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Cambodian Prince to Oz: ditch the Queen to join ASEAN
Posted By Graeme Dobell on July 17, 2017 @ 06:00
I followed this very closely. The republican referendum is an ideal example—I’m sorry for Her Majesty the Queen—to distance [Australia] from the United Kingdom. You must pass somewhere through a referendum. It’s so important, it’s so fundamental. That one day Australia says it’s nothing to do with Her Majesty based in London, but we are a nation. It’s mindset again. Politically, nothing changes. But mindset grows from things like that. And in ASEAN, too, we think about this kind of mindset. I think a referendum must be an obligation of passage. It’s so important that you bring this to the Asian guys.
If I’m an Australian—do I feel more Asian, or do I stick with my Western identities, cultures, organisation system? It is a big debate. It is a long debate. It seems to us that you feel more and more Asian in terms of economics, in terms of political-security. Perhaps the feeling has grown. Perhaps the closer link is with Asia, with the Asia continent, with Asian states. But in terms of culture, in terms of the Australian consciousness, how they think of themselves as the white guys.
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[1] Prince Norodom Sirivudh: http://www.isis.org.my/attachments/apr30/Biography_Prince_Norodom_Sirivudh.pdf
[2] failed republic referendum in 1999: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_republic_referendum,_1999
[3] Queen Elizabeth II departs the throne: https://www.themonthly.com.au/today/sean-kelly/2017/13/2017/1499927726/heavy-head-wears-crown?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Today%20%20Thursday%2013%20July%202017&utm_content=Today%20%20Thursday%2013%20July%202017+CID_2b10da7cdd94b20e4e398ec0f3d40f27&utm_s
[4] ASEAN–Australia summit: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/2017-02-23/asean-australia-special-summit-2018
[5] long conversation about Australia joining ASEAN: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/50-years-asean-australian-membership/
[6] political-security: http://asean.org/asean-political-security-community/
[7] economic: http://asean.org/asean-economic-community/
[8] socio-cultural: http://asean.org/asean-socio-cultural/
[9] ASEAN observer: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/why-australia-should-join-asean/
[10] new category: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australia-and-new-zealand-asean-community-partners-part-1/
[11] partner/member: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australia-and-new-zealand-asean-community-partners-part-2/