Would the consensus reaching method of ASEAN impede the effective regional action from ASEAN?

[Admin]

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[torren1]

I agree.

[Admin]

Ok, to get this discussion going, I shall start of with one very pertinent question to your lives, in that based on the website we had created, we had constantly tried to cast the ASEAN Way in a much more favourable light instead of adopting a Rankean style of objectivity. So now, how has that changed your perception of ASEAN? Does the heavy information on the website allow you to view the ASEAN Way in a more positive manner? Thanks

P.S. This question is targetted both at the global and regional community. Feel free to answer.

Regards
Admin

[Bryan Ch]

In your report you had mentioned that the asean way promotes violance and regional instability. However, you provided no evidence to support this claim and your evidence were all against this. Also, I would like to point out that ASEAN was created to combat regional terrorism, not all the whimsham that you wrote. Finally, the sole leader of ASEAN this days is the US, as they are under a conspiracy to take over the world!

[Admin]

Hi Bryan,

Firstly, I am bewildered by your first assertion, where I quote "In your report you had mentioned that the asean way promotes violance and regional instability". Perhaps you can point out the part where we had mentioned that the ASEAN Way promoted "violence and regional instability" as having checked through this report a couple of times before, I believed that the contrary is true instead of your claim that the ASEAN Way promotes violence and regional instability.

Furthermore, it has been clarified at the start of this report where this project is meant to cast the ASEAN Way in a rather subjective manner, shedding new, positive light towards the ASEAN Way instead of degrading it. As such, I do not remember promoting the notion that the ASEAN Way causes violence and regional instability...

Perhaps this may be an error of misinterpretation or a factual error on our side, as such we will appreciate it if you can tell us where you got the idea that the ASEAN Way "promotes violance and regional instability" so that we can clarify/improve on it.



Next, you talked about the idea of ASEAN being created as part of a solution towards regional terrorism which is evidently not the case as based on what we had preached on in the website, the fundamental reason for the establishment of the ASEAN Way was predominantly because of the notion of sovereign equality, enhanced communication etc. The notion of combating Regional Terrorism is in fact a form of "Non-traditional security", a term we had harped on in the future directions section, which perhaps you can revisit it to take a look, furthermore, the notion of regional terrorism is something that had surfaced a couple of years ago and this was neither part of the Treaty of Amity nor the Bangkok Declaration ratified in 1967. These facts were all stated under the website's category of "Pre-war struggles and Postwar conflicts" under the History section where I hope can clarify your doubts once again. Indeed, your point that ASEAN is used to combat regional terrorism does make sense, but only in the present day context, it is part of ASEAN efforts to tackle more on the area of "Non-traditional Security" so as to move away from the standard norm of preventing subversion, ensuring sovereign equality etc, of which had long been tackled decades after the inception of ASEAN. Combating Regional Terrorism is not something that had sprouted out during the early 1960where nations are still busy tackling the problem of subjugation, konfrontasi etc but rather a more recent, non-traditional security idea that had just surfaced. These information can be further found under the category of "Traditional security vis-a-vis non-traditional security". So perhaps read upon it first before clarifying with us over the questions you had in your mind...

Finally, you talked about the US being the sole leader and your funny idea that they are under the conspiracy to take over the world. We shall only discuss on your first point as the second point is pratically useless, unjustified, funny, idiosyntric...
This, I guess can be found in the email interview with Ambassador Ong and further ratified in our report in the section review as well where we brought up his quote that "ASEAN believes in itself and that it can provide benefit and value for its members and friends. There is no need to be a proxy for anyone." USA was once thought to be the "mastermind" behind the scenes during the Cold War in tackling the Vietnam, Cambodian Conflict by the general public and this conception is fundamentally wrong as shown to you under the sections of Cambodian Conflict and the Vietnam War where ASEAN's Cocktail diplomacy, consensus-finding managed to fully ratify the problem with "Minimal help from the USA". This had been clarified many times in the essay in that the ASEAN and the USA, from the past to now, were two distinct variables who influence each other (As seen from the last section on Global relevance) but were not subjugated to any stronger party. Here I quote : "It is here where we can establish that the ASEAN Way , had hitherto been influencing the world globally vice versa." The influence ASEAN had on the USA and the influence the USA had on ASEAN was there, but as a matter of fact, it is unjustified, impossible and idiosyntric to readily assert that ASEAN is a proxy for the USA. It is here where we tell you that ASEAN is an independent organization and does not have the incentive or any obligation to be subjugated by anyone.

P.S. Please read up more on the Website as it seems like you had missed quite a number of facts and details {http://www.ri.sch.edu.sg/d2d/aseanway/Conclusion.html}

P.P.S We will appreciate it if you can tell us where you got the idea "asean way promotes violance and regional instability" as based on our knowledge and fundamental objective, we had never touched on this notion nor had we brought it up. So if it is an idea of misinterpretation, keep it to yourself, but if it is an idea of factual errors etc, kindly inform us to make the necessary changes.

Good effort nevertheless...

Thanks
Admin 2008

[Admin]

We will definitely appreciate it if more questions relating to the Website "http://www.ri.sch.edu.sg/d2d/aseanway/index.html" can be posted. So pls get the discussion going Thanks

Regards
Admin

[Xd]

Hi Bryan,

I dont see anything wrong with the project and neither had I spotted anything on the ASEAN Way going against the evidence.

[Bryan Ch]

This forum is dead. Reflects pertinently on the relevance of this project

[Fred]

Thank you - this was an interesting an informative analysis of the ASEAN way and its impact on regional security. I applaude all involved!!

In relation to the question - it appears that the ASEAN Model is most adept at addressing the unique and longstanding issues experienced in Southeast Asia without too much confrontation between its members. Whilst the softly, softly approach seems lost to many within the international realm, it is proving to be the most effective way of addressing a range of highly complex issues, divergent ideas as well as maintaining itseld as an international player -well done!!

[ho]

i have to totally agree with bryan here
cheng xun perhaps if you would bother to make your convuluted thoughts more understandable and interesting