ASIA: Leaders gather in Singapore for ASEAN summit
Updated
The leaders of Southeast Asia have gathered in Singapore for their annual summit, with its most troublesome member, Burma casting a shadow over what should be ASEAN's celebratory 40th anniversary meeting.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speakers: Rodolfo Severino, ASEAN secretary-general between 1998 and 2002, and now senior visiting fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, in Singapore
SEVERINO: The Myanmar leader is expected to brief the other ASEAN leaders on the situation there, and I presume that this would include the visit of Mr Gambari and Mr Pinheiro.
LAM: That meeting that you're referring to I understand that Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo will be meeting the Burmese Prime Minister over an informal dinner tonight. How hard-hitting do you think that discussion will be?
SEVERINO: I think that will be a talk between two members of ASEAN and I presume that the Singapore Minister will be giving the views of some of the ASEAN countries on this matter, the recent events in Myanmar.
LAM: Indeed some of these member countries like the Philippines for instance and Malaysia have very strong views about bringing Burma, pulling Burma into line. ASEAN members will sign the landmark charter which includes provisions for the protection of human rights. That puts the grouping in a very awkward and embarrassing situation?
SEVERINO: No not really, for the first time the domestic arrangements in member states have been put on the plate of ASEAN so to speak in addition to the norms for inter-state relations. So this is a step forward but we can't conclude from this that by placing human rights among the principles of ASEAN in the charter will change things overnight.
LAM: But if Burma continues to drag its feet on not just democratic reform but also in continuing to detain thousands of political prisoners, isn't that very telling on the charter that it's a toothless tiger, that it's basically worthless?
SEVERINO: No the charter will have to reflect the reality, after all this is a document that is negotiated among governments. And as I said it is a step forward in making clearer the principles and purposes of ASEAN and creating institutions and strengthening institutions that will move the process forward.
LAM: Let's move away from Burma for a while, what issues do you think would be high on the formal agenda?
SEVERINO: The chairman leads the discussions in the way that he and the others have agreed upon. And secondly, at the top of these discussions will be the new charter. The other is the blueprint for achieving the ASEAN economic community by a certain date in 2015.
LAM: Well Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his opening address on the weekend to delegates has put that high on his agenda at least. China's Premier Wen Jiabao is in Singapore. Is his presence indicative of Beijing's regard for ASEAN?
SEVERINO: China has been a valid partner of ASEAN since 1996, and since 1997 China has been around for the occasion of the ASEAN summit for what is called the ASEAN Plus 3 process, and now the East Asia Summit. So this is not an unprecedented presence. They have been around for 10 years.
