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The `missing boy' finally comes to SE Asia
The recent ASEAN summit in Thailand was historic for several reasons, perhaps most notably the presence of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
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he recent ASEAN summit in Thailand was historic for several reasons, perhaps most notably the presence of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. During the Bush administration, US State Secretary Condoleeza Rice skipped the meetings several times, with Washington routinely sending lower level officials to ASEAN meetings.
Myanmar's position on the top of the agenda was also highly notable. The meeting hinted at Myanmar's potential to become a nuclear power. The decision to turn down the US' call to expel Myanmar from the regional grouping reflecting ASEAN's solidarity and uncontested position that Myanmar issues be solved within the context of ASEAN.
The US' signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), a strong signal of Washington attempts to deepen its ties with Southeast Asia, underlines Washington's renewed focus on a region that has increasingly come under the influence of China.
The US has finally followed China and Japan to become a signatory of the TAC after years of reluctance and fear it would leave little room for it to exert its influence in the region. Apparently the US has come to the conclusion that the benefits of signing the treaty outweigh the costs. Washington's decision to finally come on board means that Canada is the only country among those attending the ARF meeting that is not yet party of the TAC.
The US is back in Southeast Asia and the return reflects its belief that the region is vital to global progress, peace and prosperity. Some have concluded that Washington's enhanced interest in Southeast Asia could assuage concerns in the region about China's growing clout, especially over Beijing's projection of naval powers.
The TAC, established in 1976 and the primary product of ASEAN's very first summit in Bali, commits signatories to three basic principles, namely: the peaceful settlement of disputes, nonrecourse to the use of force and nonintervention in domestic affairs.
We will now see whether the US sincerely adheres to these three principles and can resist interfering in the member state's international affairs, particularly if the issues at stake affect the fundamental interests of the US.
The signing signals the US' major role in the region and diplomatic significance, as it finds itself midway between the two Asian giants - China and India. Thus, we can perhaps expect to see a huge investments, be they political, economic or strategic, by the US, China, India and Japan in efforts to keep their regional presence firm and ensure they don't lose ground to each another.
ASEAN, which will turn 42 next month, should be credited for its success and ability to make multilateralism an important element in the building up of regional order and stability. Multilateralism in the region is not only politically necessary, but strategically imperative given the fact that the current and future transnational security issues cannot be dealt with independently.
With this background, engagement with ASEAN heralds Washington's interest in diplomacy at a multilateral level, which it knows is not only a time consuming process, but one that builds confidence, and does not simply expect immediate results.
The signing is a confession by the US that there is indeed a multilateral dimension and consensual process in Southeast Asia that it cannot overlook; in the past the US was more interested in bilateral, one-sided decision making.
From ASEAN's perspective, Washington's decision to become part of the TAC actually validates ASEAN's patient diplomatic effort to get the US to accept, "unconditionally", Southeast Asia's de facto neutrality.
As the US is now "legally" part of ASEAN's regional activities and thus needs to adhere to the region's code of conduct, it will fortuitously come into play with the contributions it may provide in helping resolve the Myanmar question and other regional security-related issues which may impinge on the region's stability.
Now that the "missing boy" has come to the region, all signatories of the TAC, particularly ASEAN member states, will certainly ask, if not demand, the US to share whatever information it has obtained and to listen more to the region's perspective and sensitivity. Let us see whether the US is really sincere with its new regional commitments.
The writer is a researcher with the Indonesian Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and lecturer of International Relations at the University of Indonesia.
