Surprising ASEAN<\/p>\n
The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) deserve high praise for their surprising courage
\nto depart from the group's rigid non-interference principles and
\nrebuke the Myanmar military junta, which still stubbornly refuses
\nto release the country's pro-democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi.<\/p>\n
By taking that decision, the ministers have proved that ASEAN
\ncan handle its own business with maturity, and adjust itself to
\nthe international values of democracy and humanity.<\/p>\n
Clearly, the ministers also cannot just turn a collective deaf
\near to international outcries protesting Myanmar's tough stance
\non Suu Kyi, and they have responded positively to these protests.<\/p>\n
Because of their new stance on Myanmar, ASEAN is now in a much
\nbetter position to meet with their 10 counterparts, including
\nU.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, in the two-day ASEAN
\nRegional Forum (ARF) starting on Wednesday. Powell has openly
\nurged Yangon to immediately release the opposition leader from
\ndetention, while Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi has
\nalso threatened to cut off aid to Myanmar if Suu Kyi is not
\nreleased.<\/p>\n
And, honestly speaking, it was against our expectation -- and
\nit even surprised Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung -- that
\nIndonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the staunchest supporters of
\nnon-interference, would be so proactive in seeking Suu Kyi's
\nrelease.<\/p>\n
\"What can I say? This is the first time that ASEAN has
\ncommented on the internal affairs of one of its members. But for
\nthe sake of ASEAN solidarity, I had to agree,\" Win Aung
\ncommented, in a rather grumbling mood, after attending the two-
\nday meeting in Phnom Penh.<\/p>\n
Win Aung was right in saying that he could not defy the ASEAN
\ndecision. We want to remind the ruling Myanmarese generals that
\nthey have only themselves to blame for the embarrassment, having
\nslapped ASEAN in the face with their refusal to free the Nobel
\nPeace Prize laureate before the ministerial meeting.<\/p>\n
They wrongly thought that their neighbors would not bother
\nwith their mistreatment of Suu Kyi, and now have no choice but to
\nfulfill the demands of their neighbors. If they fail, they will
\nbe totally isolated from the world, because even their nearest
\nneighbors have lost their trust in the country's military
\nleaders.<\/p>\n
The ministers have created a very far-reaching precedence for
\nthe future of ASEAN. Now ASEAN members, especially those that are
\nstill not fully democratic, can no longer so easily shield
\nthemselves behind the pretext of \"domestic affairs\" in facing
\ncriticism from other members of the group and from the world.<\/p>\n
In their joint statement, the ministers said they \"looked
\nforward to the early lifting of restrictions placed on San Suu
\nKyi\". Despite the soft wording, it was strong criticism against
\nthe Myanmar military junta.<\/p>\n
It is a situation not unlike that in a neighborhood, where
\npeople have to act against a neighbor who continually beats his
\nwife. The neighbors can no longer look passively on, or pretend
\nnot to know what is happening to her, because it could endanger
\nher life and it has also disturbed the neighbors'.<\/p>\n
There is a need now for ASEAN to draw a line on how they
\nshould behave if they face such a situation in the future,
\nbecause obviously the group cannot retract the new precedence.<\/p>\n
During their annual summit in Bali this October, ASEAN leaders
\nneed to discuss the issue further. They have taken a courageous
\ndecision to show that they care about the fate of the Myanmarese
\npeople, because it was impossible for the ministers to take the
\ndecisions without prior approval from their superiors.<\/p>\n
This is a lesson for the 10-country grouping. They must accept
\nthe new international norms of democracy and respect of human
\nrights, and they can no longer hide behind their neighbors' backs
\nto protect their wrongdoings.<\/p>\n
As Indonesia is the largest and strategically most influential
\nmember of the association, her leaders and the people now have to
\nrealize this country can also be scolded by its neighbors when
\nher domestic problems disturb the peace.<\/p>\n
This is just an example: One day, if the situation in Aceh
\nremains unresolved, it is not impossible that our neighbors will
\nsay that Indonesia must do something to restore the peace in the
\nprovince, because their security is directly affected by the
\nupheavals in the province.<\/p>\n
Finally, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation to
\nthe 10 foreign ministers for their historic decision. Hopefully,
\nSuu Kyi will not only soon enjoy her freedom, but also regain the
\nopportunity to serve her nation, which has been waiting for her
\nto take the helm since her 1990 landslide victory.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/surprising-asean-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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