1. What is ASEAN? Why is it important for Southeast Asia?

Why do you think ASEAN failed to come up with a joint

statement (a statement saying what they agreed to, kind
of like your Model UN declaration) on the situation
regarding the Chinese military buildup in the South China
Sea?
The Association of Southeast Asia Nations, or ASEAN,
was established on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand,
with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok
Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
It is established in order to strengthen further the existing
bonds of regional solidarity and cooperation, including
economic and security ties.
ASEAN is very important and necessary for Southeast
Asia. It covers a small geographical area of enormous
complexity with different people, religions, culture, laws,
trading standards, political systems, histories and possible
conflicts. It is a Mini United Nations based on good will and
participation. In fact, ASEAN has been especially
successful in the service industries and helping economies
diversify through consumption rather than just exporting.
To sum up, ASEAN is significant because it helps
approximately 630 million people to achieve collective,
including defense, protection, growing trade, and
economic vitality.
Focusing on the issue about the Chinese military,
ASEAN has repeatedly attempted to resolve the issue, but
has thus far failed. The South China Sea conflict has
jeopardized diplomatic relations between member states,
as several are heavily influenced by China. ASEANs lack
of coherence on the issue has led to criticism of the
groups supposedly weak leadership and disjointed
priorities. In my opinion, I think the reason why ASEAN
failed to come up with a joint statement on the situation
regarding the Chinese military buildup in the South China
Sea is because the United States and the allies feared that
the Chinese military will become powerful and one day it
might me uncontrollable. This can also be linked to

economic status. Once the Chinese military grow into

power, it will affect the other countries benefit.

(2) The video also mentions the goal of creating a

distinct ASEAN identity by 2020? Do you think there is
such a thing a "ASEAN identity"? Can this goal be
achieved?
In my opinion, I strongly believe that identity really
do exist in ASEAN. It combined all the country members,
including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and
Vietnam, into one whole identity. ASEAN has a very unique
and special identity. This identity consists of different
ideas, norms, values, culture, history, multilateralism,
diversity, religion, and beliefs.
ASEAN had set up so many goals, such as setting up
the ASEAN Foundation as one of the instruments to
address issues of unequal economic development, poverty
and socioeconomic disparities, meeting the ever
increasing demand for improved infrastructure and
communications by developing an integrated and
harmonized trans-ASEAN transportation network and
harnessing technology advances in telecommunication
and information technology, especially in linking the
planned information highways/multimedia corridors in
ASEAN. Moreover, it ASEAN also aimed to promote open
sky policy, developing multi-modal transport, facilitating
goods in transit and integrating telecommunications
networks through greater interconnectivity, coordination
of frequencies and mutual recognition of equipment-type
approval procedures, promoting financial sector
liberalization and closer cooperation in money and capital
market, tax, insurance and customs matters as well as
closer consultations in macroeconomic and financial
policies, enhancing human resource development in all
sectors of the economy through quality education,
upgrading of skills and capabilities and training. These

goals are all possible to achieved if every country

cooperate and set good plans or strategies.