VZCZCXRO5202
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0128/01 0230449
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230449Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4371
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 2413
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000128 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL VM
SUBJECT: RESULTS OF RECENT ASEAN SUMMIT IN STEP WITH GVN'S 
PRIORITIES 
 
HANOI 00000128  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) On January 18, MFA ASEAN Department Deputy Director Vu Ho 
briefed Poloff on the recently concluded ASEAN Summit and related 
meetings in Cebu.  For the GVN, key accomplishments were progress on 
establishing an ASEAN community and adopting an ASEAN charter, the 
ASEAN Counterterrorism Convention and the statement on the 
protection of migrant workers.  Concerning Burma, the GVN supports 
the ASEAN approach, but maintains its non-interference policy.  The 
main priority of the East Asia Summit was energy security, while the 
content of other multilateral and bilateral meetings was short on 
substantive results.  End summary. 
 
ASEAN Community 
--------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Vu Ho highlighted five areas in which substantial progress 
was made during the ASEAN Summit.  First, concerning the 
establishment of an ASEAN Community, the deadline has been moved 
ahead five years, and 2015 is now the target for creating a regional 
community based on three pillars:  security, economic and 
socio-cultural cooperation.  There is a threefold reason for the 
accelerated timetable:  to increase ASEAN countries' competitiveness 
in the global market more quickly; to address the fast rise of India 
and China; and to advance the integration of the ASEAN economies. 
 
ASEAN Charter 
------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The second major outcome of the summit was the decision to 
complete an ASEAN charter by the end of 2007 with the aim of 
strengthening cooperation among the member states, the Deputy 
Director continued.  A high-level task force will be assembled to 
complete the work in time for approval by national leaders at the 
next ASEAN Summit.  Vu Ho identified three key issues that remain 
unresolved.  First, concerning decision-making within the 
organization, the current consensus basis will be replaced by a more 
flexible "tier" system that will allow members to opt out of ASEAN 
policies that they do not support.  Second, for the first time, the 
ASEAN charter will include a mechanism for sanctions and expulsion 
of members.  Vu Ho acknowledged that this would be difficult to 
formulate as the organization does not currently have a procedure 
for expelling member states.  The remaining issue involves 
operational details such as how the organization's secretariat will 
operate and terms and conditions for future expansion. 
 
Counterterrorism 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) According to Vu Ho, the ASEAN Counterterrorism Convention 
(CT Convention) was an initiative of the Philippines and Indonesia. 
The idea was first raised at the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting in 
August, and the CT Convention was drafted quickly in November at an 
experts' working group meeting in Bali.  It borrows heavily from a 
number of UN Counterterrorism Conventions and is a first step 
towards building the ASEAN security community envisaged in the 
Vientiane Action Plan.  Its purpose is to provide a framework for 
ASEAN to deal with terrorism in the region and included 13-14 
cooperative measures.  Concerning the prospects for ratification by 
the National Assembly, the Deputy Director said the GVN views the CT 
Convention favorably, and following a review by Vietnam's Ministry 
of Public Security, the convention will be submitted to the National 
Assembly during its spring 2007 session for ratification. 
 
Migrant Workers Protection 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The ASEAN statement on the protection of migrant workers 
was supported by the GVN, especially the provisions addressing the 
rights of migrant workers with families, migrant workers who have 
lost their identity papers and migrant workers who are victims of 
natural disasters.  Our contact said the basic principle of the 
statement is respect for human dignity.  Finally, there was an ASEAN 
statement on a "sharing and caring society" that encourages more 
people-to-people contacts, especially among youth and the elderly. 
 
 
Burma 
----- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The ASEAN approach to the situation in Burma was the 
subject of "intensive talks," according to Vu Ho.  While he said the 
GVN does not support "interference" in the internal affairs of 
another country, the GVN agrees with the ASEAN approach to encourage 
changes in the situation in Burma, with the hope that Burma will 
continue on a path toward a better future for its people.  While 
Burma's fate should be decided by the Burmese people, the GVN also 
agreed with the approach of encouraging Burma to work with the 
international community in the interest of reconciliation.  Finally, 
 
HANOI 00000128  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Vu Ho said ASEAN will "assist" Burma to achieve it goal.  While 
reaching agreement on a Burma statement was difficult at the ASEAN 
ministerial meeting in July, the language in the ASEAN Summit 
chairman's statement was the choice of the host country and not 
subject to negotiation, Vu Ho explained. 
 
EAS, ASEAN Plus One Meetings 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Concerning the East Asia Summit (EAS), Vu Ho noted that the 
main priority and focus of attention was energy security.  He 
characterized the EAS statement expressing concern about the DPRK's 
nuclear test as "routine, rather than a breakthrough in this 
matter."  In his view, it was adopted perfunctorily, after which the 
group moved on to other matters.  As to the formation of an East 
Asia Community, Vu Ho said serious discussion will have to await the 
third or fourth EAS. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) As for the ASEAN Plus One meetings with China, Japan, 
South Korea and India, Vu Ho indicated there were no tangible 
results.  Because of the October ASEAN-China Summit in Nanning, 
there was little new business to conduct, and meetings involving 
China were mostly ceremonial and aimed at confirming the agreements 
reached at Nanning.  In addition, Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dzung had 
a courtesy call on his Indian counterpart, their first meeting. 
Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem met with both his Indian and South 
Korean counterparts to discuss regional cooperation.  There was also 
a Cambodia-Laos-Burma-Vietnam summit meeting, at the initiative of 
the Laotians, held because of the lack of occasions for these 
leaders to meet as a group.  The Japanese Foreign Minister met with 
this group, but without any concrete result, according to Vu Ho. 
 
MARINE