Understanding the Asean

Published January 12, 2007 11:03am

ABOUT THE 12th ASEAN SUMMIT The Philippines is hosting the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit as chair of the regional grouping's standing committee. This is the third time the country has hosted an Asean meeting. General information

Duration: January 10-15, 2007 (including East Asia Summit)
Venues: Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), Mandaue City, Cebu; Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort and Spa, Mactan, Cebu
Theme: "One Caring and Sharing Community"

Topics for discussion

measures to fight anti-terrorism
the six-nation talks to defuse the North Korea nuclear issue
blueprint for the Asean Charter
measures in combating HIV-AIDS
measures to protect migrant workers

On the summitâ€™s postponement

originally scheduled on December 10-14, 2006 but postponed to January 2007
the decision to postpone the summit was made on December 8, 2006

the official explanation was that Typhoon Seniang was expected to affect Cebu
however, there were speculations that the summit was postponed amid threats of terrorist attacks
even before the postponement, three countries (US, Britain and Australia) had already issued travel advisories warning their citizens against traveling to Cebu
countries with current travel warnings advising citizens against traveling to parts of the Philippines: Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia

Officials at the helm of preparations for the 12th Asean summit

Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., secretary general of the Asean national organizing committee
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, chair, Cebu Organizing Committee
Deputy Dir. Gen. Antonio Billones, chief of the Asean task force on security
Manuel Guanzon, chief architect, CICC

ABOUT ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)

a political, economic and cultural organization of countries located in Southeast Asia formed in 1967 by Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines to oppose communist expansion in Vietnam and insurgency within their own borders
formed out of Maphilindo--an alliance consisting of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the early 1960s
now composed of 10 Southeast Asian countries
presently pushes for a regional "free trade area"
secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia

As of 2005, Asean accounts for:

more than 567 million people (nearly a tenth of the worldâ€™s population)
4.5 million square kilometers in total area
a combined gross domestic product of almost US$ 876 billion
a total trade of about US$ 850 billion
a total of over US$25 billion in foreign direct investments

HISTORY August 8, 1867: Asean is founded. The foreign ministers of the five founding countries sign the Asean Declaration (Bangkok Declaration of 1967):

Founding fathers:

Philippines - Narciso Ramos
Indonesia - Adam Malik
Thailand - Thanat Khoman
Malaysia - Tun Abdul Razak
Singapore - S. Ralaratnam

1984: Brunei Darussalam formally becomes an Asean member. 1992: Asean leaders establish an Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) through a schedule of accelerated tariff reductions. Later the same year, Asean issued a declaration on the South China Sea: disputants over territories in the South China Sea must exercise self-restraint and resort to peaceful means to resolve their differences. 1995: Vietnam becomes an Asean member. Later that year, 10 Southeast Asian nations sign the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. 1997: Laos and Myanmar become Asean members. 1999: Cambodia is admitted into Asean; all ten Southeast Asian nations are now members of Asean.MEMBER COUNTRIES

Founding Members (August 8, 1967)	States that joined later
Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand	Brunei (1984) Vietnam (1995) Laos (1997) Myanmar (1997) Cambodia (1999)

PAST ASEAN SUMMIT HOSTS

DATE	COUNTRY	PLACE	SUMMIT
1976	Indonesia	Bali	formal summit
1977	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	formal summit
1987	Philippines	Manila	formal summit
1992	Singapore		formal summit
1995	Thailand	Bangkok	formal summit
1996	Indonesia	Jakarta	informal summit
1997	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	informal summit
1998	Vietnam	Hanoi	formal summit
1999	Philippines	Manila	informal summit
2000	Singapore		informal summit
2001	Brunei	Bandar Seri Begawan	formal summit
2002	Cambodia	Phnom Penh	formal summit
2003	Indonesia	Bali	formal summit
2004	Laos	Vientiane	formal summit
2005	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	formal summit
2006	Philippines	Cebu	formal summit

THE PHILIPPINES AND ASEAN

The Philippines is one of Aseanâ€™s founding members.
Then Foreign Affairs Secretary Narciso Ramos was the countryâ€™s signatory in the Asean declaration (signed on August 8, 1967).
The Philippines is the current chair of the Asean standing committee. The country assumed the position on August 2006 and will continue to hold it until July 2007.
This is the third time the country has hosted an Asean meeting.

1987 - Manila (formal summit)
1999 - Manila (informal summit)
2007 - Cebu (formal summit)

Asean's relevance

Through Asean, member nations find ways to contain regional disputes and promote cooperation in the South China Sea

South China Sea issues: sea lanes, natural resources, security threats (piracy, smuggling, trafficking, overlapping territorial claims)

Asean members Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei have helped broker peace talks and ceasefires with Filipino Muslim separatists.
Some Asean members have also provided diplomatic backing for the Philippines in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

TRAVEL ADVISORIES Great Britain

advise against all travel to Mindanao and Cebu Provinces
advise against all travel to the Sulu archipelago, including Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Jolo
Source: www.fco.gov.uk

New Zealand

advise against all travel to Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago including Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi ("extreme risk")
advise against all non-essential and tourist travel to Cebu - "high risk" of terrorist attacks in markets, restaurants, bars and establishments frequented by westerners
Source: safetravel.govt.nz

Canada

advise against all travel to Mindanao, including the Sulu archipelago and the Zamboanga peninsula, unless there is a critical or compelling business or family reason
advise against all travel to Cebu
Canadians residing in Cebu should avoid public places such as malls, places of worship, restaurants
Source: www.voyage.gc.ca

Australia

exercise a high degree of caution in the Philippines because of terror threats
possible target sites of terrorist attacks: Metro Manila, Mindanao including the Sulu archipelago, Cebu province
do not travel to Cebu province
do not travel to Mindanao, including the Zamboanga peninsula and the Sulu archipelago
consider leaving if in Davao City, Carmen, Isulan, Kidapawan, Cagayan de Oro City, General Santos City, Cotabato City, Maganoy and Pagadian
Source: www.smartraveller.gov.au

HEADS OF STATE/GOVERNMENT OF THE 10 ASEAN MEMBER-COUNTRIES (all confirmed attendance)

COUNTRY	HEAD OF STATE/GOVERNMENT	PRONUNCIATION*
Brunei Darussalam	His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah	-
Cambodia	Prime Minister Hun Sen	-
Indonesia	President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono	-
Laos	Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh	BOO-ah-sohn boo-PAH-wahn
Malaysia	Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi	-
Myanmar	Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Soe Win	SO WIHN
Philippines	President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo	-
Singapore	Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong	LEE shee-EHN LOO-NG
Thailand	Interim Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont	soor-ah-YOOT JOON LAH N-OWN
Vietnam	Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung	nuh-WEE-ihn TAHN DUHNG