Indonesia says ASEAN charter rules benefit all

"The new charter will be of benefit to all members. It is a historic moment because the new charter will address ongoing challenges and opportunities," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told Reuters on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit.

"It will be a rules-based organisation with clear rules and objectives," Yudhoyono said before joining fellow leaders for the signing ceremony. On the issue of Myanmar, which has overshadowed the group's charter after the junta brutally

suppressed pro-democracy protests, Yudhoyono said: "The chairman has issued a statement and we now have a clear timetable."