"Projection Of Powers With Weapons Will Only Invite Opposition"

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- The projection of superpowers with lethal weapons on the global stage is no longer effective as it only invites opposition from others, said Asean secretary-general Dr Surin Pitsuwan. During a town hall session at the International Conference on the Global Movement of Moderates (ICGMM) here, he said there is a need to find ways to use power with intelligence. It would be even better if major countries could use their "soft power" in pursuing their own agenda, he said. "We need a new way of managing the power and the affairs of the world. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan probably showed to us that military might has the sophistication of modern weapons systems, but cannot win friends and cannot really influence people in a lasting way," he said. He said, however, superpowers, especially the United States, are beginning to realise that they may need a new kind of power or a new approach to projecting their power. "Even with tremendous power and confidence, and projecting power on the global stage, intellectuals in the U.S. recognise the limits of power. They have to reassess the use of the power that they have," he said. He added that the use of lethal weapons from far away to attack countries in wars reflects no human chemistry, unlike in the Vietnam war when the military was forced to interact with the local people. As a moderate force in the global community, Surin said, East Asia has long practiced the exercise of soft power to rise as a new centre of growth in the world. "It is my believe that this soft power or smart power will play out here in East Asia more than anywhere else in the world. Our hope is we are not going to invite confrontation, competition, instability and insecurity, as has been the case in other parts of the world. With competition comes insecurity and instability, too," he said. Surin said the call made by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for a dynamic equilibrium does not mean direct competition of raw power, but accommodating all and sharing common interests to allow the region to continue to be an engine of growth in the global community. "We don't want to compete against everyone, but at the same time we don't want to see anyone dominating in a way that would upset that dynamic equilibrium we want to establish in the region," he said. He said he hopes discussion about the coalition of moderates will not be limited to religious communities. He said ICGMM best reflected the moderation efforts long practised by Asean and Southeast Asia, including accommodating each other and developing mutual respect. He applauded the effort of Prime Minister Najib Razak to hold the conference, saying it is the right time. -- BERNAMA