Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Introduction
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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formed in 1967 by Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand to promote political and economic
cooperation and regional stability. Brunei joined in 1984, shortly after its independence from
the United Kingdom, and Vietnam joined ASEAN as its seventh member in 1995. Laos and
Burma were admitted into full membership in July 1997 as ASEAN celebrated its 30th
anniversary. Cambodia became ASEAN’s tenth member in 1999.

The ASEAN Declaration in 1967, considered ASEAN’s founding document, formalized the
principles of peace and cooperation to which ASEAN is dedicated. The ASEAN Charter
entered into force on 15 December 2008. With the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter,
ASEAN established its legal identity as an international organization and took a major step in
its community-building process.

The ASEAN Community is comprised of three pillars, the Political-Security Community,

Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community. Each pillar has its own Blueprint
approved at the summit level, and, together with the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI)
Strategic Framework and IAI Work Plan Phase II (2009-2015), they form the Roadmap for
and ASEAN Community 2009-2015.

ASEAN commands far greater influence on Asia-Pacific trade, political, and security issues
than its members could achieve individually. This has driven ASEAN’s community building
efforts. This work is based largely on consultation, consensus, and cooperation.

U.S. relations with ASEAN have been excellent since its inception. The United States
became a Dialogue Partner country of ASEAN in 1977. Dialogue partners meet regularly
with ASEAN at the working and senior levels to guide the development of our regional
relations. In July 2009, Secretary Clinton signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in
Southeast Asia (TAC) which has greatly enhanced U.S. political relations with ASEAN.

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https://www.state.gov/p/eap/regional/asean/

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Every year following the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, ASEAN holds its Post-Ministerial
Conference (PMC) to which the Secretary of State is invited. In 1994, ASEAN took the lead
in establishing the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which now has 27 members and meets
each year at the ministerial level just after the PMC.

Origin:

The alarming situation in Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Burma prompted the
South-East Asian countries to be united. As per the ‘Bangkok Declaration’ of 1967, the five
countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand formed ‘Association
of South East Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) on 8 August, 1967.

Later on, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia joined this organization. Now the
number of the member countries of ASEAN is ten. India is trying its best to be a member of
ASEAN which may be fulfilled in near future.

Formation:

The ASEAN is a well-organized organization. It has a Permanent Secretariat. The

Headquarters of the ASEAN is located at Jakarta in Indonesia. Its ‘Permanent Committee’ is
located in Singapore. It has eight adhoc committees. Besides, it has ten ‘Special Committees’,
viz. Navigation, Trade and Tourism, Industrial Minerals and Energy, Food, Agriculture and
forestry Finance and Banking, Science and Technology; social development, etc.

The Ministers Conference is held when the Foreign Ministers of the Member nations meet
together. It has a court of Justice. Its members are appointed for a period of six years. The
court ensures the observance of rule of law of the member countries.

Aims and Objectives:

i. To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region
through joint endeavors.

ii. To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of
law.

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iii. To encourage active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in
Economic, Social, Cultural, Technical, Scientific and Administrative fields.

iv. To provide assistance to each other in terms of training and research facilities in the
educational, professional, technical and administrative areas.

v. To work together for a greater utilization of agriculture and industries in order to expand
the trade both locally and internationally.

vi. To study the problems of international community trade, the improvement of their
transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of the
nations.

vii. To promote Southeast Asian studies.

viii. To maintain close and positive co-operation with existing international and regional
organizations with similar aims and purposes.

Activities:

With the march of time, the ASEAN has undertaken many activities. Those activities have
earned popularity for ASEAN.

At first, the member nations of ASEAN are trying to make their own country progressive by
the help of one another. This has enhanced prestige and co-operation for each other.

Secondly, this is helping the member nations to gain political minority. The Foreign
Ministers in different summits are discussing about economic progress, trade and commerce,
environment, urban development, development of NGOs etc. These discussions influence
each other in accepting concrete steps in these fields.

Thirdly, the Principle of equality has made ASEAN great. All the member nations are equal
before the ASEAN. Nobody can dominate in the meeting. The member, of this organization
is prepared to solve every problem through discussion.

