ASEAN: Origins, Goals, and Challenges - Pol 335, Spring 2020

This essay delves into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a significant regional organization in Southeast Asia. It examines the organization's establishment in 1967, driven by the desire for economic, social, and political cooperation among member states. The essay explores the core objectives of ASEAN, including fostering integration and promoting regional harmony. It further analyzes the current status of the organization, highlighting its active role in addressing political, economic, and security issues. The essay then identifies and discusses the various challenges ASEAN has encountered, such as the influence of communism, cultural disintegration with the addition of new members, and the impact of external forces like China and the United States. The conclusion emphasizes ASEAN's resilience and its continued importance in the region, despite facing numerous obstacles over its 53 years of existence, highlighting its commitment to its founding principles.

Running head: ASEAN
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1ASEAN
Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
ASEAN Foundation:........................................................................................................................3
Present Status of the Organization...................................................................................................4
Challenges faced by ASEAN:.........................................................................................................4
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................6

2ASEAN
Synopsis:
ASEAN or the Association of the South Eastern Nation is one of the most successful
organizations of the region. The aim of the organization was to bring the south eastern countries
of the Asia together such that they can be unified economically, culturally, socially and
politically. Since 1967, there are several challenges that have caused hindrances in the path of
accomplishment of the organization, but it had securely established itself as one of the effective
nations after European nations. The challenges of the ASEAN includes the enlargement of the
organisation to the US intervention in the organization. This discussion focuses on the
organization’s functions and challenges.

3ASEAN
Introduction:
The ASEAN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is an organization consisting
of the governments of 10 countries belonging to the southeast of Asia. The aim of the
organization is the establishment of the intergovernmental co-operation and aids in integration
amongst the members of the organization (Secretariat, 2016). There is a global network of
alliance present in the organization which helps in the development of the influence and
prominence of the organization in the global context. The following discussion will provide
certain insights regarding the organization and its current status in brief. All though it is one of
the greatest organizations of the South Asia, certain challenges are always there. The report
discusses about the challenges faced by ASEAN.
ASEAN Foundation:
The Association of Southeast Asian Nation was founded by some of the countries of the
Southeast Asia like Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand in the year
1967 by Narciso Ramos, Adam Malik, Abdul Razzak Hussain and S. Rajaratnam. The aim was
to unite nations and promote economic and political co-operation among the fellow countries.
Since then numerous countries became the part of the ASEAN organization. Brunei, Laos &
Burma, and Cambodia joined ASEAN in the year, 1984, 1997 and 1999 respectively. There are
three main pillars of the organization namely, Political-Security Community, Socio-Cultural
Community and Economic community. Every one of the pillar consists of their individual
blueprint approved by the authorities of the countries. The countries involved in the ASEAN
organization have certain advantages which includes the integration of the finances, security of
food, free trade, monetary union and many more. The main purpose was to enhance the growth

4ASEAN
of economy in these developing countries of the southeastern part of the south east Asia such that
they can stay in harmony and help in enhancement of the economic growth of those countries,
which has till now being a successful mission for the ASEAN. Apart from this, the countries
wanted to unite themselves culturally by grouping as per the regions with the help of the
multilateral co-operations.
Present Status of the Organization:
The ASEAN is currently active with 11 participating member countries in the
organization. 2019 witnessed the 35th biannual summit in Thailand. Apart from the countries
mentioned above, there Vietnam, and other countries are also part of the organization. However,
the countries like, China, Japan, South Korea plays an important role in the organization at
present as well. The organization take part in the present to solve the issues regarding the
politics, economy, and the security of the countries involved as well. There are numerous steps
taken by ASEAN to maintain the culture of the nations as well (bin Mohamad, 2019). Formal
Summits held in three days where the leaders of the organization hold meetings for the internal
members of the organization. The meetings are held with the foreign minters of the regional
forum of the organization. At present, there are numerous dialogue partners of ASEAN which
includes the countries like Australia, New Zealand as well. The 36th council will be held on 6th of
April 2020 and is expected to end by the 9th of April. The primary aim of the summits are
ensuring whether or not the goals of the association are being followed and whether or not the
targets are being met.

5ASEAN
Challenges faced by ASEAN:
Against all the odd scenarios of the nation, ASEAN is considered to be one of the most
successful Association after the European Union. The organization has to go through one of the
major challenges- Communism. In 1967, one of the most inspired aspect of the political and the
economic phase of the globe was the advancement of the communism in China. The communist
ideas were welcomed by the people in Asia who we4re once ruled by the United Kingdom. The
Communist methodologies greatly empathized with the deficiencies faced by the people of those
countries. In this scenario development of an association, and trying to bring people together
under one roof was the greatest challenge faced by ASEAN back in the 1967 (Broinowski,
2016). People supported communism at the most. Apart from the people wanting to be in the
Communists side, China, which is one of the most influential country in the communism started
to influence people as well. However, this problem was gradually sorted as the people learned to
understand the goals of the organization as well. As the time fled, new members started joining
the organization, which gave rise to another problem in the organization, cultural disintegration.
With more addition in the organization, new cultural views added within the organization
(Mahbubani & Severino, 2018). The danger of erosion of the tradition of the ASEAN prevailed
with the inclusion of the new members in the organization.
The other most prominent issue of the enlargement of the association is losing
effectiveness of decision making. With inclusion of more members, the risk of being less
attentive to the regional issues increases. Again inclusion of the rival countries like Vietnam and
Thailand may give rise to internal conflicts in the organization which is unhealthy for the
organization, and few others prevailed in the organization (Idris & Kamaruddin, 2019).
However, with the passing years this issues resolved and new issues kept on arising in the

6ASEAN
organization. ASEAN Countries re situated in between the two economically strengthen
countries of the world, India and China. The continuous tension between the countries may lead
to a disturbance in the organization hampering the goal of the organization. The increasing
national power of China and its rising profile have shook the complacency of the ASEAN.
Chinas growing interest in the South China Sea and the petroleum rich areas, have raised a new
challenge for the ASEAN who is supposing having a part of the area under Philippines (Haque,
Kabir & Anis, 2019).
The governance challenges of the business is another issue for the ASEAN as well. With
so many countries being a part of the organization, there are a number of business that is
involved as well which includes the larger business along with the smaller businesses (Idris,
2019). With the globalization of the business of the business-giants across the world, smaller
business organizations under ASEAN are suffering due to widespread corruptions associated to
these business (Wong, 2019). It is expected that the transparency will increase with the
development of the digital technology in the organization. With the countries coming together in
the association, United States of America’s engagement in the ASEAN is having its own credits
and discredits as well.
Conclusion:
Thus, from the above report it can be concluded that the ASEAN is one of the South East
Asia’s most successful organization which was developed in 1967 and continued to be one of the
most active organizations of the region. It has completed 53 years of services to the nations who
are involved in the organization. The aim of the organization is to develop an integrity among the
countries who have signed up for the ASEAN in the Political-Security, Socio-Cultural and
Economic point of view. Since its development, the organization has faced numerous challenges

7ASEAN
which includes issues of communism, enlargement of the organization and several other factors.
Among all the odds it has managed to maintain its standard and continued to assist the people
and the business of those countries as well.

8ASEAN
References:
bin Mohamad, M. H. (2019). FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT LAW IN ASEAN
COUNTRIES: PROSPECT FOR ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY. Yustisia Jurnal
Hukum, 8(1), 47-68.
Broinowski, A. (Ed.). (2016). ASEAN into the 1990s. Springer.
Haque, A., Kabir, S. M. H., & Anis, Z. (2019, December). Optimizing The Role Of Youth In
Asean Region To Meet 21ST Century Challenges. In ICOLEESS: International
Conference on Language, Education, Economic and Social Science (Vol. 1, No. 1, pp.
259-274).
Idris, A. (Ed.). (2019). ASEAN Post-50: Emerging Issues and Challenges. Springer.
Idris, A., & Kamaruddin, N. (2019). Overview of ASEAN. In ASEAN Post-50 (pp. 1-12).
Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
Mahbubani, K., & Severino, R. (2018). ASEAN: The way forward.
Secretariat, A. S. E. A. N. (2016). About ASEAN. European Journal of Social Theory, 427, 447.
Wong, R. (2019). The European Union’s security strategy in the ASEAN region. In The
European Union in the Asia-Pacific. Manchester University Press.