[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 224 (Friday, January 1, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8009-S8011]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THAT FOR 50 YEARS, THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN
NATIONS (ASEAN) AND ITS TEN MEMBERS, BRUNEI, CAMBODIA, INDONESIA, LAOS,
MALAYSIA, MYANMAR, THE PHILIPPINES, SINGAPORE, THAILAND, AND VIETNAM,
HAVE WORKED WITH THE UNITED STATES TOWARD STABILITY, PROSPERITY, AND
PEACE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 466, S. Res 406.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 406) recognizing that for 50 years,
the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its
ten members, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam,
have worked with the United States toward stability,
prosperity, and peace in Southeast Asia, and expressing the
sense of the Senate that the United States will continue to
remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in the ASEAN
region.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution, which was reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations,
with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause and insert
the part printed in italic, and with an amendment to strike the
preamble and insert the part printed in italic, as follows
S. Res. 406
Whereas the 10 members of the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) represent a variety of different
cultures and beliefs;
Whereas an estimated 7,000,000 United States citizens
identify with an ethnicity represented in ASEAN;
Whereas the United States and ASEAN have been cooperating
to advance our mutual interests for 40 years, having first
established dialogue relations on September 10, 1977, through
the 1977 Joint Communique of the First ASEAN-United States
Dialogue and the United States' accession to the Treaty of
Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) at the ASEAN
Post Ministerial Conference Session in Thailand on July 22,
2009;
Whereas the United States was the first non-ASEAN country
to appoint an ambassador to ASEAN on April 29, 2008, and the
first non-member to establish a permanent mission to ASEAN in
2010;
Whereas cooperation between the United States Government
and the governments and people of the ASEAN nations can help
realize our common goals of a free, open, peaceful, and
prosperous Indo-Pacific rooted in a rule-based order that
promotes security, opportunity, and dignity to all peoples;
Whereas the member states of ASEAN are all vibrant
economies that have given rise to a flourishing middle class
and collectively are predicted to become the world's fourth-
largest economy by 2050;
Whereas, in 2019, ASEAN's 10 members represented the sixth
largest economy in the world and constitute the United States
fourth-largest export market, with total United States
exports to ASEAN countries reaching $116,200,000,000;
Whereas ASEAN is the number one destination for United
States investment in the Indo-Pacific, with $329,000,000,000
in cumulative foreign direct investment;
Whereas ASEAN nations surround critical global sea lanes,
with $5,300,000,000,000 of global trade and more than half of
the world's total shipped tonnage transiting through ASEAN
waters each year;
Whereas the ultimate goal of the ASEAN Economic Community
(AEC) is to create one of the world's largest single market
economies and facilitate the free movement of goods,
services, and professionals;
Whereas the United States-ASEAN Single Window custom
facilitation system expedites intra-ASEAN trade and enhances
the ability of United States businesses to operate in the
region;
Whereas the United States-ASEAN Business Alliance for
Competitive Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) has
trained more than 4,600 small-to-medium size enterprises,
with nearly half of the participants being women
entrepreneurs;
Whereas the Lower Mekong Initiative, established on July
23, 2009, promotes sustainable long-term economic development
throughout mainland Southeast Asia and fosters regional
cooperation, integration, and capacity building;
Whereas the newly announced Japan-United States Mekong
Power Partnership aims to ``promote a more sustainable energy
sector and quality energy infrastructure development'' and
demonstrates the shared commitment of the United States and
other Indo-Pacific nations to strengthen ties with Mekong
countries;
Whereas, in 2018 and 2019, the United States announced
several additional initiatives to enhance cooperation with
ASEAN, including the United States-ASEAN Smart Cities
Partnership, the ASEAN Policy Implementation Project, and the
United States-ASEAN Innovation Circle;
Whereas the United States is cooperating with ASEAN member
states and providing emergency health assistance to enhance
their resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,
including through the recently announced United States-ASEAN
Health Futures program that builds on the over $3,500,000,000
the United States has invested in global health collaboration
with ASEAN nations over the last 20 years;
Whereas the United States remains committed to working with
ASEAN to improve the promotion and protection of human rights
and fundamental dignity of the people of ASEAN countries, a
key ingredient to maintaining stability, promoting economic
growth, and advancing good governance;
Whereas the United States opposes all actions and claims
that infringe upon the freedom and lawful use of the sea, and
has a national interest in ensuring freedom of navigation and
overflight, open access to the Indo-Pacific region's maritime
commons, and respect for international law in the South China
Sea;
Whereas the United States is deeply concerned about recent
assertive and unsafe behavior by the People's Republic of
China in the South China Sea, and urges all claimants with
competing territorial claims to seek peaceful resolution of
