Civil society from ten Southeast Asia countries has successfully held ASEAN Civil Society (ACSC)/ASEAN People’s Forum (APF) in Jakarta, 3-5 May 2011. More than 1.200 people gathered to formulate feedbacks for the delegations who are about to participate at the summit in Jakarta started on May 7. Principally, the participants of ACSC/APF deliver the following recommendations:

First, the people of ASEAN countries stated that the engagement and dialogue between the people and ASEAN countries are the mechanism in the process of policy making in ASEAN. The engagement and dialogue should be seen as the people’s rights and the government has the duty to fulfill the rights.

Second, Principles of democracy, participation and good governance have been adopted as ASEAN principles. Unfortunately, the implementation is still selective to certain problems. The free trade issue, for instance, was done securely and silently. There is no information access for people to the process making of the free trade agreement.

Third, the interface meeting between civil society and the leaders of ASEAN is the symbol of ASEAN transparency to its citizen. The pattern should be followed by President’s subordinates, such as the ministers, in formulating the policies on ASEAN level.

Fourth, the civil society functioned as damage control of wrong ASEAN policy. It is because the civil society forms as witness from the impact of the policies. Therefore, we remind the message of Boediono, Vice President of Republic of Indonesia, at the opening of ACSC/APF in Jakarta on May 3 2011, that the engagement of civil society in ASEAN will accelerate the integration process of ASEAN and make the process to be easier and contain progressive content.

All the objects of recommendation of the civil society will be delivered at the interface session with the president on May 7 at the location of ASEAN Summit, Jakarta International Convention Center. The representatives of the ASEAN countries will meet and have some dialogues about ASEAN issues.

Jakarta, May 5, 2011
Indah Suksmaningsih
Chairperson of Steering Committee of ACSC/APF

Source: http://aseancivilsociety.net

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