June 1st 2003
SINGAPORE, June 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Indian and Malaysian defense ministers, who are in Singapore attending a security forum, Sundayvoiced their concerns about unilateralism in use of force in a changing strategic environment.
In their speeches delivered at the 2nd Asia Security Conferenceheld by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, both Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes and Malaysian Defense Minister Sri Najib Tun Razak pointed out that inaddition to dangers of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), increasing unilateralism in use of force is a feature of the evolving strategic environment.
Commenting on the changing strategic environment, Fernandes said that the contemporary phenomenon of terrorism and danger of the acquisition of WMD stand out as two features of the evolving strategic environment and a third is an increasing unilateralism in the use of force, which impacts political environment and formspart of the strategic calculus.
Citing the demonstration of US power in Kosovo, Afghanistan andIraq as unilateralism he said, "Where a consensus has not been forthcoming, we have seen the US prepared to exercise its militarypower unilaterally or in 'coalitions of the willing' ignoring the experience and advice of others."
He underscored that while decisive action may be necessary, such actions need a cooperative broad-based order to be sustainable and that absolute power has its own limit.
Commenting on the burning political and security issues that affect policy makers, political and business leaders, Najib said that there is a new threat to global peace and stability and the unilateral response to this threat by the world's only superpower.
While exploring the "root causes" of conflict, Najib said "there is a growing danger that we are dealing with a unipolar world where the powerful dictates to the weak."
He said that Malaysia was strongly against the war in Iraq as the recent attack on Iraq was not sanctioned by international institutions.
"Military intervention and political coercion often provide a temporary cessation to hostilities that is not viable in the long term," he added.
The three-day Asia Security Conference, or called Shangri-La Dialogue, attended by defense ministers, armed forces' chiefs andnon-government experts from 21 countries, wound up Sunday afternoon after completing its agenda for discussions and debates on issues concerning US Asia policy, the DPRK (Democratic People'sRepublic of Korea) issue, terrorism, maritime security and changing strategic environment.