disputes through collaborative diplomacy and, as necessary,
international arbitration mechanisms consistent with
international law;
Whereas the United States supports the Philippines'
decision to use arbitration under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), done at Montego
Bay December 10, 1982, to peacefully and lawfully address
competing claims;
Whereas the United States supports development of a Code of
Conduct (COC) that represents the interests of all parties
and promotes peace and stability in the region, opposes
efforts by any nation to use a COC as a vehicle to limit
presence in or lawful use of the South China Sea, encourages
claimants not to undertake new or unilateral attempts to
change the status quo since the signing of the 2002
Declaration of Conduct, including reclamation activities or
administrative measures or controls in disputed areas in the
South China Sea, and encourages ASEAN countries to adopt a
unified position in negotiating the COC;
Whereas the ASEAN-United States Maritime Exercise (AUXM),
which ran from September 2-6, 2019, and featured over 1,000
sailors from all 11 countries, built greater maritime
security on the strength of ASEAN, strengthened navy-to-navy
bonds, and exemplified our shared belief in a free and open
Indo-Pacific; and
Whereas natural disasters in the ASEAN region over the past
four decades have resulted in major loss and damage, with a
disproportionate impact on developing countries, and the
United States will pursue initiatives that are consistent
with sustainable long-term economic development, including
the achievement of food security and poverty alleviation;
improvement of conservation and sustainable management of
forests, fish stocks, and oceanic resources; resilience to
extreme weather events that are increasing in frequency and
severity; and provision of sustainable livelihoods for local
communities throughout the ASEAN region: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports and affirms the full implementation of the
Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (Public Law 115-409) with
regard to elevating the United States relationship with
ASEAN;
(2) stands with the nations of ASEAN as they respond to
COVID-19 and supports greater cooperation in building
capacity to prepare for and respond to pandemics and other
public health challenges;
(3) expresses support for rescheduling the United States-
ASEAN Special Summit at an appropriate time, and supports
high-level United States participation in the annual ASEAN
summit held each November;
(4) reaffirms the importance of United States-ASEAN
economic engagement, including the elimination of barriers to
cross-border commerce, and supports the ASEAN Economic
Community's (AEC) goals, including strong, inclusive,
[[Page S8010]]
and sustainable long-term economic growth and cooperation
with the United States that focuses on innovation and
capacity-building efforts in technology, education, disaster
management, food security, human rights, and trade
facilitation, particularly for ASEAN's poorest countries;
(5) urges ASEAN to continue its efforts to foster greater
integration and unity within the ASEAN community, as well as
to foster greater integration and unity with non-ASEAN
economic, political, and security partners, including Japan,
the Republic of Korea, Australia, the European Union, Taiwan,
and India;
(6) recognizes the value of strategic economic initiatives
like United States-ASEAN Connect, which demonstrates a
commitment to ASEAN and the AEC and builds upon economic
relationships in the region;
(7) supports ASEAN nations in addressing maritime and
territorial disputes in a constructive manner and in pursuing
claims through peaceful, diplomatic, and, as necessary,
legitimate regional and international arbitration mechanisms,
consistent with international law, including through the
adoption of a code of conduct in the South China Sea that
represents the interests of all parties and promotes peace
and stability in the region;
(8) urges all parties involved in the maritime and
territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific region, including
the Government of the People's Republic of China--
(A) to cease any current activities, and avoid undertaking
any actions in the future, that undermine stability, or
complicate or escalate disputes through the use of coercion,
intimidation, or military force;
(B) to demilitarize islands, reefs, shoals, and other
features, and refrain from new efforts to militarize,
including the construction of new garrisons and facilities
and the relocation of additional military personnel,
material, or equipment;
(C) to oppose actions by any country that prevent other
countries from exercising their sovereign rights to the
resources in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and
continental shelves by enforcing claims to those areas in the
South China Sea that lack support in international law; and
(D) to oppose unilateral declarations of administrative and
military districts in contested areas in the South China Sea;
(9) urges parties to refrain from unilateral actions that
cause permanent physical damage to the marine environment,
and supports the efforts of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and ASEAN to implement guidelines
to address the illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
in the region;
(10) supports efforts by United States partners and allies
in ASEAN--
(A) to enhance maritime capability and maritime domain
awareness;
(B) to protect unhindered access to and use of
international waterways in the Indo-Pacific region that are
critical to ensuring the security and free flow of commerce;
(C) to counter piracy;
(D) to disrupt illicit maritime trafficking activities such
as the trafficking of persons, goods, and drugs; and
(E) to enhance the maritime capabilities of countries or
regional organizations to respond to emerging threats to
maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region;
(11) urges ASEAN member states to develop a common approach
to reaffirm the decision of the Permanent Court of
Arbitration's 2016 ruling in favor of the Republic of the
Philippines in the case against the People's Republic of
China's excessive maritime claims;
(12) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to
continue joint efforts with ASEAN to halt human smuggling and
trafficking in persons, and urges ASEAN to create and
strengthen regional mechanisms to provide assistance and
support to refugees and migrants;
(13) supports the Lower Mekong Initiative, which has led to
significant progress in promoting sustainable long-term
economic development in mainland Southeast Asia and fostering
integrated sub-regional cooperation and capacity building;
(14) urges ASEAN to build capacity for the promotion and
protection of human rights by ASEAN member states, and the
implementation of related priorities, programs, and
activities;
(15) urges ASEAN governments to engage directly with
leaders of civil society and human rights, including
advocates of religious freedom, victims of human rights
abuses, and environmental groups, and to ensure these
stakeholders have a voice in constructing public policy;
(16) encourages the President of the United States to
communicate to ASEAN leaders the importance of promoting the
rule of law and open and transparent government,
strengthening civil society, and protecting human rights,
including releasing political prisoners, ceasing politically
motivated prosecutions and arbitrary killings, safeguarding
freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of
religion, and freedom of speech and expression;
(17) supports efforts by organizations in ASEAN that
address corruption in the public and private sectors, enhance
anti-bribery compliance, enforce bribery criminalization in
the private sector, and build beneficial ownership
transparency through the ASEAN-USAID PROSPECT project
partnered with the South East Asia Parties Against Corruption
(SEA-PAC);
(18) supports the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative
as an example of a people-to-people partnership that provides
skills, networks, and leadership training to a new generation
who will create and fill jobs, foster cross-border
cooperation and partnerships, and rise to solve the regional
and global challenges of the future; and
(19) applauds the ASEAN governments that have fully upheld
and implemented all United Nations Security Council
resolutions and international agreements with respect to
North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and
encourages all other ASEAN governments to do the same.
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
committee-reported substitute be agreed to; that the resolution, as
amended, be agreed to; that the committee-reported amendment to the
preamble be considered; that the amendment at the desk be agreed to;
that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to;
that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was
agreed to.
The resolution (S. Res. 406), as amended, was agreed to.
The amendment (No. 2735) was agreed to as follows
(Purpose: To make a technical correction to the preamble)
In the second whereas clause of the preamble, strike
``70,000,000'' and insert ``7,000,000''.
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble, in the nature of a
substitute, was agreed to.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S8010, January 1, 2021, second column, the following
appears: The resolution (S. Res. 406), as amended, was agreed to.
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble, in the nature of
a substitute, was agreed to. The amendment (No. 2735) was agreed
to as follows (Purpose: To make a technical correction to the
preamble) In the second whereas clause of the preamble, strike
``70,000,000'' and insert ``7,000,000''. The preamble, as amended,
was agreed to.
The online version has been corrected to read: The resolution
(S. Res. 406), as amended, was agreed to. The amendment (No. 2735)
was agreed to as follows (Purpose: To make a technical correction
to the preamble) In the second whereas clause of the preamble,
strike ``70,000,000'' and insert ``7,000,000''. The committee-
reported amendment to the preamble, in the nature of a substitute,
was agreed to. The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
========================= END NOTE =========================
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows:
S. Res. 406
Whereas the 10 members of the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) represent a variety of different
cultures and beliefs;
Whereas an estimated 7,000,000 United States citizens
identify with an ethnicity represented in ASEAN;
Whereas the United States and ASEAN have been cooperating
to advance our mutual interests for 40 years, having first
established dialogue relations on September 10, 1977, through
the 1977 Joint Communique of the First ASEAN-United States
Dialogue and the United States' accession to the Treaty of
Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) at the ASEAN
Post Ministerial Conference Session in Thailand on July 22,
2009;
Whereas the United States was the first non-ASEAN country
to appoint an ambassador to ASEAN on April 29, 2008, and the
first non-member to establish a permanent mission to ASEAN in
2010;
Whereas cooperation between the United States Government
and the governments and people of the ASEAN nations can help
realize our common goals of a free, open, peaceful, and
prosperous Indo-Pacific rooted in a rule-based order that
promotes security, opportunity, and dignity to all peoples;
Whereas the member states of ASEAN are all vibrant
economies that have given rise to a flourishing middle class
and collectively are predicted to become the world's fourth-
largest economy by 2050;
