Gov’t, MILF start ‘last round’ of peace negotiations in Kuala Lumpur

By Nikko Dizon

MANILA, Philippines—The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation (MILF) began on Wednesday what could be the final round of negotiations between the two panels should they agree on the last annex that would make up the comprehensive peace agreement aimed at bringing an end to the decades-long war in Central Mindanao.

On the table of the 43rd exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is the normalization annex, the last of the four annexes that would comprise the Final Peace Agreement between the government and the MILF.

The normalization annex deals with the overall security in the new Bangsamoro that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), where the Moro rebels are expected to lay down their arms.

The peace agreement with the MILF is one of the cornerstones of the Aquino administration, and the Moro rebels themselves have said they want a peace deal before President Benigno Aquino III completes his term in June 2016.

“It is not farfetched that during this 5-day session, we will be able to settle all the remaining outstanding issues on the Bangsamoro Waters and Annex on Normalization that block our way to conclude the talks and eventually sign the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) very soon,” said MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal in his opening statement on Wednesday.

But Iqbal remained cautious. He said that even if a comprehensive peace agreement was signed, it would be the “Exit Agreement that will formally terminate this negotiation.”

“(It) will only happen if the two parties satisfactorily complied with their part of the deal; in addition, not until after the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) and the two parties and the Malaysian facilitator finally certify that both parties have fully complied with their obligations in the negotiation,” Iqbal said.

Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer took note of the “telltale signs” of the anticipation that this would be the last round of exploratory talks—from the presence of the media, Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Quintos Deles and presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, members from the civil society, as well as senators and congressmen.

The normalization annex includes the following components: socio-economic; transitional justice and reconciliation; and security, according to Ferrer said.

The security aspect, she said, would involve the disbandment of private armed groups, the decommissioning of MILF combatants and weapons, and the redeployment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from or within the Bangsamoro as the security situation improves.

“Foremost expectation is the end to the armed conflicts in Muslim Mindanao, and a halt to the recurrence of violence involving the various armed groups,” she said, adding that this has also been the expectation of areas surrounding the Bangsamoro such as Zamboanga City and the rest of the Zamboanga peninsula, North Cotabato, and Lanao del Norte.

“We take special note of Zamboanga City, which has yet to fully recover from the trauma resulting from the siege launched by a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front.  In this regard, we ask the MILF leadership to ensure that their ranks refrain from any provocative acts that generate distrust among the populace,” Ferrer said.

Iqbal said the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) would finalize the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law by April and submit it to the Office of the President (OP) in May.

The OP would transmit it to Congress as an urgent bill, Iqbal said.

“I trust that the collective wisdom of Congress will ensure the passage of Bangsamoro Basic Law very smoothly,” Iqbal said.


Dipetik dari - Inquirer Global Nation

The financial rewards of a royal family

Just what are the financial benefits of having a royal family? Nash Riggins investigates…

By Nash Riggins

It can’t be denied that, ever since the signing of the Magna Carta, the prolific royal families of Europe have struggled to cope with the incessant dissent of republicans and dwindling planes of public support. A mere 12 European monarchies have survived the new millennium, and several of those (such as François Hollande’s status as Co-Prince of Andorra) are merely a nod to ceremony. Yet for those few royal lines still sewn into the fabric of their respective societies, an increasingly convincing case can be made that the costly presence of these archaic leaders is an invaluable financial asset for taxpayers.

In recent years, Europe’s monarchs have started to open up quite a few opportunities economically. In the UK, where Elizabeth II has enjoyed 61 years and counting on the throne, this argument is tested on a regular basis. Broadly speaking, around 70 percent of Britons agree the house of Windsor’s continued shows of extravagant pageantry serve some sort of purpose. Just under one in 10 would see the monarchy eradicated, viewing the nation’s royal hijinks an embarrassing waste of cash in an era of financial instability.

Queen Elizabeth may be expensive to keep, but the financial rewards
of having a monarch make her a good investment for the taxpayer

It’s not hard to see where they’re coming from. Every year, UK taxpayers dish out £40m to keep the Royal Family looking immaculate – meaning the Queen costs the public around 62p per person per year. Given the huge financial returns Elizabeth and her brood wrangle back into the country, 62p is a hell of an investment.

