Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JAKARTA2271
2008-12-16 07:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
ASEAN CHARTER ENTERS INTO FORCE
how-toVZCZCXRO7142 OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #2271/01 3510720 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 160720Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0993 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5741 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3417 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1498 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2520 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5242 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2860 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 3341 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 3170 RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH 1344 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002271
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEAN ID
SUBJECT: ASEAN CHARTER ENTERS INTO FORCE
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002271
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEAN ID
SUBJECT: ASEAN CHARTER ENTERS INTO FORCE
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: ASEAN Foreign Ministers met in Jakarta on
December 15 to mark the ASEAN Charter's entry into force.
(The Charter makes ASEAN a legal body and sets forth a
framework for regional integration.) At the formal ceremony
marking the occasion, President Yudhoyono called on ASEAN to
play a greater role in global issues. He also called on
states that have not yet done so to sign the Treaty of Amity
and Cooperation (TAC) in order to formalize their
relationship with ASEAN. Participants also agreed to hold
the ASEAN Summit in Thailand before the end of February 2009.
END SUMMARY.
CHARTER ENTERS INTO FORCE
2. (U) All ten ASEAN Foreign Ministers gathered at the ASEAN
Secretariat in Jakarta to observe the entry into force of the
ASEAN Charter on December 15. The Ambassador and other
members of the diplomatic corps attended the ceremonial
opening session. Secretary General Surin opened the
proceedings with a promise that the Charter would accelerate
the process of ASEAN integration. He reiterated ASEAN's
commitment to develop a single market by 2015.
SUMMIT RESCHEDULED
3. (C) Speaking on behalf of the ASEAN Chair, Thai Minister
for Information and Communications Mun Patanotai announced
that Thailand would host the ASEAN Summit before the end of
February 2009. (Note: The ASEAN Summit and other regional
meetings had been scheduled for December 15-18 in Chiang Mai,
Thailand. However, the Summit was postponed due to the Thai
political crisis.) SecGen Surin later announced tentative
dates of February 24-26, 2009. ASEAN officials have not yet
decided whether the Summit will take place in Bangkok or
Chiang Mai, according to contacts.
CALL FOR REGIONAL LEADERSHIP
4. (U) In his address marking the occasion, President
Yudhoyono called on ASEAN to play a greater role in the
international system, particularly on energy, food security,
climate change and the global financial crisis. He praised
ASEAN's record of ensuring peace and security in Southeast
Asia and said the organization was at the center of the
emerging Asian regional order. The Indonesian leader also
hailed the Charter's endorsement of the "universal values of
democracy and human rights."
5. (U) Yudhoyono also called for states outside the
organization to deepen their engagement with ASEAN. He
called on states that have not yet done so to sign the ASEAN
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in order to formalize
their relationship with the regional grouping. He noted that
ASEAN was at the center of the regional architecture,
including the various ASEAN 1 arrangements, the ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asian Summit.
6. (C) The Foreign Ministers did not discuss the draft Terms
of Reference (TOR) for the ASEAN Human Rights Body (AHRB),
according to Singapore Embassy contacts. (Note: The TOR had
been slated for discussion in the ministerial meeting that
was to have taken place in Chiang Mai.) Contacts at the
Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) told us that the AHRB
remains a top priority for Indonesia. The GOI will continue
to push this matter in subsequent ASEAN meetings, including
the rescheduled Summit, per contacts.
A MAINLY CEREMONIAL GATHERING
7. (C) Several of our contacts described the meeting as
primarily "ceremonial" in nature. The ministers agreed to
reschedule the Summit, but took no action on any other major
initiatives and did not discuss the human rights mechanism,
which has been the subject of debate. Given the postponement
of the Chiang Mai event, ASEAN officials were very keen to
JAKARTA 00002271 002 OF 002
hold some sort of meeting as scheduled in order to maintain
"momentum" in the Charter's implementation process. They
also wanted to create a sense of normality for the
organization given the ongoing turmoil in Thailand, according
to contacts. By touching base briefly in Jakarta, ASEAN
seemed to accomplish these limited objectives.
HUME
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEAN ID
SUBJECT: ASEAN CHARTER ENTERS INTO FORCE
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: ASEAN Foreign Ministers met in Jakarta on
December 15 to mark the ASEAN Charter's entry into force.
(The Charter makes ASEAN a legal body and sets forth a
framework for regional integration.) At the formal ceremony
marking the occasion, President Yudhoyono called on ASEAN to
play a greater role in global issues. He also called on
states that have not yet done so to sign the Treaty of Amity
and Cooperation (TAC) in order to formalize their
relationship with ASEAN. Participants also agreed to hold
the ASEAN Summit in Thailand before the end of February 2009.
END SUMMARY.
CHARTER ENTERS INTO FORCE
2. (U) All ten ASEAN Foreign Ministers gathered at the ASEAN
Secretariat in Jakarta to observe the entry into force of the
ASEAN Charter on December 15. The Ambassador and other
members of the diplomatic corps attended the ceremonial
opening session. Secretary General Surin opened the
proceedings with a promise that the Charter would accelerate
the process of ASEAN integration. He reiterated ASEAN's
commitment to develop a single market by 2015.
SUMMIT RESCHEDULED
3. (C) Speaking on behalf of the ASEAN Chair, Thai Minister
for Information and Communications Mun Patanotai announced
that Thailand would host the ASEAN Summit before the end of
February 2009. (Note: The ASEAN Summit and other regional
meetings had been scheduled for December 15-18 in Chiang Mai,
Thailand. However, the Summit was postponed due to the Thai
political crisis.) SecGen Surin later announced tentative
dates of February 24-26, 2009. ASEAN officials have not yet
decided whether the Summit will take place in Bangkok or
Chiang Mai, according to contacts.
CALL FOR REGIONAL LEADERSHIP
4. (U) In his address marking the occasion, President
Yudhoyono called on ASEAN to play a greater role in the
international system, particularly on energy, food security,
climate change and the global financial crisis. He praised
ASEAN's record of ensuring peace and security in Southeast
Asia and said the organization was at the center of the
emerging Asian regional order. The Indonesian leader also
hailed the Charter's endorsement of the "universal values of
democracy and human rights."
5. (U) Yudhoyono also called for states outside the
organization to deepen their engagement with ASEAN. He
called on states that have not yet done so to sign the ASEAN
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in order to formalize
their relationship with the regional grouping. He noted that
ASEAN was at the center of the regional architecture,
including the various ASEAN 1 arrangements, the ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asian Summit.
6. (C) The Foreign Ministers did not discuss the draft Terms
of Reference (TOR) for the ASEAN Human Rights Body (AHRB),
according to Singapore Embassy contacts. (Note: The TOR had
been slated for discussion in the ministerial meeting that
was to have taken place in Chiang Mai.) Contacts at the
Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) told us that the AHRB
remains a top priority for Indonesia. The GOI will continue
to push this matter in subsequent ASEAN meetings, including
the rescheduled Summit, per contacts.
A MAINLY CEREMONIAL GATHERING
7. (C) Several of our contacts described the meeting as
primarily "ceremonial" in nature. The ministers agreed to
reschedule the Summit, but took no action on any other major
initiatives and did not discuss the human rights mechanism,
which has been the subject of debate. Given the postponement
of the Chiang Mai event, ASEAN officials were very keen to
JAKARTA 00002271 002 OF 002
hold some sort of meeting as scheduled in order to maintain
"momentum" in the Charter's implementation process. They
also wanted to create a sense of normality for the
organization given the ongoing turmoil in Thailand, according
to contacts. By touching base briefly in Jakarta, ASEAN
seemed to accomplish these limited objectives.
HUME