ASEAN Heads to Sole Community

Aware about the importance to build a regional power among global competitions, Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) made a big step to form a community, following track that already taken by European Union. Foreign ministers of ASEAN met in Jakarta, Monday (Dec. 15) to discuss how to implement the ratification of ASEAN Charter to form a block in Southeast Asia and pave a way for a sole regional market in next seven years.

ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said the charter would provide guidelines for economic and political integration. Along with this charter, ASEAN plans to form a sole market in 2015. Even the organization has developed free trade zone since 1990s, there is no significant progress.

The ratification of ASEAN Charter paves the way to build three pillars: politic, economy and social culture in Southeast Asian region. It means every member countries must be willing to merge some parts of its national interest and give deeper involvement to ASEAN.

“To strengthen the regionalism means to reduce the sovereignty of each member countries. That is the real essence of ASEAN Charter,” said Termsak Charlermpalanupap, Special Assistant of General Secretary of ASEAN.

There are many challenges that must be faced by ASEAN, such peace issues, violation of human rights, and the decline on economy sector along with global financial crisis that hard hit United States and European countries.

Foreign Minister of Singapore George Yeo said his worry about possibility of several countries to implement protection measure that will make this situation even worse.

“The protection measure tendency comes to be stronger because of this crisis. But the more important thing to think than trade agenda is about how to handle this protection measure,” Yeo Said.

In the past, ASEAN always hesitated about its ability to solve regional issues such as border disputes of Thailand-Cambodia, cases of human rights violation in Myanmar. At first, Indonesia raises objection about the charter, especially because there is no solving problem mechanism, the weakness position to face human rights cases and unclear sanctions to countries that violate the charter.

But now on, to contend all the difficulties, there is no other way except accepting and implementing the ratification of ASEAN Charter, and show the bigger roles of ASEAN.

“From a loose association, now ASEAN becomes a legal entity and has a goal to become an ASEAN community in the future,” said Thailand representative Mun Patanoi in the opening ceremony.

“With greater peace and stability, the region can focuses to another sector, such as trade, production and investment,” he added.

Initially, the official announcement of ASEAN Charter would be held at ASEAN summit in Bangkok, Thailand. But, political crisis in Bangkok caused the summit delay. Then, the announcement was diverted to ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, while ASEAN economic ministries met in Singapore to discuss financial crisis and reaching agreement about trade deal and investment among member countries.

To save the image of Thailand as chair country of ASEAN nowadays, the summit would be held there as late as February this year.

“Even Thailand is facing political deterioration, as a presidency of ASEAN, I believe ASEAN never and will never ever retreat. Regional cooperation and economic integration to form ASEAN community exactly become stronger because ASEAN Charter has been ratified,” Mun Patanoi said.

Astri Ihsan/published in Indonesia Rising, 3rd January 2009