Fourthly, in 1994 ‘ASEAN Regional Forum’ (ARF) has been formed. This has created an
atmosphere of trust, purity and creativity which binds the member countries together.

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Fifthly, in 1997 the ASEAN has taken new step in economic field. I he members have
formed ‘ASEAN Free Trade Area’ (AFTA). By this, trade and commerce have been
galvanized. The ASEAN Countries have tried to bring economic reforms by co-operation
among each other.

Sixthly, by crossing regional barriers, the ASEAN Countries are now maintaining relation
with America and Latin America. By the effort of ASI AN, the ‘Zone of Peace, Freedom and
Neutrality’ (ZOPFAN) has been mated. It is also trying for ‘Asia-Pacific Economic Co-
operation’ (APEC), and ‘Asia-Europe Meeting’ (ASEM). Thus, in the twenty-first Century,
the ASEAN is going to play a vital role.

Seventhly, now the ASEAN is now establishing good relation with countries like China,
Japan and South Korea. By this step, the ASEAN is creating new avenues for its member
countries.

Eighthly, the ASEAN is undertaking many voluntary programs. The NGOs, leaders,
industrialization and common people are being attracted towards its popular programs. It
aims at realizing its goal by 2020.

Last but not least, the ASEAN wants the co-operation of public in its activities. Further, it
aims at the development of human resources of its countries. It also wants to put an end to
poverty.

Analysis:

By evaluating the works of ASEAN, it can be stated that from the very beginning it was
dormant. It made little progress in regional cooperation. After 1975, it underwent
transformation and galvanized its activities. New resolutions were adopted in different
meetings held at Bali and Mahila. It has adopted certain principles in choosing members. It
fights against poverty, illiteracy, blockade in case of trade and commerce etc.

It has adopted globalization and information technology (IT). It is determined today to

promote scientific research and culture. The resources of the ASEAN are scanty. However, it
cannot be an impediment on the way of the ASEAN. Hopefully, success will kiss its feet after
a decade or two.

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http://www.historydiscussion.net/asia/asean-association-of-the-south-east-asian-nations/1925

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Now everybody has cast its glance on the progress of ASEAN. The world is evaluating its
achievements. The steps taken by ASEAN for the progress of this region are going to be
successful. At any one decade of the twenty-first century, the ASEAN may reach the pinnacle
of glory.

ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA):

The framework of agreement on enhancing economic co-operation (1992) made a decisive

move towards economic co-operation by proposing AFTA to increase ASEAN’s competitive
advantage as a single production unit in the world market. With this, greater economic
efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness were expected to emerge out of the elimination
of tariff and non-tariff barriers. Towards this objective, foreign firms were allowed to team up
with the local firms by using as much as 60 per cent of the imported materials from outside
the ASEAN world.

A scheme of trade liberalization, called as the common effective preferential tariff (CEPT)
Scheme, was adopted to effect a lower targeted tariff level (in the range of zero to five per
cent) to be achieved within a short time-framework of ten years, i.e. by January 1, 2003. New
ASEAN members were, allowed longer time to meet this deadline, e.g. Vietnam up to 2006,
Laos and Myanmar up to 2008, and Cambodia up to 2010.

The CEPT also provides for the elimination of non-tariff barriers in five years’ time. The
implementation of CEPT is expected to facilitate:

(i) harmonization of standards,

(ii) reciprocal recognition of tests and certification procedures,
(iii) removal of barriers to foreign investments,
(iv) macro-economic consultations,
(v) promotion of venture capital, etc.

ASEAN: Then and Now

ASEAN is chaired by an annually rotating presidency assisted by a secretariat based in

Jakarta, Indonesia. Decisions are reached through consultation and consensus guided by the
principles of noninterference in internal affairs and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Some
experts see this approach to decision-making as a chief drawback for the organization. “The
emphasis on consensus, not losing face, and voluntarism has meant that the politics of the

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lowest common denominator has tended to prevail, and difficult problems have been avoided
rather than confronted,” writes Mark Beeson, professor of international politics at the
University of Western Australia, Perth, in a 2016 journal article.

