The Press WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1966. Asian Community

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31086, 15 June 1966, Page 16

The Press WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1966. Asian Community

Amid the proliferation of international alliances for security, political co-operation, or economic development a grouping of Asian States is conspicuously absent. In Europe, in the Americas, and in Africa alliances of one form or another abound. For defence and economic development six South-east Asian States are associated with five Western States in S.E.A.T.O. Several attempts have been made to form the nucleus of an alliance of independent Asian States to strengthen their economic and political relationships. None has emerged. The meeting this week in Seoul brings together nine of the countries around the eastern rim of the Pacific. Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, China, and Vietnam are not represented. All other countries from New Zealand to Japan have delegates in Seoul.

Some significance may be read into the fact that South Korea is host to this meeting. This country has been progressing rapidly towards economic selfreliance and is determined to ensure its independence among sympathetic neighbours. Late last year South Korea and Japan formally ended more than half a century of antagonism towards each other. Their Treaty on Basic Relations was approved by the Parliaments of both countries, although not without tumultuous protests in Tokyo and opposition in Seoul. The Japanese Opposition argued that the treaty foreshadowed an anti-Communist militarist organisation. In Seoul, where the meeting for Asian and Pacific co-operation was initiated, emphasis has been laid upon the non-military character of the conference. The decision of Air-Marshal Ky not to go to Seoul has helped to remove misgivings about the motives of the sponsors in Seoul. South Vietnam’s ultimate participation in Asian co-operation need not be affected.

Asian Governments have become conscious in recent years of how much the future of their countries depends on the stability and co-operation of thenneighbours. Prosperity or disaster can promote or provoke a chain reaction. The confrontation of Malaysia by Indonesia illustrates this. Even Japan, economically the strongest of the nations, felt the repercussions. Neither the Association of South-east Asian States—Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines —nor the Maphilindo grouping of States—Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia—developed as they might have without the disruption of confrontation. Although the Seoul meeting was planned before the ending of confrontation was envisaged, the change in the atmosphere between Malaysia and Indonesia now offers unforeseen encouragement to the parties to. this meeting. The variety of conceptions of Asian co-operation is probably too great for more than a tentative plan to come out of the Seoul talks. They may, however, produce the nucleus of a union which will develop into a broader community combining Asian interests, more permanent and more realistic than the Afro-Asian “ summit ” conferences, and more effective in stimulating international co-opera-tion than the limited groupings hitherto conceived within the region.