Modern definitions of South Asia include Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives as the constituent countries.However, I’m using the term Southern Asia, and for the purpose of my post I define Southern Asia to consist of all countries in the southern part of Asia. This includes Indonesia and Timor-Leste in the east to Yemen in the west.
Why this group?
It might seem strange to group these uncommon countries together. They have no common culture, beliefs or language. In fact, they are all opaque to each other, and that is why this gap has to be bridged. Understanding between humans lead to social peace and economic development. In fact, most companies and corporations strive to achieve diversity in teams for fostering new ideas and their economical gain. So, if in a union there is more inclusiveness and interaction with diverse group of people, it will lead to less confusion in the world, more collaboration, market and economic development.
In that case, shouldn’t we consider all of Asia, why just Southern Asia? Even with all the diversity, Southern Asia has few commonalities: They are in the same boat of developing economy with similar GDP except for Singapore and Oman, as seen in the below map. They have similar social structure and collectivistic culture which means being in harmony with the group which surrounds an individual. The Southern Asian region also has few common issues: infrastructure improvements, corruption and economic development.
I believe that Southern Asia is one of the most diverse regions but with underlying commonalities which could be used to forward world peace. If Southern Asia can join hands to form a succesful union, it will be a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. So what does this Southern Asian Union do? Let’s look at ongoing efforts that is happening in this region.
Regional Organizations
There are a few intergovernmental organizations in the Asian region. The main ones in Southern Asia are SAARC and ASEAN.
As per my knowledge, both ASEAN and SAARC have intentions to establish free market within their respective group and allow easy movement for citizens across borders; however, it has been difficult to achieve. The main reason is disparity in development in the countries in each group. Another reason is different style of government in this region. Most countries are democratic, however some like Bhutan and Thailand have royal rule as well. Laos is a socialist state, Vietnam is in a confusing situation. Some countries are moving from one form of government to another, like Myanmar and Nepal. For these reasons, a single structure of free trade or visa-free movement is impossible to achieve in the region.
Another important forum promoting free trade in the region is APEC, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Since this includes leading developed countries like US and Canada, and a big economy like China, this forum is very important for the cooperative development of the countries in the Pacific rim.
Southern Asian Union
A new political and economic union of all Southern Asian countries with a goal towards single market. However, we have learned from other association in the region that single market might not be a possibility. So, it should be a multi-tier membership with a final goal to free trade and free movement.
For example, the entry tier membership could include free capital movement among member nations, free movement of 5 category of goods and services, cooperation on legal issues, and visa-on-arrival/visa-free entry to all member nation citizens. The next tier might include work authorization for all citizens, and common policy on trade with non-member nations.
Each increment in tier provides members with increasing control over the decisions made by the Union. The top tier membership would be very similar to how the European Union operates. My belief is that this kind of Union would help movement of people and ideas, thereby creating a more peaceful society and faster economic development of the region.