A Primer on ASEAN Volume 1

Edited by: Carlos C. Tabunda, Jr. A Primer on ASEAN Philippines and India: Strengthening ASEAN-India Partnership Celebrating 25 Years of ASEAN – India Partnership

Copyright © 2019 Published by: New Era University ISBN: 978-971-799-015-6 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced, or stored in any form or by any means without the permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations in connection with feature articles, blogs, critical essays, and reviews.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this book are those of the speakers or experts and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Era University. Printed in the Republic of the Philippines

2 | A Primer on ASEAN CONTENTS

MESSAGES 5 FOREWORD 6 QUESTION 7 What is ASEAN? 7-8 ASEAN member-states: 9-11 What was SEATO? 12 What was MAPHILINDO? What was its goal and why did it fail to come to fruition? 13-14 What is Timor-Leste not yet a member of ASEAN? 15-16 What is the ASEAN Community and what are its “three pillars”? 17-19 What is ASEAN identity and how can it be built and promoted? 20-21 What does ASEAN do to promote regional awareness among its citizenry? 22-23 What does the term “ASEAN Centrality” mean? 24-25 What are the native languages spoken in the ASEAN member-states? 26-27 What are the major religions in Southeast Asia? 28-29 What is ASEAN doing to address the issues regarding the environment? 30-31 How does ASEAN promote and protect women’s rights? 32-33 Given that many of its member-states have been identified as “transit stations” of the illicit drug trade, what steps has ASEAN taken in combating illegal drug trade? 34-35 Does the ASEAN Charter guarantee freedom of religion and religious practice for its citizens? 36-38 What is the ASEAN position on nuclear weapons proliferation in the region? 39 What is the purpose of the ASEAN Economic Community? How will integration affect Southeast Asia’s economies? 40 What are the efforts of the ASEAN in supporting and empowering persons with disabilities (PWD)? 41-42 What are the joint efforts among ASEAN member-states regarding disaster management and resilience? 43-44 What are the efforts of ASEAN to protect the rights of migrant workers? 45-46

BIBLIOGRAPHY 47-48 APPENDIX 49-56

| 3 Editorial Section

Editor Carlos C. Tabunda, Jr.

Writers Bro. Neil Bryan M. Tarray Marneah Jeane D. Mangawang

Editorial Staff Bro. Zaldy Petorio Jasmin M. Danao Angeli Michelle T. Mendoza

Design and Layout NEU Information Office NEU Press & Publications Office

Cover Design Augusto E. Dreo

4 | A Primer on ASEAN New Era University NO. 9 CENTRAL AVENUE NEW ERA, QUEZON CITY 1107 PHILIPPINES

OFFICE OF THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Message

I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to our brothers and sisters at the New Era University-ASEAN Studies Center for the successful launching of the ASEAN Primer book. Indeed, this accomplishment stands as a fitting milestone to the many endeavors undertaken by your Center in order to promote knowledge and understanding about our ASEAN community. It is my hope that this volume, along with many other publications, activities, and projects of the ASC, will continue to benefit our NEU family and add luster to the name of our beloved Institution.

In this day and age, we as a people and as individuals cannot afford to turn our backs on our regional neighbors. Nor can we go on living out our lives entirely ignorant of the richness and diversity of culture, religion, politics, and economics that characterizes our region. As Filipinos who aspire to be competent in the global arena, we need not look far for examples and sources of inspiration as our fellow Southeast Asians continue to blaze the way towards the realization of the “Asian Century”. Of course, we here at New Era University are also playing our part and we do not shrink from the challenges of tomorrow. I sincerely hope that this first book will help bridge the gap in knowledge and familiarity that some might have with regards to our ASEAN neighbors.

I call on our students, faculty, and alumni of the New Era University to continue to do their best in promoting and achieving our vision and mission. May this published work of the ASC serve as an inspiration to all of you as you trudge your way towards the realization of your dreams.

Maraming salamat po at mabuhay ang New Era University.

DR. NILO L. ROSAS

MESSAGE | 5 FOREWORD

By Dr. Carlos C. Tabunda Jr., DPA

The year 2017 was a momentous year for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It was when the organization celebrated its 50th foundation day. In August 8, 1967, the five foreign ministers of Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia gathered together in Bangkok to sign the declaration that aimed, among others, to “accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership”, to “promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law”, and to “promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields”. Since that day in 1967, ASEAN’s membership has grown to 10, and it has developed into one of the most dynamic economic blocs in the world today.

For the Philippines, the year 2017 held a double significance. The country was chairman of ASEAN that year, the fourth time in five decades, hence, it was able to steer the discussions and agreements that transpired. Since the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN coincided with the chairmanship, the half-century observance activities happened here. One of the highlights of the anniversary celebration was the recognition of the contributions of the five founding fathers of ASEAN who signed the Bangkok Declaration 50 years ago. For the Philippines, it was former President Fidel V. Ramos who went up the stage to receive the award of recognition for his father, former Foreign Secretary Narciso R. Ramos.

So what has ASEAN accomplished through the years? Ambassador Rodolfo C. Severino, Jr., a former ASEAN Secretary General, said that the greatest achievement of ASEAN has been the preservation of peace in the region. Many books and articles have been written detailing and assessing the organization’s performance and where its future directions should be.

But beyond the assessments and predictions, what is of equal but more urgent importance is creating awareness on what the organization is and what are its purposes.

Established on February 2016, the New Era University-ASEAN Studies Center (NEU-ASC) aims to serve as a knowledge hub that supports the creation and development of in-depth knowledge about ASEAN and its people. Among others, it aims to develop a well-equipped research facility including a collection of books, magazines, and other audio and video materials. Through its partnership with the Eagle Broadcasting Corporation, it has produced episodes on ASEAN- related program both on TV and radio, as well as online, which it aims to publish soon.

As a major step in creating awareness, the NEU-ASC is releasing this first volume on “A Primer on ASEAN” which it aims to distribute primarily to students and faculty members. It is hoped that this modest volume will contribute to disseminating basic information on ASEAN to the reading public, thereby, creating understanding on the organization and its significance to citizens of ASEAN.

6 | A Primer on ASEAN Q. What is ASEAN?

A. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, is a regional inter-governmental organization encompassing ten Southeast Asian member-states that cooperate and coordinate on matters of security, economics, trade, and cultural exchange. Representing a vital and vibrant regional bloc, the ASEAN is considered one of the world’s most influential organizations, with a global network of allies and dialogue partners, and constantly engaging with partners in the Asia-Pacific and beyond. Currently, ASEAN comprises the following member-states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore Thailand, and Vietnam. Timor Leste (East Timor) is currently recognized as an Observer State.

Preceded by earlier attempts to form a Southeast Asian regional bloc (the short-lived and Western-centric SEATO and the still-born MAPHILINDO), ASEAN was founded on August 8, 1967, when the foreign ministers of the five original member-states – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, signed the ASEAN Declaration (also known as the Bangkok Declaration), which states that the aims and purposes of ASEAN, among other things, are to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region; to promote regional peace, collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest; to provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities; and to collaborate for better utilization of Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat agriculture and industry to raise the living standards of the people. For almost a decade following the Declaration, ASEAN remained an almost theoretical concept, with almost next to nothing concrete being accomplished among the five founding members. ASEAN’s first summit meeting, held in Bali, Indonesia in 1976, resulted in an agreement on several industrial projects and the signing of a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and the Bali Concord. In 1984, Brunei was welcomed as the 6th member of the ASEAN and the end of the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union heralded the entry of Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. On December 15, 2008, the ASEAN launched its charter, which was signed in November 2007 with the aim of moving closer to “an EU-style community”. The charter turned ASEAN into a legal entity and aimed to create a single free-trade area for the region encompassing 500 million people.

What is ASEAN? | 7 According to a study conducted by McKinsey and Company (2014), the ASEAN collectively has the world’s 3rd largest labor force (behind only China and India), and the world’s 6th largest economy (with a combined regional GDP of US$ 2.5 trillion), and is being predicted to be 4th largest by 2050. The same study also showed that as a collective group, ASEAN has around 87 million households belonging to the consumer class, and is home to the world’s 2nd largest community of Facebook users.

But ASEAN is not a monolithic, homogenous group. It is a highly diverse group; political, economic, ethnic, and even religious differences highlight the profiles of each member-state. This diversity is seen by many analysts not as a weakness but as a source of strength and pride. It is in tapping the huge latent force generated by its populace that ASEAN leaders look to moving forward to the future.

Population size and growth rate, ASEAN total, 1980-2017

Source: ASEAN Secretariat

8 | A Primer on ASEAN ASEAN Members-states: Quick Look

Indonesia Official Name: Republic of Indonesia Joined in 1967 (founding member) Capital: Jakarta Population: 257, 563, 815 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • Indonesia has the most number of active volcanoes in the world (139). • Indonesia has the most number of islands under its sovereignty (17, 598).

Singapore Official Name: Republic of Singapore Joined in 1967 (founding member) Capital: Singapore Population: 257, 563, 815 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • Singapore is one of only three surviving city - states in the world. The other two are Monaco and the Vatican City. • It’s a city of not just one island, but 63

Cambodia Official Name: Kingdom of Cambodia Joined in 1999 Capital: Phnom Penh Population: 15, 957, 223 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • Traditionally, birthdays are not celebrated in Cambodia. Older people might not even know their birthdays. • Tonle Sap Lake is the largest saltwater lake in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia Official Name: Federation of Malaya Joined in 1967 (founding member) Capital: Kuala Lumpur Population: 30, 331, 007 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • The Malaysian flag was actually designed by an architect and was chosen through a contest. • Malaysia appears in classical Greek and Roman maps as “Aurea Chersonesus”.

