Is the ASEAN spirit dead?<\/p>\n
The lofty ideals of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN), founded more than thirty years ago with such
\nhigh hopes and big fanfare, and which has now grown from five
\nnations to the 10 it is today, may be perceived by the peoples of
\nASEAN as seemingly dead in spirit.<\/p>\n
They fail to understand why Indonesian workers are unwelcome
\nin Malaysia. Also, why these workers rioted against their
\nemployer neighbors and why the Malaysian authorities are chasing
\nthem away, as it were. Indonesians and Malaysians have so many
\nthings in common and yet they are behaving like enemies. Surely
\nthose Indonesian workers did not want to damage the welfare of
\nthe people of Malaysia, in spite of their illegal status as
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
The peoples of ASEAN expected that the formation of ASEAN
\nwould pave the way to peaceful and brotherly settlement of
\nwhatever conflict and problems might have arisen between them.
\nThe fact is that today they have bitter feelings for each other's
\ncountry and government, which appear unable to bring solutions to
\nthe conflict.<\/p>\n
Recently, Indonesians, who are in fact also citizens of the
\nASEAN community, have taken to the streets to demand the cutting
\noff of diplomatic ties with another of their neighbors,
\nSingapore. Singapore's senior minister Lee Kuan Yew has expressed
\nthe belief that there are international terrorists hiding or even
\nwalking free in Indonesia, with an attack on the island republic
\nof Singapore on their mind as a followup to the Sept. 11
\ndestruction of the World Trade Center in New York.<\/p>\n
Some Indonesians, especially those belonging to extremist
\nMuslim groupings, feel offended by the statement made by Lee Kuan
\nYew in public and even thought it fit to burn his effigy. Could
\none have expected such animosity, say, even five years ago?<\/p>\n
The governments of ASEAN may have agreed on much nice-sounding
\ncooperation but the peoples of ASEAN are living in a different
\nworld, full of suffering and unfulfilled promises. The ASEAN
\nspirit indeed looks dead, at least when it concerns the fate of
\nthe common and poor masses of the community.<\/p>\n
GANDHI SUKARDI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/is-the-asean-spirit-dead-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }