Indonesia celebrates 73 years of independence today as a vibrant and powerful country, thanks in no small part to ASEAN.“As the largest country in ASEAN, Indonesia has benefitted greatly from the peace, stability, and expectation for economic growth that ASEAN promoted in the region,” said Professor Hidetoshi Nishimura, President of Jakarta-based think tank, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).ASEAN serves as a platform for discussion between leaders of member nations a

Emilio Aguinaldo was only 19-years-old when he issued a decree on 12 June, 1898 declaring the independence of the Philippines from Spain. The young revolutionary thought that a declaration of independence would inspire the people of the Philippines to unite and fight against the Spanish. Today marks the 120th anniversary of the independence of the Philippines from the Spanish after more than 500 years of colonial rule.

Officially, Brunei is known as Negara Brunei Darussalam - negara meaning country and Darussalam translating from Arabic to mean “abode of peace.” This sultanate with a rich cultural background and history, celebrates its National Day today, the 23rd of February. Brunei lies within the island of Borneo, sandwiched between the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak to its east and west, respectively.

What can we expect from 2018?The ASEAN Post began the year with an in-depth review of what to expect from the region throughout 2018. The review covered aspects including capital markets, energy, environment, real estate, general elections and the Belt Road Initiative (BRI).Last year, ASEAN was touted to admit its 11th member – Timor-Leste but failed to do so. The topic of ascension to ASEAN is easy enough to understand.

At 4:20 am – a time which was deemed auspicious by a Burmese astrologer – on the 4th of January 1948, a new nation was born. Myanmar celebrates the 70th anniversary of its independence from the British today.

Vietnam - also famously known as the land of the “Ascending Dragon” for its geographical shape on the world map - is a land of opportunities. As Vietnam celebrates its 72nd independence today, it is remarkable to note how far the country has progressed over recent years. Moving away from a centrally planned system into a market based economy, Vietnam has advanced into the "lower middle income countries" bracket since 2009.

Vietnam turns seventy-two today. A country once ravaged by war and charmed by the ideals of communism, Vietnam now boasts an ever-thriving population of 96 million citizens consisting of various ethnic groups and linguistic backgrounds as the nation celebrates its independence.

Malaysia (known as the Federation of Malaya at the time of its independence ) celebrated its first Independence Day when the first Malaysian prime minister Abdul Rahman hailed the word "merdeka" - independence in the Malay language - seven times and read out the 1957 Proclamation of Independence in front of thousands of Malaysians on August 31, 1957.