ASEAN Members-states: Quick Look | 9 Thailand Official Name: Kingdom of Thailand Joined in 1967 (founding member) Capital: Bangkok Population: 257, 563, 815 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been colonized by a European power. • Bangkok’s ceremonial name is the longest place-name in the world.

Laos Official Name: Lao People’s Democratic Republic Joined in 1997 Capital: Vientiane Population: 7, 019, 073 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • Laos is the only landlocked country in the whole of Southeast Asia. • But thousands of “islands” can be found in Laos part of the Mekong River.

Vietnam Official Name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam Joined in 1967 (founding member) Capital: Hanoi Population: 95, 261, 021 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • Hang Son Doong Cave is the world’s largest natural cave. • The Vietnam War was America’s longest war until it was surpassed by the war in Afghanistan.

Philippines Official Name: Republic of the Philippines Joined in 1967 (founding member) Capital: Manila Population: 100, 699, 395 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • The world’s largest pearl was dicovered by a Filipino diver in the Palawan Sea in 1934. • Mt. Pinatubo erupted on June 15, 1991, and created the largest mushroom cloud in the world.

10 | A Primer on ASEAN Brunei Official Name: Brunei Darussalam Joined in 1984 Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan Population: 436, 620 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • The word “Brunei” means “that’s it!” • Brunei’s Nurul Palace - a 300-acre palace-is the world’s largest residential palace.

Myanmar (BURMA) Official Name: Union of Mayanmar or Union of Burma Joined in 1997 Capital: Yangon Population: 51, 486, 253 (2015 World Bank) Did you know? • Myanmar is home to the largest and densest concen- tration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, Stupas and ruins. • Myanmar is the home base of more that 135 different ethnic groups.

Source/s: Jamil Maidan Flores and M.C. Abad, Jr., “ASEAN @ 30”, the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia, 1997 Sharon Siddique and Sree Kumar, “The 2nd ASEAN Reader”, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2003 The official website of ASEAN: https://asean.org/asean/about-asean/ https://www.worldatlas.com https://theculturetrip.com https://www.britannica.com https://www.studycountry.com https://www.gov.ph https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/understanding-asean-seven-things-you-need-to- know https://factsking.com/countries/brunei/ “World’s Biggest Cave Found in Vietnam”. National Geographic. July 9, 2009. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.

ASEAN Members-states: Quick Look | 11 Q. What was SEATO?

A. The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was a US-sponsored international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by virtue of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, or Manila Pact, signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The formal institution of SEATO was established on February 19, 1955 at a meeting of treaty partners in Bangkok, Thailand. The organization’s headquarters were also in Bangkok. Eight members joined the organization, of which only two –Philippines and Thailand, were actually Southeast Asian.

Formed primarily to check the march of communism in Southeast Asia, SEATO failed to act and develop as a fully realized regional bloc because of internal conflicts and inter-member states disputes. The organization was dissolved on June 30, 1977 after many members lost interest and withdrew. SEATO was intended to be a Southeast Asian version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), where the military forces of each member would coordinate to provide for their collective defense. SEATO was headed by Secretary-General, whose office was created in 1957 at a meeting in Canberra, Australia, with a council of representatives from member-states and an international staff. Also established were committees for economics, security, and information. SEATO’s first Secretary- General was Pote Sarasin, a Thai diplomat and politician who served as Thailand’s ambassador to the U.S. between 1952 and 1957, and as Prime Minister of Thailand from September 1957 to January 1958.

Unlike the NATO alliance, SEATO had no joint commands with standing forces. In addition, SEATO’s response protocol in the event of communism presenting a “common danger” to the member nations was vague and ineffective, though membership in the SEATO alliance did provide a rationale for a large-scale U.S. military intervention in the region during the Vietnam War (1955– 1975).

Source/s: Sharon Siddique and Sree Kumar, “The 2nd ASEAN Reader”, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2003 Jamil Maidan Flores and M.C. Abad, Jr., “ASEAN @ 30”, the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia, 1997

12 | A Primer on ASEAN Q. What was MAPHILINDO? What was its goal and why did it fail to come to fruition?

A. MAPHILINDO or MAPILINDO is an acronym for Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia and refers to a proposed non-political confederation of the three Southeast Asian countries (also known as Greater Malayan Confederation).

The idea behind MAPHILINDO came from the belief of many post-colonial era intellectuals that the Malay peoples, who comprise a sizable portion of the population of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, used to be a single racial group and were only artificially divided by the western colonial powers. During much of the Age of Colonization (16th century-early 20th century), the Philippine islands were part of the Spanish Empire, and later placed under American rule. Much of what became the Malaysian Federation and Indonesia was partitioned between the British, the Dutch, the Spanish, and the Portuguese. Notably, Filipino intellectuals such as Dr. Jose Rizal and Wenceslao Vinzons, perhaps inspired by the German and Italian national unification movements, envisioned a unity of all the Malay peoples. The idea came to be called Malaya Irredenta (Irredenta is Italian for “Unredeemed” and originally referred to Italia Irredenta; irredentism came to signify the idea of recapturing and reuniting long-sundered lands). Subsequent events would push the dream of Malay unity to the backseat as the Philippines’ revolution against Spain eventually pulled the United States into involvement in the region. Meanwhile, increased British military presence in the region following the Sepoy Rebellion in India and the entrenchment of the British in Hong Kong and Singapore and the matching escalation of presence by the Dutch ensured that the Malays would be further estranged from one another.

President Sukarno, President Macapagal and Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaysia signing agreements forming the MAPHILINDO on August 5, 1963 at the Juan Luna Hall of the Department of Foreign Affairs. (Photo courtesy of National Library of the Philippines)

After World War 2, as the Western powers slowly relinquished their colonies, the dream of irredenta was revived. However, the complexities of colonialism left seeds of dissension amongst the Malayan states. One such issue involved the disputing claims of territory, especially in Sarawak and the eastern part of North Borneo, also known as Sabah. The Philippines maintains her claim on Sabah based on its interpretation of a signed document that shows that the area in question belonged to the Sultanate of Sulu and that it was only leased by the Sultan to the British North Borneo Company in 1878, eventually becoming a British crown colony. The newly-born state of

What was MAPHILINDO? What was its goal and why did it fail to come to fruition? | 13 Malaysia rejected such claims by asserting that the pertinent part of the said historic document is interpreted as “cession” and not “lease” and that the people of Sabah have determined their fate by choosing to join the Malaysian Federation. Similar border disputes between Indonesia and Malaysia also fuelled tensions in the region. In July 1963, a summit was held in Manila through the initiative of Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal, with the aim of forming MAPHILINDO. A series of agreements were signed by the three states to resolve the territorial issues regarding Sabah and Sarawak and it seemed that a new era of Malay unity was about to be ushered in under the umbrella of MAPHILINDO. However, the union among the three countries did not prosper because of lingering suspicions and unresolved disputes concerning territory. The union failed to materialize as Indonesia began to adopt a policy of Konfrontasi (violent confrontation) to prevent Malaysia from achieving full sovereignty. Meanwhile, the steady march of communist movements in the region and the US policy of containment eventually plunged the Southeast Asian nations into the intrigues of the Cold War. ASEAN was founded in 1967 but relations between Malaysia, Philippines, and Indonesia did not normalize until the 1980s.

Source/s: “East and Southeast Asia: the Philippines.” CIA Fact book. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2013 Weatherbee, Donald E.; Ralf Emmers; Mari Pangestu; Leonard C. Sebastian (2005). “International relations in Southeast Asia.” Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 68–69. ISBN 0-7425-2842-1. Sharon Siddique and Sree Kumar, “The 2nd ASEAN Reader”, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2003

14 | A Primer on ASEAN Q. Why is Timor-Leste not yet a member of ASEAN?

A. The acceptance of East Timor (Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) as an ASEAN member is a process that started following Timor-Leste’s independence in 2002, when her leaders made a “strategic decision” to apply for membership in the ASEAN. Being a country geographically situated in Southeast Asia, many expected its quick acceptance as an ASEAN member-state. Its close ties with ASEAN are supported by all political parties in that country. In 2002, Timor-Leste was granted by ASEAN the status of “observer-state” and was allowed to join the ASEAN Regional Forum in 2005.

Why is Timor-Leste not yet a member of ASEAN? | 15 In January 2007, the country agreed to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, pledging to renounce the use of force and binding East Timor to non-interference in the internal affairs of other ASEAN member-states. East Timor officially applied for membership in ASEAN on March 4, 2011. But, while support for Timor-Leste’s membership is strong in ASEAN countries such as Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia, the other six member-states objected to Timor-Leste’s admission on the grounds that it is not yet developed enough to join, and that it lacks the manpower and resources to establish embassies in all of the 10 ASEAN member-states. Due to lack of consensus amongst the 10 member-states (the “ASEAN way” requires unanimity in decision- making), Timor-Leste’s application for membership has been repeatedly “tabled” from 2011 up to 2017, when one of its closest supporters, the Philippines, chaired the ASEAN. A final report in the November 2017 summit stated that “Timor-Leste’s application for ASEAN membership is ongoing, and therefore, we look forward to the outcome of discussion by the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group..., which will be held on 5 December 2017 in Bali, Indonesia.” It was the last opportunity for Timor-Leste’s accession in ASEAN under the Philippines’ chairmanship which technically ended on December 31, 2017. The Philippines made a last bid to declare Timor-Leste as an ASEAN member-state, but failed due to the aforementioned lack of consensus. Singapore, the ASEAN chair for 2018, noted that Timor-Leste’s membership would be studied and discussed during the year, but its acceptance as a member-state would not be approved, pushing the possible approval of Timor-Leste’s bid to 2019, under the chairmanship of Thailand.

