ASEAN unfolds its vision for the 21st century

ASEAN unfolds its vision for the 21st century

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): ASEAN leaders yesterday issued their
vision of the nine-nation group in the 21st century, but the
harsh economic realities of 1997 overshadowed their immediate
dream of the future.

The seven-page ASEAN Vision 2020 calls for an outward-looking
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), living in peace,
stability and prosperity in a dynamic, caring community.

ASEAN leaders commissioned the document at a summit in
December last year in Jakarta -- six months before financial
turmoil caused economic crisis through the region.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, host of the ASEAN
summit in the group's 30th anniversary year, spoke on the
disparities of wealth as the current century drew to a close.

He said the leaders of ASEAN, and of China, Japan and South
Korea who are also attending the three-day summit, had noted at a
joint meeting on Monday the greatest achievement of the 20th
century was the decolonization of colonial territories.

But Mahathir added that many decolonized nations had remained
primarily commodity producers and suffered from unequal
distribution of global wealth.

"The 21st century should be a fairer century in which
everything should be done in order to ensure that the
distribution of wealth would be fairer," he said.

Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said in a written
comment that he believed the Vision 2020 statement was important.

"Although it may get less attention in the media than the
currency crisis, it actually contains many bold ideas for ASEAN
integration," he said.

The Vision, which calls for greater economic integration
within ASEAN, pledges to maintain regional macroeconomic and
financial stability and saw the group as "an effective force for
peace, justice and moderation in the Asia-Pacific and in the
world".

It envisages a "clean and green" ASEAN with agreed rules to
deal with problems on a regional scale, including pollution, drug
trafficking, trafficking in women and children and other
transnational crimes.

"We see an outward looking ASEAN playing a pivotal role in the
international fora, and advancing ASEAN's common interests," it
says.

Mahathir was asked at his news conference why there was no
mention of democracy and human rights.

He replied that many things were not specifically mentioned in
the document.

"It is impossible for us to mention everything, especially
those things that we take for granted. We believe in
democracy...neither do we reject human rights. We believe in
human rights," he said.

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