ASEAN's noninterference principle to be tested<\/p>\n
Bantarto Bandoro, Editor, 'The Indonesian Quarterly',
\nCentre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta,
\nbandoro@csis.or.id<\/p>\n
Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) are convening for their annual meeting in Phnom
\nPenh. The meeting takes place at the height of political problems
\noccurring in Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi, the prodemocracy leader,
\nhas been detained following violent clashes between her
\nsupporters and a progovernment mob.<\/p>\n
Her detention has thrown further doubt on the process of
\ndemocracy in Myanmar. Its junta government is under pressure to
\nrelease the opposition leader. The United Nations has sent its
\nenvoy to Myanmar, while the U.S. is threatening to impose new
\nsanctions against Myanmar should Yangon not release Suu Kyi.<\/p>\n
The issue of Myanmar has been on the regional agenda even
\nbefore its admittance into ASEAN. Now that Myanmar is a part of
\nASEAN's activities, its internal problems will be more exposed.
\nASEAN has always hoped for a peaceful change and reconciliation
\nto break the political stalemate.<\/p>\n
ASEAN, too, perhaps has to be more alert as the political
\ndevelopments in Myanmar should not destabilize the region or
\nASEAN's regional cooperation. The question now is whether ASEAN,
\nwhich has been together more than three decades, is willing to
\nspeak out louder against Suu Kyi's arrest, thus making the
\nMyanmar problem one of ASEAN's.<\/p>\n
During his visit to Myanmar, UN special envoy to Myanmar
\nRazali Ismail said that various approaches had not worked so far,
\nand neither had the western government's direct pressure nor the
\n\"softly, softly\" engagement line pursued by Malaysian Prime
\nMinister Mahathir Mohamad. It is for these reasons that the envoy
\ncalled for action from Myanmar's nine partners in ASEAN in
\nparticular, as well as India, Japan and China.<\/p>\n
The concerns of some of the members of the international
\ncommunity over the detention of Myanmar's opposition leader
\nreflects the belief that progress toward democratic development
\nin the region as a whole cannot be halted. ASEAN's regional
\ncooperation and its cooperation with other extraregional entities
\nshould not be held hostage to Myanmar's domestic problems. It is
\nthe hope of ASEAN that the political situation in Myanmar will
\nnot hamper the coming Phnom Penh ministerial meeting.<\/p>\n
Should the situation in Myanmar worsen, no one can guarantee
\nthat the issue of Myanmar will not destabilize the region. As
\nASEAN concentrates on maintaining security and stability in the
\nregion, its view on the Myanmar problem is that the generals in
\nYangon have to relax political control and start reforms or
\nthings will deteriorate.<\/p>\n
The problem with Myanmar is that the regime is incapable of
\ninitiating a change from within, nor has external pressure forced
\nthe junta to drop its repressive policies. But this is not to say
\nthat ASEAN has no room to exert pressure on the regime in Yangon
\nto bring the issue to a closed-door meeting among ASEAN member
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Being the pillar of regional stability, ASEAN is definitely
\nnot in a position to sacrifice its regional security just by
\nletting developments in Myanmar undermine the basic fundamentals
\nof Southeast Asian regional cooperation and collaboration.<\/p>\n
What used to be regarded as unthinkable from the bloc, that is
\noutspoken statements by ASEAN, now have to be made thinkable if
\nASEAN is to be seen as more mature and credible in solving their
\ninternal political problems.<\/p>\n
It is in a way understandable why ASEAN has so far been of
\nlittle significance to the solution for Myanmar's domestic
\nproblems. ASEAN, hamstrung by its noninterference principle, has
\nbeen largely silent. It has been even more silent with regard to
\nthe current developments in Myanmar. ASEAN Secretary-General Ong
\nKeng Yong made its stance clear during his visit to Kuala Lumpur
\nlast week when he said \"you cannot go in and tell your family
\nmember you cannot do this, you cannot do that\". This kind of
\nobservation is a manifestation of ASEAN's unchanged commitment
\ntoward its sacred noninterference principle.<\/p>\n
ASEAN has to be aware of the fact that it is living in a more
\ntransparent and challenging world, meaning there will be room for
\ncertain international issues to intrude, undetectedly, into their
\ndomestic setting. Therefore, regional political collaboration is
\nimperative if ASEAN is to avoid serious repercussions from this
\nintrusion. A more challenging world is also sending out the
\nmessage that a policy of inaction does no good for regional
\ncooperation.<\/p>\n
Perhaps, because of the current developments in Myanmar and
\nother international issues, such as terrorism, it is about time
\nthat ASEAN abandoned its principle of noninterference, so that
\nASEAN's ability in the future to solve its internal problems can
\nbe improved.<\/p>\n
It might not be appropriate for ASEAN to drop the principle
\nfrom ASEAN's protocol of solving regional problems, but with
\nrapid regional and global development and their implications,
\nASEAN cannot just let itself become a spectator in these
\ndevelopments. Myanmar is only one example where ASEAN has been
\nquite silent. ASEAN has to explore ways in which to break the
\nstalemate in Yangon.<\/p>\n
It is against this background that our Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Hassan Wirayuda was reported as saying that Indonesia
\nplans to propose an ASEAN security community to discuss internal
\nproblems as an advanced political cooperation among ASEAN member
\ncountries. The principles in the current ASEAN cooperation have
\nprovided the basis for this security community, but these
\nprinciples would have to be adjusted to the reality of regional
\npolitics.<\/p>\n
How should ASEAN treat its principle of noninterference in the
\nframework of a security community? Its members would have to
\ndecide whether this principle was still relevant, or whether the
\nprinciple should continue to be the main feature of ASEAN's
\nsecurity community.<\/p>",
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