Developments in Political Cooperation

At the Second ASEAN Informal Summit, held in December 1997 in Kuala Lumpur, which also served as a Commemorative Summit for ASEAN’s 30th anniversary, ASEAN leaders adopted the ASEAN Vision 2020 "to build upon the achievements of the past on the basis of today’s realities and prospects in the decades leading to the Year 2020". The vision is a unique document in the history of ASEAN, demonstrating the resolute stand of the collective Southeast Asian leadership to look beyond short-term challenges and chart the future of ASEAN. The vision is of ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, living in peace, stability, prosperity, outward looking, bonded together in dynamic partnership and in a community of caring societies. The various ASEAN bodies are now working on the draft Hanoi Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN Vision 2020 for the adoption at the 6th ASEAN summit. The Hanoi Plan of Action, with a six-year time frame, will focus on a number of priority issues.

The admission of Laos and Myanmar into ASEAN in July 1997 virtually realised the vision of the Founding Fathers to build an association for all Southeast Asian countries. The unfortunate events in Cambodia in early July 1997 resulted in the postponement of its admission into ASEAN. ASEAN remained actively involved in various efforts to help restore political stability in Cambodia, and to enable Cambodia to join ASEAN as soon as possible. Towards this end, the ASEAN Troika, composed of the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand, undertook several consultations with different parties concerned. The ASEAN Troika also worked closely with the representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cambodia and the Friends of Cambodia. Efforts are now under way to hold general elections in Cambodia on 26 July 1998. ASEAN governments sent some 75 election observers under the overall coordination of the UN.

Developments in East Asia

Historic meetings between the leaders of ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea were held in December 1997 in Kuala Lumpur. Joint statements were issued following the meetings between the heads of government of ASEAN and the respective heads of government of China, Japan and South Korea. ASEAN leaders and China undertook to promote good neighbourliness and friendly relations, increase high-level exchanges and strengthen the mechanism of dialogue and cooperation in all areas to enhance understanding and mutual benefit. ASEAN and Japan recognised the increasing interdependence between both sides in the expansion of trade and investment and the intensification of industrial cooperation. ASEAN and the Republic of Korea shared the view that the stability and prosperity of Northeast and Southeast Asia were interlinked and it was essential for both sides to work closely for mutual benefit.

Positive developments were also seen in 1997 in the Korean Peninsula following the holding of the first plenary Four-Party Talks in December 1997 in Geneva. Inter-Korean Red Cross talks also took place in April 1998 in Beijing. ASEAN hopes that these talks will lead to the reduction of tension and the establishment of a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The vision is of ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, living in peaceful, stable, prosperous and caring societies, bonded together in dynamic development which will forge closer economic integration within ASEAN

Positive results were also achieved from the various meetings among Northeast Asian leaders as well as with other world leaders. These included meetings between China and Japan, China and the US, Japan and the Russian Federation, and China and the Russian Federation. Stable relations among China, Japan, the US and the Russian Federation are important for maintaining peace in East Asia.

ASEAN Regional Forum

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) continued to serve as the most important regional arrangement aimed at promoting political and security dialogue and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. On the basis of agreed principles and criteria for membership, the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials Meeting held in May 1998 in Manila agreed to recommend the admission of Mongolia into the ASEAN Regional Forum. This important development is aimed at making the ARF a more inclusive regional arrangement for confidence-building in the Asia-Pacific region.

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) continued to serve as the most important regional arrangement aimed at promoting political and security dialogue and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region

During 1997, several ARF inter-sessional meetings were held. The Inter-sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief (ISM-DR) was held in February 1998 in Bangkok while the Inter-sessional Group on Confidence-Building Measures (ISG-CBM) met in November 1997 in Bandar Seri Begawan and in March 1998 in Sydney. The ISG-CBM has served as an effective forum for frank, open and constructive dialogue on the regional security environment, for the exchange of information and for the undertaking of cooperative activities aimed at promoting trust and confidence among participating states. In 1998, the ISG-CBM began to explore cooperation in the field of maritime safety, law and order at sea and protection and preservation of the marine environment.

The first ARF Meeting of Heads of Defense Colleges and Institutions in October 1997 in Manila affirmed the importance of cooperation in security education and research as part of ARF’s confidence-building measures. This meeting contributed to the growing awareness and recognition of the vital role of defence officials in the ARF process.

