Source pic: asean.org
The establishment of ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC) as part of the ASEAN Community has arguably shown the added strength of ASEAN as a vibrant regional organization. APSC is a reflection of ASEAN’s success in transforming their past hostile relationship and mistrust among its members into a more stable and peaceful Southeast Asian region. Throughout the years, the ASEAN countries have experienced much in dealing with potential threats that might undermine regional stability. ASEAN has thus been able to manage many of those challenges by promoting peaceful means of conflict resolution and creating a conducive region for enhancing growth and development especially through the ASEAN Economic Community.
However, the South China Sea (SCS) dispute has emerged as a serious challenge to ASEAN. Four of ASEAN members namely Brunei, Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam are claimants to the SCS dispute. In the SCS, they have overlapped claims with China. The complexity arises since in such a situation the ASEAN has to deal with the China with its enormous power in the world affairs. Hence the SCS dispute may become a test case to ASEAN in implementing its APSC agenda. This article wishes to elaborate on how ASEAN can manage to promote the implementation of ASPC especially in addressing the SCS dispute.
Trends Analysis
The ASEAN’s ability to transform into an ASEAN Community, adopted at the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia 2003, has essentially elevated its status from a loose regional cooperation into a more structured organization with a stronger legal framework. To advance the ASPC implementation, the APSC Blueprint was adopted by the ASEAN Summit in Thailand 2009. The APSC Blueprint envisages ASEAN to be a rules-based Community of shared values and norms, a cohesive, peaceful, stable and resilient region with shared responsibility for comprehensive security as well as a dynamic and outward-looking region in an increasingly integrated and interdependent world.
In view of this, ASEAN involvement in the South China Sea dispute is inevitable. Not only is the fact that four ASEAN members are claimants to the SCS, but it also needs to address it considering the evolving regional geopolitics and geostrategic dimension particularly with the involvement of China and the US. Any politics and security dynamics in the SCS will certainly have a direct bearing to the South East Asia region. It is therefore relevant to highlight that the implementation of APSC Blueprint in the development of the afore-said shared values, norms as well as a cohesive region is not moving out of a political vacuum. There is a dynamic interaction between the ASEAN collective interests and national interests.
There have been cases whereby the ASEAN countries have found difficulties to find a consensus in addressing the SCS issue. Some examples are ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur 2015 and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Kuala Lumpur on August 2015. The final declaration only stated that the serious concerns to the SCS dispute were expressed only by “some Ministers”, not by all ASEAN Ministers over the China’s continuous belligerent island construction in the disputed SCS areas. It may send an impression that there is a lack of ASEAN unity in this regards.
Previously, the AMM in Cambodia 2012 could not adopt a Joint Communique. Cambodia as the AMM Chair was reported to have refused to incorporate the Philippines and Vietnam’s concern regarding the South China Sea dispute. In turn, both the Philippines and Vietnam kept on insisting on a reference to the final document. Observers noted that this was the first time ASEAN had failed to issue a joint communique throughout its history.
Options
First, ASEAN needs to make evaluation and re-examination on its concept of ASEAN centrality. The ASEAN centrality assumes that ASEAN puts the ASEAN cohesion at the forefront of ASEAN diplomacy in dealing with various issues. The ASEAN voice in projecting an ASEAN centrality has thus gained much respect from non-ASEAN members particularly through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS). In this process, the APSC Blueprint basically tries to strengthen the ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture.
Second, unlike the European Union, ASEAN members as a matter of fact still maintain their national sovereignties in making decisions vis-à-vis regional political and security matters. The establishment of the ASEAN Community does not abolish their sovereignties. To prevent from any possible disagreement among its members, ASEAN may adopt an alternative approach of a non-engagement attitude towards any dispute or conflict involving big powers in the region.
Recommendation
Given the complexity of the geopolitics and geostrategic in the region, ASEAN best interest is to strengthen its collective position towards the South China Sea matter through maximizing the principle of centrality. ASEAN is highly respected when it acts as a regional institution especially when it comes to a dialogue and negotiation with other external forces.
Since the concept of ASEAN centrality is evolving, it needs a continued evaluation and re-examination. ASEAN therefore may consider to establish the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) composing of respectable individuals which may advise inputs on the evolving practice of ASEAN centrality including in view of possible disagreement or conflicting situation. The ASEAN Secretariat needs to be given a mandate to prepare for the working document of the EPG.
While the second option should not be considered since it will undermine the ASEAN ability in solidifying its position towards various political and security threats. It also will reduce the ASEAN commitment to play a pro-active role in managing the dynamics regional architecture.
Conclusion
In its essence, the ASEAN Political Security Cooperation has been instrumental in embodying and strengthening ASEAN’s ability in transforming the South East Asian region to become a stable and peaceful region. In such a doing, the world affairs keeps on changing. New political and security challenges have accordingly emerged. The ASEAN should adopt a bold step and take on more creativity in facing these new type of challenges.
The ASEAN achievement in maintaining its centrality in the world affairs should be strengthened by its members. In this regard, the ASEAN should keep moving forward in promoting and implementing the APSC agenda by carrying out evaluation and a continued re-examination of its centrality implementation despite the existing sovereignty of its members.
Jakarta, 15 April 2016
AGUNG CAHAYA SUMIRAT 