ASEAN thinks of expansion but neighbors not ready yet
By Pandaya
BANGKOK (JP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is thinking about extending membership to cover all the 10 states in Southeast Asia, as the six founding member nations initially intended.
The assembled ASEAN foreign ministers have intensely discussed the possibility of including Cambodia and Myanmar -- plus Vietnam and Laos, two former ASEAN's ideological foes.
ASEAN, grouping Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore, used to be ideologically opposed to the four non-member nations in the midst of Cold War rivalries.
Vietnam and Laos have both been invited to the ongoing annual meeting as observers, and they have applied for membership of the group. It is reported that the former has secured strong support, while Laos has admitted it would need longer before it could fulfill the requirements.
Vietnam and Laos acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia during the 1992 Manila ASEAN. Myanmar is represented for the first time in the current meeting as host Thailand's guest.
"Southeast Asian regionalism may soon be expanded to include Indochinese countries and Myanmar as these states are progressively advancing toward market-oriented economies," said Thai Foreign Minister Prasong Soonsiri.
Solidarity
Similar hope has been expressed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Roberto R. Romulo.
"With the divisions in Southeast Asia largely healed, we can, even now, talk with confidence about Southeast Asian solidarity and of a Southeast Asian community as a concept planted in our peoples' minds and consciousness," he said.
In his bilateral discussions with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam in Bangkok earlier this week, Romulo reiterated Philippine support for Vietnam's inclusion into ASEAN.
Hanoi has repeatedly voiced its desire to join the block and discuss the practical modalities for obtaining membership but declined to reveal when it might be ready.
ASEAN, set up in 1967 to enhance regional cooperation and repel communism, played a pivotal role in the international pressure for Vietnam to leave Cambodia in 1989.
Indonesia has also aired its support to the efforts to expand the ASEAN's fold. Foreign Minister Ali Alatas cautioned, however, that not all the four other Southeast Asian countries might be able to meet the financial requirements.
Laos, for instance, has frankly conceded it is unable to spend money for the staff it would need. The association convenes about 200 meetings in different places every year.
"Sometime in the foreseeable future, the number of ASEAN members will become seven at the most," Alatas said. The new member will be Vietnam.
Irrelevant
Aware of the various constraints, Thailand has made use of the ongoing foreign ministerial meeting to initiate "SEA Ten", a regional solidarity forum which will embrace Burma, Cambodia and Laos before they are economically strong enough to jump into ASEAN fold.
To garner support from other member countries, Bangkok plans to bring the 10 countries together in a seminar late this year or early next year.
But some other member countries like Indonesia have practically shot down the SEA Ten initiative, arguing that, if it comes true, it will be in conflict with ASEAN.
However, Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi argued that the other four countries will eventually become ASEAN members.
"SEA Ten will become irrelevant in the light of this consensus. It's will not be difficult to bring them in," he said.
Alatas said, "The (SEA Ten) initiative is okay so long as it is handled at the non-governmental level."
Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said the planned seminar would proceed despite the skepticism. However, he said that most of the progress would be made at an academic level, and the meeting would largely serve as a forum for exchanging views on regional cooperation.