CAJ Expected To Be Agent For AEC's Continuity And Changes

Palembang, S Sumatera, Feb 11 (Antara) - The Confederation of ASEAN Journalists (CAJ) can act as a crucial agent in ensuring the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)`s continuity and changes, emphasized Indonesian Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto. "I hope CAJ will be AEC`s agent for continuity and changes by strengthening and deepening the ASEAN vision beyond 2015, since the press will play a crucial role in informing the concept of ASEAN as an integrated community to the people," Minister Suyanto stated in his keynote speech during the opening event of the CAJ workshop in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Tuesday. The minister also addressed the role of CAJ in establishing the Center for ASEAN Journalism Education and Training (CAJET) as an effort to increase the capacities and abilities of the ASEAN journalists. Through CAJET, Suyanto expects that the media will be able to support the three ASEAN Pillars which are aimed at improving political and security stability, economic resilience, and social and cultural continuity. As the coordinator responsible for improving the political and security pillar, Suyanto noted that some significant roles that the CAJET can initiate, as the center of journalism in Southeast Asia, include establishing integrated free flow of information, capacity building, inter-organization cooperation, and facilitate interrelated media production. However, Suyanto added that since CAJ has not yet been included in the second annex of the ASEAN Charter during the Bali Concord III, the ASEAN journalists confederation should play a more active role by cooperating with the media and journalist organizations in the region and enhancing ASEAN by working on common-shared issues. "One of which is the perception of transnational crime that should be deemed a public enemy among ASEAN member states and not just a local issue. The press can provide clear and factual information to the society, which is not based on emotional and sensational approaches," he claimed. CAJ was established in Jakarta, March 11, 1975, and after the general assembly held in Manila, Philippines, in November, last year, they aimed to play a more active role in the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 and beyond. The first CAJET workshop was facilitated by the South Sumatra Government and participated by around one hundred journalists from different ASEAN member states. Besides Minister Djoko Suyanto, some prominent speakers such as Associate Dean for Global Programs Fritz Cropp, ASEAN Secretariat officials, and an ASEAN senior journalist also delivered lectures during the meeting.