Summit strengthens ASEAN<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The weekend summit that brought together leaders
\nof the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has
\nstrengthened the organization's stance on various issues,
\npolitical observers say.<\/p>\n
Dewi F. Anwar of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences singled
\nout ASEAN's refusal to include extraneous issues, such as East
\nTimor, in its cooperation framework with other countries. The
\nreluctance, she said, will help boost the group's leverage.<\/p>\n
"It sends a strong signal to the European Union," Dewi told
\nThe Jakarta Post by phone yesterday.<\/p>\n
ASEAN heads of state at the end of their first informal summit
\non Saturday issued a statement expressing "concern" that a member
\nof the European Union included certain extraneous issues in the
\ncooperation framework between the two regional groupings.<\/p>\n
The statement warned of "unwarranted aggravation" if it was
\npursued further.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas disclosed that
\nIndonesia had proposed the statement and that it received full
\nsupport from the members: Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines,
\nSingapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Alatas admitted that Portugal
\nwas the country meant in the statement.<\/p>\n
Kusnanto Anggoro of the Center for Strategic and International
\nStudies concurred with Dewi.<\/p>\n
He told the Post separately that in the future issues such as
\nhuman rights will increasingly be tagged on by the West as
\nconditions for dialog. By issuing a statement, ASEAN's leaders
\nmade a stand and asserted their positions.<\/p>\n
"There may be some good in our consolidation," Kusnanto
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
He added that the statement is also a clear signal of ASEAN's
\nconfidence vis-a-vis other more developed groupings.<\/p>\n
"It reinforces ASEAN as a regional block," said Kusnanto.<\/p>\n
Despite ASEAN's caution, neither Dewi nor Kusnanto believes
\nthe overall relationship between ASEAN and the European Union
\nwill be disrupted by the statement.<\/p>\n
Dewi said both sides recognize the need for each other.<\/p>\n
Kusnanto was more pragmatic: "The politics will continue, but
\non the other side, the economics will also go on."<\/p>\n
Dewi, however, had strong words about the decision of ASEAN's
\nleaders to admit Myanmar along with Cambodia and Laos.<\/p>\n
She said that while no country is perfect in its human rights
\nrecord, ASEAN should not have turned a blind eye to the recent
\ncrackdowns in Myanmar.<\/p>\n
Unlike the question of East Timor, which focuses mainly on
\nhuman rights, Dewi said Myanmar is more suspect due to questions
\nabout the legitimacy of the current regime in Yangon.<\/p>\n
She argued that ASEAN should have maintained some leverage to
\nfoster positive changes in the country.<\/p>\n
Myanmar has pushed to be admitted into ASEAN at the same time
\nas Cambodia and Laos, who applied for membership much earlier.
\nASEAN leaders on Saturday agreed that all three should be
\nadmitted simultaneously, but left the timing unclear.<\/p>\n
ASEAN ministers, to the surprise of many, even rejected the
\nwidely held understanding that Cambodia and Laos would be
\nadmitted next year.<\/p>\n
While all support Myanmar's eventual entry, some members prior
\nto Saturday expressed reservations about Yangon being admitted in
\n1997. After the meeting, the leaders claimed to hold only one
\nview.<\/p>\n
"Sounds like double speak to me," quipped Dewi, adding that
\nleaving the exact timing up in the air "does give the indication
\nof debate on this within ASEAN."<\/p>\n
ASEAN watchers have been left perplexed by the sudden
\nregression and the association's mundane way of discreetly
\npostponing controversial issues until a more convenient time.<\/p>\n
Another topic thrown on the back burner was the proposal of a
\ncommon ASEAN time zone. The adoption of a common time would force
\nseveral ASEAN members to reschedule their national times.<\/p>\n
In their statement, the heads of government deferred the
\nquestion and agreed to review the matter between the 2000 and
\n2003.<\/p>\n
Other matters taken up in the 16-point statement was an
\nendorsement of the basic framework of the ASEAN-Mekong Basin
\ndevelopment cooperation, and formation of an ASEAN Foundation to
\npromote people-to-people contact.<\/p>\n
The heads of government also affirmed their commitment to seek
\na peaceful solution to the dispute in the South China Sea,
\nexpedite ratification of the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons Free
\nZone treaty. Relevant ASEAN bodies were also instructed to
\nfinalize protocol revisions.<\/p>\n
The statement further expressed support for cooperation on
\ncriminal matters and exchanged views on the proposed ASEAN Vision
\nbeyond 2003.<\/p>\n
It was agreed that ASEAN's 30th anniversary celebrations would
\nbe held at the second informal summit in Kuala Lumpur in 1997.
\n(mds)<\/p>\n
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