Don't write us off, ASEAN warns the world

Don't write us off, ASEAN warns the world

By Kornelius Purba and Meidyatama Suryodiningrat

HANOI (JP): ASEAN leaders sent a clear message to the world
here on Tuesday, pledging to come out of their summit as a
stronger grouping by taking concerted economic and social steps
to address the regional crisis.

The nine leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) stressed at the opening ceremony of their two-day summit
that the regional grouping would emerge from this meeting with
greater cooperative vigor in all areas.

"I am sure that the detractors of ASEAN do not realize this,"
Indonesian President B.J. Habibie said.

"And I doubt that the friends and supporters of ASEAN are not
fully aware that there is hardly an aspect of human life and
human development not touched by our endeavors," he added.

Habibie was the second leader to address the opening ceremony
following Brunei's Hassanal Bolkiah.

Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said that the crisis had
"somewhat" eroded the grouping's confidence.

"It has raised doubts and questions about whether ASEAN can
regain its vibrancy and vitality. Some have gone so far as to
write us off." he said.

"So the task falls upon us here at this Summit to prove our
critics wrong and help chart the way forward for ASEAN's recovery
and renewal," Chuan said during the opening ceremony at the Ba
Dinh hall.

"As long as we are able to redouble our efforts toward closer
economic integration and seek to go at least one step beyond our
pledged commitment, we will create a synergy capable of
propelling ASEAN back to normality," Chuan added.

Similarly, Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong called for
liberalization "beyond the expectation of the market" in
financial services, information technology and civil aviation.

"If we cannot convince the world that we are united in our
determination to repair our economies, it could lead the major
powers to turn away from Southeast Asia," Goh added.

The current triennial formal summit comes at a time when the
grouping is at its lowest ebb as a result of the economic crisis.

Other leaders attending the summit are Filipino President
Joseph Estrada, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad,
Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Brunei's Hassanal
Bolkiah, Laotian Prime Minister Sisavat Keobounphanh and
Myanmar's Senior General Than Shwe.

The collapse of the Thai baht in mid-1997 sparked a contagion
effect which saw Southeast Asian currencies and markets tumble.

The economies of ASEAN members Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand continue to be hit by
recession while Brunei, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam have also
suffered from the fallout.

All the leaders expressed their commitment to further economic
liberalization through tariff reductions and to attract investors
through various incentive schemes.

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam said during a
press briefing later in the afternoon that leaders had given the
green light to accelerate the ASEAN Free Trade Area deadline from
2003 to 2002.

He said ASEAN leaders also looked at ways to increase and
manage short-term capital flows and discussed the likelihood of a
common currency.

They agreed that extensive studies should be conducted on a
common currency and establish it as a long-term goal. As it may
take sometime before the idea comes to fruition, the leaders said
that in the meantime they would intensify the use of domestic
ASEAN currencies for intra-ASEAN trade.

After the close of the summit on Wednesday, the leaders will
also hold meetings with Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao, Korean
President Kim Dae Jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

The meeting with Obuchi will be of particular economic
interest as ASEAN leaders would like to hear at first hand how
Japan intends to channel the some US$40 billion in aid programs
it has pledged to help the region's battered economies.