Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi speaks to media during a press conference as Indonesian President Joko Widodo listens, on the 42nd Asean Summit held in Labuan Bajo on May 11, 2023. - Reuters
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): Asean’s top leaders promised on Wednesday (May 10) that they would “redouble” efforts to strengthen the association’s “institutional effectiveness”, as the continuing Myanmar coup crisis casts a pall over the biannual summit.
But Southeast Asia experts were doubtful that the bloc would have any significant success if it continued to fail to offer a clear outline of the practical steps it would take.
The situation in Myanmar, which has wreaked havoc on Asean's credibility as a defiant junta highlights the bloc’s disunity and the divergent interests of its member countries, has increased the pressure on the group to enact reforms.
Observers contend that only institutional change could allow Asean to establish itself as a central player in the highly contested Indo-Pacific region.
The bloc was criticised last month when it issued a belated response to an airstrike on civilians by junta forces in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, reportedly because of a failure to reach a quick consensus.
The attack reportedly killed more than 100 people, including women and
Belated statements and elusive consensuses were themes of the first Asean Summit of the year, which is usually reserved for “housekeeping” work, such as measuring the progress of ongoing regional projects and objectives.
The Asean leaders managed to issue a standalone statement condemning a Sunday attack against a humanitarian relief convoy in Myanmar that included Singaporean and Indonesian diplomats, demanding that the perpetrators be held accountable.
“We supported the efforts of the chair of Asean, including its continued engagements with all stakeholders in Myanmar, to encourage progress in the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus,” they said in a statement.
The consensus is a peace plan calling for the cessation of violence in Myanmar and the delivery of humanitarian relief to those in need, among other demands.
Shortly thereafter, another statement on strengthening Asean’s capacity and institutional effectiveness was issued, which opened with the affirmation from the convening leaders that a “strengthened Asean will be enhanced by the ability to develop agile institutions” that ensure “timely” responses to emergencies.
“[We] reaffirm our commitment and undertake efforts to maintain Asean centrality, unity and relevance amid the challenges faced by our region and beyond,” they wrote, noting that the bloc would remain faithful to its foundational document, the Asean Charter.
No political representatives of Myanmar were present at the summit, although chair Indonesia has been quietly engaging with stakeholders from the conflict-ridden nation.
On Wednesday, the leaders issued nine outcome documents, touching on various ongoing projects. They addressed Asean's long-term vision; human trafficking and the misuse of technology; the electric vehicle (EV) industry; regional payment connectivity; public health; migrant worker protection; and village networks.
The documents come as public confidence in Asean wavers over its struggle to address challenges in a timely manner, despite the region’s increasing attractiveness as a global hub for economic growth.
Home to about 668 million people, the 10-nation bloc accounted for nearly 7 per cent of global economic production in 2022, some US$10.2 trillion.
So far, 49 countries have acceded to Asean’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), a requirement for formal cooperation with the bloc that discourages competition and conflict. Another three nations – Saudi Arabia, Panama and Spain – are preparing to sign the document this year.
President Joko Widodo opened the first day of the summit by remarking that Asean possessed “major assets as the epicentrum of growth” and that he was confident the group would be able to weather any challenges through unity.
“The global economy has not fully recovered. Major power rivalries continue to sharpen. The global dynamic has become more unpredictable. [We possess] an economy that grows far above average global growth [rates], a demographic dividend and regional stability,” he said.
“The question is, will Asean remain a spectator? Will Asean remain silent? Will [it] be capable of being the engine for peace and economic growth?”
Despite declarations of its potential, the association has been widely accused of fecklessness, in large part due to its consensus-based decision-making process and a non-intervention clause in its charter.
These flaws create an impasse for the group whenever its members violate norms.
Prior to this week’s meetings, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi told The Jakarta Post that the group ought to be “honest with itself” when it came to addressing its problem of agility and effectiveness.
Experts have long called for an institutional revamp, starting with the modification of the charter, noting that Asean is far too strategic to be held back by institutional errors. But patience with the institution is running thin in many quarters.
“The [reform pledge] is still a declaration of intent. It is therefore hard to say that Asean will be better equipped in handling a crisis like Myanmar, or any other crisis that might occur in the future,” said Rizal Sukma, a senior international relations expert at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), on Wednesday.
Similarly, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) senior researcher Dewi Fortuna Anwar insisted that Asean should start honoring its constituent peoples’ wishes.
“It is not enough to simply set norms. What are the concrete outcomes that we can deliver? How do you ensure that Asean can go beyond words?” she told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
“It’s not about what you need to do, it’s how you do it.”
