Topic: Bridging the Differences in Culture and Beliefs – Thailand and ASEAN
The Thais are proud of their land that is located in the hub of Southeast Asia. This country is shaped like the head of an elephant with the trunk pointing to the south. Its area is 514,000sqkm. Of course this land is endowed with the rich agricultural soil and mineral resource. Thailand has a population of 64 million, of which 75% are Thai- a Mongoloid subgroup with a light include Malay, Khmer, and Vietnamese inhabitants, the national language is spoken is Thai.
The Land of Smiles is the only one in Southeast Asia that has never felt the yoke of foreign domination or colonialism during its history. Moreover, regarding to my topic is Thai culture and beliefs that may need to be understood from the ethic tradition of the various people, who inhabited in and migrated to Thailand to form the Thai cultures as we understand it today, the indirectly influences from Indian religion and mythology, the original myths of some minorities living in Thailand and animist traditions which continues today. Certainly, we can say that Thailand is the country of Buddhist temples, because Buddhism occupies about 90% of Thai beliefs, it lasted for a long period of time and shaped the way the Thais think, their tradition and art. Throughout the researched data enough that led to a conclusion is the Thais are tolerant enough to allow and adopt beliefs and foreign cultures’ perpetuation into Prathet Thai ( Thailand). E.g. Christianity, Jewish, Brahmanism, Islam and Muslim religions, as a result is indicated that the freedoms of religious beliefs are highly respected in this country. Thai were influenced from western culture from the Ayuthaya period and especially during the Chakri reign of King Rama III. And also there are many intellectual Thais trained from abroad and got back to Thailand to build this country again, together with the many signed trade agreements with Western culture because of the practical benefit of new technology such as printing, medical science, national administration, finance, armed forces, justice system and laws.
However, They still remain their own culture, tradition and beliefs itself. That made Thailand becomes a unique color from others. I would like to point out some good examples here: The Khwan Celebration for the newborns, the Naming Ceremonies for Babies, Cremation Ceremony Makhabuja Day, the Kathin Ceremony, the New Year’s Day, the “Sart” Festival and Loy Krathung Festival .And the ranges of Ceremonies organized by the government such as : Ploughing Ceremony, Celebration of the Constitution Day, Royal Ceremony, Coronation Day, His Majesty’s Birthday Anniversary and Her Majesty’s Birthday Anniversary.
This topic has been discussed among the variety of culture and beliefs in ASEAN countries’ delegates. We have shown the differences among the culture and beliefs of all
ASEAN countries and looked for the ways to tackle those situations for enforcing the sustainable relationship and development within ASEAN community. So that bridging the gap among ASEAN countries, the discussion also have been taken place in combination between theoretical and practical experiences during ASEANLOGICS2007. Especially, it is proven from the seminars from 2nd to 7th August going hand in hand with the site visits of four specific topics to the particular destinations happened from 8th to 11th August. That made chances for us to observe, learn, exchange, educate and especially to make closer the differences among culture and beliefs that are causes of tension about races and within nations.
Regarding to the theoretical seminars have been taken place, I would like to mention about my presented topic in the comparative point of view among other ASEAN countries’ presentations about culture and beliefs. There are certainly two sites such as : similarities and differences, as you know that our discussed topic is regarded in finding out the different points to solve them for the sustainable relationship, so I am going to focus on the different sites as the hub of discussion.
The differences about rites and rituals within a nation can positively make a colorful beauty for itself. However, if the tolerances, acceptability, and flexibility are not existed within each area of a nation, it will be easy to cause the conflict about culture and beliefs. The following-up question is how to increase the perception of the local people to let them understand about each other and more specific is culture and beliefs inside and outside their nation just as ASEAN countries. The ranges of solutions discussed during the ASEANLOGIC conferences. E.g. the conflicts of the Southern local people and the rest people of other areas in Thailand, it clearly indicated us that a partial cause is originated from the disagreement and misunderstanding about Muslim and Buddhist religion. The Muslim people might feel that they seem behaved in the injustice way from The Thai Government and other Parties in comparison with the main religion is Buddhism. Especially, the Muslim people have been living at the bordering area between Thailand and Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, Thailand and Burma. These are very headache questions that Thai government have been trying to find the solutions, we, like a participants pointed out some solutions such as the government should implement some changing policies that are ideas of the local people, there should be the appropriate action plans to train out the people about the value of peace, human beings’ right and love among people. So that it may work to turn them into spirit of tolerance, acceptance, and peace-loving etc.
