Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
is an organization or a geopolitical and economic cooperation in Southeast Asia
ASEAN is the beginning of voluntary associations and founded on July 1961 by Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. It was abandoned later in the year 1967 has been signed "Bangkok Declaration". ASEN was established by the member five countries with the aim to cooperate in increasing the rate of economic growth, Social development, Cultures and for preserving peace and stability in the region for the opportunity to relax peacefully disputes between member countries. After 1984, ASEAN member states were increased to 10 countries until today.
Those are Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. ASEAN has an area of
about 4,435,570 square kilometers with a population of approximately 590 million people; on 2010 the combined GDP of the country thinks approximately 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars was the ninth of the world by GDP, with English as the official language.
Charter was signed in December 2008 that ASEAN has been more akin to the European Union. The ASEAN Free Trade Area has been used since on 2010 and towards an ASEAN Community. It consists of three aspects, firstly the ASEAN Political and Security, secondly ASEAN Economic Community and the last ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community on 1985.
In July 1961 Association of Southeast Asian Nations was established by three member countries there were Thailand; Malaysia; and the Philippines, and the association was ASA (Association of South East Asia). The association was aimed that economic, social, and cultural coordination. But after two years, it was halt because of the inverse distance between the Indonesian and Malaysian politics, until the restoration of relations between them. Therefore, after the situation they tried to seek avenues of establishment of cooperation economical organization in the region. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Thanad Khomantra, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand which governed by Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, have been signed "Bangkok Declaration" at Saranrom Palace on August 8, 2510, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Member States in five countries including Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narsiso Ramos of the Philippines, Abdul Lasuk of Malaysia, S Raja Ratnam of Singapore, and Thanad Khomantra of the Thailand who was considered a father of organization founder.
The
purpose of the establishment of ASEAN was formed by the external environment of the member countries for the governors of each member country they could focus on building the country; concerned about the spread of communism; faith or belief in the external power decline during the 20th century including to the economic development of the country. ASEAN establishment has an objective different from the European Union that is the ASEAN created to support the nationalist.
Nowadays, the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations is composed of 10 member countries, representing approximately 4.5 million square kilometers, population about 560 million (in year 2006), the highest mountain of the region is Khakaborasee in Myanmar, which high 5881 meters, and bordering with China, India, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea.
Southeast
Asia has a tropical climate; temperatures between 27-36 °C; natural vegetation is tropical rain forest which is the world's second largest rain forest, mixed forest, pine forest, sand beach forest, cropped forest. Industrial drops are rice, corn, cassava, pineapple, rubber, palm oil and pepper.
In
1976 Papua New Guinea was an observer, and in 1967 member countries have established a strong economic cooperation after the results of the Bali conference in 1976. But such cooperation has been heavily affected in 1977 and then it has been revived since 1991, due to the Thailand offered establishment of a free trade area. After that Brunei Darussalam was joined to be the sixth member countries on January 8, 1984, which is the date after the declaration of independence on January 1 Brunei, only one week.
Vietnam
joined later in the seventh on 28 July 1995 and not so long after Laos and Myanmar joined in the eighth and ninth, respectively, on 23 July 1997. Cambodia wished to become a member but postpone due to internal political conflicts. Until 30 April 1999, Cambodia became a member of the tenth after the Cambodian government has been strongly established.
In 1987 has had wide experience in the areas of ASEAN member countries have increased including the effort to consolidate them into one group. In 1990 Malaysia was proposed an economic cooperation in East Asia, which consists of ASEAN countries, Republic of China, Japan and South Korea; it has intended to counterbalance the influence of the United States, which enhances the Economic Cooperation in Asia - Pacific (APEC) and Asia as a whole
.
But such a proposal has been canceled because it has been heavily opposed by Japan and the United States. Although it failed in the field but the group member can be operated to group the countries as a unique.
In
1992, the plan was signed at the same rate of customs duty (Common Effective Preferential Tariff) with the objective to enhance the competitiveness of ASEAN as an important production base for providing product to the global market through liberalization of trade, tariff reduction and non-tariff barriers to trade, as well as the tariff structure to facilitate the free trade. This law is a framework for the ASEAN Free Trade Area, after the financial crisis in Asia. In 1997 Malaysia's proposal was raised again in Chiang Mai(Thailand) known as The Chiang Mai Initiative which is integration between ASEAN and three more countries namely China, Japan and South Korea.
In addition, the economic cooperation of the member countries, ASEAN also aims for preserving peace and stability in the region. On 15 December 1995, they were signed the Treaty of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone to make the Southeast Asia as Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. The Treaty was started on 28 March 1997, which prohibits all nuclear weapons in the region.
After the
second Declaration of the ASEAN Cooperation (Bali Concord II) in 2003, ASEAN signed an agreement with the Theory of Democratic Peace. This means all member countries believe that the principles of democracy will lead to peace and stability in the region. In addition, the country that is not democratic government also agreed with that democracy is a regime which other Member countries should be pursuing.
