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ASEAN'S FUTURE ROLE




DATE=6/1/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-36539
TITLE=ASEAN'S FUTURE ROLE
BYLINE=CHRIS SIMKINS
DATELINE=KUALA LUMPUR
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  FOREIGN MINISTERS FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN
NATIONS MEETING IN KUALA LUMPUR HAVE AGREED TO GRANT EARLY 
ADMISSION TO ITS FINAL THREE MEMBERS:  BURMA, CAMBODIA AND LAOS. 
V-O-A'S CHRIS SIMKINS REPORTS FROM THE MALAYSIAN CAPITAL ON THE 
PROSPECTS THE REGIONAL BODY HAS IN BRINGING ABOUT POLITICAL AND 
ECONOMIC CHANGES TO THREE NEW MEMBER COUNTRIES. 

TEXT:  THIRTY YEARS AGO, SEAN WAS FORMED, WITH THE IDEA  IT WOULD
EVENTUALLY ENCOMPASS TEN NATIONS.  SATURDAY, ASEAN VOTED TO 
ACCEPT BURMA, CAMBODIA AND LAOS FOR MEMBERSHIP IN JULY.

ASEAN MEMBERS -- MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, INDONESIA,THAILAND, 
VIETNAM, BRUNEI AND THE PHILIPPINES -- HAD SAID THEY WOULD GRANT 
ADMISSION TO THE THREE A YEAR AGO.  BUT STRONG OPPOSITION FROM 
WESTERN GOVERNMENTS OVER BURMA'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AND 
CAMBODIA'S POLITICAL INSTABILITY DELAYED THEIR ENTRY.  THE 
FOREIGN MINISTERS NOW SAY THEY CANNOT SEE HOW ANY FURTHER 
DELAYING THE ADMISSIONS COULD IMPROVE THE SITUATION IN BURMA, 
CAMBODIA, OR LAOS.

NOW ASEAN LEADERS HAVE THE TASK OF TRYING TO HELP VITALIZE THE 
ECONOMIES OF THE THREE, WHICH HAVE LAGGED FAR BEHIND THE OTHER 
SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES.  ASEAN LEADERS PREDICT, WITHIN 10 
YEARS, BURMA, CAMBODIA, AND LAOS WILL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR 
BECOMING A PART OF ASEAN'S FREE-TRADE AGREEMENT.  THE COUNTRIES 
THAT NOW MAKE UP ASEAN HAVE A COMBINED GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OF 
600 BILLION DOLLARS.

BUT THE DIFFICULT TASK FACING ASEAN IN THE FUTURE IS DEALING WITH
ITS DIALOGUE PARTNERS -- WESTERN GOVERNMENTS WHO WANT THE 
ORGANIZATION TO ADDRESS IMPROVING POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS 
CONDITIONS IN BURMA CAMBODIA AND LAOS. 

ASEAN CHAIRMAN AND MALAYSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ABDULLAH BADAWI 
SAYS IT IS NOT UP TO ASEAN TO INTERFERE IN THE DOMESTIC AFFAIRS 
OF MEMBER NATIONS.  STILL, HE SAYS HE WANTS TO SEE CHANGES -- 
ESPECIALLY IN BURMA AND CAMBODIA.

                    /// BADAWI ACTUALITY ///

         THAT IS NOT FOR US (ASEAN) HOW TO IMPROVE THE POLITICAL 
         SITUATION THAT IS FOR THE RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS AND 
         WHEN I VISIT THE VARIOUS CAPITALS, I WILL HAVE A CHANCE 
         TO SEE FOR MYSELF WHAT IS HAPPENING THERE.  WE ALWAYS 
         WANT TO SEE PEACE AND STABILITY ANYWHERE -- ESPECIALLY 
         IN THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.  I HAVE VISITED CAMBODIA 
         BEFORE AND HAVE MET THE TWO LEADERS AND EXPRESSED MY 
         CONCERN ABOUT THE SITUATION AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG 
         ABOUT ME DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. 

                      /// END ACTUALITY ///

MR. BADAWI SAYS THE FUTURE OF ALL SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IS 
BRIGHT.  HE SAYS -- NOW ASEAN IS A UNITED GROUP OF 10 COUNTRIES 
-- THE REGIONAL BODY WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO CONTRIBUTE 
TO REGIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY THROUGHOUT THE EAST ASIAN REGION.
(SIGNED)

NEB / CS / TM / WD