SARS hit test credibility of ASEAN and China

SARS hit test credibility of ASEAN and China

S. Pushpanathan, Assistant Director, External Relations, ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta

Just as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was
picking up the pieces and putting in place major initiatives to
integrate the region and make it globally competitive after the
financial crisis of 1997, the economic slowdown of the new
millennium and last year's Bali bombing, another challenge, this
time from an unknown and mutant microbe, has reared its head.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which has killed
more than 300 people worldwide with more than 80 percent of the
deaths attributed to China and Hong Kong, has infected close to
5,000 people globally.

Even though the mortality rate is only about 6 percent and in
comparison insignificant to that of the extremely deadly Ebola
virus with a death rate of over 90 percent, the panic it has
caused has affected the economies in the region.

Many of the countries have downgraded their growth rates with
the hospitality, retail and tourism sectors feeling the brunt of
the problem. Tourist arrivals from many East Asian countries have
fallen drastically with some major hotels reporting only 5
percent to 10 percent occupancy rates. Fear grips many faster
than the disease itself, in some instances due to the actions of
the authorities themselves.

As in the case of the financial crisis, the region did not
expect or anticipate such an attack that could leave the ASEAN
economies bleeding. Fortunately past experiences have been a good
teacher. The way ASEAN responded to the financial crisis and in
addressing terrorism may have left it much criticized in the
initial stages, but it provided a strong impetus for action and
cooperation, which gradually resulted in taking joint action at
the bilateral and regional levels to address the financial crisis
and terrorism, with some remarkable accomplishments.

This includes the emergence of the ASEAN plus Three Process,
which is now the center piece for East Asia cooperation, the
successful arrest of the culprits of the Bali bombing and the
crackdown of terrorist groups linked to the Sept. 11 attacks.

ASEAN is fully aware that the current contagion will require
an immediate regional approach to effectively address the problem
and that there is no time to waste. This is so since there is no
cure or vaccine for SARS and the most prudent option for fighting
SARS now is to contain the problem with effective preventive
measures.

ASEAN is wise in inviting China to the Leaders' meeting since
any concerted effort to tackle the problem must involve China
where the disease first emerged. Involving China provides the
opportunity for both sides to collaborate in understanding the
nature of the mutant virus and how it could have jumped from
livestock to humans as well as the immediate tasks of addressing
the problem at its roots.

Hence, ASEAN's swift action in organizing an ASEAN+3 meeting
among the ASEAN and East Asian countries of China, Japan and the
Republic of Korea in Kuala Lumpur last week and the ASEAN Leaders
Special Meeting on SARS this week in Bangkok, which was also
attended by China and Hong Kong.

All this was done in less than a month of the outbreak of the
problem in ASEAN. The meeting in Kuala Lumpur came up with strict
measures to fight the problem, which included screening of
departing passengers, mandatory submission of health declaration
forms by visitors from affected countries, in-flight management
of suspected SARS cases, and surveillance of persons who have
been in contact with suspected SARS cases.

The Special Meeting of the Leaders provides the opportunity
for ASEAN, together with China and Hong Kong, to better
understand the situation and preventive measures that have been
taken by all to combat the often-deadly virus. It helps to share
the expertise and experience gained in the last one month by some
of the countries attempting to tackle the problem.

The lack of any caregiver assigned to treat SARS patients at
Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore becoming ill is a good
example, since one third of all SARS infections are estimated to
have originated in the hospital environment.

The Leaders' meeting provides a window for ASEAN and China to
convey the message to the world that ASEAN is serious about the
problem and is committed to taking all preventive measures to
allay apprehensions of travelers and investors to reinstate
business-as-usual conditions in the region.

While this may not be easy, the continued reduction in
infection rates in Vietnam, Canada and Hong Kong and the WHO
announcement that the worst is over for Singapore helps to shore
up confidence among business travelers and tourists.

It also gives these countries a shot in the arm for all the
painful efforts in bringing down the infections and eventually
helps to spur them to win the battle against SARS.

What may be a significant outcome of the meeting is the
issuing of a joint plan of action, which would provide a
coordinated and concerted strategy to put in place immediate
measures to contain SARS from exploding into a pandemic and plans
to manage and eradicate the problem.

ASEAN is again facing a credibility challenge in the name of
SARS. How ASEAN fares will be judged by how the region as a
whole, together with its East Asian partners, is going to tackle
the problem.