Philippines grants duty-free treatment to more Cambodia, Myanmar goods

Monday, December 1, 2008
A. D. B. Romero
Business World
MANILA, PHILIPPINES

PRESIDENT Gloria M. Arroyo has granted duty-free privileges to more imports from Cambodia and Myanmar, in line with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Integration System of Preferences (AISP), which seeks to narrow the gap between old and new members of the bloc.

The directive is contained in Executive Order no. 768, signed by the President last November 7.

Under the order, imports from Myanmar that will enjoy a zero tariff are basketballs, wickerwork, "articles made directly to shape from plaiting materials," and articles made of loofah or vegetable materials.

Products from Cambodia that will be duty-free are clothing, specifically women’s or girls’ suits, ensemble jackets, blazers, dresses, skirts, trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts; men’s or boys’ shirts, both knitted or crocheted; as well as products made of textiles other than ramie, linen or silk.

The National Economic and Development Authority Board approved the removal of the tariffs of the said items last August 5, the order said.

A preference is a unilateral offer made by old ASEAN members — or the so-called "preference-giving" countries the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand — to new ASEAN members or the "preference-receiving" countries Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

This is meant to narrow the development gap among these countries and to facilitate the integration of new ASEAN members.

ASEAN leaders decided during the 4th ASEAN Informal Summit in Singapore in 2000 to draw up mechanisms that would promote the development of the bloc’s new members. ASEAN members agreed to implement AISP in 2001.

Under the AISP, tariffs would be reduced to zero by 2010 for the original ASEAN members, while the four new members will have until 2018 to do so.

In 2005, Mrs. Arroyo scrapped the tariffs on various imports from Cambodia, People’s Democratic Republic of Lao, Vietnam and Myanmar. These items include plants and plant parts used in perfumery, pharmacy, and for insecticidal or fungicidal purposes; various vegetable products; as well as various wood products.

Philippine leader proposes special ASEAN summit in China

Monday, October 13, 2008

MANILA (AFP) — Philippine President Gloria Arroyo on Monday proposed a special summit of ASEAN leaders and dialogue partners China, Japan and South Korea to tackle the global financial crisis.

The summit could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Summit to be held in Beijing next week, which would also be attended by leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), she said.

A similar financial crisis rocked the Asian region in mid-1997, and many ASEAN economies took years to recover.

"I propose for ASEAN Plus Three to convene on the sidelines of the ASEM summit in Beijing next week to tackle the impact of the current credit crunch," Arroyo said in a statement.

"I am asking developing and emerging economies to unite and come up with a coordinated approach to cushion the impact of a collapse of highly developed economies," she said.

She said she will also urge the group of seven rich nations to "consider the interests of the developing countries in their plan to prevent a worldwide economic meltdown."

ASEAN finance ministers last week said the region's economic fundamentals remained sound, although growth could be affected due to the financial crisis this year.

They also agreed to establish a new macroeconomic and finance surveillance office at the bloc's Jakarta secretariat to monitor stability in the region and help direct emergency liquidity funds.

The 10-nation ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Arroyo: [The Philippine] Senate won’t ratify ASEAN Charter if Suu Kyi isn't freed

January 26, 2008
By MARVIN SY
The Philippine Star

President Arroyo reiterated her call for Myanmar’s military junta to free detained political leader Aung San Suu Kyi as part of its commitment to institute democratic reforms.

Speaking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) session of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the President warned Myanmar that the Philippine Senate would not ratify the ASEAN Charter if it fails to make good on its commitment.

The President noted that when the 10 heads of state, including Myanmar, signed the ASEAN Charter in Singapore last year, the military junta had in effect committed to institute political reforms.

Mrs. Arroyo emphasized that the first step in the reform process would be the release of Suu Kyi.

"We must see political reform. We must see Aung San Suu Kyi released. Our present ASEAN knows our position on this," the President said.

"Not only are we committed to seeing political reforms in Myanmar. Our Senate will not ratify the ASEAN Charter, unless they see real political reforms take place in Myanmar. So we must work together to make the tough choices to make ASEAN real and Aung San Suu Kyi free," she added.

The President has been a strong advocate for political reforms in Myanmar and the release of Suu Kyi from detention.

Opposition and administration senators were united in their call for Myanmar to follow the road map of democracy and release Suu Kyi immediately.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. has been pushing for means to compel Myanmar to become democratic and to release Suu Kyi, including the possible expulsion of the country from ASEAN.

