Empowering ASEAN's grassroots

Christine Susanna Tjhin, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta

Around 200 participants representing the grassroots throughout Southeast Asia gathered at the third ASEAN People's Assembly (APA) from Sept. 24 to 27 in Manila. A diverse representation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including think tanks and advocacy NGOs and officials, assembled to discuss a multitude of issues pertaining to the region.

The APA endeavors to nurture a sense of ownership of ASEAN among the region's peoples, a sense that has almost been non- existent, given that civil society has virtually been left out of policy formulation under the ASEAN mechanism. The Assembly encourages participation by providing the space and networking to generate policy inputs from the region's grassroots.

One of APA's most important action plans is to have a regular people-initiated, concerted assessment of democratization in Southeast Asia. With a regional civil society watchdog equipped with a solid democratization assessment framework, Southeast Asians would be better able to address issues of democratization critically within the unique context of each country and the region.

From there, the APA network would not only put greater pressure on Southeast Asian governments, but also propose relevant policy inputs to empower the grassroots level during the period of democratic transition. These policy recommendations could then be submitted to government leaders at the annual ASEAN Summit where, hopefully, they will not fall on deaf ears.

For the NGO representatives, the APA is a fruitful sharing, learning and networking forum, considering the diverse capacities of these representatives from different countries, especially in terms of the gap between those with a more advanced democratic culture, such as the Philippines, and those yet to develop one, such as Burma.

At this point, a draft framework for democratization assessment has already been proposed. Its trial application, in which Indonesia and the Philippines were case studies, has also been presented.

Besides the reluctance of APA country representatives to make the assessment, ASEAN governments' lack of political will remains the most regrettable nuisance. The question is, how long will it take for ASEAN leaders to start descending from their golden thrones to face their people?

This call is directed principally to the Indonesian government, which has recently been quite aggressive in attempting to win back its title as the regional body's "natural leader". Indonesia is hosting the ASEAN Summit from Oct. 7 to 8 in Bali this year, and flaunting the theme "Towards an ASEAN economic and security community".

Is there actually any place for the people -- as in the real people -- in that "community"?

What is often considered an important issue about the APA is to what extent it could actually influence ASEAN policy-making and the policy-making of its member states. Skeptics will continue to demand tangible benefits from the APA, aside from the piles of declarations produced at the ASEAN People's Assembly to be submitted to the Summit.

The ASEAN People's Declaration produced this year at the Assembly plainly sets out the need for people-oriented policies and the extent to which these policies can successfully be implemented, particularly in regards ensuring empowerment as an integral part of the region's transition to democracy.

If it is difficult for ASEAN leaders to face their peoples, what good, indeed, are these so-called "people's declarations"? One should note that the original concept of an ASEAN Economic and Security Community, the theme offered for this year's Summit, actually emerged during a discourse among the APA network.

More imperative to the APA's existence is the extent to which participants make use of this space. The key purpose of the APA is to bridge governments and their people, as the Assembly is more sensitized toward the practical realities of the region. This sensitivity can only be nurtured through grassroots participation, as they share their experiences and contributions on a variety of regional issues and concerns.

Despite ASEAN's apparent reluctance and the ignorance of member governments toward the need to involve and heed their people's inputs in policy-making, local NGOs in the region should embrace the available opportunity within the space provided by the APA by taking the initiative through various activities.

The greater their participation in the People's Assembly, the louder the Southeast Asian people's voice will ring.

The writer is also a research associate at the Indonesian Pluralism Institute (IPI).