Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The Continuing Impotence of ASEAN

ASEAN leaders walk after they held a retreat at the 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta May 8, 2011. (Supri Supri/Courtesy Reuters)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011
By Joshua Kurlantzick
Council on Foreign Relations

This past week’s ASEAN Summit in Jakarta only further highlighted the organization’s continuing impotence at a time when the United States is reengaging with ASEAN and, Indonesia, returning to its role as regional power, is trying to make ASEAN work more effectively. The first U.S. ambassador to ASEAN has arrived, and Indonesian officials have become more involved in everything from Myanmar to the ongoing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

Yet the organization itself still lacks coherence, strong leadership, and speed, and it increasingly appears likely that it will never have these characteristics. Despite Indonesia’s best intentions, ASEAN mediation has produced few results in the Thai-Cambodian dispute, and the organization has not been able to resolve another lingering problem: Myanmar is in line to host the 2014 ASEAN summit, which would almost surely mean the U.S. president will not attend any meetings with ASEAN that year, since he or she will not want to appear to support Myanmar. Some of the more democratic members of ASEAN, including the Philippines and Indonesia, wanted Myanmar to relinquish this right, as it had in the past, but as usual with ASEAN, the organization could reach no consensus–ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan just endorsed Myanmar’s right to host –and so the likely result will be some kind of muddle.


ASEAN’s leadership abilities are only going to get weaker. Though Singapore’s recent election was a step forward for open politics in the city state, it did result in the loss of a seat for longtime foreign minister George Yeo, who has been a driving force for stronger ASEAN leadership and action. Moreover, in the next few years the organization will absorb Timor Leste as its eleventh member, a correct decision, given Timor’s tough history, but one that will only slow down policymaking even more.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

KI, there are 18 members at ASEAN, who is the banana belongs to?

Anonymous said...

sorry for the no.18th

KI, there are lots members at ASEAN, who is the banana belongs to?

Anonymous said...

to KI will you support Mr. Sam Rainsy if the Thai financaily back up Mr. Rainsy to tople Hun sen by the Jasmine up rising trick.Rainsy was well known as a kmher jasmine revolution leader in Thailand medai ASTV, the Thai will again using old trick by using Khmer attacked khmer to creat reason for thai invade cambodia. the thai been using Ang Chan reacchear to destroy King Korn in loung Verk, Now The hai are ready and well prepared to use Rainsy as a tools to attack us khmer again.

Anonymous said...

Asean community is the shit community that is why European look down on Asean.

Asean is uncivilization and un democracy supporter either.

Asean can't solve any problem because themself have problems.

Anonymous said...

May lightening strike ah two criminal kasit and ah bullshit soon. They are not only destroy their country slowly, but also want to string Cambodia along with their problem. Ah greedy criminal cause a lot of suffering to the people. Your people and my people never can leave in peace as long as you alive. The road to hell already paved for you. Burn in hell ah greedy criminal.

Anonymous said...

Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten

By Ms. Rattana Keo

Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?

Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?

Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?

The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer every day.

Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?

Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?

Koh Tral was a Cambodian island, and technically and legally, remained a Cambodian island until today.

Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,

Anonymous said...

The China,North Korea,and Vietnam
collapse,the Asia will be better like
Europe.
What some people have seen in the last twelve years,China and Vietnam
are investing a lot of money.
The South Korea is only one free world that investing billion money
in a fake neutral kingdom of Cambodia.
Cambodia is a banana province of Vietnam.

ជនពាល said...

ASIAN = USELESS
អាស៊ាន = អត់បានការ
ឃើញហេតុការ​ ដែលថៃបានរំលោបលើ
កម្ពុជាយើងនៅចំកណ្ដាលថ្ងៃត្រង់យ៉ាងនេះ
គឺថាខ្មែរយើង ចាំបាច់ណាស់ ត្រូវតែមានកំលាំងទ័ពគ្រប់គ្រាន់ដោយខ្លួនឯង
ដើម្បីការពារបូរណភាពទឹកដីខ្លួនឯង ។ ការទទឹងរងចាំ ដំណោះដោះស្រាយពី អាស៊ាន ឬ ពីអង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិក្ដី
គឺទាល់តែ សៀមយកកម្ពុជាទាំងមូល ទើប អាស៊ាន ឬ ពីអង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិចាប់ផ្ដើមកំរើក
ពោលពួកទាំងនេះ គឺ គ្មានប្រយោជន៍សោះឡើយ ។

Anonymous said...

10:49 AM

Thais and Khmers share the same culture and the language are almost the same better than Yuon. You forget to read how Yuon sacked Oudong and took everything including elephants and jewelry from the ancient Kings. There are nothing good about Yuon.

Anonymous said...

11:38 AM
Hue (Hanoi) will be just a peninsular and China will take Hanoi at the end.

Anonymous said...

ចេកពួកអានេះ ចេកអី?????

ចេកអំបូង រឺក៏ ចេក ណាំវ៉ា

រឺក៏ចេកពងមាន់????????

Anonymous said...

ពួក អាស៊ាន អាស៊ុយ អីអស់នេះ ពួកនេះក៏វាគិតតែ

ពីផលប្រយោជន៏វា ដែរ

Anonymous said...

I didn't know all ah KI are gay ass cocksuckers who always display male genital. Do those apples and banana make your gay ass sexually arouse, huh ah KI?

Anonymous said...

The two aples and a banana reference as to 'Dick' - 'Kdor'. It is useless Asean group.

Anonymous said...

Cambodia withrawal troops! Cambodia defeate..!

Anonymous said...

Hi 8:27 PM
Why are you so fussed about just that? It's better that, the public may react if KI displays porn in here.