Indonesia sticks to 'nonintervention' idea
Indonesia sticks to 'nonintervention' idea
PETALING JAYA (JP): Malaysia's proposal for "constructive
intervention" in foreign relations failed to find support among
other delegates at the ongoing ASEAN meeting here.
Indonesia insisted yesterday that ASEAN should stick to its
basic tenet of "nonintervention".
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said ASEAN was not
considering such a policy. "That's not an ASEAN policy," Alatas
said when asked by The Jakarta Post.
"ASEAN continues to pursue the same policy, constructive
engagement," he added.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim suggested in an
international magazine article last week that the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) consider adopting "constructive
intervention" -- intervening before simmering problems erupt.
Anwar said the political turmoil in Cambodia was an example
where "constructive intervention" would have been plausible. He
argued that ASEAN must change its stance from being reactive to
becoming more proactive.
Alatas brushed aside the idea, saying it only represented the
view of one person. "It was only one article," he said, adding it
had not been discussed in the two-day ASEAN ministerial meeting.
"Don't make it bigger than it is. It's only a view expressed
by Anwar Ibrahim, not ASEAN's," he remarked.
A senior foreign ministry official with the Indonesian
delegation told Indonesia nonintervention remains a strong credo
which must be upheld continuously.
"The problem is that the word 'intervention' invites various
interpretations and could be misconstrued by some," said the
delegate, who asked not to be named.
Indonesia believed that, in the case of Cambodia, ASEAN would
play a role only if "welcomed" by all the parties concerned.
"It could also lead to an unhealthy precedent on when and what
kind of issues could be intervened," he said, adding that such a
concept would require long debates and discussion before being
taken into consideration.
The incoming ASEAN Secretary General Rodolfo Severino told the
Post that it was still unclear how one would define "constructive
intervention".
Nevertheless, he admitted that it was an interesting idea.
"It makes a lot of sense, but of course we'd have to go into
it deeper and discuss it more, because we have to define it
further... but it's thought provoking," Severino said.
Foreign policy experts in Jakarta had mixed reactions
yesterday to the Malaysian proposal.
"This will represent a significant progress if ASEAN adopts
the constructive intervention principle," said Dewi Fortuna Anwar
of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.
Dewi said "constructive intervention" must be used sparingly,
such as when the region's stability was threatened, or when
events in one country became too worrisome for its neighbors.
And it must be adopted as an ASEAN consensus, she said. "It
must not be a unilateral decision."
Koesnanto Anggoro of the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies cautioned ASEAN in applying the idea.
ASEAN members must still discuss the rules of the game and
define what conditions justify constructive intervention, he
said.
Indonesia must also be cautious. "We have to be careful
because Indonesia has some domestic problems, such as East
Timor," he added. (mds/09)