As I surf for more information about the Esperanto language, I realized that the webpage of ASEAN Organisation is meaningless to many people of ASEAN countries.
The http://www.asean.org/ page has only mono-language that is the colonial language--English. Within the ASEAN member countries, how many percents of the people on the streets or the ordinary people can read English with ease.
The page, which is in English, is clearly for the elite people in the ASEAN countries. Does it serve the western world more than the people of the members of ASEAN ?
Now, take a look of the ASEAN members. They are the 10 countries with the founders five, that is, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The other five which joined in later are Vietnam, Khemer (Cambodia),Loas, Myanmar, Brunei Darulsalam with East Timur as the obeserver status.
Among the 10 countires, only former colony of Britain, Singapore still hold fort to the English as the first language and Brunei Darulsalam with the O level examination in English, another former colony of Britain, that is Malaysia is not using English as the first language anymore.
If the page of the organization is involved with so many countries and with so many different languages, the doubt and question is why it is ONLY written in English?
How many percents of the common people can read English so that they can get the latest info to well-equipped them for the challenge lies ahead.
But, this regional ASEAN association failed to supply the people in the member countries the needs and help them to better themselves.
It is time for the ASEAN government to think ahead of what this organization can serve better. Certainly, there is no better formula than implementing the learning of the easiest language plus no racial based language, that is ESPERANTO.
According to the sources, at the moment, Vietnam has the largest Esperanto speakers in ASEAN countries. They are going to organize a national congress of Esperanto in 2012.
Look at China, they even include it in the Primary One syllabus. As the research showed that if a young child learn Esperanto first and come the next foreign language, he/she can study better.
This is why the European council is trying to include Esperanto in their council conference to lessen the translation work as each member country representative needs only two languages, that is, one is the mother tongue and the other is Esperanto.
ASEAN is exactly the same as the European council that with the 10 confirmed members and 1 observer member, they all speak different languages. How much time and effort, resources of translation are wasted but only the English speakers like Singaporeans, with the aids from the past colonial background, stand to gain during the meeting but it is not so, as the representatives still need translators to understand the representatives from Thailand, Indonesia etc.
If the ASEAN is wise enough, should abide the call of UNESCO in 1956 resolutions to teach Esperanto in the school to reduce the cost during all sessions of meetings and the common people could travel without communication problems and thus enhance the tourism among the member countries instead of keep calling and depending on the western world.
It is hoped that ASEAN ORG would be wised not to be another South Africa.
Once again, I urge the ASEAN Organisation should consider the change in the world and the speed of globalisation. Well, for your information, you don’t need Chinese language to deal with the Chinese business men. China has the largest Esperanto speakers in Asia. Look at the volunteers in Summer Olympics in 2008 and the World Expo soon in Shanghai. The Esperanto Radio of China has broadcast for 40 years. http://esperanto.cri.cn/
The people of Malaysia, of course, now should wake up from the past colonial dream, thinking English is the best and it is the lingua franca. However, if the imperial masters did not conquer the land of others and colonised it for centuries and even evaded the language of the local people, English would not be the lingua franca, just wondering who said it is the lingua franca for the world???
Well, much talk is useless, if you think the change is there with the GE 13 and you can do something for ASEAN countries, learn Esperanto now.
The free websites are many but here is one that most people recommended:
http://www.lernu.net/ for the Thai people, the translation is coming up soon, http://th.lernu.net/, the Vietnamese (website of Vietnam in lernu)is already ready for use and the Indonesian language is here
Please do not take me wrong that other languages are not vital but it takes longer time to master compare to Esperanto.
For your information, Esperanto language had been nominated for Noble prize since 1907. You know well, politics is in the Noble prize too.
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