T

he history of Southeast Asian culture goes back thousands of years; indeed, the region has been characterized by the so-called '€œgong culture'€. Over 3,000 years ago, a highly sophisticated metallurgy technique was brought to Indonesia from Indochina.

Employing this skill, the Javanese created a musical instrument known as the knob gong, which they then exported across Southeast Asia. While not forming part of a gong orchestra, the knob gong was used as an important and sacred tool for social, cultural and economic exchanges across Southeast Asia, becoming one of the region'€™s first trade sectors.

During the period of Hinduism, Southeast Asia was divided into many kingdoms that would eventually become several modern-day sovereign countries.

Facing the global challenges of the 20th century, these countries came up with the idea of reunifying the region by forming ASEAN, and later on drafted the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA). AFTA, therefore, has deep historical roots.

From a cultural perspective, Southeast Asia indeed has common grounds.

However, the regional divisions are deep. Its peoples'€™ mindsets are now shaped according to their respective country of residence.

Yet competition among Southeast Asian countries, especially in economics and politics, has also been thriving.

Therefore, if ASEAN countries seriously intend to be an integrated region and community, first and foremost the people'€™s mindset and imagination people need to be opened and reshaped.

Without the sense of being part of ASEAN, the idea of integrating Southeast Asia as a strong regional community is doomed to failure.

So far ASEAN has not responded to this need, remaining an exclusive governmental body that does not gear toward integrating Southeast Asia as a unifying community.

This is especially true for Indonesia, the region'€™s largest country. Yet Indonesia itself is host to a dizzying variety of social, political, economic, cultural and religious issues that demand serious attention from its society and government.

Can Indonesia, therefore, take the idea of ASEAN as an integrated region and community seriously? What steps have Indonesians and the government taken in response to this idea so far?

In comparison, the mindset and awareness of Thai people about ASEAN as an integrated region and community seem to be stronger, despite that nation'€™s many problems.

Thailand seems to be more advanced in benefiting from ASEAN in the three most important fields: economics, politics and culture.

The development of the Thai public and cultural sectors strongly indicates this. In Bangkok, for instance, malls have quite extensive libraries for the public '€” with a special corner for materials on ASEAN.

More Thais speak English, indicating enthusiasm in benefiting from AFTA.

More Thais have also graduated from noted business schools in the West.

Among them is one young businessman with a bright vision and deep interest in dealing with ASEAN as an integrated region and community.

Thapana Sirivadhanabhakti recently founded his new business empire with an incredible large and exquisite building called C ASEAN in Bangkok. '€œC'€ stands for connectivity, creativity, collaboration, culture and community.

Indeed the tagline of his C ASEAN company is '€œbusiness, art and culture'€. He aims, he says, to encourage and connect young people in the region who work in business, art and culture.

Sirivadhanabhakti also hopes to form an ASEAN orchestra. He has approached an ethnomusicologist and cultural activist, Anant Narkong, who has been working for many years to connect Southeast Asian musicians. Narkong has gathered musicians from each ASEAN country to discuss establishing an '€œindigenous'€ orchestra with members from across the region.

With such individuals collaborating from the business and cultural fields, Thailand seems to be ready
to lead ASEAN in cultural and creative economics, and it may benefit most from AFTA in the cultural sector.

In our own backyard, who might have thought that jazz music, along with its festivals, could become big business and a feature of young urban middle class lifestyles in only a decade?

Unfortunately, highly sophisticated business individuals, strong wisdom, bright vision and deep interest in culture are still lacking in ASEAN'€™s biggest country.

Indonesia, it seems, is content with being remembered for exporting the knob gong all those thousands of years ago.