ASEAN anthem: Are we serious?

Lina Alexandra, The Jakarta Post,  JAKARTA  |  Sat, 03/07/2009 10:33 AM   

The 14th ASEAN Summit in Hua Hin, Thailand, last week marked several achievements for ASEAN. The ASEAN Charter was formally ratified by all ASEAN members, the first draft of Terms of Reference (TOR) for the establishment of an ASEAN Human Rights Body (AHRB) was also presented for discussion, and commitments were made for member states to work together in facing the current global economic downturn. 

Another interesting achievement was made; the grouping officially selected its first anthem, titled “The ASEAN Way” – composed by a Thai group whose song won the most votes out of 99 finalists from ASEAN member states. 

The lyrics are fairly brief:

Raise our flag high, sky high, Embrace the pride in our heart. ASEAN, we are bonded as one.

Look’in out to the world. For peace, our goal from the very start, And prosperity to last.

We dare to dream. We care to share, Together for ASEAN. We dare to dream. We care to share, For it’s the way of ASEAN. 

This majestic composition can be easily downloaded from the internet, and for about the first 60 seconds it doesn’t sound too bad. But then, listening to the words, we may begin to wonder about what is being said.

Are we, the people of ASEAN, truly proud of what has been achieved by the ASEAN grouping so far? 

Does the ASEAN community feel we have achieved peace, with at least a minimum degree of prosperity, after the ASEAN has been around for 41 years?

And, do we really dare to dream and share the same vision about our common principle of democracy and human rights values?

The idea of an “ASEAN Way” (the anthem title) has for a long time been associated with the way in which ASEAN members interact and make decisions for the region. This consensus-based process, with compromise based on a lowest-common denominator mechanism, has been the hallmark of ASEAN up to now.

Despite the development of the Charter – which has given a legal personality to the organization as well as adding a principle of adherence to the rule of law – it has been difficult for many member states to move forward from their old ways.

The political willingness to uphold sovereignty for the sake of so-called state security has been considered more important by elites in several ASEAN states than listening to the real needs of their peoples.

Leaders’ commitment to making ASEAN a people-based organization has been ignored, for example, in Cambodia and military-ruled Myanmar where premiers barred two human rights representatives from attending direct talks between national leaders and civil society.

It has been said this was because there had been no consultation with the government as to which CSOs should attend the meeting.

If the leaders have clearly rejected the voice of the people, how can we still dare to dream?

As indicated by the Thai prime minister recently, the proposed terms of reference for the ASEAN Human Rights Body still need to strike a balance between ideas of promotion and protection.

After eight monthly meetings, the High Level Panel (HLP) members have been unable to incorporate monitoring functions into the AHRB, which can be invoked not only from the reports of the respected government, but also based on the reports of individuals or non-governmental.

The TOR, echoing similar failures of the Charter, has not elaborated on details of sanction mechanisms if there are violations of human rights principles, which has a significant impact on the protection of human rights in certain countries.

There is nothing wrong with the anthem, but it is important we ensure it reflects the reality of what really happens within the ASEAN community.

If not, perhaps we should sing something else until we can truly embrace our pride to be part of ASEAN.         

The writer is a researcher for the Department of Politics & International Relations, CSIS, Jakarta.