How do national, regional resilience link?<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Is national resilience and regional resilience
\nmutually exclusive or mutually interdependent?<\/p>\n
This question was raised yesterday in a discussion jointly
\nsponsored by the Lembaga Pengkajian Strategis Indonesia, a
\nprivate center for strategic studies founded by former minister
\nRudini, and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.<\/p>\n
Former governor of the National Defense Institute Soebijakto
\nsaid Indonesia has always opposed the setting up of a defense
\npact with other countries.<\/p>\n
This fact will somehow hamper efforts to turn the Asian
\nRegional Forum into an institutional body, he said referring to
\nthe forum which was founded in Singapore in July this year.<\/p>\n
\"The result is that it will become a forum where participants
\njust talk about security issues, said Soebijakto, who is the
\nLembaga chief executive. \"This is deemed ineffective in resolving
\nconflicts.\"<\/p>\n
Dr. Bernhard Dahm, a German professor from Passau University,
\nreinforced Soebijakto's view, saying that national resilience and
\nregional resilience is mutually exclusive.<\/p>\n
Dr. Dahm who has made an in-depth study on national identity
\nin Southeast Asia said the basic element of national resilience
\nis found in culture and that national resilience is indeed strong
\nin the region.<\/p>\n
Citing Vietnam as an example, Dahm said the country would
\nnever be willing to compromise on questions affecting their
\nnational sovereignty.<\/p>\n
National resilience, he said, will not automatically lead to
\nregional resilience.<\/p>\n
\"Because of national specifics, national resilience will
\nsupport efforts at regional resilience only if this lies in a
\ncountry's own national interest,\" Dahm said.<\/p>\n
The same applies even to Europe, he said, which has a more
\nhomogeneous culture. In former Yugoslavia, national interests are
\nblocking the chances of regional cooperation, he said.<\/p>\n
\"If we have an amazing record of successful cooperation in
\nSoutheast Asia in the past 25 years it is not because of the
\nstrength of national resilience but in spite of it,\" Dahm said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is particularly averse to any notion of forming a
\ndefense pact with its Southeast Asian neighbors. Instead, Jakarta
\nhas been promoting the concept of regional resilience through the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations, stressing that this will
\nbe achieved if each member country strives to promote national
\nresilience.<\/p>\n
Speakers in another session of the discussion held at Aryaduta
\nHotel were Priasmoro of Lembaga and Dr. Kai M. Schellhorn of
\nKonrad Adenauer Stiftung.<\/p>\n
Peace<\/p>\n
Soebijakto said that efforts toward the creation of a state of
\nmind which is devoid of suspicion and distrust is the best
\nguarantee for peace in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
\"The Asian Regional Forum is still needed as a communication
\nand discussion point but the best guarantee to a sustained peace
\nin the region is the exercise of confidence building measures and
\nthis means the building up of a state of mind which is devoid of
\nsuspicion and distrust,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Dahm proposed a set of suggestions for confidence building
\nmeasures including the holding of more dialog, the providence of
\nearly warning systems in the case of military exercises,
\ninvitations to military representatives from neighboring
\ncountries in events and cooperation among Asian countries on
\ncommon issues in education, environmental, social and health.<\/p>\n
\"This is one possibility in reducing fear and suspicion in the
\nregion,\" Dahm said.<\/p>\n
Both speakers and participants in the discussion, however,
\nagreed that disposing oneself from long-held beliefs is not easy.<\/p>\n
Dr. Soedjati Djiwandono, a noted political observer, said the
\nchallenge is tantamount to having a profound change of thinking.<\/p>\n
\"There is a need to develop a totally new line of thinking. We
\nneed to liberate ourselves from conventional concepts. It might
\nbe easier for us to find new terms but not to dispose of old
\nfeelings. The Cold War mentality is still with us,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Citing an example he said that whatever China does will always
\nbe scary to its neighbors as the country looms large in their
\nminds and is coupled with an awareness of China's traditional
\ngeopolitical perception of Asia.<\/p>\n
Soedjati suggested a \"non-offensive defense\" strategy to solve
\nthis problem.<\/p>\n
\"But, again, this will depend on the perception of neighboring
\ncountries,\" he said. (hbk)<\/p>",
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