ASEAN and us

The visit of External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha to the ASEAN countries, highlights again the importance of the region for us. The “Look East” policy initiated by the Rao government has progressively borne fruit although most analysts would argue that the progress has been far below the potential. Trade and investment has been increasing leading to expectations that the ASEAN-India free trade arrangements would give further fillip to efforts in these areas. ASEAN ministers acknowledge that India has emerged as one of the most vibrant economies in the developing world; and its size offers tremendous opportunities. ASEAN is at the threshold of negotiating free-trade arrangements with India and other countries, holding out great promise for a deeper economic engagement between the nations of the region. Closer economic and trade ties with ASEAN also offers greater opportunities for building cooperation with China.

There is no doubt that economic opportunities cannot be fully exploited in an environment of fear. But the ASEAN today is far more conscious of the threat that terrorism brings to society and its economic well-being. The bombings in Bali and Jakarta and the arrests of Al Qaeda operatives in Singapore, not to speak of the widespread networks of transnational criminal activities, all point to the dangers of the phenomenon, especially where extremist ideologies have been promoted to legitimise the killing of innocents. We in India can understand this and would naturally like to work with nations under such a threat to ensure a durable peace. But we also need to remember that the ASEAN elites were hesitant in the early 1990s about opening up to India only because of their apprehensions that India-Pakistan tensions would impinge on ASEAN’s efforts to build regional cooperation.

Another issue that seems to have emerged during Sinha’s meetings in the region is the new US-led proliferation security initiative which has been cobbled together in the context of North Korea’s aggressive drive toward nuclearisation through clandestine routes. Pakistan has played a key role in helping North Korea becoming the ninth nuclear weapon state, at the same time acquiring ballistic missiles and technology from North Korea which gives it a capability to hit India’s population centres with nuclear warheads. India has been a responsible player in the global efforts to stem proliferation while pressing for global disarmament as the only viable non-proliferation regime. It would be desirable to engage the US-led group, rather than exclude ourselves from it on questionable grounds since it would provide an opportunity to work for non-proliferation. Remember, proliferation always carries with it the threat of nuclear terrorism.