ASEAN History and Formation

Study Notes

ASEAN was created on August 8, 1967, through the Bangkok Declaration.
ASEAN was established due to the fear of communist expansion in Southeast Asia and to promote economic and cultural cooperation.

ASEAN shifted its strategic policy due to the decreased concern over communism and increased focus on economic development.
ASEAN viewed China's rise as a concern, particularly in regards to its past support for communist movements in SEA and potential undermining of ASEAN's economic development.
ASEAN sought to focus on regional integration to expand the organization and play a centrality role in promoting relations and balancing external powers.

ASEAN believed it must play a centrality role post-cold war to promote relations and balance external powers.

ASEAN consists of 10 member states with diverse geographical landscapes, linguistic, ethnic, religious, political, and economic characteristics.
The 5 continental states include Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos, with Austro-asiatic, Tibeto-Burman, and Tai languages.
The 5 maritime states include the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei, with Austronesian and Malayo-Polynesian languages.
Each state has multiple ethnic groups, with mainland SEA having Theravada Buddhism and maritime SEA having Islam, Confucianism, Indic, and Christian influences.

ASEAN faces political diversity, with a mix of absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, republics, and socialist regimes.
Economic diversity is also present, with low, low-middle, upper-middle, and high-income economies.
Historical diversity and past antagonisms, such as Thai and Burmese invasions, make it challenging for ASEAN to emerge from regionalism.

SEA is of security interest due to its location in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, with a history of proxy interstate conflicts during the cold war and increased regional power disputes post-cold war.
SEA is of economic interest, with ASEAN becoming a newly industrialized export-led growth economy during the cold war and a geo-economic importance post-cold war.
SEA is of political interest, with a mix of authoritarian regimes during the cold war and efforts to apply democracy and civil rights standards post-cold war.
Non-traditional threats in SEA include terrorist operations, transnational crimes, and human trafficking.