Source/s: Official website of the government of Timor-Leste: (http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=8411&lang=en) Online news archives of the Myanmar Times: (https://www.mmtimes.com/national-news/8716-timor-leste-on-the-asean-waiting-list. html) Official website of the ASEAN: https://asean.org/?s=timor+leste

16 | A Primer on ASEAN Q. What is the ASEAN Community and what are its “three pillars”?

A. When ASEAN was formed, they had in mind the formation of an ASEAN Community –a close partnership and cooperation amongst the member-states based on understanding, shared values and aspirations, and mutual respect. Commitment to this lofty goal was reaffirmed by the member- states at the 9th ASEAN Summit in 2003, where the ASEAN Leaders resolved that an ASEAN Community should be established. The term “community”, as defined and envisioned in the ASEAN Vision 2020, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders on the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN, refers to a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies. At the 12th ASEAN Summit in January 2007, the leaders of the member-states once more declared their strong commitment to accelerate the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 by signing the Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015.

To better understand how an ASEAN Community is to be achieved and what implications it would have on the member-states, it is important to note that the ASEAN Community is comprised of “three pillars”, namely the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. Each pillar has its own Blueprint and together with the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Strategic Framework and IAI Work Plan Phase II (2009-2015), they formed the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community 2009-2015. The three pillars or communities are the broad areas under which all ASEAN cooperation and coordination initiatives fall under.

ASEAN Political-Security Community To build on what has been constructed over the years in the field of political and security cooperation, the ASEAN Leaders agreed to establish the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC). The APSC aims to ensure that countries in the region live in peace with one another and with the world in a just, democratic and harmonious environment and to facilitate a higher level of political and security cooperation among the states. Through the APSC, the ASEAN member-states pledge to rely exclusively on peaceful processes in the settlement of intra-regional differences and regard their security as fundamentally linked to one another and bound by geographic location, common vision and objectives. This pillar has the following components: political development; shaping and sharing of norms; conflict prevention; conflict resolution; post-conflict peace building; and implementing mechanisms.

The APSC blueprint seeks to maintain the ASEAN as a rules-based community of shared values and norms; a cohesive, peaceful, stable and resilient region with shared responsibilities for comprehensive security as well as a dynamic and outward-looking region in an increasingly integrated and interdependent world. The member-states are encouraged to observe and respect the rule of law with regard to democracy and good governance, and to promote human rights and freedom.

The APSC Blueprint was adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 14th ASEAN Summit on 1 March 2009 in Cha-am/Hua Hin, Thailand.

What is the ASEAN Community and what are its “three pillars”? | 17 ASEAN Economic Community The establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 is a major milestone in the regional economic integration agenda of ASEAN, offering opportunities in the form of a huge market of US$2.6 trillion and over 622 million people. In 2014, AEC was collectively the third largest economy in Asia and the seventh largest in the world.

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) provides the roadmap to attain economic integration through a single market and production-based region. The goal is to develop Southeast Asia into a highly competitive economic zone, a region with equitable economic development and fully integrated into the global economy.

The AEC Blueprint 2025, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 27th ASEAN Summit on 22 November 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, provides broad directions through strategic measures for the AEC from 2016 to 2025. Along with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, and the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint 2025 and the ASEAN Socio- Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2025, the AEC Blueprint 2025 forms part of ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together. It succeeded the AEC Blueprint (2008-2015), which was adopted in 2007.

The AEC Blueprint 2025 consists of five interrelated and mutually reinforcing characteristics, namely: (i) A Highly Integrated and Cohesive Economy; (ii) A Competitive, Innovative, and Dynamic ASEAN; (iii) Enhanced Connectivity and Sectoral Cooperation; (iv) A Resilient, Inclusive, People-Oriented, and People-Centered ASEAN; and (v) A Global ASEAN. These characteristics support the vision for the AEC as envisaged in the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. Through the AEC, ASEAN aspires to have a highly integrated and cohesive economy and a more competitive, innovative and dynamic region with enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation for a people-oriented and people-centered growth and progress. Following the AEC blueprint, the member-states encourage and facilitate partnerships with the private sector, reinforce institutions, and engage with industry associations and the wider community at the regional and national levels for the integration process.

The AEC Blueprint 2025 would lead towards an ASEAN that is more proactive, ensuring that the member-states are economically integrated and sustainably and gainfully integrated in the global economy, thus contributing to the goal of shared prosperity and progress in the region.

ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community At the heart of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) is the commitment of the region to lift the quality of life of the people through cooperative activities that are people-oriented, people-centered, environmentally friendly, and geared towards the promotion of sustainable development to face new and emerging regional and global challenges. The ASCC mirrors the commitment of the member-states to open a world of opportunities; and to collectively deliver and fully realize human development, resiliency and sustainable development to their citizens. This is to be accomplished through cooperation on a wide range of area, including: culture and information, education, youth and sports, health, social welfare and development, women and gender, rights of the women and children, labor, civil service, rural development and poverty eradication, environment, transboundary haze-pollution, disaster management and humanitarian assistance. Echoing the dreams of the founders of ASEAN, the ASCC’s goal is to achieve solidarity

18 | A Primer on ASEAN and unity among nations and peoples of ASEAN by creating and fostering a common identity. This involves human development, social welfare and protection, social justice and rights and environmental sustainability. The ASCC works towards a community that is socially-responsible, inclusive, sustainable, resilient, dynamic and harmonious. With these characteristics, it is hoped that the region will achieve a high quality of life and an equitable access to opportunities; promote social development and environmental protection; and enhance the capability to adapt and respond to social and economic disasters.

The ASCC Blueprint 2025 was adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 27th ASEAN Summit on 22 November 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Source/s: Jamil Maidan Flores and M.C. Abad, Jr., “ASEAN @ 30”, the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia, 1997 Official documents and news archives of the ASEAN: https://asean.org/asean-political-security-community https://asean.org/asean-economic-community https://asean.org/asean-socio-cultural

What is the ASEAN Community and what are its “three pillars”? | 19 Q. What is ASEAN identity and how can it be built and promoted?

A. The ASEAN Charter (2007), the ASEAN Declaration on Cultural Heritage (2000), and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint (2009-20015) define ASEAN identity as “the basis of Southeast Asia’s regional interests. It is our collective personality, norms, values and beliefs as well as aspirations as one ASEAN Community...a sense of belonging...unity in diversity and ...deeper mutual understanding among ASEAN member countries about their culture, history, religion and civilization...” Member-states have promoted cooperation in information to help build an ASEAN identity. One of the main bodies in ASEAN cooperation in information is the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (COCI). Established in 1978, its mission is to promote effective cooperation in the fields of information, as well as culture, through its various projects and activities. The ASEAN NewsMaker Project, an initiative launched in 2009, trains students and teachers to produce informational video clips about their countries. Dr. Soeung Rathchavy, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community noted that: “Raising ASEAN awareness amongst the youth is part and parcel of our efforts to build the ASEAN Community by 2015...our youths in the region will get to know ASEAN better, deepening their understanding and appreciation of the cultures, social traditions and values in ASEAN.” Efforts to foster the ASEAN identity are also seen in various programs and projects within the ASEAN such as the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, ASEAN Heritage Parks, and the ASEAN University Network (AUN). The AUN is a consortium of 30 Southeast Asian universities, three coming from each member-state. Founded in November 1995 by 11 universities, the AUN was established to promote cooperation among ASEAN scholars, Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat academics, and scientists; to develop academic and professional human resources; to promote information dissemination among the ASEAN academic community; and to enhance awareness of a regional identity and the sense of “ASEAN-ness” among member states.

However, as Amado S. Tolentino, Jr. says in an article he wrote for the Manila Times (March 22, 2014), “There are, however, sorts of ‘cultural war’ among some ASEAN countries related to cultural heritage.” He cited as example the 2012 protest/riots in Jakarta targeting the Malaysian embassy over the issue of which country can claim the “tor-tor dance” as her own cultural heritage. Mention has also been made of spats between ASEAN countries over such inane issues as who copied their national anthem from whom or whose Chinese community owns the right to a particular dish. On a more serious note, Tolentino states: “Another example is the Preah Vihar temple issue between Cambodia and Thailand...in April 2013, where about 500 nationalists of the

20 | A Primer on ASEAN Patriot Thai Group raised the flag of Thailand to assert Thai sovereignty over Preah Vihar. Even the legal culture is not an exception. ASEAN countries have a mosaic of legislations with traces of foreign influence brought about by periods of Spanish (the Philippines), French (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam), British (Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore), and Dutch (Indonesia) occupation.” In his essay for ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia), Prof. Amitav Acharya notes: “Regional identity is to be treated neither as an accomplished project nor a permanent phenomenon. Southeast Asia has not completed the project of region building and has achieved the kind of regional identity that would survive the test of time... But ASEAN’s cohesion and identity faces a number of challenges. ASEAN as a regional body is facing a host of challenges, especially internal disunity fostered by the divisive policies of China in the context of an expanded membership, and the gap between capacity and the increasing number of transnational challenges it has to cope with. The principle of ‘ASEAN centrality’ in the Asia–Pacific or Indo–Pacific regional architecture that the United States (US) has supported can unravel if ASEAN’s internal unity, now aggravated by Cambodia’s turn to China and lack of Indonesia’s leadership of ASEAN under President Jokowi (Joko Widodo). The weakening of ASEAN (a break up is unlikely) could have serious strategic and economic consequences for the region and the US. It would weaken conflict management norms and processes, set back the pace of economic integration, and allow China significantly greater inroads into the region.”

