5/24/2016 Debate:ASEAN,abolitionofDebatepedia

WelcometoDebatepedia!|About|Help|FAQ|Media
Kit

Personaltools

Login/createaccount

Views

Article
Discussion
Edit
History

Debate:ASEAN,abolitionof
FromDebatepedia

ShouldtheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNationsbeabandoned?

Backgroundandcontext

ASEANwasfoundedin1967byIndonesia,Malaysia,thePhilippines,Singaporeand
Thailand.In1984BruneiDarussalamwasadmitted,followedbyVietnamin1995,Laos
andMyanmar/Burmain1997andCambodiain1999.Combined,theyhaveapopulationof
about500million,atotalareaof4.5millionsquarekilometers,acombinedgrossdomestic
productofUS$737billion,andatotaltradeofUS$720billion.TheASEANDeclaration
statesthattheaimsandpurposesoftheAssociationare:(i)toacceleratetheeconomic
growth,socialprogressandculturaldevelopmentintheregionthroughjointendeavoursin
thespiritofequalityandpartnershipinordertostrengthenthefoundationforaprosperous
andpeacefulcommunityofSoutheastAsiannationsand(ii)topromoteregionalpeaceand
stabilitythroughabidingrespectforjusticeandtheruleoflawintherelationshipamong
countriesintheregionandadherencetotheprinciplesoftheUnitedNationsCharter.In
1995,theASEANHeadsofStatesandGovernmentreaffirmedthatCooperativepeace
andsharedprosperityshallbethefundamentalgoalsofASEAN.

Contents

1.ShouldtheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNationsbe
|
abandoned?
file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/Debate/Debate_%20ASEAN,%20abolition%20of%20%20Debatepedia.html 1/6
5/24/2016 Debate:ASEAN,abolitionofDebatepedia

2.Backgroundandcontext |

3.Independencevs.Union:WouldASEANmemberstatesbe | | | |
betteroffalone?

4.Burma:WasitwrongforASEANtoincludeBurma? | | | |

5.Trade:DoesASEANpromoteitrade?Isthisagoodthing? | | | |

6.Expandedmembership:HasexpansiondamagedASEAN? | | | |

7.Economicstability:DoesASEANfailtopromoteeconomic | | | |
stability?

8.Culture:DoesASEANjeopardizetheculturesofitsmember || |
states,orhelpprotectthem? |

9.Motions |

10.Seealso |

11.Externallinksandresources |

12.Books |

Independencevs.Union:WouldASEANmemberstatesbebetteroff
alone?

No

Yes ASEANfostersastronger
collectivevoiceinternationally.
ASEANmemberswouldbebetter Allowingitsmemberstowork
offpursuingtheirownnational together,makespossible
interests:Itisexpensiveandit achievementsthattheycannoteasily
divertsattentionfromtheproper achievealone.WhenASEANspeaks
effortsofmembersgovernments itspeaksfortencountries:thatoffers
pursuitofthenationalinterest.Itis amuchgreatervoiceonthe
yetanotherunnecessarytalkingshop. internationalstage.Furthermore,the
Membersfrequentlydisagreewith regularhighleveldialoguethe
oneanother(onimportant organisationenablesbetween
internationalrelationsissueslikethe representativesofnationsthathavea
waronIraq,andonregional
file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/Debate/Debate_%20ASEAN,%20abolition%20of%20%20Debatepedia.html 2/6
5/24/2016 Debate:ASEAN,abolitionofDebatepedia
economicissueslikelabourlaws),so
theideathatithelpspresentaunited
frontisincorrect.Itsinstitutions
involvesurprisinglyhighcosts
(especiallyhighwhentheydont
achieveanything)butstillcomplain
ofunderresourcingmembersare
unwillingtocommitanymorefunds,
sonobodyishappy.Besttoscrapit.
Burma:WasitwrongforASEANtoincludeBurma?
No
Yes
AllowingBurmatojoinASEAN
seemedtosignalapprovalofthat
regimesrecordonhumanrights:
Theforumoftenoffersashieldfor
Myanmarsregimefromexternal
criticism.Otherregimesconduct
questionable(atbest)policies,such
asThailandstreatmentoftheKaren
orIndonesiasapproachinAcehor
EastTimor,butgouncriticised.
Trade:DoesASEANpromoteitrade?Isthisagoodthing?
Yes
No
UnionssuchasASEANencourage
theirmemberstoturninwards
insteadofadoptthebetter
principlesofglobalization:ASEAN
replacesthetraditionalnarrow
mindednationalistvisionwitha
regionalistclosedmindmentality.
Theymayalsoofferafalsesenseof
participationintheinternational
file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/Debate/Debate_%20ASEAN,%20abolition%20of%20%20Debatepedia.html
historyofantagonismandwarwith
oneanotherishighlybeneficial.Its
truethattheinstitutionsofthe
organisationinvolvesomesmallcost,
butitsworthit.Finally,afalse
choiceisbeingofferedbythe
proposition:itsoftenthecasethat
membersareadvancingtheirnational
interestsbytheirmembership.
Basedongeography,Burmaisa
partofASEAN,thoughBurmahas
problemwiththeregime.However,
Burma'sremovalfromASEAN
wouldclearlybedamagingtothe
state.
Myanmarismorelikelytoimprove
itsbehaviorasamemberof
ASEAN:Prospectsforimprovingthe
specifichumanrightsproblemsin
Myanmar/Burmaandforoffending
regimesintheregionmoregenerally
arebetterifthecountryisincluded
andgivenincentivestoimprove,than
ifitisexcludedandleftasapariah
state.Muchbackgrounddiplomacyis
doneandpressureexertedthroughthe
channelsofASEAN.
Tradeblocsaresteppingstonesto
fullglobalization:Smallerunions
ofwhichASEANisone,theEUand
NAFTAareothersmaybeseenas
steppingstonestoworldtrade,not
stumblingblockstheymakethe
transitioneasierbyencouragingthe
movefromstatebasedeconomic
3/6
5/24/2016 Debate:ASEAN,abolitionofDebatepedia

economicspherewhenthegreatleap thinkingtowiderhorizons.
toworldtradeisatlastapossibility.

