By Kavi Chongkittavorn
The Nation (Thailand)
New York—Asean is facing one of biggest dilemmas in its 40-year history whether to step in directly to prevent possible bloodsheds or shy away under from the ongoing conflict inside one of its members.
Asean foreign ministers, who are scheduled to meet on Thursday to finalise the draft of Asean Charter, would discuss the crisis in Burma and what Asean could do to promote peace and national reconciliation.
In past 15 years, there were precedence both in Cambodia and East Timor when Asean initiated joint actions to help end the political crisis there. Asean sent a trio-team inside Phnom Penh in 1997 to reconcile intra-political fighting among various parties as part of effort to usher Cambodia into the group. After three years delay, Cambodia joined Asean in 1999.
Asean's role in Cambodia was not a complicate one as the country was not an Asean member yet. Asean was invited to restore peace as well as law and order in Cambodia. Therefore, Asean initiative was not considered an intervention in the internal affair of a country.
Then, two years later, Asean faced a new dilemma with the crisis in East Timor, which directly involved an active and biggest member of Asean, Indonesia, which pushed Asean a step further to engage in an internal issue.
Indonesia, under President Yusuf Baharuddin Habibi, appealed for Asian presence including those from neighboring countries, which were the Asean members to send peacekeeping forces to East Timor. As the Asean chair in 1999-2000, Thailand played active roles in the overall schemes of things.
At the Asia Pacific Economic Leaders meeting in Oakland, New Zealand in November 1999, Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai chaired a meeting of Asean leaders and pledging to help Indonesia.
"We will do everything we can to help our friend," Chuan told the meeting. Then, he dispatched Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan to Jakarta immediately to consult with President
Habibi and General Wiranto.
With joint international appeals made by leaders of US, Australia, Japan, EU and the UN, an international peacekeeping forces was formed. Asean chose to respond individually with Thailand and Philippines sending the largest contingents followed by Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
Limited Asean experience in conflict-resolution showed that willingness and trust of Asean members is pivotal to help ease and end a crisis within the region, especially those involved a member country.
To be effective, the Asean effort must be co-ordinated with visible and strong UN-led and
international effort. The issue at hand is whether Burma, which was admitted into Asean in 1997, would have a similar trust demonstrated by Indonesia and Cambodia. Burma can take its own initiative to engage Asean or vice versa.
Since its admission, Burma has failed to respond to Asean joint calls repeatedly for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and stepping up political process that would lead to national reconciliation and end political impasse.
Without positive gestures from the junta, which has increasingly isolated itself from the world, Asean has to take a bold and pro-active step to engage Burma with assistance from the UN and international community.
In 2000, Thailand proposed to dispatch a trio team for a fact-finding trip to Burma, but it was rejected outright by Rangoon. This time, Asean foreign ministers must tighten the screw on Burma as the grouping must take up collective responsibility.
Asean is currently facing twin dilemma. First of all, if the situation in Burma deteriorates, the grouping fails to response - and the time is running - it will be condemned by the international community for its indifference.
In the next few days, if the current confrontation leads to bloodshed and Asean does not have any plan to deal with the event, it would make a mockery of the grouping's effort to wrap up the Asean Chart.
In the long run, it will impact on the Asean grant plan to create the Asean community, which includes a security community.
Asean foreign ministers, who are scheduled to meet on Thursday to finalise the draft of Asean Charter, would discuss the crisis in Burma and what Asean could do to promote peace and national reconciliation.
In past 15 years, there were precedence both in Cambodia and East Timor when Asean initiated joint actions to help end the political crisis there. Asean sent a trio-team inside Phnom Penh in 1997 to reconcile intra-political fighting among various parties as part of effort to usher Cambodia into the group. After three years delay, Cambodia joined Asean in 1999.
Asean's role in Cambodia was not a complicate one as the country was not an Asean member yet. Asean was invited to restore peace as well as law and order in Cambodia. Therefore, Asean initiative was not considered an intervention in the internal affair of a country.
Then, two years later, Asean faced a new dilemma with the crisis in East Timor, which directly involved an active and biggest member of Asean, Indonesia, which pushed Asean a step further to engage in an internal issue.
Indonesia, under President Yusuf Baharuddin Habibi, appealed for Asian presence including those from neighboring countries, which were the Asean members to send peacekeeping forces to East Timor. As the Asean chair in 1999-2000, Thailand played active roles in the overall schemes of things.
At the Asia Pacific Economic Leaders meeting in Oakland, New Zealand in November 1999, Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai chaired a meeting of Asean leaders and pledging to help Indonesia.
"We will do everything we can to help our friend," Chuan told the meeting. Then, he dispatched Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan to Jakarta immediately to consult with President
Habibi and General Wiranto.
With joint international appeals made by leaders of US, Australia, Japan, EU and the UN, an international peacekeeping forces was formed. Asean chose to respond individually with Thailand and Philippines sending the largest contingents followed by Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
Limited Asean experience in conflict-resolution showed that willingness and trust of Asean members is pivotal to help ease and end a crisis within the region, especially those involved a member country.
To be effective, the Asean effort must be co-ordinated with visible and strong UN-led and
international effort. The issue at hand is whether Burma, which was admitted into Asean in 1997, would have a similar trust demonstrated by Indonesia and Cambodia. Burma can take its own initiative to engage Asean or vice versa.
Since its admission, Burma has failed to respond to Asean joint calls repeatedly for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and stepping up political process that would lead to national reconciliation and end political impasse.
Without positive gestures from the junta, which has increasingly isolated itself from the world, Asean has to take a bold and pro-active step to engage Burma with assistance from the UN and international community.
In 2000, Thailand proposed to dispatch a trio team for a fact-finding trip to Burma, but it was rejected outright by Rangoon. This time, Asean foreign ministers must tighten the screw on Burma as the grouping must take up collective responsibility.
Asean is currently facing twin dilemma. First of all, if the situation in Burma deteriorates, the grouping fails to response - and the time is running - it will be condemned by the international community for its indifference.
In the next few days, if the current confrontation leads to bloodshed and Asean does not have any plan to deal with the event, it would make a mockery of the grouping's effort to wrap up the Asean Chart.
In the long run, it will impact on the Asean grant plan to create the Asean community, which includes a security community.
4 comments:
ASEAN is voting on Myanmar situation:
Thailand -militaristic and hypocrite dictatroship-nea from top down
Cambodia-Hypocrite Communist dictatorship-nea in hand raise
Myanmar-Hypocrite Militarist socialist dictatorship-recuse conflict of interest
Viet Nam(South & North)-Hypocrite Communist dictatorship-nea and nea
Brunei-Next to God Absolutist monarchy-nea
Laos-Do me Communist dictatorship-nea
Singapore-Wanna be democratic with Singular party rule dictatorship-abstain conflict of interest
Philippines-Corruptive Popular democracy-yea
Malaysia-Constitutional monarchy-yea
Indonesia-semi democratic corruptive socialist majority-yea
3 yea,1 recuse,1 abstain,5 nea
Majority wins,so thus Myanmar will stay under junta until further conference notice.
Sorry error,
Thailand-Hypocritical monarchy of militarist servitude-is more like it...
why don't they just kick Burma out of ASEAN. They are nothing but trouble.
They can. All they have to do is amend the internal rule a little. But what will that do?
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