PAD381/380 – SOUTHEAST ASIA STUDIES / CURRENT AFFAIRS IN

SOUTH EAST ASIA

FINAL ASSESSMENT

ANSWER TEMPLATE

Name MUHAMAD HARITH BIN MD ZAIN

Matric No 2019401464

Group 4C

Lecturer MISS NURSYAHIDA & MADAM NOR FARIZAH

QUESTION:
1

4
QUESTION 1

Answer:

The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda has promoted women's "equal participation
and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security"
since 2000, with the adoption of United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1325. In
accordance with the ASEAN Charter, “the peoples and Member States of ASEAN live in peace
with the world at large in a just, democratic, and harmonious environment,” WPS has now
become a priority for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). WPS is not only
a women's agenda,it is a gender equality and peace agenda that seeks to mainstream gender
perspectives on the differential impact of security policies and crises on men and women in
order to better enable governments and people to prevent, prepare for, and respond to them.

The pact of amity and cooperation is the initial initiative. The pact of amity and cooperation is
the initial initiative. The treaty was signed into force on February 24, 1976, by the leaders of
the founding ASEAN members, Lee Kuan Yew, Ferdinand Marcos, Datuk Hussein Onn,
Kukrit Pramoj, and Suharto. Other members agreed to it when they joined the bloc or before.
It was revised on 15 December 1987 by a protocol to make the document available for
accession by governments outside than Southeast Asia, and again on 25 July 1998 to make
such accession contingent on the approval of all member states. The parties adopted the rules
of procedure for the treaty's High Council on July 23, 2001, as specified in Article 14 of the
agreement. During the annual summit on October 7, 2003, a declaration was issued that stated,
"A High Council of [the treaty] shall be a key component in the ASEAN Security Community
since it symbolises ASEAN's commitment to peacefully settle any differences, disputes, and
conflicts." The General Assembly has said that the pact has been endorsed. "The purposes and
principles of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, as well as its provisions
for the peaceful settlement of regional disputes and regional cooperation in order to achieve
peace, amity, and friendship among the peoples of Southeast Asia in accordance with the
United Nations Charter." The Treaty's goal is to foster permanent peace, everlasting amity, and
cooperation among Southeast Asian peoples, which will add to their strength, solidarity, and
closer friendship. The High Contracting Parties should be governed in their interactions with
one another by the following fundamental principles: mutual respect for the independence,
sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all states, efficient
cooperation among themselves, and so on.

The second initiative is Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (SEANWFZ) The

concept of a Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) dates back to November
27, 1971, when the five founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) signed a Declaration on a [ASEAN] Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality in
Kuala Lumpur (ZOPFAN). The creation of a SEANWFZ was the first significant component
of ASEAN's ZOPFAN initiative. However, due to the region's unfavourable political context,
the official proposal to establish such a zone was postponed in the mid-1980s. After a decade
of negotiating and drafting efforts by the ASEAN Working Group on a ZOPFAN, the
SEANWFZ Treaty was signed by the heads of states/governments of all 10 regional states in
Bangkok on 15 December 1995. The obligation for this initiative States Parties are obliged not
to develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over nuclear weapons,
station nuclear weapons or test or use nuclear weapons anywhere inside or outside the treaty
zone,not to seek or receive any assistance in this and not to take any action to assist or
encourage the manufacture or acquisition of any nuclear explosive device by any state, not to
provide source or special fissionable materials or equipment to any non-nuclear weapon state
(NNWS). Following that, any NWS, unless subject to safeguards agreements with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to prevent the stationing of any nuclear
explosive device on the territory of States Parties, to prevent the testing of any nuclear
explosive device, not to dump radioactive wastes and other radioactive matter at sea anywhere
within the zone, and to prevent the dumping of radioactive wastes and other radioactive matter.

