ASEAN stands firm on noninterference<\/p>\n
MANILA (Agencies): Top officials denounced yesterday calls for
\nthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to drop its
\ntaboos against non-interference, maintaining only the Philippines
\nand Thailand backed such a radical switch.<\/p>\n
\"Non-interference has always been at the very core of our
\nguidelines,\" said Nugroho Wisnumurti, an Indonesian Foreign
\nMinistry spokesman at the meeting of the ASEAN Standing
\nCommittee. \"There is no reason for a change.\"<\/p>\n
The start of ASEAN's 31st Annual Ministerial Meeting, hosted
\nby the Philippines, was overshadowed by negative reactions to the
\nmoves to motivate members of the nine-member grouping to speak
\nfreely and criticize each other.<\/p>\n
Lauro Baja, Philippine foreign affairs undersecretary who was
\nchairman of the senior officials' session, told a news conference
\nthe consensus was against the proposal but it would not be
\nimmediately shelved. \"The foreign ministers have a greater
\nlatitude and greater freedom of thought than the senior
\nofficials,\" and will resume the discussions July 23.<\/p>\n
The Philippines and Thailand have openly advocated a shift
\nfrom non-intervention to \"flexible engagement,\" which would
\nprovide ASEAN member countries greater opportunities to become
\ninvolved in issues occurring in another member country.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, however, has opposed any change.<\/p>\n
The proposed shift comes as Southeast Asian countries are
\nbecoming more aware that problems in one nation -- such as
\ncurrency devaluations, political unrest or environmental
\ndegradation -- often affect its neighbors.<\/p>\n
The shift would make it easier, for example, for ASEAN members
\nto talk to Indonesia about its forest fires, which each year
\nblanket much of the region in dangerous haze.<\/p>\n
The non-intervention policy, adopted by ASEAN since its birth
\nin 1967, has long been a sensitive issue because of non-
\ndemocratic governments in some countries belonging to the group.<\/p>\n
Change<\/p>\n
The policy change is one of several contentious issues being
\ndiscussed this week by the senior officials, who are preparing
\nthe formal agenda for ASEAN foreign ministers who hold their
\nannual meeting in Manila on July 24 to 25.<\/p>\n
Easing the Asian currency havoc, preventing further nuclear
\ntests, encouraging honest and fair elections in Cambodia and
\nbattling transnational crime are among the top issues to be
\ntackled during the meetings with dialog partners through July 29.<\/p>\n
Baja denied Pakistan would be sending an emissary to the talks
\nto speak out against the strong statement ASEAN plans to issue
\ncondemning the series of nuclear tests carried out in May by
\nrivals India and Pakistan.<\/p>\n
Pakistan has no links with ASEAN but India is a dialog partner
\nand is carrying on an intense lobbying campaign in a bid to
\nremove the statement condemning the tests and urging both nations
\nto sign the treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and
\nthe comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty \"without delay\".<\/p>\n
Turmoil<\/p>\n
Both the Philippines and Thailand maintain more candid
\ndiscussions are essential to ward off fresh bouts of turmoil
\nresulting from the region's economic crisis and other touchy
\nissues such as refugees fleeing Myanmar and Cambodia.<\/p>\n
\"The first thing we must do is define intervention,\" said
\nNyunt Maung, a Myanmar delegate. \"If it focuses on political
\nissues, it's not all right.\"<\/p>\n
Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has urged the
\ninternational community to back her demand that the parliament
\nelected in 1990 be allowed to convene by Aug. 21.<\/p>\n
Although Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called
\nfor a review of ASEAN's non-intervention policy last year, the
\nsenior officials from Kuala Lumpur said their talks with other
\ndelegations showed all members except Thailand and the
\nPhilippines opposed any change.<\/p>\n
ASEAN groups Brunei, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,
\nSingapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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