Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MANILA179
2007-01-16 08:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Manila
Cable title:  

SUCCESSFUL ASEAN-RELATED SUMMITS IN CEBU

Tags:  PREL PTER ECIN XE CH JA KS KN RP 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 5956
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MANILA 000179 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER ECIN XE CH JA KS KN RP
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL ASEAN-RELATED SUMMITS IN CEBU

REF: A. MANILA 128

B. MANILA 105

C. 06 MANILA 4935

D. 06 MANILA 4855

MANILA 00000179 001.2 OF 004


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MANILA 000179

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER ECIN XE CH JA KS KN RP
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL ASEAN-RELATED SUMMITS IN CEBU

REF: A. MANILA 128

B. MANILA 105

C. 06 MANILA 4935

D. 06 MANILA 4855

MANILA 00000179 001.2 OF 004



1. (U) Summary. The 12th ASEAN Summit, 2nd East Asia
Summit, and related leaders' meetings concluded in Cebu on
January 15. Participants appeared highly satisfied with the
outcomes, which included a new ASEAN convention on terrorism,
tough language to North Korea, a pledge for greater East
Asian efforts on energy security, a commitment to accelerate
ASEAN economic integration by five years to 2015, a new
agreement on trade in services with China, and one step
closer to an ASEAN Charter. Timor Leste and France acceded
to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. The Philippines was
clearly delighted that the events went smoothly and safely.
We will report in more detail on the substantive contents by
septel. End Summary.


2. (U) Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
concluded the January 10-15 series of ASEAN-related meetings
and summits by highlighting to the international press their
success in contributing to "more prosperous and safer
communities, a region of peace and stability, and a world of
goodwill and friendship," with ASEAN as the "hub and core of
East Asia." The heads of government or state of all ten
ASEAN members as well as of six other participants in the 2nd
East Asia Summit -- Australia, China, India, Japan, New
Zealand, and South Korea -- all attended meetings in Cebu
province, although the Indonesian president did not remain
for the actual EAS session on January 15.

Strategic issues
--------------


3. (U) CT: A key achievement from the ASEAN Summit on
January 13 was the adoption of an ASEAN Convention on
Counterterrorism, which will take effect when at least six
member states have ratified it. Under the convention,
members commit to:
-- provide early warning to prevent commission of terrorist
acts;
-- prevent terrorists from using their territories to plan,
finance, or commit terrorist acts elsewhere;
-- prevent terrorist financing;

-- prevent movement of terrorists;
-- enhance cross-border cooperation;
-- enhance intelligence exchanges;
-- develop regional databases;
-- improve capabilities to deal with chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear terrorism as well as cyberterrorism;
-- ensure fair treatment for suspected terrorists taken into
custody;
-- communicate without delay to the nearest representative
of the State of which a detainee is a citizen and to allow
consular visits; and,
-- refuse extradition requests in cases of a "political
offense" or an "offense inspired by political motives."


4. (SBU) DPRK: The chairman's statements from the ASEAN
Summit, the ASEAN 3 Summit, and the EAS contained
progressively tougher language on North Korea. The EAS
Chairman's statement expressed "grave concern" over the North
Korean nuclear test and urged the DPRK "to desist" from
further tests and to "take concrete and effective steps to
fully implement" the September 2005 Joint Statement and to
rejoin the NPT. It called upon North Korea to address the
international community's "security and humanitarian
concerns," including "the abduction issue." It voiced
"strong support for the Six Party talks" and "our conviction
that the Talks should result in more tangible progress." It
urged North Korea to respect UNSCR 1695 and 1718. (According
to a senior Japanese emboff, the specific reference to the
abductions and the explicit call for North Korea to implement
the UNSCRs, which had been missing from the ASEAN Chairman's
statement, had been key goals for Japan in this section.)


5. (SBU) Burma: The EAS statement was silent on this
issue. The ASEAN Summit chairman's statement, however,
"encouraged Myanmar to make greater progress towards national
reconciliation" and called for the "release of those placed

MANILA 00000179 002.2 OF 004


under detention," without citing Aung San Suu Kyi or others
by name, as Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo had
done after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (ref a).
Indonesia's behind-the-scene efforts to convince Burma to
invite three ASEAN Foreign Ministers to visit were not
successful, according to a senior Indonesian emboff.


6. (SBU) Security cooperation: The ASEAN chairman's
statement also welcomed a first-ever ASEAN Defense Ministers'
meeting. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff
General Esperon privately told Pol/C that no date had been
set, and commented that it might not take place until after
the adoption of an ASEAN Charter, which would reflect the
evolving nature of ASEAN from a primarily economic forum into
a more comprehensive organization.


7. (U) Energy: The "Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy
Security" adopted by the EAS participants highlighted the
"urgent need to address global warming and climate change"
and called on the sixteen countries -- individually -- to
take "concrete action" on efficiency and conservation,
encourage the use of biofuels, promote clean use of coal,
seek affordable energy at "all economic levels," and
encourage energy investment "through greater private sector
involvement."

