WE, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (hereinafter referred to as “ASEAN”), namely Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam,

REFLECT on the tragic devastations and loss of lives caused by a catastrophic and unprecedented magnitude 9.1 earthquake occurring in the Indian Ocean subduction zone, triggering a massive tsunami that took place 20 years ago on 26 December 2004, affecting Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, amongst others. The Indian Ocean tsunami claimed more than two hundred thousand human fatalities, half a million survivors were internally displaced, and caused unprecedented destruction, damages and hundreds of thousands lost their livelihoods;

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