ASEAN 'must rethink' noninterference policy
ASEAN 'must rethink' noninterference policy
HONG KONG (AP): Southeast Asian nations battling a protracted financial crisis will have to reassess their commitment of non- interference in each other's affairs, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific said on Friday.
Adm. Joseph Prueher, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific command, said that "if nations are participating in the global economy, it automatically means you interfere with another nation's affairs."
"If you look at how political, economic and military issues are irrevocably overlapped and tied together, you'd want to get into another nation's affairs," Prueher said in an address to the Asia Society.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional group, will meet in Hanoi, Vietnam on Dec. 15-16 to tackle political and economic issues as member nations remain mired in recession.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Burma and Vietnam.
Many member nations are seeking to stave off any discussion on possible compromises over the ASEAN's founding principle of non- interference in members' internal affairs.
Such proposals have come from the Philippines and Thailand after Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was fired and jailed on abuse of power and sex charges.
Prueher said that the United States would remain "heavily engaged" in the region in the event that the Asian economic crisis spins off into a security crisis -- as the overlapping claims over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea have threatened to become.
The Spratlys are believed to be rich in oil, gas and minerals. China, Vietnam and Taiwan claim all of the Spratlys, while the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the chain.
Prueher said Washington was committed to seeing "sovereignty issues being solved peacefully," saying it "would be involved only if freedom of navigation becomes an issue."
Prueher said that U.S. military relations with China were good and improving at a steady pace.
He noted it was important for China "to recognize the U.S. will honor its commitment to peaceful resolution of Taiwan issues."
China views Taiwan as a renegade province after Chiang Kai- shek's defeated Nationalists fled to the island in 1949.
When China test-fired missiles off the Taiwan Straits in 1995- 96, the United States sent in military reinforcements - prompting sharp criticism from Beijing.
Despite "residual animosities" between Japan and China, Prueher noted a possible "strategic constructive partnership" between Japan and China.
He called the recent visit of Chinese President Jiang Zemin to Japan "a very good start, but not the success people hoped for."