Nevertheless, conscious and admirable efforts are being done by the ASEAN to create and foster the ASEAN identity. As Amitav Acharya opines: “Despite these aspects of diversity, Southeast Asia has arguably developed a relatively greater sense of a regional identity than South Asia or Northeast Asia. Indeed, the very idea of Southeast Asia as a region in itself, distinct from China and India, has much to do with the role of ASEAN,...despite some internal divisions and constraints imposed by great power presence and influence-seeking, ASEAN remains amongst the most cohesive and dynamic regional groups in Asia and the world today.”

Source/s: Official ASEAN website: https://asean.org/?static_post=chairman-s-statement-of-the-16th-asean-summit-towards-the-asean- community-from-vision-to-action Official AUN website: http://www.aunsec.org/ Manila Times website archives: http://www.manilatimes.net/an-asean-identity/84360/ Official ERIA website archives: http://www.eria.org/ASEAN_at_50_4A.2_Acharya_final.pdf

What is ASEAN identity and how can it be built and promoted? | 21 Q. What does ASEAN do to promote regional awareness among its citizenry?

A. During the 2017 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Malaysia, an incident occurred in which the Indonesian flag was printed the wrong side up on the program booklets. The incident drew various criticisms on the internet and Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for an apology, which the Malaysian government immediately released within a few hours of the incident. The incident and the backlash it fueled reflected the lack of awareness of one another among the ASEAN nations. This increases the necessity of gauging the awareness among citizens of ASEAN member-states on the importance of creating an ASEAN identity and community and of formulating concrete steps to address this apparent lack of awareness. The ASEAN initiative is not only about enhancing economic and trading relationships in the region, but also creating a close-knit community whose citizens understand and respect the variations and individualities in culture, food, people, religion and language within the region.

Historically, ASEAN has been perceived in the region as an exclusive club for the elite –a forum where only the very rich, the very powerful, or the very smart are invited in. Unlike the United Nations which enjoys an almost universal appeal to the popular imagination, the ASEAN has had, and continues to have, a mysterious quality. In 2007 and again in 2014, the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, funded and supported by the ASEAN Foundation, conducted and published a study called “ASEAN Awareness and Attitudes – A Ten Nation Survey”. The survey measured: 1.) attitudes toward ASEAN; 2.) knowledge about the region and the Association; 3.) orientation towards the region and countries; sources of information about the region; and 4.) aspirations for integration and action. The survey was conducted on university students from the 10 member-states. While overall, the students displayed high knowledge of and positive attitudes towards ASEAN, the enthusiasm was not shared equally in all member-states. Only Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, and Myanmar showed high ASEAN-enthusiasm while ambivalence was prevalent among the Singaporeans. Moreover, students continued to see ASEAN member-states as culturally similar but economically and politically different. Generally, students were most aware of and familiar with countries that are in their own sub-region (maritime or mainland) Lao PDR and Brunei seemed to be the least familiar or “outliers” to the others. For mainland ASEAN nations, Myanmar was the outlier; and for maritime ASEAN countries, the Philippines and Brunei were the outliers. The 2014 update showed that Thailand and Malaysia, considered ASEAN as most relevant and the most familiar members to all respondents were Thailand and Singapore. Likewise, a separate 2012 survey commissioned by the ASEAN Secretariat found that while 81% of respondents were “familiar” with the general concept of ASEAN, a staggering 76% showed “lack a basic understanding” of what the organization actually does.

In view of such results, the member-states of ASEAN are collectively and individually exerting efforts to create a people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN–a community where the citizens are given the knowledge and the voice to comprehend ASEAN’s workings and to participate in them. On August 28, 2017, for instance, senior officials and media representatives from the ASEAN Member States and representatives of dialogue partners to ASEAN gathered in Jakarta to discuss ways to further strengthen collaboration on promoting ASEAN awareness and identity. The dialogue gathered leaders of key ASEAN sectoral bodies, namely information, human rights, women and children, and youth, to brief the media on their respective sectoral agenda and to identify potential

22 | A Primer on ASEAN areas of partnerships with the media in communicating their success stories to the public. Participants at the dialogue discussed the need for regular and open communication among the ASEAN Secretariat, the relevant stakeholders including ASEAN sectoral bodies, and the media so that timely information would be disseminated. More opportunities for regular dialogues and interactions were identified as a way forward to enhance partnerships and the media’s knowledge of ASEAN developments and issues.

Source/s: Official website of the ASEAN: https://asean.org/?static_post=constructing-the-social-asean-m-c-abad-jr The official website and archives of the ASEAN Foundation http://www.aseanfoundation.org/project/asean-awareness-survey The archives of the ASEAN Post: https://theaseanpost.com/article/awareness-lacking-within-asean-0

What does ASEAN do to promote regional awareness among its citizenry? | 23 Q. What does “ASEAN Centrality” mean?

A. The term “ASEAN centrality” defies a simple definition. In those two words are captured the hopes and aspirations of the ten member-states as individual nations and of the organization as a whole. Joycee A. Teodoro, writing for the Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies (CIRSS), defined ASEAN centrality thus: “...ASEAN’s role in the regional security architecture, regional order, and the power dynamics between and among external powers that have interests in the region.” In short, centrality in this sense means ASEAN’s international stature as a provider of a stable and neutral “ground” wherein competing, and sometimes hostile, external powers (e.g. US, China, and transnational corporations) can converge and discuss important issues and concerns. It also refers to its organizational clout as an important player in global economics and politics. As a vital region, with a vibrant and rising economy, ASEAN is well poised to play of the role of a central balancing power. Dr. Aries Arugay of UP-Political Science Department speak of ASEAN’s “convening power”–every year the ASEAN Summit, hosted by the member- states in alphabetical order, draws in guests from leaders and notable figures of states within and beyond East Asia–a testament to ASEAN’s potential to be a power player in the region. The idea of ASEAN centrality was first officially mentioned during the 2009 ASEAN Summit in Thailand where the theme was “Reinforcing ASEAN Centrality in the Evolving Regional Architecture”. Commenting on the said summit Dr. Geoff Wade, in his essay “ASEAN Divides”, states that the realization of centrality rests on the fulfillment of two conditions: 1.) ASEAN as a group must have sufficient seriousness to act as a unified bloc in order to project significance and influence outside the region, and 2.) the individual interests of all the member-states must be in consonance with the regional goal so as to have a common ground on vital issues.

Lofty aspirations aside, experts and analysts agree that ASEAN still has a long way to go in its quest for centrality. For instance, Dr. Wade observes that neither of the abovementioned condition “...looks likely to be achieved, much less maintained, in the near future”. The various

ASEAN Dialogue partners ASEAN’s engagements with countries outside the region make it a center for international discussion and cooperation. Map courtesy of Council on Foreign Relations

24 | A Primer on ASEAN reasons for this seeming exercise in futility, analysts opine, can be summed into these crucial observations: 1.) None of the 10 member-states have been willing to surrender any part of their sovereignty to a central governing body, thus reducing the secretariat in Jakarta to mere administrative functions. 2.) This lack of central political unity renders ASEAN incapable of fronting a united stand on any given issue. 3.) Political, geographical, and economic factors are at play in increasingly sundering the maritime ASEAN member-states from their mainland brethren. Through physical infrastructure connections, military and economic engagements, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Lao PDR seem to form a bloc all on their own and under the aegis of the creeping dominance of China. As Dr. Wade observes: “These countries are, together with China, forming a new bloc, which in effect divides ASEAN.”

Source/s: Orlando Mercado, “Political and Security Cooperation/Integration: The Quest for Centrality,” in Veronica S. Uy (ed.) “ASEAN Integration: Status, Issues, and Prospects”, Development Academy of the Philippines, 2015 Wade, Geoff, “ASEAN Divides,” available online thru https://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala The official website of CIRSS: http://www.fsi.gov.ph/distracted-asean-where-to-for-asean-centrality/

What does “ASEAN Centrality” mean? | 25 Q. What are the native languages spoken in the ASEAN member-states?

A. The ASEAN covers the entire region of Southeast Asia, a region of rich cultural and linguistic diversity and boasting hundreds, if not thousands, of local and national languages and dialects. While English is the official language of communication between the member-states and a large portion of ASEAN’s population can speak and write in various other languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese, the organization recognizes the importance of preserving and cultivating the various languages and dialects that are endemic within the region –especially as many of these languages are inter-related and are found to cross the political boundaries of the modern states. These spoken tongues, or national languages, have been generally categorized by experts into five linguistic family groups:

1. Austroasiatic (Mon-Khmer) –generally spoken and thought to be native to mainland Southeast Asia, this family is best represented by Khmer and Vietnamese, the national languages of Cambodia and Vietnam, respectively. Other members of this linguistic family are scattered amongst the hill and jungle tribes throughout the region.

