Indonesia, ASEAN and non-intervention: Sovereignty, decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the Southeast Asia haze

This paper examines the reactions of Indonesia towards regional efforts in haze management between October 2006 and September 2007. Two significant developments occurred during this time. Firstly, Indonesia, which seemed to be moving towards ratification of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze...

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Main Author: Muhamad Varkkey, H.
Format: Conference or Workshop Item
Language:English
Published: 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://eprints.um.edu.my/9228/1/All.pdf
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author Muhamad Varkkey, H.
author_facet Muhamad Varkkey, H.
author_sort Muhamad Varkkey, H.
collection UM
description This paper examines the reactions of Indonesia towards regional efforts in haze management between October 2006 and September 2007. Two significant developments occurred during this time. Firstly, Indonesia, which seemed to be moving towards ratification of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, decided to set up a special committee to study the treaty, effectively halting the parliamentary ratification process indefinitely. Secondly, after asking for regional help by inviting ASEAN member countries to assist provinces, regencies or districts of their choosing, Indonesia later refused to approve the proposals of assistance. Indonesia's response can be seen as part of its larger regional position as a strong proponent of the ASEAN norm of non-intervention, for reasons of its own internal security and regional stability. Indonesia is generally loathe to give up control over its sovereignty in the shadow of a bloody colonial history, ongoing internal conflicts, bitter foreign interventionist experiences and territorial disputes with its neighbours. To add to this, external non-intervention is especially important to Indonesia now, while it is in the process of decentralizing and dealing with the arising internal complications, especially those involving its forest resources. Therefore these developments can be seen as part of a bigger attempt by Indonesia to regain its past glory as the de facto leader of ASEAN, enabling to use its influence to strengthen the non-interference principle within ASEAN to protect its sovereignty during the delicate decentralization process.
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spelling um.eprints-92282014-12-31T08:51:57Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/9228/ Indonesia, ASEAN and non-intervention: Sovereignty, decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the Southeast Asia haze Muhamad Varkkey, H. DS Asia This paper examines the reactions of Indonesia towards regional efforts in haze management between October 2006 and September 2007. Two significant developments occurred during this time. Firstly, Indonesia, which seemed to be moving towards ratification of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, decided to set up a special committee to study the treaty, effectively halting the parliamentary ratification process indefinitely. Secondly, after asking for regional help by inviting ASEAN member countries to assist provinces, regencies or districts of their choosing, Indonesia later refused to approve the proposals of assistance. Indonesia's response can be seen as part of its larger regional position as a strong proponent of the ASEAN norm of non-intervention, for reasons of its own internal security and regional stability. Indonesia is generally loathe to give up control over its sovereignty in the shadow of a bloody colonial history, ongoing internal conflicts, bitter foreign interventionist experiences and territorial disputes with its neighbours. To add to this, external non-intervention is especially important to Indonesia now, while it is in the process of decentralizing and dealing with the arising internal complications, especially those involving its forest resources. Therefore these developments can be seen as part of a bigger attempt by Indonesia to regain its past glory as the de facto leader of ASEAN, enabling to use its influence to strengthen the non-interference principle within ASEAN to protect its sovereignty during the delicate decentralization process. 2008 Conference or Workshop Item NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en http://eprints.um.edu.my/9228/1/All.pdf Muhamad Varkkey, H. (2008) Indonesia, ASEAN and non-intervention: Sovereignty, decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the Southeast Asia haze. In: Seminar Internasional Indonesia-Malaysia Update, 15-17 April 2008, Yogjakarta, Indonesia. (Submitted)
spellingShingle DS Asia
Muhamad Varkkey, H.
Indonesia, ASEAN and non-intervention: Sovereignty, decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the Southeast Asia haze
title Indonesia, ASEAN and non-intervention: Sovereignty, decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the Southeast Asia haze
title_full Indonesia, ASEAN and non-intervention: Sovereignty, decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the Southeast Asia haze
title_fullStr Indonesia, ASEAN and non-intervention: Sovereignty, decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the Southeast Asia haze
title_full_unstemmed Indonesia, ASEAN and non-intervention: Sovereignty, decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the Southeast Asia haze
title_short Indonesia, ASEAN and non-intervention: Sovereignty, decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the Southeast Asia haze
title_sort indonesia asean and non intervention sovereignty decentralization and regional leadership issues in the management of the southeast asia haze
topic DS Asia
url http://eprints.um.edu.my/9228/1/All.pdf
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