ASEAN to issue Bali Concord II
The Jakarta post, Nusa Dua, Bali
The leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are scheduled to issue during their 9th summit on Tuesday in Bali the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II, which will pave the way for the establishment of a dynamic, cohesive, resilient and integrated ASEAN Community. The Community is to be composed of three pillars: the ASEAN Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Social and Cultural Community.
The concord is also to be known as the Bali Concord II, with the first ASEAN concord issued in 1976 in Bali.
However, in contrast to their harsh stance against the detention of Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi by the military junta, the draft concord does not directly reflect the principle of non-interference applied in a flexible manner, as earlier proposed by Indonesia during the ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting in June 2002 in Phnom Penh.
At the meeting, Indonesia insisted in its concept paper regards the ASEAN Security Community that the regional grouping should be "more open to greater and cooperative involvement of other member states -- through an agreed mechanism -- in trans- boundary issues (internal issues with clear regional implications) and issues with an identifiable humanitarian dimension (such as gross violations of human rights and in the event of humanitarian crisis)".
Indonesia, which assumed the ASEAN presidency also in June last year, proposed the security concept to deal with the many long-standing security issues in the region.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said it was time that ASEAN "look ugly" as they brought their conflicts out into the open and chose to seek outside help to resolve the issues.
"We have been dwelling on enhancing economic cooperation for too long and have sidelined the importance of the security cooperation," he said.
Many ASEAN member countries were reluctant to accept the concept, as there were concerns that such a cooperation might lead to defense pacts or a common foreign policy, and to a possible interference in the domestic affairs of ASEAN members.
According to the draft concord, a copy of which was provided to The Jakarta Post by reliable sources, ASEAN reaffirms "the fundamental importance of adhering to the principle of non- interference and consensus in ASEAN cooperation".
Further, it is stated in the draft that "ASEAN shall continue to promote regional solidarity and cooperation. Member countries shall exercise their rights to lead their national existence free from outside interference in their internal affairs".
In terms of regional security issues, it is emphasized that "ASEAN shall nurture common values, such as habit of consultation to discuss political issues and the willingness to share information on matters of common concern, such as environmental degradation, maritime security cooperation, the enhancement of defense cooperation among ASEAN countries, develop a set of socio-political values and principles, and resolve to settle long-standing disputes through peaceful means".
On the ASEAN Economic Community, a concept proposed by Singapore, the draft concord declares that "the ASEAN Economic Community is the realization of the end-goal of economic integration in the ASEAN Vision 2020, to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities in year 2020".
As for the ASEAN Social and Cultural Community, the draft notes that the community will envisage "a Southeast Asia bonded together in partnership as a community of caring societies".
The ASEAN Summit is to run from Oct. 7 to Oct. 8.