Thailand to challenge ASEAN policy taboo

Thailand to challenge ASEAN policy taboo

BANGKOK (Reuters): Thailand is likely to ruffle a few feathers at next week's ASEAN foreign ministers meeting by pushing for regional action on cross-border crime and trafficking in drugs and people.

Bangkok wants to flesh out a proposal it made two years ago to move the bloc from a policy of mutual "non-interference" to more active cooperation, Thai and regional officials say.

The ASEAN meetings begin on July 24 and end on July 29.

Thailand says it will promote its so-called "troika" plan for reform of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations, something it hopes might speed the bloc's response to crises such as the region's financial meltdown in 1997.

The "troika" proposal is inspired by the European Union's practice of having the current EU president head a three-way, decision-making group to lead on ad hoc issues.

The move challenges one of ASEAN's most treasured tenets -- that members do not meddle in the affairs of their neighbors. "Our initiative on 'flexible engagement', which has evolved into 'enhanced interaction', is part of our effort to ensure that ASEAN is more effective, cohesive and relevant to the changing world situation," Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan wrote in Sunday's Bangkok Post newspaper.

"This will allow us to be alerted to potential problems before they arise and enable us to cooperate to address such issues constructively as partners and neighbors," he added.

Simon Tay, chairman Singapore's Institute of International Affairs, said Thailand's initiative would challenge some prejudices: "They want to see a much more active ASEAN. I think that's ambitious by ASEAN standards but it's also very relevant."

TROIKA PLAN HINGES ON COMPROMISE

"A lot depends on what compromises they can offer to the most statist regimes who are concerned about the troika becoming a forum for activism and interference," he told Reuters.

ASEAN groups liberal, elected governments such as in Thailand and the Philippines with more tightly controlled regimes such as those in Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. The other ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Tay said the troika proposal risked being watered down to nothing at the meeting.

More immediately relevant, he said, would be real action to combat cross-border drugs trade, crime and human trafficking. "If we could see some substantive progress on trafficking in women and children, that would be much more important," he said.

Drugs have long plagued Thailand, which borders Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and has an extensive coastline.

Myanmar is the world's second largest producer of opium and its derivative heroin, as well as a major source of amphetamines.