The New Straits Time
14th Jan 2008
MICHAEL VATIKIOTIS
AFTER the fanfare with which Asean heralded the framing of its first charter at the end of last year, it looks like this year will be a year of disappointment for those who had hopes of a more robust and active role for the 40-year-old regional association.
Not only does the new charter face ratification hurdles in a number of member states, it is also apparent that very little in the way of financial commitment has been made to prepare the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta for its new expanded role under the charter.
Unfortunately, this starts to look like another exercise in window dressing rather than substantial change, similar to the region's approach to creating a free trade area in the 1990s.
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