'asean Way' Just Means Standing By Uselessly

[samran]

ASEAN way' just means standing by uselessly

With exquisite timing, the centrepiece of South-East Asia's claim to a unique "way" of conducting itself has been spectacularly exposed for what it is - a joke.

Two of the key members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, neighbours Thailand and Cambodia, cut diplomatic relations last Thursday.

It will be much discussed as a demonstration of the dysfunctionality of ASEAN just as the 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation group - which includes the leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries - meet for their annual summit this week.

For 32 years, ASEAN nations have boasted of a special spirit of harmony. It was "the ASEAN way" of doing things. In truth, "the ASEAN way" is an Orwellian cover for inaction and ineffectiveness, for tolerating bad policy and worse politics.

When a crisis strikes, whether it's the 1997-98 Asian economic crisis, the trauma of the 2004 tsunami, or the permanent stain of the military dictatorship in Burma, ASEAN specialises in standing by uselessly.

No matter the nature of the problem - economic, seismic or political - the "ASEAN way" is consistent in its utter failure to take effective action.

Recently, ASEAN blithely continued convening annual summits and posing its leaders for photo-ops while a military coup in Thailand brought down a democratic government.

Through the last two decades, ASEAN spins out a tropical cyclone of paper describing the alleged free trade zone it is creating, supposedly a precursor to a grand, seamless economic union in the model of the European Union. ASEAN's paralysis meant it was left to the International Monetary Fund to deal with the economic crisis. It was left to outside powers and charities to respond to the tsunami. The rupture in Thai democracy has degenerated into a costly and regional embarrassment.

The ASEAN "free trade zone" is another piece of ASEAN Orwellianism, so unfree that, despite hosting a population as big as the European Union's half-billion, it has become another reason for foreign investors to overlook South-East Asia in pursuit of opportunities in China and India.

In spite of this, ASEAN has kept up a straight-faced bluster that it is the natural basis for a bigger Asia-Pacific mechanism for political and strategic co-operation.

As the Asia-Pacific century takes off, ASEAN wants to be in the governance cockpit. The truth is that, with the exception of Indonesia's impressive president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the midget leaders of the other ASEAN countries would have trouble seeing over the dashboard, much less flying the plane.

The problem s that there is no central venue for solving problems.

The vacuum is so glaring that two Asia-Pacific leaders are proposing new groupings. Australia's Kevin Rudd is pitching an East Asia Community to bring together all the major countries, including those of ASEAN, to talk security and geopolitics.

Japan's Yukio Hatoyama advocates the same idea but with one big difference - the US would not be invited.

So it was an exquisite moment for the Thai-Cambodia rupture to break out. In an act of calculated provocation, the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen, last week appointed as a personal adviser the fugitive former prime minister of Thailand, the billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Bangkok Post on Sunday described this as "the most irrational and potentially harmful step since the formation of ASEAN in 1967''.

Thaksin is the most divisive Thai alive. He now lives in Dubai to avoid arrest for corruption.

But his appointment by Hun Sen would allow him to set up a base in Cambodia. This could be highly destabilising for Thailand's unelected government. Thaksin retains a huge following among the Thai masses and loves to agitate for his return to power in Bangkok.

And Hun Sen? He is a thug, a former member of the Khmer Rouge who seized power by force, who loves to unsettle the Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva. The political morass in Bangkok has strengthened Hun Sen's Cambodia. He is enjoying his latest provocation. When Abhisit recalled his ambassador to Cambodia in protest on Thursday, Hun Sen recalled his ambassador to Thailand. So much for the "ASEAN way."

In the face of this humiliation, the secretary-general of ASEAN, Surin Pitsuwan, wrote to the foreign ministers of ASEAN countries calling for other members to help the two neighbours settle their differences.

"We, in ASEAN, cannot afford to be seen to be so seriously divided prior to the coming APEC economic leaders' meeting and the historic ASEAN-US leaders' meeting in Singapore," he wrote.

Note that he is not so much troubled about being divided as being "seen to be" divided. He seems less worried by the potential for violence between two countries that have already fought several bloody border skirmishes than he is by the need to pull off a nice photo-op this weekend in Singapore.

Perhaps ASEAN is about to discover newfound purpose and resolve. More likely, this latest rift is the dismal punchline to the joke that is the "ASEAN way."

Peter Hartcher is the Herald's political editor.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/ase...91109-i58r.html

Edited November 10, 2009 by MiG16
added link - MiG16

[mahtin]

East Asia Community sounds good.

Entertaining writing.

