Page 9 - EU_ASEN Relations: Perspectives From Malaysia

Not surprisingly, political relations between the EU and ASEAN turned

somewhat sour in the 1990s. The end of the Cold War and the wave of regime
changes in the former Communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe as

well as the successful signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, led the EU
countries to a new assertiveness vis-à-vis developing countries. Previously,

during the Cold War, dictatorships in ASEAN countries such as those of

Marcos in the Philippines and Suharto in Indonesia were supported because of
their anti-communist stance. After the end of the Cold War, the EU countries

introduced new policies of conditionalities linking trade and aid to issues on

human rights, democratization, and environmental protection. This new
“moralism” of the West was criticized as “neo-colonialism” or “oppression”

by Southeast Asian leaders such as the Malaysian Prime Minister at the time,
Mahathir Mohamad. Together with other ASEAN leaders, they introduced the

concept of Asian Values, which emphasized loyalty and respect towards
figures of authority and principles such as collectivism and communitarianism,

in contrast to the alleged neo-liberal and over-individualistic values of the EU.

ASEAN had no difficulties in accepting communist countries such as Vietnam

and Laos, or post-communist countries such as Cambodia as new members

without changing the rules of ASEAN. In contrast, the European Union only
accepted membership from countries that had already transformed into

democracies—setting up the Copenhagen criteria which demanded applicant
countries to preserve democratic governance and human rights, reform their

economic system to a market economy, and required them to accept all
obligations and legal documents (acquis communautaire) of the EU.

The EU (together with the USA) took a particularly tough stance against the
military regime in Myanmar, a country which became an ASEAN member in

July 1996. In October 1996, the European Union confirmed the previously

imposed EU sanctions: an arms embargo that was imposed in 1990, the
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