2. Tibeto-Burman –experts in the field believe this family might be related to the Sino-Tibetan group of languages. Burmese (the national language of Myanmar) is the major representative of this family, while other minor dialects are spoken throughout the hills area in Northern Thailand, Laos, and Southern China.

Map courtesy of: http://www.seasite.niu.edu

26 | A Primer on ASEAN 3. Kra-Dai –this family of languages includes Thai and Laotian. The origin of this family is thought to be the borders of Indochina and Southern China. Waves of migration of non-Han (non-Chinese) tribes from the area down to the peninsula may have brought the languages and spread them into what would become Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.

4. Hmong-Mien –a family that originated from the hills on the borders of Indochina and Southern China. Like Kra-Dai, the Hmong-Mien family was probably brought south into Vietnam and even beyond Asia by migrations of non-Han peoples.

5. Austronesian –one of the most widespread family of languages, members of this family are spoken in the vast areas between West Africa and Oceania. Notably, Malay, Javanese, Sundanese, and the various Filipino dialects such as Tagalog, Visayan, etc. belong to this family.

Source/s: C. Goddard “The Languages of East and Southeast Asia.” Oxford University Press (2005). O. W. Wolters “Early Southeast Asian Political Systems,” in Sharon Siddiqie and Sree Kumar (ed.) “The 2nd ASEAN Reader”, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2003

What are the native languages spoken in the ASEAN member-states? | 27 Q. What are the major religions in Southeast Asia?

A. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are all practiced in Southeast Asia. Buddhism, principally the more orthodox Theravada tradition, dominates the religious life of most of the mainland (Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos), with the exception of northern Vietnam, where Mahayana Buddhism is more common. Islam is predominant in

Courtesy of Reuters the southern half of the Malay Peninsula, the Malay Archipelago, and southern Philippines. Because of a large Muslim population in Indonesia, ASEAN’s most populous member, Islam is the largest religion by membership in the region, with some two-fifths of the total population of Southeast Asia. The spread of Islam in the region began in the early 14th century through contact with traders in northern Sumatra. The spread of Christianity came with

28 | A Primer on ASEAN European contact. Roman Catholicism was introduced to mainland Southeast Asia by the Spanish and the Portuguese in the 16th century and then later by the French. Catholicism is most important in the Philippines and southern Vietnam. Currently, small but growing sectors of population in Indonesia and Singapore are adherents of various Protestant sects. The Philippines has the distinction of being the only ASEAN member-state – indeed the only Asian country, dominated by Christianity. Hinduism, once a dominant religion among the kingdoms in Southeast Asia, is still practiced by pockets of communities within the region, especially by the Indian diaspora. Furthermore, Hinduism augmented by animism, is the primary faith on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Various forms of animism/paganism also are practiced by near-isolated tribes in the region’s more remote areas, particularly in central Borneo, northern Laos, the mountains of Courtesy of Reuters the Philippines, and northern Myanmar.

Source/s: https://www.britannica.com/place/Southeast-Asia/The-people

What are the major religions in Southeast Asia? | 29 Q. What is ASEAN doing to address the issues regarding the environment?

A. The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2025 states that in order to build an ASEAN community that is inclusive, resilient, and dynamic, the ASCC is working towards, among other things,: 1.) a sustainable community that promotes social development and environmental protection, and, 2.) a resilient community with enhanced capacity and capability to adapt and respond to social and economic vulnerabilities, disasters, climate change, and other new challenges. In harmony with this goal, the ASEAN Secretariat has a dedicated Environment Division, based in Jakarta, Indonesia that serves as the hub for communication, coordination, and research linkages.

Aside from this, the ASEAN Center of Energy (ACE, based in Jakarta) was established on January 1, 1999 to serve as an ASEAN energy think tank to assist the 10 member-states by identifying innovative solutions for ASEAN’s energy challenges on policies, legal, and regulatory frameworks

Courtesy of ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

and technologies. The ACE also hosts summits and meetings of experts on clean and sustainable energy, renewable sources, and capability-building that fosters cooperation among the member- states and the ASEAN Dialogue Partners. Furthermore, the ACE also regularly gives out “ASEAN Energy Awards” to private and public entities that lead the way in the fields of renewable and green energy.

Another ASEAN center focusing on environmental concerns is the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB, established on September 27, 2005 and currently based in Laguna, Philippines). The ACB is the answer of ASEAN to the challenge of biodiversity loss and serves as the facilitator for cooperation and collaboration on biodiversity issues within the region. Among the stated

30 | A Primer on ASEAN goals of the ACB, the development of regional mechanisms to sustainably manage and protect biodiversity and ecosystems and the strengthening of ASEAN regional positions in negotiations and in compliance with relevant multilateral environmental agreements stand at the forefront. In 2012, the ACB spearheaded the Biodiversity and Climate Change Project – an ASEAN-wide initiative that promoted studies on payment for ecosystem services and management of protective areas, among other things. The BCCP also funded the introduction of organic vegetable farming in Mt. Malindang Range in the Philippines. The project provided additional livelihood options for the indigenous peoples’ community and reduced dependence on the park’s resources.

The ASEAN Heritage Parks Program was first conceptualized in 1978 during the first regional meeting of ASEAN Experts on the Environment. The ASEAN Heritage Parks and Reserves (AHPR) were defined as “a category of protected areas conceived for a select group of national parks and nature reserves that have outstanding wilderness and other values” and that “these be given the highest regional recognition so that their importance as conservation areas would be appreciated internationally”. The ASEAN Declaration on Heritage Parks and Reserves, signed on November 29, 1984, created 11 areas as AHPR. The Declaration pledged that the 11 Heritage Parks and Reserves shall be “managed to maintain ecological processes and life-support systems; preserve genetic diversity; ensure sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems; and maintain wilderness that have scenic, cultural, educational, research, recreational, and tourism values.” From the initial list of 11, there are now 28 AHPRs spread throughout the 10 member-states of ASEAN, one of which is the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park in the Philippines (declared in 2009).

In 2002, the ASEAN member-states signed the legally binding ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, recognizing that transboundary haze pollution which result from land and/or forest fires should be mitigated through concerted national efforts and international cooperation. In October 2013, ASEAN leaders approved a joint haze monitoring system at a cost of $100,000 USD. Additionally, Singapore has offered to start working directly with Indonesian farmers to encourage sustainable practices and minimize the problem over time by “tackling the haze issue at its root”. While the ‘haze treaty’ is accused of being vague and lacking enforcement mechanisms or strong instruments for dispute-resolution, ASEAN has clearly tried to depart from its institutional culture in an attempt to achieve deeper cooperation on this issue. This is evident in that this is a legally binding treaty, something ASEAN has vehemently opposed in the past.

Source/s: “The ASEAN Heritage Parks: A Journey to the Natural Wonders of Southeast Asia” ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, 2010. 310 pages Official ASEAN website: https://asean.org/?s=environment Official ACB website: https://aseanbiodiversity.org/ Straits Times online news archives: www.straitstimes.com

What is ASEAN doing to address the issues regarding the environment? | 31 Q. How does ASEAN promote and protect women’s rights?

A. Of the 10 ASEAN member-states, only Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines, and Vietnam are signatories to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) – the other five states did not sign but ratified CEDAW). It cannot be denied that ASEAN and its member-states still have a long way to go in the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality. To quote Hana Hanifah of the Habibie Center’s ASEAN Studies Program, “Gender equality, specifically women’s empowerment, was not a key concern of ASEAN during its initiation. The founding fathers of ASEAN, not coincidentally all are male, did not include a specific agenda for women and adopted gender-blind language for the Association’s early declaration and treaty...” She went further to say that the development of women’s agenda in ASEAN happened gradually and began by focusing on how to include women related issues within the ASEAN framework. The move to include women-related issues on the ASEAN agenda continued to gain traction until, in July 1988, the Declaration on the Advancement of Women, was signed by ASEAN Foreign Ministers. According to Hanifah, “this marked the first significant milestone for women’s empowerment agenda in the region.

The Declaration recognized the political dimension of women’s position as important agents and beneficiaries of development, and it also suggested the integration and harmonization of women’s perspective and agenda in national and regional plans.” Despite this, the Declaration was next-to- Courtesy of Habibie Center-ASEAN Studies Program

Labor force participation rate by gender (%), 2000, 2017 Courtesy of: ASEAN Secretariat

32 | A Primer on ASEAN silent on the definition of development, gender mainstreaming, as well as what kind of agency and benefits women could expect from ASEAN. The document only mentioned briefly that women’s role would be considered within their capacity as “productive force to attain the full development of the human personality.”

Moving forward, on April 7, 2010, the ASEAN member-states were united in the inauguration of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) on the occasion of the 16th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. ACWC is tasked with upholding rights contained in CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Reporting to the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (AMMSWD), the ACWC’s mandates and functions include the development of policies, programs, and innovative strategies to promote and protect the rights of women and children to complement the building of the ASEAN Community. It has hosted different regional workshops, seminars, training sessions and consultative meetings that provided platforms for government officials, civil society organizations, professionals and other stakeholders to exchange views, share experiences and build commitments and a common understanding on various gender issues. The ACWC Work Plan 2012-2016 has incorporated women’s access to education, political participation, and economic empowerment as women’s rights. In 2015, the ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children was signed by the Heads of States at the 27th ASEAN Summit, which was then followed by the launching of the Regional Review on Laws, Policies, and Practices within ASEAN related to the Identification, Management, and Treatment of Victims of Trafficking, Especially Women and Children in 2016.

