BANGKOK —

Ministers from 10 Southeast Asian countries that aim to forge a regional community by 2020 discussed Monday about how to create supra-identity for the peoples of the region, such as by having a common history textbook for the region.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya told a news conference at the end of the one-day, inaugural ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council meeting in Bangkok that a plan of action would eventually be drawn up for an examination of history textbooks used by ASEAN member countries, which have different interpretations of historical facts.

He said members of ASEAN—the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—could learn from the experiences of European countries like Poland and Germany, which cooperate on the topic of school textbooks covering painful and difficult periods in their historical relationship.

© 2009 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.

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6 Comments

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  thedeath at 09:26 AM JST - 25th August

  it sound good, i hope they success in doing that. what about east asia nations?! i bet it will never happen.

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  bushlover at 09:33 AM JST - 25th August

  Yeah it won't unless Japan lets China and Korea write it and Japan will be a complete monster a million times over.

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  ChrisBiggins at 11:27 AM JST - 25th August

  bushlove; Japan was a complete monster a million times over, love.

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  rajakumar at 12:33 PM JST - 25th August

  Asean nations need first to encourage all schools in Asean nation to learn english ,to unify Asean people via 1 common language.

  What is this crap project about history,just wasting time.

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  bushlover at 11:32 AM JST - 26th August

  Chris: Japan was a monster once. Not anymore. No need to wipe nose in the poo. Give it up.

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  womanforwomen at 11:54 AM JST - 26th August

  Who was not a monster in the past? Brits No? Americans no? Vikings no?

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