IS210: ASEAN in Regional and Global Context

Review Questions

Chapter 1: Why and What of Southeast Asia

1. In your opinion, explain at least 3 reasons why Southeast Asia is one of the
most important regions in the world today?
● Diversity with complex histories
● Geographical location: lies strategically astride the sea passage between East Asia
and the Middle Eastern–Mediterranean world. Their geostrategic significance is
one of the reasons why Southeast Asia has been a region of great power
competition. It contains good weather which helps agriculture which has become
the livelihood of the people. The geographic region is resource rich. Southeast
Asia is a major producer of oil and natural gas.
● Middle of Indopacific
● Political Approach
● ASEAN (act collectively have a voice which affects the western parts)

❖ Southeast Asia as an Interest Area:

1. The Southeast Asian subsystem is becoming an increasingly important unit of the

international system. This is the result of three interrelated developments.

2. It is derived in part from key regional states’ increasing capabilities and

national ambitions. It also reflects the interdependencies being established as
the ASEAN region is integrated into the global economy.

3. Finally, Southeast Asia has become a stage where great power rivalries and
competition for influence are being played out. The details of the script are
constantly changing and past interactions of the external actors with the region's
countries will be different in the future. The historical constant for both the
 regional and extra-regional actors is interests. As Rupert Emerson, a pioneer in
the political study of newly independent postcolonial states, put it, once the nation
has been taken as the measure of the state, “the goal of policy inevitably becomes
the promotion of national interest, however that uncertain concept may come to
be defined.”

2. Is diversity among ASEAN members an opportunity or a challenge for this

organization?

Chapter 3: The Cold War in Southeast Asia

1. What is the 1954 Geneva Conference on Indochina? What did it try to

achieve? Was it successful?
➢ The Geneva Conference began in April 1954 and it is to solve the issue in Indochina after
France’s withdrawal
● Purpose:
➔ Joined by major powers: US, PRC, France, and the UK
● Key agendas:
➔ War and political crisis in Vietnam
➔ The neutrality of Laos and Cambodia
● Key results:
➔ France to withdraw completely from Indochina

❖ Did the 1954 Geneva Conference achieve its purpose?

➢ South Vietnam did not sign the agreement
● Due to fear of a landslide victory for Ho Chi Minh, the US began to support a
puppet regime in the South led by a dictator named “Ngo Dinh Diem”
● The planned 1956 election never happened and war between North Vietnam
(backed by USSR and PRC) and South Vietnam (backed by France and the US)
broke out
 ● The beginning of US military involvement in Vietnam was known as the
“Vietnam War” (1945-1975)
● Laos was at peace for a while before a civil war happened, as Cambodia carefully
maintained its neutrality until the 1970 coup led by Lon Nol.

❖ It was between successful and unsuccessful.

● The voting didn’t go well and Vietnam was still separated.
● Cambodia and LAOS managed to gain neutrality and peace for a period of time.

2. What is the 1955 Bandung Conference? What outcomes did it achieve? Why
was it important?
❖ Asian-African Conference (also known as the “Bandung Conference”
➢ The Bandung Conference was the precursor to the 1961 Belgrade Conference that
founded the Nonaligned Movement (NAM). Building on the Bandung foundation, the
NAM theoretically adopted a position of security equidistance between the Cold War
great powers. The United States viewed nonalignment with hostility, identifying it as a
communist Trojan horse since leading roles were played by states like Cuba, the PRC,
and the DRV.
1. Convened on 18-24 April 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia
2. Joined by 29 newly independent countries in Asia and Africa, including many
SEA states
● Purposes:
➔ To foster cooperation between Asia and Africa
➔ To oppose colonialism
➔ To find a middle ground between US and USSR

❖ The Bandung Principles (Biggest Outcome)

➔ Mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty
➔ Respect for equality of races and nations
➔ Abstention from the use of collective defense to serve the interests of big states
➔ No aggression or use of force
➔ Peaceful dispute resolutions
➔ Promote cooperation
➔ Respect for self-defense
➔ Non-intervention in internal affairs

❖ Why was the “Bandung Conference” important?