Source/s: “Towards an ASEAN Community of Caring Societies: Report of the 3rd ASEAN People’s Assembly, Manila, Philippines, 2003”, Institute for Strategic and Development Studies, Inc., Quezon City, Philippines, 2003 Official ASEAN website: https://asean.org/?s=women%27s+rights Official ACWC website: https://acwc.asean.org/about/ Official website of the Habibie Center-ASEAN Studies Program: https://thcasean.org/about/thc

How does ASEAN promote and protect women’s rights? | 33 Q. Given that many of its member-states have been identified as “transit stations” of the illicit drug trade, what steps has ASEAN taken in combating illegal drug trade?

A. ASEAN has always advocated a collective regional response to drug abuse and illegal drug trafficking, even back when there only five members. As early as 1972, the association convened a meeting of concerned officials and agencies on the prevention and control of drug abuse. Subsequently, the Declaration of ASEAN Concord of 1976 issued by the Heads of Government called for “the intensification of cooperation among member-states as well as with the relevant international bodies in the prevention and eradication of the abuse of narcotics and the illegal

Flow of illicit drugs. Courtesy of Map CIA-Central Intelligence Agency

34 | A Primer on ASEAN trafficking of drugs.” This led to the adoption of the ASEAN Declaration of Principles to Combat the Abuse of Narcotics Drugs. Because illegal drug abuse is considered a social menace by all ASEAN member-states and that the trade on illegal drugs is widely acknowledged as an international security issue, almost all ASEAN efforts on this matter fall under the guidance and auspices of ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC). The need for a regional approach in drug abuse control and prevention was strengthened with the adoption of an ASEAN Regional Policy and Strategy in the Prevention and Control of Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by the 8th ASEAN Drug Experts Meeting in 1984. The document represented a significant departure from the perception of the drug problem as merely a social and health problem to one that had implications for national security, stability, prosperity and resilience. The regional action plan urged ASEAN countries to exert uniformity in views, approaches and strategies, to effectively coordinate at the national, regional and international levels, and to empower the non-government organizations (NGOs) in the effort to eliminate drug abuse. It recommended the incorporation of both supply and demand reduction measures and the enhancement of the legal control system.

In issuing ASEAN Vision 2020 at their 2nd informal summit in 1997, the ASEAN leaders embraced for the first time the idea of “a Southeast Asia free of illicit drugs, free of their production, processing, trafficking and use.” In July 2000, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed to advance the target year for realizing a drug-free ASEAN from the original schedule of 2020 to 2015. The ASEAN anti-drugs effort currently involves various ASEAN bodies, most notable among these are: the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC, established in 1997), the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters (AMMD, established in 2015) and the ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD). In line with the action plan on drug abuse control, ASOD adopted 10 project proposals:

1. Training of Trainers in Interpersonal Skills and Peer Support Counselling in Drug Education 2. Promoting Drug Abuse Prevention Activities among Out-of-School Youth 3. Promotion of Drug Control Activities in the Workplace 4. Training on Effective Management in Prevention Drug Education Programs 5. Enhancement of Community-Based Drug Prevention Activities 6. ASEAN Training Seminar for Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Counsellors 7. ASEAN Training on Financial Investigations 8. Training on Intelligence Operations Management and Supervision 9. ASEAN Seminar on Mutual Legal Assistance 10. ASEAN Seminar on Precursor Chemicals

Of the above, projects 4, 6 and 9 have been implemented, while the other seven projects are in various stages of appraisal and funding consideration. In 2012, a Memorandum of Understanding between the ASEAN Secretariat and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UN-ODC) on Drug Control and Crime Prevention Cooperation was signed. The MOU aims to promote closer cooperation on the interrelated issues of drug control and crime prevention.

Source/s: Official ASEAN website news archives: https://asean.org/?static_post=memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-asean-secretariat-and-the-un-office-on-drugs-and- crime1-on-drug-control-and-crime-prevention-cooperation-2 https://asean.org/?s=drugs

What steps has ASEAN taken in combating illegal drug trade? | 35 Q. Does the ASEAN Charter guarantee freedom of religion and religious practice for its citizens?

A. Freedom of religion is not a guaranteed right in the ASEAN Charter. What this means is that although ASEAN member-states recognize the International Declaration of Human Rights, each state varies in their degree of adherence to principles, including the protection of religious freedom within their territories. Although the ASEAN has established the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in 2009, and adopted the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) in 2012, the fact remains that ASEAN and its individual member-states have an inconsistent record in the protection and promotion of freedom of religion or belief. It has often been noted that member-states lack cohesion and strong will to act in response to serious violations within their own borders and among the fellow member-states. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published a report in September 2017 titled, “A Right for All: Freedom of Religion or Belief in ASEAN”, that documents ASEAN’s and the Member States’ approaches to religious freedom. According to the report, “ASEAN’s approach to human rights often has been diminished by two competing interests: the member-states’ desire to integrate as a bloc and their deeply embedded reliance on independence and non-interference in one another’s affairs.” Key findings about freedom of religion or belief in the 10 Member States include:

Brunei: The identification of the state and the public sphere with Islam in the person of the Sultan sometimes challenges the religious freedom of non-Muslims or heterodox Muslim residents, whose communities may be banned or ruled by Shari’ah despite their different religious affiliation.

Myanmar: While the year 2016 marked a historic and peaceful transition of government in Myanmar, outright impunity for abuses committed by the military and some non-state actors and the depth of the humanitarian crisis for displaced persons continue to drive the ill-treatment of religious and ethnic groups.

Cambodia: Cambodia has few internal challenges with freedom of religion or belief, but could do more to uphold its human rights commitments, particularly under the Refugee Convention.

36 | A Primer on ASEAN Indonesia: The Indonesian government often intervenes when religious freedom abuses arise, particularly if they involve violence. Non-Muslims and non-Sunni Muslims, however, endure on-going difficulties obtaining official permission to build houses of worship, experience vandalism at houses of worship, and are subject to discrimination as well as sometimes violent protests that interfere with their ability to practice their faith.

Lao PDR: In some areas of Lao PDR, local authorities harass and discriminate against religious and ethnic minorities, and pervasive government control and onerous regulations impede freedom of religion or belief.

Malaysia: Malaysia’s entrenched system of government gives advantages to the ruling party and the Sunni Muslim Malay majority at the expense of religious and ethnic minorities, often through government-directed crackdowns on religious activity, expression, or dissent.

Philippines: With the strong influence of the Catholic Church, as well as the needs of other religious groups, the Philippines grapples with the separation of church and state, and also with the violence that continues to dominate relations with Muslims on the island of Mindanao.

Does the ASEAN Charter guarantee freedom of religion and religious practice for its citizens? | 37 Singapore: Singapore’s history of intercommunal violence informs its current policies, which prioritize harmony between the country’s major religions, sometimes at a cost to freedom of expression and the rights of smaller religious communities.

Thailand: The primacy of Buddhism is most problematic to freedom of religion or belief in the largely Malay Muslim southern provinces, where ongoing Buddhist-Muslim tensions contribute to a growing sense of nationwide religious-based nationalism.

Vietnam: Vietnam has made progress to improve religious freedom conditions, but severe violations continue, especially against ethnic minority communities in rural areas of some provinces.

Source/s: Official website of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom: http://www.uscirf.gov/reports-briefs/special-reports/right-all-freedom-religion-or-belief-in-asean, the USCIRF report is available for free download (pdf format).

38 | A Primer on ASEAN Q. What is the ASEAN position on nuclear weapons proliferation in the region?

A. On November 27, 1971, the five founding members of ASEAN (the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand) signed the ASEAN Declaration on Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), through which they stated their vision to keep the region “free from any form or manner of interference by outside Powers” and “broaden the areas of cooperation.” Included in the vision was the future establishment of the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ). Negotiations and discussions about the SEANWFZ, however, were deeply affected by the political climate of the Cold War and it was not until December 15, 1995 when the treaty was signed by all ASEAN member-states. The treaty took effect on March 28, 1997 and it became fully effective on June 21, 2001, after the Philippines ratifies the same. The SEANWFZ bans all nuclear weapons in the region and obliges ASEAN member-states not to develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over nuclear weapons. Several ‘plans of action’ to strengthen the treaty were enacted by the ASEAN to reaffirm the region’s commitment to a nuclear weapon-free Southeast Asia: the 2007-2012 Plan, the 2013-2017 Plan, and the 2018-2022 Plan. Also added to the SEANWFZ was a protocol that was open to signature by the five recognized “nuclear weapons states”: The United States, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the People’s Republic of China, and France. Under the protocol, the five states will agree “to respect the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone,...and not to contribute to any act which constitutes a violation of the Treaty or its Protocol by States Parties to them.” None of the five nuclear weapons states have signed the protocol but on November 11, 2011, at the Joint Statement of the 3rd ASEAN-US Leaders’ Meeting held in Bali, Indonesia, they declared that “The Nuclear Weapons States and ASEAN agreed to take the necessary steps to enable the signing of the Protocol and its entry into force at the earliest opportunity. ASEAN also expressed appreciation for U.S. support of the ASEAN-sponsored United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution on SEANWFZ, which was adopted by consensus at the 66th UNGA. They reiterated the importance of a full and non-selective application and implementation of the NPT’s three pillars - nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.”

Source/s: Official website of the ASEAN documents and communiqué archives: https://asean.org/?s=nuclear+weapons

What is the ASEAN position on nuclear weapons proliferation in the region? | 39 Q: What is the purpose of the ASEAN Economic Community? How will integration affect Southeast Asia’s economies?

A. The AEC is the one of the ASEAN pillars and it aims to lift the region’s economic power. According to the AEC blueprint (adopted in 2007), the targets and schedule to fuse the 10 distinct Southeast Asian countries into a single market and production base by 2015 involved, but were not limited to, opening up trade in goods. Another feature of the AEC blueprint is the facilitation of free movement of services, investments, skilled labor and capital across borders.

The ASEAN has made a significant progress in the trade of goods, having had a free trade agreement in force since 2010. The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei have already removed tariffs on goods they trade with one another (with the exception of some items such as rice, sugar, and weapons). The other four members—Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam—were given until 2018 to remove import duties. The “ASEAN Single Window system (ASW)” of efficient and unified customs clearance procedures aims to link government agencies by 2015 through a single internet-based portal for permits, licenses and clearances, thus reducing paperwork and costs. With such a system in place, goods brought into Southeast Asian countries would not need further customs clearance when re-exported within the region. Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are now using the ASW to exchange electronic certificates of origin, while Brunei and Vietnam were expected to join the ASW by mid-2017. Other ASEAN member-states are at different stages of preparation and would join the ASW when they are ready.

The AEC also aims to ease up trade in services in such fields as telecommunications, airtransport, healthcare, education, information technology, tourism, logistics services, construction and environmental services. There would be freer movement of the professional workforce as well as investments and capital within the region.

Source/s: Sanchita Basu Das, Jayant Menon, Rodolfo Severino, Omkar Lal Shrestha (ed.), “The ASEAN Economic Community: A Work in Progress”, Asian Development Bank, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2013 Jamil Maidan Flores and M.C. Abad, Jr., “ASEAN @ 30”, the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia, 1997 Official ASEAN archives: https://asean.org/asean-economic-community/

40 | A Primer on ASEAN Q. What are the efforts of the ASEAN in supporting and empowering persons with disabilities (PWD)?

A. A March 2009 article published on the official website of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center stated that: “Almost 60 per cent of the world’s 650 million persons with disabilities live in Asia and the Pacific according to the United Nations (UN) estimate. This translates into some four hundred million persons with disabilities in the region who need support in realizing their human rights. But these figures are all estimates at present. Differences in definitions of disability, methods of data collection as well as capacity of data collecting professionals prevent a more definitive accounting of the number of persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific, and in the rest of the world. There are also problems in some countries of low priority and exclusion from official statistics of the data on persons with disabilities.” Throughout the ASEAN, some 62 million people live with disabilities –about 10 percent of the region’s population. About 45% are in Indonesia, 16% in the Philippines, 13% in Vietnam, 11% in Thailand, and the other 15% in the remaining member-states. There are numerous challenges facing the ASEAN member-states if a uniform regional approach to the promotion of PWD rights is to be taken. These include, but are not limited to, diverse government systems, languages and religions, and the sheer size of the region and the diversity of cultures and ethnicities in the region.

In 2009 the ASEAN Disability Forum (ADF) was established. Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, the ADF is a collective regional body of disabled peoples’ organizations representing all ASEAN member-states. It is a platform of engagement for disabled peoples’ organizations and multi- stakeholders to promote and implement the ASEAN Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2011-2020). ADF works for all areas, mainly through capacity-development of disabled peoples’ organizations and shaping the ASEAN to be a more rights-based and inclusive society for all. Particular focus is given to advocate for disability-inclusive policy formulation and implementation in the region.

On April 2, 2014, the Philippines hosted the three-day “ASEAN Program Evaluation and Planning Conference for PWDs” during which representatives from the 10 ASEAN member-states shared their best practices and different auxiliary services for PWDs as part of their national efforts in making the rights of every PWD in conformity with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of PWDs.

The 2nd Regional Dialogue on the Mainstreaming of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community was held on June 29-July 1, 2016 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The dialogue brought together varied stakeholders to discuss the rights of persons with disabilities and how to enhance their promotion and protection in the ASEAN. This initiative sought to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 as well as the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration in mainstreaming the rights of persons with disabilities across the three pillars of ASEAN. It was timely since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) had just become the third common International Human Rights Treaty to ASEAN, having been ratified by all 10 ASEAN member-states. On October 11-14, 2016, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) conducted a human rights training program in Bangkok, Thailand. The training aimed at creating a better understanding on the rights of persons with disabilities and introducing a regional platform among relevant stakeholders in ASEAN to share experiences and practices on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The training on disability rights was part of the endeavor of the AICHR to mainstream the rights of persons with disabilities across the three pillars of the ASEAN Community in line with the ASEAN Vision 2025 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

What are the efforts of the ASEAN in supporting and empowering persons with disabilities (PWD)? | 41 The 3rd ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Regional Dialogue on the Mainstreaming of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community was held on June 19-21, 2017 in Phuket, Thailand. The dialogue focused on the issues pertaining to access to justice, persons with disabilities as entrepreneurs, and disability perspective in disaster risk management. The Task Force on the Mainstreaming of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community is currently drafting the proposed regional action plan. It was emphasized that persons with disabilities should be empowered and aware of their rights. The participants highlighted that the rights of persons of disabilities to work, be employed, and to start a business is guaranteed under article 27 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the latest international human rights instrument to be ratified by all ASEAN member-states. It was also emphasized that knowledge on disaster preparedness should be adequately shared to all persons with disabilities regardless of age and gender. Participation of persons with disabilities in policy-making processes was highlighted as the key point in ensuring the mainstreaming and full implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities.

Source/s: The official website of ASEAN: https://asean.org/?static_post=bali-declaration-on-the-enhancement-of-the-role-and-participartion-of-the-persons-with-disabilities- in-asean-community

42 | A Primer on ASEAN Q. What are the joint efforts among ASEAN member-states regarding disaster management and resilience?

A. Southeast Asia is one of the most natural calamity-prone regions on the planet. The ten member-states of the ASEAN all experience the ravages of typhoons, flooding, drought, earthquakes, and tsunami. As such, disaster management and resiliency programs have become an increasingly important part of the agenda for ASEAN. Recognizing this, ASEAN have taken steps towards coordination and cooperation amongst the member-states to alleviate and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters. On December 7, 2004, the 1st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) was held to give a directive to the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) to form an agreement for the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER). The AMMDM promotes regional cooperation among ASEAN member-states with their dialogue partners and provides guidance to establish policies and strategies in disaster management. On November 2011, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA) was officially launched with the agreement signed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and witnessed by the ASEAN leaders. It serves as the core of disaster management coordination in the region. It is designed to promote a disaster-resilient community among the ASEAN member-states. The AHA, as mandated by the AADMER, is based in Indonesia.

The ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise has been made and done regularly to assess the effectiveness and success of the system and operations done during times of disaster. On November 2018, the ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise (ARDEX-18) was conducted in Indonesia with representatives from the ASEAN National Disaster Management Organizations, dialogue partners, UN agencies, private sectors, INGOs and local NGOs, as well as military personnel in attendance. The ARDEX-18 simulated an earthquake scenario aiming to improve regional disaster preparedness.

Courtesy of Reuters, Aftermath of typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), Leyte, Philippines

What are the joint efforts among ASEAN member-states regarding disaster | 43 management and resilience? To provide over-all supervision and direction, the ASEAN Secretary-General acts as the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator and works with the ASEAN member-states in their passion to promote human welfare and their efforts to sustain the operation on the recovery of the disaster affected communities. Furthermore, to bolster the region’s readiness to manage disasters

Courtesy of Reuters, Aftermath of cyclone Nargis, Yangon, Burma and to create ties with other countries and regions, the ASEAN-UN Joint Strategic Plan of Action on Disaster Management was established to work and build successful systematic analysis of methods in implementing self-reliant and determined domestic disaster management in the region.

Source/s: The official ASEAN online archive: https://asean.org/asean-and-civil-society-work-together-for-disaster-resilience-in-the-region/?highlight=resilience https://asean.org/bridging-science-and-practice-in-disaster-risk-management-to-build-community-resilience/?highlight=resilience

44 | A Primer on ASEAN Q. What are the efforts of ASEAN to protect the rights of migrant workers?

A. For purposes of protecting and promoting the rights of migrant workers, ASEAN Member Countries adopted the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, known as the Cebu Declaration, on January 13, 2007 during the 12th ASEAN Summit held in Cebu, Philippines. The said Declaration outlined the obligations of sending and receiving states, as well as the commitments of ASEAN as a whole.

Ten years later or on November 14, 2017, the regional bloc signed the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. The ASEAN Consensus stipulates the general principles, fundamental rights of migrant workers and members of their families, specific rights of migrant workers, obligations and commitments of ASEAN Member States. It aims to establish a framework for closer cooperation among member-states on addressing migrant workers’ issues in the region.

On November 18, 2018, during the 33rd ASEAN Summit in Singapore, ASEAN leaders adopted the Action Plan to Implement the ASEAN Consensus to capture the efforts of ASEAN member-states in implementing the ASEAN Consensus signed in 2017. It provides a self-assessment tool that would help ASEAN member-states take stock of implementation of the ASEAN Consensus at national level; and create opportunities to exchange experiences and learn best practices.

