About the Virtual Forum
Virtual Forum: Discussion Papers & Background
Description: During meetings in Melbourne (August 1998) and Washington (February 1999) participants in the Dialogues on Security and Disarmament agreed to establish a Virtual Forum on Security in order to enable the dialogue process to continue between our meetings. It is planned to hold the next meeting in Beijing, May or June 2,000. (TBC) In the meantime, the security situation in South Asia has changed with a new confrontation between India and Pakistan over Kargil. The convenors of the security dialogues invite all participants at the meetings in Melbourne and Washington to write for the Virtual Forum which is currently divided into three sections:
- South Asian Perspectives I :Kashmir
- South Asian Perspectives II: Relations With Asia
- Other
Security Issues
We wish to solicit a wide range of views in order to share information and inform each other of our relative perspectives. During the dialogues in Melbourne and Washington, participants felt that such sharing of knowledge could play a critical role in building confidence and reducing tension, suspicion and hostility.
We have also requested contributors to observe please the following guidelines:
- contributions not to exceed 5,000 words
- provide essential documentation where necessary
- avoid restating the official views of their respective governments
- focus on the question of how the problem/conflict might be resolved, including the possible contributions of the international community
- and reflect a willingness to build confidence in an atmosphere of conciliation.
For
the Virtual Forum Part I we have invited contributors to address
the following questions:
- What can be done to prevent the present situation in Kashmir from escalating into a major India-Pakistan confrontation?
- What role might the international community play in de-escalating the situation in Kargil?
- What confidence building measures can be taken immediately?
For further information contact
Assoc.Prof. Marika Vicziany
Director, National Centre for South Asian Studies
C/-Monash Asia Institute
Monash University
Clayton VIC
3168
Email:
marika.vicziany@adm.
monash.edu.au