Would Asean still talk like the asshole of the USA?

The two recent and very provocative acts committed by Vietnam and the Philippines have been greeted with muted silence by the western media and also by Asean. Both did not mention any word of condemnation for such reckless and unprovoked escalation of tension in the region. The Vietnamese sent 35 ships in its attempt to ram the oil rig of China within Chinese territory and at Chinese ships in the area. It followed with killing of Chinese workers in Vietnam and the burning of Chinese factories, including those of HongKong, Taiwan and even Singapore. China is demanding protection and compensation from the Vietnamese Govt for loss of lives, injuries and loss of properties.

The Pinoys ignored China’s protest and proceeded to charge Chinese fishermen they seized in disputed territories in Pinoy court. China is demanding that the charges be dropped and the fishermen be returned safely to China.

The western media are not briefing a word of condemnation on the actions by these two countries. Asean too has been silent as well. But some Asian media think it their responsibility to look at the issues from western perspective, that it was the Chinese that were provocative and Asean must response robustly. The actions of Vietnam and the Philippines were in way, to these bananas, seen as normal and deserving. But such provocations are only to draw reciprocal actions from China. China is not going to sit back and let the two countries do as they please against its people and interest. China is going to hit back. It is expected and has to be. If the attacks were against the USA or India, Vietnam and the Philippines would be licking their wounds now.

And what would the western media say? Obvious, they would cry foul, that China is bullying the two smaller countries and behaving aggressively. The Americans would stand up to warn China against retaliation. The truth is that Vietnam and the Philippines have coordinated their offensive provocations against China. They are the provocateurs, the bullies. Their actions were hostile and verging on an act of war. To the anglophiles, they see them as only responding to the Chinese activities in the region. To these anglophiles, the American pivot into the region to muscle around is a natural right of the Americans, of the West. They would also agree to the Monroe Doctrine that South America and the Caribbeans are the spheres of influence of the USA and no other powers should think of pivoting into the region.

Would Asean utter the same thing as the western media and act like the asshole of the Americans, saying the right thing the Americans wanted to hear? Or would Asean be strong enough to take the stand of a neutral regional organisation and acknowledge that China is the victim of Vietnamese and Pinoy attacks and condemn their actions? After agitating for a peaceful solution to the territorial dispute, would Asean be bound by its own stand against militarising the dispute as have been done by the Vietnamese and the Pinoys? Or would Asean continue to blindly accuse China as the bully, as the provocative one, as the aggressive party, and ignore what Vietnam and the Philippines have done? Some asses are pushing Asean to take a united stand against China.

What is Asean, a neutral group of countries working to better their own common interest or a party meddling in the conflict of big powers and taking sides with no mind of its own? Is Asean the asshole of the American Empire, only farting what the Americans wanting it to do? Is Asean turning into another SEATO?

PS. I may consider writing a piece with a western viewpoint if I am paid handsomely for it. But I would not write such skewed views like I am a westerner and seeing the conflict from the westerner’s point of view for free. Could there be such silly Asians acting like the perfect bananas and thinking like westerners?

Kopi Level - Green