The ASEAN Leaders` support was expressed in the ASEAN Chair`s statement issued during the 19th ASEAN Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali on November 18, 2011.
"We reiterate our support for the capacity-building of the state institutions of Palestine and we also support Palestine`s wish to be a full member of the United Nations," the ASEAN leaders said in the statement`s 152nd point.
The Statement was agreed on by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the ASEAN Chair, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam, Prime Minister Thingsing Thammavong of Laos, Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia, President Thein Sein of Myanmar, President Aquino III of the Philippines, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long of Singapore, and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of Thailand.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas applied in the UN Headquarters in New York, on September 23 for full UN membership for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Reuters reported that the Palestinian bid to win full membership in the United Nations came one step closer to collapse when a Security Council committee failed to reach agreement on the issue.
A report adopted recently by the Security Council`s admissions committee, which includes all 15 council members, detailed the deadlock among council members.
It says the body was "unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council," without whose approval no membership bid can succeed.
Diplomats say Russia, China, Lebanon, Brazil, India, South Africa and probably Gabon and Nigeria would support the Palestinians. The United States would vote against and Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Colombia and Bosnia would likely abstain, with Germany possibly voting against.
Any final vote on the bid at the full Security Council would need nine votes in favor, without any veto by one of the five permanent members.
The information, however, did not deter Palestine.
"Our strategy now is to continue knocking on the door of the Security Council and not other doors," Foreign Minister Reyad Al-Malki told Voice of Palestine radio on November 15, 2011, as quoted by Reuters.
With Palestine determined to persist in its demand to the Security Council, the ten ASEAN members will continue giving their support.
Established in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam.
Indonesia was the ASEAN Chair during the 19th Summit, and the chairmanship was handed over to Cambodia at the conclusion of the Summit.
A week before the 19th ASEAN Summit, Palestine Ambassador to Indonesia Fariz Mehdawi expressed hope that Indonesia would raise the issue of the Palestinian bid for membership in the United Nations at the Bali summit.
Speaking at a discussion forum with the Indonesia-Palestine Friendship Initiative (IPFI) in Jakarta on November 10, 2011, the ambassador said Indonesia which was playing a key role in regional and international fora was expected "to be able to exert its influence , and convince other ASEAN member countries to support us."
Indonesia has already shown a consistent commitment to supporting Palestine at many international conferences in its efforts to help bring peace and freedom to Palestine.
"We realize that Indonesia has made a great contribution to Palestine by considering the creation of peace in our country the most crucial priority. We really appreciate this," the ambassador said.
Indonesia had been and still is a supporter, initiator and co-sponsor of Palestine`s efforts to become a full member of the Paris-based UNESCO and New York-based UN.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted to admit Palestine as a full member on Monday (Oct 31).
Palestine`s bid for UNESCO membership is in accordance with the vision of a two-state solution and therefore Indonesia was supporting it, despite opposition from the US government.
"Indonesia`s stance is different, of course. Indonesia was even one of the co-sponsors of the Palestinian bid for UNESCO membership, as we also support Palestine`s bid for UN membership in New York," Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said in Paris on Tuesday (Nov 1).
Early this year, Marty in his annual speech said Indonesia remained committed to supporting the freedom of Palestine.
"The Palestinian cause is an Indonesian cause. The establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestine existing side by side with Israel is a comprehensive solution that would bring an end to the protracted Palestinian-Israeli conflict," Marty said.
Indonesia has committed to providing concrete support for Palestine through capacity building for the Palestinian people and
government.
He said Indonesia was not only bilaterally providing capacity building assistance but also working to gather support from ASEAN member countries, other Asian and African nations for the same purpose.
"So far, 1662 Palestinians have benefited from capacity building programs involving 24 countries, including training for Palestinian diplomats by our Foreign Ministry," he said in January 2011.
In its capacity as co-chair of NAASP ( New Asian African Strategic Partnership) with South Africa, Indonesia has also coordinated capacity building programs with other ASEAN and African countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey , South Korea , Morocco , Algeria, and Nigeria.
Around 2,000 Palestinians were trained in some Asian states, including around 200 Palestinians in Indonesia so far.
Short and medium training courses have been attended by Palestinians among other things on diplomacy, small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), tourism, industry, education, women`s empowerment, and fire brigade in Indonesia.
Since the last two decades, the ASEAN leaders have always included the Palestinian issues in their joint communique.
In the 18th ASEAN Summit held in Bali, May 2011, the ASEAN Leaders in the Chair`s Statement also mentioned about Palestine.
"We welcome recent developments in Palestine, particularly the reconciliation between Palestine factions, which was facilitated by Egypt. This reconciliation is fundamental in the struggle of the Palestinian people in attaining an independent and sovereign Palestinian state," the ASEAN Leaders stated.
The Jakarta-based ASEAN Foundaition Executive Director, Dr Makarim Wibisono in a seminar on "Palestine State and the UN" held in Jakarta, on September 14, 2011, stated "ASEAN fully supports Palestine`s bid for the UN membership. They have a strong will to become part of the world, and to be engaged with the whole world. There is no excuse to block it, except if the UN has no positive will."
(T.F001/HAJM/A014)
Reporter: by Fardah
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
