Preview

Asean

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
623 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Asean
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has plans to fast track the integration of its member countries over the next few years. Aside from encouraging cooperation through traditional diplomatic and cultural activities, there are also ambitious proposals for ASEAN to issue a single visa and currency, and even form a united regional Olympic team.

The advantages of a united ASEAN are easy to imagine. A cohesive ASEAN would likely bring tremendous benefits to Southeast Asians in the forms of more jobs, more tourists, stronger defense forces and improved camaraderie among competing neighbors. Besides, who would oppose the idea of unity and greater economic coordination in the region?

But ASEAN’s basic problem is not merely an absence of unity. Wasn’t unity the main objective of ASEAN when it was established in 1967? The fact that after four decades, the group is still pushing to integrate its ten member countries suggests a pretty significant failure to foster solidarity in the region.

Without undermining the laudable efforts of the ASEAN Secretariat, many doubt it can realize the One Community vision by its announced target date of 2015. How can it, if it continues to use the same approach that has singularly failed to unite its members to date?

ASEAN unity will remain an impossible vision as long as its members continue to demand it for the wrong reasons. In truth, each member nation views its association with ASEAN as a means to pursue its national interests. Sacrificing the national agenda to realize the regional good is largely an alien concept to ASEAN members. Member nations are in favor of unity as long as it doesn’t conflict with their respective national objectives.

To be sure, ASEAN has successfully coordinated aid and relief efforts when natural disasters have devastated the region. But the group should be more than the region’s answer to Red Cross.

But such instances are usually when ASEAN unity is invoked, namely, when a

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    Australia and the US will also continue to work for regional stability through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF). The ARF has a useful role to play in developing greater understanding and confidence among the countries of the Asia Pacific, and contribute to the avoidance and resolution of tensions (Britannica,…

    • 3507 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Final global business plan

    • 6910 Words
    • 28 Pages

    The ASEAN was founded in 1967 to promote the alliances of the countries in Southeast Asia. The current members of the ASEAN are the Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam (ASEAN, 2010)…

    • 6910 Words
    • 28 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Advantages that are seen by this regional integration is to help these nations accelerate in the cultural development, economic growth, and social progress by being able to trade goods or services freely between one another. Another advantage is the existence of peace it brings between the nations. Since the development of the ASEAN trading bloc there have been no conflicts between the nations and they have pledged to peacefully resolve all settlements and disputes, this ensures that the regions live in a peaceful and harmonious environment. Further advantages include sharing common goals, objectives, and visions with one another.…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ASEAN Pursues EU article provides one instance of a region in support of regional integration. “The European Union organized a group of nations with different currencies and languages - and profits followed” (Conde, 2007, para. 1). As per this article grouping currencies from various nations would assist regional integration, also assist the economic system of the region and build stronger relationships. The Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) desires to try the identical technique that the EU had earlier encouraged and integrate currencies in the areas. In the past former prime minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew had rejected this idea (Jazi, 2008). Instead, the prime minister believed that the country could achieve this objective but perhaps after 50-80 years. To start the process they would require writing a charter however the organization has opposed during the past because of the different financial systems in the region. This is currently in the starting phases however it has been stated that it will be a legally binding charter just like the one in the European Union, taking into consideration that any members who do not abide by this charts principles as well as procedures would need to incur on sanctions. To put it differently, ASEAN desires to turn…

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Nafta Essay

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages

    ASEAN is an economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia. It was formed on August 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since it first started it has grown to include Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It aims to accelerate economic growth and cultural development among its members and also be a place where each member can discuss political issues peacefully.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    American Woman

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages

    * Vu Tung, Nguyen. “Vietnam’s Membership of ASEAN: A Constructivist Interpretation”. Military and Government Collection. Vol.29, Dec 2007. Web. March 20, 2013.…

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Today Vietnam is a member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) that has a goal to accelerate economic growth and development, and to obtain peace between the member states and strengthen their relationships. The ASEAN area is a free trade area, and forces Vietnam to constantly lower tariffs.…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    (2006). Getting ready for the ASEAN Charter, Retrieved: April 18, 2008, from The Nation, Web…

    • 3503 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Asean as Regional Bloc?

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Countries, usually the neighboring ones and those of which are in the same region, belong to a bloc. They organize or join these blocs because they have the same aims, purposes, and interests, may it be for economic or political reasons. Participating states are united by a treaty or agreement for mutual support or joint action. Our world has a handful of blocs, but two of the most talked about is the European Union, better known as EU, and the Association of South East Asian Nations, or better known as ASEAN.…

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Vietnam in Asean

    • 2407 Words
    • 10 Pages

    [ 13 ]. Moh Haflah Peie and Noor Aini Khalifah (November 1996) Vietnam in ASEAN : Economic Reform, Openness and Transformation, Vol 13, No. 2, pp200.211…

    • 2407 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    [3] Ramcharan Robin, ‘Insights from ASEAN’s Foreign Policy Co-operation: The ASEAN Way, a Real Spirit or a Phantom?’, Contemporary Southeast Asia, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2000. p. 89.…

    • 1764 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Economic integration has its share of benefits, as well as drawbacks. Thailand has fulfilled the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community) measure of economic integration well above the…

    • 1615 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Asean Solidarity 2015 will also have a dynamic and outward looking in an increasingly integrated and interdepent, ASEAN fosters maintains friendly and mutually beneficial relations with external parties to ensure that the people and member states of ASEAN live in peace with the world large in a just, democratic and harmonious enviroment.…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lee Kuan Yew (2000) believed that “a competitive, winner-takes all society, like colonial Hong Kong in the 1960s would not be acceptable in Singapore”, mainly because Singapore had free elections while Hong Kong in the 1960s did not. He believed that the best way towards economic progress was to “give every citizen a stake in the country and its future”, making every individual responsible for whatever is happening in society (ibid, pp. 116). The city-state went through several setbacks such as the different riots, particularly the riots regarding the races in the city-state, as well as the disagreements on beliefs and ideologies between Singapore and Malaysia. The racial riots between the Malays and Chinese in both Singapore and Malaysia led to both anger and alarm in both states, with Razak depending on Singapore to keep the Chinese at bay (ibid, pp. 263-266). After its issues with Malaysia, Singapore went on and founded the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) with Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. Challenges plagued the five nation-states, such as communist insurgencies, territorial disputes, and terrorism and transnational crime (Weatherbee, 2010). Despite its shaky start, however, the organisation was able to develop itself as a catalyst for regional cooperation (Yew, 2000, pp.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In order to respond the local phenomena of natural disasters and possible impacts from ASEAN, as the peoples of ASEAN, we strongly recommend and propose the following suggestions.…

    • 280 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics