EDITORIAL - Zone of peace

For all the criticism heaped on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, one notable aspect is the absence of full-scale armed conflict among ASEAN members. Friendship has reigned among the five original member states that organized ASEAN in August 1967: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The end of the Vietnam War allowed the newly reunited country to focus on peaceful pursuits, paving the way for its membership in ASEAN, together with the other countries that were drawn into the armed conflict.

Today Thailand has had border skirmishes with one of its neighbors, but for the most part Southeast Asia has been a zone of peace. That peace has allowed the regional economy to grow and poverty to ease, turning the region into one of the world’s most dynamic. Each ASEAN member has a stake in maintaining that peace.

At the forthcoming summit of ASEAN leaders, the regional grouping will have a chance to reaffirm that commitment, and draw up measures to thwart threats to security and stability in Southeast Asia. These days security covers not just military aspects but also food and fresh water supply, energy and environmental concerns.  

ASEAN is confronting climate change and related matters as a grouping, and is expected to confront other security threats in the same way. The grouping has called for the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in the Spratlys – a major security concern in Southeast Asia – within the context of international law. The stand, which is turning the dispute into a multilateral issue, goes against the position of China, which is claiming the entire South China Sea as part of its territory.

The dispute affects all countries in the region and covers areas that are considered international waters. The international sea lanes are used freely by commercial and naval vessels of all nations and should remain as such. ASEAN should push through with multilateral initiatives to settle overlapping territorial claims in the region peacefully and within international laws.