EDITORIAL - Disunity

The most predictable aspect of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is its failure to unite on raging issues, even where regional concerns are involved. There is no such thing as strength in unity in ASEAN.

This is again evident in the just concluded ASEAN Plus Three gathering in Vientiane, where the 10-member grouping skirted mention of the landmark ruling of the UN-backed Permanent Arbitration Court invalidating China’s so-called nine-dash-line claim over nearly the entire South China Sea.

That ruling covers not only what Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, but also waters that straddle vital commercial sea lanes and lap at the shores of several other ASEAN members. Unconfirmed reports said members Cambodia and meeting host Laos, traditionally strong allies of Beijing, worked to prevent the bloc from mentioning China and the UN court ruling in the ASEAN statement.

Instead ASEAN ministers issued a lame expression of concern over “land reclamations and escalation of activities” in disputed waters as it called for “self-restraint.” Since no country was specified, the statement will likely have as much value as used toilet paper.

It’s as if the ruling of the tribunal in The Hague was never issued. The ruling was based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which several ASEAN members plus China have ratified.

Then again, the ASEAN statement was not unexpected. The Philippines was forced to resort to international arbitration partly because it could not get any support from ASEAN in its dispute with China, which has used development aid and state-backed investments to divide the regional bloc. 

The Philippines and China can build on a long history of friendly ties to settle the dispute. President Duterte has avoided gloating over the ruling of the arbitral tribunal, and has instead reached out to mend ties with Beijing. In line with this, former president Fidel Ramos is preparing to start negotiations with Beijing. If the two countries reach what the Chinese have described as a win-win settlement, it will be no thanks to ASEAN.