ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS (Freedom to express concern over any action of other member states)

Mr J. B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is the rationale for Singapore's opposition to the proposal that ASEAN member states should be free to express concern over any action of the government or people in other member states even if such action is taken or directed against its own people.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Speaker, Sir, in reply to the Member, let me say that he is misinformed. Singapore has never opposed the right of any individual ASEAN member to express its views on events in another ASEAN member country.

What we had opposed at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila this year is the suggestion that ASEAN should abandon the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states. That is an established principle of international law, enshrined in the United Nations Charter and which is also found in ASEAN's Treaty of Amity.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I assure the Minister that I have not been misinformed. He says that it is ASEAN's policy of non-interference. May I ask him, if you are providing economic or humanitarian aid to another country, does it not also amount to involvement in the country's affairs?

Prof. Jayakumar: If by Mr Jeyaretnam's suggested definition that it is intervention, I think all members of the UN are interfering in the internal affairs of everybody.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Is the Minister aware that the UN also interferes when there is a large scale suppression of human rights and even killings? Is he not aware of that?

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not see the relevance of that question to the question he has asked.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Would the Minister answer the question? Is that interference or not, if the United Nations goes in to stop any violation of human rights?

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Speaker, Sir, we can have an esoteric debate on what the United Nations does, but I still ask how is that related to the question he has asked.