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COVER STORY |
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COVER STORY |
SOUTH ASIA Despite many commonalities
for economic cooperation to social transformation, the South Asia remains mired with
suspicion, distrust and mistrust among the member states. Although the South Asian
Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) came into existence about 18 years ago, its
pace for regional cooperation is yet to accelerate. The time has come to think for a new
way to enhance the cooperation among the members of South Asian countries By KESHAB POUDEL Culturally, religiously and socially,
South Asia is a region, which enjoys proximity among the people like nowhere else in the
world. Unfortunately, this ground reality has never been seen as a basis to develop the
relations among the nations of the region. Divided in the two different camps
during the cold war, the region is yet to see any difference in terms of enhancing the
bilateral cooperation among the member states following the demise of the cold war and
collapse of Soviet Union. South Asia is a region home to over a billion populations with
more than half of its population living below the absolute poverty line.
Although the countries of the
region have been making some efforts to boost the regionalism, no one sees any immediate
possibility of the cooperative and prosperous scenario in the region. Instead of going to
harmonize the relations, the countries of the region focus their attention in creating the
irritation undermining the sensitivity of each other. In this scenario, it seems elusive in
near future to see emergence of harmonized and conducive atmosphere for regional
cooperation. More the distrust and mistrust among member states, farther away the regional
cooperation. "We have many commonalities to
forge an alliance to enhance the regional cooperation. After gaps of nearly two years, the
meeting of SAARC standing committee proposed the date for the forthcoming summit,"
said Kamal Thapa, minister of Information and Communication and Local Development.
"We have to search ways for better regional cooperation." Whatever the scholars and policy
makers talk about, the continued rivalry between Asia's two major powers India and China
is hampering the possibility for regional cooperation even as India and Pakistan live in
hostility. In a scenario mired in trouble and
controversy, the region's poorest population does not have a bright future. Although the
post 9/11 scenarios has changed the world's strategic balance with the world's sole Super
Power coming to Afghanistan to topple Taliban regime, the region is yet to see any
significant changes in terms of cooperation. In December 2001 after the terrorist attack
in the Indian parliament, the region's two rivals India and Pakistan were pushed to the
verge of nuclear war.
The tension is gradually coming down
between India and Pakistan but they are yet to normalize their relations.
Following the decision of both the countries to appointing the high commissioners, the
situation has moved towards positive direction. Diversity in South Asia In terms of history, culture and
religion, the South Asia has a unique place in the world and there is diversity in terms
of religions and culture. On the basis of size, India, which shares border with Nepal,
Pakistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh, is the biggest country in the region. Historically, India
remains a source of inspiration for religion, culture and language for the region.
Religiously, South Asia is diverse. Pakistan is an Islamic Republic but Bangladesh and
Maldives, too, have overwhelming Muslim population. Bhutan and Sri Lanka are Buddhist
state and Nepal is a Hindu and India remains a secular state. In religion and cultural diversity, the
countries of the region are struggling to maintain their identity. This diversity of
religion and culture is also causing the trouble in the region. "South Asian countries have many
elements to take pride as this is the place of ancient cultures and religions. We have so
many commonalities in our diversity," said Prakash A. Raj, a member of Nepal Council
of World Affairs. "Although there are certain differences at the policy level, the
people to people contact is unbreakable," said Raj during the two-day seminar on
"Security and Cooperation in South Asia" organized by the Spotlight magazine on
August 6-7. Commonalities seem to have little
effect in framing the bilateral relations among the nations of South Asia. From smaller
two Himalayan Kingdom Bhutan and Nepal to two traditional rivals India and Pakistan,
differences among the seven countries of the region dominates the policy making level. Nepal is trying to persuade Bhutan to
accept more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal and India and Pakistan have
long-standing problems. In water sharing issues and cases of refugees, Bangladesh, too,
has certain problems with India. Amid tough differences in the
state-to-state relations, the general people do not find any role. "As a result of
cooperation and collaboration between Pakistan and India to tackle poverty, illiteracy,
and the AIDS epidemic, the two nations find pathways to peace," writes Dr. Rifaat
Hussain, a Pakistani scholar, in his paper titled "Challenges and prospects for peace
in South Asia", which was presented at the seminar.
