Asean Community is almost here

[webfact]

WHAT OTHERS SAY
Asean Community is almost here
Japan Times
Asia News Network

TOKYO: -- Southeast Asian leaders in their summit late last month declared that the Asean Community will be launched on December 31. Compared with the European Union, which involves transfer of some state sovereignty to the union and the use of a common currency for most of its members, the Asean Community will be a rather loose supranational grouping.

Even so, it should try to develop a sense of unity - the basis for healthy and robust development as a community - among the participating countries and their citizens. Narrowing the huge economic gap among its members and overcoming problems arising from political diversity will be among its key challenges.

Japan, for its part, should take the creation of the new regional community as a chance to consider anew how it should approach the 10-member Asean as a whole - which is expected to develop into a single market with a population of more than 600 million in the form of the Asean Economic Community (AEC). While Japan has ostensibly sought deeper ties with the regional group, its interests have so far focused mainly on individual Asean members and on investing in them as production bases and markets for its businesses.

The Asean Community has its roots in the idea to create an East Asia Economic Caucus, proposed in 1990 by then-Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who thought that Southeast Asian nations need to form a regional free trade zone to cope with economic challenges from Western powers.

While the Asean Community aims to achieve integration in three areas - economic, political and security, and social and cultural affairs - it is unclear at this stage how the members will pursue community-building except in the economic arena because of their vast political, ethnic and religious diversity.

Some member states have territorial disputes among themselves and with China in the South China Sea, and their attitude toward Beijing, which seeks to expand its influence in the region, differs. Currently, only the AEC has substance. Six economically advanced Asean members - Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Brunei - in principle abolished tariffs on intra-regional trade in 2010.

The other four poorer economies - Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam - are to follow suit by 2018. The member states are also seeking to simplify trade procedures, ease restriction on the movement of skilled workers and liberalise investments in the service sector.

The AEC will be larger than the EU in terms of the combined population of its members. But its total GDP at $2.57 trillion is smaller than Japan's and way below that of the EU. Opening domestic industries to regional competition will be a challenge. The retail sector in Indonesia and the Philippines, car manufacturers in Malaysia and Vietnam and the financial businesses of Myanmar and Laos are likely to put up resistance to liberalisation. Some Asean members have already introduced taxes on luxury goods, a move that runs counter to market-opening efforts.

Some member countries are also lagging in constructing infrastructure such as roads and ports. One big problem is the moves toward protectionism and failures to remove non-tariff barriers by individual member countries as they try to alleviate the impact of China's economic slowdown. The AEC as a whole does not have a concrete road map to abolish non-tariff barriers by its members.

Unlike the EU, the AEC does not aim for complete freedom in the movement of people within the region, establishment of a common parliament and administrative organisation or creation of a common currency. As some 9,000 Japanese firms are operating in the region, Japan should resolve on growing together with Asean and helping it lay the foundation for a community that is aimed at accelerating regional development as well as stabilisation in the political and security arenas.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Asean-Community-is-almost-here-30274424.html

-- The Nation 2015-12-07

[Somtamnication]

Well, with all the English teachers being replaced at government schools with 500 Liverpudlian accented Thai English teachers, Thailand is ready!!

[Sunderland]

This country is as ready for the Asean community as a nursery school student is ready to study advanced applied nuclear physics.

[JAG]

As part of the push for uniform practices throughout ASEAN countries I hear that Thailand is to switch to driving on the right.

The changeover will be phased, with Heavy Goods Vehicles driving on the right from February the first, busses from May and remaining traffic in July.

A spokesman said, " We don't anticipate any major problems, Thai drivers are flexible, and many already drive on the right if that is where the shade is!"

[Ianatlarge]

This country is as ready for the Asean community as a nursery school student is ready to study advanced applied nuclear physics.

I take a more optimistic view. Intermediate level advanced applied nuclear physics.

[upena]

Waiting to hear the Thais scream about the foreigners that stole their jobs. Wait for it

[Seastallion]

Waiting to hear the Thais scream about the foreigners that stole their jobs. Wait for it

Yep.

Can you just imagine it when a Burmese entrepeneur opens shop and employs Burmese managers and Thai workers. Those Thai workers will be arriving at work with disguises and through the back door so nobody sees them being subservient to a Pama.

[12DrinkMore]

This is just another source of "jobs for the boys", so that we have another tier of politicians swanning around meeting each other, producing huge mounds of garbled documents. Here is the list of countries.

The Advanced Countries

Brunei

Malaysia

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Indonesia

The less developed countries to join in 2018

Lao PDR

Vietnam

Cambodia

Myanmar

So what do we really have?

1. Some vague agreement to allow the limited flow of skilled labour in the ASEAN countries.

2. Some vague agreement to improve intra-ASEAN trade by reducing trade restrictions and taxes.

3. An organisation whose employees consider themselves to be self-important and require regular meetings in nice places, nice hotels eating the best food they can find, claiming huge salaries and expenses. And in the future numerous "Study committees" will be set up, allowing the extended family of cronies to hitch a ride on the gravy train.

Neither of the two Asian heavyweights are involved, so they will still have to make individual agreements with ASEAN members and not the ASEAN block as a whole.

