After the end of a one-day dialogue between the 60-member strong representatives from Asean and the 10member drafting task force, the latter group said it would go through the myriad of views and recommendations from civil society organisations working for security, economics and sociocultural areas.

Rosario Manalo, chair of the drafting group, known as the High Level Task Force, made clear there was "no commitment" that the drafters or Asean leaders would include their inputs  but added their deliberations would be debated and they would include the "practical ones".

Asean Secretary General Ong Keng Yong asked why the Asean civil society organisations had to stop using the term "terrorism" even though it has been used widely in UN documents and other international organisations.

A civil society representative replied that the term was framed by the event of the September 11, 2001  and "should be avoided".

But the drafters were flabbergasted with the recommendation of creating a new environment community proposed by the civil society.

In response to the proposal, Ong said that the civil society should push this idea with environmental officials in their respective countries, so that they would be able to speak on their behalf.

The Asean non government sectors also urged the drafters to pay attention to the role of the media in promoting awareness of Asean identity and consciousness as well as to provide feedback of their current concerns.

"Access to information and uninterrupted flow of information for the media is important to promote a people centred Asean," commented Kavi Chongkittavorn, chair of Southeast Asian Press Alliance.

During the day, the civil societies were divided into three different groups—economic, security and sociocultural—which were followed by twohour discussions.

They reported back the results of their discussions including recommendations to a plenary session attended by all the Asean drafters.

Drafters from Thailand and Cambodia said the recommendations were "interesting".

The six-member Thai delegation comprised Ms Chalida Tajaroensuk, People's Empowerment, Ms Sunsanee Suthisunsanee, Thai Working Group on Asean Human

Rights Mechanism, Sunai Pasuk, Human Rights Watch (Thailand), Surat Horachaikul, Chulalongkorn University and Kavi Chongkittavorn, Southeast Asian Press Alliance

Among the ideas proposed by the Asean non government groups included the

establishment of a Youth Foundation, ratification of international norms on human rights, and building on agrarian societies.

The Nation