Southeast Asian Union To Form

Because of the current economic situation, many of the nations of Southeast Asia have decided to try to come up with their own currency as well as a political confederation somewhat based upon the success of the European Union:

Southeast Asian countries plan EU-style union by 2015

EUobserver – March 2, 2009

The leaders of ten Southeast Asian countries have signed a declaration to integrate their economies and construct an economic and political union modelled on that of the European Union by 2015.

Meeting in Thailand over the weekend for the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the heads of ten Asian countries agreed to the Cha-Am Hua Hin Declaration on the Roadmap for An ASEAN Community (2009-2015). The plan looks to build a single market – although without a euro-style common currency – within six years.

“This ASEAN goal is made even more urgent by the global financial crisis,” read the 12-page declaration…

ASEAN, founded in 1967 to replace the Association of Southeast Asia, brings together Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

The region is slightly bigger than the European Union in terms of population, the former being home to around 570 million people and the latter some 500 million, but their economies bear no comparison. ASEAN has a combined annual GDP of €870 billion, while the EU’s GDP clocks in at over €12 trillion.

Thailand’s prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said the creation of an “attractive single market” for the region was urgent.

The move further develops the bloc’s integration, moving a step beyond the charter the nations signed in 2007 that requires consensus amongst all member states for any ASEAN-level actions…

However, the wide disparities between the different economies in ASEAN “makes it difficult to create common standards because our national standards remain so far apart,” said finance minister Korn Chatikavanij in an interview, according to Bloomberg news.

“We’ve got to be realistic in the kind of goals that we set for 2015,” Mr Korn continued.

“We’re not talking about the level of integration that has taken place in the EU.” http://euobserver.com/9/27699

Unlike the EU which has the economic power of Germany behind it, the nations of Southeast Asia do not seem to have anyone that could quite fill the role the same way there (unless some larger nations later decided to participate). Of course, the “European Union” initially began as a trading group of three fairly small European nations known as BeNeLux, thus some major players could conceivably join with this new Asian confederation.

Bible prophecy indicate that in the future a major Asian confederation will form as a warring force:

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared…to gather them to the battle (Revelation 16:12,14).

See also Daniel 11:44.

Because of this, it needs to be mentioned that those nations of Southeast Asia will likely form some type of military confederation with China, Japan, Korea, and/or probably India and others.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Will it become a major economic player? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? Will God save the Asians?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? This is a draft of an in-process article about Japan. Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan. Will God save the Japanese?
India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage and discusses some of the witness to them.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?