ASEAN SUMMIT PREPARATION: ASEAN CHARTER

UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000609 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SENV ASEAN XE BX SUBJECT: ASEAN SUMMIT PREPARATION: ASEAN CHARTER REPORT, HEART OF BORNEO DECLARATION BEING FINALIZED REF: MANILA 4855 ¶1. (U) The ASEAN Eminent Persons Group (EPG) completed its report on recommendations for an ASEAN Charter during its November 28-29 meeting in Brunei. The report will be presented to ASEAN leaders at their December 11 summit in Cebu (reftel),in the expectation that they will appoint a drafting group to write an ASEAN "constitution" based on the EPG report. The EPG members who met in Brunei were former Malaysian Deputy PM Tan Sri Musa Hitam, former Philippines President Fidel Ramos, Singapore Deputy PM S. Jayakumar, former Indonesian ForMin Ali Alatas, former Lao Deputy Minister of Commerce Khampan Simmalavong, Brunei ForMin II Dato Lim Jock Seng, former Vietnamese Deputy PM Nguyen Manh Cam, Than Nyun from Burma, Aun Porn Moniroth from Cambodia, and Sihasak Puangketkaew from Thailand (Thailand's regular representative on the EPG, former Deputy PM Kasemsamsorn Kasemsri, was unable to attend). ¶2. (SBU) The EPG did not publicize its conclusions or provide any public hint about its recommendations regarding contentious proposals such as establishment of an ASEAN Human Rights Commission or mechanisms for disciplining members who violate ASEAN resolutions (read: Burma). In fact, the EPG went to some pains to keep its deliberations confidential. All its sessions were held within the Empire Hotel resort complex, and the Chiefs of ASEAN Diplomatic Missions resident in Brunei were neither invited to the working sessions nor briefed on the EPG's conclusions. There was no press coverage other than a cursory report on the EPG's courtesy call on the Sultan. It appears, however, that this final preparatory meeting of the EPG was non-contentious; the group finished off its work earlier than expected, leaving its members a free afternoon which many, in traditional ASEAN fashion, used to play a round of golf on the Empire Hotel's course. ¶3. (SBU) Separately, Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia appear to be nearly finished with a Leaders Statement establishing the "Heart of Borneo" (HOB) trans-national conservation area, to be issued jointly by their respective leaders on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit. Brunei's Deputy Minister of Industry and Productive Resources Dato Hamdillah told Ambassador that a final draft of the declaration has been completed and is undergoing a last review in capitals. Ambassador told Hamdillah that the USG strongly supported the HOB initiative and urged him to do everything he could to ensure the Leaders Statement was issued at Cebu. Hamdillah answered that "everything was on track," and said he was optimistic that the final draft would be approved in time for the leaders to launch the HOB at the forthcoming Summit. SKODON