Moral victory for ASEAN leaders

Moral victory for ASEAN leaders

Syed Nadzri,
New Straits Times,
Kuala Lumpur

Some of the most astute diplomacy appears to have been at play
during the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, where just about everyone
from John Howard to Thaksin Shinawatra scored moral victories.

For a grouping that is getting somewhat overloaded with tasks,
meetings and pacts, 10-member ASEAN has further discovered the
complexities involved in community-building and international
relations, surviving what could have been divisive.

Malaysia had reason to celebrate following a consensus at last
on the holding of an East Asian Summit in Kuala Lumpur, which
would certainly pave the way for the East Asian Economic
Community it had been yearning for but feared by many outside the
region.

It had not been easy to get everyone to agree and the nod
received from Indonesia particularly -- and from Japan, one of
the three non-ASEAN partners in the proposed set-up -- was quite
unexpected.

ASEAN operates on strict consensus among members, which means
that nothing moves should even one party object.

Officials say it was therefore a coup of sorts when Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono agreed to the idea, because
Jakarta had shown no sign of relenting on its initial
disapproval. The Indonesian camp looked adamant in the final days
before the summit.

The crucial decision on the East Asian Summit has apparently
sent several quarters scurrying for diplomatic bargains.

Australia, which is rejoicing no end at being invited to sit
down and talk at the ASEAN table in Vientiane, is now also hoping
to be part of the Kuala Lumpur summit and hence the East Asian
Community.

"It's the way of the world now. It's all about free trade and
national interests and everyone wants in quickly," says an
official.

Australia's presence, along with New Zealand's, at the ASEAN
Summit in Laos was supposed to be a one-off commemorative affair
to mark a 30-year history in their relations with countries in
Southeast Asia.

And Prime Minister John Howard was happy about that since
Australia had for so long wanted to benefit from closer economic
ties with the region, only to be met previously with stiff
opposition from leaders like former Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad.

Diplomatic sources say Canberra is very upbeat now that testy
relations with some of its regional neighbors are on the mend,
particularly with Indonesia. It is said to be wooing a more
permanent place in ASEAN and the East Asian community.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Tuesday that it
was still very uncertain whether Australia would get a seat at
the next ASEAN Summit and the East Asian Summit, both to be held
in Kuala Lumpur.

Howard, basking in the victory of being invited to Vientiane,
appears to downplay the chances of appearing in Kuala Lumpur for
now. But that could also be because of his defiance in not
wanting to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, which forms
the founding principle of ASEAN.

This is a non-aggression pact which basically provides for a
code of conduct in interstate relations, including the policy of
non-interference in the internal affairs of one another. Seven
countries outside ASEAN have signed it, including China and
Russia.

But Australia, on the back of its US-inspired anti-terror
policy of pre-emptive strikes, has refused to accede despite
wanting a piece of the economic cake from ASEAN.

Although it is a non-compulsory treaty, Australia appears to
have lost quite a bit of goodwill with its refusal to sign and
this could affect its chances of settling in -- especially when
backroom dealings start before ASEAN foreign ministers meet to
decide on the program.

"We were surprised when Australia refused to sign. If they
want to be part of the process, they have to identify themselves
as part of ASEAN and be seen as going along with its principles,"
said Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

For all the hubbub over Thailand and Myanmar earlier on, the
Vientiane Summit seemed to have stuck close to the non-
interference principle because quiet diplomacy and tactful skills
ensured that controversial issues concerning the two countries
did not surface much. In fact, Thailand's insurgency problems in
the southern provinces as well as Myanmar's stalled
reconciliation process had no mention at all in the chairman's
statement, the final document at the summit.

"At the last summit in Bali, at least the concern expressed
over Myanmar was down in black-and-white. Now it's not. And
neither was one about the troubles in south Thailand," said an
observer.

Thaksin, the Thai Prime Minister, pre-empted the possible
onslaught on him by calling aside Abdullah and Susilo on the eve
of the summit to talk and, as diplomatic circles have it, explain
his Government's side of the story.

So too Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win who, for one hour
at a Press conference on Friday, gave an account of what the
military rulers of his country were doing to restore peace and
bring in democracy.

In the end, the two issues were swept away by what some
delegates say were the more pressing issues in the grouping, such
as the free trade arrangements with China and India.

"The two issues were not totally forgotten.

"They were brought up, but mainly on the sidelines," says a
delegate.

It may be ASEAN's peculiar diplomacy of letting everyone win.
But as the world gets bigger and demands more challenging, it
could yet prove to be a losing strategy.