Under the track-two process, the third ARF Conference on Preventive Diplomacy was held in September 1997 in Singapore. The conference was jointly organised by Singapore’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies and the UK’s International Institute for Strategic Studies. It produced several useful ideas for the consideration of ARF officials.

Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia

ASEAN has completed the process of review of the relevant provisions of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) to enable states outside Southeast Asia to accede to the TAC. ASEAN Foreign Ministers signed the Second Protocol to the TAC at the 31st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. The Second Protocol stipulates that accession to the TAC by states outside Southeast Asia requires the consent of all the states in Southeast Asia, not just that of the original High Contracting Parties to the Treaty. Article 14 of the TAC, which provides for the establishment of the High Council to take cognizance of the existence of disputes or situations likely to disturb regional peace, applies only to any of the states outside Southeast Asia which have acceded to the TAC where that state is directly involved in the dispute to be settled through regional processes.

Treaty on SEANWFZ

The Treaty on SEANWFZ which come into force in March 1997 is ASEAN’s contribution to general and complete nuclear disarmament of nuclear weapons and to the promotion of international peace and security. ASEAN continued its deliberations and consultations on the Protocol to the Treaty on SEANWFZ, which aim at finding an arrangement which is acceptable to all sides to enable the nuclear weapon states to accede to the protocol.

South China Sea

The principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea was reaffirmed at the highest level during the meeting between the heads of State/Government of ASEAN member countries and the President of China in Kuala Lumpur in December 1997. The ASEAN-China Joint Statement announced that the parties concerned had agreed to resolve their disputes in the South China Sea through friendly consultations and negotiations in accordance with universally recognised international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. While continuing efforts to find solutions to the dispute, the concerned parties also agreed to exercise self-restraint and to explore ways for cooperation in the South China Sea. The South China Sea issue was also discussed at the ASEAN-China Senior Officials Consultations, and at the ARF meetings during the year.

Transnational crime

The First Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers of Interior/Home Affairs on Transnational Crime was held in Manila in December 1997. The meeting resulted in the ASEAN Declaration on Transnational Crime, which reflects ASEAN’s resolve in dealing with transnational crime and its intention to work together with the international community in combating it. This declaration calls for the expansion of the scope of ASEAN member countries, efforts to combat transnational crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, money laundering and traffic in persons and piracy, as well as the establishment of an ASEAN Centre on Transnational Crime.

At the meeting, the ministers decided to convene the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime once every two years. They also decided to:

• Consider the establishment of an ASEAN Centre on Transnational Crime (ACOT) which will coordinate regional efforts against transnational crime through intelligence sharing, harmonisation of policies and coordination of operations.

• Convene a high-level ad hoc Experts Group within one year to accomplish the following, with the assistance of the ASEAN Secretariat:

* an ASEAN Action Plan on Transnational Crime;

* an Institutional Framework for ASEAN Cooperation on Transnational Crime; and

* a feasibility study on the establishment of ACOT.

• Expand the scope of member countries, efforts against transnational crimes such as terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, arms smuggling, money laundering, traffic in persons and piracy and to request the ASEAN Secretary-General to include these areas in the work programme of the ASEAN Secretariat.

• Strengthen the ASEAN Secretariat’s capacity to assist member countries in initiating, planning and coordinating activities, strategies, programmes and projects to combat transnational crime.

• Explore ways, in which member countries can work more closely with other countries and international organisations, including the United Nations and its specialised agencies, the Colombo Plan Bureau and Interpol.

ASEAN member countries also participated in the first Asia Regional Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime held in Manila in March 1998. The meeting was organised by the UN Centre for International Crime Prevention and hosted by the Philippine government. The meeting was a follow-up to the Naples Political Declaration and Global Plan of Action Against Transnational Crime adopted at the World Ministerial Conference on Organised Transnational Crime held in Italy in November 1994.

The meeting culminated in the adoption of the Manila Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Transnational Crime. The declaration reflects the concerns of the participating countries over the increase and expansion of transnational crime and outlines the approaches to be undertaken, both at the national and regional levels, to fight transnational crime.