ASEAN (ay-zee-un)
Background:
ASEAN was founded in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. ASEAN spans over an area of 4.46 million km, 3% of the total land area of Earth, with a population of approximately 600 million people, 8.8% of the world population. In 2010, its combined nominal GDP had grown to USD $1.8 trillion. If ASEAN was a single country, it would rank as the 9th largest economy in the world and the 3rd largest in Asia in terms of nominal GDP. A common external preferential tariff scheme promotes the free flow of goods within ASEAN countries. ASEAN has concluded free trade agreements with China, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and most recently India. The EU is a potential in the future to have free trade agreements. Each country differs drastically on governments and how they function.
Resolutions:
1. THB supports ASEAN.
2. THB would participate in free trade with ASEAN.
3. THBT ASEAN has failed.
PRO’s (+): | CON’s (-): |
Ø Myanmar (Burma) is one of the countries part of ASEAN. It is military-led and has problems allowing human rights to its citizens. ASEAN is endorsing lack of human rights. | Ø This is a step in the right direction. Otherwise Myanmar would be worse off. ASEAN is helping Myanmar. |
Ø Countries that are involved sometimes cannot support themselves and are a burden on ASEAN and other countries. | Ø These countries need help and ASEAN helps them develop. |
Ø Certain countries get trade benefits with ASEAN such as China, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand while other countries like US do not. That is not fair for a free market. Either open it up or close it. Playing favorites. | Ø ASEAN provides benefits for countries to trade with. It increases economies of ASEAN countries making products and services cheaper because of no tax. Also, countries that trade are benefited as well. It’s a win win situation. |
Ø Not allowing states to be independent and join ASEAN because they need the economic help. ASEAN forces countries to participate because of the benefits. Forcing countries to join by making it so appealing they can’t say no. | Ø Individual states chose if they want to join ASEAN countries. It is their choice. |
Ø Makes countries trades within each other instead of outside their group. Stuck to one way of trade with certain groups of people. | Ø Again, no state is forced to do anything, it just benefits them depending on who they trade with. |
Ø Too diverse. Cultures. Faith. People. Way of life. Language. Traditions. | Ø Working together helps each country advance according their pace. |
Summaries
a. US sort of getting involved in Myanmar government and expecting them to have fair election. A n election hasn’t happened since 1990 and when National League for Democracy (NLD)won but won, but was not allowed to take power by the military.
a. Aung San Suu Kyi. She is the leader of trhe NLD and under house arrest. There is still no fair representation for this next election Nov 7.
a. Many of Myanmar’s 50 million people live in poverty and suffer from ongoing human rights violations.
b. Political prisoners now number over 2,200.
a. “Thailand is Burma's largest trading partner, based largely on its gas imports, and is keen to enhance ties further. Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Thai prime minister, recently signed a $13 billion deal to build a port and industrial park at Tavoy with a rail link into Thailand. “
b. “China has also been an enthusiastic customer for Burma's natural resources - particularly gas, timber and gems, while India is reluctant to cede the field to its rival on narrow moral grounds. Both countries recognize that Burma could provide a natural trade corridor between the 1.3 billion people of China and the 1.2 billion in India.”
a. “China has sent a strong signal that it would boost regional peace, stability and development in the spirit of cooperation and unity at the fifth East Asia Summit, said Qin Yaqing, deputy director of the Chinese Foreign Affairs University”
a. United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, not bound by ASEAN's principle of non-interference in members' internal affairs, did speak up on the sidelines of regional talks Saturday.
b. "The United States is concerned about the arrest and conviction of people for peaceful dissent, attacks on religious groups, and curbs on Internet freedom," Clinton said after meeting with Vietnamese leaders
7. http://english.vovnews.vn/Home/ASEANRussia-relation-expected-to-rise-to-new-height/201010/120948.vov
a. October 30th was the 2nd ASEAN-RUSSIA Summit. Both created a Joint Statement showing they will strengthen the relationship.
a. The agreement between China and the ten-country Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) covers nearly 1.9 billion people.
b. On January 1st the six richest ASEAN members eliminated remaining tariffs and barriers to investment on 90% of products. But the poorest four ASEAN members, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, will not need to cut tariffs to the same levels till 2015.
a. Although China's trade with South East Asia is far smaller than with the West, it is growing rapidly. Between 2003 and 2008, it more than tripled from $59.6bn (£37.5bn) to $192.5bn.
b. China has already overtaken the US to become ASEAN's third largest trading partner, and will leap past Japan and the EU within the first few years of the new trade bloc, said Sundram Pushpanathan, the Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Economic Community
c. The new free trade zone has taken eight years to put together. However, some smaller countries, such as Indonesia and the Philippines have protested at the eleventh hour that they fear being swamped by a wave of Chinese goods.
d. "In the short term there will be some adjustments that some countries have to make. Some local companies will lose their domestic market share but ultimately consumers will benefit," said Mr Pushpanathan.
a. The group includes the ten ASEAN member states along with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.
b. The United States and Russia have been invited to join, and will send representatives this year.
c. The US is sending Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has been urged in recent days by human-rights advocates and US congressmen to put human rights on the summit's agenda.
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