ASEAN Troika not designed for Maluku, says Alwi Shihab<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (JP): Indonesia affirmed on Tuesday its support for
\nthe newly formed ASEAN Troika mechanism designed to cope with
\ntransborder issues, but stressed that it would not accept the new
\nmechanism in the bloody sectarian conflict in its eastern Maluku
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab underlined
\nthat the troika was not a suitable issue to warrant the mediation
\nof the ASEAN Troika, while asserting that the Maluku issue was a
\nwholly domestic problem.<\/p>\n
The two-day meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, which ended on
\nTuesday, saw an agreement to establish the ASEAN Troika to help
\nface and resolve domestic issues which may have regional
\nimplications.<\/p>\n
However, the troika will still base its work on consensus, and
\nthus any one of the 10 ASEAN member states has the option of
\nrejecting the intercession of the troika if it considers the
\nmatter to be an internal affair.<\/p>\n
Alwi said that the troika would likely be more appropriate in
\nhandling problems such as drug trafficking, forest fires and
\nhaze.<\/p>\n
\"The troika can be used to solve these problems because it
\ninvolves other countries,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
Alwi then reasserted that Indonesia would be willing to
\nconsider technical assistance in the case of Maluku.<\/p>\n
\"Humanitarian relief maybe, not personnel in terms of military
\nforces.\"<\/p>\n
Terms<\/p>\n
The idea of a troika was agreed upon during the informal ASEAN
\nsummit in Manila last year.<\/p>\n
In the past two days, the ministers agreed to a set of
\nprinciples and terms of how the troika would work.<\/p>\n
In its document on the troika, the ASEAN ministers agreed that
\nthe purpose of this ad hoc committee would be to \"enable ASEAN to
\naddress in a timely manner urgent and important regional
\npolitical and security issues and situations of common concern
\nlikely to disturb the regional peace and harmony\".<\/p>\n
However, under the scope of the troika's, it was also stated
\nthat it \"shall refrain from addressing issues that constitute the
\ninternal affairs of ASEAN member countries\".<\/p>\n
Thai foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan, who presided over the
\nmeetings as ASEAN chairman, said that he could give no specific
\nexamples that could warrant the enactment of the new mechanism.
\nHe merely gave the nature and criteria of issues which are
\n\"common\", \"threatening\" and \"urgent\" as those which might need
\nthe intervention of the troika.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that there were still \"limitations\" on how far
\nthe troika could go, given the ability of individual member
\nstates to reject it.<\/p>\n
\"But we agreed that through the process of consultations we
\nwould gradually agree on the emergency nature of the issue, or
\nthe spill over effect of the issue and would be able to respond,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The effectiveness of the troika, which comprises the current,
\npast and future ASEAN chair, would depend very much on the
\nability of the current chairman, who officially has been given a
\ngreat deal of leeway to examine various issues.<\/p>\n
If there is an objection over the role of the troika, the
\nchair can then call for the a meeting of the 10 foreign ministers
\nto further discuss the issue.<\/p>\n
Surin seemed to relish the idea of being given that much
\nlatitude in looking at various issues, admitting that \"I wish I
\nhad that much latitude during the past year ... It would have
\nbeen a different chairmanship\".<\/p>\n
When pressed further on the lack of clear guidelines of how
\nthe troika would work, particularly the definitions of issues in
\nwhich it could be invoked, Surin replied: \"This is as best as we
\ncan explain and contemplate prior to the real situation
\nhappening\".<\/p>\n
He admitted that the birth of the troika was in large part due
\nto the perceived waning influence of ASEAN.<\/p>\n
\"Some have said that the ASEAN organization, particularly
\nafter the crisis, is not relevant, is not capable, not effective.
\nAnd we are addressing that very perception,\" he asserted.<\/p>\n
\"The troika is just one effort to make it worthy of your
\nconfidence.\" (mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-troika-not-designed-for-maluku-says-alwi-shihab-1447893297",
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