A bump in tourism

According to PwC, the British Royal Family rakes in a whopping £107m per year through tourism and memorabilia sales in London alone. Nationwide, researchers estimate a windfall of up to £620m. As Elizabeth’s grandchildren continue to fill their diaries with juicy public engagements, that income is starting to swell further still. The arrival of Prince William and the Kate Middleton’s baby, for example, gave UK retailers a £243m bump in sales – including an extra £62m on celebratory booze, and £80m on royal souvenirs. Republicans argue that boost could have been easily replicated were the country to host more global gatherings, such as the summer Olympics. They’re absolutely right. Yet royals don’t merely give the public excuses to spend; they also single-handedly attract new business into the country.

In 2007, economists at the University of Tilburg conducted a study to determine the financial impact monarchs have had on a country’s GDP. According to Harry van Dalen, who oversaw the research, nations stand to gain up to one percent in annual economic growth by maintaining a royal presence. That’s because, not only do long-standing royal households help to build an aura of leadership stability for a country, but they also serve as more evocative ambassadors to the up-and-coming economies across the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Dutch divinity

For the Netherlands in particular, the royal house of Willem-Alexander appears to garner an exceptional level of respect and adoration from the international community. Monarchs in Brunei, Thailand and the gulf states roll out the red carpet for the King, viewing his presence as an ode to these up-and-coming leaders’ rightful place at the ‘big boy’s table’. Dutch firms ride the King’s coattails all the way. Oil giants like Royal Dutch Shell (part-owned by the Royal Family) and Unilever have secured quite a few lucrative deals in developing royal nations – adding an estimated €5bn to the Dutch economy. Bearing in mind the fairly frugal Willem-Alexander costs the Netherlands around €100m per year, his retainer appears to be well worth its weight in oil contracts.

The royal house of Willem-Alexander is estimated to bring as much as €5bn to the Dutch economy

Domestically, Europe’s constitutional monarchies contribute substantially to the branding power of local businesses. In a 2004 study conducted by Harvard Business School, researchers found European businesses profit endlessly from royal endorsements. The various charitable endeavours of royals also encourage corporations to act more responsibly and engage in sustainable community regeneration schemes. Almost 3,000 organisations across the globe list a member of the British Royal Family as their top patron, inspiring the public to raise an estimated £1.4bn per year in donations. It’s difficult to quantify the social impact of such widespread philanthropy; however, it’s not quite so difficult to imagine how that must help to maintain the sterling brand reputation of Britain’s royals – which is worth £26bn per year, according to Brand Finance.

Falling empires

Not every royal house of Europe enjoys the near-universal popularity Queen Elizabeth has worked to build. Earlier this year, King Harald V barely survived a parliamentary vote to abolish Norway’s constitutional monarchy in favour of a republic. Nearly 40 percent of Norwegian MPs have confessed to seeing no real net benefit to Harald’s presence – and with the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund tightly under their control, it’s not hard to see why.

The Scandinavian state emerged largely unscathed from the global financial crisis, and boasts some of the highest employment figures in Europe. Royal souvenirs hardly line the shelves of Norwegian airports, and Harald’s royal palace in Oslo brings in far fewer tourist dollars than that of Sweden’s Carl XVI Gustav in Stockholm. If the value of Norway’s monarchy as a brand continues to plummet, King Harald won’t be so lucky the next time parliament questions his costly presence. Meanwhile, the stocks of Europe’s other royal houses are going nowhere but up.

Earlier this year, King Willem-Alexander delivered a powerful address to the Dutch people. He dutifully informed them the welfare state of the twentieth century was dead and gone – and in its place, a “participation society” has emerged. The Dutch people must take responsibility for their own future, the King proclaimed, and create their own financial safety nets. As the Dutch economy continues to contract, that may be easier said than done. Yet something about the monarch’s grim message seems more meaningful coming from his royal lips, rather than those of one of the country’s dime-a-dozen career politicians. Perhaps that’s because Willem-Alexander not only talks the talk – but can actually walk the walk. Today’s European monarchs may not be able to behead their competition, but they can certainly make tangible financial contributions that provide their nations with a sustainable economic advantage. So, while it may not be cheap to drape them in furs, it’s certainly worth the cost.


