Neighborly tempers<\/p>\n
For four decades, the amity between members of the Association
\nof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been the bedrock of the
\nregion's vibrancy. ASEAN leaders became \"cronies\", with their
\npersonal bonds ensuing much given-and-take within relationships,
\nallowing disagreements to be shelved far from the fire of
\nconflict.<\/p>\n
But the contours of the relationships that we thought were so
\nstrong remain subject to personal ambitions, over-sensitivity and
\nnational zealousness.<\/p>\n
It turns out that the ASEAN community that we thought was so
\nsolid is in fact sated with nervous niceties and cagey evasions.<\/p>\n
How else can one explain the brouhaha over Thai Prime Minister
\nThaksin Shinawatra's remarks concerning religious militants in
\nhis country being trained in Malaysia and Indonesia. Both the
\nremarks, and the ensuing reaction, were completely unnecessary.<\/p>\n
From the outset the Thai prime minister should not have
\nchildishly responded with threats of a walk-out upon hearing that
\nthe issue of the deaths of dozens of detainees in Tak Bai,
\nsouthern Thailand could be raised during last months ASEAN Summit
\nin Vientiane.<\/p>\n
If Thaksin had simply briefed the summit for a few minutes on
\nhis government's inquiry into the matter, there is little doubt
\nthat the meeting would have come out with a statement of regional
\nsupport for Thailand's efforts to resolve the matter.<\/p>\n
Instead, the Thai leader has since stoked even more
\ncontroversy by saying that Thai militants in Yala, Pattani and
\nNarathiwat provinces were trained in neighboring Malaysia and
\nbrainwashed by Indonesian militants.<\/p>\n
Even if these accusations were true, it makes little sense to
\nmake statements in such a finger pointing manner, as if to say
\n'you are the cause of all my troubles'.<\/p>\n
Diplomatic channels would have been a much more appropriate
\nway of conveying these concerns, and intelligence exchanges would
\nhave been more effective in stemming acts of terror, if indeed it
\nwas Thaksin's intent to alert his neighbors that terrorists were
\nexploiting their backyards.<\/p>\n
If not, then we can only conclude that Thaksin was playing on
\nhis neighbors ire for a wholly unrelated domestic agenda. It is
\nvery unfortunate indeed when good neighborliness is sacrificed
\nupon the alter of domestic political interest, especially when
\nthe issues concerned have little to do with the neighbor in the
\nfirst place.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Thaksin needs reminding that even his own
\ninvestigating committee concluded there was major wrongdoing in
\nthe way authorities handled the protesters in Tak Bai.<\/p>\n
The somewhat fierce reaction of Indonesian officials to
\nThaksin's comments was understandable, but rather unnecessary.<\/p>\n
They should know -- even better than Thaksin himself -- that
\nthis vast archipelago has been used for years as a training
\nground for terrorists. One only has to look at the numerous
\ndeadly attacks here as evidence. Thus whenever anyone makes any
\nstatement about terrorism and Indonesia, at the very least there
\nis probably a grain of truth in it.<\/p>\n
Our officials should also know that Indonesia's security
\napparatus was in a state of shambles during the late 1990s and
\n2000, thus allowing much covert activity to go unchecked.<\/p>\n
However, the most important part of Thaksin's statement was
\nwhat he did not say: He did not say that the Indonesian
\ngovernment was sponsoring or purposely allowing these activities
\nto take place, neither did he say that the Indonesian people were
\nsupporting terrorist elements.<\/p>\n
A simple, terse response from Indonesian officials would have
\nsufficed, and would not have inflamed the situation further.
\nInstead, our senior officials allowed themselves to be
\nmanipulated by a man desperate for domestic political support.<\/p>\n
The saddest part of this whole affair is that amidst all the
\nangry diplomatic exchanges, not a word has been said about
\njustice for the 85 people who died in the tragedy.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/neighborly-tempers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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