Southeast Asian lessons for North Atlantic
Much of our ‘out of the local scene’ attention this week was focused
on the ASEAN and the European regions. Stark contrast is seen in the
manner each of these regions is venturing to meet the challenges they
face. While ASEAN leaders were seeking ways to make solid its move
towards finding unity within its diversity, European leaders were
exploring ways of staying together in the midst of a financial crisis
that was affecting the very core of its fabric. Having made its union
larger and wider in what was termed Europe’s political and financial
unification, that region was the first to moot a common Parliament, a
common currency and a European Central Bank, while the ASEAN was making
it in small steps and with pauses, much like we learnt as kids in the
tale of the hare and the tortoise.
Engagement and suasion
Myanmar was cleared by the ASEAN last weekend to be the host of the
grouping in 2014 after being reprimanded in 2006 when she was called on
to skip its turn. Despite initiatives from the US and the European
Union, ASEAN did not agree to imposing sanctions on Myanmar or apply
undue pressure.
Their strategy was one of engagement and suasion and not one of
confrontation. At the Bali Summit, Thailand’s Foreign Minister called on
the US and the EU to end its sanctions against Myanmar which have been
in effect since 2003. The world observed what little effect these had on
that country’s determination in not allowing arm twisting to effect its
national decision-making. One could also argue that basic human rights
of the people of Myanmar along with trading partners and investors in
the US and the EU were violated as a result of the fallout from these
sanctions, bringing out exactly the opposite effect the sanctions were
intended for.
More troupes
President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton both took on whirlwind
tours of Australia and the Philippines last week as a preamble to the
Bali ASEAN Summit. Although it was stated that these were not intended
to wield US’s power but to establish its partnership status in the
Pacific region, there is no doubt that the US did not want to be left
out of the moves China was making with its supremacy on the economic
front.
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The 19th
ASEAN Summit 2011 held in Indonesia |
Announcements were made of enhanced supply of uranium from Australia
to India reportedly to power India’s rapid economic development and
assurances were given to the Australian Parliament that the US security
presence in the region will not be reduced. On a visit to the military
base at Darwin the US President announced that there would be an
augmenting of the facility with an additional 250 US marines next year.
Marking the 60th anniversary of US - Philippines military
cooperation, the US Secretary of State announced that a second state of
the art cutter coast-guard warship will be made available to the
Philippines next year to augment its fleet. A similar craft was given to
the Philippines in August this year making this to be the second of its
kind.
Promised change
What is interesting is that all of this comes amidst a bungled
package of change that was promised with the dawn of the Obama era of US
politics. We heard of ‘change we can believe in’ within a world free of
poverty, weapons and war. We heard promises of a world where people were
to be better empowered. Where creating harmony between civilisations and
nations were to be the cornerstone of US foreign policy, in contrast to
the confrontationist approach of the earlier regime of George Bush Jr.
Today, the reality on the ground is pointing to disappointment for
there are more battles fought between and within nations but with a new
tag of ‘struggles for democracy’, pinned on them. The failure of the US
Congress to get out of the grip of the 1 percent of its rich making
decisions for the 99 percent of the powerless, has begun ‘Occupy
movements’ which have now gone on for over two months in city centres
across the country.
Debt crisis
In Europe several economies are in dire straits. The debt in Greece
has risen to be 370 billion Euros which accounts to be 160 percent of
the nation’s gross domestic product. Italy, Spain, Portugal and even
France are all facing difficult times.
As reported in the media last week German Chancellor Angela Merkel
said that “Europe could be living through its toughest hour since World
War II”. New leaders in Italy and Greece rushed to form governments in
attempts at limiting further hurting from the eurozone debt crisis.
In spite of all of this the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
has no hesitation in moving in to take more and more assignments in
defence of human, social and democratic rights of other nations it finds
are not akin to the needs and ideals touted by this block of nations.
The tools they possess in their armoury of economic sanctions, no fly
zones, aerial attacks and alleged arming of rebels seem to be far remote
from those adapted by the nations of East Asia and ASEAN of engagement,
discussion, moral suasion and mutual support.
Seeking rationale
To understand this contrast, I ventured to take but a cursory look at
some of the basic premises and philosophical positions that guide the
thinking of the leaders of these groups of nations. First, was a look at
Niccolo Machiavelli (1649 -1527), considered in the Western tradition as
the founder of modern political science. In his later work Il Principe
(New Prince), he had us believe that public and private morality had to
be separate in order to rule and required the prince to be concerned
about reputation but be willing to act immorally on occasion. As a
political scientist, Machiavelli emphasized the situational need for the
methodical exercise of brute force, and deceit as tools in becoming a
‘successful’ ruler.
On the other hand, as several scholars have pointed out, the
Confucian ethic of seeking harmony has a strong appeal in the East and
Southeast Asian context. China’s leaders are known to promote this ideal
as a core political concept for our age with the Confucian premise that
‘Harmony is something to be cherished’.
“In the Buddhist tradition as in the Confucian and Taoist, harmony is
set up as the basis for social solidarity. The core Buddhist notions of
the Middle Way, emphasizing a rejection of extremes, and of the Noble
Eightfold Path, setting out the right route to wisdom, ethical conduct
and mental discipline, provide directly for this. Working together as
one with nature, man, and history ... constitutes what is essentially
known as Eastern Wisdom”, they claim.
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