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Myanmar in EU–ASEAN relations

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss and examine the regional projects of institutionalism in Europe and Southeast Asia. The main focus is on Myanmar, a regional ‘outcast’ whose membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 1997 has helped it to gain international legitimacy and be able to stand relatively strong against Western sanctions. The military regime is riding on the wave of ASEAN norms and a communitarian culture. The question remains as to how long the country can continue to do so. A rather skeptical view is emphasized on the ‘ASEAN Way’ in dealing with the military regime, and for the overall political dialogue with the European Union. Many ambitious objectives such as sovereign equality in institutionalism are widely questioned, and the European Union has gone against many of its treaties in order to keep its relationship with Southeast Asia. The paper puts prominence on the political and security relationship rather than on the economic aspect, which has been far more successful. The role of values and the human rights debate will be highlighted and described as the greatest obstacle for any future political cooperation.

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Notes

  1. Definition of a region by Jorn Dosch. ‘The ASEAN–EU Relations: An Emerging Pillar of the New International Order’, in Suthiphand Chirathivat, Franz Kipping, Poul Henrik Lassen and Chia Siow Yue, eds. Asia–Europe on the Eve of the 21st century, Centre for European Studies, Bangkok, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2001, p. 57.

  2. See Javier Solana, ‘a Secure Europe in a Better World–European Security Strategy’, in Panorama, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2004, p. 70–72.

  3. See European Commission. ‘A New Partnership with Southeast Asia’, European Commission External Relations COM (2003) 399 final, Brussels, p. 13. (The Commission stress the need for a ‘strong word in world affairs’, which can only be a reality for EU and ASEAN with multilaterism).

  4. Vittorio Agnoletto. ‘Report on the human rights and democracy clause in European Union Agreements’, European Parliament Session Document Final A6-0004/ 2006, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Brussels, pp. 4–6.

  5. The Bangkok Declaration, Bangkok 8th August 1967. Document found on ASEAN’s Official Website: http://www.aseansec.org/1212.htm.

  6. The Bangkok Declaration, Bangkok 8th August 1967. Document found on ASEAN’s Official Website: http://www.aseansec.org/1212.htm.

  7. See summary and description of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, the ECSC Treaty, see the Official Website of the European Union. http://www.europa.eu.int/scadplus/treaties/ecsc_en.htm.

  8. See summary and description of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, the ECSC Treaty, see the Official Website of the European Union. http://www.europa.eu.int/scadplus/treaties/ecsc_en.htm.

  9. Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality Declaration, Malaysia, 27 November 1971. Document found on ASEAN’s Official Website: http://www.aseansec.org/1215.htm.

  10. Ibid.

  11. Nikolas Busse. ‘Constructivism and Southeast Asian security’, Pacific Review, Vol.12, No. 1, 1999, p. 47.

  12. Michael Leifer. ‘ASEAN as a Model of a Security Community?’ in Hadi Soesastro, eds. ASEAN in a changed Regional and International Political Economy, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, 1995.

  13. Article 2.a of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. Indonesia, 24 February 1976. Document can be found on ASEAN’s Official Website: http://www.aseansec.org/1217.htm.

  14. See Treaty of Maastricht on European Union. Official Website of the European Union. http://www.europa.eu.int/scadplus/treaties/maastricht_en.htm.

  15. Amitav Acharya. ‘Collective identity and conflict management in Southeast Asia’, in Emmanuel Adler and Michael Barnett, eds. Security Communites, Cambridge Univesity Press, 1998, pp. 215.

  16. See ‘Declaration on the Admission of the Union of Myanmar into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’, http://www.aseansec.org/1829.htm and the ‘Second Protocol for the Accession of the Union of Myanmar to ASEAN Agreements’, http://www.aseansec.org/1833.htm.

  17. Summary of the Treaty of Amsterdam 1997, see the Official Website of the European Union. Web location: http://www.europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/s50000.htm.

  18. See ICG Asia Report No. 78. Myanmar: sanctions, engagement or another way forward?, International Crisis Group, Yangon/Brussels 26 April 2004, p. 13.

  19. Martin Smith. BURMA: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity, Zed Books London/New York, The University Press, Dhaka, White Lotus, Bangkok, Updated Edition 1999, p. 28.

  20. Estimate made by former head of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, SLORC, General Saw Maung. Quoted in ICG Asia Report No. 82, 9 September 2004. ‘Myanmar: Aid to the Border Areas’, International Crisis Group, Yangon/Brussels 2004, p. 2.

  21. See Kenneth Christie and Denny Roy. The Politics of Human Rights in East Asia, Pluto Press, London, Sterling Virginia 2001, p. 94.

  22. Myanmar is the poorest nation in Asia, with a per capita GDP of US\$300. UN Country Team. A Review of the Humanitarian Situation in Myanmar, Yangon, April 2003. Quoted in ICG Asia Report No. 78, p. 14.

  23. Kenneth Christie and Denny Roy. The Politics of Human Rights in East Asia, p. 85.

  24. Aung San Suu Kyi. Freedom from Fear, Revised Edition, Penguin Books, 1991, 1995, pp. 28–33.

  25. ICG Asia Report No. 52, ‘Myanmar backgrounder: ethnic minority politics’, International Crisis Group, Bangkok/Brussels, 7 May 2003, p. 14.

  26. Martin Smith. BURMA: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity, pp. 412–413.

  27. Ibid. p. 414.

  28. Mya, Than. Myanmar in ASEAN: regional cooperation experience, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2005, pp. 84.

  29. See Kenneth Christie and Denny Roy. The politics of human rights in East Asia, Pluto Press. p. 95.

  30. Mya, Than. ‘Myanmar in ASEAN: Regional Cooperation Experience’, Institute of Southeast Asian studies, Singapore, 2005, p. 97.

