10 Reasons Asean Prefers Obama As President

webfact · November 5, 2012

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE

10 reasons Asean prefers Obama as president

Kavi Chongkittavorn

BANGKOK: -- Tomorrow the international community will find out who is the choice of the American voters. For Asean, it is crystal clear the incumbent is the one. Here are 10 reasons for choosing Barack Obama.

1. In general, the Asean leaders want Obama to return as president so he can take part in the upcoming East Asia Summit (EAS), which will be held two weeks later in Phnom Penh. The seventh EAS will be one of the most important meetings between the leaders of Asean and the world's most powerful countries including the US, Russia, China and India as each country is undergoing substantive changes dictated by their own domestic and external dynamics. To Asean, Obama represents a continuity of US commitment to Asia.

2. If the presidential challenger, Mitt Romney wins the race, he would have no reason to travel to Southeast Asia at any future date. His first task would be to consolidate his new administrative team as well as reshape the US foreign policy towards the Middle East, focusing on Israel and Iran. If Asia matters, it is about China and Japan. Asean will be very low on the list.

3. The Asean chair, Cambodia, was so excited that the spokesman of Foreign Ministry in Phnom Penh announced on Tuesday that Obama has confirmed that he would visit Cambodia and attend the EAS. It is a clear indication that the White House is confident of his victory in the presidential race tomorrow. After the July's hiccup for failure to issue the joint communiqué as the end of Asean annual meeting, Cambodia wants badly to demonstrate it has a neutral foreign policy towards major powers, especially towards the US and China.

4. Both Myanmar and Thailand are anxious to find out if Obama would confirm stopovers in their capitals during the trip to and from Phnom Penh. Advance security teams from the US have already visited these countries to prepare grounds for his surprised visits ahead of the EAS. The trip to three Asean members are historic , especially for Myanmar. The recent reforms in the former rouge state has won praises in the world over so much that Obama just cannot ignore. Indeed, the US-Myanmar relations are on a roller coaster. For him to come this far with visits to Cambodia and Myanmar without touching on a tarmac in Thailand, a long standing US ally, would be utterly impossible. To reinforce the pivotal role of Thailand, US Defense Secretary Leon Penetta is scheduled to stop over in Bangkok before heading for Siem Riem on15 November and US State Secretary Hilary Clinton will also visit Bangkok two days on her way to Phnom Penh before her tenure ends.

5. If there is any US president that is knowledgeable and appreciative of Asean, it is Obama. Over the past four years, Obama has developed closed rapports with a high level of comfort with most of the Asean leaders. In fact, Asean is thinking of scheduling another round of leaders' meeting in the future with the incumbent US president. They have met a few times previously with Obama - their encounters produced substantive results. After all, they gave him the confidence to deal with the Asean leaders. It is not wrong to say that Obama helps define and sustain the US role in the relations with Asean.

6. The US rebalancing policy has won accolades among the Asean leaders. With the incumbent at the White House, the policy will enter the second phase with intensified US engagements with the Asean members in all areas. Obama's scheduled visit to Myanmar after the EAS and its invitation to Naypyidaw to be an observer in the Cobra Gold next year is a clear indication of Washington's intention to augment its security cooperation with all the Asean members. This will be a new security toolbox for the region. With stronger US presence and commitment, Washington-initiated Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is gaining grounds as additional Asean members would like to enter TPP negotiation process. Thailand would be one among them. Again, Obama's challenger would not focus on Asia as a whole, even though his predecessor the former President George W Bush did make efforts to formulated distinctive diplomacy toward Asia and Asean particularly on his second term.

7. Asean wants a US president with a practical foreign policy towards China. Proximity with the world's second largest economy does provide both comfort and stress for Asean. The US as a balancing force is situated in the other part of the world. In the past when China was poor and underdeveloped, it did not post any threat. Now, Asean is learning how to cope anew with the world's second largest economy that is standing tall and proud of its achievements. The Obama Administration's policy towards China is both competitive and collaborative which augurs well with the Asean approach to the two super dialogue partners. Asean will benefit from balanced approaches providing sufficient rooms for them to engage and secure influence in ways that would increase the regional profile, not dampening it.

8. Asean prefers the US leader who does not treat Russia as an enemy either as it would have direct impacts on the overall regional peace and stability. Russia under the third-time President Vladimir Putin is returning to the region, in particular the former Indochina, where the former Soviet Union used to reign. Moscow wants closer cooperation with Asean and is willing to do more to harness their relations. Visits to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, one still can come across remnants of its once powerful presence. Back in 2005, it was Moscow, which first demonstrated the eagerness to attend the nascent EAS.