Whatever one says about the
peace in the region, there is a need to fundamentally change the traditional security
perceptions, if the region is to move towards prosperity. India, with her size, is,
undoubtedly the largest country in the region with the contiguous border with five south
Asian countries. "South Asia or rather the region
from Afghanistan to Burma is a civilization zone. It is a region of mega diversity where
migration has continued for centuries. In consequence its cultural, social and political
institutions have become the making for over 5,000 years," said Tapan Kumar Bose,
secretary General of South Asia Forum for Human Rights. Conflict in South Asia Almost all countries in South Asia
are struggling to cope with rising insurgency problems. Except Maldives, the region's
other six countries are facing major threats in the internal front. The experiences have
shown that there requires a genuine goodwill and support from all the countries of the
region. When worlds' only super power cannot
cope the threat of terrorism alone, the countries of the region need cooperation and
consolidation among them to fight against the sectarian violence and insurgencies. "We have to work together to
stop the violent secessionist movement like in Sri Lanka. If the movement launched by LTTE
receives backing, it will create another problems to whole South Asia," said S.
Balkrishnan, an expert from Sri Lanka. "Our experiences have shown that secessionist
movement grew in the internal contradiction." Though all the countries of the regions
have their own security perceptions, dealing jointly against the growing insurgency and
terrorism problems seem to be a long way to go. Since there are many binding factors to
pull the South Asian countries together, no one has made any sincere efforts to bring them
together. The region has lost much precious
time in emotive bickering. A region, which shares a common heritage and a common destiny,
should have also been able to share a common mindset to forge ahead towards collective
material advancement. Whatever one says about the common culture
and heritage, they cannot materialize in forging the bilateral relations among the
countries of the region. Instead of harmonization, there are more cases of confrontation
and more stress in creating the irritation rather than the consolidation of relations. "The nuclear nations of South
Asia first of all need to rid themselves off the colonial legacy of division and solve
bi-lateral and multilateral issues peacefully and amicable. Its socio-economic prosperity
depends on its political will and efforts, forgetting its asymmetrical disparities,"
said Professor Dr. Sadmukh B, Thapa, executive member of China Study Center. In this region there are differences
in terms of religion, culture, physical race and language. The challenges the countries
are facing to accommodate the people of different religion; culture and language together
in the nation building are immense. "Our region is a sources of
wisdom and knowledge. Once the countries of regions come together, they will change the
fate of the region," said Jagdish Sharma, a scholar. " We have to search our
future not in conflict and distrust but in harmony and confidence." Security or Cooperation The region's growing tensions are
related to security perception of the region and the countries of the regions see each
other in suspicion. Security assurance seems to be a major concern to force an alliance
for cooperation. In the last 18 years, the concept of
the SAARC cannot move because security concern hampers the process of economic and other
cooperation. "Security in the region of South Asia is defined as "national
security," which is concerned primarily with the security of territory and the
regime. It is essentially a military approach. It is concerned with upholding or
protecting the integrity of the territory of the state from both external aggression and
internal dissension," said Bose. "The vision of national security is also
concerned with preserving the existing power structure, therefore, it identifies the
interest of the ruling elite as the interest of nation." As the countries of the regions see the
other's security as a threat to their national interest, the countries of the region live
in the constant psychological fear and threat. The security concerns always play the
determining factor in the mood of relations in the region. In this context, the region
will have to go a long way before settling the core security issues. "South Asia could have been the
most homogeneous regions as its history, culture, language and major religions are
interspersed at the length and breadth overlapping across the national boundaries.
