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LCASEAN

ASEAN Bangkok Declaration

August 8, 1967

Mindful Existence of mutual interest and common problems— need to

strengthen existing bonds of regional solidarity and cooperation

Desiring Establish foundation for action to promote regional cooperation,

equality and partnership contributing towards regional peace, progress,
prosperity

Conscious Peace, Freedom, Social Justice, Economic well-being attained by

fostering meaningful cooperation, a region bound by history and culture

Considering Shared primary responsibility for strengthening social and

economic stability, peaceful and progressive national development; Preserve
national identities in accordance with their peoples ideal and aspirations

Affirming Foreign bases are temporary and are not intended to be used to
subvert national independence and freedom of States

Regional Cooperation known as Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

Accelerate economic growth, social progress, cultural development; Equality

and partnership for a prosperous and peaceful community

Promote regional peace and stability, abiding respect for justice and rule of
law

Promote active collaboration and mutual assistance of common interests

Provide assistance to each other; training and research

Collaborate for greater utilization of agriculture and industries, expansion of

trade, improvement of transpo and communication, raising living standards

Promote Southeast Asian studies

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 Maintain close and beneficial cooperation with other existing organizations
with similar aims and purposes for closer cooperation

Annual Meeting; ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Special Meetings of Foreign

Ministers — required

Standing Committee, carrying work of the Association in between Meetings of

Foreign Ministers

AdHoc Committees and Permanent specialist officials committee

National Secretariat of each member country

Open for participation to all Southeast Asian Region States subscribing to aims
and purposes

Association represents collective will to bind together in friendship and

cooperation for security of their people

ASEAN Reader

Southeast Asia and the Great Powers

The region had come almost entirely under the formal rule of Western
powers, segmented into parts of their empires

Alternative leadership offered way to modernity

Destruction of Western empires gave an opportunity

Attempt to build regionalism had to take colonialism into account

Attempt of extending ASEAN beyond Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore,

Philippines, Thailand met distrust of Vietnam

Division within SEA led to intervention

Non intervention and non interference were watchwords, even though

minorities were left behind and old claims left unresolved

Sovereignty may be equal, power is not

Imbalance within a region could be adjusted without the need for outside
check

Malaya sought multilateral relations with its neighbours

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 ASEAN sought idea that its members could secure it by inside agreement
more effectively

By resolving intra-regional disputes, SEA states might avoid need to call on

outside powers

From Political/Security concerns to Regional economic Integration

ASEAN objectives

Prevent historical disputes among member states from developing into

armed conflicts

Keep major external powers from using the region as arena for their
quarrels

Communism soon ceased to be an armed thread

It was mostly to prevent disputes through consultation, golf games, personal

friendships, erupting into something worse, that ASEAN was formed

World Divided

ASEAN was founded when Cold War was at its height

ASEAN's priorities expanded beyond just political and security concerns

Socio-cultural and environmental concerns were just as important in

enhancing overall integration of the region

Broader scope of objective is noticeable in the activities and

organizational evolution

Legitimate ASEAN endeavorRemoval of quantitative restrictions on imports

and non-tariff barriers among five ASEAN member-states

ASEAN industrial cooperation meant giving member-country regional

monopoly on certain manufactures products

Philippine Copper Fabrication plant

Thailand Soda Ash, Urea Fertilizer

The political power of lobbies and special interests has been helping to
shape state decisions in many ASEAN countries

Private Sector

ASEAN leaders and ministers today urge ASEAN to consult private

sector on economic moves to be taken

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 Private sector had limited influence in policy formulation affecting their
interests

Simply ignored by governments

Effectiveness and extent vary on each country’s political system

No unified position among ASEAN private sector regarding economic

integration

Challenge of China

Final Act of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations,

December 1991

ASEAN Economic Community

If ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint were taken literally, it would be

evident that ASEAN is still far from achieving a fully integrated economy

Rather than to focus on current state integration, ASEAN viewed on how

far it has come can be an alternative interpretation. A work in progress,
making efforts to advance economic integration over time

Emphasis on export orientation, market force reliance, international

economic openness

Future

No choice but integrate the economy, for as well, geo-strategic reason

Maintain centrality in growing number of schemes and architectures

ASEAN agreements depend on individual, sovereign nation-states, and

on will of decision-makers for compliance

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