Should Bangladesh join ASEAN?

[Yankees]

Bangladesh should leave SAARC and join ASEAN. Thoughts?

[Jadukor]

We are not in Southeast Asia hence we dont meet the criteria.

[Yankees]

Originally Posted by Jadukor
We are not in Southeast Asia hence we dont meet the criteria.

Not really an issue. Sri Lanka was invited to join when ASEAN was first formed. Plus we border an ASEAN member, and would have a much more natural connection to the region than East Timor.

[Shingara]

You want to join a group where Burma is a member and have been committing mass atrocities against the rohingyas? You want to join a group where Thais, Malaysians and Indonesians treat our sromiks badly ?

[Yankees]

Originally Posted by Shingara
You want to join a group where Burma is a member and have been committing mass atrocities against the rohingyas? You want to join a group where Thais, Malaysians and Indonesians treat our sromiks badly ?

Let's see Bangladesh is currently part of SAARC which has Pakistan as a member nation. The same member nation that launched a genocide against our people, but you have no problem with that. Instead your issue is with Burma and what they are doing to their own citizens? Are the Rohingyas Bangladeshis? I fail to see how this would prevent us from having economic cooperation in the future.

Regarding Thais, Malay and Indo treating our "sromiks badly" - has the governments of these nations launched anti-Bangladeshi laws in their countries? Are they treating Bangladeshis any worse than Indians (another SAARC member) with their illegal Bangladeshi rhetoric?

If Indonesia and East Timor can put aside their differences, I don't see how Bangladesh couldn't fit into this group. Lastly, all of this moot point. Sentimental or cultural fit is not a concern as the primary goal is economic integration.

[Tigers_eye]

Why can't we be a member on both group? If there is an invitation from the ASEAN.

[Yankees]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
Why can't we be a member on both group? If there is an invitation from the ASEAN.

It's a possibilty. There's no law that a nation has to be part of only one economic region. But let's face it, SAARC is a failure. India's too big and when your two largest members are at war with each other, economic cooperation is not likely to happen.

I see ASEAN as a future EU, with free trade and eventual lax borders. Bangladesh has to show intent, get support from current members to get observer status. And then eventually apply for full member status. But it starts with Bangladesh explicitly stating their desire to join ASEAN.

[Roy_1]

Originally Posted by Yankees
It's a possibilty. There's no law that a nation has to be part of only one economic region. But let's face it, SAARC is a failure. India's too big and when your two largest members are at war with each other, economic cooperation is not likely to happen.

I see ASEAN as a future EU, with free trade and eventual lax borders. Bangladesh has to show intent, get support from current members to get observer status. And then eventually apply for full member status. But it starts with Bangladesh explicitly stating their desire to join ASEAN.

I don't think Myanmar would let Bangladesh join as a permanent member, typically in this kind of forums all members have veto power. But BD could certainly gain an observer status I think. However I must admit I have a very limited knowledge in this regard.

EU is so effective and functional that it is almost surreal, it will take South Asian countries another hundred years to build this kind of trust among each other. Even ASEAN countries have severe land and other disputes with each other but yes end of the day they sit together and don't let petty disputes hindering cooperation and economic prosperity, but still EU is in another level altogether. I still have hopes for SAARC though.

[Yankees]

Originally Posted by Roy_1
I don't think Myanmar would let Bangladesh join as a permanent member, typically in this kind of forums all members have veto power. But BD could certainly gain an observer status I think. However I must admit I have a very limited knowledge in this regard.

EU is so effective and functional that it is almost surreal, it will take South Asian countries another hundred years to build this kind of trust among each other. Even ASEAN countries have severe land and other disputes with each other but yes end of the day they sit together and don't let petty disputes hindering cooperation and economic prosperity, but still EU is in another level altogether. I still have hopes for SAARC though.

Precisely why I have no hope for SAARC. Two reasons why: 1) Indo-Pak relationship. Only way to overcome this to get Pakistan to leave SAARC. That's sort of what BIMSTEC is trying to accomplish.

2) India is too big. India itself is sort of like a EU, and there's so much inequality amongst the Indian states themselves, I just can't believe they would care to integrate with BD, Nepal, Sri Lanka, etc. It's not a priority for them and it hampers everything else. Best we can hope for from SAARC is larger trade figures and that's yet.

ASEAN is headed the EU way and Bangladesh would benefit greatly as an equal partner of the other ASEAN members. I don't think Myanmar is an issue. Their own status is in question given their human rights violations. Back in 2011, Laos backed Bangladesh for observer status. BD needs to revisit this again.