ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY
History of Regional Organization
The
association of Southeast Asian Nations known as ASEAN was established by the
declaration of Bangkok on August 8, 1967 that has five founding countries
including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippine, Singapore, and Thailand. ASEAN
was formed with the common attitude to oppose the expansion of influence of the
super powers stemmed from important historical development of Southeast Asian
countries. All of them (except Thailand) Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, were
separated into North and South by the Cold war. Likewise, Malaysian, Singapore,
Indonesia, Brunei, and Philippine has one once been the colonies of Western
Power. Then they gained Independence at the end of the World War II. The period
after WWII, Southeast Asian countries became an arena of ideological strife and
struggle of the great powers between communist and liberal blocs. Thus, means
to avoid external domination is to unite the countries in Southeast Asia into a
regional organization by cooperating, strengthening economic, and pursuance of
independence from foreign policy. These factors encouraged the five founder
countries to discuss about forming ASEAN.
The Common Vision of Economic Integration
After the long run of establishing
regional organization namely ASEAN, the members countries are likely to have
the same intension to create an economic zone in the regions seeing it as the
most important factor for domestic market anf the regional potentiality in the
region. After the AFTA agreement was signed on January 28th, 1992 in
Singapore, all the members expected such as a forming would make dream com e
true through AEC realization and therefore would benefit to the members and
serve as a basic to build up economic stability and security among the members.
In political term, unifying economic countries in the manner is useful for
regional solidary enabling them to have a strong economic zone in the response
to the development of the global economic.
As result from many meeting among members in ASEAN to establish ASEAN
Economic Community expecting to realize in 2015.
The Potentiality of ASEAN members in the Region
Business view ASEAN as an
attractive region for trade and investment in a post-global crisis world
economy. This is especially so for small firms, which are attracted by the
region’s potential as a market for their goods and services. In addition,
effective implementation of ASEAN policy initiative toward an ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC) by 2015 can play an important role in influencing business
decisions. There the key finding from survey of the ASEAN Business Advisory
Council (ASEAN-BAC) on businesses in ASEAN carried out in the second half of
2010. These include ensuring full potentiality in terms of natural resources,
good geographies, market power with dynamic goods consumers, political
stability and so on. More remarkably, intensifying the dissemination of
information among businesses both in raising general awareness of ASEAN and
providing specific information on ASEAN policy can facilitate and coordinate
investors in the region.
Conclusion
The period
from the establishment of the regional organization up to the present time, the
ten members spent most time finding best solution to avoid the conflict among
the members and non-members to make the region become a more peaceful zone
through difference types of cooperation among members and non-members. As can
be seen, despite AEC is still in the process and expect to realize in the
upcoming futures, Asean Economic Community is the big achievement and also
showing greater commitment if the ten members are positive signs for social,
regional development in terms of economic and political strengthening and
cooperation. Even though, there are some criticisms or many challenges of the
regional members, member of ASEAN are still working together smoothly in terms
of social, economic, and cultural developments.
More
importantly, the countries considered as a CLMV group in the region is expected
to become developed countries with high potential economic equivalents to its
neighboring countries through AEC and people will live with the harmony. Last
but not least, to make the members more balanced in terms of economic and
expand trade among member of ASEAN are key points of discussion and this is the
best way of members to tackle the problem of economic crisis by economic
integration through ASEAN Economic Community. Also, AEC is generated in the
purpose of dealing with the economic crisis in Asia and intra-ASEAN. The AEC
countries, especially the CLMV countries should be strengthen her weakness
through domestic economic development and hence will benefit from such regional
trade as individual and enhance the quality of lives of ASEAN citizens are a
whole community.
Reference
Mya Thanm, ASEAN beyond the Regional crisis, challenges and initiative, 2001 pp80-103.
Vinita Sukrasep, ASEAN in international Relation, 1989, pp 3-85
Suthiphand Chirathivat, Franz Knipping , Poul Kenrit Lassen, China Slow Yue, ASEAN-EUROPE on the Eve of 21th century, 2001. pp 57-102
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