The third initiative is ASEAN Political-Security Community(APSC). The Bangkok

Declaration, issued on August 8, 1967, aimed to accelerate economic growth, social progress,
and cultural development in the region through collaborative efforts in the spirit of equality
and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful Southeast
Asian community, as well as to promote regional peace and stability through unwavering
respect for justice and the rule of law. The basic principles of ASEAN's approach to political
and security concerns and developments have also included safeguarding regional peace and
stability, taking a comprehensive response to security challenges, and building cordial and
mutually beneficial ties with foreign partners. The seven-year execution of the ASEAN
Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint (2009-2015) has solidified the APSC's basis
by deepening and expanding ASEAN political cooperation and improving ASEAN ability to
respond to regional and international issues. Building on these accomplishments, the APSC
Blueprint 2025 intends to raise ASEAN political-security cooperation to a new level as part of
the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. The ASEAN Political-Security Community is expected
to be a united, inclusive, and resilient community by 2025, with ASEAN peoples living in a
safe, harmonious, and secure environment, embracing the values of tolerance and moderation,
and upholding ASEAN fundamental principles, shared values, and norms. It is also envisioned
that ASEAN will remain cohesive, responsive, and relevant in addressing regional peace and
security challenges, as well as play a central role in shaping the evolving regional architecture,
while deepening our engagement with external parties and collectively contributing to global
peace, security, and stability.

The last initiative is ASEAN Charter. During the annual ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting
in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2004, the Foreign Ministers agreed to create an ASEAN Charter to
reaffirm ASEAN's goals and principles in inter-State relations, particularly the collective
responsibilities of all ASEAN Member States in ensuring non-aggression and respect for each
other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Human rights promotion and protection, political
stability, regional peace, economic growth, and the building of an effective and efficient
institutional framework for ASEAN are all priorities. The ASEAN Charter was signed on
November 20, 2007, during the ASEAN Summit in Singapore, as ASEAN celebrated its 40th
anniversary. It went into effect on December 15, 2008. With this Charter, ASEAN laid the
basis for the establishment of the ASEAN Community and the closing of the development gap
between member countries. Since the Charter, additional organs have been established to aid
in the process of community development. Several legal and administrative instruments have
been enacted or are being prepared to implement particular sections of the ASEAN Charter,
ranging from accords and treaties to terms of reference, rules of procedure, and operational
guidelines. According to the ASEAN Charter's preamble, ASEAN is dedicated to strengthening
community development through greater regional cooperation and integration, namely by
developing an ASEAN Community, which includes the ASEAN Political-Security Community
(APSC).
QUESTION 2

Answer:

The 2nd ASEAN Summit showed ASEAN's commitment to developing its external relations,
with the goal of developing productive relations and collaboration with nations beyond the
region. The primary goal in the early phases of its foreign relations was to seek aid, recognition,
and backing from superpowers in order to insulate them from any sort of intervention from
Communist forces. ASEAN's foreign connections have expanded to cover economic and social
problems as the organisation grows and changes. External relations are situations in which one
country collaborates with other countries in the areas of politics, economy, and social issues,
with the goal of benefiting all parties involved. In 1991, China joined ASEAN as a conversation
partner. The connection was raised to a "strategic partnership" in 2003. In 2012, China
appointed an Ambassador to ASEAN. This demonstrates that ASEAN requires China more
than China requires ASEAN. Why China is so crucial to ASEAN may be traced back to
ASEAN's efforts to improve its external relations with China.

