ASEAN symbol to get a new face due to Vietnam

JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will need to change its symbol to accommodate the entry of its seventh member, Vietnam, which joined last month.

ASEAN Secretary General Dato' Ajit Singh disclosed on Tuesday that a competition will be held which will be opened to all in ASEAN countries to design a new emblem because the present one no longer reflects the composition of the group.

The current emblem depicts six vertical lines, representing the six members, joined together in the middle within a circle with the words "asean", in lower cases, beneath it.

The competition will be announced in the next few weeks, Singh told reporters. "The terms of reference are currently being worked out," he said at the flag hoisting ceremony to mark ASEAN's 28th anniversary at the ASEAN secretariat office.

He explained that the idea of a competition for the new emblem was approved by the ASEAN foreign ministers during their meeting last month in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Established in 1967, ASEAN was originally formed by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei was accepted as the sixth member in 1983 while Vietnam became the seventh just last month during the Ministerial Meeting.

Emblem

When Brunei joined, the emblem was simply modified by adding a sixth straight line. But now with seven members, and the prospect of an eighth, ninth and possibly tenth in the next few years, ASEAN officials feel a need to change the symbol.

Laos and Cambodia are expected to join the group in the next two years, while Myanmar could follow suit after that.

Singh said the new emblem should be selected and ready by the coming summit meeting of ASEAN leaders in Bangkok in December.

The Indonesian foreign ministry's director general for ASEAN, Rahardjo Djamtomo, said at the same flag hoisting ceremony that the new emblem should embody the character of ASEAN and the dynamism of the member countries.

Speaking on the expanding membership of the Association, Rahardjo said there should be no fears that ASEAN's expansion would reduce its effectiveness.

He pointed out that ASEAN works on a principle of "unity in diversity" and thus political or ideological differences should not be a hindrance.

"The basic point is that we are united. How we go about unifying ourselves is the challenge ASEAN has to face in the future," he said. (mds)