economic community was approved last year at the previous Asean summit in Singapore.

All the Asean leaders will have an audience with His Majesty the King at Klai Kangwon Palace, which is close to the summit venue, the Dusit Thani Hua Hin in Cha-am.