Source: Jakarta Post

Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta | Thu, 03/10/2011 10:34

A three-day ASEAN senior officials’ meeting concluded here in Yogyakarta on Wednesday with several new ideas raised but left one crucial issue — the migrant worker regional deal — untouched.

ASEAN agreed, among others, to enhance studies on ASEAN in universities, to lobby five nuclear weapon states in accordance with the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty, on the draft of the development roadmap in line with MDGs at the ASEAN level and has made preparations for the first ASEAN-EU business summit in Jakarta on May 5, senior officials said.

“There was a good suggestion from fellow Singapore and Malaysia to enhance ASEAN in university studies. In fact, they are very eager to have this move forward,” Foreign Ministry director general for ASEAN cooperation Djauhari Oratmangun told a press briefing.

“We also agree to give a mandate to the executive committee of the SEANWFZ to lobby the five nuclear weapon states [to sign the protocols of the SEANWFZ],” he said.

The SEANWFZ Treaty was signed by 10 ASEAN leaders in Bangkok on Dec. 15, 1995.

Signatory countries would also undertake not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against any state party to the treaty and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons within the SEANWFZ.

The five weapon states — the US, the UK, Russia, China and France — have refused to sign the protocols largely due to US and French objections over the unequivocal nature of security assurances and the definitions of territory, including exclusive economic zones (EEZ).

The treaty zone covers the territories and continental shelves, and EEZ of the States Parties within
the zone.

Rizal Affandi Lukman, deputy to the coordinating economics minister for international economic and financial cooperation, said the meeting agreed to have a midterm review on the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community’s blueprint as ASEAN was in the second phase of its way to the ASEAN Community by 2015.

Trade Ministry director general for international trade cooperation Gusmardi Bustami said ASEAN was prepared to have an ASEAN-EU business summit, which was expected to draw at least 300 businesspeople from ASEAN and the EU, including those in small and medium enterprises.

“There will be five sectors that we will focus on: Agrifood, healthcare, services and automotive, as well as energy and infrastructure,” he told the press.

“There will be a meeting between businesses and businesses, as well as between businesses and governments.”

Meanwhile, the meeting decided not to take migrant worker issues, particularly those related to the instrument of the protection and promotion of the right of migrant workers, to a higher level, said Sugihartatmo, deputy to coordinating people’s welfare minister for coordination of culture, tourism, youth and sport.

“But it is agreed that discussions will continue at the technical level.”

For Indonesia, the migrant workers issue is among top priorities as millions of its migrant workers are in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

The issue is frequently politicized, with opposition parties here using it as a political bullet to attack the government whenever Indonesia’s migrant workers are abused abroad.