Albright backs NATO before ASEAN forum<\/p>\n
By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (JP): U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
\ndefended on Tuesday NATO's recent unilateral military action in
\nKosovo, arguing that circumstances necessitated the military
\nalliance to act without the United Nation's initial consent.<\/p>\n
Her comments came amid strong criticism by the Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and some of its "dialog
\npartners", which denounced the action as a violation of
\ninternational law and the UN Charter.<\/p>\n
"I am very proud of the action the United States and NATO
\ntook," she said, arguing that the plight of Kosovar Albanians
\nshowed why it was justified.<\/p>\n
She contended that NATO's military intervention was necessary
\nsince "the United Nations cannot act because it is blocked by
\nthose not supporting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights".<\/p>\n
Albright is in the island state to attend a series of three-
\nday meetings which began on Monday with the ASEAN Regional Forum
\nto discuss regional security and political issues.<\/p>\n
ASEAN -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
\nthe Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- expressed
\ngrave concern on Monday over the military action and feared the
\nneglect of basic tenets of international law set a precedent
\nwhich could resonate through the region.<\/p>\n
As one ASEAN minister said, "the UN was only brought in post
\nfacto".<\/p>\n
According to delegates, the ARF was forced to make last-minute
\nadjustments in its Chairman's Statement on Monday after a strong
\nprotest from the United States on the Kosovo issue.<\/p>\n
Tuesday brought ASEAN together with dialog partners Australia,
\nCanada, China, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Russia,
\nSouth Korea and the United States.<\/p>\n
Albright apparently felt it necessary to make the public
\nresponse after several foreign ministers made statements again
\nreferring to the issue.<\/p>\n
She argued the action was warranted in an attempt to bring
\njustice, particularly when the UN was blocked "and leaves itself
\nout of an essential action".<\/p>\n
Chinese foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan countered that all
\ncountries, strong or weak, were equal before the principle of
\nsovereignty.<\/p>\n
"Claims such as 'the supremacy of human rights over
\nsovereignty' and 'there is no national boundary in safeguarding
\nhuman rights' are in essence excuses for strong countries to
\nbully the weak ones, and attempts to have a rationale for big
\ncountries to control small ones," Tang said.<\/p>\n
PMC<\/p>\n
After the security and political talks which dominated
\nMonday's ARF, the start of the annual two-day Post Ministerial
\nConference (PMC) on Tuesday was an opportunity to touch upon more
\ngeneral economic issues.<\/p>\n
Almost all ministers expressed their intent to engage in the
\nnext round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) commencing in
\n2000.<\/p>\n
Finnish foreign minister Tarja Halonen, representing the
\nEuropean Union, expressed support for a short round of three-year
\nnegotiations discussing not only trade liberalization but also
\nways to ensure a stable financial environment.<\/p>\n
She expressed the EU's support for the accession of China,
\nRussia and Vietnam to the WTO.<\/p>\n
Indian foreign minister Jaswant Singh called for a grace
\nperiod for developing countries before taking on new commitments,
\npointing out that the Uruguay Round Agreements cast heavy
\nobligations.<\/p>\n
"We therefore need a period of adjustment before undertaking
\ncommitments in new areas," he said.<\/p>\n
Japan also drew attention to the need for a comprehensive
\nthree-year WTO round.<\/p>\n
But foreign minister Masahiko Koumura also focused on the
\ndiversity of societies as world economies encounter more
\nstandardization in the wake of globalization.<\/p>\n
"Without diversity, societies may not be able to withstand
\nunexpected changes in the environment and the potential social
\nimpact," Koumura said.<\/p>\n
"Only by doing so can we ensure globalization that is kind and
\ngentle to humankind... A market economy with a human face".<\/p>",
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