[PREM-R]

One the eve of the signing of the AEC agreement in Malaysia, I saw on TV, BBC news I think, a discussion of how professionals from certain sectors would be able to work within other member countries. A lady outlining the Thai view suggested that while, in theory, that would be so, in the case of Thailand a professional would have to pass a written test, in Thai, in order to get full accreditation to work in Thailand. This despite the preferred language of the AEC being English.

Edited December 7, 2015 by PREM-R

[elgordo38]

One the eve of the signing of the AEC agreement in Malaysia, I saw on TV, BBC news I think, a discussion of how professionals from certain sectors would be able to work within other member countries. A lady outlining the Thai view suggested that while, in theory, that would be so, in the case of Thailand a professional would have to pass a written test, in Thai, in order to get full accreditation to work in Thailand. This despite the preferred language of the AEC being English.

Everybody is speaking in "Tongues" Everybody wants to protect their own "turf" Babylon shall reign.

[silent]

Well, with all the English teachers being replaced at government schools with 500 Liverpudlian accented Thai English teachers, Thailand is ready!!

It's just another definition of Thainess. Like a day spent correcting pronunciations with ed, just to watch the Thai English teacher to undo it all and correct me the next day. Absolutely hopeless.

[Srikcir]

"use of a common currency for most of its members"

Since the yuan is now part of the IMF currency basket, will it become the ASEAN common currency?

[12DrinkMore]

"use of a common currency for most of its members"

Since the yuan is now part of the IMF currency basket, will it become the ASEAN common currency?

No.

I think the world has had enough of politicians trying that on. The Euro was always doomed to create misery and stress.

And anyway, China is NOT part of the ASEAN group, see my post above.

[casindonet]

Well, with all the English teachers being replaced at government schools with 500 Liverpudlian accented Thai English teachers, Thailand is ready!!

None of the asean countries are ready for it & that is why it is going to be a major flop.

[Jeremy50]

'East Asian Economic Caucus' Who dreams up this pompous crap? ASEAN, on a road to absolutely nowhere.

[biggles45]

Not only do professionsals who want to work in Thailand have to pass a test...in Thai, but it is restricted to only 8 professions that will be allowed to test.

[bangon04]

"Compared with the European Union, which involves transfer of some state sovereignty to the union and the use of a common currency for most of its members, the Asean Community will be a rather loose supranational grouping."

We see how history has been rewritten by the short memories and bureaucrats in Brussels.

We joined the EEC - European Economic Community. the clue is in the name. At the time it seemed like a good idea for free trade and cooperation.

Our government(s) did not give us a vote on whether the EEC should have become the EU by transferring state sovereignty on an ongoing basis.

AEC beware - your "loose supranational grouping" may evolve into something more without your approval. Please learn by our mistakes if you can.

[connda]

One the eve of the signing of the AEC agreement in Malaysia, I saw on TV, BBC news I think, a discussion of how professionals from certain sectors would be able to work within other member countries. A lady outlining the Thai view suggested that while, in theory, that would be so, in the case of Thailand a professional would have to pass a written test, in Thai, in order to get full accreditation to work in Thailand. This despite the preferred language of the AEC being English.

Nice analysis. That's classic!

[connda]

Well, with all the English teachers being replaced at government schools with 500 Liverpudlian accented Thai English teachers, Thailand is ready!!

It's just another definition of Thainess. Like a day spent correcting pronunciations with ed, just to watch the Thai English teacher to undo it all and correct me the next day. Absolutely hopeless.

Don't forget plural nouns that use 'S's with either an Ssss sound or a Zzzz sound that most Thais are incapable of making. Instead they just continue to make all nouns uncountable. Then don't even get me started on the order of adjectives and nouns.

Everyone from ASEAN should just learn to speak Thai.

Edited December 7, 2015 by connda

[Happy Grumpy]

Waiting to hear the Thais scream about the foreigners that stole their jobs. Wait for it

There isn't free movement of labor, as in the EU.

[tribalfusion001]

Well, with all the English teachers being replaced at government schools with 500 Liverpudlian accented Thai English teachers, Thailand is ready!!

It's just another definition of Thainess. Like a day spent correcting pronunciations with ed, just to watch the Thai English teacher to undo it all and correct me the next day. Absolutely hopeless.

Don't forget plural nouns that use 'S's with either an Ssss sound or a Zzzz sound that most Thais are incapable of making. Instead they just continue to make all nouns uncountable. Then don't even get me started on the order of adjectives and nouns.

Everyone from ASEAN should just learn to speak Thai.

The 6 new Thai teacher of English will correct this and there will be no more mistake.

[IsaanUSA]

Can't wait for the ASEAN beers in Thailand!

[johng]

Can't wait for the ASEAN beers in Thailand!

Don't hold your breath.

[IsaanUSA]

Can't wait for the ASEAN beers in Thailand!

Don't hold your breath.

I've been waiting for years, I can handle a few more months

[tonypace02]

The four countries that will not be joining ASEAN until 2018, are all adjacent to Thailand. So for 2 years our only ASEAN neighbor will be Malaysian.