Dialog on security gains momentum<\/p>\n
By Jusuf Wanandi<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE: The first ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional
\nForum (ARF) held in Bangkok in July last year agreed to continue
\nthe process of consultation and dialogs on political and security
\nissues in the Asia Pacific region. The ministers' meeting in
\nBrunei last week and the continuing talks this week further
\nconsolidated the process.<\/p>\n
First, the recent meeting provides greater opportunity for a
\nmore thorough discussion on security issues of the region -- a
\nwhole day was devoted to the meeting instead of the three hours
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Security issues in the region that received attention included
\ndevelopments on the Korean Peninsula, problems in the South China
\nSea and internal developments in Cambodia and Myanmar -- issues
\nwhich were discussed in an open and positive manner.<\/p>\n
Efforts to find a solution received encouragement and support,
\nthrough the Indonesian series of workshops on confidence building
\nmeasures in the South China Sea.<\/p>\n
The efforts of ASEAN to formulate and accept a code of conduct
\nin the South China Sea based on ASEAN'S Manila Declaration of
\n1992 have also been recognized.<\/p>\n
Developments on the Korean Peninsula have been reported and
\nthe improvements in Myanmar with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi
\nhave been acknowledged and further actions towards political
\ndevelopments encouraged.<\/p>\n
Some real apprehensions and protest were also delivered at
\nnuclear testing in the region, both by China and France,
\nespecially at a critical junction immediately after the unlimited
\nextension of the NPT (Nuclear Proliferation Treaty) and the
\nfinalization of the CTBT (Complete Test Ban Treaty) in 1996.<\/p>\n
In relation to this development, the idea of a Southeast Asia
\nNuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEA-NWFZ) to be proposed by ASEAN in
\nthe near future to the other regional countries, especially the
\nnuclear powers, to strengthen the NPT regime has also been
\ndiscussed.<\/p>\n
Second, this meeting has been able to define some
\norganizational principles concerning the ARF, including goals and
\nexpectations, pace, direction, method and approach, participation
\nand the implementation of ideas and proposals.<\/p>\n
A host of issues, first thrashed out and agreed upon by ASEAN
\nsenior officials at the ARF meeting, were later submitted to the
\nASEAN ministers for their consideration.<\/p>\n
In the context, ASEAN's method of consensus and step-by-step
\napproach have been accepted.<\/p>\n
Some concrete measures to be taken by the ARF were accepted
\nand proposed for implementation. These included a recommendation
\nto encourage all ARF countries to enhance dialog on security
\nperceptions, either undertaken bilaterally, sub-regionally or
\nregionally, as well as to submit on a voluntary basis an annual
\nstatement of their defense policy to the ARF or the ARF senior
\nofficials' meeting.<\/p>\n
The benefits of increased high-level contacts and exchanges
\nbetween the military and academics, and staff colleges and
\ntraining have been widely recognized.<\/p>\n
The meeting took note of the increased participation by some
\nARF members in the UN Conventional Arms Register since the first
\nARF meeting, and has encouraged those not yet participating to do
\nso.<\/p>\n
These are measures aimed at confidence-building and increasing
\ntransparency. It was encouraging that the ARF agreed to implement
\nsome confidence-building measures.<\/p>\n
The meeting agreed to set up working groups which will meet in
\nbetween annual ministers' meeting. These groups will work
\nespecially on confidence-building through dialog on security
\nperceptions and defense policy papers, as well as on cooperative
\nactivities such as peace-keeping and search-and-rescue
\noperations.<\/p>\n
Third, the role of "second-track" activities is being
\nrecognized and cooperation through the chairman of ARF is being
\nencouraged.<\/p>\n
This is an important decision, because longer-term issues
\nshould be studied first by the second-track participants before
\nthey will be taken up by ARF.<\/p>\n
Second-track activities are those undertaken by strategic and
\nresearch institutions attended by officials in their private
\ncapacities.<\/p>\n
Fourth, the activities of ARF are seen in the light of the
\nARF's longer-term objective of becoming a mechanism, or process,
\nfor conflict resolution in the region.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, confidence-building measures and preventive
\ndiplomacy are the main approaches. Some can be undertaken
\nimmediately by the ARF. Others, of a more medium-term nature,
\nshould be studied and discussed first by the second-track.<\/p>\n
Fifth, ASEAN's pivotal role in the process is being recognized
\nby both the more "impatient" Western members and China.<\/p>\n
It is now up to the next chairman, Indonesian, to further the
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
On membership, for instance, following Cambodia's admittance
\nat this meeting, the chair should suggest how the ARF should deal
\nwith other applicants such as India, Pakistan, Mongolia, North
\nKorea, Kazakhstan and Kyrghystan.<\/p>\n
The other agenda item is to lay down more definite principles
\nof cooperation such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC)
\nthat was recognized in the first ARF ministers' meeting as
\nembodying the ideals and principles for regional conduct.<\/p>\n
In addition, more concrete proposals need to be made on
\nconfidence-building measures and cooperative efforts on peace-
\nkeeping and search-and-rescue.<\/p>\n
ASEAN is in a unique position to move forward the dialog on
\npolitical security and cooperation in the Asia Pacific region.<\/p>\n
Not only has it developed ideas on comprehensive and
\ncooperative security, but it has been able to show how a diverse
\nregion such as Southeast Asia has become a "community of security
\ninterests".<\/p>\n
However, to maintain leadership, ASEAN must strengthen
\ncooperation among its members and work hard together with all the
\nARF members to keep up the momentum.<\/p>\n
It now is an accepted fact that the ARF is not only going to
\nstay, but is progressing steadily.<\/p>\n
The article was reprinted from the Business Times, Aug. 2,
\n1995. The writer is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the
\nCentre for Strategic and International Studies based in Jakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dialog-on-security-gains-momentum-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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