ASEAN

14 March 2022
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIA

Formed in 1961 to promote regionalization

In the initiative of PM of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman
Philippines, Thailand, Federation of Malaya
Post-Cold War
Precursors: SEATO, MAPHILINDO
regional cooperation on economic and cultural matters to strengthen South East Asian
countries
Implicitly an anti-communist organization; defend them from the dangers of communist
insurgency and outside intervention
The neutral Burma and Indonesia precluded their membership
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIA

aims were apolitical and developmental: to create machinery ‘for friendly consultations,
collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, scientific and administrative
fields; to provide for exchanges of use of facilities and information in these fields; to promote
regional studies; to provide machinery for cooperation in resource use, trade promotion, industry
and transport; to study problems of commodity trade; and generally to consult and cooperate with
one another so as to achieve the aims and purposes of the Association as well as to contribute more
effectively to the work of existing international organizations and agencies
Meetings and conferences were to rotate through the capitals of member countries.
No permanent secretariat was established in the short life of the organization, but many of the
approaches were a starting point for the later organization, ASEAN
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIA

ASA almost foundered on the conflict over Sabah that developed between the Philippines
and Malaya in 1963. The cool relations lasted for nearly three years from 1963 to 1966. It
was a storm that was weathered rather than a conflict actively resolved by the fledgling
organization although the Foreign Minister of Thailand, Thanat Khoman, and the
continuing meetings held between officials from both countries provided liaison throughout
the period.
ASA's achievements were modest: the establishment of channels of communication and a
tentative organizational structure
MALPHILINDO

Formed in 1963 – Malaya, the Philippines and Indonesia

looser in structure than ASA
intended only as a form of consultation on regional matters
It differed from ASA insofar as Indonesia was a participant and that it emphasized the
importance of keeping the region free of foreign bases, a policy strongly advocated by
Indonesia's non-aligned status
The establishment of Maphilindo will remove the barriers that have been built artificially
to divide the peoples of the Malay race. It is a close fraternal relations between peoples
related by race and culture in order that together they may cooperate in charting a
brighter future and in building a better society for themselves and their children. (Pres.
Macapagal)
KONFRONTASI:
The Malaysia-Indonesia dispute
Konfrontasi was an “undeclared war” fought between Malaysia and Indonesia
The conflict started when Malaysia, consisting of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore,
was formed on September 16, 1963.
Indonesia under President Sukarno was vehemently against the formation of Malaysia; it
was seen as a British strategy to contain Indonesia’s geopolitical ambitions in the region.
Sukarno launched a “Ganyang Malaysia” or “crush Malaysia” campaign, initially using
political, economic, and propaganda means.
When these actions failed, he decided to launch military attacks against Malaysia.
KONFRONTASI:
The Malaysia-Indonesia dispute
Indonesian military forces then conducted cross border raids in Sarawak and Sabah from
Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) through the porous mountainous and jungle borders. This
was slowly but effectively countered by Malaysian security forces, aided by a strong
contingent of British Commonwealth military forces – mostly from the United Kingdom,
Australia, and New Zealand.
The slow results gained from the Indonesian cross border raids in Sabah and Sarawak
frustrated Sukarno and prompted him in the middle of 1964 to open a second front in
Peninsular Malaysia to divert the attention of the British Commonwealth and Malaysian
security forces.
Sarawak still failed
KONFRONTASI:
The Malaysia-Indonesia dispute
Indonesia had also used international propaganda to degrade Malaysia. Jakarta initially
gained the trust of the Afro-Asian states, at that point an important group of mostly
ex-colonial newly independent states which form a large group of members in the United
Nations and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Malaysia countered Indonesia’s claims by conducting a whirlwind of diplomatic visits
between 1964 and 1965, led by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Abdul Razak
and Singapore’s Chief Minister Lee Kwan Yew.
The visits explained Malaysia’s formation and eventually managed to turn the tables on
Indonesia and obtain recognition for the new country from almost all of these Afro-Asian
states.
KONFRONTASI:
The Malaysia-Indonesia dispute
The Konfrontasi lasted until 1966, when Indonesia under its new leader Suharto, and
suffering serious military setbacks and without much international support for its cause,
decided to explore diplomatic options in ending the conflict.
Malaysian and British Commonwealth security forces lost 114 men and the Indonesian
military forces lost close to 600 men.
Both Indonesia and Malaysia held peace talks leading to the final conclusion of the
undeclared war with the signing of a peace treaty.
KONFRONTASI:
The Malaysia-Indonesia dispute
The end of the Konfrontasi led to the formation of ASEAN in 1967.
It was initially formed as a regional organization to reconcile relations among three of its
five pioneer members namely Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and serve as an
important confidence building measure.
ASEAN has since expanded and included all of the Southeast Asian states.