Whereas, in 2019, ASEAN's 10 members represented the sixth
largest economy in the world and constitute the United States
fourth-largest export market, with total United States
exports to ASEAN countries reaching $116,200,000,000;
Whereas ASEAN is the number one destination for United
States investment in the Indo-Pacific, with $329,000,000,000
in cumulative foreign direct investment;
Whereas ASEAN nations surround critical global sea lanes,
with $5,300,000,000,000 of global trade and more than half of
the world's total shipped tonnage transiting through ASEAN
waters each year;
Whereas the ultimate goal of the ASEAN Economic Community
(AEC) is to create one of the world's largest single market
economies and facilitate the free movement of goods,
services, and professionals;
Whereas the United States-ASEAN Single Window custom
facilitation system expedites intra-ASEAN trade and enhances
the ability of United States businesses to operate in the
region;
Whereas the United States-ASEAN Business Alliance for
Competitive Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) has
trained more than 4,600 small-to-medium size enterprises,
with nearly half of the participants being women
entrepreneurs;
Whereas the Lower Mekong Initiative, established on July
23, 2009, promotes sustainable long-term economic development
throughout mainland Southeast Asia and fosters regional
cooperation, integration, and capacity building;
Whereas the newly announced Japan-United States Mekong
Power Partnership aims to ``promote a more sustainable energy
sector and quality energy infrastructure development'' and
demonstrates the shared commitment of the United States and
other Indo-Pacific nations to strengthen ties with Mekong
countries;
Whereas, in 2018 and 2019, the United States announced
several additional initiatives to enhance cooperation with
ASEAN, including the United States-ASEAN Smart Cities
Partnership, the ASEAN Policy Implementation Project, and the
United States-ASEAN Innovation Circle;
[[Page S8011]]
Whereas the United States is cooperating with ASEAN member
states and providing emergency health assistance to enhance
their resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,
including through the recently announced United States-ASEAN
Health Futures program that builds on the over $3,500,000,000
the United States has invested in global health collaboration
with ASEAN nations over the last 20 years;
Whereas the United States remains committed to working with
ASEAN to improve the promotion and protection of human rights
and fundamental dignity of the people of ASEAN countries, a
key ingredient to maintaining stability, promoting economic
growth, and advancing good governance;
Whereas the United States opposes all actions and claims
that infringe upon the freedom and lawful use of the sea, and
has a national interest in ensuring freedom of navigation and
overflight, open access to the Indo-Pacific region's maritime
commons, and respect for international law in the South China
Sea;
Whereas the United States is deeply concerned about recent
assertive and unsafe behavior by the People's Republic of
China in the South China Sea, and urges all claimants with
competing territorial claims to seek peaceful resolution of
disputes through collaborative diplomacy and, as necessary,
international arbitration mechanisms consistent with
international law;
Whereas the United States supports the Philippines'
decision to use arbitration under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), done at Montego
Bay December 10, 1982, to peacefully and lawfully address
competing claims;
Whereas the United States supports development of a Code of
Conduct (COC) that represents the interests of all parties
and promotes peace and stability in the region, opposes
efforts by any nation to use a COC as a vehicle to limit
presence in or lawful use of the South China Sea, encourages
claimants not to undertake new or unilateral attempts to
change the status quo since the signing of the 2002
Declaration of Conduct, including reclamation activities or
administrative measures or controls in disputed areas in the
South China Sea, and encourages ASEAN countries to adopt a
unified position in negotiating the COC;
Whereas the ASEAN-United States Maritime Exercise (AUXM),
which ran from September 2-6, 2019, and featured over 1,000
sailors from all 11 countries, built greater maritime
security on the strength of ASEAN, strengthened navy-to-navy
bonds, and exemplified our shared belief in a free and open
Indo-Pacific; and
Whereas natural disasters in the ASEAN region over the past
four decades have resulted in major loss and damage, with a
disproportionate impact on developing countries, and the
United States will pursue initiatives that are consistent
with sustainable long-term economic development, including
the achievement of food security and poverty alleviation;
improvement of conservation and sustainable management of
forests, fish stocks, and oceanic resources; resilience to
extreme weather events that are increasing in frequency and
severity; and provision of sustainable livelihoods for local
communities throughout the ASEAN region: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports and affirms the full implementation of the
Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (Public Law 115-409) with
regard to elevating the United States relationship with
ASEAN;
(2) stands with the nations of ASEAN as they respond to
COVID-19 and supports greater cooperation in building
capacity to prepare for and respond to pandemics and other
public health challenges;
(3) expresses support for rescheduling the United States-
ASEAN Special Summit at an appropriate time, and supports
high-level United States participation in the annual ASEAN
summit held each November;
(4) reaffirms the importance of United States-ASEAN
economic engagement, including the elimination of barriers to
cross-border commerce, and supports the ASEAN Economic
