Fourth EAS
Encyclopedia
The Fourth East Asia Summit
was rescheduled several times, had its venue changed and one attempt to hold it was cancelled due to the 2008–2009 Thai political crisis. It was ultimately held on 25 October 2009 in Cha-am and Hua Hin
, Thailand
.
The Summit in October 2009 is scheduled to receive a report on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership for East Asia
to potentially establish the world's largest trading bloc. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
and retired Australian diplomat
Richard Woolcott
will also address the Summitt on regional architecture and his idea of an Asia Pacific Community.
It was not clear the status of the Japan
ese proposal for an East Asia Community at this Summit or alternatively the ASEAN Plus Three Summit.
The members were to consider India
's plans for the revival of Nalanda University.
on 17 December 2008. It was announced in late October 2008 that the Summit would be shifted from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
due to concerns about political unrest in the capital city.
It was then announced on 2 December 2008 that due to the 2008 Thai political crisis
the Summit would be post-poned from 17 December 2008 to March 2009. On 12 December 2008 Abhisit Vejjajiva
indicated that if he become the next Prime Minister of Thailand
he would seek to hold the Summit in February 2009.
In January 2009 it was announced that, although the ASEAN Summit
had been scheduled for 27 February 2009 to 1 March 2009, those dates were not convenient for the ASEAN dialogue partners and that the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Plus Three meetings would be held later.
The re-scheduling of the Heads of Government/State of the 16 nations caused the EAS to be tentatively re-scheduled for April, coinciding with Easter
. This revised date meant that consideration was being given to a change of venue from Phuket
to Pattaya
. This revised date and venue was subsequently confirmed. The venue was the Pattaya Exhibition and Conference Hall (PEACH).
It was also announced that India would be represented at the Summit by its Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath
, not its Prime Minister.
, Abhisit Vejjajiva
, to cancel the meeting and evacuate foreign leaders by helicopters. Officials did not say whether or when the summit would resume.
Following the cancellation, United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
led expressions of regret over the incident. Abhisit Vejjajiva later vowed legal action against anti-government protesters "who reduced a showcase Asian summit to a shambles and exposed the nation to international embarrassment".
During the lead up to the Summit, there were also several fatal border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. The Summit was said to be used as an opportunity for discussions on the sidelines between the respective nations' leaders.
n Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd
was en route to the summit from Australia when he was contacted by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs
and advised to return. The leaders of China, Japan and Korea had to be airlifted out by their Thai hosts, whilst New Zealand
Prime Minister John Key
did not make it out of the Bangkok airport grounds.
. There had been earlier reports that Indonesia may seek to host the Summit if Thailand could not. Australian press reports suggested it could be held in Vietnam.
In early May Thailand was proposing at a senior officials meeting the dates of 13–14 June in Phuket, with a promise of a 5 km no rally zone around the venue.
This revised date was said to be inconvenient for the leaders of Indonesia, India and New Zealand with it likely the summit would be re-scheduled to October 2009.
The Summit was subsequently confirmed as having been rescheduled for 25 October 2009 in Phuket but then was moved again to Cha-am and Hua Hin
.
The first was a statement on disaster management.
The second related to the re-establishment of Nalanda University by India
.
The Chairman's Statement noted:
The Statement of the ASEAN Plus Three meeting noted that it was "a main vehicle" towards building the East Asian Community
.
East Asia Summit
The East Asia Summit is a forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian region. Membership will expand to 18 countries including the United States and Russia at the Sixth EAS in 2011. EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings...
was rescheduled several times, had its venue changed and one attempt to hold it was cancelled due to the 2008–2009 Thai political crisis. It was ultimately held on 25 October 2009 in Cha-am and Hua Hin
Hua Hin
Hua Hin is a famous beach resort town in Thailand, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200 km south of Bangkok. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911 km², and is one of eight districts of the Prachuap Khiri Khan province.Hua Hin is closely associated with the...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Agenda
The world economic conditions were to have been on the agenda of the Summit. but by the adjourned date the immediate crisis appears to have passed.The Summit in October 2009 is scheduled to receive a report on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership for East Asia
Comprehensive Economic Partnership for East Asia
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership for East ASIA is a Japanese led proposal for trade co-operation, free trade agreement, among the 16 present member countries of the East Asia Summit.- Countries involved :The 16 countries are:...
to potentially establish the world's largest trading bloc. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
and retired Australian diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
Richard Woolcott
Richard Woolcott
Richard Arthur Woolcott, AC is a retired Australian diplomat, author and commentator.Woolcott was educated at Geelong Grammar School and the University of Melbourne, and became a member of the Australian Diplomatic Service. He held positions as Australia's ambassador to Indonesia and The...
will also address the Summitt on regional architecture and his idea of an Asia Pacific Community.
It was not clear the status of the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese proposal for an East Asia Community at this Summit or alternatively the ASEAN Plus Three Summit.