Instead, the region is fraught with animosity, rivalry, skepticism and suspicion. In fact
the region is regarded to be most dangerously poised with divergent national security
paradigm," said Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hussain (Retired) from Bangladesh. "In South Asia particularly, security
ensures cooperation and in turn, cooperation promotes and guarantees security. We all cry
for peace, stability and prosperity we need so badly today in this region," said
professor Thapa, executive member of China Study Center. Geographical Locations Sandwiched between the two major
powers India in the South and People's Republic of China in the North, the smaller
countries like Nepal does not have an easy way out to secure relative peace. China, which shares the borders with four
south Asian countries and, shows interest to play role in South Asia. China has
established diplomatic relations with all South Asian countries except Bhutan. "If
South Asian Nations and China both come to contribute to the future of this regions, which
would then comprise almost half of the world's population, this regions would come up with
earth-shaking potential of impacts," said professor Thapa. Although China lies in the north of
Himalayas and almost all South Asian Countries faced Southern Himalayas, China seems to
have sincere concern over the security and stability in the region. China too seems
enthusiastic to play constructive role in the regional peace and stability and ultimately
to the promotion of security and cooperation in this region," Professor Thapa said. The competing to increase the sphere
of influence between the two powers has badly shaken the countries like Nepal. In the last
five decades, rivalry of two powers has directly and indirectly affected the political and
other process of Nepal. "There is, to my mind, also a
distressing propensity for academic papers purportedly representing the concerns of
smaller states within the zone to, perhaps unwittingly, dwell preponderantly on those
primarily relevant to their big neighbors," said M.R. Josse, in his paper Nepal's
quest for Security: Then and Now Lessons for South Asia too. " Indeed, even India, at
the very core of South Asia, factors China into her national security calculus ñ not
least because of unresolved territorial claims against her over Kashmir and Arunachal
Pradesh, both of which are considered to lie in South Asia. This clearly brings China's
location into the South Asian definitional debate, both in geographic as well as security
terms." This new emerging paradigm seems to
create more problems in the regional cooperation. At a time when the nations of South Asia
are yet to be cohesively united and integrated, it will take many more years to make
tangible change in South Asia. "There are no collective efforts on the part of the
South Asian nations to envision a program of stable security and cooperation. Nothing can
achieve without peace and prosperity in the region," said Professor Thapa. Despite the conflict and disagreement over
the national security perceptions, the countries of the regions have to come together
respecting each other sensitivity in the broader interest of the region. Although the
SAARC is unable to make tangible difference in the areas of cooperation, there is still a
hope for better, prosperous and homogeneous south Asia. RESOLUTION After the two-day seminar, participants
unanimously passed the eight-point resolution, on August 7, as thus: The participants of the two day seminar on
ìSecurity and Cooperation in South Asiaî held in Kathmandu on August 6 and 7, 2003 from
Nepal, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and China Study Center in Kathmandu have
agreed that: 1.
this kind of
seminar should be held every year in all the countries represented in this seminar by
rotation, 2.
such seminars
shall work to activate the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation so that the
SAARC becomes more effective organization, 3.
SAARC must be
made viable and effective for promotion of cooperation. It must have some mechanism for
conflict resolution, 4.
such seminars
shall endeavor to initiate timely amendments in SAARC Charter to make it more productive, 5.
such seminars
shall work to encourage China to come closer to the SAARC, 6.
the next
initiative for this kind of seminar (in 2004) be taken by Sri Lanka, 7.
objectives of peace and security in South Asia can not be achieved without addressing the
question of Kashmir which is the source of all tensions. The Kashmiri people should have
the right to freely determine their own future, 8.
Action Plan to
promote peaceful society in South Asia: a.
reiteration of commitment by SAARC countries to the principles of peaceful co-existence,
respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in each others'
internal affairs b.
cessation of hostile propaganda against each other c.
promotion of cultural, educational and people-to-people exchange d.
avoidance of conflict and promotion of peace e.
respect for human
rights, civil and political liberties f.
pursuit of
strategies and goals to address the security concerns of the smaller states g.
reiteration of commitment to principles of international law, UN Charter and avoidance of
the threats of use of force to settle differences h.
commitment to strengthen civil society, democracy and human rights. |
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editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
