Editorial: Like caged tigers, the Asean foreign ministers ended their two-day meeting yesterday (24/7/01). The host, Vietnam, did not want to stir up any elements that would mar its first annual Asean meeting or add fuel to the fire of lingering issues within the grouping.
On the surface, the meeting in Hanoi appeared very calm, reflecting the host's intention of ensuring a non-controversial gathering - the meeting's broad theme was bland, being officially titled "Asean: United, Stable, Integrated and Outward-looking". But those who follow Asean affairs closely would have known that the grouping's current situation is far from sweetness and light, as Hanoi would have us believe.
Doubtless, one of the major causes for concern is the growing economic disparity between rich and poor Asean members. For years, Asean has had the audacity to proclaim that the different economic and political systems would not affect unity and decision-making. Still, Vietnam was able to push the grouping into adopting a plan to combat poverty among Asean's weaker members. Because of the varying degrees of economic progress, Asean has decided to allow poor members preferential treatment. Among the original, wealthier members, the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) will become a reality next year. Newer members will have a few more years in which to fulfil their Afta requirements.
However, helping the poorer Asean members is a tricky business. So far, the richer Asean members have refused to distribute money from the grouping's development fund or provide additional privileges. Instead, they prefer to make bilateral arrangements with these states because they fear jeopardising their recipient status with the dialogue partners. When it comes to money, Asean always wants something from someone else's pocket.
Beyond dollars and cents, the idea of a troika, which was intensively discussed last year, has now officially disappeared. Hanoi was put on the spot last year following the proposal that Asean should send a "troika team" on a fact-finding mission on the political situation in Burma. The idea was immediately shot down because Hanoi said it did not want to "interfere" in the internal affairs of another member country. Nonetheless, Burma agreed to welcome a team from the European Union.
Asean is also losing its strategic edge, as it is being hard-pressed by the fast-changing external environment. During the Cold War, Asean used its own ambivalence to manage, and some would say exploit, its ties with the superpowers. Now it is a different ballgame with much more ambiguous issues. With the new US policy towards Asia under President George W Bush, Asean is being brought into sharp focus. Like it or not, the US-backed missile-defence system will serve as a litmus test of Asean's solidarity.
With China's ever-growing political and economic clout, Asean is being forced to absorb more Chinese influence than it can. Furthermore, the looming East Asian Community is progressing steadily because of the strength of the Northeast Asian economic powers. As such, it can gobble up Asean, if the grouping fails to accept the urgency of the current economic and political situation.
Asean has been saying that to remain relevant, it must continue to be in the driving seat. But the Hanoi meeting has shown that with growing differences between the members, there is no leader to take the wheel and steer Asean through its most turbulent time.