Expandedmembership:HasexpansiondamagedASEAN?

No

Includingpoorercountriesisa
longterminvestmentinthem:Itis
Yes truethatcountrieslikeCambodiamay
beweakeconomicallyrightnow,but
Expansionhasunderminedthe investinginthemallowsother
economicsolidityofthe memberstogetinontheground
Association:Memberswhose floorasindustrygrowsandthe
economiesareunsoundhavebeen benefitstothenewcountryare
admittedforpoliticalreasons. obvious.Itshouldberememberedthat
thereisnocommoncurrencylikethe
euro,somembersdontrunthesame
directriskfromhavingweaker
economiesonboardanyway.

Economicstability:DoesASEANfailtopromoteeconomicstability?

No

ASEANhelpeditsmembers
recoverfromthe1997Asian
Yes economiccollapse:Everyone
suffered,insideandoutsideofthe
ASEANisunabletofulfillitsmain Association.ASEANsmembers
missionofprovidingeconomic recoveredmorequicklythanother,
stabilitytoitsmembers:Itwas moredevelopednations,likeJapan.
demonstratedin1997thatASEAN
cannotachievethis.WhentheAsian ASEANoffersitspoorercountries
financialcrisissweptoverall theabilitytoeffectivelyusetheir
members,themuchvaunted comparativeadvantagesoflower
Associationdidnothingtoprotect workercostunderlow/notariff
them. regimes:

Moredevelopedcountrieshavenew
marketsopenedupunderlow/no
export/importrestrictions:

Culture:DoesASEANjeopardizetheculturesofitsmemberstates,or
helpprotectthem?

file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/Debate/Debate_%20ASEAN,%20abolition%20of%20%20Debatepedia.html 4/6
5/24/2016 Debate:ASEAN,abolitionofDebatepedia

No

Yes
ThesoutheastAsianregionisone
ofextraordinarydiversity:Faiths,
cultures,traditionsitspeoplesvary
wildly.ASEANseekstoplaceover
thetopofallthataWesternstyle,
suitsandtiesforumthatnotonly
encouragesthealreadyoccurring,
unfortunateprocessofwesternisation
italsopromoteshomogeneityamongst
thosewhoshouldbecelebratingtheir
differences.
ASEANintendstoprotectits
membersfromWesternizationand
promoteadistinctSoutheastAsian
style:Itdoessobyofferinga
platformofregionalactivitythatis
distinctlydifferent,distinctly
southeastAsian.Furthermore,the
heterogeneityoftheregionisan
argumentforbothsides.Lefttotheir
owndevices,theseculturesoftenfall
backonageoldrivalriesand
resentments.Aforumthatstresses
theadvantagesandpotentialofthe
regionworkingtogetherisvitalto
preventrecurrenceofthis.

Motions
ThisHousewouldabandonASEAN
ThisHousebelievesthatASEANhasfailed
ThisHousewouldleaveASEAN

Seealso
Externallinksandresources
ASEAN(http://www.aseansec.org/)
BurmesedemocratsagainstASEANmembership
(http://www.burmanet.org/bnn_archives/1997/bnn0497n707.txt)
CanadianConsortiumonAsiaPacificSecurit(http://www.iir.ubc.ca/cancaps/)
FinancialTimesarticle
(http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/econ/2002/1105asean.htm)
BrookingsInstitutionarticle(http://www.brookings.edu/views/op
ed/fellows/munakata_20020201.htm)

Books
InsecurityintheASEANRegion
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/085516090X/interntionaldeba/104
53331300270319)TimHuxley
ASEANFreeTradeAreaSourceBook
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0954622200/interntionaldeba/104
53331300270319)DonaldHowellMiller
ExplainingASEAN:RegionalisminSoutheastAsia
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1588261298/interntionaldeba/104
53331300270319)ShaunNarine
AseanEconomiesinPerspective:AComparativeStudyofIndonesia,Malasia,the
Philippines,SingaporeandThailand
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0915980908/interntionaldeba/104
53331300270319)JohnWong
file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/Debate/Debate_%20ASEAN,%20abolition%20of%20%20Debatepedia.html 5/6
5/24/2016 Debate:ASEAN,abolitionofDebatepedia

RoadtoASEAN10:JapanesePerspectivesonEconomicIntegration
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/4889070338/interntionaldeba/104
53331300270319)SekiguchiSueo

Retrievedfrom"http://www.debatepedia.org/en/index.php/Debate:_ASEAN%2C_abolition_of"

Categories:Debatabase|Internationalpolitics|Internationalorganizations|ASEAN|Asia|Southeast
Asia|Trade

Thispagewaslastmodified14:01,24February2010.
Thispagehasbeenaccessed10,197times.
Privacypolicy
About
Disclaimers
Problemwiththesite?

file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/Debate/Debate_%20ASEAN,%20abolition%20of%20%20Debatepedia.html 6/6