ASEAN must fix its own visa arrangement first

ASEAN member states must first do their homework before moving ahead with their plan for a single visa for nationalities outside the regional grouping.

“We had a discussion among my own staff, not with the ministers. Before we go to a single visa for nationalities outside ASEAN, we have to begin with our own ASEAN nationals,” ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told journalists during a limited interview on Thursday.

“Myanmar has not joined the 14-day visa free [program]. I think Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are also not fully open. It’s an objective, but it is left to bilateral arrangements.”

Pitsuwan said there were no problems, for example, between Thailand and Malaysia, between Thailand and Indonesia or between Malaysia and Singapore – all of which had committed to the 14-day visa free program.

“We have to also intensify our own cooperation on a visa-free framework and we want to encourage tourism among ASEAN countries,” Pitsuwan said.

He said tourist arrivals from outside the region would increase if the bloc adopted the ASEAN single visa policy, especially as the region emerging as a single market destination.

The number of intra-ASEAN and extra-ASEAN tourist arrivals stood at 30.28 million in 2008 and 30.85 million and 31.88 million in 2009, respectively, according to data from the ASEAN Tourism Statistics Database.

Pitsuwan said China was also eager to see a 30 million to 40 million increase in tourist arrivals between countries in the region by 2015.

“That’s more than double, but who knows – when the connectivity is complete, there will certainly be more tourist arrivals,” he said.

While supporting the idea of an ASEAN single visa, University of Indonesia international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana said there were many problems complicating visa arrangements between ASEAN member states.

“For ASEAN countries that have yet to apply free visas for ASEAN citizens, they should first do so,” he told The Jakarta Post from Paris via text message.

“Moreover, a country such as Myanmar may not want to apply an ASEAN single visa because they will lose control over determining who can or cannot enter.”

Hikmahanto said that while trying to copy the European Union’s Schengen visa arrangement format, ASEAN also had to make sure that each member had commonality concerning the nationalities that are granted free visa on arrival facilities.

“Singapore grants visas to Israeli citizens. Does that mean Indonesia also has to give it to Israel citizens after the application of the ASEAN single visa?” he said.

“The Indonesian government also has to think of [the possibility of losing] non-tax income [from visa fees] because it will be possible for tourists to apply for a visa through Singapore or other countries [in the region], but they actually are going to Indonesia,” he said, underlining the importance for the government to factor in national interests.

Citing an example, Hikmahanto said many people trying to enter France or the Netherlands applied for a visa with the Italian Embassy because the latter was more relaxed.