Other experts say ASEAN has contributed to regional stability by building much-needed
norms and fostering a neutral environment to address shared challenges. “In Asia, talking and
relationship building is half the challenge to solving problems,” says Murray Hiebert, senior
advisor and deputy director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Washington-based Center
for Strategic and International Studies.

Formed in 1967, ASEAN united Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and
Thailand to try to reduce regional hostilities and to fight the potential threat of communist-led
insurgencies at the height of the U.S. war in Vietnam. The five founding members sought a
community to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-
Pacific’s post-colonial states. In 1976, the members signed the Treaty of Amity and
Cooperation, emphasizing ASEAN’s promotion of peace, friendship, and cooperation to
build solidarity.

Membership doubled by the early 1990s, boosted in part by changing conditions following
the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and the Cold War in 1991. With the addition of Brunei
(1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), and Cambodia (1999), the group started
to launch initiatives to boost regionalism. The members signed a deal in 1995 to create a
nuclear-free zone in Southeast Asia, committing to refrain from the use of nuclear weapons,
including on land and in maritime territories.

Faced with the 1997 Asian financial crisis, ASEAN members moved to integrate their
economies to mitigate future economic turmoil. The Chiang Mai Initiative [PDF], for
example, was an agreement among ASEAN and China, Japan, and South Korea to provide
financial support through currency swaps. ASEAN states also signed a declaration on joint
action to counter terrorism in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in the United States to bolster
national and regional mechanisms and increase information sharing.

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In 2007, the ten members adopted the ASEAN Charter , a constitutional document, providing
the grouping with legal status and revamping its institutions. The charter enshrines core
ASEAN principles and delineates requirements for membership. (East Timor first submitted
its application for ASEAN membership in 2011 but not all members back its addition to the
block.) The charter also originally included provisions for sanctions and a system to monitor
compliance of ASEAN agreements, but those were dropped amid internal objections.

The charter set out a blueprint for a community built on three branches: the ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC), the ASEAN Political-Security Community, and the ASEAN
Socio-Cultural Community. Developments on the economic front have born the most fruit; in
2017 and 2018, the bloc’s economy is expected to grow by 5.7 percent, according to the
Asian Development Bank. The AEC’s four pillars are: the creation of a single market with
the free flow of goods, services, investment, and skilled labor; fair economic competition;
sustainable and equitable economic development; and further integrating ASEAN into the
global economy. Yet some of the region’s most important industries are not covered by
preferential trade measures, and the income inequality gap among ASEAN members could
make economic integration more costly.

Still, some experts see the AEC as a potential catalyst for intensifying economic integration.
“The ASEAN economic community is a major project. Its realization will radically change
the region’s economic and political landscape. The challenges are equally great,” said Hadi
Soesastro, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, in
2007 when plans for the economic community were adopted.

Since the start of the ASEAN free trade area in 1993, intra-ASEAN trade has grown from
19.2 percent to 25.9 percent in 2016. Across the grouping, more than 90 percent of goods
are traded with no tariffs . The grouping has also prioritized eleven sectors in goods and
services for integration, including electronics, auto motives, rubber-based products, textiles
and apparels, agro-based products, and tourism. ASEAN members have made strong efforts
to facilitate trade, says Hiebert, but challenges remain.

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ASEAN and Regional Security

ASEAN security challenges include border disputes, human trafficking, natural and manmade
disasters, food security, and cross-border terrorism and insurgencies. The vast majority of
regional security issues are dealt with through ASEAN or the following ASEAN-led forums:

ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): Launched in 1993, the twenty-seven-member multilateral

grouping was developed to facilitate cooperation on political and security issues to contribute
to regional confidence-building and preventive diplomacy. The forum represents a wide array
of voices—including ASEAN, its dialogue partners, North Korea, and Pakistan, among
others—yet it is often mired in geopolitical disputes that limit its effectiveness.

ASEAN Plus Three: The consultative group initiated in 1997 brings together ASEAN’s ten
members, China, Japan, and South Korea. The grouping was characterized as “the most
coherent and substantive pan-Asian grouping” by Evan A. Feigenbaum and Robert A.
Manning in a CFR report.