On December 12, 2018, the ASEAN Safe Migration Campaign was launched at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. This aims to raise public awareness on safe labor migration that benefits all. During the launch, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Socio-Cultural Community said “the Campaign is a translation of our commitment to implement the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers”. A campaign video, developed by ILO TRIANGLE in ASEAN was unveiled during the launch highlighting the benefits that labor migration brings to the ASEAN region, the need to make safe migration routes accessible to all migrant workers, and the commitment made by ASEAN leaders to realizing this goal when they signed the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers in November 2017.

To keep the momentum going since the adoption of the Action Plan to Implement the ASEAN Consensus in 2018, the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers had a met on February 12-14, 2019 in Chiang Rai, Thailand. In that meeting, the ASEAN leaders reviewed the work plan and noted results and progress of completed and ongoing projects including the ASEAN safe migration campaign, the study on portability of social security for migrant workers, repository of legislations and policies on migrant workers, migrant worker rights-based employment contracts, reintegration program for returned migrant workers, capacity building of labor officials on trafficking in persons, and labor market information systems on mobility of workers.

ASEAN countries have also been doing different individual efforts to protect the rights of migrant workers. In the Philippines for instance, numerous bills had been filed for the purpose of creating a single department devoted solely for migrants. Several bilateral agreements had also been signed including the one between the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR) and Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC).The agreement which was signed on 9 January 2019 aimed to bolster protection for the rights of their citizens in both countries. An Agreement on the Employment of Domestic Workers was signed on 11 May, 2018 between the Philippines and Kuwait. In addition, Republic Act 11227, also known as the “Handbook for OFWs Act of 2018,” was

What are the efforts of ASEAN to protect the rights of migrant workers? | 45 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on March 22. The said law supplements earlier laws on migrant workers such as PD 442 (1974 Labor Code of the Philippines) and RA 8052 (Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995). Its provisions are aimed to empower Filipino migrant workers by providing for information dissemination regarding their rights and obligations and the living and working conditions in their intended country. It also mandated closer coordination among the government agencies that cater to the needs of overseas Filipinos.

In Indonesia, the Law on Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers was enacted in 2017. Under the said law, a one-stop service for the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers was established.

In Thailand, the Royal Thai Government has campaigned to ensure that migrant workers wishing to work in Thailand are recruited through legal channels and possess legal work permits. The government imposes fines and penalties for employers who hire illegal migrant workers. For the first offense, the employer caught hiring illegal migrant workers would be charged and subject to a fine from 10,000 to 100,000 Thai Baht for each migrant worker. If the offense is repeated, the employer would be imprisoned for not more than one year, with a fine ranging from 50,000 to 200,000 Thai Baht for each migrant worker, and would also be prohibited from employing migrant workers for three years.

As for Malaysia, the government eyes reforming labor laws to provide domestic and foreign workers more protection. A report from the Strait Times said the Malaysian government is considering extending worker’s compensation to foreign workers and ban the use of private recruiting agencies over fears that some are engaged in what amounts to human trafficking.

Source/s: Sharon Siddique and Sree Kumar, “The 2nd ASEAN Reader”, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore 2003 The official ASEAN online archive: https://asean.org/?static_post=asean-declaration-on-the-protection-and-promotion-of-the-rights-of-migrant-workers https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ASEAN-Consensus-on-the-Protection-and-Promotion-of-the-Rights-of-Migrant- Workers.pdf https://asean.org/asean-leaders-commit-safeguard-rights-migrant-workers/ https://asean.org/storage/2012/05/clean-Action-Plan-2018-2025-of-ASEAN-Consensus-on-the-Protection-and....pdf https://asean.org/storage/2012/05/Endorsed_Joint-Communique-of-the-25th-ALMM.pdf https://asean.org/asean-launches-safe-migration-campaign-top-asean-eu-officials-discuss-safe-labour-migration/ https://www.asiapacificforum.net/news/apf-members-sign-partnership-support-migrant-workers/ https://asean.org/storage/2016/05/Law-of-Indonesia-No-18-of-2017-on-Protection-of-Indonesian-Migrant-Workers.pdf http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/news3/6886/95148-Thailand-uses-MOU-system-to-recruit-migrant-worker.html https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/malaysia-govt-eyes-reforming-labour-laws-to-provide-domestic-foreign-workers-more- protection

46 | A Primer on ASEAN Bibliography:

“East and Southeast Asia: the Philippines.” CIA Fact book. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2013.

“The ASEAN Heritage Parks: A Journey to the Natural Wonders of Southeast Asia” ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, 2010.

“Towards an ASEAN Community of Caring Societies: Report of the 3rd ASEAN People’s Assembly, Manila, Philippines, 2003”, Institute for Strategic and Development Studies, Inc., Quezon City, Philippines, 2003.

C. Goddard “The Languages of East and Southeast Asia.” Oxford University Press (2005).

Donald E. Weatherbee; Ralf Emmers; Mari Pangestu; Leonard C. Sebastian “International relations in Southeast Asia.” Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.

Jamil Maidan Flores and M.C. Abad, Jr., “ASEAN @ 30”, the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia, 1997.

O. W. Wolters “Early Southeast Asian Political Systems,” in Sharon Siddiqie and Sree Kumar (ed.) “The 2nd ASEAN Reader”, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2003.

Orlando Mercado, “Political and Security Cooperation/Integration: The Quest for Centrality,” in Veronica S. Uy (ed.) “ASEAN Integration: Status, Issues, and Prospects”, Development Academy of the Philippines, 2015

Sanchita Basu Das, Jayant Menon, Rodolfo Severino, Omkar Lal Shrestha (ed.), “The ASEAN Economic Community: A Work in Progress”, Asian Development Bank, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2013

Sharon Siddique and Sree Kumar, “The 2nd ASEAN Reader”, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2003

Wade, Geoff, “ASEAN Divides,” available online thru https://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala

Bibliography | 47 Online sources and websites: http://aseandisabilityforum.org/digaleri/ http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=8411&lang=en http://www.aseanfoundation.org/project/asean-awareness-survey http://www.aunsec.org/ http://www.eria.org/ASEAN_at_50_4A.2_Acharya_final.pdf http://www.fsi.gov.ph/distracted-asean-where-to-for-asean-centrality/ http://www.manilatimes.net/an-asean-identity/84360/ http://www.manilatimes.net/asean-member-countries-highlight-programs-and-services-for- pwds/87048/) http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/news3/6886/95148-Thailand-uses-MOU-system-to-recruit-migrant- worker.html http://www.uscirf.gov/reports-briefs/special-reports/right-all-freedom-religion-or-belief-in-asean, the USCIRF report is available for free download (pdf format) https://acwc.asean.org/about/ https://aichr.org/publications/ https://asean.org/asean/about-asean/ https://aseanbiodiversity.org/ https://thcasean.org/about/thc https://theaseanpost.com/article/awareness-lacking-within-asean-0 https://theculturetrip.com https://www.asiapacificforum.net/news/apf-members-sign-partnership-support-migrant-workers/ https://www.britannica.com https://www.britannica.com/place/Southeast-Asia/The-people https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/malaysia-govt-eyes-reforming-labour-laws-to-provide- domestic-foreign-workers-more-protection https://www.gov.ph https://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/focus/section2/2009/03/rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-in-the- asia-pacific.html https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/understanding-asean-seven-things- you-need-to-know https://www.mmtimes.com/national-news/8716-timor-leste-on-the-asean-waiting-list.html https://www.studycountry.com https://www.worldatlas.com www.straitstimes.com

48 | A Primer on ASEAN Appendix Additional Statistics

Number of internet users per 100 persons, ASEAN Member States, 2000-2017

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat, ASEANstats database

GDP per capita (US$), Brunei Darussalam and Singapore, 2000-2017

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat, ASEANstats database

Appendix | 49 GDP per capita (US$), in other ASEAN Member States, 2000-2017

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat, ASEANstats database

GDP total values (US$billion), ASEAN Member States, 2000-2017

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat, ASEANstats database

50 | A Primer on ASEAN ASEAN GDP total values and per capita, 2000-2017

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat, ASEANstats database

Adult literacy rate (%), ASEAN Member States, Total, 2000-2016

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat, ASEANstats database Note: *For Lao PDR, Philippines and Thailand, the latest available data is 2015

Appendix | 51 Population living below the national poverty lines (%), ASEAN Member States, 2005-2016

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat, ASEANstats database

Population living with less than $1.25 PPP per day (%), ASEAN total, 1990-2015

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat (2017), “ASEAN Statistical Report on Millennium Development Goals 2017”

52 | A Primer on ASEAN Population age structure (% to total), ASEAN total, 2000-2017

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat, ASEANstats database

Population size and growth rate, ASEAN total, 1980-2017

Courtesy of ASEAN Secretariat, ASEANstats database

Appendix | 53 Courtesy of http://www.inquirer.net/

Courtesy of http://www.inquirer.net/

54 | A Primer on ASEAN Courtesy of http://www.inquirer.net/

Courtesy of http://www.inquirer.net/

Appendix | 55 Courtesy of http://www.inquirer.net/

Courtesy of http://www.inquirer.net/

56 | A Primer on ASEAN | 57 58 | A Primer on ASEAN | 59 60 | A Primer on ASEAN