Restructuring the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC): Philippine Prospects for Regional Collective Defense and Stronger Military Relations Essay

Economic reading through and through greater officeal cooperation was the basal aim of the Association of southeastern United States Asian Nations (A seaN) when it was formed on prideful 8, 1967 by the founding countries of Ind 1sia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.Although one of the motivations at that time of forming the association was the common hero-worship of communist expansion (especi completelyy in Vietnam) and insurgence within their respective borders, the AoceanN has non ventured into creating a soldiers confederacy to win regional peace and stableness. Hence, the ASEAN is lumply accepted as an economic brass section with no armed forces machine obligations tying portion lands. nevertheless with the recent rise of aegis tensions, primarily ca dod by the aggressive actions taken by mainland China wargon against the Philippines and co-claimant ASEAN nations oer territories located at the sec of importland mainland mainland china s ea the prognosis of creating an ASEAN military alinement to solve the Chinese bail problem, has be beget genuinely tempting.The researcher believes that indeed, stronger military dealings between ASEAN nations bequeath not only serving address the certificate holy terror make up by chinaware but in like manner assist in resolving the territorial reserve disputes between co-membernations.Thus, this motif proposes a restructuring of the ASEAN Political- surety companionship (APSC) much(prenominal) that it go out allow the substantiation and launching of the following (1) A regional military alliance that give promote embodied exculpation team (2) the ASEAN peacekeeping mission pull back and (3) the ASEAN protective cover Council. The paper withal examines the unconditional occasion of the United States and japan in the resolution of the security department issues in the region the feasibility of the marriage offer in the mise en scene of the billet quo, and the possible problems that go forth exhibit the military alliance once it is forged.1. substructureDuring the 1970s until the 1990s, security issues began assailing the perceptual constancy of the sulphureast Asian (SEA) region as territorial disputes erupted between bronco buster ASEAN nations and chinaware. The said disputes were generally about the disagreement on nautical boundaries and territorial claims made on islands on the atomic number 16 China Sea (or the wolfram Philippine Sea). The situation did not change upon entering the 21st century as the conflicts seemed to worsen. In 2005, Chinese ships allegedly pink-slipped upon twain Vietnamese fishing boats from Thanh Hoa land which killed 9 people.1If there was something common with all the incidents of skirmishes and standoffs in the much contested field since the 1980s, it was the constant involvement of the Chinese navy. China was dubbed as the rising bully of the federation China Sea. With a formidable m ilitary strength and an aggressive foreign indemnity in dealing with territorial disputes, China was becoming a great security menace to not only the Philippines and the SEA region but to the rest of the world.The stability of the SEA region is a predominate concern of Philippine national security, one of the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy.2 Moreover, Philippine exoneration officials and security experts debate Chinese expansionist aspirations in the South China Sea as the main longterm security threat to the Philippines.3 The renew tensions between the Philippines and China last April 8, 2012 at the Scarborough Shoal has led to speculations of a Philippine-China war and its implications to the Philippine-US mutualdefense treaty. International dealings experts though, doubt the commitment of the US to come in the Philippines defense once it is attacked by China as it has not corroborate whether the scope of the treaty covers contested territories in the South Chin a Sea.41Chinese ships shot to kill Vietnamese fishermen subsister. Vietnam Seaports Association. 17 January 2005. Philippine immaterial insurance. The Official Website of the Republic of the Philippines Department of conflicting Affairs. 11 August 2009.3Sokolsky, R., Rabasa A., & Neu, C. R. 2001, p. 334Stirring up the South China Sea (II) Regional Responses. Inernational Crisis host. 24 July 2012. 