[Kabar-indonesia] Uncle Sam no longer big in Asia

[Joyo]

The Guardian
November 14, 2006

Uncle Sam no longer big in Asia

Simon Tisdall

As a young man he was less than keen to go to Vietnam, but
after his mid-term "thumping" George Bush may welcome the
chance to hole up in Hanoi at this Friday's 21-nation Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit. Vietnam is a
one-party state. After last week, the US no longer is.

Escape from the States or not, Mr Bush's attendance in Hanoi
is necessitated by ongoing efforts to maintain US influence
in a region increasingly dominated by China. Critics say
Apec is being outstripped by rival organisations. Next month
the Philippines will host the latest East Asia summit, a new
Beijing-backed group that excludes Washington.

Article continues Apec is supposed to promote free trade and
investment. Its communique is expected to urge a "last
chance" rescue of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO)
stalled Doha round of liberalisation measures. It will also
raise the prospect of an Apec-wide free trade zone. Together
the 21 member states account for nearly half of world trade.

But Mr Bush's hopes of furthering his free trade agenda by
normalising trade ties with Vietnam's communist-capitalist
bosses were dashed by Congress this week. Although the
measure could be resurrected, the defeat was a sign of
things to come. Many Democrats in the new congressional
intake have adopted protectionist positions in response to
voter concerns about "unfair" foreign competition. And Mr
Bush's fast-track authority for approving a global trade
deal will expire next July.

Much of the summit's unofficial work will take place off-
stage. Mr Bush and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin,
are finally expected to shake hands on Russian membership of
the WTO, long delayed by US objections. That could help ease
bilateral friction over Moscow's energy policies and its
democratic deficit.

Mr Bush in turn will again press Mr Putin to back UN
sanctions on Iran's nuclear programme. Russia halted
discussions on a punitive resolution last week, prompting
the US ambassador, John Bolton, to accuse Moscow of reneging
on earlier undertakings.

Russian officials are in no hurry to endorse Washington's
allegedly confrontational approach. "We have to be very
careful not to derail the process. We must avoid a situation
where we reach a point of no return, such as Iran
withdrawing from the NPT [non-proliferation treaty]," a
senior diplomat said.

The Apec meeting will see similar consultations over North
Korea's recent nuclear test, involving China's president, Hu
Jintao, the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe and other
members of the six-party process. Oddly, North Korea was not
invited to the summit even though it has agreed to resume
negotiations.

Mr Bush will press South Korea to reconsider its refusal to
help search the North's ships for WMD-related material. "The
Republic of Korea is doing virtually nothing to impose a
cost on the North," Michael Green, a former Bush official,
told the Washington Post yesterday. Mr Hu and Mr Abe may
prefer their new kiss-and-make-up policy.

Absent from Apec's agenda, official or unofficial, are
issues of good governance, democracy and human rights.
Mutual interest dictates that martial law in Thailand,
corruption in Taiwan and Indonesia, free speech curbs in
Singapore, racism in Australia, political persecution in
China and for that matter torture and illegal detention by
the US are not to be discussed. It seems Mr Bush's "freedom
agenda" does not stretch to Asia.

That will suit the summit hosts. Although the US state
department eased the way for Mr Bush this week by claiming
that religious tolerance in Vietnam was improving, watchdogs
say denial of fundamental political, civil and religious
rights remains systemic.

A report by Human Rights Watch says mistreatment of homeless
people is increasing before the showpiece summit.
"Government round-ups to clear Hanoi's streets of
'wanderers' and 'vagrants' are landing street children in
detention centres where some are beaten and subject to other
forms of abuse," it says. "Street children are particularly
vulnerable to arrest as the Vietnamese government attempts
to present its best face."

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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