Firstly, the Regional economic integration between ASEAN and People’s Republic
of China (ACFTA) may benefit ASEAN. The ASEAN-China Free Trade Area, which will be
implemented in 2010 for ASEAN 6 and 2015 for ASEAN 4, will have a significant influence
on regional economic growth. With a population of 1.5 billion people and a GDP of USD 1.5
trillion, ASEAN's economy will gain. The ASEAN-China Framework Agreement on
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation has aims that go beyond simply eliminating tariffs. It
also tackles behind-the-border barriers that restrict the movement of products and services,
encourages investment, and strengthens collaboration. The Framework Agreement was signed
in November 2002, and it served as the legal foundation for ASEAN and China to negotiate
subsequent agreements leading to the establishment of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Zone.
China has continuously ranked as ASEAN's top investor through this FTA over the previous
decade, with total trade of more than US$731 billion in 2020. Although initially only applicable
to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, the FTA
cut tariffs on over 7,000 product categories, or 90 percent of imports, to zero by 2010. In 2015,
the remaining ASEAN nations (Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia) did the same.
ACFTA was updated in 2019 to streamline rules of origin (ROO), trade facilitation measures,
investment procedures, and customs procedures. According to the amendment, the ROO is
determined in a variety of methods, including the nation in which the products were
manufactured or obtained. However, if the goods were obtained from multiple countries, the
regional value content (RVC) must be at least 40% of the goods' value, and the final process
of production must be done in a country that is a member of the FTA; and the Various Product
Specific Rules were introduced to clarify goods that have undergone significant transformation
in the tariff classification or supply chain. In 2020, ASEAN will have surpassed the EU to
become China's largest trading partner, with a year-on-year increase to US$140 billion,
accounting for 15% of China's overall trade volume. This comes as China's traditional major
trading partner, the EU, has imposed strict sanctions.

The second effort is People’s Republic of China (PRC) is ASEAN’s strategic

economic partner. The value of commerce between the two countries was at USD192 billion
in 2008, and its significance is reflected in the fact that the PRC is ASEAN's third largest
trading partner. ASEAN may profit on the demand produced by the PRC for food, raw
resources, and intermediate products. The overheated PRC's economic expansion might have
an impact on ASEAN, which is now suffering from environmental deterioration. The role of
the PRC in border commerce between CLMV nations may boost economic progress in these
least developed countries and help them close the gap with ASEAN 6. They have invested a
significant amount of money in different economic initiatives in the Mekong River Basin
Development. Rivalry for FDI has been explored, and it has been recommended that both
entities develop a system to control the rising competition for FDI flow into their respective
borders. ASEAN and the People's Republic of China will constantly compete for FDI. ASEAN
nations have recently risen to become China's top trading group in 2020, with trade volumes
reaching 4.74 trillion yuan ($731.9 billion), a 7 percent increase year on year. It becomes
ASEAN's largest trading partner for the first time, while China becomes ASEAN's top trading
partner for the 12th year in a row. China and ASEAN have experienced rising political mutual
trust and strong regional economic reciprocity over the years, which has all played a key role
in the expansion of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. ASEAN nations may concentrate
their efforts in sub-sector and upstream industries in order to attract surplus FDI from the
People's Republic of China. They have invested a significant amount of money in numerous
economic initiatives in the area.

Next is People’s Republic of China is ASEAN’s key regional security partner.

ASEAN could benefit from the PRC's position as a prominent country in Asia Pacific in
fostering regional stability and maintaining long-term peace. The PRC's signing of the TAC
has given a clear statement to ASEAN that they want to participate in a healthy diplomatic
relationship with ASEAN. The involvement of the PRC in the ARF and Six-Party talks
strengthens their role in promoting regional security. Because they are a nuclear technology
state, their support and recognition for the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty
is significant. This will ensure that they do not transfer their nuclear technological know-how
to nations in the area that have a similar political structure to them. As a result of the lack of
nuclear weapon development, this area may attain peace and stability. ASEAN-China ties have
experienced significant and positive improvements, as well as broad and substantial
collaboration in all areas of mutual interest. As we all know, the strategic importance of
ASEAN-China relations to regional peace, development, and collaboration, as well as the
beneficial contribution of such connections to global peace and development, cannot be
overstated.To this end, we believe that ASEAN and China should form a "strategic partnership
for peace and development." They declare that the goal of establishing a strategic partnership
for peace and prosperity is to foster friendly relations, mutually beneficial cooperation, and
good neighbourliness between ASEAN and China in the twenty-first century by deepening and
expanding ASEAN-China cooperative relations in a comprehensive manner, thereby
contributing to the region's long-term peace, development, and prosperity. This strategic
partnership is non-aligned, non-military, and non-exclusive, and it does not preclude the
participants from building all-directional friendship and cooperation relations with one another.
The ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity is an all-encompassing and
forward-thinking collaboration that focuses on politics, economy, social issues, security, and
international and regional affairs. Security Cooperation includes accelerating the execution of
the Joint Statement on Cooperation in the Field of Non-Traditional Security Issues, as well as
aggressively expanding and deepening cooperation in such areas. Furthermore, it holds
ASEAN-China security-related dialogues as needed to improve mutual understanding and
promote regional peace and security. Finally, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the
South China Sea will be implemented, and the manner, areas, and projects of follow-up
measures will be discussed and planned.

