RI pushes for peaceful bid on Spratlys<\/p>\n
By Pandaya<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (JP): Indonesia drummed up stronger support yesterday
\nfor its move to seek a peaceful solution to the potentially
\nexplosive conflict over the oil-rich Spratlys in the South China
\nSea.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, when
\naddressing the annual ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting, said
\nthat the current relative stability in the Asia Pacific provided
\na good opportunity for peace efforts.<\/p>\n
He said that Indonesia is preparing to hold the fifth workshop
\non the disputed Spratlys, stressing that the initiative
\nimplemented since 1990 has reached a \"decisive stage.\"<\/p>\n
Workshop participants, consisting of academics, technical
\nexperts and government officials acting in a private capacity,
\nhave gone beyond recommending general principles and are engaged
\nnow in the practical realm of identifying and proposing concrete
\nprojects in various fields, Alatas said.<\/p>\n
He said what the Southeast Asian nations should do is
\nmaintain the momentum of the workshop process while the
\ngovernments involved in the conflict restrain themselves from
\nusing force.<\/p>\n
\"More than ever, I am convinced that by developing peaceful
\nand mutually beneficial cooperation in the South China Sea, a
\nmore conducive climate will be created for the peaceful solution
\nof the overlapping sovereignty and jurisdictional claims as
\nwell,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Spratlys are claimed in whole or part by Taiwan, China,
\nVietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the six ASEAN member
\ncountries which lay claim to Spratlys made no or only passing
\nmention to the ongoing problem.<\/p>\n
Philippines Foreign Secretary Roberto R. Romulo, for example
\nonly said: \"And we could urged more and stronger endorsements of
\nthe ASEAN Declaration on the South China Sea.\"<\/p>\n
The Philippines was angered recently by Vietnam's building a
\nlighthouse on one of the disputed islands. Vietnamese Foreign
\nMinister Nguyen Manh Cam made no mention of the conflict in his
\naddress.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said that the
\ncompetition for ocean space and resources in the South China Sea
\nwas \"particularly worrisome prospect.\"<\/p>\n
Nuclear<\/p>\n
ASEAN foreign ministers also agreed on the need to translate
\nthe concept of a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN)
\nand its component Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone into
\nreality.<\/p>\n
Alatas said that the situation is now rife for the realization
\nof the ZOPFAN concept as there is relative peace in Southeast
\nAsia, with Cambodia having succeeded in establishing a democratic
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Thai Foreign Minister Prasong Soonsiri warned that
\nproliferation of weapons of mass destruction will continue to
\npose a threat to security in the region especially because the
\nissue of North Korea's nuclear weapon development remains
\nunresolved.<\/p>\n
He also expressed concern over the arms build-up in the Asia
\nPacific region.\"Although global defense spending has come down,
\nit is rising in Asia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Security in the Asia Pacific region will be discussed next
\nweek in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which includes the ASEAN
\nsix, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, consultative partners China and
\nRussia and seven dialog partners Japan, Canada, Australia, the
\nUnited States, South Korea, New Zealand and the European Union.<\/p>\n
Caucus<\/p>\n
On economic matters, the foreign ministers focused on the
\npromotion of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the Asia
\nPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi still tried
\nto convince his counterparts about the benefits of the East Asia
\nEconomic Caucus (EAEC).<\/p>\n
The other ASEAN members support the EAEC so long it is put
\ninto the APEC framework, but Malaysia keeps trying to make it a
\nmore independent grouping. Kuala Lumpur's move irritates
\ncountries like the U.S., which fears that the caucus would dilute
\nAPEC.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN ministers will conclude their two-day meeting today
\nand issue a joint communique.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-pushes-for-peaceful-bid-on-spratlys-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}