Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
July 30, 2007

ASEAN Charter to Include Human Rights Commission
------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=184DD88:A6F02AD83191E1600DA6EA93F640CE5F9574F7DCC14957C0 Deal reached
Monday by foreign ministers of 10 ASEAN members overcame fierce
objections from Burma's military government Foreign ministers from the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed during their annual
meeting in Manila to create a human rights body in the draft of
ASEAN's first ever charter. VOA correspondent Nancy-Amelia Collins is
in the Philippine capital and brings us this report.







Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, center, poses with
foreign ministers of ASEAN after opening the 40th ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting in Manila, 30 Jul 2007The agreement moves the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, closer to having its first charter.

The deal reached Monday by the foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN
members overcame fierce objections from Burma's military government.

Burma, which has long been condemned by many governments, including
the European Union and the United States, for its poor human rights
record, initially objected to the creation of the human rights
commission.

Some other ASEAN members want to avoid close scrutiny of human rights,
including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, which all have authoritarian or
single-party governments.







Singapre Foreign Minister George Yeo gestures as he assumes the
chairmanship of the SEANWFZ (Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone)
in Manila, 30 Jul 2007Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo says the
details will need to be worked out later but confirmed a consensus had
been reached to include the rights body in the organization's charter.

"We have to establish a sense of reference and discuss specifics,
however, we did establish a human rights body."

ASEAN is drafting its first charter so it can become a more
rules-based organization similar to the European Union. The charter,
which needs to be ratified during a leader's meeting in November, will
bestow a legal identity to ASEAN for international negotiations and
transactions.

Among other things, the charter promotes free trade and economic
integration and incorporates a 10-year-old treaty banning nuclear
weapons in the region.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo stressed the importance
of the grouping for regional security.

"Historically the European Union has shown how a region beset by
conflict can become a force for peace and security and prosperity,"
said Arrroyo. "So, too, in our region that has faced many of the same
historic divisions. A more united region will aid in the same. ASEAN
has proven that it can make a difference for peace and security in
Asia."

The ASEAN countries are the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Laos, Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The foreign ministers will spend the next two days meeting with other
Asian nations and leading partners, including the U.S., before holding
the ASEAN Regional Forum on Thursday.




.