Scavengers of Hope

(3rd Placer during the online celebration of ASEAN month Region II)

(The Official Flag of The Association of South East Asian Nations)

Strong Together then and now

Fifty three years ago in the land of the free people of Siam or in it's formal name- Thailand, Five countries in the orient who were devastated by war and local turmoils created one of today's most successful regional organization in the world. Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia noticed the need for cooperation in order to survive the harsh political and economical conditions of the 1960's.

Inspired by the success of the European Union they created today's ASEAN hoping to someday be on par with the countries of the West. But the political climate of the 1960's proved to be a huge hindrance for the Associations success. All five founding countries are in the verge of local uprisings due to the presence of communistic Red shadow in the Orient. They are struggling to create a strong and stable partnership for all of the original founders was at each others throat, rising political and racial tensions were rampant including territorial disputes among them. 

(The First Members of ASEAN, in Thailand August 8, 1967)

The global audience expected that the Association will be short lived due to all factors mentioned but the original founders defied the expectations of the West. Instead of failing they began to succeed, they did not just merely survived but also managed to outpaced all other regional organizations in the world. It managed not just to become a strong barrier for Red China's dominance but also turned into a haven for other South East Asian Nations looking for partners who aims to prosper and succeed in a harmonious co existence and friendly partnership.

For the last 50 years since it was created it managed to bring prosperity and peace to one of the most troubled region in the globe. ASEAN brought The once far and divided nations of the Orient closer together. The once savage, weak and exploited nations on Earth who took a beating for hundred of years under foreign colonial domination managed to elevate the lives of 600+ million people living in the Orient. Indeed There's no other regional organization around the world who managed to do such a magnificent feat in a span of fifty years. ASEAN might not be a perfect organization but it truly deserves the respect of the world. 

(Map of the ASEAN with all country members)

Today, the triumphant ASEAN has an active member of 10 countries continuing to pursue economic partnership and strengthening political ties with each other. Aesop is right ,indeed in Union there is always strength for even the weak is strong when they are United. But now ASEAN's faces an enemy that they never expected to deal with. An enemy that kills thousands without firing a single bullet, an invincible one, deadly and indestructible.

(A poster of ASEAN's 53rd Founding Anniversary)

ASEAN's current battle

The year 2020 is quite a bad start for a new decade. A pandemic had arise and plunged the world in fear, panic and chaos. Even the valiant superpowers was brought to it's knees, South East Asia is not an exemption to this deadly pathogen named Covid-19. There are Currently 23,593,494 cases around the globe and it continues to multiply everyday posing a deadly threat to the socio-economic stability of the South East Asian countries.

 

(ASEAN's Special Summit on Covid-19)

Covid's economic effect globally is gigantic,  possibly surpassing the economic damage of the 2008 recession and the Great Depression. Aside from lost of human resources and multiplying mortality rate, the greatest threat of the pandemic is market disruption that could halt expanding economies or worst it might  send us back to the Stone Age.

Each country in the ASEAN has its own countermeasures against the virus. Some members like Thailand and Brunei kept the virus at Bay having no major breakout and influx in mortality rate. Laos who has an almost non existent health Care system managed to effectively prevent any major outbreak in their country. Thanks to the swift actions this countries initiated, they were able to lessen the dangerous impact that Covid 19 posses.

Developing nations in the ASEAN such as Philippines and Indonesia kept on registering a thousand new cases everyday contributing a large number on the over all cases in the South East Asian Region. This raised up the possibility of a large economic backslash if the virus in each respective countries thrive longer than expected.

(Vietnam)

(Philippines)

(Indonesia) 

Covid 19 rapidly decimated the economic capabilities of countries in the ASEAN. Due to such, recessions are expected to happen some countries are already suffering from devastating economic damages due to various lockdowns and economically unfriendly policies that each country made to lessen the virus' outbreak. But aside from socio economic damages Covid 19 was seen also to contribute damage in the much more important fundamentals of the ASEAN, it began to deface unity among the members of the Association.

(Crumbling Wall of Unity)

Unity and Cooperation in danger

The virus caught the countries of ASEAN off-guard, it attacked faster than the blitzkrieg and struck us unexpectedly. Due to the existence of the pandemic, the mentality of "nation first" had begun to circle in the region. The lack of a collective plan to battle the pandemic weakened unity and dismantled the idea of cohesive and strong partnership. 

Political analyst has begun to question the commitment of South East Asian countries to the organization, viewing that the lack of regional unity is a sign of dwindling cooperation and rising selfishness among the members. This was evident to Singapore and Vietnam's refusal to share their best practices in avoiding major covid outbreaks on their own countries at the earlier stages of the pandemic. This past months each member of the Association has been acting independently on their own, this might be understanble as Ibrahim Almuttaqi of the Habibie Center's ASEAN studies said but he believes that this might affect the greater good.

(Ibrahim Al Mutaqqi)

The essence of ASEAN might actually lost and it poses a grave threath to the region as it might  possibly dismantle the very organization that helped advance innovation through integration of different countries in the Orient. As such, Vietnam, the host of this year's ASEAN Summit must once again inspire other members to fight as one in the battle against Covid 19 and plan together for future goals after the pandemic.