  31. See the South Africa Comparison in ICG Asia Report No. 78. ‘Myanmar: sanctions, engagement or another way forward?’, p. 20–23.

  32. The military spending have almost doubled since the democratic movement won the elections in the early 1990s, the military view its own people as the greatest enemy. See Harn Yawnghwe. ‘EU–ASEAN Relations: a Burmese/Myanmar perspective’, Panorama, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2000, pp. 77–79.

  33. See Myanmar Opium Survey 2005. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, November 2005, pp. 7–8.

  34. ICG Asia Report No. 52, ‘Myanmar backgrounder: ethnic minority politics’, International Crisis Group, Bangkok/Brussels, 7 May 2003, p. 8.

  35. Myanmar Opium Survey 2005. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, p. 8.

  36. ICG Asia Report No. 52, ‘Myanmar Backgrounder: Ethnic Minority Politics’, p. 1.

  37. For details see Jurgen Haacke. ‘Enhanced interaction with Myanmar and the project of a security community: is ASEAN refining or breaking with its diplomatic and security culture?’, Contemporary Southeast Asia, Vol. 27, No. 2, 2005, pp. 188–216.

  38. See Report on the European Security Strategy. Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament, Final A6-0072/2005, p. 5.

  39. Ibid. pp. 5–7.

  40. Ibid.

  41. See ASEAN–EEC Joint Declaration Kuala Lumpur, 7 March 1980. http://www.aseansec.org/7384.htm.

  42. See Paul Lim (1999). ‘Political issues in EU–ASEAN relations’, Panorama, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 9.

  43. Eero Palmujoki. ‘EU–ASEAN relations: reconciling two different agendas’, Contemporary Southeast Asia, Vol. 19, No. 3, December 1997, pp. 272–274.

  44. See Heiner Hanggi. ‘Interregionalism: empirical and theoretical perspectives’, The Pacific Council on International Policy, Los Angeles, May 2000, p. 9–11, Document found on: http://www.iias.nl/asem.htm.

  45. See The European Commission. ‘Towards a New Asia strategy’, Communication from the commission to the council—COM(94) 314 final, Brussels, 13.07.94, the document stress the increasing priority by the EU to strengthen the Union’s presence in East Asia, see summary at: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/asem/asem_process/com94.htm.

  46. ‘ASEAN–EU’, summaries of the relationship in the Post-Cold War Era. Web location: http://www.aseansec.org/10401.htm.

  47. Jorn Dosch. ‘The ASEAN–EU relations: an emerging pillar of the New International Order’, p. 63.

  48. Patrick Koellner,. ‘Whither ASEM? Lessons from APEC and the Future of Transregional Cooperation Between Asia and Europe’, Sudostasien aktuell, Vol. 19, No. 5, 2000, pp. 7–8 web location: http://www.iias.nl/asem/publications/koellner_whitherasem.pdf.

  49. European Commission. ‘A New Partnership with Southeast Asia’, European Commission External Relations COM (2003) 399 final.

  50. See summary of the first ASEM Ministerial Meeting, Bangkok March 1996, Chairman’s Statement. Web location: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/asem/asem_summits/asem1_stat.htm.

  51. See Joint Declaration The Twelfth ASEAN–EU Ministerial Meeting, Singapore, 13–14 February 1997. Document can be found on ASEAN’s Official Website: http://www.aseansec.org/2668.htm Myanmar became a member of ASEAN 23 July 1997.

  52. Gina Pattugalan. ‘The European Union in Southeast Asia: Trends, Shifts, and Issues’, Panorama, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1999, p. 49.

  53. See Chairman’s Statement ASEM 2, London 3–4 April 1998. Web location: http://europa.eu.int.comm/external_relations/asem/asem_summits/asem2.htm.

  54. ASEM 4 Summit in Copenhagen, Summary of events. Document found on the Official Website of the European Union. Web location: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/asem/asem_summits/asem4.htm.

  55. ASEM 5 Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Summary of events, Document found on the Official Website of the European Union. Web location: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/asem/asem_summits/asem5/stat.htm.

  56. See Council Common Position CFSP 25 April 2005. ‘Extending restrictive measures against Burma/Myanmar and amending Common Position 2004/423/CFSP’, Official Journal of the European Union.

  57. See Background of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights. Web location: http://www.europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/r10110.htm.

  58. Mya, Than. Myanmar in ASEAN: regional cooperation experience, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2005, pp. 84–85.

  59. Definition of values by Satish Saberwal. ‘Civilizational Encounters: Europe in Asia’, in Srilata Ravi, Mario Rutten and Beng-Lan Goh, eds. Asia in Europe, Europe in Asia, International Institute for Asian Studies, The Netherlands, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, p. 30 (2004).

  60. For further details on this argument. See Amitav Acharya. ‘Human Rights and Regional Order’, in Sharon Siddique and Sree Kumar, eds. The 2nd ASEAN reader, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2003, pp.154–155.

  61. Statement by Senior General Than Shwe in the ‘Voice of Myanmar’, quoted in Kenneth Christie and Denny Roy. The Politics of Human Rights in East Asia, Pluto Press, London. Sterling, Virginia, 2001, p. 99.

  62. Fareed Zakaria. ‘Culture is Destiny: A Conversation with Lee Kuan Yew’, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 73, No. 2, 1994, quoted in Paul Lim. ‘Political Issues in EU–ASEAN Relations’, Panorama, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 12.

  63. See Alfredo C. Robles, Jr. The political economy of interregional relations ASEAN and the EU, Ashgate Ltd, England, USA, 2004, p. 136.

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  1. Magnus Petersson

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  1. Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    Magnus Petersson

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Petersson, M. Myanmar in EU–ASEAN relations. AEJ 4, 563–581 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-006-0085-z

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