Challenges for Asean

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Bamboo Grove
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Challenges for Asean

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Very interesting article in today's Post, I’ll add my tuppence worth.
Huge task ahead for Asean Community
Borderless region will increase competitive pressure on Thailand, writes Prangthong Jitcharoenkul

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has a huge task ahead as it pulls its member nations together to form the Asean Community by this time next year, says Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow. Sihasak: Sense of unity needed Asean has been working towards the three-pronged goal since the Cebu declaration issued in 2007, he said.

The Asean Community comprises three pillars — the so-called Asean political-security community to ensure peace and security, Asean economic community (AEC) for regional economic cooperation, and the Asean socio-cultural community to build unity and solidarity among people.
China has shown great activity in all these three points and tries to get more and more involved by giving financial aid to Asean countries. The most difficult point for the Asean must be point three i.e. “Asean socio-cultural community to build unity and solidarity among people”. One country is mainly Christian, three are Muslim countries and the rest Buddhist (2 Mahayana and 4 Theravada) and each of them, with the exception of Cambodia have sizeable minority religious communities. It will be very difficult to create unity and solidarity with such diverse background. I don’t think, there will be a war between any of the member states but border skirmishes do exist and will take place in the future as well.

They should support each other to turn Asean into the people-oriented community envisaged in the grouping, he said.

"People often talk about the AEC in particular but all three pillars are equally important. If we don't have a peaceful environment, it will be difficult to make economic progress or improve people's livelihoods," he said. In a special interview with the Bangkok Post, Mr Sihasak said no country will be isolated under the Asean Community. The grouping will share the same fate, interests and destiny.
He said Asean is heterogeneous, with people drawn together from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. That sets it apart from the European Union, which is more homogeneous by nature.

The homogenous society of Europe isn’t true. Also there are many different kinds of cultures, albeit the religions don’t play such an important role as they do in SE-Asia. Still becoming united hasn’t yet happened in EU.

Asean must build harmony through diversity, he said. "Asean citizens need to know the essence of togetherness to establish a long-lasting unity and sense of cohesiveness,'' he said.

"The mutual benefits must belong to the Asean people. This is a key policy we must follow if we are to improve people's well-being.
"People should not only think about their own nation's benefits, but those of the grouping as a whole,'' he said.

A fine thought but very difficult to make happen, particularly with so much poverty in the reagion.
Regarding work on the economic pillar, which has made the most progress among the three pillars, Mr Sihasak said Asean countries should try to harmonise their domestic rules and regulations to achieve economic integration covering borderless trade and investment.

He said Thailand should also amend its laws regarding visa permits, to foster an environment more conducive to investment. A non-tariff policy and one-stop visa inspection stops also should help bring about a single bloc. "Economic integration is a good aim though it is likely to increase competitive pressures on us as a nation. We can manage by revising the regulations," Mr Sihasak said. On the political-security front, Mr Sihasak said the objective is to maintain regional peace and stability under a rule-based framework.

What he says about the laws regarding visa permits is very interesting. This will eventually affect many of the expats living in the area as well. I have a feeling that many other countries in the region have not so strict visa rules as Thailand at the moment, or am I mistaken here?

Some critics say the Asean charter, introduced to deal with conflicts in the region, is too weak a mechanism for fixing disputes. Some refer to it as a "toothless tiger''.
Mr did not respond to the criticism but said Asean governments are concentrating on regional connectivity.

Here again my thoughts wonder to the northern neighbourgh, China.

He admitted that a borderless community could lead to new challenges, including an increase in human trafficking, illegal migration, drugs and transnational crimes. Member states must put in place measures to cope.

It isn’t easy to control this kind of criminal activity at the present either. Getting rid of corruption would go a long way solving these problems.

Asked whether Thailand still plays a leading role in the region after the political turbulence caused by the coup, Mr Sihasak said the country's standpoint is unchanged, and is even widely well-recognised in the world community. "Our role as the country coordinator on Asean-China affairs is an example.
That has not changed, despite the coup.'' Despite conflicts between China and some Asean countries, China recently decided to move to an early conclusion on its Code of Conduct concerning the South China Sea, he said.

