The relevance of ASEAN

The relevance of ASEAN

When the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was
established in Bangkok on Aug. 8, 1967, the foreign ministers
each of the founding members, Indonesia, the Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand signed the Bangkok Declaration in which
they set up a seven-point "aim and purposes" to be achieved by
the group. They included the acceleration of economic growth, the
promotion of regional peace and stability and the acceleration of
active collaboration and mutual assistance among its members.

On Thursday, when ASEAN celebrates its 35th anniversary, the
Bangkok Declaration's spirit is expected to become a strong
inspiration for ASEAN leaders, especially when Indonesian
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad and Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
plan to hold a mini summit and witness the signing of an
agreement on the International Tripartite Rubber Corporation
(ITRC) in Bali.

Earlier in the morning, Megawati and Mahathir will hold a
separate summit to boost economic cooperation and to resolve
prevailing problems between the two neighbors. We hope that the
two leaders will be able to show their statesmanship in solving
the expulsion of Indonesian illegal workers from Malaysia for the
mutual benefit of the two friends. A successful summit could be a
nice gift for ASEAN's anniversary.

The anniversary commemoration, and the three leaders' summit
occur amid growing doubts over the effectiveness, and even the
relevance of its existence.

Looking at the recent ASEAN Annual Foreign Ministerial Meeting
and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Brunei, some might conclude
that external powers had overshadowed the meeting. It is also not
exaggerating if some people feared that the United States' global
war on terror had sidelined the no less urgent regional problems,
like migrant worker problems during the ministerial meeting.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell stole the show at the ARF
while the ASEAN ministers looked like cheerleaders for the
leading actor. A similar scene also could be seen when ASEAN
leaders hosted an informal summit with the leaders of Japan,
China and South Korea in Brunei last year. It appeared that the
guests were the main attraction and the ASEAN delegates were
again reduced to awed spectators.

Until the financial crisis hit the region in 1997, ASEAN was a
fairy tale and was often described as the model for a regional
group and the darling of global investors. All the countries in
the region had become part of the association by April 1997 when
Cambodia became the 10th member of ASEAN. The newly independent
East Timor may also be granted ASEAN membership one day.

The fall of Soeharto -- the real leader of the group in charge
of a population of 200 million -- in 1998 accelerated the
weakening of the regional group by creating a leadership vacuum.
Most of the members also became too busy with their own domestic
agenda -- specifically struggling to overcome the economic
crisis.

Indonesia itself is still unable to get rid of its domestic
chaos and if this continues it may become a liability for the
region. Indonesia's recovery is still very far away, therefore
foreign affairs will not be a top priority for its leaders
anytime soon.

No other regional leaders, even those with the respect of
Mahathir, can fulfill this leadership vacuum. Mahathir often
portrays himself as the spokesman of developing countries with
his confrontational approaches against the West. Singapore Prime
Minister Goh Chok Tong is also a respected leader in ASEAN, but
his seniority and capability alone are not enough to play the
anchor role like Soeharto could.

ASEAN also faces bilateral disputes among its members, like
the border problems between Thailand and Myanmar, and territorial
disputes between the Philippines and Malaysia.

But it does not mean that ASEAN has lost its meaning. The
experience of the European Union or the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) shows that it takes several decades to realize
the dreams of such groupings. There have been ups and downs in
their journey.

ASEAN implemented the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) in January
this year although the road is still long for full economic
integration. However by doing so, the group can reply to critics
that it is not like NATO (sometimes referred to as the "No Action
Talk Only" group) by replying that AFTA stands for "Action First,
Talk After."

We hope that the Bali summit will become a new cornerstone for
regional cooperation, where senior leader Mahathir will share his
insights about ASEAN with his younger colleagues, Megawati and
Thaksin. It is a symbol of continuation of leadership.

ASEAN can do much for the prosperity of its members. However,
its future mainly depends on the vision and goodwill of its
leaders and not just on external power.