Singapore offers to host crisis centre for region

Suggestion gets support at summit of defence ministers from ASEAN, US

By Jeremy Au Yong, The Straits Times, 5 Apr 2014

WHEN ASEAN states next work together on a disaster - like the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 or delivering aid to Typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines - the coordination may well be done in Singapore.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen has offered to host a regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief coordination centre at Changi Naval Base.

Post by cyberpioneer.

The suggestion, made at a three-day summit of defence ministers from ASEAN and the United States, was supported by the ministers. There are no details yet on when it might begin operation.

"We'll flesh this out and put it into operation if the other member states agree, and senior officials will see how to operationalise it," Dr Ng told reporters.

He said Singaporeans participating in disaster relief efforts saw how difficult it was for the affected nation to set up such a centre in the critical first few days.

"And it occurred to us that what you really needed was a C2 (command and control) centre that was stood up all the time that... had the ability to input all the information that various agencies would bring to bear when such crises occurred, and then make a coherent picture for everyone to see."

The proposal was one of the highlights of the first-ever US-hosted meeting between ASEAN and US defence ministers.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel welcomed the idea of the Singapore-based centre.

"This could be an important venue for nations in the region to coordinate military responses to disasters, and it's an idea that we're going to pursue," he said on the last day of the meeting on Thursday.

The proposed coordination centre will be modelled after a similar centre in Changi that coordinates responses for maritime security in the region.

Set up in 2009, the Information Fusion Centre has links to 64 agencies in 34 countries. Fifteen international liaison officers from 13 countries work directly out of the centre.

"We set up terminals; you bring in your systems. You give the information that you feel comfortable with" and the centre fuses the information and puts it out, said Dr Ng of its role.

While the US' rebalance to Asia and territorial disputes in the South China Sea had originally been expected to dominate the agenda, the ongoing search for the missing Malaysian jet pushed talks on improving how the militaries work together to the fore.

But increasing tensions in the region and China's assertiveness did occupy the ministers on the final day. Mr Hagel said he would speak candidly with the Chinese and encourage "responsible behaviour" when he visits Beijing next week.

On regional disputes, Dr Ng said there has been progress made on the Code of Conduct to manage them, with China having publicly said it supports the measure. He added that the key to stability was to build up understanding between nations.

Time for ASEAN to act as a unified force?
By Johannes Nugroho, Published The Straits Times, 5 Apr 2014

A STRING of notable issues have emerged in South-east Asia in the past few months.

They include the contentious naming of an Indonesian frigate after a pair of Marines who bombed a civilian target in Singapore in 1965, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, and the subsequent acrimony between China and Malaysia.

Then there is Indonesian displeasure at finding its territory around Natuna Islands being claimed by Beijing and the Philippine decision to report China to an international tribunal over alleged territorial incursions in the South China Sea.

These may appear to be entirely separate episodes involving different member countries of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN). But they can also be seen as highlighting the inadequacies of the current level of cooperation between member states.

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, for example, appear to be fending off pressure from Beijing on their own. This is despite the fact that a unified ASEAN front may be more advantageous. Perhaps it is time for a thorough rethink about how ASEAN can better manage the crucial issues facing member states.

It is becoming increasingly evident that strong economic and cultural ties are no longer adequate for an organisation that seeks to represent its 10 member states on the international stage.

One of the core problems within ASEAN is the lack of trust between member states. The continuing spate of arguments between Singapore and Indonesia over the Usman Harun incident is an apt example.

Singapore, owing to its geographical size and location, has every reason to feel apprehensive about Indonesia, considering the latter's policy of Konfrontasi during the 1960s. Konfrontasi was a traumatic episode in the history of Singapore, something that the recent naming of an Indonesian frigate has revived.

Yet, whether or not Singapore's concerns about Jakarta's motives are justifiable, ASEAN remains the only regional institution capable of ensuring continued cooperation and peace.

A certain level of unease also exists between Indonesia and Malaysia.

Hence, when Malaysia frantically started searching for the missing MH370 flight, the Indonesian navy was not exactly one of the first to offer assistance. This was despite that fact that there were 12 Indonesian nationals among the flight's passengers.

Initially spearheaded by Singapore, a concerted search and rescue effort finally began, with other ASEAN countries, namely Indonesia and Vietnam, subsequently taking part.

However, no visible ASEAN banner was evident in what should have been an act of solidarity involving all member states.

The lack of progress in the search and rescue efforts has also strained relations between China and Malaysia. Intriguingly, no other ASEAN country apart from Singapore has so far defended Malaysia's performance.

The MH370 incident shows that a permanent ASEAN peace-keeping and emergency force is long overdue.

At the very least, with the ASEAN Single Aviation Market due to be implemented next year, a unified ASEAN air space and border agency seems to be in order.

Such a task force could also play an important role in supporting member countries with territorial disputes with entities outside ASEAN.

The fact that both Indonesia and the Philippines appear to be standing alone against Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea exposes yet another flaw in ASEAN solidarity.

History shows that Malaysia is an interested party in these disputes. However, in an effort to maintain good relations with Beijing, it has opted to remain silent. This action has been to the detriment of other ASEAN nations involved in the dispute.

Indonesia and the Philippines alone may not hope to match the bargaining power of the new giant China.

But ASEAN, as the world's eighth largest economic bloc, may just prove to have sufficient weight to face Beijing on more equal terms.

This is why it is high time that ASEAN member states respond positively to today's emerging issues. The old unwritten rule that diplomats should avoid difficult issues at ASEAN summits is no longer appropriate.

The new balance of power mandates a new approach, and indeed a new means, for South-east Asian nations to defend their common interests.

Instead of bickering over issues that undermine unity, ASEAN member countries must move forward as a unified force. Bolstering trust and solidarity is essential to the foundation on which new forms of cooperation and integration can be built.

Perhaps it is about time the ASEAN states considered forming a military alliance. Admittedly, this would be a tremendously difficult issue.

Merely discussing the possibility would resurrect all the old fears member states have about each other. But it is perhaps a growing pain that ASEAN must live with in order to progress.

Common interests have presented South-east Asian nations with new reasons to unite. Complex issues ranging from economic to territorial disputes, and even an aviation tragedy, affect the region on a daily basis. And the way ASEAN responds to these issues will determine the extent to which it remains relevant.

It is in the will of its member states that ASEAN's fate ultimately rests.

The author is a writer based in Surabaya, Indonesia.