THAILAND TO CHALLENGE ASEAN TABOO

Thailand is likely to ruffle a few feathers at next week's Asean meeting of
foreign ministers by pushing for regional action on cross-border crime and
trafficking in drugs and people.

Bangkok wants to flesh out a proposal it made two years ago to move the
bloc from a policy of mutual ''non-interference'' to more active
co-operation, Thai and regional officials say.

The Asean meetings will begin on July 24 and end on July 29.

Thailand says it will promote its so-called ''troika'' plan for reform of
the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations, something it hopes
might speed the bloc's response to crises such as the region's financial
meltdown in 1997.

The ''troika'' proposal is inspired by the European Union's practice of
having the current EU president head a three-way, decision-making group to
lead on ad hoc issues.

The move challenges one of Asean's most treasured tenets - that members do
not meddle in the affairs of their neighbours.

''Our initiative on 'flexible engagement', which has evolved into 'enhanced
interaction', is part of our effort to ensure that Asean is more effective,
cohesive and relevant to the changing world situation,'' Thai Foreign
Minister Surin Pitsuwan wrote in Sunday's Bangkok Post newspaper.

This will allow us to be alerted to potential problems before they arise
and enable us to co-operate to address such issues constructively as
partners and neighbours,'' he added.

Simon Tay, chairman Singapore's Institute of International Affairs, said
Thailand's initiative would challenge some prejudices: ''They want to see a
much more active Asean. I think that's ambitious by Asean standards but
it's also very relevant.''

''A lot depends on what compromises they can offer to the most statist
regimes who are concerned about the troika becoming a forum for activism
and interference,'' Mr Tay said.

Asean groups liberal, elected governments such as in Thailand and the
Philippines with more tightly controlled regimes such as those in Laos,
Vietnam and Myanmar. The other Asean members are Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Mr Tay said the troika proposal risked being watered down to nothing at the
meeting.

More immediately relevant, he said, would be real action to combat
cross-border drugs trade, crime and human trafficking.

''If we could see some substantive progress on trafficking in women and
children, that would be much more important,'' he said.

Drugs have long plagued Thailand, which borders Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and
Cambodia and has an extensive coastline.

Myanmar is the world's second largest producer of opium and its derivative
heroin, as well as a major source of amphetamines. The Thais have
complained frequently and loudly that drugs from Myanmar are finding their
way into Thailand and negatively affecting its youth.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Don Pramudwinai said the drugs trade and
cross-border crime were particularly important.

''We would like to address the drug issue at the Asean meeting,'' he told
said. ''It is...a very serious problem for the whole region.''

Also on the ministers' table will be a report on setting up a regional
human rights commission, a plan which like the troika initiative was
probably ahead of its time for now, Mr Tay said.

Asean foreign ministers will also meet their counterparts from Japan, South
Korea and China before a meeting of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF), a
regional security consultative grouping.

High on ARF's agenda will be relations with North Korea, which applied to
join the forum last May in a step towards ending decades of Cold War isolation.

ARF groups the 10 Asean members with other Asian and Pacific Rim states, as
well as global military powers.

Completing the week's activities on July 29 will be a series of Asean
bilateral meetings with Australia, Canada, the United States, the European
Union, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and India.