When Myanmar takes the helm

When Myanmar takes the helm

In 2005, Myanmar surprised ASEAN leaders by renouncing its right to the chairmanship of the regional bloc the following year. Facing protests at home and abroad, the government said it preferred to focus on national reconciliation and domestic development instead. Eight years later, however, at the 23rd ASEAN Summit in Brunei in October 2013, it was a different story. Myanmar was in an exuberant mood, and it showed.

President Thein Sein proudly stated that his country was ready to lead ASEAN next year, with an all-encompassing theme: "Moving forward in unity, towards a peaceful and prosperous community." Indeed, when Myanmar first announced the slogan at an official meeting a month earlier, a special pop-rock theme song, Spirit Of ASEAN, was played to commemorate the long-awaited chairmanship.

Last week, the 27th South-east Asian Games returned to Myanmar after 44 years of absence. The ongoing regional competition, which ends on Dec 22, is Naypyidaw's first regional showcase - a precursor for the ASEAN chair next year. The host has again surprised spectators with a dazzling opening ceremony and its gold-medal-winning athletes.

Discussions with senior Myanmar officials responsible for the ASEAN chairmanship reveal months of hard work shaping the theme and year-long agenda to reflect Naypyidaw's vision and that of ASEAN as a whole.

Pivotal moment

Given the vibrant domestic and regional environment, Myanmar's chairmanship comes at a pivotal juncture. On the one hand, the country is undergoing dramatic transformation in all areas, especially politics and economics. On the other hand, Naypyidaw's strategic imperatives will also come into play as it seeks to use the ASEAN chairmanship to gain influence in the region.

As a latecomer to ASEAN, Myanmar has had ample opportunity to learn from the experiences of other ASEAN states. Numerous capacity-building and human resource development programmes have been held for Myanmar officials involved with ASEAN affairs. Next year, at least 350 key meetings have been scheduled in Naypyidaw, Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Ngapali, attended by ASEAN officials.

The wide-ranging reforms implemented since 2011 also resonate well with the action plans contained in the three blueprints of the ASEAN community related to economic, political/security and socio/cultural pillars. Myanmar's economic liberalisation, along with new legislation, has assisted in its integration with the ASEAN Economic Community.

But challenges remain, particularly when it comes to governance, business ethics, transparency, harmonising standards and procedures. There are also non-tariff barriers, popularly known as "behind the border" obstacles.

Myanmar's ASEAN priorities

During its chairmanship, Myanmar is likely to prioritise small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), since they represent more than 90 per cent of new businesses registered across the region. As part of the CLMV group (which consists of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam), Myanmar will also use its leadership of ASEAN to encourage SMEs to participate in regional production networks. Expansion of finance and technological access from local and outside sources is also in the offing. At the top of the ASEAN economic agenda is finding ways to bridge the income gap between urban and rural areas.

As part of the ongoing economic integration, the new ASEAN chair can be expected to promote technical cooperation and capacity building under the framework of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). These measures will help new ASEAN members to integrate with other ASEAN and East Asian economies. The grouping hopes that the RCEP, which was agreed to in November 2011, will become a major means of encouraging trade and investment liberalisation. It could do this by serving as a role model for regional economic integration among countries at different levels of development.

Myanmar has also made considerable progress in ensuring the participation of its citizens in the political process. The mood in Naypyidaw is clear - political reform is good for economic reform. Visiting foreign delegates never fail to mention these reforms and the new openness in the media, albeit with criticism of some restrictions.

The new atmosphere of press freedom has effectively helped to turn around this formerly infamous pariah state into a regime with a human face. Extensive media reports about domestic developments have also focused attention on its vast economic resources and potential. But there has been hard-hitting news as well, mainly concerning serious communal and ethnic issues.

Handling domestic issues

The manner in which Myanmar handles sensitive domestic topics could determine the success of Naypyidaw's leadership within ASEAN. In October last year, Myanmar's image was greatly tarnished after it refused to attend a special ministerial meeting on the Rohingya crisis, which was subsequently cancelled. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei had proposed a regional solution to the longstanding human tragedy, but Myanmar refused to take part.

Such behaviour does not augur well at a time when international goodwill and support is running high. With the chairmanship of ASEAN, Naypyidaw can turn crises into opportunities by further expanding interaction among ASEAN states.

So far, Indonesia has been the only member that has had the courage to set aside the principle of non-interference. Jakarta invited ASEAN members to participate in the formation of an international peacekeeping force during the East Timor crisis in 2000. Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines took part, but without carrying an ASEAN flag. As democratisation continues to consolidate, Indonesia has become even more confident.

At the end of June, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa held a dialogue with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights on the situation in his country. Soon afterwards, Jakarta unilaterally submitted a human rights report for the perusal of ASEAN foreign ministers. At the next meeting in Naypyidaw, Thailand and the Philippines will do the same.

Among the newer ASEAN members, Myanmar has made the most progress on political and civil rights. In November 2011, Naypyidaw set up a national human rights commission. It has since received more than 1,000 cases of rights violations but serious investigations and follow-ups are lacking.

The new ASEAN chair is not shying away from deepening engagement with civil society organisations either. An ASEAN People's Forum has already been scheduled for April, much to the chagrin of other ASEAN members that used to belittle civil society groups. Myanmar will also have a greater say in promoting such groups when the ASEAN Charter is up for review next year.

In the wake of the normalisation of relations with the United States three years ago, expectations are high that Myanmar will be able to increase ASEAN's international profile and strengthen ties with major dialogue partners. Myanmar has privately informed ASEAN officials that it also intends to tackle regional issues, including the South China Sea dispute during its chairmanship. Being a non-claimant, Naypyidaw is well placed to raise the issue and offer non-partisan views.

Ties with the major powers

In addition, as coordinator of US-ASEAN relations (2012 to 2015), Myanmar will play a critical role in strengthening this friendship while maintaining a balance with major powers such as China, Russia, Japan, Australia and India. It is an open secret that Naypyidaw also wants to come clean over speculation that it has nuclear ambitions. In this connection, Myanmar has privately pledged to ASEAN colleagues to convince the five nuclear powers - the US, China, Britain, France and Russia - to accede to the South-east Asian Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone during its chairmanship.

If Myanmar succeeds in achieving these goals, it could leave a long-lasting legacy, not to mention a guaranteed status as a game-changer in ASEAN.

stopinion@sph.com.sg

The writer is assistant group editor of Nation Media Group in Thailand, which publishes the English-language daily The Nation.


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