The
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Thursday inaugurated its
Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA
Centre) to alleviate the flood disaster in the region.
The pact to set up and run the AHA Centre is
part of an initiative pushed by Thailand to forge cooperation within the
10-member group to handle natural disasters, Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra said.
The initiative will link Thailand's efforts
with those in neighbouring countries, which are in the same boat, she added.
"Since the global climate is changing,
neighbouring countries such as Laos and Vietnam are also facing similar
disasters, so we have to prepare for the future together," Yingluck told
reporters in Bali.
The Jakarta-based AHA Centre, with an office
in every member country, will be responsible for relief assistance at times of
natural disasters, Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said.
A separate statement from Asean leaders issued
yesterday said the group would enhance cooperation in disaster-risk management
and mitigation as well as in post-disaster relief, recovery and rehabilitation.
Extra powers
The Asean secretary-general's role in
utilising all mechanisms and instruments available to the grouping has also
been boosted. This is in addition to the decision made at the February 2009
Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting in Pattaya, allowing the secretary-general to
use Asean's military assets in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
"This reflects Asean's effort to use
every measure available to help one another," Surin said.
In a chairman's statement, Asean expressed
sympathy to countries and people who have lost members of their family and
sustained social, economic as well as environmental damage because of flooding
over the past several months. The affected countries are Cambodia, Laos, the
Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Yingluck brought up the issue of the flood
disaster in Thailand, which has killed more than 560 people and displaced
millions of others, at the Asean summit in a bid to boost international
confidence in her administration's ability.
"I would like to take this opportunity to
tell the international community and foreign investors about our plan to
rehabilitate and recover the economy from the disaster," Yingluck said.
Officials at the meeting said Yingluck had
made a good impression at her first international forum and had garnered a lot
of support from her Asean counterparts.
Upalak Ganjanakhundee and Kittipong Thavevong
The Nation (Thailand)
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