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A mute secretary-general undermines ASEAN centrality
The fact that the ASEAN secretary-general, who has only two months left in his five-year tenure, does not seem to know how to take a stance on behalf of ASEAN is mind-boggling.
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ASEAN secretary-general Lim Jock Hoi (left) greets Indonesian President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo during the ASEAN leaders' summit at the bloc's secretariat building in Jakarta on April 24, 2021. (Handout/Muchlis Jr/Indonesian Presidential Palace via REUTERS)
ASEAN has just weeks to go to relay the message that it is important to stop the war in Ukraine, before the Group of 20 Summit is held in Bali from Nov. 14 to 16. With ASEAN against all forms of territorial aggression, not to mention annexation, the fact that ASEAN secretary-general Lim Jock Hoi, who has ministerial standing, refrains from saying anything substantive on the Ukraine-Russian conflict is unacceptable.
Even China has spoken of the need to end the war. As did all other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which include the United Kingdom, France and the United States.
The fact that UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, whose premiership is about to come to an abrupt end, has spoken out against the war, while the ASEAN secretary-general, who has only two months left in his five-year tenure, does not know how to take a stance on behalf of ASEAN is mind-boggling.
First and foremost, this pattern of willful ignorance in speaking on this issue was clear even from the secretary-general's visit to the US barely two months ago, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the US-ASEAN relationship.
During his visit to the offices of the Center of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, he was given the platform to make a speech. At a time when the pandemic is indeed endemic, a thoughtful secretary-general of ASEAN should have asked the world to be more prudent and thoughtful in understanding that this is a virus that can have various "breakthrough variants".
But beyond this key advice, the issue of another top priority is stopping a member state of the UN from issuing a series of nuclear threats against Ukraine. This is an abominable act that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres himself criticized widely and instantly.
The ASEAN secretary-general's dismal performance can be watched on YouTube, and he should know that he is underperforming because ASEAN was founded on preventing the use of force as a crucible of foreign policy, be it from member states, comprehensive strategic partners, dialogue partners, development partners or sectoral partners of ASEAN.