Social issues
--------------


8. (U) President Arroyo highlighted in her public remarks
the "payback" that ordinary Filipinos as well as other
citizens of ASEAN members could expect from the weekend's
achievements. Among these are:
-- an "ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of
the Rights of Migrant Workers." ASEAN members committed
themselves to promote the "full potential and dignity" of
such workers -- and their family members, a controversial
point -- and to provide legal and social protections and
assistance, while at the same time working to prevent
trafficking in persons;
-- a new "mutual recognition arrangement on nursing
services" will especially benefit Filipino nurses, who
already make up an important pool among the millions of
Overseas Filipino Workers (including in the U.S.),although
it is not clear how much other ASEAN countries will benefit;
-- after a UNAIDS briefing that called the HIV/AIDS
"epidemics" in ASEAN the "most severe" in all of Asia, the
ASEAN members agreed to strengthen national programs and also
adopted the Third ASEAN Work Program on HIV and AIDS through
2010;
-- an expression of support for the Philippine "debt for
equity" proposal raised by Philippine Speaker of the House de
Venecia (who briefed the ASEAN leaders);
-- agreement to prepare an "ASEAN Leaders Declaration on
Environmental Sustainability," in part to deal with
transboundary haze pollution, for adoption at the 13th ASEAN
Summit;
-- Chinese and Japanese offers to host training seminars and
workshops in poverty alleviation, women, and disaster
management, in addition to a separate Japanese proposal for
disaster reduction/preparedness education through the Asia
Disaster Reduction Center;
-- a Chinese proposal to set up a regional monitoring
network on infectious diseases;
-- a Japanese pledge of an additional USD 67 million against
avian and pandemic influenza; and,
-- acknowledgment of the importance of interfaith and
intercultural dialogue.

Economic integration
--------------


9. (U) Freer trade: The ASEAN leaders agreed to move up the
timetable for an ASEAN Economic Community from 2020 to 2015,
including free movement of goods, services, investment, and
skilled labor, as well as "freer" flow of capital. At the
same time, they welcomed ongoing ASEAN free trade agreement
negotiations with China, Japan, South Korea, India,
Australia, and New Zealand, and encouraged "all" dialogue
partners to work with ASEAN on FTAs. They welcomed Vietnam
into the World Trade Organization and expressed support for

MANILA 00000179 003.2 OF 004


the resumption of the Doha Round.


10. (U) China: Ministers from ASEAN members and China
signed a "Trade in Services Agreement," which will enter into
force in July 2007. Services and service suppliers/providers
will "enjoy improved market access and national treatment in
"sectors/subsectors where commitments have been made,"
notably computer-related services, real estate, management
consulting, construction and engineering, tourism, transport,
education, telecommunications, health, recreation,
environmental services, and energy services. Under a new
Memorandum of Understanding between the ASEAN Secretariat and
the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, China agreed to provide
an expanded program of training and technical assistance for
ASEAN member states. At the ASEAN-China Summit, ASEAN and
China also agreed upon a new "Plan of Action" on information
and communications technology, following up on a May 2005
"Beijing Declaration on ASEAN-China ICT Cooperative
Partnership for Common Development." President Arroyo
commented publicly more than once that "we are very happy to
have China as our big brother in this region."


11. (U) Japan: Japan provided a grant of $52 million to
promote the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership,
with the goal of a formal agreement by April.


12. (U) Korea: South Korea pledged to double its Overseas
Development Assistance to ASEAN states by 2009.


13. (U) EAS: The EAS leaders agree to launch a "Track Two
study on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia,"
with each member to nominate its own participant(s).

The Way Forward
--------------


14. (SBU) Charter: Following a briefing by the Eminent
Persons Group on recommendations for an ASEAN Charter, ASEAN
Ministers (not the leaders) agreed to set up a High Level
Task Force to flesh out these ideas and to come up with a
draft for consideration at the 13th ASEAN Summit in November
2007 in Singapore. According to the "Cebu Declaration on the
Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter," the ASEAN leaders envision
the Charter to provide an "enhanced institutional framework"
and a "legal personality" to ASEAN. President Arroyo
described this initiative as turning ASEAN into a "rules
based organization." According to ASEAN diplomats, the new
approach might drop the tradition of consensus, at least on
some issues, and might include possible sanctions (including
loss of membership). The Eminent Persons Group had
highlighted the importance of democracy and good governance,
and there was considerable discussion about invocation of
possible eventual sanctions in cases of extra-judicial
changes of government.


15. (SBU) Bigger EAS?: Both Timor Leste and France
formally acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation on
January 13, represented by the Foreign Minister and Minister
for European Affairs, respectively. (Timor Leste's Prime
Minister was also present.) The two countries may now be
eligible to participate in the 3rd EAS, but Timor Leste
Foreign Minister Guterres told Pol/C that he was not sure his
country would be "ready" by then in light of the number of
meetings this would entail.

Protests
--------------


16. (U) Philippine security forces, including the
Philippine National Police as well as the Armed Forces of the
Philippines and the Coast Guard, were visibly and extensively
present throughout the three towns in Cebu province where
meetings took place and where delegations resided. Several
attempts at demonstrations were nipped in the bud by
authorities. One of the most creative was a "Swim Against US
War of Terror, Plunder, and Intervention" in the waters near
the Presidential palace in Cebu. The protesters claimed that
the new ASEAN pact on counterterrorism would facilitate the
"entry of nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction" as
well as assist in the "plunder" of Philippine fisheries and
mineral resources by the U.S. There were scattered signs

MANILA 00000179 004.2 OF 004


around town calling for "U.S. out of ASEAN."

Satisfied hosts
--------------


17. (SBU) Philippine senior officials in Cebu appeared
uniformly pleased with the outcome of the various meetings
and clearly relieved that potential threats from terrorism --
or bad weather, which had forced delay of the original
December meeting dates (ref c) -- did not materialize to
tarnish the Philippine role as host. Philippine organizers
proudly told the press that the Philippine expenses
(reportedly more than US$ 20 million) were worth every penny
in terms of the heightened visibility of Cebu in particular
and the Philippines in general. Philippine House of
Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Antonio
Cueno, who represents Cebu, told Pol/C that he was "ecstatic"
at the success of the summits. Embassy will seek more
substantive read-outs from DFA and other contacts once they
return to work in Manila.


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You can also access this site through the State Department's
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KENNEY