[siam2007]

amusingly refreshing indeed..... and oh-so-true

[RubbaJohnny]

agred but 19 million wealthy Okkers don't have a civil war by proxy

They are great at kidnapping (remember the lost generation)

and a punt so maybe a reward on Frank a special nudge on the pokies?

Funny I thought he was set to buy a property at Double Bay or did the `Sydneysider

Mafia blackball him as not a big enough player or wrong colour.

Australia fair bounded by Oceans the most racist of 50 odd countries I have live in and in rural NSW proud of it.

[geriatrickid]

Wow. That's one tough editorial. The truth can be awfully uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the Thai generals and political bosses are oblivious to such sentiments.

Had to laugh at the Japanese approach on not inviting the Americans. They should consider that the next time the North Koreans scare them and they have a collective bowel movement. Without a US presence, the Chinese will squash the other members of the ASEAN picnics. Besides, no US, no one to pay the bills

[lioness]

agred but 19 million wealthy Okkers don't have a civil war by proxy

They are great at kidnapping (remember the lost generation)

and a punt so maybe a reward on Frank a special nudge on the pokies?

Funny I thought he was set to buy a property at Double Bay or did the `Sydneysider

Mafia blackball him as not a big enough player or wrong colour.

Australia fair bounded by Oceans the most racist of 50 odd countries I have live in and in rural NSW proud of it.

A bit harsh, but there are elements of truth here.

[MrJohnson]

agred but 19 million wealthy Okkers don't have a civil war by proxy

They are great at kidnapping (remember the lost generation)

and a punt so maybe a reward on Frank a special nudge on the pokies?

Funny I thought he was set to buy a property at Double Bay or did the `Sydneysider

Mafia blackball him as not a big enough player or wrong colour.

Australia fair bounded by Oceans the most racist of 50 odd countries I have live in and in rural NSW proud of it.

The fact that the article appeared in an Australian newspaper and was written by an Australian is irrelevant. ASEAN is a joke and has always been.

[purplehaze]

Yep that about sums up ASEAN a toothless,clawless tiger

[Ricardo]

Excellent example of free-speech & free-press, for certain other countries to work towards, if only.

[Gaccha]

Easy for legal-regime obsessed Westerners to make criticism of ASEAN's light touch.

The fact is the ASEAN states are chronically at peace. Cambodia and Thailand did not end up at war.

[Credo]

If what goes on in much of ASEAN is peace, then maybe they would be better off with some other method of solving their problems.

Excellent and spot-on editorial.

[PhilHarries]

Easy for legal-regime obsessed Westerners to make criticism of ASEAN's light touch.

The fact is the ASEAN states are chronically at peace. Cambodia and Thailand did not end up at war.

Tell that to the people of Burma especially the hill tribes.

Tell that to the people of southern Thailand.

Tell that to the Filippinos in the outlying islands.

Take off those rose tinted specs and look around at the real world.

[bkkjames]

This is about the 5th SMH article aimed at Thailand / SEA in recent months. Seems the editors there have a real ha*d on for this area.

Must have been given a broken heart from a local lass in a previous life.

[paperwerks]

Yes, Asean is completely useless in anything reality based.

But what about the photo ops?? These are based on a fantasy and useful to show the masses at night on TV who are busy working for slave wages.

This is what you are missing.

[Matan]

Easy for legal-regime obsessed Westerners to make criticism of ASEAN's light touch.

The fact is the ASEAN states are chronically at peace. Cambodia and Thailand did not end up at war.

Tell that to the people of Burma especially the hill tribes.

Tell that to the people of southern Thailand.

Tell that to the Filippinos in the outlying islands.

Take off those rose tinted specs and look around at the real world.

An excellent point, which also raises the real problem with ASEAN trying to emulate the behaviour of the EU and operate beyond a mere trade organisation. Look at who you have in ASEAN. Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Burma. How on earth is an organisation composed of these states supposed to do anything more than the current "ASEAN way"? You've got Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam reeling from genocide, wars and communism. You have Thailand hemorrhaging governments whilst looking down on Laos and Cambodia due to past territorial history, then you've got military nut-jobs running the shop to the west in Burma. Then you've got Singapore who is completely paranoid that Malaysia or Indonesia are going to militant-Muslim on them at some point. There's an atmosphere of immense mistrust and tension.

In the EU, you had a post-war Germany as the real potential antagonist (as opposed to just about every ASEAN state being a potential threat), with France leading the way in implementing the system tat exists today (with the UK joining eventually). All this was backed by the USA, who were happy to have made a fortune off the war but would prefer it not to happen again. Where will this authority for decisive action come from in SEA? Singapore? Certainly the most developed, but it's a tiny island nation. Thailand, the country with a perpetual coup-itch that it can't resist scratching it every 5 years? The Muslim countries? "No thanks, we're communist" Vietnam? Burma?

