43rd ASEAN Summit and 18th East Asia Summit

By Simon Hutagalung

At the 43rd ASEAN Summit, leaders will continue deliberations on how to improve the organization's capacity and institutional effectiveness in preparation for the challenges it will face over the next two decades. From Sept. 5 to 7, 2023, the current chair of ASEAN, will host the summit and accompanying meetings in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Director-General of ASEAN Collaboration Sidharto Suryodipuro of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Indonesia's goal is to establish a basis for ASEAN collaboration to solve future and present problems. During a video press conference, he remarked, "To achieve that, we must strengthen our institution (ASEAN) and its working mechanisms." He mentioned a few areas that may use some work, including human resources in the ASEAN community, human rights talks and marine cooperation among member nations.

In its role as ASEAN chair, Indonesia will outline the organization's agenda and its top goals. Food, health, energy, financial stability and supply-chain resilience are all examples of human-related security concerns. The situation in Myanmar, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea are just a few examples of regional and international crises that will be at the forefront this year. Indonesia anticipates a total of 27 global leaders and international organizations, including 18 EAS leaders, the Prime Minister of Canada and the executive directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Global Bank. The leaders of countries outside of ASEAN, including China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Australia and India, will also be present at the Jakarta Summit.

In addition to hosting the 43rd ASEAN Summit, Indonesia will also host the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS). This East Asian meeting is the most important venue for such discussions in the whole Indo-Pacific region. Because it is the only leader-led meeting where all major Indo-Pacific partners can get together to talk about the political, security and economic concerns confronting the region, it plays a crucial role in fostering tighter regional cooperation. Australia was a founding member of the EAS and attended the first meeting, held in Kuala Lumpur on December 14, 2005. Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States are among the EAS's 18 members, joining the 10 ASEAN nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). The forum is overseen by ASEAN and each year a different member of ASEAN takes the reins as chair.

When the top leaders of Southeast Asia get together for the 43rd ASEAN Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit, they will likely discuss the protracted civil turmoil in Myanmar, the tensions in the disputed South China Sea, and the worry over arms buildups in the Korean Peninsula. Since the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government, ASEAN's guiding principles have been put to the test. Since the military takeover, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group that keeps track of arrests and deaths, reports that more than 3,750 citizens, including pro-democracy activists, have been slain by security forces.

An ASEAN five-point proposal, which calls for an immediate stop to the violence and talks among all opposing groups, has been largely rejected by Myanmar's military administration. In response, the regional body took a drastic punitive measure by excluding military commanders from Myanmar from attending any of its high-level conferences, including the ministerial sessions that Indonesia would host. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that continuing violence would hinder efforts to return Myanmar to normalcy within ASEAN, even though Indonesia has initiated some 110 meetings with groups in Myanmar and provided humanitarian aid to build trust. This will be a major talking point at these conferences.

Foreign ministers from ASEAN member states are expected to reiterate a call for restraint "in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability," according to the draught communique, echoing language from previous statements that did not directly name China. For decades, China and Taiwan have been at odds with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam over disputed territory. Years of delay have plagued negotiations between ASEAN and China on a non-aggression treaty intended to prevent escalation of the issues.

This new issue of Triton Island, where China is establishing a base, presents a chance for the area to be calmed via discussions, something that is only achievable on the platform of ASEAN and the East Asia Forum. China is substantially enlarging Triton Island, an islet off the coast of Vietnam, as seen from satellite images. Triton is a contested territory between China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, but China has taken the island and is constructing an airfield there. As with many other islands with competing claims, China has established military dominance on Triton.

As a whole, East Asian countries need to reevaluate their approach to conflict resolution and learn to communicate more effectively through the ASEAN and East Asia platform forums. The military junta of Myanmar must be brought on board to address the problem in the country, and this may be done through talks and other forms of pressure. China has serious problems as it provokes wars with nearly every East Asian country, yet to compete with the United States, it requires regional peace and stability. This is a golden chance for all the countries in the area to settle their differences with China.

Simon Hutagalung is a graduate of the City University of New York and received his master's degree in political science and comparative politics. He is presently working at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry. The opinion and views are his own not representing the view of CUNY or the Indonesian Foreign Ministry.