Asia Times: ASEAN charts new vision to heal wounds



	June 18, 1999	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

ASEAN charts new vision to heal wounds
By Ivan Gan

MANILA - Now that its battered economies appear headed forsome sort of recovery, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) istryingto rejuvenate itself and heal cracks in its much-avowed unity that were opened byAsia's recession.

ASEAN hopes that the brighter economic picture expected this year, twoyears after the financial crisis spread across this once-booming region,will help put Southeast Asia's premier diplomatic grouping back togetheragain.

The first meeting of ASEAN's Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) in Singaporeon June 8 marks a key part of this effort to strengthen the 32-year-oldgrouping by charting its directions in the next millenium.

Apart from suffering the effects of Asia's crisis, which hurt Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia the most among ASEAN members, the organization hasbeen weakened politically as well in the last two years.

It has come under fire for failing to act quickly enough as its membersreeled from the Asian crisis and cross-border problems like the pollutivehaze that hit the region. Latent tensions, some of them based on sensitiveracial issues, rose to the surface.

Comprising academics, politicians and former ambassadors from the 10ASEAN member countries, the Eminent Persons Group discussed the bloc's rolein the 21st century based on a bluepring entitled ''Vision 2020.'' The group was formedafter the ASEAN Summit in Hanoi in December 1998.

Emphasizing the urgent task of revitalizing ASEAN, Singapore's ForeignMinister S. Jayakumar urged the ''10 wise men'' of the EPG to draw upon their''vast experience and talents'' to offer ''new perspectives andpath-breaking recommendations'' in these ''difficult and challengingtimes."

Jayakumar chaired the one-day meeting, Singapore being this year's ASEANchair and host of the group's annual ministerial meetings in July.

IThe regional body does indeed need a new lease on life, as the Asian crisispresented a severe test for the much-vaunted ASEAN solidarity.

Not only did the organization struggle to get its act together beforefinally devising concrete measures to counter the economic turmoil duringthe ASEAN Summit in Hanoi last December, relations among member countrieshave also soured over the last two years.

This was evident in the heightened decibels in the dispute betweenMalaysia and Singapore over differing interpretations of the historicalevents leading to Singapore's separation from Malaysia in 1965, triggeredby the publication of the memoirs of the city state's founding father LeeKuan Yew.

The Malaysian government and the Philippines figured in tension thatensued over Philippine President Joseph Estrada's open support for AnwarIbrahim, who was sacked by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad inSeptember 1998.

Indonesia's President Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie belittled Singapore inremarks made soon after he became his country's leader, at one point sayingSingapore had not helped its ailing neighbor enough.

The Philippines' representative to the EPG, former finance secretaryJesus Estanislao, said that ASEAN's prestige and credibility was eroded dueto the financial crisis, which shattered decades of economic gains and laidbare the grouping's fundamental flaws.

Nevertheless, diplomats said, the EPG meeting served to set the platformfor a re-orientation of ASEAN's energy toward enhancing economic and securitycooperation in the Asia-Pacific.

More than half of the 10 ASEAN economies are expected to resume growth next year, according to a report by the PacificEconomic Cooperation Council, a Singapore-based non-governmental body.

This is in sharp contrast to the economic contractions that deepenedsince 1997 - hitting negative 15 percent GDP growth in Indonesia, as an extreme example.

Now, EPG members say it is time that ASEAN try to strengthen the politicalclout that was weakened by the crisis, starting with becoming more active andassertive as an economic group.

Singapore's delegate, Professor Chin Tet Yung, a law dean and a member ofparliament, said the EPG seeks to forge a more substantial role for ASEANininstitutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF). ''We also want to see ASEAN as an entity in world politics,'' he added.

How far that goal can be achieved, however, depends also on SoutheastAsia's economic health, because it was the region's record growth ratesthatinitially raised its standing in international circles.

ASEAN's future direction will also be discussed in the July meetings inSingapore. The annual ministerial meeting there will be the first oneattended by foreign ministers from all 10 ASEAN member countries.

Cambodia, the newest ASEAN member, was admitted only in April. Its entrymarked the achievement of ASEAN's founding goal of having all 10 SoutheastAsian countries in its circle.

Whether ASEAN can rise above narrow differences to foster common ground- even as its membership has grown - will determine its ability to summonthe collective will of its members for addressing regional and globalissues.

That will not be an easy task. The Philippines' Estanislao says thereshould be a focus on establishing robust mechanisms for overcomingconflictsand crises. ''The mechanisms and institutions we have are weak,'' helamented.

Since 1997, doubts among some Southeast Asian governments have assailedASEAN's long-standing policy of consensus through consultation andnon-intervention in other states' affairs. Moreover, critics havequestionedits viability in resolving regional problems that require swift solutions.

These were among the reasons that prompted Thailand and the Philippinesto call for a policy of ''flexible engagement'' during the foreign ministers'meeting in Manila in 1998.

They argued that this new approach, which would allow more candidexpression of views, would expedite the conflict-resolution process andfacilitate efficient responses to crises rather than the all-too-common tiptoeing arounddifferences among members.

The proposal lost steam as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore felt thatASEAN's cardinal principle of non-interference is what has underpinned thegroup's survival through the decades. They cautioned that ''flexibleengagement'' might tread upon sensitive domestic issues of members,resultingin hostility.

Some observers however said that candid critiques among members seemedtobe underway anyway, especially after Estrada criticised Malaysia's handlingof Anwar's case and Southeast Asian governments expressed concern abouttheMay 1998 riots in Indonesia.

But in many ways, ASEAN habits have become deeply ingrained in itsmembers. For instance, the Thai government in May banned a scheduledmeetingin Bangkok on labor conditions in Burma, organized by the InternationalConfederation of Free Trade Unions, saying it would have hurt ties withRangoon.

(Inter Press Service)

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