Title: ASEAN press council

Reporter: CitraPrastuti
Date:
Intro:
The first Regional Press Council for the nations that make up the association of south-east
nations or ASEAN is being forme!
The man behin the iea is "a#i Chongkitta#orn! $e is the former chair of the Southeast Asian
Press Aliance %SEAPA& an also a honorar' member of the National Press Council of Thailan!
$e tells Citra Prastuti that the meia nees to be much more in#ol#e in the forming a closer
ASEAN Communit'!
TE(T:
"a#i Clip ) %English* +ale&: ,ASEAN communit' is onl' focuse on economic* political
securit'* social an culture! An I think the' ha#e misse out the meia communit'! -ithout
acti#e meia participation to create a.areness an a sense of connecteness among us* the
ASEAN communit' .ill not be sustainable! That/s the point! 0or e1ample* ho. man' Inonesian
ne.spapers .rite about ASEAN2 3f course Inonesian 4ournalists .rite about Inonesia losing
out in terms of ASEAN economic integration! That/s the onl' thing! So 'ou onl' focus on the
bilateral relationships .ithin ASEAN! 5ou o not look at ASEAN as a .hole entit'* as part of a
bigger communit'! Inonesia is in a position to o more than an' other countr' because
emocrac' has been strengthene here in Inonesia! It/s no longer the slo.est!
During the Soeharto era* if Inonesia sai 6no/* then that/s it! An no. Inonesia suenl' goes
6I .ant to o this* I .ant to o that/! In 7889* Inonesia propose the .riting of the ASEAN
Charter! -hat Inonesia .ants* Inonesia can push for! So 'ou ha#e ASEAN securit' pillar*
communit'! That is the positi#e! No. Inonesia is mo#ing* so it/s #er' important for the meia
to be in#ol#e!
So no. .e/re setting up the ASEAN Press Council .ith cooperation from the Inonesia/s Press
Council an the Thailan Press Council! -e are ra.ing things groups together because at the
moment the' on/t care about each other!
Q. What is the target?
"a#i Clip 7 %English* +ale&: ,+eia .ill be strengthene an the' .ill pla' the role of
promoting an ASEAN ientit'* a.areness of ASEAN an ASEAN integration! -e start out .ith
a #er' lo. ambition* ob4ecti#e* to get all the meia councils in ASEAN together! :ut some
countries on/t ha#e a Press Council* such as :runei an Singapore! Singapore oesn/t ha#e
an'thing* because it/s a perfect countr'; I/m kiing!
Inonesia is a .ork in progress* a moel for ASEAN! So it .oul start as Inonesia an Thailan
an gro. from there!
+eia culture in Inonesia before )<<=* 'ou couln/t .rite an'thing* but suenl' it/s change!
>ook at +'anmar* so peer pressure is #er' important! -hen ASEAN becomes one communit'* it
.ill become more e?uitable in their share norms an #alues! That/s for me is important! Some
of our friens on/t reali@e that!
I think for meia in the future* .ith a better cooperation then there .ill be more e1change! No.
'ou on/t .rite much about Thailan* much of the ne.s comes from the .ire! E#er'bo' use
Reuters to learn about each other an sometimes the'/re .rong an make mistaken anal'sis!
The' on/t care much* .e nee the local meia! That/s .h' local meia must .rite a lot about
ASEAN!
:ecause an issue in one ASEAN countr' impacts other ASEAN countriesA like the forest ha@e
an migrant .orkers! So 'ou can/t .rite in isolation! $a@e* terrorism* migration an also
Rohing'a refugees the' affect all the ASEAN countries!
In the future ASEAN 4ournalists .ill co#er these issues much more broal' because of the
ASEAN Press Council! There .ill be an organi@ation to promote* help an supplement the
integration of ASEAN an strengthen the communit' builing! An make sure that the role the
meia pla's is a #er' positi#e one!
:BA: "a#i Chongkitta#orn the 0ormer chair of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance %SEAPA&! $e
is no. .orking to form the first ASEAN Press council!