The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The ongoing clashes between Thai and Cambodia troops over a disputed border area surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple has shown that much work must be done in the process of creating an ASEAN community by 2015, an ASEAN official says.
“We always say that we’re heading in the direction of creating an ASEAN Community, but our spiritual situation is not going the same way,” executive director of ASEAN Foundation Makarim Wibisono said on Tuesday.
At least three Thais and eight Cambodians were killed and at least 34 Thais and 55 Cambodians were wounded as a result of the skirmishes, which began last Friday. The incident along the border of two ASEAN member states, said Makarim, had underlined that the current process of community building in ASEAN was not enough because most ASEAN activities were still government-centered, stressing that the bottom-up process, engaging more elements in society, must be stepped up. “It is significant that people-to-people contact be intensified. The community is not shaped by a resolution or a charter, but intensive interaction among people,” he said.
Makarim recalled in the early years that ASEAN focused on ministerial meetings. Then it developed to summits of head of states or governments. As a consequence, ASEAN produces such programs that engage mostly in state institutions, but still lack people-to-people interactions.
Therefore, in the next three years of his tenure in the ASEAN Foundation, Makarim would like to enhance people-to-people contact in the region, by conducting forums for civil society, such as ASEAN journalists and young people. An important factor in building the ASEAN Community is the “we feeling”, he said. “It is still absent in the minds of ASEAN people.”
6 comments:
Not just that, we should pay more attention to the history books being taught at school. Twisted history is the seed to the core of problems in south east asia, and is a future time bomb. The expansionist idea must be stopped if the region is to have a long and lasting peace. Frankyly speaking I can't see it'll happen, the Cambodian leaders MUST strengthen its military and defence for the future if it hopes to avoid war with its neighbours. Deterrent is the key to peace. So build up army, navy, and airforce, and modernize the arsenal no matter what the outcomes of the current issue. Don't be complacent. MUST be prepared....if we start now within ten years the gap of military imbalance between Cambodia and its neighbours will be narrowed. This all depend on the vision of the Cambodian leaders. Don't depend too much on the international community.
Remember the backbone of negotiation is military might.
12:32 PM!
Fuck You
AND
Motherfucker
12:32 PM!
Fuck You
AND
Motherfucker
The European(West) community is not the same as Asian(East)
community;the Asians
are greedy and unconcerned amongst
themselves.
The west are attached
to,heedful,
respectful,
workable nicely
toward each other.
The Asian community countries need to change their behaviors toward each.
Stop taking over one other such as Thai wants to over Khmer;Vietnam wants control over Cambodia and Lao.
Love,care,respect
toward each other.
the problem is see is that some members of asean like thailand for example are biased on the least developed countries of other asean members like cambodia, vietnam, myanmar and laos. siem is biased against the economic disparity of these countries. that's why it seemed ineffective. the goal or agenda of the organization is good, however, its effectiveness is questionable due to biased among its member states, etc!
* ASIA country 90% are Bad not Honest like Europe country.
*ASEAN are nothing.They rebuild for Fun only.
zero Asean
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