ASEAN engagement the right step<\/p>\n
Alexander C. Chandra, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The recent Regional Conference on Civil Society Engagement in
\nthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was a step
\nforward towards the process of democratization and openness in
\nASEAN. The conference that was held in Bangkok, on Oct. 3-5,
\n2005, raised fundamental questions for Southeast Asian civil
\nsociety organizations (CSOs) and\/or non-governmental
\norganizations (NGOs) on the relevance in engaging themselves with
\na regional grouping that was traditionally known for its
\nundemocratic and exclusive nature.<\/p>\n
Since its establishment in 1967, this was this first time that
\nASEAN had begun to show interest in allowing greater
\nparticipation of CSOs in its decision-making processes. This was
\nnot, of course, the first time the Association had engaged itself
\nwith non-state actors. Since the early 1980s, ASEAN has allowed
\nnumerous Southeast Asian NGOs to be affiliated with its
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
In addition, with the push from the ASEAN Institute for
\nInternational and Strategic Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), an umbrella
\nnetworking group amongst several influential academic think-tanks
\nthroughout the region, ASEAN had also allowed itself to interact
\nwith NGOs and CSOs through the initiation of the ASEAN's People
\nAssembly (APA) that has been held four times since 2000.<\/p>\n
However, the relation between NGOs and CSOs with ASEAN had
\nfailed to generate substantial changes on the way in which these
\ngroups were able to influence the modus-operandi of the
\nAssociation.<\/p>\n
The attendance of ASEAN's senior officials and even its
\nsecretary-general, Ong Keng Yong, at this year's conference was
\nan indication of the Association's rising interest in allowing
\ngreater participation of civil society groups in its decision-
\nmaking process.<\/p>\n
There were three key questions raised during the Conference,
\nall of which were relevant in addressing civil society's
\nengagement with ASEAN.<\/p>\n
The first was the way in which Southeast Asian civil society
\ngroups could size up ASEAN as a platform for their advocacy.<\/p>\n
The second was the entry point in terms of policy issues and
\nmechanisms for civil society groups' participation in ASEAN
\ndecision-making processes.<\/p>\n
The third was the specific steps that can be taken by civil
\nsociety groups to pursue viable engagements with ASEAN.<\/p>\n
Amongst some of the issues brought forward into the discussion
\nwere the potential ability of ASEAN to set the pace of
\ndevelopment in the Southeast Asian region, the possible expansion
\nof ASEAN into ASEAN plus China, Japan and South Korea, the
\npolicy-making process in ASEAN, trade and economic issues,
\nconflict prevention, human rights issues and media. And the
\nhottest issue was Myanmar's political situation.<\/p>\n
It was, of course, a difficult task for civil society groups
\nto reach commonality amongst themselves within short period of
\ninteraction. The variety of civil society groups that attended
\nthe Conference was, particularly, responsible for such
\ndifficulty.<\/p>\n
To start with, every single civil society has different
\nconcerns and interests in engaging itself with ASEAN. Apart from
\nthat, not all civil society groups attended this Conference were
\nfully aware of the traditions, culture and mechanisms of ASEAN.<\/p>\n
Initially, many of these groups expressed pessimism towards
\nthe way in which the Association could actually improve the well-
\nbeing of Southeast Asian people. Some activists even openly
\nquestioned ASEAN's ability to accommodate their interests in
\nlight of its cardinal principle of non-interference. This last
\nissue was often seen as an element that undermined ASEAN's role
\nin advancing the interests of Southeast Asian people.<\/p>\n
Civil society groups advocating human rights and Burma issues,
\nfor example, were convinced that the non-interference principle
\nhad been the key stumbling block for ASEAN in resolving many
\nhuman rights abuses in the region.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, many groups advocating trade and economic related
\nissues were also concerned about the way in which this principle
\nhad allowed each individual ASEAN member country to undertake a
\nbilateral free trade agreement strategy with non-ASEAN member
\ncountries. It was seen as a move that might undermine the
\ncohesion of the regional grouping.<\/p>\n
Despite these concerns and pessimism towards ASEAN, there
\nseemed to be a consensus amongst representatives of Southeast
\nAsian civil society groups that it was, indeed, necessary for
\nthese groups to engage themselves with ASEAN. After all, ASEAN's
\nfailure to fulfill the aspirations of these civil society groups
\nin the past was not only due to the lack of pressure by these
\ngroups towards ASEAN, but also due to the limited interactions
\nbetween both sides.<\/p>\n
Southeast Asian Civil society groups would certainly welcome
\nfurther efforts by ASEAN to open itself up and to allow much
\ngreater participation of non-governmental actors in its decision-
\nmaking processes. The next challenge for these groups is to
\nidentify the way in which they could assist ASEAN in resolving
\nproblems that confront the region.<\/p>\n
The writer is the research coordinator at the Institute of
\nGlobal Justice (IGJ) in Jakarta.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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