Indonesia Parliament Tries to Prevent Ratification of ASEAN Charter

The Indonesian House of Representatives is attempting to prevent ratification of the ASEAN Charter. The Charter, which critics argue has been watered down to the point of ineffectiveness, is designed to increase unity in the ten member state Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Notable in the Charter is a provision for majority voting, and mandatory application of ASEAN rulings, in some areas. Currently, ASEAN rules by consensus, and member states are not obligated to apply ASEAN ruling, a large reason for ASEAN being seen as little more than a talking shop.

LINKS

ASEAN Charter (ASEAN) "Indonesian parliament seeks delay of ASEAN Charter ratification" (People's Daily Online) "Profile: Association of South East Asian Nations" (BBC)

The governments of: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam have completed ratification of the ASEAN Charter. Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand have yet to ratify the treaty. The goal is for all ASEAN states to have the ASEAN Charter ratified before a group meeting in the Thai capital, Bangkok, in December.

The location is symbolic. ASEAN traces the association's roots to the ASEAN Declaration, often called the 'Bangkok Declaration', in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the only country in Southeast Asia which was not made a colony by a foreign power. By having the ASEAN Charter ratified before the meeting in Bangkok, ASEAN will be making another statement about the evolution of the association.

Fortunately, Burma has already ratified the Charter. Although this is a sign that the ASEAN Charter indeed was watered down in the area of human rights, at least Burma won't hold up this further integration of Southeast Asia. That holdup could be up to the Philippines, which has threatened to not ratify the Charter depending on Burma's actions. Now, apparently Indonesia has also become a potential obstacle to the ASEAN Charter coming into force.

Hopefully, the Philippines and Indonesia ratify the ASEAN Charter so that ASEAN can become more unified and form a stronger economic and military rival to China.

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Rice Is Bad.

East Asians eat too much rice. In the poorer segments of East Asian society, this is bad, as people will often forgo more nutritious foods such as vegetables or other grains simply so that they can buy enough rice. This condition is increasing as the price of rice has risen due to Cyclone Nargis in Burma, crop failures in Australia, and increased demand in India and China. The rise in the price of oil and fertilizer also has bumped up the prices of many crops besides rice. And so poor Asians are trying hard to obtain more of their traditional staple. However, many are forgoing consuming far more beneficial foods than rice simply so that they can eat this almost useless grain.

Rice, far more costly than it is worth.

Such is the case in this Indonesian situation (great article, worth reading). The article tells of how people on the Indonesian island of Lombok have extremely fertile soil, and can grow a number of vegetable and starch crops, but are selling those crops to buy rice for their people, including their children. While the children receive enough carbohydrates from the rice, they are malnourished because they are not receiving enough vitamins and minerals--which they could easily obtain if they would just eat the food growing around them. The article points out that the consumption of rice is so ingrained in the culture the people feel that eating rice is necessary. Other stories mention how people do not feel full if rice is not a part of their meal. That ingrained cultural trait has to change, not only in Indonesia, but in all of East and South Asia.

The fact is, the primary reason rice is grown and consumed is because it was originally one of the most successful crops capable of feeding many people. But it is far from nutritious, even compared to other grains or starch crops.

This nutrient profile for a cup of white rice shows how lacking rice is. It has almost no vitamin C or A, and is without several B vitamins. After looking at the profile for a cup's worth of dried rice (after boiling), compare the profile to that of a common white potato. The potato is the most commonly eaten type, and is itself not particularly nutritious, and yet is still leaps and bounds ahead of rice. Then there is corn, and whole wheat flour, and white flour, and cassava, and taro.

None of these would be classified as superfood, and some--such as white flour--are about as nutritionally deficient as rice. But some are a smarter choice than rice, and are cheaper and can grow in tropical environments easily, too.

Asians (and non-Asians) should eat more vegetables.

And that is not all. While some carbohydrate consumption is necessary, all carbohydrates are is basically a source of energy, to 'keep people up and running' as it were. Carbohydrates do not build muscle, do not build bone, but they do build fat. Many bodily functions require nutrients not easily obtained by a diet so heavy in rice. Vegetables and meat are necessary, and in terms of nutrients are far more valuable than rice or the other starch sources.

And that is the crux of the issue. While a daily intake of meat is out of reach for some of the poorest Asians, vegetables should not be. Most Asians eat plenty enough rice, even the poor ones. What they need are the nutrients found in vegetables. If they have to choose between vegetables and rice, and are already receiving enough carbohydrates, then they should choose the vegetables.

