ASEAN needs its own peaceful conflict resolution mechanism – Analyst

Adjunct Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Datuk Dr. Ilango Karuppannan, said that currently ASEAN only has a loose negotiation mechanism without a dedicated institution to resolve disputes among member states.

“I think now, as decades have passed, it is time to set in place our own conflicts resolution mechanism. Of course, under the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), it has clauses regarding high level contracting parties' engagement,” he said.

He made these remarks during the Dialog ASEAN25 program on Thursday. He added that ASEAN’s initial formation did not envision the organisation as a conflict mediation body, but rather as a means to prevent conflicts from occurring.

“ASEAN was originally conceived as an organization of conflict avoidance. We did not envisage the organization to deal with crisis or conflict. Therefore, we do not have the instrument to deal with it in an explicit manner,” he said.

However, he noted that Malaysia’s success as ASEAN Chair in realising the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement to address the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict deserves proper recognition.

“I take it (Kuala Lumpur (KL) Peace Accord) as a restoration to ASEAN image in some way. For the longest time, when people refer to ASEAN, we were referred to as a talk shop. Unable to manage our own affairs and things like that.

“This ceasefire is a sign that ASEAN is not only able to manage its own affairs but also demonstrates the centrality of ASEAN in southeast Asia” he explained.

In the same interview, Deputy Director at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Chhay Lim, expressed the view that the signing of the KL Peace Accord demonstrates that U.S. influence in ASEAN is still needed and generally accepted by member states.

“The KL Peace Accord reminds us, that ASEAN alone might face a little bit of challenge to achieve this kind of historic peace accord.

“This is also a reminder to the ASEAN member states that the U.S. engagement with the region is quite welcomed by all member states yet closely watched (by China). I do not think we have a full trust to the commitment (of the U.S. to ASEAN),” he said.

Chhay further added that the Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire should remain a focus for ASEAN during the Philippines’ chairmanship next year, as it requires a long process of monitoring and implementation to ensure lasting peace.

On October 26, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul signed the KL Peace Accord, witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits held here.