Much of Southeast Asia was colonized by Western powers prior to World War II. During the war Japan took control of the region, but was forced out following the war as Southeast Asia countries pushed for independence. Though they were independent, the countries found that stability was hard to come by, and they soon looked to each other for answers.
In 1961 the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand came together to form the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), a precursor to ASEAN. Six years later in 1967 the members of ASA, along with Singapore and Indonesia, created ASEAN, forming a bloc that would push back at the dominating western pressure. The Bangkok Declaration was discussed and agreed upon by the five leaders of those countries over golf and drinks (they later dubbed it "sports-shirt diplomacy"). Importantly, it is this informal and interpersonal manner that characterizes Asian politics.
Brunei joined in 1984, followed by Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Burma in 1997 and Cambodia in 1999. Today there are ten member countries of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
ii) The Establishment of ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok,
Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN DECLARATION (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7
January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July
1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten
Member States of ASEAN.
iii) Aims and Purposes
- To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations.
- To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
- To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields
- To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities in the educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres.
- To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilisation of their agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, including the study of the problems of international commodity trade, the improvement of their transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of their peoples
- To promote Southeast Asian studies
- To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organisations with similar aims and purposes, and explore all avenues for even closer cooperation among themselves
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