8 August 2007

So today ASEAN IS 40 YEARS OLD

Ten years ago, the anniversary was celebrated in Kuala Lumpur and the then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahammad Mahathir wanted the three missing Southeast Asia countries to join the Association for this opportunity : Mynmar, Laos and Cambodge.

In 1967, the non-aligned Burma refused to join the founding meeting by the first five members (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines) because they were too closed with the USA. Brunei, at that time was not yet a souverain country.

In 1997, against the US and EU wish who are partners of Asean but apply sanctions against the military junta, Mynmar was invited to join, so was also Laos. Just Cambodia failed to join because a coup lead by Husen against the First Prime Minister Rannaridh. Cambodia joined two years later.

1997, has been also the year when started the financial crisis which affected so much Southeast Asia. Asean members din't try to solve the problem in concertation. It was everyone for itself and for the first time the 1976 declaration, critics where exchanged between members. The direct foreign investments in the Asean countries fled to Northeast Asia.

The problem of what Asean has to be is not realy solved and the recover of a strong economy is search in a way called Asean + 3 (China, Korea, Japan). Another problem is the big disparities between the member-states.

Herre is a non optimist declaration by the Singaporian Prime Minister
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?aid=11501 <br><br>Post edited by: Jacques, at: 2007/08/08 16:12