The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a geopolitical and economic organization with member countries in the Southeast Asian region.
The organization was established on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand, and consisted of five countries and governments in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Over time, the number of ASEAN members continues to grow. Currently, there are 10 ASEAN member countries consisting of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines.
Although they are included in the ASEAN region, each country in Southeast Asia has different historical facts, whether it be related to the date of independence or the government system.
Here is the history of countries in Southeast Asia that are interesting to know:
Indonesia
Being independent on August 17, 1945, Indonesia was one of the founders of ASEAN, which joined on August 8, 1967. Amazingly, Indonesia hosted the first ASEAN Summit held on February 23-24, 1976, in Bali. The name ASEAN was coined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Adam Malik. Adhering to a presidential system of government, Indonesia is led by a president directly elected by the people.
Malaysia
Malaysia is also one of the founding countries of ASEAN. As a country in Southeast Asia that was officially independent on August 31, 1957, Malaysia was led by a king with the title "Yang Dipertuan Agong." At that time, the first Yang Dipertuan Agong was led by "Yang Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan," Tuanku Abdul Rahman Ibni, the late Tuanku Muhammad (1957-1960).
Singapore
Still one of the founders of ASEAN, Singapore is a country in Southeast Asia with a parliamentary republic form of government. It means that the president holds the head of state in Singapore, but the prime minister leads the government. Having been independent for 48 years, Singapore has hosted regular ASEAN Summits in 1992, 2007, and 2018.
Thailand
Not only being a pioneer country, Thailand is also the birthplace of ASEAN. Compared to other countries, Thailand is the country that has hosted the most ASEAN Summits, namely at the 5th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 34th, and 35th ASEAN Summits. Having a constitutional monarchy or kingdom, Thailand is led by a king. However, the government in Thailand is run by the prime minister's cabinet.
The Philippines
Independent on July 4, 1946, the Philippines is also one of the founding countries of ASEAN. This archipelagic nation which is synonymous with the blue, red, and white flag, has a Republican form of government. The president is elected through elections to lead the country for 6 years.
Brunei Darussalam
With its characteristic yellow, black, and white flag, with the state symbol in the middle, Brunei Darussalam is the 6th country to join ASEAN. Officially joining on January 8, 1984, Brunei Darussalam is a country with a sultanate form of government (Islamic kingdom).
Vietnam
Vietnam is the 7th member of ASEAN, officially joining on July 28, 1995. The country with the capital city of Hanoi has been independent since September 2, 1945, and has a form of government system of a communist republic. This country has only one party, with a president as the head of state. For transactions, Vietnam has an official currency called Dong (VND).
Laos
Officially becoming a member of ASEAN on July 23, 1997, Laos is a country in Southeast Asia that adheres to a one-party socialist republic system as a form of government. In other words, the head of state of Laos is the president, and a prime minister leads the government. As a relatively new member, Laos has hosted the ASEAN Summit twice.
Myanmar
Similar to Laos, Myanmar officially joined ASEAN on July 23, 1997. As a country that adheres to a republic system, Myanmar is led by a president. The State of Myanmar was independent about 48 years ago, on January 4, 1948.
Cambodia
Finally, Cambodia, a country in Southeast Asia, officially joined ASEAN on April 30, 1999. At that time, the country led by a king was formally declared to have joined in a special reception ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam. Since joining ASEAN 24 years ago, Cambodia has hosted ASEAN Summits several times, most recently on November 10-13, 2022, in Phnom Penh.
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