9. With the same US president, the Asean leaders will have extra time to contemplate on the new Chinese leaders in place next week. For the past decade, Asean has taken for granted that China would not act assertively as it would be accommodative with Asean's interest and remain at best benign. Of late, the disputes in South China Sea and its consequential have changed this long-standing perception. From now on, Asean, individually and collectively, would have to decipher the new batch of younger Chinese leaders and their motives toward the region. Failure to do so would further deepen mutual suspicion that both sides could not afford to have at this juncture. At the Asean-China retreat in Pattaya at the end of October, senior officials from both sides could not agree on the exact date to kick off the negotiation on code of conduct on South China Sea. While the Asean officials were soft and positive, China, instead, delivered direct and tough words over the South China Sea situation by reiterating that China would no longer hold back - any provocation would be responded in proportional to the perceived threat by China at the time. This did not bode well for the upcoming EAS as the issue is likely to be raised along with other territorial disputes in this part of the world.

10. The Asean leaders, especially those from the Muslim countries, do not like the US policy under Romney that wants to fight war with Iran as they have maintained good bilateral relations. Despite sanctions, some Asean members have continued to trade with Iran. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have extensive economic ties with Iran.

-- The Nation 2012-11-05

keemapoot · November 5, 2012

We don't need 10 reasons for Obama to visit Bangkok. Jesse and Victor (former Pres. Bush I & II) tailors are anxiously awaiting the photo opp. I wonder if Obama will show bi-partisanship and visit the shop?

Edited November 5, 2012 by keemapoot

Thai at Heart · November 5, 2012

The politics if this paper are utterly bizarre. We have Obama being slammed by the right wing for his obama care and other social programs, and yet domestically the paper is stanch Thai democrat.

I know this is a regional piece but they could equally have written 10 reasons why not.

Edited November 5, 2012 by Thai at Heart

rsokolowski · November 5, 2012

I read the article and I am baffled as to why ASEAN prefers Obama.

asiawatcher · November 5, 2012

What a crock of crap. Stupid article and hardly worthwhile. There are way more reason not to have Obama as president that affect ASEAN than this drivel written here.

angsta · November 5, 2012

Can you think of 10 reasons why anyone would want Mitt the Moron to win apart from possibly these 4:

1) I believe everything Fox News tells me.

2) I am a racist redneck who thinks even though I am a 350 lb inbred I am better than all black people because I am white.

3) I am a millionaire.

4) I am Rupert Murdoch

I can't think of 10 so I doubt The Nation could.

Thai at Heart · November 5, 2012

That's not what i meant. I am not particularly find of Mitt and Obama has big issues to solve.

Don't make the same mistake as many on here about being critical or appreciative of a point of view, therefore affirming support. Bringing politics to black and white issues that are incontrovertible is one of the blights of modern politics.

The nation may as well have written an article, we like Obama because he's cool, because there its very little in his policy that matches the nations own political bias.

asiawatcher · November 5, 2012

I think the only chance the US has is to allow some straight people like Ron Paul into the fold. Romney is no better than Obama but it all comes down to money and the behind the scenes power brokers.

Thai at Heart · November 5, 2012

Well since we are on politics, unless either sides CUT spending, the US is doomed. As for cutting taxes to stimulate spending, hmmm. Better just to make sure the wealthier can't get through such massive loopholes and pay their share.

Trickle down is bunkum. It just trickles into their own pockets and not much more.

richard10365 · November 5, 2012

I think Obama has done a great job! He was handed a terrible situation and he stopped it form getting worse and is making it better. I don't care if people don't want to hear what a bad situation he was handed. If they want to pretend everything was perfect when he started then that's ok. It's their fantasy. I don't think anyone could have done any more than he has done. He's earned 4 more years.

Thai at Heart · November 5, 2012

It's definitely a case of deficits do matter.

cloudhopper · November 5, 2012

Since Romney has promised to charge China with currency manipulation on his very first day in office I doubt he would be particularly popular in this region.

rsokolowski · November 5, 2012

How about one reason not to have an Obama second term, the bankruptcy of the United States. Some will say who cares let it go the way of Greece and Spain., but the fiscal collapse of the United States will affect the entire world. Barrack Obama has spent over a trillion USD every year, more than the government collects in taxes. This is not sustainable, when the crash comes it will be felt worldwide.

I am none of the things you listed as a reason for voting for Mitt Romney. I believe that Obama is an amateur that is in over his head. He is clueless and will spend the US into European style debt and socialism. ABO, anyone but Obama!!!!

rsokolowski · November 5, 2012

Have another drink of the coolaid. I think almost anyone could have done a more competent job. His policies have only increased the national debt, and stifled job growth in the US.

rsokolowski · November 5, 2012

So why title an article 10 reasons ASEAN prefers Obama if no one can think of that many? <deleted>?

DP25 · November 5, 2012

It's not bizarre at all. I'd say you don't understand Thai politics at all if you find it bizarre. Politics here does not match up with politics at home, but Thaksin in many respects matches up well with the American right wing. He hands out a few minor concessions to the poor, similar to the American right wing appealing to poor whites, in order to give massive handouts to the rich. Mitt Romeny would be fully in agreement with Thaksin on lowering taxes on the rich (Thaksin has already lowered corporate income tax from 30% to 20%), when they bother to collect them at all, as well as Thaksin's stance on free trade and dismantling Thailand's highly protectionist trade policies. Thailand's most desperately needed reform is in tax collection so that rich people like Thaksin are forced to pay, and the current state of taxation in Thailand is like a Republican's wet dream. Thai Democrat's positions on trade, taxation on the rich, and social programs match up much more with the American left than Thaksin's do. And that's not even getting in to Thaksin's blatant human rights violations, killings, corruption, and outright theft, that don't belong in either American party and that everyone back home would unite against.

