ASEAN held back by poor image problem: Official

ASEAN held back by poor image problem: Official

MANILA (Agencies): The secretary general of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations said yesterday that ASEAN had itself to
blame for its poor image among its own people and warned this was
hurting its effectiveness as a regional bloc.

Rodolfo Severino of the Philippines urged the ASEAN foreign
ministers' conference, which is due to open in Manila today, to
deal with the image problem.

In a report on the regional situation circulated to the
ministers, Severino also gave prominence to the issue of nuclear
proliferation after the tit-for-tat nuclear weapons tests
conducted by India and Pakistan in May.

He noted the United Nations Security Council resolution
condemning the Indian and Pakistani tests, but added no criticism
of his own.

The two-day foreign ministers' meeting will take place amid
anxieties over the future of Asian economies after a year of
financial turmoil and with question marks over ASEAN's
effectiveness as a group.

"Clearly, ASEAN has not done enough to make itself better
known to its own people and to the world beyond," Severino said.
"In general, public ignorance about ASEAN has not helped its
effectiveness at all."

The region-wide currency crisis and the disastrous haze
generated by forest fires in Indonesia last year both contributed
to a political weakening of ASEAN, which was widely perceived as
having come up with no answers to these challenges.

"The blows dealt ASEAN economies by the financial crisis and
the haze periodically enveloping parts of ASEAN have opened ASEAN
to severe criticism from personalities both within and outside
the region," Severino said.

Some critics have also expressed unhappiness with ASEAN's lack
of involvement in human rights issues. The critics cite the
example of member state Myanmar, where a military junta has for
years suppressed pro-democracy campaigners.

ASEAN says its policy is to act on the basis of consensus
among its nine members -- Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore,
Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.

Efforts by Thailand and the Philippines to broaden the ability
of ASEAN to become involved in the problems of individual members
were set back yesterday as several countries expressed
disapproval.

Since its founding 31 years ago, ASEAN has observed a policy
of non-intervention in the internal affairs of its member
countries, making it difficult for it to deal with issues such as
forest fires in Indonesia which blanketed much of the region in
haze.

Thailand and the Philippines are proposing that ASEAN shift
instead to a policy of "flexible engagement," which is to be
discussed during the annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers
which begins today in Manila.

But foreign ministers from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia
rejected the proposed shift.

"I prefer the policy of non-intervention," Malaysian Foreign
Minister Abdullah Badawi told reporters after arriving yesterday.

"The success of ASEAN cooperation is that we have been
comfortable. Any feeling that you will be criticized, any finger
pointing, will make you uncomfortable."

Singapore Foreign Minister Shanmugam Jayakumar also declared
his opposition to any change, and Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali
Alatas has said ASEAN should not tinker with a fundamental
principle.

The proposed shift comes as Southeast Asian countries are
becoming more aware that problems in one nation -- such as
currency devaluations, political unrest or environmental
degradation -- often affect its neighbors.

"The magnitude of the problem has continued to overwhelm
ASEAN's efforts at the national and regional levels and put the
effectiveness of ASEAN cooperation and even of the 'ASEAN way'
into question," Severino stated.

Japan -- Page 5