助成Institute forInternational Policy Studies
・Tokyo・IIPS International Conference“Building a Regime of Regional Cooperation inEast Asia and the Role which Japan Can Play”

TokyoDecember 2-3, 2003

“A SECURITY REGIME FOR EAST ASIA”
By
Mr. Mohamed Jawhar Hassan
Director General,
Institute of Strategic and International Studies(ISIS Malaysia)

Discussion Paper
A SECURITY REGIME FOR EAST ASIA
Mohamed Jawhar Hassan
Introduction
This discussion paper focuses on the desirability or otherwise of a security
regime for East Asia, and the features that such a regime should take. It
focuses particularly on threats such as terrorism and challenges such theNorth Korean issue as required, even though, in my view, neither terrorism
nor the North Korean issue are “emerging” issues. Terrorism is a very oldproblem, and the threat of terrorism in the region has in fact declined in recent
decades. As for the North Korean issue, it is almost 50 years old, and it isessentially unfinished business having its origins in the Second World War
and the Korean War.
Although both national and international terrorism are old problems (e.g.
Reign of Terror in France; Irzun of Israel; Hamas of Palestinian Territory; New
IRA in Northern Ireland; Khmer Rouge in Cambodia; Aum Shunrikyo in Japan,Communist Internationale, the Japanese Red Army), the threat of the AlQaeda especially through the Jemaah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia is a recent
development, and in this sense it is indeed an “emerging” threat.
Similarly although the North Korean issue is not a new one, fears of a nuclear
capable North Korea are new, and in this sense it is an emerging issue too.
There are other emerging security issues in the region as well particularly inthe non-conventional field, such as deadly contagious diseases like AIDS andSARS, and transnational crime, which has burgeoned in recent times due
among others to radical improvements in technology.
Structure of Discussion
This paper discuses the subject in the following order:

11. The importance of multilateral security cooperation in dealing with threats
and challenges to East Asian security.
2. The priority attached to security cooperation in the context of East Asia
community building and institutional arrangements for the purpose in theEast Asia Vision Group Report and the Final Report of the East Asia StudyGroup.
3. Fundamental factors to be taken into consideration when making choices
regarding institutional approaches to multilateral security cooperation in
East Asia.
4. Recommendations.
The time frame of this discussion is the near-term, five years. Longer-term
measures, such as the conceivable inclusion of North Korea in the East Asia
community initiative and in regional security dialogue processes are notdiscussed.
The Importance of Multilateral Security Cooperation for East Asia
Security problems can be addressed in a number of institutional ways
depending upon the nature of the problem: domestically (nationally),bilaterally, or multilaterally. In the case of multilateral security cooperation
there are again various options for East Asia involving incrementally larger
numbers of participants. If East Asia is conceived of as a region, it can be
sub-regional (ASEAN and a Northeast Asian security process), regional (EastAsian), extra-regional (Asia Pacific) or global (such as the United Nations).
Security problems can also be addressed in more than one forum, though
their rationale and discreteness must be clear to avoid duplication.
In the case of terrorism, both domestic (national) and international terrorismrequire external cooperation. Domestic terrorist movements can receive
external political, financial and military support, or use neighbouring countries
as retreats, safe havens, bases and launching pads for terrorist activities.
Border areas are especially attractive for such purposes.
External cooperation and assistance to fight local terrorism however, isnormally limited to bilateral cooperation, and wider multilateral regimes are notvery relevant or useful.

2International terrorism, that is terrorism networks operating in several
countries even if their specific targets are outside some of these countries,
cannot be effectively dealt with without wider multilateral cooperation. Widermultilateral cooperation is in fact indispensable, although the participation ofsome countries may be more important than others.
That said, firm action by national agencies against terrorist elements
operating within their countries is often more important than international
action. If each country is able to create a political and security environmentthat is hostile to terrorists, and root causes are addressed, international
terrorism will largely take care of itself, though cooperation in areas such asintelligence will still be vital.
As far as international terrorism in East Asia is concerned, especially of theAl-Qaeda/Jemaah Islamiyah variety, it should be noted that the involvement
and cooperation of some states are more important than others. For instance,
the countries directly involved are all confined to Southeast Asia, and evenhere Laos and Myanmar are not involved. The relevance of the othercountries in the East Asian region is limited to factors such as interdiction ofterrorist funding and tracking of terrorist movements.
As for the North Korean issue, international cooperation involving the main
protagonists as well as those seriously affected by any conflict would be mostrelevant. The main protagonists are the two Koreas and the United States.
Those most closely affected as well are Japan, China and Russia. Farther
afield would be the rest of the countries of East Asia for whom a conflict would
raise serious security concerns.
Other major problems with a security interest in the East Asian region would
include the following:
1. Sovereignty and territorial issues such as the China-Taiwan issue, theSenkaku Islands issue and the overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