Last is Joint Declaration of ASEAN and People’s Republic of China on Cooperation

in the Field on Non-Traditional Issue. The People's Republic of China has been identified as a
supplier of illegally counterfeited goods. The smuggling of guns, drugs, and women is
increasing at an alarming rate. The United Nations defines illicit weapons trafficking as a
movement of unlawful commerce in guns controlled by organised criminal gangs. Such
migration, particularly in the ASEAN area, is prohibited by national and regional legislation.
As a result, the surge in illegal guns trafficking raises concerns in Southeast Asian countries..
ASEAN and the People's Republic of China want to work together to eliminate illegal weapons
trafficking in ASEAN nations. The research use the statute method in conjunction with a case
study methodology in Southeast Asian countries. An epidemic prevention and anti-piracy
problem developed from the 8th ASEAN Summit in Cambodia will lead to the establishment
of a harmonious society. The resolve of ASEAN and the PRC to collaborate on the abolition
of such issues demonstrated that both entities wanted to benefit each other. Based on the facts
stated above, we may infer that the PRC is an essential partner for ASEAN and that we should
change our negative opinion of them.
QUESTION 3

Answer:

A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is an international agreement between two or more countries
to reduce or remove trade barriers and bring closer economic integration. The Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has signed a trade bloc agreement to boost local commerce
and industry in all ASEAN nations while also promoting economic integration with regional
and international partners. This region's economic cooperation has steadily progressed from
economic collaboration to new economic integration. This progress is matched by the
grouping's expansion from five to 10 member nations, and it follows the worldwide trend of
economic bloc creation. From its inception in 1967 to the present, ASEAN's economic
cooperation has evolved. The necessity for economic development is critical since one of the
principles of the ASEAN Declaration @ Bangkok Declaration is to accelerate economic growth
in order to become a wealthy region. The establishment of AFTA in the 1990s signalled that
its focus would shift to an outward-looking one, and it currently stands as one of the world's
largest and most significant Free Trade Areas (FTA). The AFTA agreement was signed on
January 28, 1992, in Singapore, at the 4th ASEAN Summit. This is a significant attempt made
by ASEAN to grow its economy because past economic development projects did not provide
satisfying results and had no direct influence on the regional and member nations' economic
development.

The ASEAN Free Trade Agreement has the benefits. Through the Common
Effective Preferential Tariff scheme, it intends to increase the region’s value as a production
base for the world market. Firstly, ASEAN benefits from the Free Trade Agreement by fully
using regional production variables. The resources that people utilise to generate products and
services are referred to as factors of production. Land is the initial element of production, but
any natural resource needed to generate products and services is included. This encompasses
not only land, but also anything derived from it. Water, oil, copper, natural gas, coal, and forests
are examples of common land or natural resources. Land resources are the raw materials used
in the manufacturing process. Renewable resources, such as forests, or nonrenewable
resources, such as oil or natural gas, can be used. Rent is the money earned by resource owners
in exchange for land resources. As we all know, many nations across the world or in the area
have a wealth of unutilized natural resources and raw materials. Because of the low cost of
labour, land, and conducting business, all of these production variables will be fully used,
resulting in economic development. Malaysia, for example, is one of the wealthiest countries
in the world, benefiting from the economy's abundance of natural resources such as oil. When
an investor invests in Malaysia's oil palm business, more cash will be available to grow the oil
palm industry. They may utilise more advanced technologies to harvest latex from the oil palm
tree. Puncture tapping or micro tapping, which can result in enhanced latex production, is an
example of technological advancement.

