The Bangkok Post stopped short of claiming the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) had ceased following what it called as “the spectacular collapse of the conference of foreign ministers in Cambodia last week.”
In its editorial on Sunday (Asean divided against itself), the Post called the Asean’s unsuccessful attempt to come up with a unified statement against China’s incursions on territories being claimed by several Asean member-countries as a major setback for the regional conglomeration.
Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan was quoted by the Thai paper as saying that the incident was “a harsh lesson” learned by the Asean member-countries whose clout can no longer match those of China, which over the last couple of decades had managed to inch closer to the economic and military might of the United States (the Asean’s former sole benefactor) and is now being considered a superpower that has replaced the now defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
China has also managed to creep into what was otherwise a US political territory, with Cambodia serving as China’s agent and mouthpiece within the Asean, and proving that the US no longer enjoys as much clout as it did in the past.
The Asean also needs to take a second look at itself if it is to continue serving its purpose of mutual partnerships and effective cooperation among themselves.
The Asean was founded in 1967 in Bangkok, and Thailand holds pride as among the key countries keeping the Asean working along with its co-founders Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
But the China question seems to have created a wedge among its 10 member-countries. Its other members are Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.
The Philippines and Vietnam are currently locked in a territorial dispute with China, which in recent months, has been making a strong presence with water territories being claimed by the Philippines and our Vietnamese brothers.
The Philippines and Vietnam tried to convince the Asean ministers in coming up with a unified statement to chastise China in its provocative actions, especially of late in the Scarborough Shoal being claimed by the Philippines, where a Chinese ship was apprehended poaching in Philippine waters. It was not just a fishing activity that the Chinese ship was engaged in, but an illegal harvest of highly protected species under Philippine laws.
China, however, sent an armada of ships to face off with whatever handful Philippine vessels we could muster. It was a clear case of a big country bullying a smaller one, which Vietnam must have clearly seen when Chinese ships also encroached on its own water territories within the Spratly Islands.
The Asean, however, has failed in coming up with a united stand. It was the first time in 45 years that the Asean has not come into an agreement over an issue.
The Bangkok Post blamed Cambodia for the failed summit.
Quoting the Post, it said: “Years ago, Mr Surin was one of the strongest voices in the region arguing against the outdated use of the so-called principle of non-interference to try to paper over tough decisions. Last week, Asean was so crippled by this outmoded rule of engagement that it was publicly humiliated and unable to engage.
“It does not help that China is mostly to blame for the embarrassing end to the summit of Asean foreign ministers and a couple of dozen outside counterparts. Beijing’s serial refusals to address the serious problems of territorial disputes in the South China Sea were well known before the Cambodia meetings. “Asean’s stated aim and its duty was to bring some order and stability to a problem that currently risks shooting wars between China and the Philippines, and between China and Vietnam. Failure was always possible, but the mortifying collapse of the talks is unacceptable.
“The argument, which grew heated, was over the wording of a statement for the meeting. The Philippines and Vietnam insisted that the dispute be described, to include a confrontation between Manila and Beijing over a reef known as the Scarborough Shoal. Beijing angrily rejected its inclusion.
“Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told the media that Cambodia supports no side in the South China Sea dispute. But this is tendentious at best, anti-Asean at worst. By opposing the Philippines and Vietnam, his Asean colleagues, Hor Namhong precisely supported China. The Cambodian diplomat decided to support the Chinese side against the two Asean members.
“The Cambodian foreign minister can at least argue that he was caught in the middle of the unpleasant, unnecessary dispute. China can make no such claim. Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told the media before leaving for home that he wanted a ‘’win-win’’ conclusion between his country and the United States. He did not say the same about Asean.
“And now China has been caught with its own pants down.”
China was indeed caught with its pants down, and clearly within Philippine territories it can  no longer claim its own.
A Chinese frigate was stranded for four days in Hasa-Hasa. China could not explain why it was there, but it was clear it was ready to defend the ship at all cost when it sent additional ships to help protect the troubled vessel.
Why? Because it could.
The Philippines, Vietnam and the Asean could not seem to do anything more.