Dipetik dari - European CEO

Civil society: M’sia must withdraw from TPPA now

TPPA threatens to remove labelling of genetically engineered food in Malaysia which can compromise national and public interest

GEORGE TOWN: A coalition of civil society groups here have called on Malaysia to withdraw from the on-going Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) immediately because it would violate rights and interests of Malaysians.

The coalition’s spokesman SM Mohamed Idris said many civil society groups believe labelling of genetically engineered (GE) foods in Malaysia was under direct threat from TPPA and this would compromise the country’s national and public interest.

He pointed out that the tabling of a fast track bill in the United States had sent an ominous signal that Washington would insist that Malaysia would forgo labelling of GE foods.

He insisted that TPPA should not have provisions to restrict Malaysia in regulating food safety or to require changes to existing and future Malaysian laws on identification and labelling of living modified organisms (LMOs) and products of such organisms, including GE food.

He stressed that the US was unlikely to compromise on the issue, which was among many serious concerns with the TPPA.

“Civil society groups do not see the benefit of Malaysia remaining in the negotiations.

“Malaysian government should withdraw now.

“GE labelling is crucial to safeguard national and public interest and should be a red line for the government,” said Idris on behalf of the coalition.

The coalition comprises Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), EcoKnights, Friends of Nature Malaysia (SAM), Third World Network and WWF-Malaysia.

Malaysia is currently involved in intense TPPA negotiations with 11 countries, which are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, USA and Vietnam.

Fast track bill

The American’s Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014, as the fast track bill is formally known, was tabled on Jan 9 this year.

Fast track bill means the US Congress can only vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the TPPA, it has laid out US principal trade negotiating objectives.

With respect to agriculture, the objective is to obtain opportunities for US exports of agricultural commodities in foreign markets.

It specifically points to the need to develop, strengthen, and clarify rules to eliminate practices the US deems to be unfair, and to ensure that such rules are subject to dispute settlement.

Among the practices targeted for elimination were unjustified trade restrictions or commercial requirements, such as labelling, that affect new technologies, including biotechnology.

The US is the world’s largest producer and exporter of GE crops.

It does not have laws or regulations requiring mandatory labelling of GE food.

Idris recalled that Washington had specifically asked for the labelling provision in the then Malaysian Biosafety Bill to be removed during the previous bilateral US – Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.

While the fast track bill was unlikely to be approved, given that many democrats and republicans in the House of Representatives were opposed to it, he said US legislators would still not want GE labelling in trade partner countries.

He said the US Congress would demand more changes to TPPA if president Barrack Obama was not granted fast track authority.

Therefore, with or without the fast track authority, he said the US intention was clearly to eliminate GE labeling to allow the unimpeded entry of US GE food exports into foreign markets.

If proposed in the TPPA and agreed to by Malaysia, he said Malaysians’ right to know on whether their foods were genetically engineered would be under serious threat.

Scientific and ‘haram’ uncertainty

Moreover, he said there was also scientific uncertainty on whether GE foods are safe to consume.

“Labelling at least provides choice to the consumers,” said Idris.

Malaysia’s Biosafety Act 2007 already requires the identification and labelling of LMOs, items containing LMOs and products of such organisms.

For GE food, this is put into operation by the Food (Amendment) Regulations 2010.

Idris said these laws would be changed if the move to eliminate GE food labelling succeeded in the TPPA negotiations.

He cited that the National Fatwa Council for Islamic Affairs Malaysia issued a fatwa in 2011 disallowing use of prohibited (haram) ingredients and those harmful to humans and environment in production of GE foods.

“For Muslim consumers therefore, the labelling of GE food would be important in providing certainty,” said Idris.


Dipetik dari - Free Malaysia Today

East, South Asia lead global growth in unemployment: ILO report

The weak global economic recovery failed to translate into an improvement in labour markets last year, and as global unemployment worsened the largest increases came in East and South Asia, according to the International Labour Organisation.

The ILO in its latest report also expressed concern about the quality of employment in Asia-Pacific, particularly the persistence of widespread informal employment and working poverty, and the significant challenges in finding decent work faced by young people and, in some countries, women.

The annual report, "Global Employment Trends 2014", found that between 2012 and 2013 global unemployment increased by almost five million to 202 million, and more than 45 per cent of these additional job-seekers were in East and South Asia.

What's more, more than half of Asia-Pacific workers are in the informal sector with little or no access to employment, health or social security. That's a higher proportion than any other global region except Latin American and the Caribbean.

