ASEAN finishes draft regional security plan
ASEAN finishes draft regional security plan
Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta
After two-days of lengthy deliberations, senior officials from
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Sunday have
finalized a draft plan of action for the establishment of a
regional security community.
The ASEAN Security Community (ASC) idea was first initiated by
Indonesia, the current chair of the ASEAN, as a means of handling
security matters and disputes through a regional framework
rather than bilaterally or through international forums.
The draft would be submitted to the ASEAN foreign ministers
for endorsement during their 37th annual ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta on Tuesday.
"We are now in a position to submit the draft to the ASEAN
ministerial meeting (AMM)," Indonesian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs spokesman Marty A. Natalegawa said after the senior
officials meeting (ASEAN-SOM) in Jakarta.
The ASEAN-SOM will end its session on Monday.
Foreign ministers of ASEAN will decide whether or not to
endorse the draft on Tuesday.
Their meeting comes ahead of security talks of ASEAN Regional
Forum (ARF) on Friday with ASEAN's 13 dialog partners, including
all the major world powers.
Once the ASEAN foreign ministers endorse such a draft, the
document will then be adopted by ASEAN leaders at a summit in
November in Laos. In a rotating system, Laos will assume the
chairmanship of ASEAN from Indonesia.
Marty stressed the ASC draft would be remain confidential even
after the AMM meeting.
Meanwhile, M.C. Abad Jr. -- the head of newly established ARF
Unit at the ASEAN Secretariat -- said the launching of the plan
toward an ASC would be a significant leap forward in the
evolution of ASEAN political and security cooperation.
"It is expected to contribute to the maintenance of inter-
state peace and stability in our part of the world," Abad told
The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the meeting.
Asked whether there were still unresolved issues on the ASC
plan of action, Abad said "No".
On a separate occasion at the same venue, Abad admitted the
final draft was a "less-than-ideal" version that differed from
Indonesia's original proposal but was still an important
achievement.
"It's a compromise document but an important step forward for
the organization," Abad said.
Laos Embassy deputy chief of mission Oukham Sengkeomixay, who
attended the SOM, said the senior officials meeting went
smoothly.
"I think the ASC is important for the future of ASEAN because,
more or less, ASC is one of the instruments that will secure the
region," he told the Post.
"As we are going to be next chair of ASEAN, we are just
looking forward to implementing the ASC, We're hopeful all ASEAN
members will absorb the ASC into their national security
framework," he said.
The ASC envisages strengthening national and regional
capacities to fight terrorism and crime, and boosting political
and security cooperation.
The original action plan proposed by Indonesia suggested the
formation of an ASEAN peacekeeping force and human rights
commission, which would make a united effort against terrorist
acts and other abuses.
Marty earlier said the action plan received cautious support,
a far less enthusiastic response than that for the original
proposal by Indonesia, with most member countries saying the
security community should not trespass their sovereignty.
Marty said the original plan met with big challenges from
member countries, with some commenting that it was more like a
solution to nonexistent problems, as so far, no serious political
constellation had formed among ASEAN members.