How would a 'real' decision be enforced? What would a 'real' decision even be? ASEAN sanctioning Cambodia for hiring Thaksin?

No state in this region is willing to accept the loss of sovereignty that was necessary for the EU to be able to have the impact it does today and that's not going to change until they no longer have to worry that their neighbours are going to start a war with them.

Edited December 15, 2009 by Matan

[Gaccha]

Easy for legal-regime obsessed Westerners to make criticism of ASEAN's light touch.

The fact is the ASEAN states are chronically at peace. Cambodia and Thailand did not end up at war.

Tell that to the people of Burma especially the hill tribes.

Tell that to the people of southern Thailand.

Tell that to the Filippinos in the outlying islands.

Take off those rose tinted specs and look around at the real world.

The states with each other are chronically at peace, but within the states are major conflicts. How would a stronger, more regime-based organisation be any better at dealing with this...?

What you fail to understand is that ASEAN's position of non-intervention in the domestic situation of onther states is fundamental to these internal conflicts not getting out of hand. Malaysia does not openly and actively assist the southern Thailand groups. The Muslim states do not support the rebels in Mindano and so on.

My win.

[clausewitz]

But in todays Nation Abhist says that Asean has progressed (due to his chairmanship- helped by Kasit his foreign minister I guess?)

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Asean made fair progress, PM says

By Kavi Chongkittavorn

The Nation

Published on December 16, 2009

On the first anniversary of the Asean Charter, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the regional body had made substantial progress by setting up mechanisms to move it forward to implement the three pillars an Asean community by 2015.

"

Reflecting on the past year, he said: "I have been fortunate. I have had Asean leaders and dialogue partners who very much supported my chairmanship. So, we overcame some the difficulties during the year. That could not have happened without those political supporters."

(This interview will be broadcast on Channel 11 at 11pm on Monday.)

BUt just a minute, Cambodia, a member of Asean says that (last month in nation)

THAI-CAMBODIA ROW

Abhisit is the most difficult Thai PM : Hun Sen

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday [last month]described Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva as the most difficult Thai premier he has worked with.

[samran]

Easy for legal-regime obsessed Westerners to make criticism of ASEAN's light touch.

The fact is the ASEAN states are chronically at peace. Cambodia and Thailand did not end up at war.

Tell that to the people of Burma especially the hill tribes.

Tell that to the people of southern Thailand.

Tell that to the Filippinos in the outlying islands.

Take off those rose tinted specs and look around at the real world.

The states with each other are chronically at peace, but within the states are major conflicts. How would a stronger, more regime-based organisation be any better at dealing with this...?

What you fail to understand is that ASEAN's position of non-intervention in the domestic situation of onther states is fundamental to these internal conflicts not getting out of hand. Malaysia does not openly and actively assist the southern Thailand groups. The Muslim states do not support the rebels in Mindano and so on.

My win.

It is fine I guess if non-interferrence is what they want. Problem is, in a very practical sense, that mind set blocks any real regional co-ordiantional and development opportunities, and results (for example) in the regional neighbours being absolutely unable to help each other in times of genuine national emergency (eg Tsnuami) where are regional prevantive response mechanism would have been cheaper and probably easier to organise that doing it themselves. Call it group insurance.

It also gets in the way of any genuine regional integration, as, as the EU has shown, it requires relinquishing sovereigny to some degree on issues where a common path requires (eg free movement of labour, capital..).

[apetley]

Easy for legal-regime obsessed Westerners to make criticism of ASEAN's light touch.

The fact is the ASEAN states are chronically at peace. Cambodia and Thailand did not end up at war.

Tell that to the people of Burma especially the hill tribes.

Tell that to the people of southern Thailand.

Tell that to the Filippinos in the outlying islands.

Take off those rose tinted specs and look around at the real world.

The states with each other are chronically at peace, but within the states are major conflicts. How would a stronger, more regime-based organisation be any better at dealing with this...?

What you fail to understand is that ASEAN's position of non-intervention in the domestic situation of onther states is fundamental to these internal conflicts not getting out of hand. Malaysia does not openly and actively assist the southern Thailand groups. The Muslim states do not support the rebels in Mindano and so on.

My win.

Perhaps you could have been a little clearer in your original statement about states being at peace.

Qualifying later by adding 'with each other' hardly qualifies as a win, merely moving the goalposts.