The ten member states of Southeast Asia's ASEAN alliance have gathered in the Thai coastal resort of Hua Hin for their annual summit. They are expected to discuss economic incentives and ways of stepping up cooperation. The long-term aim of the alliance is to established a community along the lines of the European Union.

The member states are also expected to reach agreement on setting up a human rights commission for the region. This issue has been on the ASEAN agenda for the past 15 years but has so far remained a bone of contention. Critics argue that any such commission is likely to be far too lenient on authoritarian regimes such as Myanmar.

Security surrounding the ASEAN summit is tight. In April a meeting of the alliance was disrupted by anti-government protestors in Thailand. The unrest was so bad that helicopters had to be deployed to take the delegates to safety.