RI pushes for peaceful bid on Spratlys

RI pushes for peaceful bid on Spratlys

By Pandaya

BANGKOK (JP): Indonesia drummed up stronger support yesterday
for its move to seek a peaceful solution to the potentially
explosive conflict over the oil-rich Spratlys in the South China
Sea.

Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, when
addressing the annual ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting, said
that the current relative stability in the Asia Pacific provided
a good opportunity for peace efforts.

He said that Indonesia is preparing to hold the fifth workshop
on the disputed Spratlys, stressing that the initiative
implemented since 1990 has reached a "decisive stage."

Workshop participants, consisting of academics, technical
experts and government officials acting in a private capacity,
have gone beyond recommending general principles and are engaged
now in the practical realm of identifying and proposing concrete
projects in various fields, Alatas said.

He said what the Southeast Asian nations should do is
maintain the momentum of the workshop process while the
governments involved in the conflict restrain themselves from
using force.

"More than ever, I am convinced that by developing peaceful
and mutually beneficial cooperation in the South China Sea, a
more conducive climate will be created for the peaceful solution
of the overlapping sovereignty and jurisdictional claims as
well," he said.

The Spratlys are claimed in whole or part by Taiwan, China,
Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the six ASEAN member
countries which lay claim to Spratlys made no or only passing
mention to the ongoing problem.

Philippines Foreign Secretary Roberto R. Romulo, for example
only said: "And we could urged more and stronger endorsements of
the ASEAN Declaration on the South China Sea."

The Philippines was angered recently by Vietnam's building a
lighthouse on one of the disputed islands. Vietnamese Foreign
Minister Nguyen Manh Cam made no mention of the conflict in his
address.

Earlier, Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said that the
competition for ocean space and resources in the South China Sea
was "particularly worrisome prospect."

Nuclear

ASEAN foreign ministers also agreed on the need to translate
the concept of a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN)
and its component Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone into
reality.

Alatas said that the situation is now rife for the realization
of the ZOPFAN concept as there is relative peace in Southeast
Asia, with Cambodia having succeeded in establishing a democratic
government.

Thai Foreign Minister Prasong Soonsiri warned that
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction will continue to
pose a threat to security in the region especially because the
issue of North Korea's nuclear weapon development remains
unresolved.

He also expressed concern over the arms build-up in the Asia
Pacific region."Although global defense spending has come down,
it is rising in Asia," he said.

Security in the Asia Pacific region will be discussed next
week in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which includes the ASEAN
six, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, consultative partners China and
Russia and seven dialog partners Japan, Canada, Australia, the
United States, South Korea, New Zealand and the European Union.

Caucus

On economic matters, the foreign ministers focused on the
promotion of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi still tried
to convince his counterparts about the benefits of the East Asia
Economic Caucus (EAEC).

The other ASEAN members support the EAEC so long it is put
into the APEC framework, but Malaysia keeps trying to make it a
more independent grouping. Kuala Lumpur's move irritates
countries like the U.S., which fears that the caucus would dilute
APEC.

The ASEAN ministers will conclude their two-day meeting today
and issue a joint communique.