There are high expectations about how Indonesia would propose to implement the 2022 ASEAN Summit’s “Review and Decision” on the 2021 Five-Point Consensus (5PC) on Myanmar. ...
The readout from the retreat did not divulge details on any of the above. Instead, the meeting’s key emphasis was on the need for a united approach to Myanmar - underscoring the divergent views among ASEAN member states on what constitutes constructive approaches to the crisis in Myanmar. CNA
The above article in CNA is an overt sign that Asean is increasingly being nudged by the western narrative and intent to meddle and interfere with the internal affairs of a member state, Myanmar. Despite the clear cut policy statements in Asean's Constitution, many Asean leaders are gradually being influenced by the dominating and coercive behaviour of the Americans that it is their right to interfere with what is going on in Myanmar. The objectives and aspiration of the founding fathers of Asean is to remain neutral and free from big power influence and coercion, and to create a conducive environment in Southeast Asia for trade and cooperation among its members. It was never intended to be operated like a gangster organisation with the power to mess around with the internal affairs of its members.
This change of mindset, with several Asean leaders behaving like the Americans, like the knows all, smart Alec, and arrogant self righteousness, that they know better and are better qualified to impose their views on fellow member state, is gaining traction, albeit subtlely and some being dragged into such arrogant and abusive behaviour unconsciously. And many have forgotten that their own internal affairs and politics are far from reproach. Several Asean countries' internal politics are ripe for interference if this new mindset becomes a precedent for Asean, that it is the right of Asean members to dictate and mess around with the internal affairs of another member.
Does any Asean member state think that they would not fall into the same state of affair and let every Asean states to tell them what to do, how to govern their countries, with the nose in the air? What is wrong with Asean? Is Asean going to become another mini America, a sheriff in the making, to rule and control its members? If this is going to be the case, Myanmar may be the first to exit Asean and eventually more will exit Asean.
Is Asean on the path of self destruction by misbehaving like the gangster Americans, thinking that they are smart and smug to tell each member what to do and how to govern their own countries? Who is behind this transformation of Asean to become another mini mischievous god?
PS. In a way Asean is starting to behave like it is a righteous empire. Only difference is that it cannot bully non member countries but can bully its own member countries, especially those that are not favoured by the Americans. Is Asean unwittingly or willingly attacking its own member countries under the behest of the Americans, under the fake beliefs of defending democracy and human rights?
11 comments:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irrawaddy.com/opinion/guest-column/some-sobering-truths-about-asean-and-myanmar.html/amp
Some salient points :
"Vietnam and Laos are communist party-ruled dictatorships and Cambodia is ruled by an autocratic regime that has shown no interest in adhering to democratic principles. Brunei is an absolute monarchy. Malaysia has wavered between oppression of dissidents and periods of more openness, Singapore is not known for respect of dissident views, and, in Thailand, the military has staged several coups against democratically elected governments."
"The Philippines has democratic institutions but its president, Rodrigo Duterte, is accused by the chief prosecutor of The Hague-based International Criminal Court of crimes against humanity during a deadly drugs crackdown."
"ASEAN never made its position clear on the long freedom struggle in East Timor because it was considered an “internal affair” of Indonesia."
"and it has failed to address numerous border disputes between member nations such as those between Cambodia and Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and Malaysia and the Philippines over Sabah and adjacent islands."
"The reluctance of ASEAN to push for change in Myanmar is also, no doubt, promoted by a desire not to jeopardize economic interests. Singapore, for instance, is a major investor and trading partner while Thailand is heavily dependent on the importation of natural gas from Myanmar. Vietnamese conglomerates have entered into partnership with military-affiliated Myanmar construction and telecom companies."
It is pretty obvious Myanmar is important to many of Asean members. And to China, it does not become a stooge of the US or EU.
China is right to ensure Myanmar does not become a stooge of the USA or EU for the reason that Myanmar shares a common border of 2,129 km or 1,323 miles with China, which can be a national security risk to China if Myanmar comes under US or EU control. Using that stretch of border to instigate instability, or even host nuclear weapons, is not something that China will tolerate. The use of Japan by the USA is already a lesson the Chinese are not prepared to be repeated.
Myanmar is liken to Ukraine, sharing a 1,282 mile wide border with Russia and if Ukraine falls to USA control in total via Nato, that is a very serious security risk for Russia. USA via NATO will undoubtedly, in fact some already claimed they have already done so, be going to install nuclear missiles inside Ukraine to confront Russia. That is one of the main reasons Russia is fighting the war in Ukraine.