The global economic recovery means profits are being made in many industries, but these are mainly going into asset markets and not into the real economy, damaging long-term employment markets. With current trends, an additional 200 million jobs will be created by 2018, but this will not be enough to absorb the growing number of labour market entrants.

"What is urgently needed is a policy re-think," ILO director-general Guy Ryder said yesterday.

"Stronger efforts are needed to accelerate employment creation and to support enterprises that create jobs," he said.

Ekkehard Ernst, head of the Employment Trends Unit at the ILO Research Department and the main author of the report, said it is imperative that active labour market policies be implemented more forcefully to address inactivity and skills mismatch.

In East Asia it's clear the global recession is still affecting job-seekers. Since 2007 unemployment in the subregion has increased by eight million, to almost 40 million, and the region now accounts for almost one in five of the world's unemployed.

Among young people unemployment has worsened considerably, rising to more than 10 per cent with projections that it will continue to increase until 2018. By contrast the subregion has seen remarkable social development in the last two decades.

While there are still almost 380 million own-account and contributing family workers, hundreds of millions of workers have moved into formal, salaried employment and working poverty is shrinking rapidly - since 1991 almost 465 million workers have moved out of poverty.

East Asia groups China, Hong Kong, South Korea, North Korea, Macao, Mongolia and Taiwan, while South Asia covers Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and Southeast Asia, consist of Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Pacific islands covered are Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.


Dipetik dari - The Nation

China to Start Regular Patrols From Disputed South China Sea Island

Trung Nguyen

China has announced plans to start regular civilian patrols of the disputed South China Sea, a move that could further escalate tensions in the region.

A state-run media report Tuesday said a 5,000 ton patrol vessel will be based at what Beijing calls Sansha City in the Paracel Islands, which already hosts a Chinese military garrison.

The China Ocean News says the ship will begin making regular patrols through the waters of the South China Sea, site of territorial disputes between China and four ASEAN nations, including Vietnam.

Hanoi, which recently condemned a new Chinese regulation requiring foreign fishermen to seek Beijing's approval to operate in much of the South China Sea, has not commented on the news.

But Nguyen Nha, an expert on China-Vietnam relations, told VOA's Vietnamese service he is not surprised by Beijing's plan.

“From the early 20th century, China has repeatedly made different statements claiming its sovereignty over all area within the 9-dash line, not just the Paracels. It has done things beneficial to itself. As an emerging power, Beijing needs to maintain order in the region,” he  said.

China took control of the Paracel islands after a bloody naval battle in 1974.

Beijing's claims in the South China Sea overlap with those of ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. All four are seeking multilateral talks to resolve the disputes. Beijing has said, however, it will hold only one-on-one negotiations.

The United States says it does not take a position on the sovereignty disputes, but has consistently criticized Chinese moves it calls aggressive. Washington also has expanded military alliances with Southeast Asian nations involved in the disputes.

Dipetik dari - Voice of America

Erti Kemerdekaan dari Perspektif Islam

Kemerdekaan yang sebenar menurut Islam terkandung di dalam kata-kata Rub'ie bin A'mir ketika bertemu panglima tentera rom yang bernama Rustum:

"Allah mengutuskan kami (orang-orang islam), untuk kami merdekakan manusia, daripada mengabdikan diri sesama manusia kepada mengabdikan diri kepada Allah, daripada kezaliman agama kepada keadilan Islam dan daripada kesempitan dunia kepada keluasan dunia dan akhirat."

Rub'ie bin Amir menyimpulkan kefahaman Islam yang diperolehinya daripada pentarbiyahan Nabi SAW bahawa penjajahan bukan sahaja boleh berlaku melalui penguasaan bangsa asing terhadap sesuatu kaum, tetapi ia juga boleh berlaku melalui penguasaan bangsa sendiri.

Selain itu, menurut pendeta Za’aba, erti kemerdekaan ialah:

• “berubah daripada kepercayaan bodoh yang melemahkan akal dan ikhtiar kepada kepercayaan yang cerdik yang membebaskan fikiran; 
• daripada ajaran yang mematikan hati kepada ajaran yang menghidupkan dan menyuburkan dia; 
• daripada i‘tiqad-i‘tiqad yang serong dan terpesong kepada i‘tiqad yang subur dan merdeka;
• daripada kezaliman pemerintahan berdasarkan hawa nafsu kepada kesalehan; 
• dan daripada fikiran-fikiran yang menahankan dan menyekat kemajuan kepada fikiran yang membebaskan kemajuan dan menggalakkan kemaraan yang baik-baik dan mulia.” 

