ASEAN’S MORAL FAILURE IN MYANMAR

I wrote this piece in February, then amended it at the beginning of March but still it did not get publish.

Never mind about that but the recent news that San Suu Ky recently got 5 years of jail convinced me to re-look at this piece and publish it.

I believe that the case I have been arguing then is even more relevant and urgent now than ever.

The argument I am going make in this column is nor new neither original but it is truly fundamental.

The ASEAN must formally suspend Myanmar from its activities.

Actually “formally suspending” is an extremely too moderate position because actually Myanmar should be kicked out from the bloc till democracy is restored.

If it is not now, it will never be.

With what’s going on right now in Ukraine and with the world over focused on the Russian invasion, we cannot forget the Myanmar’s tragedy.

The global attention on the unfolding crisis in Eastern Europe should not allow us to abdicate from our responsibility to keep the military junta in Naypyidaw accountable.

There is no more space for a ruthless military junta in a regional cooperation community that is supposed to be based on fostering cooperation, peace and its activities are, at least, on the paper, inspired by universal values like freedom, human rights and dignity.

A recent ASEAN event unfortunately shows that we are still far to achieve these ideals.

I am talking about the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) Retreat that happened few weeks ago in Phnom Penh, a summit in which Myanmar decided to pull out of it following the decision by Cambodia, the current Chair of the bloc, to ask the generals to designate a “nonpolitical” figure to represent the country.

This is the minimum that could have been demanded because it is a shame that junta has not been yet expelled or at least suspended from the community.

Unfortunately unless some of the heads of states and governments in the ASEAN will take strong and bold actions, nothing will change and the ongoing stalemate will continue.

For the true there is not even a legal mechanism to kick out Myanmar from ASEAN but the application of universal values in the region should not be trumped by legalism and formalism.

So while the founding document of the ASEAN community, the ASEAN Charter, does not foresee a mechanism or procedure to suspend its member states, ad hoc solutions can be taken in order to suspend Myanmar from the bloc.

Perhaps only pressure from the bottom can truly push for a change in the official position of the ASEAN in relation to the unfolding crises.

This mobilization should be as inclusive as possible and try to involve the youth from the region.

I am thinking about any type of creative, peaceful show of solidarity that can help create momentum and truly create what perhaps would be the first ever common shared regional grassroots effort to bring change in the ASEAN.

You can imagine students, media outlets and even corporates (yes also corporates!!!) to step up and express their indignation for the lack of action by the ASEAN community in relation to Myanmar.

Grand and small actions would work as well as long as the people of South East Asia express their outrage for what’s going on right now.

Will this happen? Perhaps we are not yet at the tipping point but even if we were there, would this be enough?

As I argue before on this column, President Jokowi can play a crucial role and his prestige, as we know, is even increased since the beginning of the year with his elevation as Chairman of the G20.

Coalitions within the ASEAN already take places and throughout this crisis, Indonesia reached out the few liked minded peers in the bloc to induce a more assertive response to the military takeover in Naypyitaw.

It did not work so far but it is still possible that this group of nations can reach a breakthrough and convince the other members that there is no other option than suspending Myanmar.

But what if more negotiations will fail to lead to a breakthrough?

Could we imagine a country like Indonesia deciding to boycott ASEAN’s meetings until it will decide to take the right action in Myanmar?

If perhaps we need one more thing in this world, this is a bit of more genuine naiveté that in essence is the capacity to think probable what it is actually improbable, offering hope when there is no ray of it on the horizon.

If we could stretch our imagination and allow us to embrace such naiveté, then a boycott to ASEAN on behalf of some its members willing a stronger and bolder position on Myanmar, could entirely shift the narrative about this regional bloc.

ASEAN is working on its future vision, the idea of itself in the years to come.

Which kind of vision and with it, which kind of ambition, could emerge from a bloc incapable to deal with human rights abuse and crimes against humanity?

South East Asia could learn from West Africa where the body in charge of the regional integration there, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, is doing a much better job at safeguarding democracy and human rights amid military coups and political instability.

How can be possible that the one of the most dynamic regional communities with one of the highest growth prospects before the pandemic has to take tuition classes from a region that is much more backward and whose nations are at risk of becoming failed states?

There is no shortcuts on how to deal with internal contradictions within ASEAN.

It is not just about different political models, democracy versus one party systems but it is about re-thinking the meanings of a regional community unable to condemn a brutal regime.

A bit of naiveté is what is needed after all because that would allow us to go back to the ASEAN Charter and understand the meanings of a community based on certain values, a space that, among others, aims to “strengthen democracy, enhance good governance and the rule of law” and more importantly “promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms”

Let’s not forget that unanimity is not a universal principle but a simple working approach and it can be overturned.

Simone Galimberti is based in Kathmandu. He writes on social inclusion, youth development, regional integration and the SDGs in the context of Asia Pacific