[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 173 (Thursday, October 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6338-S6339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 392--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE YOUNG 
  SOUTHEAST ASIAN LEADERS INITIATIVE TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE 
  UNITED STATES AND THE MEMBER STATES OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST 
 ASIAN NATIONS AND TO ADVANCING THE POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE 
                          INDO-PACIFIC REGION

  Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Gardner, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
Young, and Ms. Duckworth) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

[[Page S6339]]

                              S. Res. 392

       Whereas the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative 
     (YSEALI) was created in 2013 to build a cadre of emerging 
     leaders in member states of the Association of Southeast 
     Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the goal of fostering regional 
     cooperation and partnership with the United States;
       Whereas YSEALI is composed of influential young leaders who 
     are between 18 and 35 years of age from ASEAN countries 
     (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, the 
     Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and Timor-
     Leste who are making a difference in their communities, 
     countries, and the region;
       Whereas 65 percent of the population of the ASEAN region is 
     under 35 years of age, and these 400,000,000 youth will 
     determine the future of the region for decades to come;
       Whereas YSEALI aims to further strengthen the enduring 
     partnership between the United States and ASEAN;
       Whereas YSEALI encourages its leaders to partner with each 
     other and the United States Government to address common 
     challenges, including economic growth, sustainable 
     development, education, and civic engagement;
       Whereas YSEALI academic and professional exchange programs 
     in the United States allow visiting leaders to experience the 
     culture and values of the United States first-hand, while 
     establishing personal and professional ties to experts, 
     institutions, organizations, companies, and local governments 
     in the United States;
       Whereas YSEALI exchange visitors, upon returning to their 
     countries, help promote a positive understanding of the 
     United States;
       Whereas YSEALI allows United States experts to visit ASEAN 
     countries to share their expertise and work with YSEALI 
     alumni on projects that advance common goals;
       Whereas YSEALI programs in the Indo-Pacific region build 
     the capacity of civil society in the fields of human rights, 
     good governance, anti-corruption and transparency, social 
     entrepreneurship, and media literacy, which are key to the 
     Indo-Pacific efforts of the United States Government;
       Whereas YSEALI programming increases the visibility of the 
     United States in the Indo-Pacific region;
       Whereas, in 5 years, YSEALI has grown into a thriving 
     community of more than 5,000 alumni and more than 140,000 
     virtual network participants;
       Whereas YSEALI alumni are already distinguishing themselves 
     as influential government officials, entrepreneurs, human 
     rights activists, journalists, social entrepreneurs, and 
     educators;
       Whereas outstanding YSEALI alumni include 2 Malaysian 
     cabinet ministers and a Pulitzer Prize-winning Burmese 
     journalist imprisoned for investigating human rights 
     violations against the Rohingya;
       Whereas YSEALI alumni are valuable partners to embassies 
     and agencies of the United States overseas;
       Whereas the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public 
     Law 115-409; 132 Stat. 5387) (referred to in this preamble as 
     ``ARIA'') emphasized the importance of ASEAN to the United 
     States and supported the elevation of the relationship 
     between the United States and ASEAN to a strategic 
     partnership; and
       Whereas ARIA authorized $25,000,000 to be appropriated for 
     each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to support Indo-
     Pacific young leaders initiatives, including YSEALI, the 
     ASEAN Youth Volunteers Program, and other people-to-people 
     exchange programs that focus on building the capacity of 
     democracy, human rights, and good governance activists in the 
     Indo-Pacific region: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) celebrates the partnership of the United States with 
     young leaders in Southeast Asia;
       (2) recognizes the importance of the Young Southeast Asian 
     Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) in--
       (A) advancing the soft power of the United States in 
     Southeast Asia; and
       (B) promoting human rights, democracy, and good governance 
     in the Indo-Pacific region;
       (3) emphasizes the key role of YSEALI in--
       (A) strengthening the relationship of the United States 
     with the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian 
     Nations (ASEAN); and
       (B) elevating the profile and standing of the United States 
     as a main partner in the region;
       (4) stresses the importance of YSEALI in building 
     leadership capacity among civil society in ASEAN member 
     states and across Southeast Asia; and
       (5) encourages the Department of State to promote the 
     YSEALI program to the maximum extent possible as a valuable 
     tool to advance mutually beneficial cooperation with partners 
     in the Indo-Pacific region.

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