le message march 2008

8/9/2019 Le Message March 2008

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Some wailS do no t function m e r ~ as human constructs; they are substantial barriers that define the disconnection between theheartsan d minds ofpeople with disparate origins. in terests. and beliefs.These entities occurwithinASEAN .W'!1ile on on e hand theyserve to accentuate the uniqueness of a people, by virtue of their cultures and ideologies. they also are an impediment to genuinecooperation an d cohesive social progress. an ideal thatASEAN was supposed to transfonn into realily.The most fundamental dMdes inASEAN took place du e to a deeply ingrained intransigenceon the part of particular member stateson matters governing political stances, manifested in conjunction with th e innate inhibitions of member states that pi"event themfrom interfering with the actions of other member states. The Burma crisis VIIitnessed the repression of many human rights activists'Nho had demonstrated peacefully against the government in the hope of securing a more reasonable set of inalienable rights toWOI1c: with. ASEAN was slammed by Western media for adopting too soft an approach against checking human rights abuses inBurma, as it refused to suspend Myanmar's membershipan d implementeconomicsanctions to prevent the abuses from continuing.In my opinion, while such harsh mea5Ufes vvere no t entirely necessary, ASEAN's member states could have contributed in a moreconstructive role through the provision ofavenues for consensus building talks between the conRicting parties. However, memberstates were held back by their overwhelming respect for the sovereignty of Burma, a fellow member state. partly because theyfeared the repercussions of similar circumstances visited upon themsetves in future. an d partly due to a precedent of rlOrHnterference in domestic politics.This was emphasized by theASEAN representative Surakiart Sathirathai, 'Nho stated thatASEAN's role wasm e r ~ to generate. an d no t prescribe. solutions. This implies the gravity of the matter- the walls to progress an d heightened liberation in ASEAN are self imposed by member states who lack the courage to convey frank opinions on thorny issues, take an activestance in directing hc:7vv events unfold, an d back measures that though unpopular, serve the greater good.The walls that a re most germane to the peopleofASEAN would be those which pertain directly to their bread an d butter. Countriessuch as cambodia an d laos are being marginalired increasinglywith their markets inundated by the onslaught ofcheap overseasexports. The poor in these lands lack the ability to emerge from the vicious poverty cycle, with IT'IOI'e than 70% survMng on less thanUS$2 a day. Transnational corporate interests are pursued. causing an unequal distribution of resources and access to economic0p-portunities amongst the populace, which further compounds the problems of inequalily. Ye t theasymmetries are apparent with es-tablished members, such as Thailand an d the Philippines, enjoying continued growth from integration.To me, wailS within ASEAN have also transpired due to the recurrent. cardinal theme of self interest The single disincentive to countries from stepping beyond their spheres of inRuence to aid other countries in ASEAN would be the artificial construct that is theirmentalily -which dictates that any course of action to ameliorate the plight of the less privileged would entail a significant reductionin the living standards of on e'Scountrymen. Consider the recent haze crisis.which erupted 4 years ago in Indonesia Vliherein subsistence farmers sought to expand the fertile land area they had for cultivation of crops by unsustainable methods of slash an d bu mfarming that raised pol lutant levels until theywere high enough to constitute hazards to public health. Malaysia an d Singapore uti-liled ASEAN MinisterialMeetings as platforms to badger Indonesia into ratifying the ASEAN Agreement on T ansboundary Hazeeven with the knowledge that Indonesia lacked the sufficient resources to tackle the problem. The channeling of funds on the partofvarious member states, to solve .........tlat had evolved into a multicausal regional problem, would have proven a feasible solution,yetno countries vvere willing to do so becauseof he perception that lhe root cause had originated within Indonesia's borders. The gen-eral inertia in solving a problem that would engender benefits accruing to the entire region highlighted the lack ofsociocentricnessamidstASEAN countries, that self interest no t only emerged in the form of wallS; rather the true walls were those that dealt withidentity.Iposrulate that the difficulties ahead confrontASEAN as a single body, an d no t as an amalgamation ofvarious peoples an d interests.If ASEAN were to abolish all these walls that stand in the way of cohesion an d growth. economic progress an d societal stabiJilywould surely be in sight Yet it s this rudimentary change in mindset that is so ha rd to accomplish for it mandatesacceptance of theinterests of countries in this region. In order for on e to overcome walls, he, proverbially, needs to think beyond them.SamuelUm Yong PengRaflles Junior Co llege page 2


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RUNNER-UPWhen the Berlin Wall fell in '989, the phySical de5truction of the wall signified th e reunification of East and West Germany, as .......ellas a better an d more prosperous future. In many countries. particularly in SoutheastAsia these walls exist still, unable to be seen orto m down like the one in Berlin. but are strongly felt tTy people 1IIkJo, helpless behind tl1ese invisible walls. remain at the mercy oflhOse 'Nho erected them.Take a look at th e Union of Myanmar, which is governed by a strict milital)' regime. Despite international calls for the Head of Stateof Myanmar, Senior General Than St"Jv.oe to cease his human rights abuses ofhis citizens. including repeated urges by the Associationof Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) for th e democratisation of the countty as well as th e recent anti-govemment protests by themonks, Senior General Than St"Jv.oe continues his dictatorial reign aver Myanmar with an iron fist \lihUe countries like China, whichwas previously very much a closed economy, are opening up to the international community, the government of Myanmar continues to protect its walls against th e rest of he world fiercely. And the rest of the NOI1d, even Myanma(s closest neighOOUrs, finds it jm .possible to help th e people behind these walls because of ASEAN's rKln-interference policy.These walls. although invisible. come in different forms. First and most obvious are economic barriers that are formed when acountry's government decides to alienate herself from the world. This means severe restriction on trading imports an d exportswith international community, as well as th e in free.trade agreements that further facilitate the flow of goods an dservices around the world. In the case of Myanmar, It isapitiful waste of both natural an d labot.n" resources because the countty usedto be the largest exportef of rice as well as oil. a most valuable commodity, under British colonial rule. The highly literate populationthen also contributed to making the countty the weafthiest in Southeast Asia then.Today, surrounded by the thick brick. walls of undefproduction an d corruption], the countly is plagued by skyfocketing int\ation rates of 30 to 60 percent on basic commodityprices since civil servants vvere given a saIaiy increase inApril 20064, as vveII as an uneducated vvor1


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RUNNER- PAn eight-year-old scribbles on the wall in his room excitedly, leaving proud scrawIings of trees and people. \Vhen he turns seventeen, he paints the wall in va/}'ing shades of red and black. a supposed reflection of his maturity. a sign of rebellion, a precuf'SOl' toadulthood. He turns tvVentyeighl and deoking. or eternally truth-seeking. the various modes of governance appeal to various peoples. and contribute tothe overall diversity of countries we see in the NOI'1d today.

MarcTehTemasekJunior Collegepage 4

le message march 2008

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