ASEAN History and Formation

ASEAN Creation and Purpose

• 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.

Post-Cold War Shift in ASEAN's Strategic Policy

• 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's Centrality Role

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

ASEAN's Geographical, Linguistic, and Ethnic Divisions

• 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's Diversities and Challenges

• 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 as an Interest Area

• 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.