- Diplomatic overtures are in evidence this week for resolving problems of insurgency in the Asia region. Efforts are under way to resume talks with insurgent groups in the Philippines as well as Turkey. Though recent past does not give many exmples where such disputes got resolved through talks, the political circles are still hopeful for amiable solutions seeking stability in the region.
At the geo-strategic front too some similar kind of disputes between various countries of the Asian region can be observed; these include the Turkey-Greece dispute over Cyprus, the Thai-Cambodian dispute, and the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict. The involvement of all relevant parties has been observed, in an effort to hold talks for the resolution of these issues.
Philipines- Left Wing Insurgency
Manila seems confident to resume peace talks with leftist rebels this month to end the Philippines' four-decade-old insurgency. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Avelino Razon said the Norway-brokered talks between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF), the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), is set to start in the last week of August. The peace talks collapsed in 2005 after the armed group was blacklisted by the European Union and the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. It blamed Manila for not trying hard to get it off the shame list. The Philippine government proclaims to be committed to revive long-stalled peace talks aimed at ending a bloody 40-year rebellion.
Turkey- Kurdish Separatism
Also on the Asian front in a strong show of determination to seek a settlement on the long-standing Kurdish question, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently held a meeting with representatives from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). The meeting was a first of its kind, as the prime minister previously declined to meet with DTP officials, because of the party's refusal to term the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) a terrorist organization. Observers believe that the meeting will accelerate efforts to shape a government plan to solve the decades-old Kurdish problem.
Greece- Cyprus Issue
Mean while, the first round of the Cyprus talks was completed with the 40th meeting between President Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias at the buffer zone on August 6, 2009. The second round is due to begin on September 3, 2009.
Thailand- Cambodia Conflict
The Foreign ministers from Cambodia and Thailand too resumed joint policy talks for the first time in three years last week after months of fractious relations over a border temple dispute. Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the Khmer ruins for decades. Although the World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, its most accessible entrance is in northeastern Thailand. Tensions have also arisen over disputed waters where both countries have granted oil and gas exploration rights to private companies.
Azerbaijan: Nagorno-Karabagh Dispute
Being mediated by international parties, primarily with the involvement of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia seem to be on a promising path. Most recently Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev met in Russia in a Moscow-brokered attempt to solve one of the most bitter disputes in the region, a legacy of the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Questions for Discussion:·
- In an environment where solutions are being sought through negotiations and diplomatic channels, to what degree could it be a result of:
o A new global culture, as an essential shift in the international approach to problems, or
o International pressures in an integrated world with higher stakes in the world community, or
o A strategic shift in respective policies of the involved governments for the sake of optimizing their national interests?
- Could the potential for success in this softer approach be gauged; is it sustainable for seeking lasting solutions to regional conflicts?
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Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' This project has been undertaken and developed by the Gilani Research Foundation as a free resource and social discussion tool.
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