ASEAN to issue Bali Concord II

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.