Secondly, AFTA has the benefits from economic of scale. There are economic
benefits for all countries from forming an AFTA. In terms of production, investment, income,
and welfare, all countries benefit. The AFTA provides a number of potential benefits to
enterprises and businesses in all ASEAN nations. The benefits of the ASEAN Free Trade
Agreement include increased market access. With the full implementation of AFTA, it will get
preferential access to ASEAN's bigger home market, which has a population of 530 million
people and a combined national GDP of US$600 billion. A larger market implies a larger
market for the items. Because it is expected that AFTA will allow free movement of products
throughout ASEAN, there is reason to believe that it will be implemented successfully. A
situation in which the cost of manufacturing can be lowered if specific items or things are
produced in large quantities is referred to as economies of scale. For example, large automobile
firms such as General Motors, Honda, and Toyota may sell cars at a lower cost since this region
has an abundance of component manufacturers and suppliers, resulting in price reductions.
When items can be offered at close to cost, demand rises, resulting in economic development.
With the expanded market, AFTA allows ASEAN businesses to profit from higher economies
of scale. Businesses are in a better position than ever before to examine their operational
structures in light of a greater market potential. Since a result, we can infer that competitiveness
has a beneficial influence on ASEAN industries in the future, as they will create excellent items
on a big economic scale. This may provide possibilities for firms to extend their market. As a
consequence of increased efficiency and competitiveness, many domestic businesses,
particularly those in the small and medium-sized categories, gain entry to the worldwide
market.

Next is to attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Foreign direct investment
(FDI) is an essential component of an open and functioning international economic system, as
well as a significant driver of growth. However, the advantages of FDI are not distributed
uniformly and automatically among nations, industries, and local populations. National
policies and the international investment architecture are important in attracting FDI to a wider
number of developing nations and enjoying the full development advantages of FDI. One of
the ASEAN Economic Community's main goals is to increase the inflow of foreign direct
investments (FDI) into the area. Since its inception in 1967, ASEAN has consistently pursued
a policy that has included the opening of its markets to both ASEAN member economies and
to nations and areas outside of ASEAN. The strengthening of regional and interregional
commercial operations through foreign direct investment (FDI) of transnational and
multinational firms was a significant cause for strategy. FDI into ASEAN rose considerably as
early as the late 1980s. Corporations from Japan and the United States found it advantageous
to expand their operations into Southeast Asia. These firms sought not just to benefit from
Southeast Asia's comparatively low manufacturing costs, but also to establish integrated
regional production networks. This growth in FDI flows and stock gave numerous Southeast
Asian economies a major boost, boosting competitiveness, efficiency, and technology transfers
in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors. This area is a profitable market with
a total market of close to 550 million people, which is an undeveloped market. The inflow of
FDI into this area will bring capitals that are required by the region's governments to grow their
economies.

The last benefit is the competition with Multi-National Corporations (MNC) will
stimulate productivity. As I previously stated, the goal of AFTA is to strengthen the ASEAN
region's competitive edge as a manufacturing base directed toward the global market. The
influx of foreign investment must be seen positively. This arrangement creates a healthy rivalry
in which local businesses must strive to become more productive while also gaining any
relevant information and expertise from international players. Foreign direct investment (FDI)
is one of the most significant economic stimuli, as it stimulates consumption and investment
demand, increases productivity of firms and their employees, boosts remunerations, and
reduces unemployment. Foreign investors have commercial skills and expertise, and they
understand how to boost the country's economy. It is encouraging to see how the competition
between ASEAN and Multi-National Corporations (MNC) works together to achieve their
respective goals. AFTA also gives firms the opportunity to profit from lower-cost inputs. Input
costs are projected to fall as a result of greater competition among suppliers. Competition will
not only increase the efficiency of input providers, but will also help other industries by
increasing their competitive edge, as competition has a beneficial influence on improving the
efficiency of sectors. To compete with other countries, each country will increase its output.
As a result of the introduction of AFTA, productivity has increased. As a result, we can infer
that competitiveness will have a beneficial influence on ASEAN industries in the future, as
they will create excellent items on a big economic scale. This might lead to possibilities for
firms to increase their market. As a consequence of increased efficiency and competitiveness,
many domestic businesses, particularly those in the small and medium-sized categories, now
have access to the worldwide market.

