Jakarta Globe
Connectivity and community were the buzz words at the 18th Asean Summit that ended on Sunday. Despite the ongoing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, the spirit of cooperation that has become the hallmark of the regional grouping was very much evident.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in his closing remarks that the 10 Asean leaders who attended the two-day summit understood the importance of improving connectivity in the region by building more telecommunications and transportation infrastructure.
The president asked for the master plan for Asean connectivity be followed up with efforts from all member countries to create connectivity in their respective countries, on the regional level and in people-to-people contact.
Yudhoyono hit the nail on the head when he added that connectivity was not just about building mobility but also an effort to reduce disparities between member countries, allowing them to narrow the development gap between them.
The two-day summit also created consensus among the leaders that they need to cooperate more in facing the challenge of energy shortages that have become a global threat by reducing dependence on fossil fuel and turning more toward renewable energy.
Asean has come along way since its founding, and today it represents a region of nearly 700 million people and a gross domestic product of $2.9 trillion. It is rich in human capital as well as natural resources. It offers tremendous potential but also faces huge challenges.
It was appropriate that the theme for this year’s summit was connectivity. In a globalized world, no nation or region can survive or progress on its own. Asean may be still far from reaching the level of connectivity achieved by the European Union, but the desire and intention to create a community of nations is certainly there.
The leaders of the 10 member countries have also started looking beyond 2015, when the Asean Community will be in place. By then, there will be free movement of goods, capital and skilled labor in the region. This will almost certainly benefit all the member countries, but in the end, Asean must be relevant to the business community and the man on the street.
2 comments:
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer every day.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Koh Tral was a Cambodian island, and technically and legally, remained a Cambodian island until today.
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
asean also carried with them a bunch of baggages, especially the older members. that's why there are disparity among asean member countries, you know! they need to implement law to lessen disparity among their members, new and old ones, ok! stop bias and bad attitude, ok! be professional and stick with code of conduct, etc, ok!
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