JP\/6\/ASC<\/p>\n
Ethnic nationalism, a challenge
\nto Southeast Asian security<\/p>\n
Ivy Susanti
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Ethnic clashes within Southeast Asian countries have drawn the
\nattention of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
\nas a regional grouping to review and systematically address
\neffective ways to maintain peace and security within the ASEAN
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
This is particularly significant as numerous incidents take
\nplace in the domestic sphere, in which ethnic groups come into
\nconflict with one another. The conflicts may be ethnic or
\nreligious in nature, secessionist movements or even terrorist
\nacts, and may cause instability in the region.<\/p>\n
Leaders from 10 ASEAN member states will stage their annual
\nsummit in Vientiane, Laos, from Nov. 29 to Nov. 30, where they
\nwill ratify the ASEAN Security Community (ASC) Plan of Action,
\nASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Plan of Action and Vientiane
\nAction Program.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN Security Community and the other two community
\npillars -- Economic and Socio-Cultural Communities -- were
\ndeclared in the 2003 Summit in Bali, Indonesia. The Bali Concord
\nII document states that the ASC is aimed at creating and
\nmaintaining peace with the member states, and the world.<\/p>\n
The ASC, which was initially proposed by Indonesia, has so far
\nreceived a positive response, even from the West, but it seems
\nthat the realist approach of the regional security community has
\nnot touched the substantial, persistent problem of ethnic
\nnationalism.<\/p>\n
This problem may obstruct the effectiveness of the security
\ncommunity in achieving its objectives. With regards state
\nrelations, this problem also questions the degree to which the
\nnon-interference principle should be exercised as ASEAN heads
\ntoward building one community.<\/p>\n
The member states share many things in common -- which
\nprompted them to integrate into one community in the first place
\n-- including their historical background and colonial legacy.<\/p>\n
Experts on Southeast Asia have argued that Southeast Asia,
\nfrom the earliest time, is an imagined community. Its colonial
\nmasters demarcated the geography of Southeast Asia for their own
\nadministrative and political purposes.<\/p>\n
The territorial borders had separated people from the same
\nethnic groups and had drawn together in a state those from
\ndifferent ethnic groups.<\/p>\n
The region is progressing toward a market-oriented economy,
\nbringing prosperity to some but poverty to others. This fact is
\nexacerbated by unequal development, which has widened the gap in
\nprosperity between the city center and its periphery, and between
\nethnic groups, and caused resentment and prejudices.<\/p>\n
These are, however, intertwined. The failure to acknowledge
\neither one would only partially solve the problems.<\/p>\n
In solving the Aceh separatist movement, Indonesia addressed
\nthe development issue, but has so far not succeeded in changing
\nthe Acehnese perception of the Indonesian government. Most
\nAcehnese believe that most of the income from their industries
\nhas gone out of the region, and to non-Acehnese migrants.<\/p>\n
Aceh is an issue at ASEAN, because neighboring countries like
\nMalaysia and Singapore bear the brunt of the instability in this
\nstrongly Islamic province, particularly the influx of refugees,
\nrebels and illegal arms trafficking.<\/p>\n
The recent violence in southern Thailand shows the minority
\nethnic Malay's unfavorable perception of the Thai government and
\nits policy toward the southern provinces bordering Malaysia. The
\nconflict between two ethnic groups and religion in these areas
\nare not something new, but has been in existence ever since
\nThailand annexed the former Malay sultanates in the last century,
\nand no approach has so far proved effective.<\/p>\n
In the case of Myanmar, ethnic groups are demanding
\nindependent states because the old constitution granted them the
\nright to secession.<\/p>\n
All of these specific cases, however, can be overshadowed by
\nother conflicts like political struggle in the government, or
\neven terrorism.<\/p>\n
Regional cooperation to address ethnic nationalism is
\nnonetheless limited or perhaps very loosely structured. The most
\ncited reason is that the countries are bound by the non-
\ninterference principle but there are of course underlying causes,
\nwhich are culturally-driven, such as distrust and face saving
\nissues.<\/p>\n
Cooperation has taken place in the form of peace talks, like
\nin the case of Indonesia and Malaysia brokering talks between the
\nPhilippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front.<\/p>\n
Recently, Indonesia also initiated open and transparent
\ninformation sharing at the state level, done usually on an
\ninformal occasion and often closed to the media and public.
\nIndonesia shared the Aceh situation in this way, and many ASEAN
\ncountries are now wishing that Myanmar and Thailand would explain
\ntheir domestic turbulences in the same manner in Vientiane.<\/p>\n
Within the context of the ASC, all member states should at
\nfirst agree on the fact that ethnic nationalism and its root
\ncause is a security problem, not only for individual governments,
\nbut for regional stability as well, so as to maintain the same
\nlevel of understanding and confidence.<\/p>\n
Other ideas -- even a \"controversial\" one to most Southeast
\nAsian leaders like a peacekeeping mission -- may emerge as an
\noption to quell separatism. But there are other issues that need
\nregional cooperation in non-security areas, such as in
\nformulating regional autonomy plans or economic cooperation with
\nspecific provinces.<\/p>\n
By making ethnic nationalism one of the major issues in
\nmaintaining regional peace and security, ASEAN leaders will
\ndemonstrate their concern for the common people and for problems
\nat the grassroots level.<\/p>\n
The writer is a journalist for The Jakarta Post<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp6asc-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }