ASEAN

4. Working Together for the Common Good

59 Chapter฀4 Working฀Together฀for฀฀ the฀Common฀Good There have been in recent years increasing calls upon ASEAN to be “people-centred” or “people-oriented”, to take the “people’s” concerns into account, and to consult with the “people’s representatives” in what is often called “civil society”. The implication is that regional security is the domain of politicians, diplomats and generals and that regional economic integration is the concern only of governments, corporations and captains of industry. This is somewhat surprising, since people, in very real ways, do benefit from regional security and would profit from the effective integration of the regional economy. An atmosphere of regional stability and security allows people to live their lives and pursue their livelihoods in peace — provided, of course, that the domestic situation is also largely free of violence. Regional economic integration would, if done right, attract investments, spur economic growth, generate jobs, and lower costs. If accompanied by national policies to distribute the benefits of growth equitably, it would benefit the people at large. The problem is that this linkage between regional security and economic integration on the one hand and people’s personal welfare on the other is seldom made. Moreover, legitimate governments are expected to reflect the ASEAN฀p1-111.indd฀฀฀59 12/13/07฀฀฀2:54:28฀PM 60฀ ASEAN interests of their people and articulate and advance them in inter-governmental processes. Nevertheless, ASEAN does take cooperative action on matters that more directly affect the quality of people’s lives and are publicly perceived to do so. The most prominent of these have been communicable diseases and the environment, together with transnational crime and international terrorism. ASEAN cooperation with respect to natural disasters has also gained prominence, particularly as a consequence of the 2004 tsunami and the other catastrophes that have visited the region in recent years. The ASEAN position on human rights has been the subject of occasional public attention. COMMUNICABLE฀DISEASES The ASEAN response to the 2003 SARS crisis has been hailed as an achievement in regional cooperation against a common threat. Preceded by a meeting of the health ministers of ASEAN, China, Japan and Korea, an emergency ASEAN summit meeting, joined later by China’s Premier and Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, issued the mandate for inter-agency cooperation — “with real power of enforcement” — in carrying out the health ministers’ decisions. Those decisions included the establishment of a “hotline” network among designated contact points, the quick sharing of information, pre-departure screening, the management of suspected cases in flight, disinfection of aircraft, coordinated procedures at international departure and arrival points, and other measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for travel from and to countries affected by SARS. Because of such cooperation and the support of the WHO and countries like China and Japan, the SARS epidemic was stopped in its tracks. ASEAN฀p1-111.indd฀฀฀60 12/13/07฀฀฀2:54:28฀PM Working฀Together฀for฀the฀Common฀Good฀ 61 The threat of an outbreak of avian influenza among humans is more diffuse. Only a few ASEAN countries have suffered fatalities from the disease, but the possibility of a pandemic hangs over the whole region. This possibility arises from the potential mutation of the avian influenza virus into a strain that can be transmitted between humans. At the same time, culling infected poultry inflicts enormous costs on the families affected or their governments or both. Whether between fowls, between fowls and humans or, potentially, between humans, such infections easily cross national boundaries. Moreover, the disease requires quick diagnosis and intensive information sharing. The expensive medicine needed to counter it has a short shelf life and has to be administered within 48 hours of the onset of the infection. Thus, avian influenza has risen to the top of ASEAN’s concerns. ASEAN bodies dealing with agriculture and health are working jointly at the ministerial, officials and technical levels to prevent, control and eradicate the disease, officially called the highly pathogenic avian influenza. They are working together with other countries, particularly Australia, China, Japan and Korea, and international organizations, notably the World Health Organization, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health and the Asian Development Bank. ASEAN cooperation covers surveillance, containment, vaccination policy, diagnostic capability, information sharing, emergency preparedness, and public awareness. ASEAN countries also participate in global...