[asia-apec 586] US Pro-VFA Lobbying At ASEAN Regional Forum

[tpl at cheerful.com]

JUNK VFA Movement

News Release

>>>>

<excerpt>

<center>U.S. Security Lobbying at ASEAN Regional Forum Exposed 


</center>	A movement vowing to drumbeat opposition to the ratification of
the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) said the next venue for U.S. lobbying
will be the Asean Regional Forum (ARF). According to the Junk VFA
Movement, formal and informal discussions on the Senate approval of the
agreement is high on the agenda of the U.S. delegation headed by
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. 	


	Capt. Danilo Vizmanos, PN (Ret.), Convenor of the Junk VFA Movement
observed that the ARF, the ASEAN's venue for security dialogue and
cooperation with other non-member countries like the United States, Japan
and Australia, has become the "U.S.'s multilateral vehicle in pushing for
its military and security interest in the region."


	Vizmanos explained that, "the U.S. needs a multilateral body to ensure
that such bilateral deals are forged and enforced." But since there is no
multilateral security group yet in the Asia-Pacific region, "the ARF
conveniently fills this void," he said.


	According to Vizmanos, the U.S. will use the economic crisis as an
excuse for ASEAN members and other countries to agree that a stronger
U.S. military presence is needed in the region and crucial to this goal
is the resumption of joint military exercises in the Philippines. This
will add more pressure for the Philippine government to ratify the VFA. A
document from the U.S. Department of State said discussions on "the
implications of the crisis for regional stability, cooperation...will
figure prominently" in the ministerial meetings in Manila.


	The U.S. maintains a 100,000-strong army in East Asia through bilateral
agreements ranging from military-to-military cooperation, joint military
exercises, and access arrangements. In a speech delivered by U.S. Defense
Secretary William Cohen in his Asian visit in January 1998, he mentioned
bilateral agreements and the ARF as stepping stone towards the creation
of a US-led multilateral security group.


	Vizmanos noted that aside from formal closed-door discussions, the U.S.
can further exercise the other side of its own brand of diplomacy. The
ARF provides opportunities for "informal" discussion with the Philipines
and negotiate exchange deals. 


	The Junk VFA Movement calls on all freedom-loving Filipinos and Asian
peoples to resist and oppose U.S.'s moves to ram its politico-military
interests at their expense. "The ARF and other bilateral agreements
should be pursued in the interest of Asian peoples and not to assure the
economic and military might of a superpower," said Vizmanos. 

</excerpt>

<excerpt>	A rally to oppose U.S. move to have the Philippine senate
ratify the VFA was held in front of the U.S. Embassy on the day of
arrival of State Secretary Albright last July 25. The Junk VFA Movement
includes BAYAN, GABRIELA, KMP, KMU, League of Filipino Students,
Promotion for Church People's Response, COURAGE and other groups. ###


</excerpt>From: BAYAN <<bayan at iname.com>