Cambodia has taken the reins for ASEAN leadership for 2022, a year that will be defined by its handling of the Myanmar crisis, as well as foreign engagement in an increasingly multipolar world order, says a researcher.
Riko Watanabe
Above is the title of an article in the CNA by a Japanese researcher questioning the ability of Cambodia as Asean Chairman. From the title that he phrased you can see where he is coming from and acting as if he or Japan knows best for Asean. Why is Cambodia not up to the task? What is the task of Asean, what is the platform and purpose of Asean?
Obviously from the angle of the Japanese and the Americans, two warmongering countries always thinking and acting as if they are superpowers and have the right to interfere into other countries' domestic affairs, not just influencing, even to the extent of threats and wars, Asean must be like them, poke its fingers into other countries domestic affairs, in this case Myanmar. And Cambodia's diplomatic and consulting approach, without trying to meddle into Myanmar's domestic affairs, without dictating to Myanmar, is unacceptable.
To the Japanese and Americans, Asean must act and behave like a gangster, telling other countries what to do, to do according to their beliefs and warmongering culture, to become like them.
Is this what Asean is all about? Asean was formed with certain principles of non interference in another country's domestic affairs, does not want to be dragged into a conflict by the big powers, to live peacefully with its neighbours, cooperation and peaceful coexistence, not acting like a gangster to demand and dictate to one another. The culture of Asean is to accept one another despite the differences in culture, religion, history and political system.
However, some Asean states are so influence by the warmongering and trouble making Americans and Japanese and think that it is right to mess around with the affairs of other Asean neighbours, telling Asean states what they should do, what they can or cannot do, according to their own fancies, thinking that they are better than their neighbours.
When Asean starts to behave like cocks, and forget about the principles of peaceful coexistence of its founding members, not to allow big powers to interfere and mess around in Asean, then Asean is destined to breakup as the political system and culture of every Asean state is different and in many ways opposite to the others, eg communist states, Islamic states, kingdoms, secular states etc etc. For Asean states to want to impose their values on fellow Asean states is mischievous and a joke when many Asean states are as messy and undemocratic as they pretend to be otherwise.
Asean is best to retain its original identity and way of doing things, without acting cocky like the Americans or allowing the Americans or Japanese to tell them what to do, what is expected of them to be accepted by the warmongers and international terrorists and gangsters.
Asean should stay neutral, and find common grounds among its members to live and cooperate in economic growth and development. Stop being a cock and being told to act like a cock to please the Americans or Japanese. Live quietly and peacefully among its neighbours, consulting with each other instead of arrogating themselves as the paragon of all virtues and looking down on its neighbours. By the look of it, some Asean leaders are already behaving haughtily and abrasively against Myanmar as if they are white gods, they are superior to Myanmar's leaders.
Can you believe that? People living in glass houses must not go around throwing stones.
Or should we ask, do the Japanese think so highly of themselves that they are the best to chair Asean? They invaded practically every Asean country in WW2 and massacred many Asean natives and robbed the treasures of Asean countries.
