Myanmar and ASEAN maritime cooperation

By Thi Ha Hein

 

THE year 2020 is challenging year not only for Myanmar but also for the nations throughout the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has made drastic changes to both the global political-security and social-economic environmentsincluding maritime cooperation. It is observed that over the past year, the challenges and complicated development in the regional maritime landscape has increased in sharpening of maritime disputes among the coastal states and intensifying U.S.-China’s strategic rivalry in the region.

 

The safety and security of maritime areas in the region remain vulnerable with overlapping claims on sea borders, piracy and armed robbery, drug trafficking, human trafficking,illegal fishing,natural disasters and other transnational challenges at sea.

 

In the economic front, UNCTAD projected 4.1% volume of global maritime trade which provide massive way of international trade flow with 80%, will plunge in 2020 due to the unprecedented disruption caused by COVID-19.

 

Thus, enhancing maritime cooperation is needed for the smooth and continuous flow of trade through promoting safety, security and stability in the regional waters in this challenging time and post COVID-19 era.

 

The importance of safe, secured and peaceful Myanmar maritime territory

 

Being as a country with over 2400-kilometre-long coastline, 23,070 kilometre territorial waters and 800 islands, securing the maritime domain is crucial for the integrity and sovereignty of the country. Furthermore, it is not deniable that Myanmar rely heavily on the maritime routes for its economic development since more than 85 % of trading is based on maritime route. The safety of the sea lines of communication (SLOCs) is a national priority and it is imperative that these sea lanes are safe and stable as well as all activities in the territorial waters are properly managed, marine ecologies are preserved for the generations to come.

 

In geographically, Myanmar is linking the South and Southeast Asia and sitting on the maritime shipping route from Pacific Ocean to India Ocean so that establishing an efficient maritime transport system to become Asia’s newest maritime hub can be one of thecountry’s national development agendas.

 

ASEAN maritime cooperation mechanisms

 

At present, following 13 ASEAN sectoral bodies are involving in maritime related activities with each focussing on different dimensions of maritime cooperation under the three pillars of ASEAN- Political and Security Community, Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community:

 

(1) ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM)/ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (ASEAN SOM)

 

(2) ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)

 

(3) ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)/ADMM-Plus

 

(4) ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF) / Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF)

 

(5) ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC)/ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC)

 

(6) East Asia Summit (EAS)

 

(7) ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting (ALAWMM)/ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM)

 

(8) ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting (ATM)/ Senior Transport Officials Meeting (STOM)/ Maritime Transport Working Group (MTWG)

 

(9) ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF)

 

(10) Meeting of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers (M-ATM)/ASEAN National Tourism Organisations (NTOs)

 

(11) ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC)

 

(12) ASEAN Working Group on Costal and Marine Environment (AWGCME) under the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment (AMME)/ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment (ASOEN)

 

(13) ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology (AMMST)/ Committee on Science and Technology (COST)/Sub-Committee on Marine Science and Technology (SCMSAT)

 

As themaritime issuesare across cutting and multifaceted ranging from maritime security, safety of navigation, fishery, cybersecurity, tourism to marine environmental protection, maritime cooperation in ASEAN needs to be comprehensive rather than security focus one. In this regard, ASEAN has been trying to create effective coordinating mechanism among these sectoral bodies so that it should not be overlapped and duplicated the work stream of maritime sectors in ASEAN. And thus, it is important for ASEAN to consider developing a strategy in outlining a holistic integrated and comprehensive approach while maintaining ASEAN leadership in regional maritime cooperation through ASEAN unity and centrality in promoting rules-based regional maritime order.

 

Maritime dispute in South China Sea

 

The issue of maritime disputes in the South China Sea is complex.Particularly, tensions among the major powers and claimant states in the region need to be addressed. Aside from COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, today world is facing geopolitical uncertainty and emerging challenges as power competition is lingering in the region.

 

As a rule based regional organization, ASEAN concerned the growing uncertainties resulting from the changing geo-political dynamics in the regional and global landscape including in the South China Sea. As a result, on the 8th August 2020, ASEAN released ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia reaffirming the commitment to maintaining Southeast Asia as a region of peace, security, neutrality and stability and strengthening peace-oriented values in the region in line with international law, while calling all parties for the continued building of strategic trust and mutual confidence among countries through continued dialogue, win-win cooperation and practical confidence building measures to create a peaceful environment conducive for sustainable growth in the region.

 

Myanmar always encourage,all parties would exercise maximum restraint avoiding any actions that could escalate tension in the region and all differences and disputes be settled amicably through consultations, negotiation, greater engagement, cooperation and peaceful manner.

 

Enhancing maritime security capabilities

 

For the time being, responsibility for the safety and security of Myanmar water has been shared between Myanmar Navy and the Maritime Police, a part of the Myanmar Police Force. To protect its long coastline and extensive water territory, Myanmar has steadily modernized its navy.

 

Nevertheless, it is considerable that whether the Navy could address effectively the issue of maritime security in terms of non-traditional challenges, and have to think of different aspect of the movement of navy ship and coastguard ship in the sea. In fact, Myanmar is one of three countries (Myanmar, Brunei and Laos-land link country) in the ASEAN that does not already have national coastguard. Thus, it is needed to form the coastguard in order to strengthen the maritime security capacity and more secure the maritime territory with greater flexibility in responding to the maritime issues. Moreover, the establishment of the coastguard will contribute in addressing not only the maritime safety but also marine environmental issuerecognizing sustainable use of marine resources by preserving marine bio-diversity is key to long-term development of the country.

 

Conclusion

 

The safety and security of maritime areas remain vital to Myanmar both in terms of national security and economic prosperity. It is therefore recommended that redefining of maritime security should be prioritized in the national security agenda and shall establish its coastguard in tasking to provide better security and to preserve marine resources in Myanmar waters.

 

Under the regional context, ASEAN remains the important regional actor contributing towards peace, stability and prosperity of the region by looking at common concerns of its member states in enhancing regional rule-based order and practical activities including maritime cooperation. It is therefore suggested that Myanmar needs to continue strengthening its cooperation through ASEAN-led, inclusive, comprehensive regional maritime mechanisms for better harmonized and coordinated maritime policy and strengthened maritime security capabilities.

 

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of GNLM.