Australia warned against 'dancing with dictators' at Asean summit in Sydney

Australia is not a member of Asean, nor is it planning to be, but this weekend’s Asean summit in Sydney is a significant step in binding Australia closer to its regional neighbours through trade and increased counter-terrorism cooperation.

Despite the possible diplomatic benefits, Australia has been warned against “dancing with dictators” at this weekend’s summit, and urged by rights groups to raise the issue of human rights abuses across the region, not just focus on trade and counter-terrorism.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a group of 10 mainland and archipelago nations across the region: Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Laos.

Headquartered in Jakarta, Asean’s mission is to promote and accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development across the region, particularly through liberalising trade and working towards the distant goal of a common regional currency.

The organisation is also seen as a counterweight to the growing economic, military and strategic influence of China. Tensions are especially acute at present over Beijing’s unilateral claim to the South China Sea.


Source: theguardian