RI, Malaysia model Moslem states: Expert
RI, Malaysia model Moslem states: Expert
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Strong economic growth in
predominantly Moslem Malaysia and Indonesia has proven that Islam
is not incompatible with rapid development, a U.S. military
official said yesterday.
Vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff William Owens
said the booming economies and political stability of both
countries showed that other Islamic nations could also pursue
development policies in harmony with religion.
"Southeast Asia's many positive values will enable it to lead
the rest of the world through ASEAN," Owens was reported saying
by the Bernama news agency.
Because Islam and free enterprise successfully coexist in
Indonesia, Owens asserted that the two can contribute to success
and prosperity for other Islamic nations.
ASEAN groups Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the
Philippines and Brunei.
Owens said ASEAN could help find peaceful solutions to various
crises, such as the territorial dispute over the Spratly Islands
in the South China Sea and the diplomatic tiff between Beijing
and Manila over Mischief Reef.
Military
The Spratlys, a long string of sparsely populated islands, are
claimed wholly or in part by Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia,
the Philippines and Brunei.
Asked about Vietnam's entry into ASEAN, Owens said it was a
good sign now that Vietnam is also experiencing an economic
explosion similar to others in Southeast Asia.
Owens is in the region to meet with civilian and military
leaders to discuss the U.S. commitment to ASEAN and issues of
mutual concern.
Asked about the American presence in the Pacific, Owens said
that he hoped it could help maintain stability in the region and
help deter other countries from building up military capabilities
for purposes other than defense.
He told reporters Monday that the U.S. navy planned to situate
its "floating arsenal" in two spots in the Indian and Pacific
oceans.
The commercial ships -- loaded with heavy arms as well as
humanitarian and medical supplies for crisis situations -- would
be located around Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and Guam in
the Pacific Ocean, he said.
The sites were chosen after Thailand rejected a proposal to
house the arsenal in its waters, saying it feared a negative
reaction from China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar.