New areas of ASEAN reaction: environment,human rights and democracy

Abstract

I have changed the title slightly. ASEAN did not choose to focus on these 3 new areas of Environment, Human Rights and Democracy (EHD, in short). These three areas were thrust upon ASEAN. ASEAN had to react. Let me site three concrete example. Firstly, in reaction to the environmentalists' concern on deforestation, Malaysia was forced to react to their criticism. Secondly, Indonesia has been given a great deal of grief by Human Rights activists on the East Timor question. Some significant consequences followed. Netherlands cut its foreign aid. Subsequently, Indonesia disbanded the IGGI because of its Dutch chairmanship and created a new group, the CGI. Portugal has also vetoed a new ASEAN-EC cooperation agreement because of East Timor. Thirdly, on the question of Democracy, US aid to Thailand was cut off when there was a coup against the democratically elected Chatichai Government.