Asean’s gains must be constantly earned

No demonstration of Asean’s leadership

Recognition that South East Asia is important

United States to recognize diversity in Asean

Asean cherishes and values its autonomy

Diplomacy as statecraft is fraying

There is chairmanship and there is leadership

Asean needs strong leadership in a fast moving world, or risks losing relevance, warns former top diplomat Marty Natalegawa, citing drifting policy on Myanmar.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the biggest global talking points with expert guests.

Former Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, currently a Distinguished Fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute, sees a fraying of Asean's common response to developments in Myanmar. 

Asean has been skilled in employing adept and calibrated formal and informal diplomacy, and both open and quiet diplomacy, to obtain certain outcomes, but currently Asean's approach has become predictable. Indonesia, Asean’s current chair, must exercise leadership and vision while maintaining  ASEAN unity, the former top regional diplomat says. Yet, Asean is not doing much more than exercising its convening power. 

The United States must understand that Asean countries cherish and value their own autonomy.  Meanwhile the international geopolitical environment is seeing the diminution of diplomacy, and weaponisation of issues in the public goods domain - like semiconductors, technology, public health and climate. Asean cannot afford to be complacent. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

03:20 Asean’s gains must be constantly earned, we can’t be complacent

04:30 There really hasn’t been any demonstration of Asean’s leadership or centrality beyond convening power

06:50 There is clearly a recognition that South East Asia is important, but that does not automatically translate into recognition of Asean’s importance.

07:30 It is important for a country like the United States to recognize that the diversity within Asean is not a design fault but a feature – and not to try to force uniformity of foreign policy on the region

08:45 Asean cherishes and values its autonomy

10:12 Diplomacy as statecraft is fraying. Those who speak on behalf of dialogue and negotiation and engagement tend to be accused of pursuing appeasement

11:35 There is a weaponisation of some of the public goods domain that ought to be the very definition of the need for cooperative partnership – technology, cyber, semiconductors, health.

15:45 Things have not been made easier by the lack of unity among Asean member states on Myanmar

19:00 There is chairmanship (of Asean) and there is leadership. 

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani

Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month:

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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Follow Nirmal Ghosh on Twitter: https://str.sg/JD7r

Read Nirmal Ghosh's stories: https://str.sg/JbxG

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

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COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Special edition series:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#STAsianInsider

Asean needs strong leadership in a fast moving world, or risks losing relevance, warns former top diplomat Marty Natalegawa, citing drifting policy on Myanmar.
Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the biggest global talking points with expert guests.
Former Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, currently a Distinguished Fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute, sees a fraying of Asean's common response to developments in Myanmar. 
Asean has been skilled in employing adept and calibrated formal and informal diplomacy, and both open and quiet diplomacy, to obtain certain outcomes, but currently Asean's approach has become predictable. Indonesia, Asean’s current chair, must exercise leadership and vision while maintaining  ASEAN unity, the former top regional diplomat says. Yet, Asean is not doing much more than exercising its convening power. 
The United States must understand that Asean countries cherish and value their own autonomy.  Meanwhile the international geopolitical environment is seeing the diminution of diplomacy, and weaponisation of issues in the public goods domain - like semiconductors, technology, public health and climate. Asean cannot afford to be complacent. 
Highlights (click/tap above):
03:20 Asean’s gains must be constantly earned, we can’t be complacent
04:30 There really hasn’t been any demonstration of Asean’s leadership or centrality beyond convening power
06:50 There is clearly a recognition that South East Asia is important, but that does not automatically translate into recognition of Asean’s importance.
07:30 It is important for a country like the United States to recognize that the diversity within Asean is not a design fault but a feature – and not to try to force uniformity of foreign policy on the region
08:45 Asean cherishes and values its autonomy
10:12 Diplomacy as statecraft is fraying. Those who speak on behalf of dialogue and negotiation and engagement tend to be accused of pursuing appeasement
11:35 There is a weaponisation of some of the public goods domain that ought to be the very definition of the need for cooperative partnership – technology, cyber, semiconductors, health.
15:45 Things have not been made easier by the lack of unity among Asean member states on Myanmar
19:00 There is chairmanship (of Asean) and there is leadership. 
Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (<a href="mailto:nirmal@sph.com.sg">nirmal@sph.com.sg</a>), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani
Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month:
Channel:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa7"> https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa8"> https://str.sg/JWa8</a>
Google Podcasts:<a href="https://str.sg/wQsB"> https://str.sg/wQsB</a> 
Spotify:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaX"> https://str.sg/JWaX</a>
SPH Awedio app:<a href="https://www.awedio.sg/"> https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website:<a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts"> http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on Twitter:<a href="https://str.sg/JD7r"> https://str.sg/JD7r</a>
Read Nirmal Ghosh's stories:<a href="https://str.sg/JbxG"> https://str.sg/JbxG</a>
Register for Asian Insider newsletter:<a href="https://str.sg/stnewsletters"> https://str.sg/stnewsletters</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a>
In Your Opinion:<a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt"> https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
Asian Insider:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa7"> https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Health Check:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaN"> https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Green Pulse:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaf"> https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Your Money &amp; Career:<a href="https://str.sg/wB2m"> https://str.sg/wB2m</a>
ST Sports Talk:<a href="https://str.sg/JWRE"> https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
#PopVultures:<a href="https://str.sg/JWad"> https://str.sg/JWad</a>
Music Lab:<a href="https://str.sg/w9TX"> https://str.sg/w9TX</a>
Discover ST Podcasts:<a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts"> http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
---
Special edition series:
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2"> https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Invisible Asia (9 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuZn"> https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
Stop Scams (10 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuZB"> https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps):<a href="https://str.sg/wuJa"> https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#STAsianInsider

Synopsis: Every week, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: Every week, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Asian Insider

Synopsis: Every week, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust

Synopsis: Every week, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe.
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust

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