5 Founding Figures of ASEAN, Starting from Indonesia to Thailand

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Most people still confuse ASEAN with Southeast Asia. There are still those who think that the two are the same thing even though they are different. Quoting the official website of the UGM Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (PSSAT), Southeast Asia is a region created by former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and former British PM Winston Churchill.

Southeast Asia was initially used to fight the Japanese army which controlled the region or became a cold war geopolitical region which later gave birth to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967. ASEAN itself has ten members, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Then, who are the founders of ASEAN?

5 Founding Figures of ASEAN

The following are the figures who founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967, quoted from the book "Getting to Know the Founding Figures of ASEAN" published by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

1. Adam Malik

The first character is Adam Malik who is the third Vice President of Indonesia, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, a journalist, and also a figure in the national movement. During his life, he developed his nationalistic character from a young age.

Adam Malik started joining the national movement when he was 17 years old. When he was Minister of Foreign Affairs, he held meetings with representatives from several countries in Southeast Asia which resulted in the Bangkok Declaration. This declaration later became the forerunner to the formation of ASEAN.

2. Tun Abdul Razak

Then the next character is Tun Abdul Razak whose full name is Abdul Razak bin Datuk Hussein. He was the second Prime Minister of Malaysia and is known as the Father of Malaysian Development. Tun Abdul Razak is a person who uses his intelligence and abilities for his nation.

3. S. Rajaratnam

The next figure is S. Rajaratnam or Sinnathamby Rajaratnam. He is a Singaporean statesman. Apart from that, he has also been Deputy Prime Minister, Longtime Minister, and Cabinet Member. He even became one of the pioneers of Singapore's independence.

When Singapore became independent, S. Rajaratnam was also chosen as First Minister of Foreign Affairs. He had many good relations with other countries, and at that time, this was something important considering that the country had just been founded.

4. Narciso Ramos

The next character has the full name Narciso Rueca Ramos, a founding figure who comes from the Philippines. He is a journalist, council member, lawyer and ambassador. Narciso Ramos was also appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. He took part in the gathering on August 8 1965 in Bangkok along with four other ministers.

This association aims to establish a Southeast Asian regional organization, which will later accommodate countries in the Southeast Asian region in friendship and cooperation.

5. Thanat Khoman

Thanat Khoman is a founding figure from Thailand who is also known as a diplomat and politician. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was known as someone who actively improved relations between Thailand and neighboring countries. He also played a role in bringing Thailand to collaborate with countries in the Southeast Asian region.

Thanat Khoman also played a very active role in the formation of ASEAN. So at that time, Bangkok was chosen as the country where the five founding figures of ASEAN gathered to sign the Bangkok Declaration.

That's a discussion of the names of ASEAN's founding figures that you should know. Hope it is useful.

AWALIA RAMADHANI

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