ACH뉴스레터-Flags of ASEAN: Historical Background and Significance

Flags of ASEAN: Historical Background and Significance

Introducing Flags of the ASEAN Region

Flags of ASEAN: Historical Background and Significance

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea

ASEAN Flag

The ASEAN logo represents stability, peace, harmony, and dynamism. The red, blue, white, and yellow of the ASEAN flag represent the region’s member nations. Blue represents peace and stability, red represents courage and activity, white represents purity, and yellow represents prosperity. The yellow stack of grain in the center symbolizes the friendship of the 10 member nations and their hope for a stronger cooperative relationship with one another. The circle represents ASEAN’s harmony.

Flag of Brunei Darussalam

The flag of Brunei Darussalam was first used in 1906, when the country was still an English territory, signing a treaty with England. There are two diagonal stripes, one white and one black, against a yellow background. The three colors represent the three people who signed the treaty. The yellow symbolizes the Sultan, while white and black each represent minister-level officials (Pengiran Bendahara, Pengiran Pemancha). The symbol in the center was added in 1959, after the constitution was officially proclaimed.
Flag of Cambodia

The center of the Cambodian flag bears a white image of Angkor Wat, the country’s most famous cultural relic. It represents the wealth and elaborate culture of the Khmer Empire. The red background symbolizes the strength of the Cambodian people’s spirit and their fight against injustice. The blue represents Cambodia’s agriculture and environment.
Flag of Indonesia

The Indonesian flag is called “Sang Saka Merah Putih,” which means “treasure of red and white.” The red upper half symbolizes courage, while the white lower half represents the country’s spirit. It was used during Indonesia’s fight for independence from Dutch colonial rule and adopted in August 1945 as Indonesia’s official flag after the country declared independence.
Flag of Lao PDR

The flag of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, or Lao PDR, is made up of three colors: blue, red and white. Blue represents the breadth of Lao PDR’s land and prosperity, while red represents the blood shed by and the courage of the Lao people to protect their country. The white circle in the center represents the purity of heart and the health of the Lao people.
Flag of Malaysia

The Malaysian flag was created in 1963, just after the formation of the Malaysian Republic, and continues to be used today. The 14 red and white horizontal stripes represent the equality of the federal government and the country’s 13 states. In the upper left section, blue represents unity, the crescent moon represents Islam, and the 14-pointed star represents the unit of the federal government and the 13 states. The yellow color of the crescent moon represents loyalty to the king.
Flag of Myanmar

Myanmar’s current flag was adopted in October 2010, when the country’s official name was changed from “The Union of Myanmar” to “The Republic of the Union of Myanmar.” The yellow horizontal stripe represents solidarity, the green stripe represents peace, and the red stripe represents courage. The white star in the center is a symbol of unity.
Flag of the Republic of the Philippines

The Philippines’ current flag was adopted in 1898, when the country declared its independence from Spain. White represents liberty, equality and fraternity; blue represents peace, truth, and justice; and red stands for patriotism and courage. During times of war, the blue and red parts switch places. The yellow sun in the triangle represents freedom, while the sun with eight pointed rays represents the eight provinces that were the first to resist Spain’s martial law. The other three stars represent the Philippines’ three main geographical regions: Luzon, Mindanao, and the Visayas.
Flag of Singapore

Singapore’s national flag was first used in 1959 by Singapore’s self-government before independence from British rule and continues to be used even after the country gained independence in 1965. The red upper half represents comradeship and love of humanity, while the lower white half represents purity and virtue. The five stars represents five ideals: democracy, peace, progress, equality, fairness. The crescent moon represents Singapore in its earliest years moving toward these ideals.
Flag of Thailand

Thailand’s current flag was adopted in 1917 during the rule of Rama VI, the sixth king of the Chakri dynasty. The blue represents the king, the white represents Buddhism, and the red represents the blood of Thailand’s citizens. The flag symbolizes the will of the people to protect the king with their blood based on a spiritual foundation of Buddhism.
Flag of Viet Nam

Viet Nam’s national flag was created for the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, which was founded on September 29, 1945. On November 30, 1955, after the First Indochina War, it was adopted as the flag of North Viet Nam after making the star’s points sharper. In 1976, it was designated as the flag of the unified Viet Nam. The red background represents the blood of revolution and a spirit of loyalty to the native land, while the five points of the yellow star represent the solidarity of workers, farmers, intellectuals, youth (merchants), and the military.