BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN ASEAN MEMBER STATES

Midweek of January 2020, at the invitation of Prof. Dafri Agussalim, Executive Director of ASEAN Studies Center – Gadjah Mada University, I attended a Seminar of Southeast Asian Think Tanks, held in Jakarta (Indonesia), sponsored by the United Kingdom Mission to ASEAN. The seminar was attended by over 30 researchers from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Also in attendance were Dr. Sudarno Sumarto, Representative of ASEAN Foundation – Vice President of Indonesia’s Office, and Mr. Phasporn Sangasubana – Ambassador of Thailand to Indonesia.

Delegates at the Seminar of Southeast Asian Think Tanks

Bridging the gap

According to Prof. Yulida Nuraini Santoso – Managing Director of ASEAN Studies Center, building rapport between researchers, sharing research results and providing academic support to ASEAN scientists will not only stimulate socio-economic growth in a sustainable manner but also contribute to the upholding of regional peace and security.

On a different note, Dr. Sudarno Sumarto stressed governments’ role in the development of research centers in each regional country as well as their responsibility in investing funds into education, maintaining fairness and incentivizing society development. In addition, Dr. Sumarto noted the comparative importance of the middle classes’ contribution to national advancement.

From a different perspective, Dr. Pornthep Benyaapipul – Director of Southeast Asian Studies Center, Thamasat University, Thailand, opined that group interest could cause deviation to many countries’ course of development. In his many debates, serving as a wake-up call to governments, Dr. Benyaapipul put utmost importance on the creation of a fair environment in which corporates are encouraged to participate in healthy competition and facilitate long-term development in human resources for the nation. Expanding on the aforementioned, he made inclusion of creating favorable conditions for conduction of research, publication of findings, and refraining from inclination towards familiar relationships during data gathering.

On the Indonesian side, Dr. Randy Wirasta Nandyatama noted that the government has been encouraging approximately 40 think tanks nationwide to provide suggestions to the government so as to build collective strength for socio-economic development.

In regard to regional security, Mme. Pich Charadine of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace discussed  the issue of national respect for international law. It is her belief that citizens, corporates, and governments alike must be made aware of international convention standard so as to abide by it accordingly. During the seminar, in response to China’s unrealistic nine-dash line, experts made call for unison in research in order to put pressure on the Chinese Government to adhere to international law in hope of maintaining peace and freedom of movement in ASEAN Member States’ waters. President of Indonesia Joko Widodo’s visit to Natuna Islands in waters disputed by China served as words of encouragement for researchers of ASEAN to contribute their research to common values capable of community empowerment.

Strengthening each nation’s inner power

Thailand Ambassador Phasporn Sangasubana hoped to see researchers make effort to strengthen their respective nations’ internal factors to further expand community-focused research. She noted that the government of Thailand has been supporting and encouraging development of many think tanks across the nation.

At the seminar, policy-makers were called on to exhibit greater degree of determination, solidarity, and sharing of human resources. In addition, future generations should be educated about appreciation of peace value,  the responsibility to society, closer union of ASEAN people, exchange of cultural values in order to have better understandings as well as to avoid community-dividing aggression and conflicts.

On the Vietnamese side, the think tank model of the “Friday Group”, founded by the former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, put on display the devotion of researchers and the receptiveness of those in position of leadership. Irrespective of thoughts of development, when people are united in their desire to make contribution to the community and bring prosperity to the masses, governments will seek out positive solutions for the betterment of the nation.

TRAN DINH LAM

Center for Vietnamese and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City

(*) This is a translation of the article "Hãy mang các nước ASEAN lại gần nhau" published in The Saigon Times, issue 9-2020 (1.524) on February 27^th, 2020

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