RI prepares ARF membership criteria

RI prepares ARF membership criteria

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is preparing a set of guidelines which
will become the criteria for new membership in the ASEAN Regional
Forum (ARF) which is set to meet here in July, Minister of
Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said.

He told the press on Wednesday that the process has yet to be
completed, but would not elaborate.

The ARF is a regional security forum initiated by the members
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- Brunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam -- in July 25, 1993.

Its aim is to minimize confrontation through the promotion of
mutual understanding, goodwill and confidence-building measures.

Its membership has now expanded to 18, comprising also
Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea, Russia, South Korea, the United States and the European
Commission.

The third ARF meeting is scheduled to be held here in July.
One of the main issues expected to be raised is the question of
new members.

Speaking after a meeting with United States' Deputy Secretary
of State Peter Tarnoff here on Wednesday, Alatas said that it was
in anticipation of new members that Indonesia was defining new
criteria for entry.

Alatas said he informed Tarnoff of Britain and France's strong
desire for membership separate from the European Commission.

India

Another issue discussed by international affairs analysts is
the fact that India in December was accepted as a full dialog
partner of ASEAN, thus opening the door for its entry into the
ARF.

Concern has been expressed because India is as an undeclared
nuclear power and has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty.

However, "Nuclear or non-nuclear is not a factor in joining
ARF; it is a regional organization. The ASEAN Regional Forum is
more directed towards regional representation," Alatas said.

Of his meeting with Tarnoff, Alatas said they discussed a
whole range of issues but did not specifically talk about the
annual State Department report on human rights released recently
which once again pointed to violations here.

"We think that the report is often unbalanced, not always
picturing the positive achievements of Indonesia in this field
side by side with the shortcomings," he said. "We have stopped
reacting to it".

Tarnoff said his trip here showed Washington's broad interest
in maintaining strong relations with countries in the region.

He ended his two-day visit here yesterday. (mds)