Kemerdekaan sebenar adalah kemerdekaan jiwa dan minda. Tanpa kemerdekaan jiwa dan minda kemerdekaan fizikal tidak berguna. Ramai cendekiawan Muslim telah menyedari bahawa cabaran utama setelah kemerdekaan fizikal adalah membina jiwa dan minda merdeka.

Jika kemerdekaan bererti kebebasan daripada penguasaan bangsa asing, kenapa Rasulullah saw berjuang membebaskan diri dan manusia daripada kekuasaan musyrikin Makkah yang sebangsa dan seketurunan dengan nabi?

Ini bermakna: kemerdekaan yang sebenar ialah:

Memerdekakan manusia daripada perhambaan sesama manusia sama ada:Bebas bersuara, pemilikan, bertindak, bermuamalah dan seumpamanya.

Kebebasan tadi mestilah dibatasi oleh hukum Allah swt bagi memastikan tiada ruang untuk penjajahan melalui sistem dan undang-undang ciptaan manusia.

Memerdekakan manusia daripada ikatan agama yang direka oleh manusia samada:

1. Agama yang dicipta oleh manusia yang dijadikan sembahan, fahaman dan anutan.

2. Agama yang diturunkan oleh Allah tetapi ditafsirkan mengikut akal tanpa kaedah yang dibenarkan oleh Syariat.

Membebaskan manusia daripada dibelenggu oleh matlamat dunia yang sempit melalui:

1. Menyedarkan manusia bahawa dunia adalah sementara yang menjadi tempat persinggahan.

2. Menjadikan manusia bekerja di dunia untuk akhirat yang merupakan kehidupan yang sebenar.

Justeru, kemerdekaan yang sebenar ialah :

Membebaskan jasad dan material daripada penjajahan manusia.Membebaskan akal fikiran serta mentaliti daripada dibelenggu oleh doktrin-dokrin yang bercanggah dengan Islam.

Dipetik dari - PAS Kulaijaya

China to hold naval drills in disputed waters amid fishing row

Beijing: China on Monday dispatched a flotilla of naval ships for drills in the South China Sea amid a fresh row over its provincial law requiring foreign vessels to seek Beijing's permission for fishing in the disputed waters.

The ships of the Nanhai Fleet set sail from a military port in south China's Hainan Province for a drill in the South China Sea, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The drill, part of annual exercises, includes combat exercises in the West Pacific Ocean and the east Indian Ocean.

The three-ship flotilla consists of an amphibious landing craft and destroyer. It includes Changbaishan, China's largest landing ship by gross tonnage and is equipped with an advanced weapon system, the report said.

Three helicopters and a company of land forces are aboard.

Fleet commander Jiang Weilie said this drill focuses on testing the combat ability of leading ships, submarines and aviation forces while exploring methods for normalised open sea drills.

China claims almost all of South China Sea as its own.

Its claim is strongly contested by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

These countries along with the US criticised a law brought in by China's Hainan province saying, "foreigners or foreign fishing ships entering sea areas administered by Hainan and engaged in fishery production or fishery resource surveys should receive approval from relevant departments of the State Council."

Critics say new rules, which took effect on January 1, raise questions about China's efforts to exercise jurisdiction over all fishing activities in the disputed South China Sea.

Meanwhile, Chinese media today reported anti-China demonstrations in Vietnam over the disputed islands.

The demonstration was held in Hanoi coinciding with the anniversary of a 1974 battle between China and Vietnamese forces in the South China Sea during which China took complete control of the islands called Paracel by Vietnam and Xisha by China.

China argues that the island chain has been a traditional fishing area for Chinese for hundreds of years.

"Vietnam is giving China a tit-for-tat response by reminding the people how long the islands have been 'occupied' by China. The Vietnamese authorities also try to show their people the official attitude towards the issue for fear that Vietnamese people may take a more aggressive approach," Zhuang Guotu, dean of the Research School of Southeast Asian Studies at Xiamen University told state-run Global Times.

But he said Hanoi's approach is relatively mild as it still hopes to keep the issue controllable and avoid the dispute being upgraded, since Vietnam needs to develop through cooperating with China.

Dipetik dari - Firstpost

Philippines peace process: What to do with Moro rebel firearms?

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Amid rising tension, Myanmar takes the helm of Asean

It is extremely unusual for Asean foreign ministers to issue a statement during their "retreat", unless there is something really vexing happening. That was the case during their first informal gathering last week in Bagan under the new Asean chair, Myanmar.

Kavi Chongkittavorn

For the second time in a month, Asean has reaffirmed its position on freedom of navigation and overflights when discussing regional security issues, including recent developments in the East and South China Sea as well as the Korean Peninsula. Obviously, Asean has been worried that the rising tension would destabilise the region and intensify rivalries among the major powers.

At the Asean-Japan summit in Tokyo last month, Asean leaders agreed on a common position on freedom of overflight with Japan, which has cried foul against China's declaration of an air defence zone above the East China Sea. It was the first time that Asean held a common position on the overflight controversy.

In Bagan, both Vietnam and the Philippines raised the issue of China's new fishing rules in the South China Sea. The two countries are situated next to the disputed maritime zone and would be the most affected by the rules, which became effective this month. Under the new measures, foreign vessels must get approval before entering the 2 million square kilometres of territorial water claimed around Hainan Island in the 3.5 million square km South China Sea. Hanoi and Manila have protested the Chinese action.

With this first Asean statement on the regional situation, the Bagan retreat served as two barometers. First, it revealed how Asean would handle its external relations, especially the China-Japan rivalry. Second, it provided insight into the new Asean chair and its leadership.

The Bagan statement clearly showed that maritime security and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East and the South China Sea will dominate the security-related discussion for the rest of the year within Asean and its dialogue partners. These issues will be on the Asean agenda as well as all the Asean-led meetings, including the Asean Regional Forum, East Asia Summit, Asean Defence Ministerial Meeting Plus and Asean+3 summit. The China-Japan ties will also loom large this year as the backdrop to Asean's overall external relations.

Asean has excellent ties with China and Japan. As the world's No 2 and No 3 economic powers, their economic strength and investment have contributed to the region's growth and prosperity. Asean was the biggest beneficiary when the two were on good terms. Now the future of Asean's economic integration with the broader East Asia largely depends on their goodwill and cooperation.

Before the current flare-up of territorial disputes and the air security zone, Asean took it for granted that the China-Japan ties would be ameliorated after cycles of emotional outburst and protest over historical legacies because of their investment, resource and technological interdependence. That is no longer the case now as both sides turn nationalistic and are garnering support from local constituencies. They are willing to bear all the losses and sufferings incurred.

In its nearly five-decade history, Asean has excelled in coping with the US-China confrontation during and after the Cold War. It is a different ball game for the China-Japan imbroglio now as they are Asean's next-door neighbours with strong economic and cultural ties. At this juncture, Beijing and Tokyo want to infuse security components in their bilateral relations with Asean. China under President Xi Jinping and Japan under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are wooing Asean with their personal visits and overwhelming aid proposals. They are determined to strengthen security and defence cooperation with individual Asean members and the group as a whole.

Under these new circumstances, Asean would need fresh thinking to engage both China and Japan in ways that would not harm the collective interests of Asean. That would be easier said than done. Asean was near breaking point in 2012 when its unity was challenged over the South China dispute. With a stronger security platform, the tripartite Asean-China-Japan relations will certainly be tense in months to come. The Asean chair will be under constant pressure to take sides — any misstep would be destructive.

That helps explain why Myanmar receives all the attention this year as it is chairing Asean at a most critical time — 17 years after its membership began — when the global economic weight is shifting to Asia along with rising tension both in the air and at sea. As a first timer, Nay Pi Taw was succinct in ensuring its chairmanship would also promote domestic stability and prosperity, not to mention further uplift its regional and international profile.

If the outcome of the Bagan retreat serves as any indication, Myanmar will place priority on Asean's external relations and measures that would help new Asean members to integrate economically with Asean, such as SMEs' capacity building, bridging the income and development gap and policies related to a greener economy. U Ye Htut, the Asean chair's spokesperson, made clear at his first press conference last week that domestic issues such as the Rohingya crisis would not be raised in any Asean meeting.

