Welcoming ASEAN's newest member<\/p>\n
While Vietnam's admission into the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) has brought the regional organization a
\nstep closer to its ideals, some remaining shadows deserve to be
\nheeded. In the following article political analyst Dewi Fortuna
\nAnwar takes a look at the issue.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Congratulations are in order as ASEAN officially
\nwelcomes its newest member into its regional club. The last time
\na new member joined ASEAN was more than a decade ago, when Brunei
\nbecame the sixth member of the association in 1984.<\/p>\n
But the present expansion of ASEAN's membership is clearly
\nmuch more significant. There was never any doubt that Brunei
\nwould become part of ASEAN once it obtained full independence.
\nWith Vietnam it is a very different story.<\/p>\n
One still remembers how Vietnam turned down the ASEAN
\ninvitation in 1975, for the former regarded the latter as nothing
\nmore than an American ally, and therefore an adversary of Hanoi.<\/p>\n
The widening of ASEAN to include Vietnam, the second most
\npopulated Southeast Asian country, puts a final seal on the Cold
\nWar coffin. Before too long all 10 Southeast Asian countries will
\ngather under the ASEAN umbrella.<\/p>\n
Cambodia becomes the ninth Southeast Asian country to accede
\nto the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, making
\nthat country an observer of ASEAN, and a full member of the ASEAN
\nRegional Forum.<\/p>\n
Myanmar is gradually also knocking on ASEAN's door. The recent
\nrelease of the democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi by the SLORC is
\nseen by analysts as a clear move by that country's authority to
\ngain admittance into the ASEAN gatherings.<\/p>\n
This overwhelming region-wide acceptance of ASEAN is clear
\nproof of the association's vitality and increasing regional
\nimportance. The fear that ASEAN may lose steam in the aftermath
\nof the Cold War has been proved groundless. ASEAN is now regarded
\nas a congenial home not only by \"like-minded\" states of Southeast
\nAsia, but also by the \"non-like-minded\" ones.<\/p>\n
ASEAN's success in promoting regional cooperation and enduring
\nregional peace and stability and in carrying out regional
\nrehabilitation have all added to the association's regional and
\ninternational stature. These have enabled ASEAN to play a leading
\nrole in promoting regional dialogues on security for the wider
\nAsia Pacific area.<\/p>\n
The launching of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Bangkok last year
\nhas added a feather to ASEAN's cap. It is certainly quite a feat
\nfor a group of militant member states with mostly developing
\neconomies to play such a strategic role in multilateral security
\ndialogs, involving such heavyweights as the United States, China,
\nJapan and Russia.<\/p>\n
The association's achievements in the political and security
\nfields are now also beginning to be accompanied by similar
\nsuccesses in the economic area. After two decades of false
\nstarts, the ASEAN countries have finally agreed to the creation
\nof an ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) by 2003. Even Vietnam has
\nagreed to sign on the AFTA by January 1996, though its full
\nparticipation in AFTA will be delayed by three years.<\/p>\n
All of these show that ASEAN is undertaking the process of
\nwidening and deepening at the same time with some success.
\nNevertheless, amid the celebration, some shadows are lurking. The
\nrecent very public fracas between the Philippines and Singapore
\nhas left a bitter taste in one's mouth. There are also a host of
\nother minor bilateral disputes and disagreements which continue
\nto crop up and lead to some strains in relations among the ASEAN
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Although none of the bilateral disputes are considered serious
\nenough to endanger bilateral ties and jeopardize ASEAN's
\ncohesiveness, with the possible exception of the recent
\nPhilippines-Singapore dispute, they cannot simply be dismissed as
\ncompletely insignificant. The continuing existence of those
\nbilateral problems has hampered ASEAN's development into a full-
\nfledged security community.<\/p>\n
It is clearly imperative that in pursuing regional programs,
\nand in promoting overall regional peace and stability, the ASEAN
\ncountries do not forget to nurture the parts that make the whole.
\nWith the success of ASEAN, and the general confidence that ASEAN
\ncountries cannot really go to war against each other, we may be
\ntaking bilateral ties for granted.<\/p>\n
The recent regrettable incident between Manila and Singapore
\nshould wake us up to the realization of the continuing importance
\nof strengthening bilateral relationships among all of the ASEAN
\ncountries. After all, the chain is only as strong as its weakest
\nlink.<\/p>\n
Another lurking shadow is ASEAN's stance regarding the issues
\nof democratization and human rights. ASEAN's constructive
\nengagement of Myanmar shows the former's tolerance and non-
\nconfrontational attitude. Vietnam's full membership of ASEAN,
\nwhile still retaining its communist political system, is another
\nproof of ASEAN's tolerance of regional political differences and
\nplurality. It is regrettable, however, that the ASEAN governments
\nare not generally as tolerant of political plurality in the
\ndomestic context.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/welcoming-aseans-newest-member-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}