The second cause of the conflict about culture and beliefs is the economic situation among areas of that country. An example is issued like Singapore; this island has developed sustainable around it and became a peaceful and clean island as we knew.
Other example is in Thailand, because the injustice is offered in economics among areas of Thailand.
Furthermore, the difference within culture of a nation or other countries can cause the gap and conflicts. The solution is for this problem is focused on understanding about mutil-culturalism from the variety of people, if wanted to do so, the government of
ASEAN community should sit together and point out the next action plans to turn ASEAN into a big family such as , a common language for ASEAN, a common currency for ASEAN and a common slogan etc why not? We still should remain our own tradition and culture to make us different from others. But, the importance is that we have something is common to take the basement for understanding.
Next, I would like to go into my site visit to Bali in Indonesia. We started this trip from 8th of August, for the first day, we arrived at Ngurah Rai Aiport and were toured to Cultural parks and Kuta Ground Zezo Place for the tourist sites located in Bali. The first cultural park site is rich about Baliness culture in an unique way and then we went to Kuta Ground Zezo place, here, we can actually know about the bombardment caused in 2002, and there were about 400 dead Indo and non-Indo people. That is a terrorism, why there is that bombardment, as I pointed above that if Indonesian government solved the discontents, injustice, politic issues, economic unbalance, conflicts among religion ,and discrimination of races or not ?or how to make peace among areas of Indonesia? All should be discussed and solved by all nations, not only Indonesia.
My lodging is in Ashlam Gandhi Puri , Klungkung Regency helped me understand so much about Hindu religion, for me, personally, I am Christian son of God, for the first time I felt that there was something not appropriate to me, especially to Religious Acculturation tour to Bali, visiting the temples , mosques, churches ,and viharas. Wonderfully, I learnt from the bottom of my heart for the variety of religion over there, which made a Bali not like other places. Also, it greatly attracted me by its own Hindu traditional architectures and the local people are very friendly, hospitable and love peace. They have been worshiping for peace and concrete combination among other people.
Bali should be good example for today, so that other countries can review a current and future Bali, and it may let me understand more about bridging the differences in culture and beliefs. There are multi-culturalism and variety of races or religion towards their own Hindu architectures. Proven that they are tolerant enough to stay together and disappear the gap. E.g Singapore and Malaysia also are two good models for us to learn something about the future ASEAN that we have been trying to turn it towards our expectation for peace, property and development.
The challenges for ASEAN as a community in this topic
Nowadays, among ASEAN countries have been facing a lot of problems concerning about religion and culture. As I pointed out some challenges above, here, I also would like to identify more for a future ASEAN.
We should bring together and go hand in hand to discuss about the most feasible solutions that should be absorbed from the people to make a concrete ASEAN.
We should let people know the value of belonging to ASEAN citizen and cooperate constructive to build a unique, modern but civilizing ASEAN.
The boundary barriers should more open but suitable to perspective of ASEAN.
The cultural issues and freedom of religion should satisfy the ASEAN citizen
The awareness of the people about the value of culture and beliefs of each country and belongings within ASEAN.
RECOMMENDATION
In conclusion, I would love to recommend that throughout this conference that is a great playground for the youth of ASEAN citizen to be able to aware of value of belongings. We are experiencing like the young ambassadors for our own country to have open speech and share experiences and knowledge about ourselves and for a present and future ASEAN. Surely, we will be applying the best from any corner of this forum to help solve our own countries’ outstanding issues that relating to Culture and Beliefs. Someday, some of us will become one of the leading persons, it certainly is useful to that person’s leading skill.
For me, I will be applying for my International Students Association-ISA and my current surroundings to be able to host a lot of projects concerning about ASEANLOGICS.
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