Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (second from right) in a group picture with other Asean leaders at the 21st Asean Summit in Phnom Penh. The others (from left) are Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Myanmar President U Thein Sein. Bernama pic
PHNOM PENH: Asean leaders yesterday adopted the
Asean Human Rights Declaration in committing themselves to further promoting
and protecting human rights.
Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak signed the declaration on behalf of the
Malaysian government at the Peace Palace here during the 21st Asean Summit. The
other nine Asean leaders also signed the declaration.
The
declaration, among others, protects the rights of people from all walks of
life. The declaration is one of the important outcomes of this summit as the 10
member nations move towards establishing the Asean Community by 2015.
Asean
secretary-general Dr Surin Pitsuwan said the declaration was a commitment by the
grouping's leaders in pursuing the promotion and protection of human rights in
the region, not only based on "our way", but also conforming to the
highest international standards.
Asean
leaders also decided that the Asean Community be established on Dec 31, 2015,
when Malaysia takes over the chairmanship of the Asean Summit that year.
Najib
said the date was chosen to give ample time for member nations to make
preparations.
Initially,
it was speculated that the Asean Community would be established by Jan 1, 2015.
The
Asean Community will be based on three main pillars -- Asean Political-Security
Community, Asean Economic Community and Asean Socio-Cultural Community.
The
Asean Community will be based on the region's norms and values, creation of a
single market with a 600 million population and a freer flow of trade and
investment.
Najib
said yesterday's meeting acknowledged that 74.2 per cent of work towards the
formation of the Asean Community had been achieved.
On
the South China Sea issue, he said Asean leaders acknowledged that the
sensitive issue needed to be resolved peacefully through talks.
Apart
from China and Taiwan, four Asean countries, namely the Philippines, Vietnam,
Malaysia and Brunei, have also made individual claims to parts of the waters.
On
his bilateral meeting with Myanmar President Thein Sein on the sidelines of the
summit, Najib said the leader appreciated Malaysia's humanitarian assistance
extended to both Muslims and Buddhists who became victims of recent violence in
Rakhine state.
He
said Thein Sein had informed him of Myanmar's long-term solution to the
problem, including the possibility of recognising the third generation of
Rohingya as Myanmar citizens, as well as providing education and job
opportunities for them.
Najib
hoped the new development would enable 80,000 Rohingya, currently seeking
shelter in Malaysia, to return home. Bernama
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