East Asia Summit (EAS): First held in 2005, the summit seeks to promote security and
prosperity in the region and is usually attended by the heads of state from ASEAN, Australia,
China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. ASEAN plays
a central role as the agenda-setter. “The summit remains the only opportunity for the
president of the United States to sit down and collectively engage his Asia-Pacific
counterparts on the main political and security issues of the day,” write Vikram Singh of the
Center for American Progress and Lindsey Ford of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Despite the prevalence of diplomatic forums, disagreements on security issues haunt ASEAN
unity. Its most glaring challenge is finding a joint response to the rise of China. “China’s re-
emergence as the major power in the East Asia region is not only likely to transform
Southeast Asia’s relations with China, but also perhaps the internal relations of ASEAN
itself” , writes Beeson, of the University of Western Australia.

Maritime disputes in the South China Sea have been the biggest irritant among ASEAN
members. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam share overlapping claims to
features in contested waters with China. For them, China’s moves to reclaim land and to
build artificial islands are threatening and seen as violations of national sovereignty. For other
members, like Cambodia, the tension in the South China Sea is geographically distant and not

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as relevant. In the absence of consensus, efforts to make the Declaration of Conduct of
Parties in the South China Sea between ASEAN and Beijing into a binding code of conduct
have been futile. In response, a number of claimants have appealed for greater U.S. support.
The United States has responded by stepping up military cooperation with ASEAN members
like the Philippines and Vietnam, and heightening its maritime presence to enforce freedom
of navigation in international waters. At the same time, Southeast Asian nations have also
invested in modernizing their militaries.

ASEAN members have been divided by their ties with China and the United States. The
region overall is in need of investment, trade, and particularly infrastructure development and
China has moved to fill these needs. But ASEAN members are anxious of becoming over
reliant and dependent on China; in turn, these nations “look to the United States to hedge,”
says CSIS’ Hiebert.

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 Conclusion

ASEAN was formed during the era of inter-state distrust and the uprising of communism.
ASEAN was thus established with the objectives of promoting regional peace, stability and
economic progress to facilitate nation building among member states. The working
principles, the "ASEAN Way" of non-interference, informal understanding and consensus
building based on lowest common denominator have been effectual in attaining the objectives
of ASEAN.

The introduction of new member states including Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, had fulfill
the dream of including all the countries in Southeast Asia into ASEAN.

It can be seen that the strategic presence of US in the region can no longer guarantee the
security of the states in Southeast Asia, especially in the current era of non-conventional
threats - piracy and terrorism. As such, the interpretation of Mr Lee's words is not accurate in
today's context.

Over the last four decades, ASEAN have certainly achieved plentiful in all areas of stability,
security and prosperity of Southeast Asia. The "ASEAN Way" has been successful in
promoting regional co-operation and economic development. The nations of Southeast Asia
were able to leave their historic rivalries behind them in the name of ASEAN unity. They
have also taken the lead to create the ASEAN Regional Forum to engage all their Asia-
Pacific neighbours for the first time, to discuss in a structured dialogue on wide-ranging
Asian security issues.

The Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mr Bounnhang Vorachith, 29
Nov 2004, said, "The role of ASEAN has been increasingly recognised in ensuring peace and
security in the Asia-Pacific region, through the ARF, with ASEAN as the primary driving
force."

In conclusion, ASEAN have proven its commitment and achievements through all the
ministerial meetings, Communities and forums that it is still relevance to the stability,
security and prosperity of Southeast Asia. The fact that EU and the Asia-Pacific states are
willing to co-operate with ASEAN; is a testimonial and recognition of ASEAN's
achievements. It is not merely an "adjunct" or supplement to the power-balancing role played
by the United States. The role of ASEAN is indeed central to the region's well being.

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 Reference’s

https://www.state.gov/p/eap/regional/asean/

http://www.historydiscussion.net/asia/asean-association-of-the-south-east-asian-nations/1925

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/international-studies/the-association-of-asean.php

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