ASEAN Prof. Philip Yang National Taiwan University 2019/2/24

ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the five original Member Countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei joined in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999. 2019/2/24

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As of 2006, the ASEAN region has a population of about 560 million, a total area of 4.5 million square kilometers, a combined gross domestic product of almost US$ 1,100 billion, and a total trade of about US$ 1,400 billion. 2019/2/24

Objectives The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and (2) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. 2019/2/24

The ASEAN Vision 2020, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders on the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN, agreed on a shared vision of ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies. In 2003, the ASEAN Leaders resolved that an ASEAN Community shall be established comprising three pillars, namely, ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. 2019/2/24

ASEAN Charter The ASEAN Charter is a constitution for ASEAN. It was adopted at the 13th ASEAN Summit in November 2007. "Respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states" "Peaceful settlement of disputes" "Non-interference in member states' internal affairs" "Right to live without external interference" 2019/2/24

Fundamental Principles Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations; Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another; Peaceful Settlement of disputes; Renunciation of the threat or use of force. 2019/2/24

ASEAN SECURITY COMMUNITY Through political dialogue and confidence building, no tension has escalated into armed confrontation among ASEAN Member Countries since its establishment more than three decades ago. To build on what has been constructed over the years in the field of political and security cooperation, the ASEAN Leaders have agreed to establish the ASEAN Security Community (ASC).  The ASC shall aim to ensure that countries in the region live at peace with one another and with the world in a just, democratic and harmonious environment.  2019/2/24

The members of the Community pledge to rely exclusively on peaceful processes in the settlement of intra-regional differences and regard their security as fundamentally linked to one another and bound by geographic location, common vision and objectives.  It has the following components: political development; shaping and sharing of norms; conflict prevention; conflict resolution; post-conflict peace building; and implementing mechanisms.  2019/2/24

Major political agreements 1967: ASEAN Declaration 1971: Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality Declaration 1976: Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia 1992: ASEAN Declaration on the South China Sea 1994: ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) 1997 Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Declaration of ASEAN Concord II, Bali, 7 October 2003. 2019/2/24

ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY The ASEAN Economic Community shall be the end-goal of economic integration measures as outlined in the ASEAN Vision 2020.  Its goal is to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities in year 2020. 2019/2/24

Major Economic Agreements 1977: Preferential Trading Arrangement 1992: Toward an ASEAN Free Trade Area or AFTA 1997: ASEAN Vision 2020 2001: ASEAN-China FTA 2019/2/24

External Relations Holding of an annual dialogue among the leaders of ASEAN, China, Japan, and Korea. 1997: ASEAN + 3 Dialogue Partners: Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Russia, US, and the United Nations Development Program. In 2006, ASEAN was given observer status at the United Nations General Assembly 2019/2/24

Ambassador of Luxembourg to ASEAN Presents His Letter of Appointment to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, 24 April 2009 2019/2/24

ASEAN Structure ASEAN Summit The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (Foreign Ministers、Other Sectors MM) 29 committees of senior officials and 122 technical working groups ASEAN Secretariat (Secretary-General) 2019/2/24

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AEM: ASEAN Economic Ministers AMM: ASEAN Ministerial Meeting AFMM:  ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting  ASC:  ASEAN Standing Committee SOM:  Senior Officials Meeting 2019/2/24

AFTA Launched in 1992, the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) is now in place.  It aims to promote the region’s competitive advantage as a single production unit.  The elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers among Member Countries is expected to promote greater economic efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness.  2019/2/24

AFTA 2010 for Six, 2015 for new members Most of the Southeast Asian region is now a free trade area. Accounting for over 96 percent of all ASEAN trade, the first six signatories of the ASEAN Free Trade Area have reduced their tariffs on intra-regional trade to no more than five percent for almost all products. 2019/2/24

As of 1 January 2005, tariffs on almost 99 percent of the products in the Inclusion List of the ASEAN-6 have been reduced to no more than 5 percent.  More than 60 percent of these products have zero tariffs.  The average tariff for ASEAN-6 has been brought down from more than 12 percent when AFTA started to 2 percent today.  For the newer Member Countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV), tariffs on about 81 percent of their Inclusion List have been brought down to within the 0-5 percent range. 2019/2/24

ASEAN Way The ASEAN Way has three elements. First, it refers to some principles such as non-interference in the internal affairs of member states and peaceful resolution of disputes. 2019/2/24

Second, ASEAN way is also a procedural preference, which requires consensus through a process of consultation, , and moderation that specifically considers the position of weaker members. 2019/2/24

Third, ASEAN way prefers quiet diplomacy, away from the glare of publicity, which lays the groundwork for the avoidance of open disputes and the achievement of consensus, without the need for legal measures. 2019/2/24

Discussion Question On 23 April 2008, Myanmar's military leaders finally published a draft constitution after a 15 year delay. The constitution is to be put to vote in a referendum. Prof Joseph Silverstein, a long-time Burma-watcher from Rutgers University, thinks the role of the ASEAN is key. "If it were approved I think there would be protests and a lot of demonstrations, there would be criticism from the UN, United States and Western European countries," he says. "But in the end it will stand, because the position of the ASEAN and the world generally is that this is an internal matter." (BBC Online: 24/8/2008) Why has ASEAN typically been unwilling to intervene in the "internal affairs" of member states? What factors could push ASEAN to take a more interventionist stand with regard to Myanmar? 2019/2/24