ASEANS success was all due to the United approach that we had adapted, the interdependence of nations paved way for all countries in the far East to attain economic security and development. Friendship and diplomacy is ASEAN's trump card that made the organization  renowned around the globe. The success of ASEAN wasn't attained due to competition but cooperation, friendship and Integration, virtues that countries must apply today in the midst of disaster.

Comrades in the face of War

We are technically in a war, a war that we don't know when will end, a war against an unseen villain. In front of a war the need for cooperation is necessary, as neighbors and part of the same region we have no one to depend on aside from ourselves. We as united ASEAN can easily face global change and effectively use our collective efforts for the greater good. A unity deeply rooted in friendship And diplomacy is what we need in order to advance new goals to suit the demands of this ever changing society.

Members of the ASEAN should reaffirm commitment specially in the midst of the pandemic to sustain growth and lessen the inevitable effect of the pandemic. Our economies are intertwined with each other, cooperating in a global scale, viewing it as an "almost as one economy". 

This united approach is what caused this severe economic damages, but this doesn't mean that isolated Economies are better. A country can't survive alone, every nation must also cooperate with their neighbors, that is the essence of economic cooperation. The pandemic defeated us because our economies are connected with each other, let us also use that  to gain the upperhand against Covid-19.

The pandemic may lead to long-term and considerable economic Implications. In order To restore confidence and revive the economy, everyone must unite and consider the following policy recommendations of ASEAN: mobilise all available macro, financial, and structural policy tool;  preserve the economy’s productive capacity; keep the supply chains going; leverage on technologies and digital trade; strengthen social safety nets; scale up regional pandemic response; and redouble the resolve to advance regional integration. 

This is not the proper time to be selfish and isolated. The ASEAN has been working together for years not just as a simple organization but as a community of nations who set aside their different views, their disputes, and past atrocities at each other to become one and united, aiming for a common goal and dreaming for the same vision.  Work with strong unity for community building and adhere to the principles of partnership in order to steer ASEAN softly in the sea of change and uncertainty.

In that way we could also protect our economies from global uncertainties and rapid changes in the global market. We could be able to cope up if we keep in touch with each other and be able to defend ourselves against any aggression from countries outside the jurisdiction of ASEAN. As partners committed to the organization this could help each other to settle differences through diplomacy and civil coversations. 

(Leaders of Singapore, Philippines, Myanmarr and other country members in a handshake)

Unity for survival in a new age

ASEAN might not be perfect at all sides but it is indeed an organization worthy of praise. It confidently showcase it's ability to cope up with the new age. The world can possibly change after the pandemic, the negative outcomes outnumbers the positive ones. The ASEAN can find refugee in unity specially in terms of economic recovery. In unity comes effective response, for without unity everyone can't respond accurately.

The 1960's was a point in history full of unexpected events and possess a hostile political environment. Unity has saved the ASEAN and brought it to the position higher than most global organizations in the world. Through coordinated plans they were able to craft precise response that suits the climate of politics then. This new era might not look dangerous but the current turn of events ensures that the present is risky and intimidating. The certainty of ASEAN's survival depends on how they will handle the current events together. 

( The 1960's presented in 2 separate images)

Now the ASEAN is stuck between the feud of two contending powers trying to fight over who will shape the world in the next decade. The ASEAN nations must decide which will they choose? Be neutral? or follow the lead of their fellow nations?. ASEAN is the one who will define the future of the Far East and possibly even the world itself. In order to survive the predicament of not being able to choose whether they will stand against China or protect their interest members of the ASEAN must have a final solution. A decision made and agreed by each members.

(Artificial Island built by China in the long disputed West Philippine Sea)

(Rohingya Genocide in Myanmar)

(Malaysia and Philippines North Borneo Dispute)

Unity is slowly crumbling as most members had different views regarding the current political issues they face. This lessens the confidence of member countries to the decisions of each other. In order to survive not just the pandemic but also the hostile climate of South East Asias political arena they must strengthen cohesiveness in order to create a better response that will benefit them in the long run.

Strong and resilient ASEAN

Despite having issues within themselves given the fact that each country has adapted different stance on political, global and territorial affairs. The slogan of ASEAN remains strongly advocated by all members of the Association. "One vision, one identity, One community" the beacon of hope that proves unity still thrives among this nations.

The fight against Covid 19 is an evident proof of strong sense of togetherness as all members of the organization joined in a fight to end the pandemic. Post covid plans were written and studied thoroughly waiting to be finalize and ultimately be exercise.

ASEAN has been strongly standing together for half a century, has experienced economic recessions, witnessed global changes and yet was able to keep up in the raging waves of uncertainty, proving to be an efficient organization on par with the European Union. 

The sense of unity, friendship, effective response and diplomacy that they follow made them stronger than before. Together the nations of the ASEAN could open new possibilities specially if they continue the close coordination and mutual support at different multilateral frameworks. Through current bilateral cooperation, the ASEAN could contribute a lot in the peace and stability of the region and the world. 

Written by: Mr. Zeus R. Gongob

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