Encouraging ASEAN

Encouraging ASEAN

During the annual ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur this week,
including the ASEAN + 3 (China, Japan and South Korea) summit on
Monday and the first East Asia Summit on Wednesday, there were at
least three interesting issues: ASEAN reproaching Myanmar, the
tension between Japan with China and South Korea, and the
divergence of views on the modality of the East Asia Community.

Perhaps it is the first time in its 38-year history that the
Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) leaders openly criticized
another member about its human rights record. It was notable
because ASEAN normally rigidly sticks to the principle of
noninterference, plus human rights is a highly sensitive issue
for many members of the regional grouping.

The leaders of the 10-member group in Kuala Lumpur on Monday
in no uncertain terms told the Myanmar junta that its rights
record was an embarrassment and demanded the release of
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained
virtually since 1990. They also called for the release of other
political prisoners.

After years of defending the junta, often almost shamelessly,
against repeated international outcry over its human rights
record, while at the same time expecting a miracle that the
military regime would eventually "repent", ASEAN leaders finally
lost patience with and trust in the junta. Myanmar has seriously
damaged ASEAN's international credibility with its brutal regime
while its generals display absolutely no remorse and allow ASEAN
to be continually embarrassed by it gross human rights
violations.

This time ASEAN said enough was enough.

"We also called for the release of those placed under
detention," Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said in a
written statement after chairing the annual summit, which was
also attended by Myanmar leader Gen. Soe Win.

It is not unthinkable that in the near future ASEAN will
suspend Myanmar's membership if Gen. Soe Win and his compatriot
generals continue to defy calls for change. The international
community, meanwhile, is waiting for concrete results from
Myanmar.

The regional leaders have set a precedent, although one day it
could backfire against them if they do not follow through with
action against any defiance from Myanmar's generals.

Meanwhile, with international media paying more attention to
the hard feelings between Japan, China and South Korea, it was
obvious that the legacies of World War II were haunting the Kuala
Lumpur summit. Many people in this region are outraged by the
attitude of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who
adamantly refuses to stop visiting the Yasukini Shrine to pay
homage to Japanese war victims, knowing full very well that China
and South Korea find this totally unacceptable.

ASEAN should not allow itself to become a victim of other
countries' disputes or conflict, especially when they are guests
at an ASEAN function. If the dispute between Japan, China and
South Korea is not settled amicably among themselves, other
countries that have nothing to do with the dispute may suffer
more than the conflicting parties. China and Japan have played,
and expect to continue to play, a pivotal role in the
sustainability of security in Asia, especially this part of it.
It is in the interest of all that the two regional superpowers
have harmonious relations.

ASEAN is on the way to realizing its ambitious goal of
creating the ASEAN Community by 2020. When Malaysian Prime
Minister Abdullah Badawi hosted the first East Asia Summit on
Wednesday, ASEAN leaders expected their guests from China, Japan,
South Korea, Australia and India to help them accelerate the
creation of the ASEAN Community. The East Asia summit will become
a permanent part of the annual ASEAN summit.

Eventually it will be enlarged to become the East Asia
Community (EAC) in which ASEAN hopes it will remain the driving
force. In this context, the first priority should be the ASEAN
Community while preparations for the EAC can proceed in parallel.
However, it is understandable that the ASEAN guests have their
own interests to look after and will try to influence the
direction of ASEAN even from the onset.

In all, we congratulate Malaysia's leadership at the meeting
and deem it a successful summit, hopefully successful not just in
terms of ceremonial formality but also in substance.