Development in ASEAN must spur social justice

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)