Revitalizing NAM<\/p>\n
As expected, the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
\nkicked off yesterday in Kuala Lumpur with the shadow of a
\npossible war in Iraq hanging menacingly over the proceedings.
\nMalaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is taking over
\nleadership of the group from South African President Thabo Mbeki,
\naptly described the prevailing mood of the majority of the
\nmovement's 114 member countries in his opening remarks, when he
\nsaid war remained the most important threat facing the movement,
\nwhich was established in 1955.<\/p>\n
\"War must be outlawed -- that will have to be our struggle for
\nnow. No single nation should be allowed to police the world,\"
\nMahathir said in obvious reference to the United States, which is
\nreported to be continuing to build up its military strength in
\nthe Middle East in preparation for a possible war against Iraq.<\/p>\n
Calling the current war stance of a number of Western nations
\na \"revival of the old European trait of wanting to dominate the
\nworld\", Mahathir warned that the \"expression of this trait
\ninvariably involves injustice and oppression of people of other
\nethnic origins and colors. It is no longer just a war against
\nterrorism. It is in fact a war in order to dominate the world,
\ni.e. the chromatically different world\".<\/p>\n
Although Mahathir was only giving expression to his own
\nthoughts and ideas, old-timers in this part of the world will
\nundoubtedly hear echoes of Indonesian president Sukarno's tirades
\nagainst what he used to refer to as the \"neo-colonialists and
\nimperialists\" of the West during the Cold War standoff between
\nthe U.S. and the Socialist Block, led by the Soviet Union --
\nwhich was the raison d'etre for the NAM's coming into existence
\nin 1955.<\/p>\n
As for Indonesia, it seems, for now at least, that by giving
\nthe impression of concentrating on its possible mediative role in
\nthe U.S.-North Korea dispute over nuclear disarmament rather than
\ntaking a strong position regarding Iraq, a golden opportunity to
\nregain something of its old prestige on the world political stage
\nhas slipped through its fingers. But then, Indonesia, in its
\ncurrent destitute condition, may not be in a position to be too
\ncritical of the United States and its allies.<\/p>\n
For that matter, the same -- more or less -- could well be
\nsaid of NAM as an organization of supposedly politically
\nindependent and non-partisan nations. Almost all the members of
\nthe movement, with only a very few exceptions, are poor and
\neither depend on aid from the rich \"North\" or are beset with
\ninternal problems of their own. The very fact that a summit that
\nwas agreed upon in Durban, South Africa, as far back as 1998
\ncould only be realized in 2003 indicates that more than a few
\nthings are not quite well in NAM.<\/p>\n
Bangladesh, which would have hosted the post-Durban summit in
\n2001, was struggling toward stability after a change of
\ngovernment and its minister of finance declared the country too
\npoor to host a summit of the non-aligned movement -- an
\norganization the Bangladeshi government said was \"irrelevant\"
\nanyway. The next candidate to host the summit, Jordan, declared
\nitself unable to play host only a few months before the summit
\nwas to be held, offering the turbulent situation in the Middle
\nEast as an excuse.<\/p>\n
Enter Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is not
\nfor nothing known as Southeast Asia's most senior and most
\narticulate leader, to revive the old dream of establishing a
\nblock of politically non-aligned and independent nations strong
\nenough to represent the interests of the poor nations of the
\nworld and thereby bring some kind of balance to world politics.<\/p>\n
It must be said that Malaysia has played its role as summit
\nhost quite well. For Indonesia, too, the opportunity is still
\nthere for it to play a significant role in making this world a
\nmore peaceful place to live. This it can do, at the very least,
\nby making every effort to increase the block's bargaining
\nposition vis-a-vis Iraq, and persuade that country to comply with
\nUN Resolution 1441. The protests that have taken place in many
\ncountries around the world show that the current mood is one
\nstrongly opposed to war.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/revitalizing-nam-1447893297",
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