However, several ASEAN nations have strongly adhered to the ASEAN’s policy of non-interference, which has prevented the group from taking any action against Myanmar.

ASEAN is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Suu Kyi has been detained since the late 1980s and though she won the general election in 1990, she was barred from assuming office as Prime Minister by the military junta.

Philippines Could Block New Asia Charter [-US exerts its economic might with ASEAN over the Burmese issue]

Myanmar Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, left, is escorted by Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo, right, upon his arrival at Singapore's Changi Airport Monday, Nov. 19, 2007. Thein Sein is in Singapore to attend the 13th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. (AP Photo/Tim Chong, Pool)

By JIM GOMEZ

SINGAPORE (AP) — The Philippines warned Monday it is unlikely to ratify a landmark Southeast Asian charter on financial, trade and environmental rules for its members unless Myanmar restores democracy.

The unexpected ultimatum by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was a clear sign that Myanmar will continue to hamper progress by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Association, which touts the charter as a testament to its growing integration.

A U.S. envoy cautioned earlier that continuing accommodation of Myanmar would prevent expansion of U.S. free trade with the ASEAN bloc, and European officials said they wanted to see more pressure on the junta from its neighbors and fellow bloc members.

The new ASEAN charter would set up enforceable rules for its members, but will fail if one country fails to ratify it. The pact would set up a regional human rights body that critics have labeled toothless because it will not be able to punish governments found to violate citizens' rights.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, crushed peaceful demonstrations in September, killing at least 15 people, and has kept pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.

"The expectation of the Philippines is that if Myanmar signs the charter, it is committed to returning to the path of democracy and releasing Aung San Suu Kyi," Arroyo told Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, Myanmar's prime minister, during a one-on-one meeting in Singapore. "Until the Philippine Congress sees that happen, it would have extreme difficulty in ratifying the ... charter."

A copy of her remarks was given to reporters, and she repeated the comments at a dinner of ASEAN leaders, who are set to sign the charter Tuesday.

Negotiators have watered down the human rights component of the charter by dropping earlier recommendations to consider sanctions, including possible expulsion, in cases of serious breaches of the covenant by member nations.

Thein Sein crossed the luxury hotel where the summit is being held surrounded by security personnel and ignoring reporters' questions about the charter. His bodyguards pushed some reporters and photographers who approached him.

"We have a very good charter. I think everybody should be happy. It's quite balanced," senior Myanmar diplomat U Aung Bwa said in an earlier interview.

He added that he didn't believe Myanmar's internal problems should be the subject of intense scrutiny at the summit.

The top U.S. trade official warned ASEAN, however, that its lack of action against Myanmar's junta jeopardized progress on expanding a trade and investment pact signed last year with the United States, the region's top trading partner.

ASEAN "has a special responsibility when it comes to the situation in Burma," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said after a meeting with ASEAN economic ministers. "The reputation and credibility of ASEAN as an organization has been called into question because of the situation in Burma. ... It just can't be business as usual."

She said the U.S. was open to expanding trade ties with individual members.

ASEAN said Sunday that Myanmar is like a troubled child who must be disciplined by its family using dialogue, and rejected the U.S. Senate's call to suspend the military-ruled country.

Fueling criticism from the West, summit host Singapore called off a briefing by Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. envoy to Myanmar who has been pushing the junta to ease its crackdown.

Singapore had invited Gambari to deliver an address Wednesday to the East Asian Summit, which brings ASEAN together with China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

But Myanmar objected to Gambari reporting on the progress he has made, and ASEAN members besides Singapore backed the junta, a senior Malaysian official told journalists. Indonesia also said the invitation to Gambari was unacceptable.

European Union leaders, who were set to meet Thursday with their ASEAN counterparts in Singapore, said they wanted the Asian bloc "to use every opportunity ... to maintain the pressure for a credible and inclusive process of national reconciliation" in Myanmar.

At a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, EU foreign ministers gave final approval to bans on imports of timber, gemstones and precious metals from Myanmar and left the door open to further sanctions including a ban on junta members using Europe-based banks.

The new sanctions follow an arms embargo, a travel ban on Myanmar officials and a freeze of their assets in Europe.

The EU ministers said European leaders would use the summit to push ASEAN to do more to sway Myanmar to end its crackdown on pro-democracy groups.

ASEAN was founded during the Cold War years as an anti-communist coalition, eventually evolving into a trade and political bloc. It consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Associated Press reporter Eileen Ng and Vijay Joshi in Singapore and Constant Brand in Brussels contributed to this report.