ASEAN is a political and economic organization of ten Southeast Asian countries. It has ten members, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and sociocultural evolution among its members, alongside protection of regional stability as well as providing a mechanism for member countries to resolve differences peacefully. The cultures of the ASEAN countries are as diverse as their ethnic communities and historical experiences, though the histories of the countries overlap and interweave on countless fronts. With each country having a unique blend of ethnicities, religions, and languages.