User talk:UPshinji

Hi UPshinji,

Would like to verify if the content below is your entry?

In a speech by former Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong titled "Deepening Regional Integration and Co-operation", he mentioned reinvigorating the ASEAN economies from the slump of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. He proposed for deeper economic integration within the region and enhancement of linkages with other economies outside the region; the need for response to the growth of the East Asian economies, especially "riding on" the rising Chinese economy; and stronger regional anti-terrorism measures. "[T]he general way forward for ASEAN is clearly faster and deeper integration, internally, and with the rest of East Asia, rather than slower and less," he said, further musing should ASEAN evolve like the European Union or remain a "free association of independent states that voluntarily synchronise their policies."

I agree that this is an important tidbit, however, I felt that it does not fit in the flow of the history towards ASEAN 2015. Which started with 1997 launch of ASEAN 2020, Bali Concord, acceleration of integration to 2015, and the establishment of the blueprints.

In the spirit of Wikipedia, please feel free to return the speech of PM Goh Chok Tong (address made during the WEF 2002) where you feel it fits. Though, I suggest creating a separate sub section on ASEAN commentaries/ personalities. I noticed there seem to be a lot of speeches/ commentaries surrounding the ASEAN and maybe they deserve their own sub section (similar to the criticisms and reception). Or maybe it belongs to the very top as a justification for the integration?

Thanks Yanna alfa (talk) 04:20, 16 December 2014 (UTC)

My Answer
Yeah. Those were my text. Actually the whole section "History" that you edited was mine.

I was tracing the history of how the integration came to be. When the ASEAN leaders conceived the ASEAN 2020 in 1997, they had no idea of the integration as we are having it today. They merely outlined their visions of what ASEAN would be in 2020. Remember that by 1997, ASEAN is not yet composed of 10 nations. Cambodia came in 1999.

The succeeding agreements like Bali Concord II etc referred back to ASEAN 2020 and other previous agreements (when there were still 5 or 6 members), if you will read their texts. The "integration", first thought only of the economic one, started when PM Go Chok Tong delivered the speech which was on October 2002. (This was how I understand it when I attended a forum about ASEAN Integration; Mr. Severino alluded to that speech by Go Chock Tong in 2002.) The Bali Concord II which seeks to establish the ASEAN Community (by 2020) was signed on 2003. Later the 2020 deadline was moved to 2015.

Please take note of that timeline. This is why I was keen at including that vital information.

If I had to take my way, I would revert back the original text as I find it more cohesive. By the way, I provided the necessary references for that and and editor ought to have checked that.

By the way, I am an editor myself. UPshinji (talk) 17:03, 16 December 2014 (UTC)