Emerging from decades of isolation, Myanmar now has the unique opportunity to manifest its diplomatic finesse and the wisdom of its long-cherished "independent and neutral foreign policy". Myanmar's success as the chair will also be an Asean success.

Dipetik dari - The Nation

TPP agreement sacrifices environment for corporate interests: WikiLeaks

The leaked secret draft of the TPP´s (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Environment Chapter, published Wednesday by WikiLeaks, underscores how multinational corporate interests rule the negotiating process of this important 12-nation treaty, representing more than 40 per cent of the world's GDP and one-third of world trade.

Kristinn Hrafnsson

On 13 November last year, WikiLeaks released the secret draft text of the Intellectual Property Rights Chapter, which showed how nations were forced to change laws and to prosecute in defence of the biggest corporate interests in the field of IP rights.

In sharp contrast, the Environment Chapter does not include enforcement mechanisms serving the defence of the environment; it is vague and weak, and adheres to the lowest common denominator of environmental interests.

The word “appropriate” is found in various forms in 43 places in the draft text, in such contexts as: “Where possible and appropriate, the Parties shall seek to complement and utilise their existing cooperation mechanisms and take into account relevant work of regional and international organizations.” The word “may” is also found 43 times in the 23-page draft.

In the draft Consolidated Text, governments are urged to “...make every effort to arrive at a mutually satisfactory resolution...”, “...by any technological means available agreed by the consulting Parties...”, “...on the basis of objectivity, reliability and sound judgment...”, “...provided that the disputed Parties so agree...”, “...take measures to prevent...”, “...shall make best efforts...”, “...exercise restraint in taking recourse...”, “...in recognition of the importance...”, “...each Party retains the right to make decisions...”, “...adopt or maintain appropriate measures...”.

A selection of other favourite words in the draft include: “enhance” (12), “consider” (12), “encourage” (11), “address” (10), “endeavour” (9) and “seek” (9).

The Environment Chapter clearly shows the intention to first and foremost protect trade, not the environment. The principle is spelled out in this draft that local environmental laws are not to obstruct trade or investment between the countries. Furthermore, there is great emphasis on the self-regulatory principle when it comes to environmental protection, and emphasis on “...flexible, voluntary mechanisms, such as voluntary auditing and reporting, market-based incentives, voluntary sharing of information and expertise and public-private partnership”. But even such measures should be designed in a manner that “...avoids the creation of unnecessary barriers to trade”.

The Consolidated Text of the Environment Chapter of the TPP Agreement was drafted by Canadian officials after bilateral consultations with other TPP Parties. It is dated November 24, 2013, the last day of the TPP Chief Negotiators' summit in Salt Lake City, Utah. It outlines what the Chairs of the TPP Environment Working Group evaluate as a compromise of the Parties' different positions across issues. In a separate four-page document the Chairs of the Environment Working Group outline the main obstacles to agreement between the negotiating countries.

It is noteworthy in the assessment by the Chairs that the US government is isolated in its interest in placing enforcing mechanisms into the treaty to protect the environment. Without access to the negotiating table, it is hard to assess if the US representatives fought for this principle with the same vigour as they did for policing and enforcement on behalf of intellectual property interests, as can be seen in the leaked IP Chapter.

The TPP negotiations have been shrouded in secrecy during the three years the treaty has been in the making. The United States, as the largest of the 12 economies party to the negotiations, had originally pushed for the closure of the agreement before the end of 2013. According to recent reports quoting Andrew Robb, the Australian trade minister, the negotiations are in the final stages and the treaty is “ready to be sealed”.

The Obama administration wants to fast-track the TPP treaty through the US Congress, preventing Congress from amending or discussing any part of it. A bill to this effect was released last Thursday, 9 January, by the leaders of the Congressional committees with jurisdiction over US free trade agreements.

With the WikiLeaks release of the drafts of two of the most controversial chapters of the TPP, the media has now an opportunity to critically dissect the issues with the public interest in mind.

The TPP negotiations have wider implications than for the 800 million people in the 12 negotiating countries because the US administration, the dominant Party at the table, has declared that the principles outlined in the TPP will be a benchmark in the equally secretive US-EU trade talks for the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) initiated in January 2013.

Current TPP negotiation member states are the United States, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, Chile, Singapore, Peru, Vietnam, New Zealand and Brunei.


Dipetik dari - Vancouver Observer