THE ASEAN INTEGRATION

JOY D. CALLUENG-DAPEG
Lesson Objectives:

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

► revisit the history of the ASEAN;
► explain ASEAN integration; and
► discuss the ASEAN Economic and Socio-Cultural Blueprint.
Definition of Terms

1. ASEAN- Association of Southeast Asian Nations; a regional cooperation

in the Southeast Asia.
2. Integration – establishment of formal processes toward collaboration
for shared economic and sociocultural goals.

Introduction
When discussing about Asian regionalism, one cannot veer away from
discussing the evolution and dynamics of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN). In the early 1960s, there was already an emerging organization
among Philippines, Thailand, and the Republic of Malaya in what was called the
Association of Southeast Asia (ASA). It was established in July 13, 1961 by Thanat
Khoman (Thailand), Felixberto Serrano (Philippines), and Tunku Abdul Raman
(Malaysia). While the articulated goal of this regionalism process was cultural and
economic cooperation, there were also political goals gleaned. Some challenges
were encountered from its inception such as lack of confidence from other
Southeast Asian nations, presumed political goals, and the dissent from other
states because of their alignment with the Western Bloc (Pollard, 1970).
 In 1963, another confederation was formed, convened by then President Diosdado
Macapagal. This was referred to as MAPHILINDO (Great Malayan Confederation),
involving Malaysia, Philippines,and Indonesia, which aimed to unite “nations of Malay
origins.” This did not last very long and was terminated by Indonesia-Malaysia
Konfrontasi- the former’s policy arguing against the formation of the Federation of
Malaysia (Weatherbee et all., 2005)
Four years after, representatives from Indonesia and Singapore, with those from
three ASA member states, engaged in informal discussions in a coastal resort in Bang
Sean, where they formulated the idea of a Southeast Asian Cooperation. Thus, in August
8, 1967, these foreign ministers sat down in Bangkok, Thailand and signed the ASEAN
Declaration. Also referred to as the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, the five ministers
present were Adam Malik (Indonesia), Narciso R. Ramos (Philippines), Tun Adbul Razak
(Malaysia), S. Rajaratnam (Singapore), and Thanat Khoman (Thailand).
THE ASEAN
Thanat Khoman (1992), one of the founding fathers, articulated why SEA
needed an organization for cooperation.
1. The cooperation will repel new colonial powers from stepping in after old
colonizers withdrew.
2. It is strategic to work with neighbors, with shared interest and identity, that
with allies from distant lands (e.g., SEATO).
3. Harnessing the strengths of member states will provide an advantage in
dealing with bigger powers in potential conflicts. Most importantly,
cooperation and integration enable achievement of goals which could be not
accomplished alone.
 The principles of the ASEAN are enshrined in the ASEAN Declaration (1967), also
referred to as Bangkok Declaration. The opening section of the Declaration provided
a situationer of SEA’s geopolitical and economic affairs at that time:
1. Existence of shared problems and interest
2. Need for unity and cooperation
3. Shared aspirations and ideals (“peace, progress, and prosperity”)
4. Shared responsibility for “economic and social responsibility”
5. Presence of foreign bases as temporary and with “concurrence from countries
concerned”
The following section contains the declarations, as follows:
1. Establishment of ASEAN
2. An articulation of the aims and purpose of ASEAN
3. A list of strategies and mechanisms to enable the achievement of the goals
4. A statement of openness for membership
5. An articulation of ASEAN as a collective representation of member states
 YEAR Accord and Brief Description Place
August 8, 1967 ASEAN Declaration Bangkok
Founding principles, aims and goals, and general
mechanisms
November 27, 1971 Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality Declaration Kuala Lumpur
Articulation of intention to ensure freedom from any
external inference and to widen platform for
cooperation
February 24, 1976 Declaration of ASEAN Concord Bali
Adoption of a program of action for ASEAN cooperation;
emphasis on the elimination of poverty and related
social ills as well as the intensification of member state
support in times of natural calamities
December 15, 1987 Manila Declaration Manila
Reaffirms commitment to previous declarations and
accord
July 22, 1992 ASEAN Declaration on the South China Sea Manila
Calls for a peaceful approach in solving issues on the
South China Sea, with reference to the Treaty of Amity
and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (1976) and for
exploration on possible cooperation in ensuring safety
in the area
December 15, 1995 ASEAN VISION 2020 Kuala Lumpur
Reaffirmation of commitment to Bangkok Declaration
(1967) and re-articulation of the aspirations of the
Kuala Lumpur Declaration (1971); a call for
“Partnership in Dynamics Development” and forging “A
Community of Caring Societies”
November 5, 2001 Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism Bandar Seri
Condemnation of terrorist attacks, expression of Begawan
sympathy to families and victims of terrorism, rejection
of linking terrorism to region or race, and commitment
to counter any terrorist acts
October7-8, 2003 Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (Bali Concord) Bali
Establishing an ASEAN Community with three pillars:
“political and security cooperation, economic
cooperation, and socio-cultural cooperation”
January 13, 2007 ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism (ACCT) Cebu
Recalls the “Declaration on Joint Action to Counter
Terrorism” (2001); defines criminal acts of terrorism
based on existing policy instruments
Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Cebu
Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015
Re-articulation of commitment to ASEAN Vision 2020
January 13, 2007 Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Cebu
Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015
Re-articulation of commitment to ASEAN Vision 2020
and the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (2003)
November 20, 2007 Declaration of the ASEAN Economic Blueprint Singapore
Adoption of the ASEAN Economic Blueprint
November 22, 2015 ASEAN Socio-Cultural Blueprint 2025 Kuala Lumpur
May 25, 2016 Joint Declaration of the ASEAN Defence Ministers on Vientiane
Promoting Defence Cooperation for a Dynamic ASEAN
Community
Commitment to the ASEAN motto: One Vision, One
Identity and One Caring and Sharing Community”
ASEAN Integration
ASEAN integration has become a buzzword in recent years, propelling conversations
among experts in various disciplines, and perhaps, eliciting questions among the
general public.

INTEGRATION – as a pathway toward unification in various spheres- political, economic,

and social.

ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (AEC) characteristics:

1. Single market and production (free flow of goods, service, investment, capital, and
skilled labor ; prioritizing food, agriculture, and forestry as integration sectors)
2. Competitive economic region (introduction of fair competition policy, consumer
protection, intellectual property rights, infrastructure development, taxation, and
e-commerce)
3. Equitable economic outcomes (developing small and medium enterprises, initiative
for ASEAN integration)
4. Integration into the global economy (maintaining ASEAN centrality, participation in
global supply networks)
Characterizes of ASEAN COMMUNITY
1. Empowering to people (engaging stakeholders’ and people’s participation)
2. Inclusive (provides access to all and upholds human rights)
3. Sustainable (sustainably environment, landscapes, climate, and economies)
4. Resilient (reducing vulnerabilities among marginalized sectors, disaster
resilience, and preparedness for health emergencies and hazards)
5. Dynamic (adaptive, innovative and creative)

SUMMARY
The ASEAN is among the oldest cooperations in the modern times. In
understanding regionalism in the context of globalization, the case of ASEAN
serves as a good example on how states of shared ideologies, culture and goals
forge partnerships among one another to enhance the probability of arriving at a
desirable end. There are difficulties in maintaining such cooperation especially in
a world where competition is the driving force of action. At the end of the day, it
is also a question not only to the leaders of the states but also to us, individual
citizens.