Community's (AEC) goals, including strong, inclusive, and
sustainable long-term economic growth and cooperation with
the United States that focuses on innovation and capacity-
building efforts in technology, education, disaster
management, food security, human rights, and trade
facilitation, particularly for ASEAN's poorest countries;
(5) urges ASEAN to continue its efforts to foster greater
integration and unity within the ASEAN community, as well as
to foster greater integration and unity with non-ASEAN
economic, political, and security partners, including Japan,
the Republic of Korea, Australia, the European Union, Taiwan,
and India;
(6) recognizes the value of strategic economic initiatives
like United States-ASEAN Connect, which demonstrates a
commitment to ASEAN and the AEC and builds upon economic
relationships in the region;
(7) supports ASEAN nations in addressing maritime and
territorial disputes in a constructive manner and in pursuing
claims through peaceful, diplomatic, and, as necessary,
legitimate regional and international arbitration mechanisms,
consistent with international law, including through the
adoption of a code of conduct in the South China Sea that
represents the interests of all parties and promotes peace
and stability in the region;
(8) urges all parties involved in the maritime and
territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific region, including
the Government of the People's Republic of China--
(A) to cease any current activities, and avoid undertaking
any actions in the future, that undermine stability, or
complicate or escalate disputes through the use of coercion,
intimidation, or military force;
(B) to demilitarize islands, reefs, shoals, and other
features, and refrain from new efforts to militarize,
including the construction of new garrisons and facilities
and the relocation of additional military personnel,
material, or equipment;
(C) to oppose actions by any country that prevent other
countries from exercising their sovereign rights to the
resources in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and
continental shelves by enforcing claims to those areas in the
South China Sea that lack support in international law; and
(D) to oppose unilateral declarations of administrative and
military districts in contested areas in the South China Sea;
(9) urges parties to refrain from unilateral actions that
cause permanent physical damage to the marine environment,
and supports the efforts of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and ASEAN to implement guidelines
to address the illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
in the region;
(10) supports efforts by United States partners and allies
in ASEAN--
(A) to enhance maritime capability and maritime domain
awareness;
(B) to protect unhindered access to and use of
international waterways in the Indo-Pacific region that are
critical to ensuring the security and free flow of commerce;
(C) to counter piracy;
(D) to disrupt illicit maritime trafficking activities such
as the trafficking of persons, goods, and drugs; and
(E) to enhance the maritime capabilities of countries or
regional organizations to respond to emerging threats to
maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region;
(11) urges ASEAN member states to develop a common approach
to reaffirm the decision of the Permanent Court of
Arbitration's 2016 ruling in favor of the Republic of the
Philippines in the case against the People's Republic of
China's excessive maritime claims;
(12) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to
continue joint efforts with ASEAN to halt human smuggling and
trafficking in persons, and urges ASEAN to create and
strengthen regional mechanisms to provide assistance and
support to refugees and migrants;
(13) supports the Lower Mekong Initiative, which has led to
significant progress in promoting sustainable long-term
economic development in mainland Southeast Asia and fostering
integrated sub-regional cooperation and capacity building;
(14) urges ASEAN to build capacity for the promotion and
protection of human rights by ASEAN member states, and the
implementation of related priorities, programs, and
activities;
(15) urges ASEAN governments to engage directly with
leaders of civil society and human rights, including
advocates of religious freedom, victims of human rights
abuses, and environmental groups, and to ensure these
stakeholders have a voice in constructing public policy;
(16) encourages the President of the United States to
communicate to ASEAN leaders the importance of promoting the
rule of law and open and transparent government,
strengthening civil society, and protecting human rights,
including releasing political prisoners, ceasing politically
motivated prosecutions and arbitrary killings, safeguarding
freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of
religion, and freedom of speech and expression;
(17) supports efforts by organizations in ASEAN that
address corruption in the public and private sectors, enhance
anti-bribery compliance, enforce bribery criminalization in
the private sector, and build beneficial ownership
transparency through the ASEAN-USAID PROSPECT project
partnered with the South East Asia Parties Against Corruption
(SEA-PAC);
(18) supports the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative
as an example of a people-to-people partnership that provides
skills, networks, and leadership training to a new generation
who will create and fill jobs, foster cross-border
cooperation and partnerships, and rise to solve the regional
and global challenges of the future; and
(19) applauds the ASEAN governments that have fully upheld
and implemented all United Nations Security Council
resolutions and international agreements with respect to
North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and
encourages all other ASEAN governments to do the same.
____________________