The leaders of country, particularly Mahathir Mohammad of Malaysia, were recognizing the need to integrate the countries seriously. Since 1997, ASEAN has established a number of organizations in an effort to achieve these goals. ASEAN Plus Three is the first organization to be established, the objective is to strengthen the relationship with China, Japan and South Korea. And followed by A Meeting of East Asia which is the other three participating countries: India, Australia and New Zealand plans to have the foundation of East Asian community in the future, which drafted by the European Community, now halted. After that the ASEAN Expert Group has set up to study the impact, both positive and negative aspects of the policy including the possibility to draft the Charter in the future.
In
2006, ASEAN was a status of the UN General Assembly Observer, and the ASEAN country group requited "Discussion partners" to the United Nations. In addition on 23 July Joseh Ramus Orta, Prime Minister of East Timor, signed officially to be a participant of ASEAN, and expected that to be obtained observer status for five years before then its status could be an absolute member countries.
ASEAN, in 2007, was celebrated the 40th anniversary of the founding anniversary of ASEAN and 30 years of diplomatic relations with the United States. On 26 August 2007 ASEAN aims to achieve a free trade agreement with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand within 2013 and to establish the ASEAN Economic Community within 2015. In November 2007, ASEAN member countries signed the ASEAN Charter which is the regulation of the relationship between ASEAN member countries, there is enhance ASEAN to be an international organization as legitimate China - ASEAN Free Trade Area which forced on 1 January 2010, this is a free trade area with the largest population in the world and valued at GDP 3rd rank of the world.
February 27, 2009, there is the signing of free trade agreements between ASEAN 10 countries, with New Zealand and Australia. It has been estimated that the trade will increase GDP in 12 countries and more than 48 million U.S. dollars within 2000-2020. In early 2011, East Timor plans to submit a letter requesting membership in the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, to become the eleventh member countries of ASEAN during the Leader Summit in Jakarta. Indonesia expressed his warm welcome East Timor.
ASEAN Member States
Brunei Darussalam
Head of State : His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah
Capital : Bandar Seri Begawan
Language(s) : Malay, English
Currency : B$ (Brunei Dollar)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade of Brunei Darussalam Website:
www.mfa.gov.bn
Kingom of Cambodia
Head of State : His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni
Head of Government : Prime Minister Hun Sen
Capital : Phnom Penh
Language : Khmer
Currency : Riel Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of Cambodia Website:
www.mfaic.gov.kh
Republic of Indonesia
Head of State : President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Capital : Jakarta
Language : Indonesian
Currency : Rupiah
Department of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Website:
www.deplu.go.id
The Loa People's Democratic Republic
Headof State : President Choummaly Sayasone
Head of Government : Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong
Capital : Vientiane
Language : Lao
Currency : Kip
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lao PDR Website:
www.mofa.gov.la
Malaysia
Head of Government: The Honourable Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak
Capital : Kuala Lumpur
Language(s) : Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil
Currency : Ringgit
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia Website:
www.kln.gov.my
ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat Website:
www.kln.gov.my/myasean
Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Head of State : Senior General Than Shwe
Head of Government : Prime Minister General Thein Sein
Capital : Nay Pyi Daw
Language : Myanmar
Currency : Kyat
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar Website:
www.mofa.gov.mm
Republic of the Philippine
Head of State : President Benigno S. Aquino III
Capital : Manila
Language(s) : Filipino, English, Spanish
Currency : Peso
Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Website:
www.dfa.gov.ph
Republic of Singapore
Head of State : President Tony Tan Keng Yam
Head of Government : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Capital : Singapore
Language(s) : English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil
Currency : S$ (Singapore Dollar)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Website:
www.mfa.gov.sg
Kingdom of Thailand
Head of State : His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Head of Government : Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
Capital : Bangkok
Language : Thai
Currency : Baht
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Website:
www.mfa.go.th
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Head of State : President Truong Tan Dang
Head of Government : Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
Capital : Ha Noi
Language : Vietnamese
Currency : Dong
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam Website:
www.mofa.gov.vn
References
Books:
1.
Bernard Eccleston, Michael Dawson, Deborah J. McNamara
(1998).
The Asia-Pacific Profile
.
Routledge (UK).
2.
Carolyn L. Gates, Mya Than (
2001).
ASEAN Enlargement:
impacts and
implications
.
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
3.
Denis Hew (
2005).
Roadmap to an Asean Economic
Community
.
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
4.
Introduction to the ASEAN Economic
Community
. International Law Office (Singapore)
5.
Lay Hwee Yeo (
2003).
Asia and Europe: the development
and different
dimensions of ASEM
.
Routledge (UK).
6.
Muthiah Alagappa (
1998).
Asian Security Practice: Material and
Ideational Influences
.
Stanford University Press (US).
Hunton & Williams LLP (2008).
