Undesirable consequences of an ASEAN peacekeeping force

Undesirable consequences of an ASEAN peacekeeping force

Bantarto Bandoro, Editor, The Indonesian Quarterly, Centre For Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta

bandoro@csis.or.id

Since the 2003 ASEAN Bali summit, which laid down new
foundations for more cohesive ASEAN security cooperation,
Indonesia has been quite expressive in pursuing its proposal for
an ASEAN Security Community. In a recent meeting of ASEAN senior
officials here, Indonesia proposed the formation of an ASEAN
peacekeeping force that would one day help settle regional
disputes.

The idea was part of the action plan of the ASEAN Security
Community. The idea was again put forward by our foreign minister
Hassan Wirayuda in his address to the 4th ASEAN -- UN Conference
here. The argument may have been that being closer to the
conflict, ASEAN can react faster and have a better understanding
of the conflict than the international community as a whole, as
represented by the United Nations.

Now that ASEAN sees itself as a security community it means
that cooperation for long-term regional peace and stability needs
to be enhanced, intensified and strengthened. However, the
process of becoming a security community will inevitably be
characterized by the emergence of new potential regional
problems, that are likely to have negative repercussions on
regional order.

It is therefore timely that Indonesia came up with the idea of
an ASEAN peacekeeping force. At a time when ASEAN is set to
become the real engine for its own regional order through the
ASEAN Security Community and is transforming itself into a more
solid, cohesive and outward-looking community, cooperation in the
field of peacekeeping is not only necessary, but also desirable
given the continued vulnerability ASEAN is to face in the future.

The idea of a peacekeeping force reflects the wish of
Indonesia that ASEAN employ and project a non-coercive means of
resolving conflict and avoid direct confrontation. This indeed is
the essence of an ASEAN Security Community. The idea of an ASEAN
regional peacekeeping force may have been based on the assumption
that such a mechanism would be a major contributing factor in the
maintenance of regional peace and security.

Thus, the ASEAN Security Community is unlikely to develop into
a true community unless it has at its disposal a politically
reliable regional mechanism for a non-coercive conflict
resolution.

If the proposal is endorsed by the respective member
governments of ASEAN countries, then it has to be the product of
a regional consensus. However, there has already been a negative
reaction from the minister of foreign affairs of Thailand who was
reported as saying that a regional peacekeeping force was not
necessary.

So, just like the idea of ASEAN Security Community when it was
first fleshed out by Indonesia, the proposal for an ASEAN
peacekeeping force is likely to spur heated debate among the
members countries of ASEAN. Such debate is likely to occur in the
ASEAN Ministerial Meeting here in June.

The idea for an ASEAN peacekeeping force is actually good for
the long-term security of the region, but it might not be the
case for other members of ASEAN as they have to think through all
the complexities of the proposal once it is put into reality.

ASEAN should be aware of the fact that peacekeeping operations
do not rely exclusively on military activity, but on diplomacy.
This would mean that collective ASEAN diplomatic power would have
to be reinforced and strengthened if ASEAN is to prove to the
world the political and security benefits of a regional
peacekeeping force.

In the next few years the region will witness a number of
proposals for the security of the region particularly from
Indonesia, as ASEAN itself as an organization continues to search
for common ground rules for joint action.

It is during such a process that ASEAN members will face very
complex problems emanating either from their participation in the
regional peacekeeping force or from their domestic setting.

Some of the problems ASEAN must anticipate, among other
things, are (a) a lack of general readiness with both lack of
rapid deployment capability and of general military capability;
(b) a lack of understanding about what is needed and what is to
be expected from the peacekeeping operation, particularly with
regard to use of force; and (c) some members may have vested
national interests in the country or with the parties in
conflict, which in turn undermine the unity of purpose required
for cohesive action. Others may be unwilling to support a
particular operation and thus fragmenting the cohesiveness of the
group.

It could be said that efforts to establish an ASEAN regional
peacekeeping force may produce undesirable consequences. In terms
of interests for example, it is always possible that ASEAN views
conflicts in the region through the narrow national or regional
self-interests. It is not impossible that states may have close
economic, political and military connections with conflicting
parties.

Thus, they are less able or likely to be impartial. All too
often, regional states are part of the problem and not part of
the solution. If this is the case, then an ASEAN peacekeeping
operation is bound to encounter difficulties, not to mention
other constraints emanating either from resources and capability
or from ASEAN's adherence to the principle of non-interference.

ASEAN peacekeeping operations would certainly enhance ASEAN
cooperation on both political and military levels. But ASEAN must
do its utmost to avoid contradictory views on how the operation
should be framed and implemented.

There are, however, dangers that might come with the new ASEAN
interest in peacekeeping. A purely military approach, using a
heavy hand where it is not required, could tarnish the image of
ASEAN.

Furthermore, an expansion of ASEAN's responsibility into the
area of peacekeeping should not be used as an excuse to carry out
intervention in the name of peacekeeping. It is thus imperative
that the intricacies and complexities of an ASEAN peacekeeping
force be studied thoroughly if ASEAN is to be seen as successful.

The Indonesian idea for regional peacekeeping has now reached
the capitals of other ASEAN countries, with one country already
voicing its reservations. The question that ASEAN must address
now is whether or not the regional peacekeeping force is a must
for the region.

The writer is also lecturer at the International Relations,
Post Graduate Studies Program, Faculty of Social and Political
Science, University of Indonesia.