Development in ASEAN must spur social justice

JAKARTA (JP): Southeast Asian countries should aim for rapid economic growth to help spur social justice, academics and analysts said yesterday.

"We still have a very long way to go," said Noordin Sopiee, director general of Malaysia's Institute for Strategic and International Studies.

Speaking at a seminar on One Southeast Asia in a New Regional And International Setting, Sopiee stressed that not enough had been done in the field of social justice, both in the context of the seven-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region as a whole.

Hadi Soesastro, executive director of Indonesia's Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), underlined the need for governments to pay attention to these issues.

"It must be high on the list," he said.

While economic growth in the region has progressed at a tremendous pace, the social costs have also been high, he said.

Hadi said the environment has suffered as a result of the neglect in this field.

The importance of social justice is considered a principal challenge for ASEAN states in the future, including tackling the question of disparities in economic growth.

Yesterday's seminar at the Jakarta Convention Center was held in commemoration of the CSIS' silver anniversary. It will be followed up today with a workshop at the CSIS office.

Among the speakers at the seminar were Jasit Singh of the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis in New Delhi and Peter Drysdale from the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the Australian National University.

Hadi said one of the objectives of the seminar was to look at the challenges and opportunities of a united Southeast Asia.

ASEAN currently comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Next year, it is set to welcome three more countries -- Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam -- into its fold and thus realize the dream of a united Southeast Asia.

Apart from socioeconomic issues of economic disparity, a united Southeast Asia also faces the challenge of accommodating greater public participation, the experts said.

ASEAN presently still lacks an institution which allows non- governmental groups to directly make their voices heard in the political sphere of the organization, they said.

While ASEAN governments have indulged greater participation under the framework of functional cooperation, there is still no real institutionalized mechanism for non-governmental organizations to contribute or raise issues within ASEAN.

Michael Vatikiotis, who has written extensively on the region, noted that tensions will grow as the region begins to intertwine.

These tensions result from the struggle between the power elite, who feel they must band together to preserve their power base, and non-governmental organizations, which are able to amplify their strength by working collectively.

Despite these underlying tensions, he expressed confidence that some form of accommodation will be found.

Speaking of the cost and benefits of an expanded ASEAN, Tommy Koh, director of the Institute for Policy Studies in Singapore, said it could increase the geopolitical weight and political leverage of ASEAN vis-a-vis major powers such as China, Japan and the United States.

He added that having all 10 Southeast Asian states in one organization would help enhance the prospect of continued peace, stability and prosperity.

However, he warned that at the same time, "the inclusion of new members may erode the spirit of accommodation", adding that "historic suspicions" may again come to the fore.

The different levels of economic development between the original members and new members could produce a two-tiered ASEAN and stifle the swift undertaking of new initiatives, he said.

Koh, who is also ambassador-at-large at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointed out the immediate danger of slowing down the planned accelerated implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area.

Nevertheless, after elaborately weighing all the elements, Koh remained sanguine in his final analysis.

"I've come to the conclusion that the benefits outweigh the costs," he said. (mds)