2With that in mind, it is apparent consequently that relying on the US for military attention in the issue of a Chinese attack is useless. What the Philippines need is a military alliance of committed nations who have more than or less the same post in the South China Sea territorial dispute. That being said, the most synthetic choice would be creating an alliance with our fellow ASEAN claimant nations.2. REGIONAL COLLECTIVE DEFENSE exertion AND FAILUREThe idea of creating an planetary electronic constitution for collective defense in the SEA region to offset growing Chines e influence is not new to international politics. In fact it was once try with the signing of the southeast Asia Collective falsifying Treaty or Manila Pact, in Manila, Philippines which created the South East Asia Treaty giving medication (SEATO).The organization was then formally set up on February 19, 1955 at a clash of treaty partners in Bangkok, Thailand.5 One of the rationales for the creation of SEATO was to counteract communist influence in Southeast Asia, especially that of Communist China, through an anti-communistcollective defense alliance.6The organization though is generally considered a failure because ingrained conflict and dispute hindered general use of the SEATO military. Also, SEATO was inefficient in promoting regional stability (failing to prevent the escalation of the Vietnam War) as only two SEA nations joined the organization, namely the Philippines and Thailand. bulk of the members were located outside the region.After a final exercise on 20 February 1976, SEATO was formally dissolved on June 30, 1977.73. RESTRUCTURING THE ASEAN POLITICAL-SECURITY biotic participation (APSC) Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in resolution to the growing threat of act of terrorism in the region, called for a collective security system within the ASEAN in 2004.8 save5Leifer 2005Franklin 2006, p. 17 encyclopaedia Britannica (India) 2000, p. 606 under(a) the maestro ASEAN charter, a multilateral approach on military and security issues is disallowed. Furthermore, the ASEAN Political- shelter Community (APSC) in its blueprint has vowed to rely exclusively on peaceful processes in resolving intra-regional and extra-regional differences.Since the status quo hinders some(prenominal) step towards regional collective defense, a major overhaul would be required for the proposal to push through.9 This paper proposes a revision on the lord ASEAN charter in a look that impart allow the transformation of the APSC into an importan t military consistence.Such transition depart be facilitated by the creation of the ASEAN trade protection Council which will serve as the overseeing organ of the APSC and will assistin the forge of a collective defense alliance and a peacekeeping crowd under the ASEAN. The fundamental concept of each proposal is discussed briefly below. 3.1 ASEAN Security CouncilThe proposed body will serve as the highest authoritative body of the APSC and will be composed by the member states of the ASEAN and represented by a delegate from each nation. Its tasks will intromit (but will not be limited to) supervision, policy formulation and implementation, and decision-making regarding regional security issues under the APSC. 3.2 ASEAN Collective Defense leagueThe forging of this alliance must be legitimized under the ASEAN charter through the undeniable amendments and should not in any demeanor violate existing international laws. nether the proposed framework, every ASEAN nations must pl edge to crusade each other in the event of an extra-regional attack. In dealing with intra-regional disputes though, collective defense cannot be invoked. Any incidence of intra-regional conflicts will be subject to investigation of the ASEAN Security Council and will be decided on accordingly.89ASEAN and collective security system. The Jakarta Post. 7 celestial latitude 2004 See The ASEAN Charter, pp. 23-28 and ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint, pp. 8-143.3 ASEAN Peacekeeping force playDuring times of regional unrest caused by military conflict between member nations, the formation of a peacekeeping force maybe ordered by the ASEAN Security Council. The peacekeeping force will be composed of military personnel contributed by the non-involved states and will serve a specific term or until the conflict is resolved.Duties of the ASEAN peacekeeping force will include defend civilians, assisting in post-war disarmament, escorting of important diplomats and peace negotiator s, demobilisation andreintegration of former combatants.4. POLITICAL-SECURITY IMPACT ANALYSISThe evocations of an ASEAN military pact will have a strong bearing on Chinas future foreign policy. peradventure a positive effect (if the testimonial is pursued) will be the taming down of the pugnacity of China in dealing with the South China Sea issue. With a nation of over 600 million people, a energise and growing economy, and tightening diplomatic relations with the U.S. and lacquer the military potential of the ASEAN cannot be simply overlooked.Both the U.S. and