Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (L-R), Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and Myanmar's President Thein Sein walk prior to a dinner at the 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta May 7, 2011. REUTERS/Achmad Ibrahim/Pool (INDONESIA - Tags: POLITICS)
Monsters and critics
May 8, 2011,
Jakarta (DPA) - South-East Asian leaders ended their summit in Jakarta on Sunday pledging to raise the bloc's global role, but an unsolved border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia clouded the gathering.
Leaders of the Association South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to increase cooperation in fighting human trafficking and terrorism, managing natural disasters and strengthening food security.
'We agreed to begin the process of elevating ASEAN's role on global issues,' President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in a speech closing the summit.
'We agreed to contribute positively toward a global economy that is inclusive, sustainable and balanced,' he added.
The two-day summit was overshadowed by the bloody conflict between Cambodia and Thailand over joint claims to a 4.6 square kilometre plot of land adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple, an 11th century monument that was named a World Heritage Site in 2008.
Both sides agreed Sunday to continue talks on the issue on Monday under the mediation of Indonesia as the current chair of ASEAN.
Indonesia has been seeking to boost the conflict resolution role of the 10-member ASEAN, often criticized in the past for its non-intervention principles and dismissed as simply a talking shop.
'Before, there was a prospect of the Thai-Cambodian negotiation reaching a dead end, but this summit reaffirmed that a diplomatic solution is open wide,' Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.
ASEAN seeks to achieve European Union-style integration by 2015, based on three pillars: an ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.
In Jakarta, leaders agreed to consider Indonesia's proposal to establish an ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation at their next summit in November.
They acknowledged 'the need to promote a culture of peace as well as respect for diversity and tolerance in order to create the conditions necessary for peace and reconciliation.'
Another contentious issue at the summit was Myanmar's proposal to chair ASEAN in 2014.
Yudhoyono said the leader had no objections in principle to the request, but urged Myanmar to improve its human rights record leading to 2014.
'We called on Myanmar to continue its democratic and reconciliation process so that it will be seen as deserving the chairmanship,' Yudhoyono said.
Myanmar held elections and released pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in November.
But many Western governments and human rights groups called the elections a sham.
New York-based Human Rights Watch has urged ASEAN to reject Myanmar's request, saying the reputation of the bloc was at stake.
In a separate statement, ASEAN's leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation to combat trafficking in persons and adopt a victim-centred approach by distinguishing victims of trafficking from the perpetrators.
Yudhoyono said the ASEAN leaders welcomed East Timor's proposal to join the grouping, but would defer the decision until the next summit.
At the summit, member countries agreed to expand the use of ASEAN's emergency rice reserve of 878,000 tons to address soaring prices.
ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Jakarta (DPA) - South-East Asian leaders ended their summit in Jakarta on Sunday pledging to raise the bloc's global role, but an unsolved border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia clouded the gathering.
Leaders of the Association South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to increase cooperation in fighting human trafficking and terrorism, managing natural disasters and strengthening food security.
'We agreed to begin the process of elevating ASEAN's role on global issues,' President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in a speech closing the summit.
'We agreed to contribute positively toward a global economy that is inclusive, sustainable and balanced,' he added.
The two-day summit was overshadowed by the bloody conflict between Cambodia and Thailand over joint claims to a 4.6 square kilometre plot of land adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple, an 11th century monument that was named a World Heritage Site in 2008.
Both sides agreed Sunday to continue talks on the issue on Monday under the mediation of Indonesia as the current chair of ASEAN.
Indonesia has been seeking to boost the conflict resolution role of the 10-member ASEAN, often criticized in the past for its non-intervention principles and dismissed as simply a talking shop.
'Before, there was a prospect of the Thai-Cambodian negotiation reaching a dead end, but this summit reaffirmed that a diplomatic solution is open wide,' Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.
ASEAN seeks to achieve European Union-style integration by 2015, based on three pillars: an ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.
In Jakarta, leaders agreed to consider Indonesia's proposal to establish an ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation at their next summit in November.
They acknowledged 'the need to promote a culture of peace as well as respect for diversity and tolerance in order to create the conditions necessary for peace and reconciliation.'
Another contentious issue at the summit was Myanmar's proposal to chair ASEAN in 2014.
Yudhoyono said the leader had no objections in principle to the request, but urged Myanmar to improve its human rights record leading to 2014.
'We called on Myanmar to continue its democratic and reconciliation process so that it will be seen as deserving the chairmanship,' Yudhoyono said.
Myanmar held elections and released pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in November.
But many Western governments and human rights groups called the elections a sham.
New York-based Human Rights Watch has urged ASEAN to reject Myanmar's request, saying the reputation of the bloc was at stake.
In a separate statement, ASEAN's leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation to combat trafficking in persons and adopt a victim-centred approach by distinguishing victims of trafficking from the perpetrators.
Yudhoyono said the ASEAN leaders welcomed East Timor's proposal to join the grouping, but would defer the decision until the next summit.
At the summit, member countries agreed to expand the use of ASEAN's emergency rice reserve of 878,000 tons to address soaring prices.
ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
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