ASEAN Turns 40

The group of Southeast Asian nations was founded in 1967 at the height of the Cold War, as a pro-western bloc. Initially, it had five members -- Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

But since the end of the Cold War and the dawn of a new era, the group has expanded to ten members, including Communist-ruled Vietnam and Laos within its ranks, as well as Cambodia, Myanmar, and Brunei.

Professor Jürgen Rühland, an expert on Southeast Asian affairs at Freiburg University in southern Germany, said ASEAN had achieved a lot over the past 40 years.

"One can't ignore the fact that since the forum was founded, the region hasn't seen any major conflicts," he added. "This can surely be attributed to the fact that the bloc developed methods of conflict management, based on peaceful solutions of conflict."

Greater integration

Since its establishment, ASEAN has worked towards greater regional economic integration and towards minimising geopolitical tensions. The bloc hosts an annual Asia-Pacific security forum, which involves major world powers.

It has also expanded co-operation within the bloc to different areas, such as politics and security, economy and trade, cultural and social affairs, science, technology and the environment.

At the same time, it has tried to establish stronger links with other global players. Which is why Jurgen Chrobog, a former German diplomat thinks Europe should not ignore ASEAN which he said was a "reliable partner".

"A partner which should free itself, and will free itself, from big America, as well as from China and India too. This region needs an alternative. It needs a balanced relationship with the world and I think Europe can play an important role in this matter."

Towards East Asia

After the Asian financial crisis in 1997, ASEAN also started looking towards East Asia. It signed a number of financial co-operation deals with China, Japan and South Korea, and formed a dialogue forum called ASEAN+3 to address any future financial crises.

Professor Jürgen Haacke from the London School of Economics said that China was not a threat to ASEAN despite its rising influence:

"China wants to strengthen ASEAN rather than weaken it. China is by no means trying to overtake ASEAN. China is considered an emerging regional giant, even an emerging world power. But at the same time, it has made clear that the ascent will be peaceful. So Southeast Asia is more or less a test case."

Human rights

Despite ASEAN's successes, the bloc has been criticised by western powers for not doing enough to protect human rights, especially in Myanmar. Some critics say the grouping is a mere "talk shop" which has failed to put pressure on Myanmar's junta-led government to restore democracy.

Acknowledging international pressure, the group last month agreed to draft a charter aimed at setting common standards for all member states. It also agreed to set up a commission monitoring human rights in the region, despite a strong opposition by the Burmese government.

The charter is due to be ratified at the next ministerial meeting in November. It will bestow a legal identity to ASEAN for international negotiations and will allow it to promote free trade and economic integration during the next 10 years.