ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE AT BANGKOK

Mr P. Selvadurai asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the achievements of the conference of ASEAN Foreign Ministers held at Bangkok recently.

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Conference of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) held at Bangkok recently and state in what way Singapore can benefit by being a member.

Mr Rajaratnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I shall answer Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together. Sir, I do not propose to give a detailed account of the aims and purposes of the Association of South-east Asian Nations, or ASEAN for short, as these have already been published in the newspapers. Very briefly, ASEAN is an organisation to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership. This is the essence of ASEAN. However, what I would like to stress is that ASEAN as such is not concerned with military problems of the region. This is not to say that member countries are disinterested in defence matters. In fact, economic and social progress in the region would become well nigh impossible if these countries cannot safeguard their national integrity and security. However, one of the consequences of the successful realisation of the aims and objects of ASEAN would be to bring economic stability and thereby enhance prospects for peace and security in the region. In this sense, and only in this sense, is ASEAN an organisation for promoting peace and security in the region. Economic life today is rooted in interdependence, and national frontiers do not coincide with our actual economic frontiers. The advanced and economically-developed countries of the West, both Communist and non-Communist, realise this. The two Americas constitute, for all practical purposes, one gigantic working economic bloc. The Communist countries of the West have their COMICON. The highly industrialised countries of Western Europe have formed themselves into an economic community. At such a time when most countries of the world, especially the advanced countries of the world, are welding themselves into bigger and bigger economic units, the countries of South-east Asia, which are relatively under-developed and small, cannot go on believing that economic nationalism and self-sufficiency are the sure roads to modernisation and progress. ASEAN is, therefore, the first substantive step we have taken with other South-east Asian countries towards a regional economy.

At the ASEAN meeting in Bangkok we agreed that regional co-operation should begin not merely by declaring good intentions embodied in the ASEAN Declaration, but to go a step further and pursue projects which are relatively simple in that they are those in which, no strong vested national interests are involved. The Standing Committee which was set up has been asked to consider and make proposals for joint development programmes on such subjects as tourism, shipping, fisheries and what is called expansion of intra-regional trade at the next Ministerial meeting in Jakarta. However, hon. Members will agree that the good intentions embodied in the ASEAN declaration alone are not sufficient. They have to run the gauntlet of political difficulties before they can be translated into action. As such, it will be unrealistic to expect a dramatic leap into regional co-operation. We should remember that even the European Economic Community took some ten years of haggling before it got off the ground. But for the time being, we should be satisfied if there is a steady, even if slow, movement towards regionalism. ASEAN is South-east Asia's first major attempt to apply to South-east Asia and its problems the more hopeful and fruitful idea of regionalism.

Mr Lingam: Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister explain to the House what effects the formation of ASEAN will have on the Association of South Asia?

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr S. Rajaratnam): Sir, since Singapore is not a member of ASA, I think this is .a matter for the original members - the three countries - to decide. But they have made public what they feel would be the impact of ASEAN, and it is this. The more ASEAN succeeds. the less use would there be for ASA in that ASA would be absorbed into ASEAN.

Mr S. Rajoo (Farrer Park): Sir, will the Minister for Foreign Affairs explain whether the ASEAN set-up will lead to a common market arrangement between the member countries?

Mr Rajaratnam: Yes. As far as Singapore is concerned, a common market is one of the objectives, and I am glad to say that a number of countries, particularly Indonesia, since my recent visit there, have indicated an interest in seeing that ASEAN in the course of time also develops into a common market region.

Mr Lim Guan Hoo: (In Mandarin): Now that we have joined ASEAN, can the Minister for Foreign Affairs inform us whether there will be any effect on our foreign policy? There has been talk outside that, as a result of British withdrawal, we will have to review our original non-alignment policy. Can the Minister elaborate on and clarify this point?

Mr Rajaratnam: As I have stated, Sir, ASEAN is a scheme for economic co-operation. It is not military. It does not affect our basic foreign policies and certainly not Singapore's foreign policy, though we might have to adjust our foreign policy. This has nothing to do with ASEAN but with changing circumstances in the region. But ASEAN as such does not in any way bind us to any foreign policy that we do not want to pursue.

Mr Tang See Chim: Mr Speaker, Sir, it has also been said that the ultimate objective of ASEAN is a political union. Would the Foreign Minister comment on this?

Mr Rajaratnam: At the moment, I do not think we should consider any other objectives than those declared in ASEAN and those, at the moment, do not contain any political objectives but economic objectives. I am in no position to say what will happen in 5, 10, 20 or 50 years from now.

Mr Lim Guan Hoo: (In Mandarin): Can the Minister say whether, among the members of ASEAN, there are some who were members of Maphilindo? Can he explain whether the spirit of Maphilindo has any effect on ASEAN?

Mr Rajaratnam: No, Sir, it will have no effect, because the members of ASEAN subscribe to the aims and objectives of ASEAN. Whether they have any other arrangements outside of ASEAN is none of our concern. After all, we belong to the United Nations where there are 126 members ranging from Maphilindo to other beliefs - Communist, non-Communist, capitalist, democratic and so on. The fact that members have different ideologies does not mean that they do in any way commit ASEAN to depart from the declared objectives which have been made public.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, we have been given a very clear picture of what the ASEAN set-up is. But can the Minister for Foreign Affairs say what other positive steps will be taken to implement the agreement reached at Bangkok recently?

Mr Rajaratnam: As I have told hon. Members just now, a Standing Committee was set up, and since my recent visit to Indonesia, the Indonesian Foreign .Minister has told me that he expects to summon a meeting of the Standing Committee, which is composed of officials or Ambassadors of the respective countries, some time this month, if it is convenient to other members of ASEAN countries, to get down to studying some of the proposals which have been put up for consideration by the Standing Committee, like tourism, shipping, fisheries and the promotion of intra-regional trade.