A New Breath for ASEAN
Ilana Idrus reports on the ASEAN International Relations Student Conference.
ASEAN, Southeast Asia’s regional association, has for much of its 42-year history been described as having failed to generate anything near satisfactory results. From its beginnings in 1967 with just five states, the association has grown to 10 with the controversial membership of countries such as Burma and Cambodia. A major criticism that ASEAN has faced is that it is an elitist association, meaning little to the people in the countries that make up its membership. From the Central Javanese rice farmer to the Thai fisherman, ASEAN remains an abstraction to the populations of its member states, especially as the gap between rich and poor widens within and amongst members of the nations of Southeast Asia. If ASEAN is ever to become a viable regional association, overcoming these problems is essential.
This was just one of the many issues debated at the inaugural ASEAN International Relations Students Conference held in October 2008. The conference was organised by students from the Faculty of Political and Social Science at Budi Luhur University in Jakarta, Indonesia, and brought together over 200 students from universities throughout Indonesia, as well as participants from Australia, Cambodia and East Timor. Attendees were addressed by academics from universities across Southeast Asia, as well as ASEAN staff.
As an Australian participant, and thus something of an outsider given Australia’s only connection to ASEAN is as a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum, I was surprised by the great hope placed in ASEAN’s ability to bring about a more integrated and secure Southeast Asia. Even more surprising was the interest in the opinions from those Australians in attendance. Was this perhaps an indication of a future generation of Southeast Asian leaders with an interest in surveying the opinions of those outside of the immediate Southeast Asian membership? Or perhaps a reflection of the regional standing of Australia? Whichever it was, the other participants showed enthusiasm for the interest that we as Australians had in Indonesia and ASEAN.
The conference was held at a pertinent time, with the ASEAN Charter coming into force in December 2008. The Charter is a significant step towards bringing greater legitimacy to the organisation. Apart from the improved efficiency that will come with the creation of new, permanent structures – which includes forming a Committee of Permanent Representatives in Jakarta – the Charter creates space to establish a human rights body.
Given this significant step towards a greater and more legitimate role for ASEAN, the mood of the conference was exceptionally positive. Whilst some attendees voiced disagreement over ASEAN’s importance and suggested Indonesia may benefit more from membership in other organisations, the majority of students in attendance were extremely supportive of a more integrated Southeast Asian region and many disagreed with the idea that ASEAN was an irrelevant organisation.
The conference centred on three main discussion areas based on the new communities that ASEAN hopes to found, namely socio-cultural, economic and security communities. As a member of the socio-cultural discussion group, a prominent theme that arose was the need to make ASEAN more relevant to the people within its member nations, thus increasing its legitimacy as a regional organisation. A second focus was the need for greater cultural understanding between nations – no mean feat given the cultural diversity found within many of the member nations, whose arbitrary borders are the legacy of colonial occupation.
This second element was heavily discussed, as many participants considered ASEAN borders to be similarly arbitrary. It was clear from this discussion that, although participants were supportive of a more internationally legitimate ASEAN, of more importance was its legitimacy to the people of the region. Rather than creating an artificially monolithic ASEAN identity, recognising cultural diversity was thought a more important step in maintaining a cohesive region.
“From the Central Javanese rice farmer to the Thai fisherman, ASEAN remains an abstraction to the populations of its member states.”
Education was suggested as a tool that could overcome this problem. Teaching students about the history and culture of the ASEAN member nations could help to ensure that future generations grow up with a better understanding and increased interest in the region. Similarly, an increased role for media in promoting not only cultural understanding between nations, but also the work of ASEAN to populations throughout the region, was suggested.
However ambitious the objectives that the student participants developed for ASEAN’s future, it is clear that ASEAN has not, and will not, in the immediate future fade into obscurity as many predicted it would. The energy witnessed at the conference is likely to intensify in the future, given that the next generation of leaders from within the Southeast Asian countries, especially Indonesia, are enthusiastic and hopeful about the future of ASEAN and the progress that it can make. Given that integration is an important aim of ASEAN, hopefully these conferences will continue into the future, bringing together the next generation of leaders with a fresh outlook on their regional organisation.
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