Indonesia and ASEAN

Indonesia and ASEAN

In the past couple of years the impression has been created
that Indonesia no longer needs the regional association called
ASEAN. Such an impression was reinforced by the diverse
statements of disappointment made by Abdurrahman Wahid when he
was president with regard to ASEAN's spirit of solidarity. He
even floated the idea of forming a new West Pacific Forum to
replace ASEAN, but the idea died with Wahid's political demise.

Hopes are therefore high that the President (Megawati
Soekarnoputri)'s present tour of the region will have a positive
impact on the ASEAN spirit of good neighborliness. Being the
biggest country in the organization, it is appropriate for
Indonesia to take a strategic position in ASEAN so that it can
contribute to plotting the direction in which ASEAN should be
moving.

Through ASEAN, Indonesia -- together with its sister nations
Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- can grow to be a region that
is respected by the rest of the world.

One of the most important things President Megawati must do on
her present tour is to remove the differences that have been
growing among ASEAN's member countries and convince them that now
is the time to begin working again and pass over the differences
of the past. Indonesia must also be fully committed to working
together with the others for the sake of progress in Southeast
Asia.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta