THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
In 1997, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrated its thirtieth year of existence. Normally, when a government organization reaches a 30-year point, it is the cause for reflection -- both internally as the group evaluates its original goals and sets plans for the next decades, and externally, when the press and other governments analyze the group's shortcomings. This paper will perform much of that same function.
Part 1 will provide a brief historical overview of ASEAN. Part 2 will analyze the present organization. Part 3 will detail the major security, economic, social and organizational concerns and conflicts apparent in the organization. Part 4 will look toward the future, trying to estimate ASEAN's future impact on world politics and a global economy.
In 1967 the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formed with just six nations: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. According to the original charter papers, the Association had several goals: (a) to promote social and cultural understanding between and among all 10 nations that comprise the area known as Southeast Asia, (b) to form a defense bloc that would ensure no encroachment of individual members' territories, (c) to create a body that could solve problems of mutual concern, and (d) to establish satisfactory trade and tariff regulations that would make the ASEAN nations a viable economic force (Dunning, 1995, 464).
The hope was that more nations would join, giving what would appear to be a united front against what was perceived as a Communist threat in the region. When ASEAN was formed the United States was sending troops to Vietnam, and because of that fact the ASEAN nations refused admission to North Vietnam because of its ties to Russia and its invasion of Cambodia in 1978. In 1995, the nation of Cambodia obtained "observer status" and Com...