Peace and Security in the Asia Pacific Region – Post Cold War Problems and Prospects

See Burton John , ‘A Regional Strategy: From Strategic Deterrence to Problem Solving', Plenary Address Prepared for APRA Conference 1992 on Peace and Security in the Asia Pacific Region, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 1, New Zealand

Ibid., p. 5

Perez de Cuellar stated inter alia, ‘It is now increasingly felt that the principle of noninterference with the essential domestic jurisdiction of States cannot be regarded as a protective barrier behind which human rights could be massively or systematically violated with impunity. The fact that, in diverse situations, the United Nations has not been able to prevent atrocities cannot be cited as an argument, legal or moral, against the necessary corrective action, especially where peace is also threatened. Omissions or failures due to a variety of contingent circumstances do not constitute a precedent. The case for not impinging on the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States is by itself indubitably strong. But it would only be weakened if it were to carry the implication that sovereignty, even in this day and age, includes the right of mass slaughter or of launching systematic campaigns of decimation or forced exodus of civilian populations in the name of controlling civil strife or insurrection. With the heightened international interest in universalizing a regime of human rights, there is a marked and most welcome shift in public attitudes. To try to resist it would be politically as unwise as it is morally indefensible. It should be perceived as not so much a new departure as a more focused awareness of one of the requirements of peace.' Javier Perez de Cuellar, Report of the Secretary General on the Work of the Organisation (A/46/1) (New York: United Nations, September 1991), p. 12

See interview in Pacific Islands Monthly, December 1991, pp. 9–10

Pearson Bill , Fretful Sleepers and Other Essays (Auckland: Heinemann, 1979), pp. 27–28

Levi Werner , Australia's Outlook on Asia (Melbourne: Angus and Robertson, 1958), p. 1

The Asia Pacific region, for example, increased its share of world trade from 30% to 37% between 1965 and 1988 and also increased the amount of intra-regional trade from 50 to 64% over this same period. See Elek Andrew , ‘The Evolution of Asia Pacific Co-Operation', Backgrounder, Vol. 1, no. 17, June 1990, Canberra Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, p. 5

Kraar Louis , ‘Strategies that Win in Asia', Fortune Magazine, 7 October 1991, p. 51

Burdon Philip , Minister for Commerce, speech to Christchurch Business Luncheon, 22 November 1991, p. 8

Garnaut Ross , Australia and the NorthEast Asian Ascendancy (Canberra Government Publishing Service, 1990), p. 36

For example, the Japanese Self Defence Force is already the third largest military establishment in the region. It is spending USD 30.6 billion dollars in fiscal year 1991–92 on defence and has been expanding its share of the national budget each year. The army components of this force now consist of 1,222 main battle tanks, 822 of them being the latest Type-74. Its total strength is about 15,200 organized into five regional commands. Its maritime self-defence force has some 14 tactical submarines, 6 destroyers, and 58 frigates. China has been upgrading its armed forces, too, with new main battle tanks, and anti-tank guided weapons, surface-to-surface missiles, etc. Singapore has over 190 aircraft (25% more than Thailand, the next largest ASEAN airforce), 6 heavily armed corvettes, fast patrol craft, etc. India is developing Agni missiles and expanding its military as well. Many of the other countries – e.g. Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan – also have significant military establishments. See Yearbook Sipri , World Armaments and Disarmament (Oxford: OUP, 1991) for further details

Yearbook Sipri , World Armaments and Disarmament (Oxford: OUP, 1991), p. 159

Malaysia is expanding its navy and airforce purchasing from the UK and South Korea; Thailand is purchasing weapons from South Africa after the United States cut off military aid after the coup; Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines are also actively expanding their military hardware as well. See de Cunha Derek , Trends, November 1991 (Singapore: Institute of South East Asian Studies)

China now ranks as the world's fifth largest arms exporter. For certain items, Chinese exports occupy an even higher position. In 1981–85 China became the fourth supplier of supersonic combat aircraft and armoured personnel carriers; the third supplier of field artillery; and the second supplier of tanks, missile attack boats, submarines and anti-air artillery. Jones P. , ‘The Global Arms Trade: Arms Transfers Growing in South and East Asia', unpublished MS (Friends School, Hobart, Tasmania, 1991), p. 6

For a detailed account of these and national reactions to them, see Findlay Trevor , Asia/Pacific CSBM's: A Prospectus, Peace Research Centre, Australian National University Working paper No. 90. Also Far Eastern Economic Review, report, vol. 150, no. 50, December 1990

A meeting on this issue has been scheduled for Colombo, March 1992

See Findlay Trevor , op. cit., pp. 21–23 for details of these agreements

Ball D. Bateman W. S. G. , ‘An Australian Perspective on Maritime CSBM's in the Asia Pacific Region'. Paper to the Workshop on Naval Confidence Building Regimes for the Asia Pacific Region, ANU Peace Research Centre, The Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia 8–10 July 1991

This whole question of bilateralism versus multilateralism will undoubtedly be a pivot of many discussions in the future – especially as individual nations (even the strongest players in the region) are afflicted by problems for which there are no national or bilateral solutions. These include the regional management and conservation of the Pacific Ocean, challenges to the environment, regional drug trafficking, development, human rights, etc. Such issues need to be addressed in regional fora and within generally agreed frameworks if stable peace and security is to be achieved with the Asia Pacific region

See, e.g., Alagappa M., ed., In Search of Peace: Confidence Building and Conflict Reduction in the Pacific, Proceedings of the First Asia Pacific Roundtable (Kuala Lumpur: Institute of Strategic and International Studies, 1987)

See Solomon Richard , Transcript of Solomon Press Conference. Quoted in T. Findlay, Pacific Research, vol. 4. no. 4, November 1991, p. 26

In this regard, Gareth Evan's December 1989 statement on Regional Security reiterated many of these ideas, summed up in the idea of ‘comprehensive engagement' based on expanding all sorts of links with Asia, supporting the regional institutions and participating in the developments of a regional security community based on a sense of shared security interests. Australia's Regional Security, Australian Parliamentary Report, 6 December 1989, p. 5

Solomon Richard , speech to American Chamber of Commerce, Auckland, New Zealand, 6 August 1991, p. 3

Hoskins Lewis , ‘Changing US Policies in the Asia Pacific Region' unpublished MS presented to the APRA Conference Peace and Security in the Asia Pacific Region: Post Cold War Problems and Prospects, 1992, p. 3

For an interesting discussion on these and other points, see Dower John , ‘Japan and the US Samurai Spirit', Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Vol. 47, no. 5, June 1991, pp. 29–30