As an overall conclusion, The fundamental element of the AFTA is the liberalisation

of regional commerce through the elimination of intra-regional tariff and non-tariff obstacles.
AFTA, on the other hand, has its own set of perks and disadvantages. The execution is critical
because the impact of AFTA will influence the future of ASEAN countries. AFTA also has an
influence on ASEAN countries, boosting rivalry for local companies in specific items while
decreasing the competitiveness of conventional export industries. Trade liberalisation, both
within the World Trade Organization and unilaterally by certain nations, is occurring
concurrently with the implementation of AFTA, and has the potential to alter trade patterns.
QUESTION 4

Answer:

ASEAN issued the Bali Declaration of ASEAN Concord II in 2003, recognising that sustained
economic growth necessitates a stable political environment built on a solid foundation of
mutual interests produced by economic cooperation and political unity. The aforementioned
Concord was also agreed in order to build an ASEAN Community by 2020, which would be
comprised of three pillars: the ASEAN Security Community (ASC), the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC), and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). The ASC would
subsequently become the APSC.

The first pillar is ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint. The APSC
envisions ASEAN as a rules-based Community with common values, norms and a cohesive,
peaceful, stable, and resilient region with shared responsibility for comprehensive security, as
well as a vibrant and outward-looking area in an increasingly integrated and interdependent
world. The complete execution of this Blueprint is intended to provide prosperity to the region
while also safeguarding the interests and well-being of ASEAN citizens. Because the APSC
Blueprint strives to improve political stability, democracy, and good governance by
establishing a fair, democratic, and harmonious environment, human rights are likely to be
prominent in this Blueprint. Respect for the promotion and preservation of human rights and
basic freedoms is highlighted as one of the key aspects in strengthening political growth in this
Blueprint. Because the rule of law embodies human rights, aspects of human rights are more
directly addressed under the first key characteristic of the APSC, which is “A Rules-based
Community of Shared Values and Norms,” and the second key characteristic of the APSC, “A
Cohesive, Peaceful, and Resilient Region with Shared Responsibility for Comprehensive
Security,” also involves important human rights issues.

The second pillars is ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint. Despite the fact that
there is no explicit mention to human rights problems in the language of the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC) Blueprint, there are indirect human rights consequences. As previously
stated, “a area of fair economic development” is one of the four essential criteria specified in
the AEC Blueprint. Recognising the significance of fair economic growth for all peoples, the
Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) initiatives include human resource development,
information and communication technology, capacity building, poverty reduction, and quality
of life enhancement. Furthermore, in promoting food, agriculture, and forestry trade, the health
of the peoples is not overlooked, and in fostering a competitive culture, consumer protection is
strengthened by establishing the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Consumer Protection
and a network of consumer protection agencies to facilitate information sharing and exchange.

The third pillars is ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint. The ASCC is being
implemented in order to realise a people-oriented, socially responsible ASEAN community in
order to achieve solidarity, togetherness, and a shared identity, as well as to establish a sharing
and caring society. The ASCC Blueprint envisions human growth, social welfare and
protection, social justice and rights, environmental sustainability, developing the ASEAN
identity, and closing the development gap. Except for the question of establishing the ASEAN
identity, all of these challenges are directly related to human rights. Because human rights
concerns are many in the ASCC Blueprint, only those essential human rights issues relating to
the development of the wellbeing, livelihood, and welfare of ASEAN peoples are highlighted.
The promotion of "the well-being and livelihood of the peoples of ASEAN by providing them
with equal access to human development opportunities" is a significant human rights
component in the ASCC Blueprint.
END OF PAPER