Gathering ASEAN<\/p>\n
Leaders of 10 Southeast Asian countries gather in Vientiane
\ntoday for what has become an annual frat party for the regional
\ngrouping known as ASEAN.<\/p>\n
Skeptics will look down on this vigil as a self-absorbed meet-
\nand-greet that only has value as a public relations exercise for
\nan association that has become more prosaic with age. Mannered
\nand out of reach of the man on the street, this staged event is
\nfar away from the often gritty lives of the region's 400 million
\ninhabitants.<\/p>\n
It is no surprise, therefore, that after nearly four decades,
\nthe gallery of ASEAN watchers currently comprises more cynics
\nthan converts. The derision of the unbelievers is well-founded.
\nExcept for professionals connected with the grouping, few
\nbelievers could easily explain how ASEAN has benefited their
\nlives.<\/p>\n
But expectations, especially elevated ones, are often
\ncontrived in a vacuum. And critics frequently focus on what
\nshould be and conveniently neglect what might have been.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN summits -- past, current and future -- serve a more
\nprofound, yet less obvious purpose than as mere photo-ops for
\nleaders on the front pages of this and other regional newspapers.<\/p>\n
For Southeast Asians it is now impossible to talk of regional
\npolitics, or to imagine a world without ASEAN -- even if most
\npeople don't know what it is. We take for granted the peace that
\nhas prevailed and allowed most of the founding ASEAN members to
\nbecome economic tigers in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
It is the empathy brought about by contacts in the grouping
\nthat has averted a region, which has no prior history of peaceful
\ncooperation or dispute settlement, from instability.<\/p>\n
For host governments of this annual event, the summit meetings
\nare a political showcase. An opportunity to turn up the spotlight
\non the country's place in the world and emphasize the country's
\nstanding in global politics. For small states like Laos, hosting
\nthe summit is a landmark achievement and a source of national
\npride.<\/p>\n
The significance of summit diplomacy is another merit that
\nshould not easily be dismissed. The close interaction between our
\nleaders -- the people who shape the fate of our respective
\nnations -- is key to the maintenance of amiable inter-state ties.<\/p>\n
These men and women set the tone for one nation's perception
\nof another. Their personal chemistry helps expedite possible
\nimpasses or can complicate them. At the very least, by their
\ncommon association in the grouping, the prevailing internal
\nmechanisms will not easily allow a relationship between member
\nstates to lapse into open conflict.<\/p>\n
Some 32 documents are set to be discussed and endorsed during
\nthe latest summit and its preceding ministerial meetings. Most
\nare beyond the comprehension or interest of the average Southeast
\nAsian.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, like it or not, the shape of Southeast Asia --
\nIndonesia's front-yard -- is being determined in these meetings.
\nWith the endorsement of the summit, a blueprint for an ASEAN
\nCommunity will be laid out; an idealistic road-map for the
\nbetterment of the peoples in the region.<\/p>\n
It is pleasing to note the continued goodwill within ASEAN
\nand, more importantly, its evolution -- an ability to more
\nfrankly discuss down-to-earth issues.<\/p>\n
It is extremely encouraging that ASEAN is now considering
\nprinciples that a few years ago would have been considered taboo.
\nIssues such as political development, the environment and welfare
\nare now often on the table. What is still needed, however, is the
\ntranslation of these lofty visions into practical ideas and a
\ncommon language.<\/p>\n
It would be to much to hope that ASEAN directly and openly
\nintervenes in news-driven issues such as continued repression of
\npolitical activists in certain member states. But there is hope
\nthat as ASEAN matures new values will pervade.<\/p>\n
Values that every man, woman, and child -- whether in
\nVientiane or Jakarta -- can identify with. Values that will
\nproudly identify them as ASEAN citizens.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gathering-asean-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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