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.