An interview about Poverty in Southeast Asia

I’m currently making a research about poverty in the Southeast Asia. This is a complex problem which hasn’t been solved since the 1990s. In the 1997 the Asian Financial Crisis appeared in the Southeast Asia and in the East Asia. East Asia has easily recovered its economy by boosting its industry and technological products. On the other hand, the weak economy basis created a more dramatic poverty of the majority countries in Southeast Asia. For making a deeper research for this issue, i took an interview with Ms. Femmy Soemantri from the Natural Resources Unit of the ASEAN.

1. Historically, ASEAN was established for the political reason, rather than economy. But for today, does ASEAN need a bigger role in economy?

Yes, definitely. ASEAN needs to have a bigger role in generating the economies of its Member Countries. In fact, nowadays ASEAN has gradually changed its nature of organization to becoming more as a regional economic grouping with a vision to pursue an economic integration by 2015.

2. What efforts have ASEAN made to stabilize the economic of the region post the Asian Financial Crisis 1997?

Through various sectoral cooperation among Member Countries and with the international community i.e. dialogue partners and international organization, ASEAN has done many initiatives in re-stabilizing the regional economy.

3. Has the economic instrument (such as AFTA) of ASEAN effectively worked so far?

To begin with, ASEAN has now already established Free Trade Area agreement within ASEAN and with other regions or dialogue partners. Some have already been implemented, while some of them are still on going negotiation and many are coming.

Regarding the effectiveness of the agreements, we are not in a position to say it has been implemented maximally. To implement or make any agreement becomes operational, it takes a lot of other variables than the finalization of the agreement itself. Politics, economics, systems, governances, or even social and other related things are among the issues to be taken into consideration on applying the FTA agreement.

For more information on FTA and AFTA, please see http://www.aseansec.org/4920.htm

4. If it’s already effective, why are the majority countries in ASEAN couldn’t have independent economy? If it’s not yet effective, why is the cause and what solution does ASEAN offer?

Please refer to answer no. 3 for your question on effectiveness.

Regarding the issue of economic independency among ASEAN Member Countries, there still exists economic and development gap between the Member Countries, especially for the newest Member Countries i.e. Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Viet Nam. ASEAN has been trying to address the gap by the initiatives of NDG (Narrowing Development Gap) under IAI initiatives.

For more information on IAI, please see http://www.aseansec.org/14013.htm

5. Post 1997 crisis, many of the ASEAN countries face the poverty problem. What has ASEAN done to deal with this specific problem?

Through ASEAN Cooperation on Social Recovery under the purview of Rural Development and Poverty Eradication Sector, ASEAN has done many initiatives to address the respective issue.

For more information, please see http://www.aseansec.org/4954.htm

6. About the regional cooperation, does ASEAN have any specific policy in order to reduce the poverty problem in Southeast Asia?

You may wish to refer to answer no. 5 and see the mentioned link of website.

7. What sort of cooperation have ASEAN done with another organizations in order to reduce poverty?

You may wish to refer to answer no. 5 and see the mentioned link of website.

In addition, as additional reference, you may also see the list of projects conducted in ASEAN through http://www.aseansec.org/asean_project.htm

8.The majority of ASEAN countries are developing countries. They have to deal with social problems and non traditional security issues. How can ASEAN deal with those problems?

The ASEAN Community rests on three pillars: the Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community and Political and Security Community. These elements are the umbrellas and basic principles of ASEAN to address the challenge problems on social and non-traditional security issues.

Please see the attached ASEAN Brief 2007 for progress of the realization of the three pillars. You will also find some statistical data and findings that might be related to your research.

9. Do you personally optimistic that ASEAN will successfully reduce the poverty in Southeast Asia?

Yes, definitely optimistic on the ASEAN’s role on poverty reduction in the region, because it is congruent with the aims and purposes of ASEAN.

Through the vision on becoming one community of ASEAN, the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and (2) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.

For general information and overview of ASEAN, please refer to http://www.aseansec.org/64.htm

Thank’s for Ms. Femmy Soemantri who has been very helpful for me and my research.