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July 25, 1998 



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ASEAN



Long live a caring sharing grouping Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan
believes Asean nations must think more about the impact they have on each
other. It is not a question of meddling in others' affairs but of being
supportive. Here are edited extracts from his speech to the 31st Asean
Ministerial Meeting in Manila. 





Asean finds itself at a crucial juncture. The challenges that we face are
not only daunting in their magnitude but also because they are entirely of
a different nature from those that we encountered in the past. It is
certain they will be with us for some time. However, as the past 30 years
have proven, we have not and will not be deterred. We must together take
the opportunity to lay the foundation for a stronger and more vibrant Asean. 

Our efforts to help restore political stability in Cambodia, our efforts to
raise the level of security in the region by securing the endorsement of
the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone by the Nuclear Weapon States
and our efforts in the driving seat of the Asean Regional Forum have
underscored Asean's recognised role as a force for peace and stability in
the region.

Asean, through the Troika and along with the Friends of Cambodia, has
helped Cambodians put in place a process that we hope will led to free,
fair and credible elections. But the elections are only part of the
solution. Whether that process will work and whether political stability
will last are in the hands of the Cambodians themselves. We can and shall
lend a helping hand when needed. It is now up to the Cambodian people to
speak and exercise their voting rights. Cambodia will then take its place
as our 10th Asean member.

But even with the admission of Cambodia, the task of regional integration
has really just begun. The process of political integration within Asean
will depend to a significant degree on the success of our regional economic
integration. The current economic crisis gives more reason to speed up and
not slow down economic integration by way of accelerating the
implementation of AFTA and the Asean Industrial Cooperation Scheme. We
should also look at additional schemes to facilitate the flow of investment
and goods and products, such as the establishment of the Asean Investment
Area, which will be signed at the Hanoi Summit in December, and the
promotion of intra-Asean transport.

The economic and financial crisis of the past year has already brought home
the stark reality of interdependence in a globalised world. It is therefore
vital to recommit ourselves to the cause of Asean and to redouble our
efforts to strengthen its cohesiveness and cooperation and increase its
effectiveness.

We need stronger engagement among Asean and we need to adapt to changing
times. After 30 years of existence, we in Asean must have the confidence
and resolve to expand our horizons. In the next century, instead of armed
aggression and conflict, challenges in the form of economic disruptions and
transnational problems, such as illicit drugs, international crime and
environmental degradation, will be more prominent. Like it or not, the
issues of democracy and human rights are those that we have to increasingly
deal with in our engagement with the outside world.

Can we deny the fact that with increased interdependence, events in one
country can and indeed have affected other countries in Asean. 

Our ability to forge unity out of diversity has always been one of our
fundamental strengths. Each nation should be able to adhere to the values
and ideals that its society holds dear while keeping its commitments and
responsibilities as an Asean member. 

In today's world dealing with these issues is not a matter of choice; it is
a matter of necessity and urgency. It is not a matter of interfering in the
affairs of another country. Rather, it is a matter of being open with one
another on issues that impact the region. It is rather a matter of being
supportive of one another whenever needed. It is a matter of enhancing our
interactions for the benefit of all.

Strengthening the bonds of interaction among Asean means it needs to be
more people-centered, more in tune with and responsive to the aspirations
of its peoples. The greater priority given to functional cooperation, as
agreed upon at the Fifth Asean Summit in Bangkok in December 1995,
represents a major step in this direction. Programmes and activities,
particularly in human resource development, education, science and
technology, environment and social development, have been injected with new
momentum.

Thailand is delighted at the progress in the setting up of the Asean
Foundation last year to promote greater awareness of Asean and interaction
among its peoples. Thailand shares in the objectives of the foundation to
strengthen development of human resources as a means to contribute towards
the development of society and the realisation of human potential. We
believe that emphasis on the human agenda and on greater grassroots
involvement in Asean will add a new dimension of openness and vibrancy to
our regional cooperation.

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