Asean summit/Thailand

Asian EU planned at Asean

Article published on the 2009-10-25 Latest update 2009-10-25 14:50 TU

Come and join us ... Thailand's Prime Minsister Abhisit Vejjajiva shows Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, (R) where to stand, with Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, China's Premier Wen Jiabao and India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (L) for the group photo
(Photo: Reuters)

Leaders of Asia-Pacific nations discussed two different views of how to build a European Union-style community in the region on Sunday during the Asean summit in Thailand. They are divided over whether to limit the bloc to economic policy or also tackle disasters and climate change.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd proposed an Asia-Pacific community, possibly by 2020, which would directly involve the US and try and tackle disaster management and climate change.

Japan's newly elected premier Yukio Hatoyama wants more flexibility and an economic focus.

Neither of their countries are among the ten members of Asean. But, like China, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, they took part in the extended meeting, itself a sign of the move towards co-operation between Asian tigers, the region's three economic giants and Australasia.

"The old growth model where, simply put, we have still to rely on consumption in the west for goods and services produced here, we feel will no longer serve us," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

"This is important for a region which has to a large extent ridden out the global economic crisis more quickly than western nations and is keen to capitalise on this recent boost to it fortunes," says correspondent Danny Kemp.

On Friday Asean launched its first-ever rights commission. The politicians described it as "historic" but rights campaigners, some of whom were barred from a meeting with regional leaders, remain sceptical.

"Critics, for example human rights groups and some western countries, point out that the human rights body has no actual powers to take any action or impose any penalties on member states that breach its conditions," Kemp told RFI.

Asean has always operated on the basis of n on-interference in member-states' affairs, a stance which has drawn criticism of its attitude to military-ruled Myanmar.

"The charter which governs this rights body also effectively only talks about the promotion of human rights, rather than the protection of human rights," says Danny Kemp.

"How effective it is will be seen over the next five years ... the time when they will look again at the human rights body and its effectiveness and its powers."

Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein told the meeting that opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi could play a role in reconciliaton before the 2010 election, Abhisit revealed.

But it was unclear whether she would be allowed to stand and there has been no sign of a promised relaxation of the conditions of her house arrest.

The summit's nine-page final statement devotes three lines to Myanmar. It calls for the 2010 vote to be "fair, free, inclusive and transparent".

The meeting in the resort of Hua Hin passed off peacefully, Two previous summits in Thailand were cancelled because of protests related to Thai politics.