ASEAN told to abondon non-interference policy<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AFP): Southeast Asian nations should change their
\npolicy of non-interference in other member countries where
\ninternal political problems have regional implications, former
\nPhilippine president Fidel Ramos suggested on Friday.<\/p>\n
He said the tradition of non-interference in domestic affairs
\namong member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN) was useful in the early years when the grouping was
\nbuilding up mutual confidence.<\/p>\n
But now, Ramos said, this "seems to have hobbled the
\nassociation, preventing it from taking purposeful action," he
\ntold a forum at the National University of Singapore.<\/p>\n
Ramos, who stepped down in 1998 at the end of his six-year
\nterm, cited the political crisis in Indonesia, and the East Timor
\nproblem in particular, as well as the Spratly islands dispute in
\nthe South China Sea as examples of ASEAN's weakness in responding
\nforcefully to domestic issues.<\/p>\n
"Just now, ASEAN's reputation is at an ebb," he lamented.
\n"Doubts are being expressed -- in the light of recent events --
\nabout its effectiveness," he said.<\/p>\n
Thailand and the Philippines have called for a re-examination
\nof ASEAN's non-interference policy, arguing that domestic events
\nin one ASEAN member state could adversely affect its neighbors.<\/p>\n
During the East Timor troubles late last year, Ramos said
\nASEAN -- deferring to Jakarta -- "ended up passively supporting
\nthe intervention of the Western powers led by the assertive
\nAustralians."<\/p>\n
Militias, backed by members of the Indonesian armed forces,
\nconducted a violent campaign of murder and intimidation in East
\nTimor in the month leading to an August 30 referendum on East
\nTimor's future.<\/p>\n
The violence worsened after the ballot in which East Timorese
\nvoted overwhelmingly for independence from Indonesia, which
\ninvaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975.<\/p>\n
More recently, Ramos said disputes over the Spratlys among
\nthree of the four Southeast Asian claimants were complicating
\nASEAN's efforts to respond in concert to China's incursions into
\nthe South China Sea.<\/p>\n
When asked about the possibility of ASEAN mediating in a
\nbrewing China-Taiwan dispute, he said: "ASEAN should not get in
\nthere unless it is asked."<\/p>\n
"On the other hand, we have to monitor what's going on because
\nthe new world order is very fragile," he added.<\/p>\n
Southeast Asia must become more closely integrated and ASEAN
\nmember states must seek a new balance between national
\nsovereignty and regional purpose.<\/p>\n
Any involvement by Southeast Asian countries in neighbors'
\ndomestic affairs with regional implications would be "the natural
\nconsequence of growing Southeast Asian integration."<\/p>\n
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam are the members
\nof ASEAN laying claim to all or part of the Spratlys, along with
\nChina and Taiwan.<\/p>\n
The other ASEAN members are Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
\nMyanmar, Singapore and Thailand.<\/p>\n
"ASEAN is not -- and was not -- meant to be a supranational
\nentity acting independently of its members. It makes no laws and
\nit has neither powers of enforcement nor a judicial system,"
\nRamos said.<\/p>\n
"Having said that, I must also say that, over these next few
\nyears, ASEAN must change, if it is to keep pace with Southeast
\nAsia's evolving circumstances," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-told-to-abondon-non-interference-policy-1447893297",
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