Regional Cooperation in South East Asia: An Overview

08 Jul, 2002    ·   786

Prafulla Ketkar points out that a common external threat perception from China and multidimensional functional approach has led to the emergence of ASEAN as the most viable organization in the Asia-Pacific region
It is well-established now that the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the most successful regional cooperation arrangement in the developing world. The region is characterised by a rapid growth of foreign direct investment and has become important for the major powers. Hence it is instructive to overview ASEAN’s evolution to provide insights for other developing regions of the world.

 

 

In such groupings membership is a contentious issue. With its socio-cultural, ethnic, political and economic diversities, ASEAN is no exception. ASEAN came into existence in 1967 with the Bangkok Agreement signed by the foreign ministers of Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Singapore and Thailand . The primary objectives of the Association were accelerated economic growth, social progress and cultural development, and promotion of peace and security in the region. Thus, ASEAN started as a loosely structured association without either political or economic integration as its goal. In the mid 1960’s, the threat posed by armed communist insurgencies and the presence of extra-regional powers in the region resulted in a loosely structured arrangement. As anti-communism was the prime rallying point behind this association, it enjoyed the protection of an American umbrella. 

 

 

During the first ten years there was not much progress in ASEAN at the policy or organisational level. But in this period, building confidence among member states laid a firm foundation for regional cooperation. In 1976, the first summit meeting of the five heads of government was held in Indonesia , which was a landmark in the evolution of the Association for three reasons. Firstly, the ASEAN concord signed at the summit reiterated the established path of voluntary cooperation, which gave prominence to ministerial level meetings. Secondly, the Treaty of Amity Cooperation was signed to ensure peaceful intra-regional relations and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states. Finally, the agreement on establishment of the ASEAN Secretariat was a significant forward step in its evolution. The ASEAN Declaration (1967) and the Declaration of ASEAN Concord (1971) are the two mileposts of this multipurpose organisation. 

 

 

In January 1984, newly independent Brunei joined this Association after being an observer for a number of years. Vietnam was admitted as the seventh member of ASEAN in July 1995. Despite internal political turmoil and opposition, Laos and Myanmar joined in July 1997, and Cambodia was formally admitted in April 1999. Thus, the ambition to incorporate all the ten countries of the sub-region was achieved.                     

 

 

In the socio-cultural sphere ASEAN has shown its concern by establishing an ASEAN task force for AIDS (March 1993), and a Plan of Action for Children (December 1993), A three-year plan of action on drug abuse (1994) and a series of measures to mitigate the social impact of financial and economic crisis were also negotiated (December 1998). 

 

 

On security related issues, a substantive step was taken in 1971 when the members approved a declaration for the establishment of a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality in the South East Asian region. This objective was incorporated in the Declaration of ASEAN Concord made in February 1976. In January 1992 ASEAN leaders agreed that there should be greater cooperation in security matters between the member countries. The dispute over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea was the major driving force behind this agreement. Besides, agreements on the establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in July 1993 to cooperate on security issues within the region and a treaty establishing a South East Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (December 1995) are the significant achievements of the association in the field of security. 

 

 

Trade as the basis of cooperation has emerged in ASEAN after a great deal of debate. Singapore wanted a more liberalised trading system and Indonesia was opposed to this, as it would hurt the most. In this situation, a basic agreement on the establishment of the ASEAN Preferential Trade Arrangements was concluded in 1977, in which gradual cuts in tariff on a wide range of items was envisaged. Further, a new set of priorities for national and regional economic development was adopted in 1987.  In January 1992, the heads of government signed an agreement to create an ‘ASEAN Free Trade Area’ (AFTA) by 2008. In accordance with this agreement, a common preferential tariff came into effect in January 1993.

 

 

This overview shows that a common external threat perception from China and multidimensional functional approach has led to the emergence of ASEAN as the most viable organisation in the Asia-Pacific region. 

 

 

 

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