China wants Myanmar to act as a buffer against any USA or Western countries attempting to install a stooge in Myanmar that will do its bidding. Lest we forget, China entered the Korean War on the side of the North for the very same reason. The fall of North Korea puts China at great risk and China had to make sure that North Korea did not fall to the South.
The same could be said about China supporting North Vietnam during the war against the USA and its Allies. Although the border between North Vietnam and China is not that wide, the fall of North Vietnam to the South, which was under USA control, is detrimental to China's national security.
That said, China therefore cannot loosen its support for Russia in Europe, as a defeat of Russia is going to weaken China's position as well as the BRICS agenda, going up against the USA military and US$ Hegemony.
Years back the American Special Forces were training Myanmar's northern tribesmen to create problems for both China and Myanmar.
China sent in its Special Forces and ambushed the Americans. Several American Special Forces were killed and the head of the unit, a major, was caught by the Chinese. The training camp was destroyed. This was likely the first contact between the two Special Forces after the Vietnam War.
Myanmar should just emulate Vietnam during Ho Chi Minh time.
And North Korea currently under Kim Jong Un.
It is clear to thr World that Chins, under the Wise Leadership of Comrade Xi Jinping, is the Most Peaceful and Progressive Nation.
ASEAN Membership does not provide much benefit and advantage to Myanmar.
A peaceful and productiveMyanmar will bring ptogress and prosperity to the Myanmar People.
It is up to the Myanmar People to decide.
Once they accused the Communist of trying to change the world, forcing countries to become Communist.
Now the Americans are forcing countries to become so called democratic or else they would conduct regime change, or invade them to force them to accept so called democractic system.
It is another form of proselytising, like spread Christianity, be with us or against us.
Why can't countries have their own political system be it monarchy, communist, socialist or totalitarian? Should Malaysia, Thailand or Brunei abolish their monarchies? The UK is also a monarchic system, so are some European countries.
Countries are not allowed to have freedom to have their own political system. It must be like democratic system or be invaded and changed.
Blinken is basically still dictating, nothing less, and accusing China of intending to send military aid to Russia and warning of consequences.
China tells the USA it has no right to coerce China into doing what the USA wants. China hit back and asked the USA who was the party that keeps sending weapons to Ukraine and helping to escalate the conflict.
As it is, the alliance between Russia and China, being reinforced time and again, is making the USA hysterical. Why can't China have the freedom to choose its friends and must be dictated to by the USA as to who it can be friends with?
Xi is expected to visit Moscow in Spring and that is already stirring nervousness and paranoia in Washington. China, and even Russia, exhibited little unease about Biden's visit to Kyiv, which probably surprises the USA. That indicates that China is not even bothered about Biden's visit to Kyiv and chooses to ignore it, despite the USA trying to put on a show of pitiful irritance at best.
While Russia is fighting the Americans in Ukraine, with China supporting in the background, China is fighting the Americans together Russia and the BRICS countries to destroy the dollar.
The Americans think only of a military war and pays casual interest in the dedollarisation war. When the dollar goes kaput, the war in Ukraine would come to a natural end. No money, no weapons, no mercenaries to fight on.
The Americans are bankrupting themselves with so many military bases, expensive weapons, aircraft carriers and soldiers all over the world inciting wars and fighting wars. If all this money were used to invest on its own economy and people, America would still be very strong and rich and the Americans enjoying a very high standard of life.
They chose to waste their money on unproductive and destructive activities, including funding a nefarious terrorist organisation called CIA and an army of people spreading lies, spending on NGOs to create troubles every where.
Feeding all these terrorist organisations and war making machine and people would bleed them the American economy to bankruptcy.
"....several Asean leaders behaving like the Americans, like the knows all, smart Alec, and arrogant self-righteousness, that they know better and are better qualified to impose their views on fellow member state..."
And it shouldn't be hard to guess in particular, two of the most prominent US puppets!
USA is destroying itself when it should realistically be able to actually continue to enjoy the privilege of being the only hegemon controlling the world.
It categorically misused its power by thinking it can just act like a bully, taking down anybody militarily that could not agree with its behavior at its whims and fancies. World Empires of old were probably behaving in like manner that eventually lead to their disintegration and destruction, no matter how powerful.
Weaponising its US$ Hegemony to cause financial harm to others through sanctions was the straw that broke the camels back. And continous printing of fiat money to keep up with its unrestratined spending irked countries, that see it as totally devoid of fairness, and being given a free ride by the rest of the world that had to produce things, using their sweat and toil for the USA to enjoy almost freely by just using their fiat money in exchange. It awakened the world to realise that such behavior is tantamount to financial blackmail of another dimension.
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