ASEAN gearing up for future challenges<\/p>\n
Kavi Chongkittavorn, The Nation, Asia News Network\/Bangkok<\/p>\n
ASEAN is moving forward to strengthen its identity, despite
\nuncertainties and divergences among member countries. To do so,
\nthe group must cope with difficult future challenges posed by
\nexternal and regional exigencies in a more complex world. ASEAN
\nmembers may have to change some of their habits and mind-sets.
\nBut can they?<\/p>\n
In the months to come, the international community will find
\nout. When ASEAN leaders meet their counterparts from Japan,
\nChina, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand for the
\ninaugural East Asian Summit (EAS) on Dec. 14 in Kuala Lumpur,
\nthey will be entering an uncharted sea.<\/p>\n
Often asked is whether East Asia can become a place for more
\nstrategic dialogue or if an East Asian Community can be
\nestablished.<\/p>\n
When Japan proposed the idea of an East Asian Community three
\nyears ago, it envisaged a much bigger community-building process
\nthat would link the region with the broader Asia-Pacific: The
\nparticipation of Australia and New Zealand as well as India would
\ncomplement this idea. Yet as the discussions grew thick and the
\nEAS loomed closer on the horizon, it became clear that such
\ngrandiose community-building in the broader East Asia region
\nwould not be possible.<\/p>\n
At first, hopes were high that ASEAN would be more
\naccommodating in allowing non-ASEAN EAS founders to do more and
\nin the process gradually transform the EAS into a region-wide
\nforum for community-building.<\/p>\n
But ASEAN leaders will again reiterate that the much-heralded
\nEAS should be just a strategic dialogue forum with a loose
\nstructure and no fixed agenda. They will not speak of
\nestablishing a secretariat, as Malaysia has suggested. ASEAN will
\nlead and chair the future meetings, very much to the chagrin of
\nJapan. In a nutshell, ASEAN will be calling the shots, as it
\nalways has done in the ASEAN Regional Forum.<\/p>\n
ASEAN leaders see the EAS as an Asian-type G-8 meeting, which
\nwill take up specific themes or issues, including invitations of
\nspecific guests. For example in the past year China and India
\nwere invited to join in G-8 discussions.<\/p>\n
To reaffirm ASEAN's position, ASEAN leaders will sign the
\nDeclaration on the ASEAN Plus Three Summit one day ahead of their
\nEAS meeting. The document will make sure that the process that
\nbegan in 1992 continues. New ASEAN members have been demanding
\nthat the ASEAN meeting with China, Japan and South Korea be the
\nmain driving force and not be diluted in any way by the new
\nforum.<\/p>\n
At the summit, a group of eminent persons will be beginning
\nthe preparations for the drafting of a constitution for ASEAN.
\nThe group will study future scenarios for ASEAN beyond the
\ncurrent action plan for 2020. Whatever the group agrees to will
\nbe reflected in the ASEAN charter. Five of the core ASEAN members
\nhave already applied to be part of the group.<\/p>\n
The group is expected to complete a charter within a year.
\nAlready a draft has been completed by the ASEAN Secretariat in
\nJakarta. It encompasses important elements found in all ASEAN
\ndocuments, including action plans.<\/p>\n
In recent years ASEAN states have realized that they have to
\nwork closer together to tackle common problems, especially
\nserious cross-border issues such as terrorism, haze, people- and
\ndrug-smuggling, and contagious diseases such as bird flu and
\nSars. The charter will facilitate cooperation on such issues, and
\nat the top of the agenda will be agreement on the ASEAN
\nConvention on Counter-Terrorism, which will allow speedy
\nextradition of persons involved in terrorist acts.<\/p>\n
Through increased cooperation, some of the key ASEAN members,
\nsuch as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, hope
\nthat the member countries will talk less about the non-
\ninterference principle and opt for practical approaches. The
\ndiscreet pressure from ASEAN governments and MPs on Burma was
\ncited as a good example. As host of the AES, Malaysia has an
\nambitious plan to turn ASEAN into a hub of globalization and
\nengagement with major powers. Not long ago Prime Minister
\nAbdullah Badawi said he would like to see ASEAN be more open and
\ndown to earth. He is now working to make sure that this happens.<\/p>\n
At the summit, Malaysia has scheduled a 15-minute meeting
\nbetween the representatives from ASEAN civil-society
\norganizations and the ASEAN leaders. It will be the first such
\nmajor encounter, underscoring the host's desire to make ASEAN
\nless elitist. There are at least 50 non-government organizations
\nregistered with ASEAN, but only a few, such as ASEAN-ISIS and the
\nASEAN University Network, are recognized and enjoy regular
\ncontact with ASEAN leaders.<\/p>\n
One of the greatest challenges ASEAN faces is how to
\nrestructure the future of ASEAN-China relations. Early this year
\na group of eminent persons was set up to prepare a report to be
\npresented to ASEAN leaders at the Kuala Lumpur summit. Likely to
\nbe recommended in the report is the idea that ASEAN should figure
\nout how the grouping can use strong ASEAN-China relations to
\nattract dialogue partners like the US and EU so that these blocks
\ntoo can forge closer ties with ASEAN.<\/p>",
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