Introduction
A world region is defined by the interconnectedness of areas based on social, economic, political, and cultural orientation. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one such region. The member states of the ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand (The ASEAN Secretariat 2013, par. 3). The ASEAN was formed to guarantee the interests of the member states in terms of regional stability, political and economic development. In later years, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, and finally, in 1999, Cambodia joined to become a region of 10 nations. This analytical treatise attempts to explicitly review the good and the bad in globalization and regionalization under the ASEAN umbrella. The treatise reviews the benefits of being a member of the ASEAN and the negative sides of ASEAN membership.
The Good of ASEAN
As indicated in the ASEAN website, the motto of the organization is “one vision, one identity, and one community” for the mutual benefits of the members (The ASEAN Secretariat 2013, par. 6). The region has a population of about 617 million people, which is equivalent to eight percent of the global population. Basically, if “ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the seventh-largest economy in the world behind the US, China, Japan, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom” (The ASEAN Secretariat 2013, par. 9). This means that the member states have a large and ready market for their products within the region covered by ASEAN (The ASEAN Secretariat 2013). Therefore, member states are empowered economically as business partners with mutual interests in trade and strategic economic alignment.
The second benefit of being a member of ASEAN is increased bargaining power in the regional and global economic markets among the member states. The ASEAN needed to come together because of China’s regional and global strength as well as each nation’s desire to become a part of the world economy (Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies 1999). It was necessary to coordinate efforts in order to scale and unify the strengths of each nation as equal partners for the economic growth and development endeavors of the regions. Besides, each member has been instrumental in the proper economic alignment through comparative advantage sustainability.
For instance, Malaysia provides water for Singapore, Burma exports rice, Singapore is the financial center for the ASEAN, Indonesia is an exporter of coal, and the Philippines is the biggest exporter of coconuts (Association of Southeast Asian Nations 2009). This means that the member states share a symbiotic relationship that is beneficial to everyone at internal and external levels.
Since the entire business framework of the ASEAN is to serve the economic and social interests of members within this region, it has become instrumental in improving life for its people in sectors such as healthcare, regional security, and political stability. In fact, ASEAN nations working together have reduced the potential for conflict because the nations have an incentive to cooperate with each other. At present, this region is one of the most peaceful in terms of economic understanding, strategic security, and high living standards among member states (Feng et al. 2008).
The Bad of ASEAN
Currently, there is a “growing worldwide pressure on states to conform to international standards of governance” (Association of Southeast Asian Nations 2009, par. 14). There is a lot of religious intolerance among the member states, despite several strategies that have been applied to downplay it. For instance, Thailand is predominated by the Buddhist religion. On the other hand, Indonesia and Malaysia are Islamic regions. In Singapore, Confucianism is the main religion, while Catholicism is very common in Filipinas. As a result of religious diversity, there is a fertile ground for creating political intolerance based on religious beliefs among the member states (Feng et al. 2008).
Besides, the member states have to incur a huge financial burden in the creation of a centralized communication, defense, and logistics support since the ASEAN covers a very large physical region. For instance, Indonesia and the Philippines are archipelagos with approximately 13,000 and 7,800 islands, respectively (Lee 2006). The protection of these areas is a concern and has a financial cost. Despite differences in the sizes of the economy of each member state, the equal resource contribution has also brought conflict to the relationships among the member states.
The integration of the ASEAN economies has always faced setbacks since there are disparities among the nations. Due to these disparities, there are challenges in controlling border relations, especially in terms of importing or exporting the labor force. For instance, migration has increased, forcing many Indonesians to attempt to cross the boarders into Malaysia in search of “greener pastures.” In response, “Malaysia deploys troops and naval vessels to limit the arrival of Indonesian migrants” (Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies 1999, p. 13). This is not in the good spirit of the ASEAN Foundation.
Conclusion
Unification and growth are words that promote positive relationships among the member states of ASEAN. The good of ASEAN is economic benefits, increased bargaining power among member states, and the creation of an expansive and ready market for different products. However, the bad of ASEAN include conflicts as a result of economic, religious, and social disparities. Besides, the cost of maintaining a centralized security and communication system has been passed to the member states.
Reference List
Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies. 1999. Globalisation in Asia: Getting the Breeze Without the Bugs. Jakarta.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. 2009. Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Kuala Lumpur. Web.
Feng, H., C. Ji, Y. Bo, Z. Xuegang, S. Shishun, L. Lin, L. Huimin, and X. Wei. 2008. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: ASEAN Integration and Its Effects. Kuala Lumpur.
Lee, S. 2006. Centre for Instructional Media in the Internet: ASEAN: Brief History and Its Problems. Jakarta.
The ASEAN Secretariat. 2013. ASEAN Community in Figures. Jakarta, Indonesia: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Web.