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After the tsunami, human security
is key
By Eric Teo Chu Cheow
(Used by permission of Pacific Forum CSIS)
The killer tsunami of December 26 was of
frightening proportions: over 200,000 people are
already counted among the victims in Indonesia's
Aceh province, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India,
Malaysia and Maldives, in Asia alone. Although
this disaster is dwarfed by the 1976 Tangshan
earthquake, in which some 600,000 people perished,
this tsunami is perhaps the first truly "global"
catastrophe.
Half of Thailand's dead are
believed to be foreigners who had been holidaying
on its sunny beaches; besides Europeans, Chinese,
Japanese and Koreans were among the victims. There
were considerable numbers of foreigners on the Sri
Lankan coast, as well as in Maldives. Thanks to
globalization, this catastrophe was a "global
event", as also demonstrated by the moments of
silence observed from Europe to Canada as well as
the outpouring of grief and relief operations from
the West, the United Nations and other
multinational institutions.
This disaster
brings to mind five assessments of the tsunami's
aftermath. It is hoped that new opportunities will
emerge from this crisis, as the Chinese word
weiqi aptly signifies.
First, the
tsunami should focus us on "non-traditional" or
"soft" security, as opposed to "hard" security -
conflict and war, terrorism, nuclear
proliferation, chemical and biological warfare -
to which we are more accustomed. "Soft" security
includes trans-border issues that affect the
environment, the spread of disease, natural
calamities, and trans-border social problems (such
as trafficking of women, children, small arms, and
ammunition/bomb-making facilities) that may affect
security.
The December 26
tsunami-earthquake devastated a whole region; it
was equal in its destructive power to an atomic
bomb. In addition to the lives lost and property
and wealth destroyed, security on the Indian Ocean
rim was threatened, as occurs during war and
conflict. A massive reconstruction effort has to
be undertaken. The first fundamental lesson in
assessing the tsunami aftermath is the realization
that "soft" security concerns are just as
important as "hard" security issues.
Second, the tsunami disaster has helped
shift attention in the United States (though
temporarily) from terrorism and toward
development. Terrorism is not only a Western
preoccupation. Jakarta has been battling
separatists in Aceh who are accused of being
terrorists; Bangkok has been at odds with Muslim
terrorists in its southern provinces. Sri Lanka is
battling "Tamil Tigers" along its north and east
coasts and some tsunami-affected areas are under
their control.
But an "obsession" with
terrorism a l'americaine is not in the core
interests of developing nations, especially when
terrorism could spring from underdevelopment and
the lack of social justice in developing countries
and regions. Developed and developing nations have
different priorities and agendas. Human security
has a broader meaning in the developing world than
the anti-terror effort of Washington; the tsunami
disaster brings a focus on this aspect of
development, which the US and the West have
accepted and adopted in the tsunami's aftermath.
Third, the casualties and the humanitarian
relief effort prove that natural catastrophes know
no religious distinctions, unlike terrorism; the
dead include Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and
Christian faiths. The outpouring of medical and
relief assistance come not only from the West, but
from Japan, China, South Korea and other ASEAN
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
countries. Samuel Huntington's "clash of
civilizations" vanishes: death and aid know no
creed or color in such global tragedies. We perish
and come together as brothers and equals in the
face of such a disaster! Indeed, US military
assistance and Western relief operations are
entering areas in Aceh that have been closed to
foreign scrutiny to offer timely assistance to the
distressed.
Fourth, the massive aid
distribution, debt moratorium and reconstruction
underscore the necessity of social redistribution
in Asia. Increasing gross domestic product (GDP)
alone is not sufficient to guarantee social
stability and peace in this region; the quality
(and not just the quantity) of growth is essential
to bind societies and maintain social stability
and cohesion. The massive reconstruction efforts
must not miss this crucial point. Indonesia's
Aceh, Sri Lanka's eastern areas, Thailand's "deep
south", and India's Tamil Nadu state all urgently
need developmental aid to "balance" the richer
regions and provinces. Asia should use this
disaster to ensure greater social and wealth
redistribution within its economies, countries and
regions to "guarantee" social stability.
Last, the relief operation has brought
about a surge of goodwill and cooperation within
Asia. From Singapore's humanitarian operations and
China's generous offers of assistance to the funds
pledged by Japan and Australia for reconstruction,
Asian cooperation has risen a notch since December
26. This may augur well, especially in the leadup
to the launch of the East Asia Summit (EAS) in
Kuala Lumpur in November. China, which is slated
to host the second summit in 2006, could encourage
greater regional cooperation and integration to
ensure a successful EAS.
Assessing the
tsunami disaster and the relief-cum-reconstruction
efforts could turn this disaster into an
opportunity for Asia. Human security has truly
emerged as key to Asia's future stability and
integration.
Eric Teo Chu Cheow,
a business consultant and strategist, is council
secretary of the Singapore Institute for
International Affairs. He can be reached at sldeet@mbox3.singnet.com.sg.
This article is used by permission of Pacific Forum CSIS. |
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