ASEAN senior officials discuss Pacific Concord<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Senior officials from the Association of
\nSoutheast Nations (ASEAN) yesterday explored the possibility of
\nensuring even greater regional security by establishing a Pacific
\nConcord and a Code of Conduct for the Spratlys.<\/p>\n
The proposal for the establishment of the Concord and the Code
\nwas presented by non-government experts at the ASEAN think tank
\nknown as the ASEAN-ISIS. The group is often referred to as
\n'track-two'.<\/p>\n
The Pacific Concord would be similar to that of the existing
\nTreaty of Amity of Cooperation, but wider in scope in order to
\naccommodate the participants of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).<\/p>\n
The Pacific Concord is proposed in the expectation that it
\nwould set in motion the establishment of principles and norms to
\ngovern security and political cooperation in the Asia Pacific
\nregion.<\/p>\n
The need for the Concord comes from the continuing disputes
\namong ASEAN members on whether non-member states would in the
\nfuture be allowed to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.<\/p>\n
\"We have now received input from the 'track-two' which
\nproposes this method,\" the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's Director
\nGeneral of Political Affairs Izhar Ibrahim said yesterday.<\/p>\n
He maintained, however, that officials have yet to deliberate
\non the matter and that no decision has been taken by the meeting.<\/p>\n
The Concord includes adherence to the principles of non-
\ninterference in domestic affairs, the right to choose political
\nand economic doctrines, and respect for each others' territorial
\nintegrity.<\/p>\n
The discussion on the issue was held during the second day of
\nthe three-day ASEAN senior officials meeting. It featured
\nrepresentatives of the Jakarta-based Center for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies, including Jusuf Wanandi, Hadi Susastro and
\nKusnanto Anggoro.<\/p>\n
ASEAN, a regional grouping formed in 1967, comprises Brunei,
\nIndonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
\nVietnam.<\/p>\n
In July 1993, it established the ARF as a multilateral
\nsecurity consultative forum which includes Australia, Cambodia,
\nCanada, China, the European Union, Japan, Laos, New Zealand,
\nPapua New Guinea, Russia, South Korea and the United States.<\/p>\n
A second important proposal presented by representatives from
\nthe think-tank yesterday was a Code of Conduct for the Spratlys.<\/p>\n
The code is designed to help contribute to the promotion of
\nstable regional order in the South China Sea.<\/p>\n
Four ASEAN states, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and
\nVietnam, along with non-members China and Taiwan have overlapping
\nclaims in the area.<\/p>\n
The fundamental principles of the code could be based on the
\nexisting multilateral agreements such as United Nations
\nconventions and other ASEAN treaties.<\/p>\n
The experts said the code should include renunciation of the
\nuse of force, and the need for self-restraint so that no more
\nexpansionist attempts are made in the area. It should also
\nexplore cooperation on peaceful uses of the South China Sea and
\nagreement that disputes would not affect the development of
\nnormal bilateral relations.<\/p>\n
Izhar said the experts' proposals \"would be considered\" and
\nacknowledged that they had not been fully deliberated on by the
\ngovernment officials during the meeting.<\/p>\n
\"Generally, there's an agreement to let the 'track-two'
\ncontinue because its decisions are not binding,\" he said. \"If
\nthere are good ones, we can take them up.\" (mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-senior-officials-discuss-pacific-concord-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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