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History: The Roadmap to the Future.
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Found this article interesting? Check out:
History: The Roadmap to the Future.
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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Asia.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

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The Science Fiction Channel + Technorium.
The Vegetarian Diaries + Biologeel.

Reasons Why ASEAN Should Integrate.

To Economically Compete with China and India.

Individually, no member state of ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, even Indonesia, can compete with China or India, countries which have around a fifth of the world's population each. Foreign investors are drawn to the enormous market potential of China and India to the detriment of Southeast Asian nations, which are in essence overlooked. More investment brings more money with which to build more infrastructure which makes more jobs which those countries' large populations are eager to fill for low pay, which brings more investment which brings more money, etc. etc. Southeast Asia, with smaller markets and populations, is no longer part of this loop, and were unable to develop sufficiently enough in the 1980s and 1990s the way South Korea and Taiwan did to be capable of standing on their own feet without large amounts of foreign investment today.

However, if ASEAN became a fully integrated economic bloc (note, even the European Union has not attained this status yet), ASEAN would still be smaller than China and India, but would still have a much larger population than even Indonesia, with a combined population over 600 million for all ten states. The region would still straddle the strategic location between Northeast and South Asia, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Maritime trade from Europe, Africa, South and Southwestern Asia to Northeast Asia would travel through the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, and vice versa. The region would produce enough food for all of ASEAN. Thailand and Vietnam are major rice exporters, while the Philippines and Indonesia now import the staple. Although many ASEAN states are reluctant to eradicate tariffs between themselves, being of the opinion that their neighbors would be competitors and not allies, ASEAN as a fully-integrated bloc would be able to withstand Chinese, Indian, American, and European pressure, and would be able to distribute the economic growth of all member states of the association so that all members develop.

To Stand Their Ground Against Chinese or Indian Aggression.

The benefit of a unified ASEAN has already been shown in the dispute over ownership of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. China would have been able to pressure any of the Southeast Asian contenders for all or part of the island group. However, rather than deliberating with China on an individual basis, ASEAN was chosen to deal with China--and was able to force China into a less belligerent stance.

China and India are both nuclear powers with the two largest militaries in the world which also happen to be among the most powerful militaries on Earth, too. Traditionally and so far, Southeast Asian nations' habit is to be submissive to their giant neighbors and 'not make waves.'

Yet this may not be an option in some cases. Although Vietnam was able to repel a Chinese invasion, that was when China was much poorer than today. Together, a militarily unified ASEAN could defend its members, sandwiched as they are between China and India. Even indirectly, if China and India wage war with each other, they would be bound to either try to bend Southeast Asia into becoming allies, or would be more ruthless and just try to invade Southeast Asia and use it as a staging ground from which to attack their enemy (China or India). Southeast Asia doesn't have to be pushed around if they are big enough to withstand India or China.

To Engender Internal Peace.

One of ASEAN's original goals, a more unified and integrated ASEAN would be able to erase the idea that one Southeast Asian country would wage war with another Southeast Asian country. The Philippines and Malaysia have a dispute over Sabah. Malaysia and Singapore have a dispute over an islet. Several ASEAN states have disputes over the Spratly and Paracel Islands, along with China and Taiwan. For a completely integrated ASEAN, hostilities over these disputes would be as muted as border disputes between California and Nevada or Kentucky and Tennessee.

If some Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia become radicalized, while they might be a major force in their own countries, for all of ASEAN, those Islamists would only be a minority.

A unified ASEAN could also lead to the end of the military junta in Burma, the Communist regimes in Vietnam and Laos, the autocracies in Singapore, Cambodia, Brunei, and Malaysia, and the corrupt democracies in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. The ASEAN government could draw from the good aspects of the members--such as the efficiency and order of Singapore and the democracy of Thailand--while excising the bad aspects of the current governments. The states could draw from their collective advantages and minimize their political shortcomings.

Conclusion

The member states of ASEAN have many obstacles to overcome. They are divided by history, religion, and culture. Many of them view the others as competitors rather than partners who can mutually help each other develop. Besides Singapore, there is a general lack of interest among most ASEAN state governments for strong integration of the association. However, for the sake of all Southeast Asia, a unified ASEAN is in the interest of all ten ASEAN states: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, and Cambodia. Divided they will all be much weaker than they would be united.

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Found this article interesting? Check out:
History: The Roadmap to the Future.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Africa.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

Or:
The Science Fiction Channel + Technorium.
The Vegetarian Diaries.

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Found this article interesting? Check out:
History: The Roadmap to the Future.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Africa.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Asia.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

Or:
The Science Fiction Channel + Technorium.
The Vegetarian Diaries + Biologeel.