International Student Forum Chiang Mai University

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International Student ForumChiang Mai University
ASEAN Non-interference Policy on
Myanmar Should Be Reviewed.

• Presented by
• Sai Leik
• Second Year, Politics, Philosophy and Economics
  Major
• Rangsit University

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IntroductionFive nations signed Bangkok
Declaration, on 8 August 1967.Objectives are to
accelerate economic growth, social progress and
cultural development.Target is One Southeast
Asia or Vision 2020- Myanmar joined ASEAN on
23 July 1997.
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1. Background History of Myanmar
A. Political History of Myanmar

• 4 Jan 1948 ( independence from the British
  govt. U Nu, the first PM)
• -2 Mar 1962 ( a military coup de tat by Gen Ne
  Win. Socialist party formed)
• 8 Aug 1988 (people demonstration)
• 18 Sep 1988 (a military coup de tat by Gen Saw
  Maung. SLORC formed)
• 27 Sep 1988 ( NLD established. Daw Aung San Suu
  Kyi became Gen Sec)
• 27 May 1990 ( national election was held. ASSK
  won 82 of parliamentary seats, ignored by
  Junta.
• She has been under house arrest until now.
• 15 Nov 1997 ( SLORC to SPDC)

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B. Myanmar Diplomatic History

• the neutral policy
• under Democratic Govt (1948-58)
• the Non-Aligned Movement conference, in
  Bandung,1955.
• Isolationism or the closed door policy under
  Gen Ne Win (1962-1988)
• Opportunism
• under Military government (1988- present)

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2. ASEAN-10

• The expected goal as ASEAN 10 (1999)
• Two Major Objectives
• to promote regional harmony, maintain peace
  and stability.
• - to increase autonomous and indigenous regional
  order.

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A. Why ASEAN-10 is better ?

• ASEAN-10
• - ASEAN (no political integration but eco
  integration)
• ASEAN became biger
• as regional institutionalized structure.
• Benefits
• prevent disputes and stop the threat
• open communication, bilateral relations
• and focus on shared interests.
• increase diplomatic standing by allowing them to
  speak for the
• whole of Southeast Asia.
• - unity in diversity

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B. Reasons for integrating Myanmar into ASEAN

• To reduce Chinas strategic influence
• on SE Asia and Myanmar.
• To persuade Myanmar leaders for political
  reform and to encourage them
• to join international community
• To control the security threatening issues
• such as refugees flows, drug production,
  HIV/AIDS, etc.

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3. Historical Principles of ASEAN

• The basic principle
• to strengthen economic cooperation and social
  stability of the region.
• Gradually increased principles
• such as peace, stability, economic cooperation,
• human rights issue, HIV/AIDS, etc.
• - Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) signed
  in 1976, Non-interference in the internal
  affairs of one another Consensus
  decision-making

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A. ASEANs non-interference policy

• Non-interference in the internal affairs of one
  another. Based on peace and stability.
• Mutual respect for independence, sovereignty.
  equality, territorial integrity and national
  identity.
• Not to touch sensible domestic affairs of other
  states.
• Disputes solved through regional process.

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B. ASEAN ways to solve the problems

• constructive intervention
• Flexible engagement or Constructive
  engagement
• Enhanced interaction
• failed because ASEAN didnt prepare for
  challenges,
• weak institutionalization and
• depended on consensus decision-making.

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4. Challenges of Political Integration of Myanmar
A. Traditional Security Challenges

• An attempt to build huge army without external
  threats
• Armed import.
• Set up nuclear reactor.

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A.2. Nuclear
A.1. Army Build-up

• 180,000 to 265,000 soldiers (1988 to 1995)
• 400,000 soldiers intended to increase
• Purchases
• 1,000 light armored personnel carriers from
  Ukrine,
• 75 mm howitzers and radar system from India.
• A dozen MiG 29 jet fighters from Russia
• Military equipment from China.

- The nuclear reactor planed to be built. -
(300) officials trained for nuclear technology
in Russia since 2001. - Asked N. Korea for
missile technology.
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B. Non-traditional Security Challenges

• B.1. Drug

• The second largest opium producer.
• - 1087 metric tons (2000)
• - 1097 metric tons (2001)
• The largest producer of
• Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS).
• Seizures
• 5 million pills (1996)
• 32.4 million pills (2001)
• - drug free zone by 2015 (ASEANs target)

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B.2. HIV/AIDS- 530,000 HIV infected people
(June 2000)- Myanmar is exporting AIDS around
the region (according to recent report, council
of foreign relations, an American think-tank,
2005)Causes - use of unclean needle for
heroine injection - unprotect having sex.

• B.3. Human Trafficking
• - Human trafficking as a sex trade.
• children and women (victims)
• Forced to be sex workers in brothels.

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B.4. Refugees - 104,569 (2000) 144,000
(2004)Causes - civil wars, human rights
violations, social instability

• B.5. Migrants
• - 1,269,074 migrant workers (2004) in Thailand
• 80 are from Myanmar.
• Causes
• - economic decline, wars between SPDC and ethnic
  armed groups, and fleeing from force labor.

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B.6. Environmental Degradation

• wood cutting (esp. Kachin state, Northern
  Myanmar)
• flood due to dam built-up (Salween dam -Ta
  Sang Dam),
• Eastern Shan State, Thai-Myanmar border)
• gas pipe line cause force labor and relocation.
  
• (Yadanar gas pipeline project, southern
  Myanmar).

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Conclusion- unsuccessful non-interference
policy of ASEAN - Constructive engagement or
flexible engagement applied in Bangkok process
was not workable ( 2003-2004).- Continuing
events and problems - Human rights abuses and
violations, - force labors, drug, HIV/AIDS,
human trafficking, - environment degradation,
military expansion, etc - Non-interference
policy on Myanmar should be reviewed.
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THANK YOU!!!