Thailand’s leading role will be difficult unless something is done to the level of education very soon. Something that has a real effect, starting with raising teachers’ salaries and putting emphasis on teachers’ training programs, should be done urgently. This doesn’t mean handing out free tablets to students without proper training and teachers who cannot give instructions how to use them. Also the level of knowing foreign languages should be raised soon but that is also dependent on teachers’ training.

Mr Sihasak said matters related to the Asean Community's post-2015 vision are overseen by a so-called High-Level Task Force under Malaysian chairmanship to maintain "Asean Centrality'' as a key part of the regional security architecture. The community must also handle more tension due to increasing global competition.

"Our community will have to react more quickly to unfolding events around the world. The secretary-general of our community could act as spokesman for our group's interests in various talks, which would help move things along,'' he said.
http://bangkokpost.com/news/asia/453476 ... -community
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JamesWest
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Re: Challenges for Asean

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I just got back from vietnam and all I was thinking the whole time I was there is these people are going to kick Thailands a**.

A 20 year old girl in a Circle K mart spoke perfect english.

She sold me a sim card, installed it in my phone, and setup the plan and funded the account.

The last time I was at AIS in Market Village it was a miracle to anything done.

Of course Thais are a lot more friendly than the Vietamese.
I really like this forum because there are no personal attacks. All the members contribute in a positive way to my posts.
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Re: Challenges for Asean

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I find that three pillars give me a stiff neck.
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Re: Challenges for Asean

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After a few visits to Vietnam and Cambodia I think Thailand will struggle to wake up and keep pace. People there are friendlier, speak better English and French and are keen to better themselves.

Expats in VN and Cam have an easier time with visas, working and just about everything.

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Re: Challenges for Asean

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Talking to business people they say that every country is behind schedule in preparing for the new setup. That is every country except Thailand--it doesn't have a schedule. Its the old--Don't talk about it and it will go away.
Other countries accept that English will be the primary language of AEC, all policies and regulations will be written in English. For many countries (S'pore, Malaysia and Philippines) this is easy--Thailand is the most reluctant to accept that Thai will be a secondary language. And as for the free movement of professionals across borders--whats your guess on that one?
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Re: Challenges for Asean

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Give it a year....two at the max and Thailand will bail and withdraw, as it (ASEAN) will create all kinds of unease and problems that will eventually become political as the scornful general snooty xenophobia (especially for neighbouring countries) of the society won't stand for it......from either end of the class system (just for different reasons).

They'll give some half-arsed excuse but it'll be easy to see the truth in the run-up to their accouncement that they are withdrawing.

Open borders, employment markets, trade barriers coming down and market driven prices for things..... :lach:

...tell that to rubber tree growers, rice and sugar cane farmers plus others.

Might be just a bit too big-of-a-pill to swallow. :popcorn:
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Re: Challenges for Asean

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I am sure that Thai thought it was signing one of those--lets all be friends agreements--never fully understanding that it will loose some sovereignty, And after all, the Euro deal started as a simple tariff lowering plan to stimulate trade, but you hire a bureaucracy and the thing takes a life of it own and withdrawing is not easy.
But, I don't under estimate the Thai way of dealing with it--if you don't like it, you just ignore it. The angry letters from S'pore and KL will go unread.
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Re: Challenges for Asean

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But, I don't under estimate the Thai way of dealing with it--if you don't like it, you just ignore it. The angry letters from S'pore and KL will go unread.
Almost reminds me of the French...... :thumb:
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Re: Challenges for Asean

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China will join the Asean meeting on South China Sea. China has been claiming huge parts of this area for itself for a long time. Now will it enter this meeting to discuss the problems or to push its own agenda. I, personally, vote for the latter option.

China to join Asean meeting on South China Sea
•26 Mar 2015 at 21:16 2,236 viewed0 comments
• WRITER: KYODO NEWS

Asean meeting, South China Sea, China, Myanmar

BEIJING — China announced Thursday it will participate in a multilateral meeting next week to discuss issues related to conduct in the South China Sea.

The gathering comes as Beijing has stepped up its activities in the contested territory, including efforts to reclaim land around several disputed small islands and coral atolls.

China will join the meeting of experts and government officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Myanmar on Monday and Tuesday to "exchange opinions and deepen consultation on standards of behaviour in the South China Sea," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a regular press briefing.
More: http://bangkokpost.com/news/asean/50942 ... -china-sea
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