Mosha · November 5, 2012

If I was running China and Mitt did that. I'd say ok. Now we want the money you owe us.

Jingthing · November 5, 2012

I have as much foreign policy experience as Romney ...

The Nation is right.

rsokolowski · November 5, 2012

No problem, just print some more and pay them back. Easy peasy.

daboyz1 · November 5, 2012

Obama had 0 experience with anything when he was elected, let alone foreign policy. As soon as he was elected Senator he started running for president. At least Romney ran a state.

h90 · November 5, 2012

Some one like Ron Paul has no chance, because all the mass media won't touch someone like him, because they are exactly in the same money and behind the scene power brokerage.

And if someone like Ron Paul become president he would get the bullet (they can blame Al Kaida, or Iran or whoever).

I would say the president is just a puppet like Yingluck, the decision will be made somewhere different.

DP25 · November 5, 2012

Obama was a state senator in Illinois from 1997 to 2004

bigbamboo · November 5, 2012

The best reason for wanting an Obama win is that it is better the devil you know.

Oh......... and Paul Ryan.

Edited November 5, 2012 by bigbamboo

nong38 · November 5, 2012

As a UK national observing this its up to the Americans to decide whom they want and the Asean will have to get on with whoever than is, as will the world. There is an old saying that better the devil you know..............but for me Obama came in on a wave of optimism and promises, he is a good orator, but all the talk has not delivered anywhere near what was promised, thats politicians for you! If it were me, would I give him a second chance? Probably not, but then I wont get a chance to vote and it wont be my decision, I will have to get on with it in any ways it might affect me. I, like the world watch with interest.

rucus7 · November 5, 2012

Dick Cheney summed it up: "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter." This is how he justified the huge tax cuts for the rich at the start of G. W. Bush's presidency.

Bramdaddy · November 5, 2012

I am an Obama supporter, but this article is weak.

puyaidon · November 5, 2012

Religion will have nothing to do with Romney if he is elected. Reason, we had the same scare tactic when Kennedy was elected and the opposition had the scare tactic that the Pope would be running the US. It never happened and sadly we lost a good president when he got killed.

I am an American and I am scared to death that if Obama increases the national debt anymore, the exchange rate on the US dollar will go to hell for myself and others like me. Does Thailand have a food stamp program for immigrants? His hope and change has only meant one thing to me and that is "What change and where is the hope?"

There is a lot more than just the support of Asean involved in this election. The future of the US hangs in the balance. We import people who become terroists and kill Americans and nothing is done about it. I see the long lines at the US embassy of people who are applying for valid visas and there are those in the US who will be given amnesty who just walk across the border from Mexico who are not only Mexicans but any other nationality including those who are not friendly to the US. Unemployment is a disaster and at least someone is wanting to do something about it. Obama is a good orator but his record stands for nothing. He used three years blaming Bush and nothing to show for himself. Has he had a budget approved? No, not for three years. He will not work with anyone who disagrees with him and his word is the only word in his mind. If he somehow gets the Electoral College thrown out, our presidential election could be decided by only 14 of 50 states. Is that going to be fair to the US electorate? Not in my wildest dreams could it be fair.

We fought a war to remove a king from our country and now we have an Emperor who enacts laws without the tenants of the US Constitution. I only can pray that the election will not result in another four years of disaster.

Think what you may but if you want to say I am a racist, I would gladly vote for either Allen West or Condeleeza Rice as president. They are better in my eyes than Obama.

Edited November 5, 2012 by puyaidon

gl555 · November 5, 2012

ASEAN itself is a big fat joke. Doesn't matter who they endorse.

Arkady · November 5, 2012

Romney wants to boost defence spending considerably. That could be a great opportunity for corrupt politicians in ASEAN to make money from cooperating with US military just like the old days.

jacobus · November 5, 2012

While it is true that he was handed a terrible situation, he has not made things better at all. He has continued the reckless government borrowing and spending, pushing us closer and closer to the fiscal cliff. Even before (just before) he was elected he showed his true colors by lobbying hard for the bailout of the big banks. And he continues to this day to carry water for Goldman-Sachs et al.

Romney is no better than Obama and, quite possibly worse. Like one previous poster already posited, the USA needs someone like Ron Paul to turn the ship around and avert disaster. By the way, 30 states have agreed to count write-in votes, so Dr. Paul still has a chance to be elected. Okay, a remote chance at best, but people need to step out of the trap of always voting for the lesser of two evils. When you vote the lesser of two evils, you are partly responsible for every evil deed (drones killing innocent people, bank bailouts, people being jailed for possession of a small amount of marijuana, etc.) that is perpetrated by that candidate, if elected.

Have some integrity! Refuse to support evil of any kind. Write in the honorable Ron Paul for president.

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