ACJC_H2_HIST_P2

2 Section A You must answer Question 1. THE QUESTION OF MYANMAR IN ASEAN 1 Read the sources and then answer the question. Source A ASEAN members perhaps can no longer afford to adopt a non-committal stance and avoid passing judgement on events in a member country, simply on the grounds of ‘non-interference’. To be sure, ASEAN’s respect for sovereignty of fellow members is one reason why the grouping has come this far and enjoyed such longevity. However, if domestic events in one member’s territory impact adversely on another member’s inte rnal affairs, not to mention regional peace and prosperity, much can be said in favour of ASEAN members playing a more proactive role. Consequently, it is obvious that ASEAN countries have an overriding interest in the internal affairs of its fellow members and may, on occasion, find it necessary to recommend a certain course of action on specific issues that affect us all, directly or indirectly. Or, to be explicit, we may need to make intra-ASEAN relations more dynamic, more engaged, and yes, more ‘constructive’ then before. Surin Pitsuwan, Thailand’s Foreign Minister, speaking of the need for ASEAN to adopt the concept of ‘flexible engagement’ at the June 1998 Asia-Pacific roundtable in Kuala Lumpur. Source B The failure of the ASEAN Way of private consultation and consensus to bring about change in Burma and the regime's human rights records, which tarnishes the association as a whole, led to Surin's flexible engagement proposal. Flexible engagement challenges the ASEAN Way in that it raises the prospect of members not just intervening in the affairs of others but also publicly criticizing them in order to achieve c hange. Public criticism of neighboring states over an issue as sensitive as human rights, for example, also helps distance the member and the association from the negative image created by regimes that abuse human rights. This mattered to ASEAN states, especially in the aftermath of the 1997 financial crisis, when they needed to convince the United States and the European Union that they merited financial support because of their democratic credentials. Such thinking led Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysian Prime Minister, to inform his hosts when he visited Burma in March 1998 that “you have to understand that Europe is very important to us.” Extracted from the book Security and Southeast Asia , published 2003 in Singapore. © ACJC 2009 9731/02/Preliminary Exams/09

3 Source C It was politically and strategically important for ASEAN to have Myanmar in its fold. Since ASEAN had no criteria for membership other th an geographical location, accession to ASEAN agreements and adherence to certain principles governing inter-state relations, there were no grounds for excluding Myanmar indefinitely even if ASEAN countries were so inclined. Beyond the fact of membership, wh