994, 62). How could the process move easily forward once,
Mr. Hun Sen blew two holes in ASEAN's cosy style of business. Cambodia was due to join on July 23rd, along with Myanmar and Laos, thereby realising the founders' vision of a group including all ten countries of SouthEast Asia. But the organisation had little choice but to defer Cambodia's accession. It had to admit that there were, after all, some limits to "non-interference," and some basic criteria for the domestic behaviour of members. But nobody could agree exactly what those criteria should be (Limits to politeness..., 1998, 31).
Laos and Myanmar were accepted in July, 1997, and Japan (serving as a diplomat at large) is working with Thailand to bring Cambodia into the fold.
Part 2: ASEAN's Current Organization
The primary purpose of the agreement was, and still is, to create an economic block that is known as the ASEAN Free Trade Area, similar in concept and structure to the European Common Market. However, as opposed to the European mo
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