The members were to consider India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's plans for the revival of Nalanda University.
Issues related to staging the fourth EAS
The Summit was originally to be held in BangkokBangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
on 17 December 2008. It was announced in late October 2008 that the Summit would be shifted from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
due to concerns about political unrest in the capital city.
It was then announced on 2 December 2008 that due to the 2008 Thai political crisis
2008 Thai political crisis
Since 2008, there has been an ongoing political crisis in Thailand in form of a conflict between the People's Alliance for Democracy and the People's Power Party governments of Prime Ministers Somchai Wongsawat and Samak Sundaravej, respectively, and later between the Democrat Party government of...
the Summit would be post-poned from 17 December 2008 to March 2009. On 12 December 2008 Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a Thai politician who was the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party...
indicated that if he become the next Prime Minister of Thailand
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
he would seek to hold the Summit in February 2009.
In January 2009 it was announced that, although the ASEAN Summit
ASEAN Summit
The ASEAN Summit is an annual meeting held by the member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in relation to economic, and cultural development of Southeast Asian countries....
had been scheduled for 27 February 2009 to 1 March 2009, those dates were not convenient for the ASEAN dialogue partners and that the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Plus Three meetings would be held later.
The re-scheduling of the Heads of Government/State of the 16 nations caused the EAS to be tentatively re-scheduled for April, coinciding with Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. This revised date meant that consideration was being given to a change of venue from Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
to Pattaya
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....
. This revised date and venue was subsequently confirmed. The venue was the Pattaya Exhibition and Conference Hall (PEACH).
It was also announced that India would be represented at the Summit by its Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath
Kamal Nath
Kamal Nath is an Indian politician and the current Union Cabinet Minister of Urban Development. He is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Chhindwara constituency of Madhya Pradesh and is a member of the Indian National Congress .-Early life:Born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He...
, not its Prime Minister.
Cancellation of the Summit in 2008 and postponement to 2009
On 11 April 2009, anti-Thai government protesters smashed their way into the East Asian summit, forcing the prime minister of ThailandPrime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
, Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a Thai politician who was the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party...
, to cancel the meeting and evacuate foreign leaders by helicopters. Officials did not say whether or when the summit would resume.
Following the cancellation, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
led expressions of regret over the incident. Abhisit Vejjajiva later vowed legal action against anti-government protesters "who reduced a showcase Asian summit to a shambles and exposed the nation to international embarrassment".
During the lead up to the Summit, there were also several fatal border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. The Summit was said to be used as an opportunity for discussions on the sidelines between the respective nations' leaders.
Attendance by leaders
AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
was en route to the summit from Australia when he was contacted by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...
and advised to return. The leaders of China, Japan and Korea had to be airlifted out by their Thai hosts, whilst New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Prime Minister John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
did not make it out of the Bangkok airport grounds.
Rescheduling
By late April the Thailand Government was looking to reschedule the Summit for June 2009 in PhuketPhuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
. There had been earlier reports that Indonesia may seek to host the Summit if Thailand could not. Australian press reports suggested it could be held in Vietnam.
In early May Thailand was proposing at a senior officials meeting the dates of 13–14 June in Phuket, with a promise of a 5 km no rally zone around the venue.
This revised date was said to be inconvenient for the leaders of Indonesia, India and New Zealand with it likely the summit would be re-scheduled to October 2009.
The Summit was subsequently confirmed as having been rescheduled for 25 October 2009 in Phuket but then was moved again to Cha-am and Hua Hin
Hua Hin
Hua Hin is a famous beach resort town in Thailand, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200 km south of Bangkok. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911 km², and is one of eight districts of the Prachuap Khiri Khan province.Hua Hin is closely associated with the...
.
Outcomes
The Summit adopted two documents.The first was a statement on disaster management.
The second related to the re-establishment of Nalanda University by India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The Chairman's Statement noted:
21.We acknowledged the importance of regional discussions to examine
ways to advance the stability and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region.
In this connection, we noted with appreciation the following:
(a) the Philippines’s proposal to invite the heads of other regional fora
and organizations in Asia-Pacific to future EAS meetings to
discuss measures that will protect the region from future economic
and financial crisis and strengthen Asia economic cooperation,
including through the possible establishment of an economic
community of Asia.
(b) Japan’s new proposal to reinvigorate the discussion towards
building, in the long run, an East Asian community based on the
principle of openness, transparency and inclusiveness and
functional cooperation.
(c) Australia’s proposal on the Asia Pacific community in which
ASEAN will be at its core, will be further discussed at a 1.5 track
conference to be organized by Australia in December 2009.
The Statement of the ASEAN Plus Three meeting noted that it was "a main vehicle" towards building the East Asian Community
East Asian Community
East Asian Community is a proposed trade bloc for the East Asia countries that may arise out of either ASEAN Plus Three or the East Asia Summit .- Prior to the EAS :...
.