ASEAN urged to mediate intra-regional conflicts

ASEAN should establish a mechanism to help in resolving conflicts between member states as the region moves toward a fully pledged security community in 2015, say experts.

Parahyangan University international relations expert Bonggas Adi Chandra said Wednesday ASEAN’s non-interference principles were among the reasons the bloc seemed to be reluctant to bring disputes among member states to regional forums.

“In any regional organization, conflicts among members are indeed inevitable,” he said.

“But as we’re heading toward the ASEAN community [in 2015], it is important [for us] to have a mechanism of regional conflict resolution, with an emphasis on solidarity.”

Bonggas cited other regional organizations, such as the EU, that had their own mechanism to settle dispute among member states.

He said such a mechanism would need plans in place prior the implementation and member states would have to hold routine meetings discussing conflict resolutions among their top priorities.

But he said in doing so, each member state would need to “loosen up” their sovereignty.

Echoing Bonggas, Padjadjaran University international relations expert Dudy Heryadi said ASEAN should be bolder when conflicts between its members occurred.

“ASEAN could show its teeth in the event of conflicts between member states by actively offering solutions, instead of letting disputing parties negotiate bilaterally,” he said.

He said ASEAN had been bolder in the past than it was now, citing the way it mediated disputes between Cambodia and Vietnam before either had joined the regional community.

“The conflicts between Vietnam and Cambodia at the time were outrageous,” Dudy said. “But ASEAN mediated, effectively putting them in two separate rooms, then ASEAN met with them one at a time.”

He was speaking of the invasion of Cambodia by Vietnam in 1978, which resulted in the removal of Khmer Rouge regime and the end of the Cambodian genocide.

The most recent dispute between member states involve an incident between Indonesia and Malaysia in disputed waters and between Thailand and Cambodia over the ownership of an ancient temple.

Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry inspectors detained seven Malaysian fishermen in Tanjung Berakit waters, Riau Island Province, last Friday for allegedly trespassing and illegally fishing in Indonesian waters.

But a Malaysian Marine Police patrol boat intercepted them and requested the fishermen be released. Unheeded by the Indonesian officers, the Malaysian patrol fired two warning shots.

All of those arrested during the incident were eventually released Tuesday.

Indonesia condemned the arrest of Indonesian inspectors and has said the Malaysian patrol boat and the Malaysian fishermen had violated “Indonesia’s sovereignty”.

Meanwhile, Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in a troop standoff at their border since July 2008, when the ancient Preah Vihear temple was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, although its main entrance is in Thailand.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry director general for ASEAN affairs Djauhari Oratmangun said disputes between member states could escalate if there was no forum like ASEAN to discuss them.

“Moreover, it’s a tremendous achievement to have no open regional conflicts in the 43 years since ASEAN was established,” he said during a discussion in Jakarta.

The Jakarta Post - jakartapost.com

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