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2. Insurgencies and separatist movements like the CPP/NPA, MILF and theGerakan Acheh Merdeka.
3. Transnational crime.
4. Piracy.
5. Lethal contagious diseases such as AIDS and SARS.
Concerns regarding interference in internal affairs will make it difficult forexternal engagement in some sovereignty issues such as the China/Taiwanissue although they do have enormous external security interest. All the otherproblems listed above however will benefit from bilateral and multilateral
cooperation. Such cooperation will in fact be indispensable for addressing
non-conventional threats such as transnational crime, piracy and SARS.
The Thinking of the East Asia Vision Group and the East Asia StudyGroup
The EAVG prescribed a more ambitious and substantive security role for EastAsia. The institutional architecture it recommends consists of the following:
1. Institutionalisation of regional dialogues through regular meetings offoreign ministers and “leaders of other sectors” on political and security.
2. Strengthening of mechanisms for cooperation on combating piracy, drugtrafficking, illegal migration, smuggling of small arms, money laundering,
cyber crime, international terrorism and other human security issues.
3. Sub-regional security dialogues.
4. A network of East Asian think tanks to explore long-term policy issues ofstrategic importance to the region.
While these are structures recommended specifically for East Asia, the EAVG
also calls for the strengthening of the ARF to enable it to serve as a more
effective mechanism for cooperative security.

4The EAVG also recommends the adoption and implementation of a code of
conduct governing relations among states, as well as the development ofrules and procedures to guide cooperation.
The

more

conservativeandpragmatic

EASG

on

theother

handrecommended a more modest role and mechanism for East Asia. It advocatesthe strengthening of the role of the ARF for confidence building. As for East
Asia the only specific institutional recommendation is for the building of a
network of think tanks.
Aside from the above all the EASG endorses is intensification of consultationand cooperation on transnational issues relating to human security andregional stability.
Fundamental Considerations for Building a Security Regime for East
Asia
Seen from the perspective of creating a credible community of East Asiannations, a security regime specific to the East Asian region is vital andindispensable. There cannot be a balanced and wholesome community
without cooperation in all spheres. This is why the vision for an East Asian
community encompasses cooperation in the economic, financial, political andsecurity, environmental, and social and cultural spheres.
However, the building of a security regime specific to the East Asian region iscomplicated by several factors:
1. The most important is the existence of the ARF, whose footprint isessentially the East Asian region. Despite its slow progress, the ARF has
at least two important advantages: it is an already established processwith strong foundations in several areas of security cooperation; and it
engages the United States, which is heavily networked into the security
arrangements in the region. Another ARF-like process for East Asianstates would be largely duplicatory and a wastage of resources.
52. An East Asian security regime that excludes the United States will not bevery welcome to the latter. It can be expected that the United States,
working directly as well as through its allies and friends in the region, willseek to undermine any such initiative.
3. A Northeast Asian cooperative regime still seems premature given strong
antipathies among countries in the region.
4. North Korea is not engaged in the prevailing East Asian community
initiative, and the North Korean issue therefore cannot be effectively
addressed in this process.
Recommendations
Given the above, the following network of cooperative security structures are
considered feasible and practicable for East Asia:
ASEAN+3
1. The ASEAN+3 SOM, Foreign Ministers and Summit (and later the East
Asian Summit apparatus), should include security matters in their agenda.
Discussions in the ASEAN+3 should be of a consultative nature, and any
decisions should be the product of consensus. The aim should beconfidence building and problem solving where feasible (for example withregard to international terrorism, the North Korean issue, transnational
crime and SARS).
2. ASEAN+3 consultations could also be used to secure consensus among
ASEAN+3 members on ARF-related matters prior to discussion at the ARF.
This however does not preclude ASEAN+3 members from deciding andacting upon security matters strictly within East Asian purview.
Track Two Processes
3. Track Two processes such as the Network of East Asian Think Tanks andthe East Asia Congress should include dialogue on security matters aspart of their agenda though greater weightage may be given to economic,
financial and social cooperation.

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Bilateral processes
4. Bilateral processes for security cooperation will be extremely important tothe security architecture of East Asia. In fact, in many instances bilateralmechanisms for confidence building and problem solving especiallybetween neighbours will be far more important than multilateral regional
processes. This has been the experience in the ASEAN region.

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