Benefits for people expected as RI to chair ASEAN

While skepticism among people over whether ASEAN really provides benefits lingers, many young people here expressed hope that Indonesia’s position as the grouping chairman next year can make a difference to their region.

As the Foreign Ministry prepared a big workshop to familiarize the people of Maluku about ASEAN in Ambon over the weekend, 21-year-old university student, Nico Silety, looked surprised that someone asked him about the Southeast Asian 10-member grouping at a shopping center in the city.

“Honestly, I don’t know much about ASEAN although I hear about it many times over. I also don’t know if Indonesia will chair ASEAN next year. But I believe ASEAN should allow regions in Indonesia, such as Maluku, to develop,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

“I hope Indonesia can prove to the region that its chairmanship is not just an empty promise,” he added.

Questions about what benefits ASEAN could bring to the people in its regions were also raised by many local journalists during a press conference ahead of the workshop, which focuses on the new ASEAN under Indonesia’s chairmanship and how its dialogue partners, such as Japan, New Zealand and Europe, can help the grouping’s people.

“We have heard this many times over, what will be different this time?” one journalist asked Foreign Ministry director general for ASEAN Djauhari Oratmangun, the workshop coordinator.

Djauhari answered by citing an example that Indonesia had pushed for ASEAN maritime connectivity that would translate into the development of 14 seaports in the eastern part of Indonesia soon.

“Maluku has a huge potential in marine resources and fisheries as well as natural beauty that can attract tourists from abroad. We believe that seaports will play a key role in connecting Maluku and other parts of ASEAN,” he said.

Djauhari said the central government could only provide opportunity for the region to develop according to its strength, stressing that it was here that should seize the momentum.

The Foreign Ministry is stepping up efforts to create awareness about ASEAN among people in the region, especially those in the eastern part of the archipelago.

“The sun rises from the east. That’s why we underscore the importance of this part of the country by holding the first big workshop in Maluku,” he said.

As part of efforts to raise awareness about ASEAN and foreign policy in general, the Foreign Ministry held a selection process to directly recruit local graduates to become diplomats while bringing in winners of the youth diplomat contest to Ambon to attract young people’s attention.

Although a national workshop like this is a big event for Ambon and Maluku, the attention of people and officials here has been distracted by news about President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s decision to delay his trip to the Netherlands and the violent brawl in one part of the city that has killed one resident.

Both news have dominated the headlines of local newspapers.

Yudhoyono said he delayed the trip to the Netherlands because a Dutch court would decide whether it would grant a lawsuit from a number of RMS (South Maluku Republic) leaders to have him arrested during his visit.