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The Nation-Asean urged to adjust in



Asean urged to adjust in new world
August 19


THE future of Asean depends on two things -- its ability to cooperate in
the increasing regional inter-dependence environment and its ability to
adopt new political agenda in line with international standards to meet
future challenges of globalisation, Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand
Paribatra said Tuesday. 

Sukhumbhand said Asean had benefitted from globalisation but now the
grouping must adapt to the new wave of globalisation to deal with various
challenges. 

The minister said before the financial crisis in July last year, several
academics and business executives had viewed the 21st century as belonging
to the Pacific region. 

''Because of globalisation, many countries, including those in Asean, had
made rapid progress in economic development and different financial
institutions, namely the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Moody's,
Standard & Poor's, had commented that Asean would be part of the new
dynamic age,'' he said. 

However, the minister added that the financial crisis had in a short time
exposed the fragility of the economic process which must be tackled by
countries nationally and through cooperation with others. 

''Where once it was viewed that economic achievements contributed to
political stability, it now posed a question as to the future of Asean and
whether member countries would continue to cooperate now that there is an
economic recession,'' he said. 

Speaking at a seminar on ''Globalisation'' organised by Chulalongkorn
University to commemorate 50 years of its political science faculty,
Sukhumbhand said Asean needed to revive and not cling to old values. It
needed to restructure itself to face new challenges in the age of
globalisation. 

Asean must deal with this fragility and strengthen the process which had
economic achievement as its base. It must also adjust to international
standards so as to avoid a repetition of a deeper and a greater crisis, he
stated. 

''Inter-dependence among Asean members was clearly seen during the past
year. For example when Thailand was hit by the financial crisis, it also
affected other countries; even the haze issue in Indonesia had
repercussions for neighbouring countries,'' he said adding that other
inter-dependent issues included unemployment, environment and drugs. 

While Asean must adhere to the principal of non-intervention, it must be
able to raise concerns on issues that affect member countries. 

The second challenge is that the political agenda in the region should
include human rights and other issues which are bound to occur in Asean and
other countries in the next century otherwise Asean would face another Oct
14 or a people's revolution that saw the overthrow of president Ferdinand
Marcos in the Philippines. 

''Politics has to change to respond to the social transformation that will
take place,'' he said. 

At an informal summit in Kuala Lumpur last December, Asean leaders agreed
to form an open and caring society by the year 2020. 

Sukhumbhand said the question regarding Asean's future was not new since it
has been there since its inception in 1967 and through successive years
when member countries faced various political upheavals such as the
political changes in Indonesia in 1975, the Vietnamese conflict with
Cambodia and the former's eventual invasion of the latter during 1978-1979.


''In the past there had always been answers to questions concerning Asean's
future. But at this time Asean is faced with the biggest uncertainty on its
future because Asean had always held economic achievements as the
foundation for political stability,'' he said. 

BY RITA PATIYASEVI 

The Nation