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Web-only Exclusives
November 30, 2000

From Our Correspondent: Hirohito and the War
A conversation with biographer Herbert Bix

From Our Correspondent: A Rough Road Ahead
Bad news for the Philippines - and some others

From Our Correspondent: Making Enemies
Indonesia needs friends. So why is it picking fights?

Asiaweek Time Asia Now Asiaweek story

DIVIDED WE STAND

To intervene or not in the affairs of a member state? The question is vexing ASEAN

By Roger Mitton Bangkok
With reporting by Antonio Lopez/Manila
and Santha Oorjitham/Kuala Lumpur


IT ALL BEGAN A year ago. Malaysia's brashly outspoken deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim boldly urged members of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) to scrap its policy of non-interference in each other's affairs and move toward "constructive intervention." Anwar's remarks were targeted at Cambodia, where a violent putsch by Second PM Hun Sen had resulted in co-premier Prince Norodom Ranariddh fleeing. The raw power grab so revolted many ASEAN governments that the admission of Cambodia was deferred. In a nutshell, Anwar's view was that if ASEAN were more engaged in troubled countries like Cambodia, then such upheavals might be avoided. At the time, the proposal met with a stony silence. But now it is being vigorously debated, and was to be raised at least informally during the annual ASEAN foreign ministers meeting on July 24 and 25 in Manila.

Why the new willingness to address such a thorny issue? The regional economic crisis (and the political fallout, like the fall of Indonesia's Suharto) is a big reason. It has shown how what happens in one country can easily affect neighbors (as did the haze). Abiding concern about the be-havior of Myanmar's military junta is another major factor. And more people are simply mentioning the subject. In June, Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan, a good buddy of Anwar's, twice called for a review of ASEAN's non-intervention credo. Says Withaya Sucharithanarugse, director of the Institute of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn University: "From [Thai PM] Chuan [Leekpai] down to the department heads at the foreign ministry, they are serious about it - they are not just floating the idea."

Support is limited. ASEAN Secretary-General Rodolfo Severino, after seeing Surin, said the grouping's members "should talk frankly" with each other. Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon also got into the act, taking the plunge on Myanmar. With sensitive political anniversaries approaching, he said, the country could witness a confrontation between the government and groups like the National League for Democracy led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Should that matter to the rest of ASEAN? Yes, says Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja. He notes that the European Union refuses to conduct a dialogue with ASEAN unless human rights in Myanmar improve. Concludes Baja: "Myanmar's policy is affecting the relations of other ASEAN countries with their dialogue partners."

The generals in Yangon are of course livid over the remarks by Surin and Siazon. They fired off a terse statement warning against any change in the Association's long-standing policies of non-interference: "It would not serve ASEAN's interests to tamper with them." Myanmar's information minister said that his country does not play up adverse conditions in other member countries, and expects reciprocal treatment. Clearly referring to Surin and Siazon, the junta rebuked "certain ministers" in ASEAN for being "presumptuous," to which Siazon responded: "No, this is not presumptuous."

It is certainly divisive though. More officials of ASEAN governments agree with the generals than they do with the likes of Surin and Siazon, not least because nearly every ASEAN member is vulnerable to criticism on some front. In the Philippines, Siazon does not have the backing of his own president. Joseph Ejercito Estrada favors the existing policy of non-intervention: "ASEAN countries should be left alone to decide their own fate. The Philippines has enough domestic problems of our own - why should we interfere in the problems of other countries?"

Indonesia's veteran foreign minister, Ali Alatas, came out against Surin's proposal on July 14. Two days later Vietnam gave it the thumbs down. And the day after that, Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi joined the naysayers. The ASEAN way, he said, is to "discuss within ourselves without adopting a confrontational approach and not putting to shame or embarrassing the other party. If we make official statements, it can result in people becoming displeased, and give rise to tension." Abdullah said he would make Malaysia's stand clear during the ministerial sessions in Manila. Brunei also dislikes the idea. Myanmar leader Lt.-Gen. Khin Nyunt's presence at the Sultan's birthday bash on July 15 was a pretty good indication that the two autocrats are getting along well these days and that any notion that Brunei might back Surin's plan is pie-eyed. Even little Laos has privately expressed displeasure. The negative vibes have led Surin to soften the language of his proposal to "flexible engagement."

Which makes it sound awfully similar to what ASEAN has already been practising for some time. While intervention has been a no-no, ASEAN has propounded a policy of "constructive engagement," especially regarding new members like Myanmar. The line pushed is for gradual reform by the junta. A Singapore official explains: "We never expected sudden change. We knew it would take a long time. But through attending the many meetings ASEAN holds, through business links and so on, we feel there is more chance of change than with isolation."

In the West this approach has been criticized as resulting in no gains. But ongoing Western jibes - led by the U.S., which has even imposed sanctions on Myanmar - at constructive engagement now meet with barely concealed indignation from many ASEAN states. Admits a Western diplomat: "We ourselves espouse constructive engagement with undemocratic countries - Clinton did it most recently when justifying his visit to China, and Canadian PM Jean Chretien said the same to support his policy of engaging Cuba. So we can hardly knock ASEAN for doing the same with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam." Given that Thai foreign policy has always been geared to be supportive of Washington, some people feel Surin's proposal is a sop to the Americans. Says Withaya: "Yes, it has that kind of stigma."

Others think an intervention policy is unnecessary anyway given that ASEAN members have been commenting on each other's affairs all along. Notes Chaiwat Khamchoo of Chulalongkorn University's political science department: "Already, member states can say what they want without having to change the principle of non-intervention." For example, when Suharto hinted in February that current In-donesian President B.J. Habibie would become his v.p., Singapore Senior Minis-ter Lee Kuan Yew implied the choice might be bad for Indonesia.

The upshot, says Siazon, is that "you will not get a policy shift now [over intervention], but the time has come to start talking about it openly." That process is well underway.


War of Words

For constructive intervention

"Our non-involvement in the reconstruction of Cambodia contributed to the deterioration and final collapse of national reconciliation. We should have nursed the baby, at least through its teething period . . . [ASEAN] must move from being a largely reactive organization to one that is proactive."

--Malaysian Deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim in Newsweek in July 1997

"When a matter of domestic concern poses a threat to regional stability, a dose of peer pressure or friendly advice can be helpful."

--Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan on June 12, 1998

"As the ASEAN family, we should be free to talk frankly."

--ASEAN Secretary-General Rodolfo Severino on June 29, 1998

Against constructive intervention

"We accept ASEAN's role in realizing peace and stability in Cambodia, but we do not accept interference in our internal affairs."

--Cambodian Second PM Hun Sen on July 24, 1997

"This [non-interference] principle has been subscribed to for a long time, and has been the principle which strengthened ASEAN cooperation."

--Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on June 17, 1998

"ASEAN was created to prevent intervention from outside powers, so it is not for ASEAN to intervene somewhere else."

--Thanat Khoman, former Thai foreign minister and a founder of ASEAN, on July 17, 1998


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