Indonesia proposing ASEAN security community concept

Indonesia proposing ASEAN security community concept

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Phnom Penh

Indonesia will propose a security "community concept" to the
Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) that it says could
serve as a road map to foresee and avoid possible conflict in the
region.

The concept, to be presented at the 36th ASEAN ministerial
meeting (AMM) here, was designed to provide relevance for the
organization's existence, especially in the wake of emerging
unconventional security threats in the region, such as terrorism.

In a document obtained by The Jakarta Post on Sunday, the
concept aims at containing the prospect of war in Southeast Asia.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said
earlier that some ugly events had occurred in the region over the
past couple of years, with a series of terrorist attacks that
culminated in last October's Bali bombings and other potential
conflicts due to changes in global politics after the Sept. 11,
2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

The terrorist activities have been blamed on separatist
movements that plague several countries in the region, such as
Indonesia, which is currently conducting a military offensive
against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The Philippines and
Thailand are both fighting separatist Muslims.

The region has come under the international spotlight with the
inclusion of the Southeast Asia Jamaah Islamiyah terrorist
network on the United Nations' terrorist list, rampant arms
smuggling and money laundering that continue to support terror
activities there.

"We need to address these issue, and for an organization that
has existed for 36 years, we should have a degree of maturity
among member states to discuss these domestic problems," the
minister said before leaving for the AMM, held on Monday and
Tuesday. The meeting will be followed by the ASEAN Regional Forum
on Wednesday, which will invite 10 regional partners, including
the United States, Australia, Japan and China.

The concept does not suggest the establishment of a defense
pact nor a military alliance nor ask for the commitment of member
states to defend each other from external attacks, but seeks
assurance for an end to the possibility of such conflicts
occurring in the first place.

In the document, Indonesian states that the concept "is meant
to provide a sense of purpose, a practical goal, and a future
condition that all member states should strive for".

To attain the condition, in practice Indonesia will propose
the establishment of several institutions to deal with regional
security issues such as arms trafficking, fraud and money
laundering, which will be tackled as part of the overall effort
to combat terrorism.

"ASEAN should consider the establishment of an ASEAN center
for combating terrorism and urge all member states to ratify all
relevant international conventions in this area," the document
states.

Another institution that Indonesia is proposing be established
is an ASEAN peace-keeping training center to improve conflict
prevention and resolution among member states.

To directly address smuggling and other maritime threats in
the region, Indonesia underlines that the region may need to set
up an ASEAN maritime surveillance center.

In the proposal, Indonesia asserts that the concept will
continue to respect the basic principles of ASEAN such as
noninterference, respect for national sovereignty, consensus
based decision-making, and the renouncement of the threat or use
of force.