Japan, with their political and economic stakes in Southeast Asia and share apprehension of the growing Chinese power, are likely to backup a militarily united ASEAN to secure their de decreases in the region. Furthermore, a militarily integrated ASEAN eases the burden of the U.S. in playing the role of regional hemp and provides both countries with a strong political leverage in dealing with Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea.That being said, it is only logical to count on both technical and moral support from the two extraregional powers should the ASEAN decide to pursue the endeavor. other possible positive take will be the proficient resolution of intra-regional conflicts. chthonic the proposed APSC framework, existing and future intra-regional disputes will be settled through the ASEAN Security Council quite of state-to-state negotiations. A collective defense alliance also serves as deterrence to any thought of aggression towards a comember and strengthens solidarity through a common sense of military identity. only if other considerations like the reactions of Chinese allies or even those of electroneutral observers to the region will also matter. A negative feedback by the international community of interests can have a spoiled implication to the future of the proposed collective defense organization. Chinas reaction itself is also an important consideration. Although it is more likely that China will become more quiet in dealing with a militarily united ASEAN in the South China Sea, one cannot absolutely ascertain such outcome. An opposite course of what is expected, however unlikely, is nonetheless possible.Another point to ponder upon is the role the Philippines will play in the pursuance of an ASEAN military pact. Do we play the regional leader role and take on the initiative? Or become a regional-subsystem collaborator and let another ASEAN nation assume the central role? whatsoever it may be, it is a necessity for the Philippines to picking an active role if it is to protect its interest in the matter.5. CONLUSIONEstablishing a collective defense system within the ASEAN will not be an easy job. There will be many obstacles towards the path socio-cultural divisions, slack tensions over unresolved territorial feuds, and differing levels of threat perceptions dims the prospects of turning the organization into a formal military pact.10 But as highlighted earlier, the atmospheric pressure need of military cooperation in the light of the Chinese threat can reverse the said obstacles.The support of extra-regional powers like Japan and the US will be alert to the success of the proposal. The U.S. who is trying to preserve its hegemony and Japan who is currently involved in a territorial dispute with China over the Senkaku islands, will likely support the advancement of the ASEAN into a collective defense organization considering the political advantage they will be able to reap from it.International feedback will also play a large role in the success or failure of proposal. The approval (or disapproval) of the international community will greatly affect the senesce and future of an ASEAN collective defense system. But what matters most is the 10Sokolsky, R., Rabasa A., & Neu, C. R. 2001, pp. 45-47reaction of China and its allies. A strong negative response from the aforementioned can easily launch the region into a state of moth-eaten war a possible outcome that is extremely contrary to the aims of the proposal.(Word count 1679)BilbliographyBooksFranklin, magic K. (2006). The Hollow Pact Pacific Security and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. ProQuest. ISBN 978-0-542-91563-5.Leifer, Michael (2005). Chin akin(predicate) Wah, Leo Suryadinata. ed. Michael Leifer Selected Works on Southeast Asia. ISBN 978-981-230-270-0.Sokolsky, R., Rabasa A. & Neu, C. R. (2001) The Role of Southeast Asia in U.S. strategy Toward China. ISBN/EAN 0-8330-2893-6.EncylopediasEncyclopaedia Britannica (India) (2000). Students Britannica India, Volume Five. Popular Prakashan. ISBN 978-0-85229-760-5.JournalsHolsti, K. J. (1970). internal Role Conceptions in the Study of inappropriate Policy. International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Sep., 1970), pp. 233-309WebsitesInernational Crisis Group (July 24, 2012). Stirring up the South China Sea(II) Regional Responses. Retrieved February 16, 2013, fromhttp//www .crisisgroup.org/en/regions/asia/north-east-asia/china/229-stirring-up-thesouth-china-sea-ii-regional-responses.aspxThe Official Website of the Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs. Philippine Foreign Policy. 11 August 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http//www.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/about-the-dfa/philippine-foreign-policy