➔ Unified positions of small states against choosing sides between the USSR and US
➔ Cambodia declared its neutrality
➔ PRC’s early engagement with the world after defeating the KMT in 1949
➔ The emergence of Indonesia and communist China as geopolitical actors in the SEA
region
➔ The eventual creation of the “Non-Aligned Movement” (NAM) in 1961
➔ PRC committed to respecting Cambodia’s neutrality under the “five principles of
peaceful co-existence” (Pancha Sila)

3. What are the 5 principles of peaceful co-existence or Pancha Shila?

➢ Five principles of peaceful co-existence (Pancha Shila)
1. Peaceful co-existence
2. Mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty
3. non-aggression
4. Non-interference in others’ internal affairs
5. Equality and mutual benefits
❖ Pancha Shila is the basis of PRC’s foreign policy till today

4. Give at least 3 personal takeaways from what you learned about the Cold
War in Southeast Asia.
● SEA is not new to great power competition (Before US vs USSR – Now: US vs
China)
● SEA is a diverse region with complex histories, ranging from colonialism,
military conflicts, Cold War rivalry, geopolitical tension, and division.
 ● Regional stability and peace in SEA cannot be taken for granted
● ASEAN members have different views toward external powers (US/USSR/China)
● National interests come first and foremost in SEA
● How do ASEAN members maintain national interests and collective interests in
the midst of great power competition while maintaining unity and centrality at the
same time?

Chapter 4: ASEAN Regionalism

1. Explain ASEAN regionalism in detail with examples.

❖ What is ASEAN Regionalism?
➢ Interactions among ASEAN members through multilateral structures
● Purpose:
➔ To promote members’ national interests, meaning it protects and enhances members’
economic, political, and security.
➔ To enhance members’ capabilities in dealing with external power through pooling
regional resources => “Regional resilience” meaning that ASEAN members can gather
together as a collective to deal with powerful countries with the issues because ASEAN
members alone or individually cannot or have no impact but are collectively effective.
➔ To allow members to complement each other’s interests, meaning that they can provide
one another the things which both do not possess. They can work and cooperate with one
another to achieve those things.
Example: ASEAN Summit, UN Summit

2. Regardless of weaknesses and criticisms, why has ASEAN lasted until today?
● ASEAN has survived periods of global and regional instabilities such as the Cold
War. Additionally, not just the cold war but experienced a lot of wars itself like
9/11, and the financial crisis, and got through a lot leading to more resilience and
eventually more adaptability.
 ● ASEAN has become a key player in Asian affairs. Superpower countries tend to
work with rich countries. However, in ASEAN not all members are rich. So that
Major actors will choose to work with ASEAN rather than an individual country.
● ASEAN has opted to respect its members’ domestic affairs that are due to its
principle of non-interference which is why it has respected by many countries.
● ASEAN has coordinated its members’ conflicting interests peacefully, meaning
that when there is a conflict ASEAN always promotes peaceful settlement rather
than violence. Ex preventive diplomacy.
● ASEAN has been led by regional powers such as Indonesia. Indonesia has non
alliance signature
● ASEAN has grown used to operating in areas dominated by major powers
meaning that ASEAN plays a role as a weak point but is effective in some ways
due to its experiences of the past that is why if it is was to be more powerful there
would be some challenges from the major powerful countries who would want to
restrain its influence. Because ASEAN is weak that is why it still has been
operating till today.

3. Explain the ASEAN Way.

❖ What is the “ASEAN Way”?
● A consensus-based decision that does not violate its members’ sovereignty or
domestic affairs means that ASEAN countries cannot interfere in other domestic
affairs under no circumstances and as a result that is why it could be stuck and
cannot solve domestic issues which eventually lead to crisis. Ex, the crisis in
Myanmar and the Rohingya crisis. Furthermore, when ASEAN wants to achieve
something or impose a new charter or new strategies. All of those needs 10 votes
(one country, one vote). If only one country disagrees, those can’t establish.
● ASEAN works with members, not above them meaning that ASEAN members
work as a collective rather than individual because when they work as a
collective, they have more voices and can be heard from the powerful countries
and can get into solving things quicker than acting as an individual. This simply
means that State is above ASEAN. ASEAN is just like an intergovernmental org
 to give states another chance for diplomacy but it cannot interfere into member’s
sovereignty.

4. Is ASEAN’s non-interference principle a good or bad thing? Give at least 2

reasons to support your argument.

In my opinion, I think the ASEAN’s non-interference principle could be both, a bad thing and a
good thing. In a good way, to guarantee the independence and sovereignty of the
member-states, it can protect the state’s interests therefore, it is good for the state to have no
interference and the state has no worries, and mainly focus on its own. To guarantee the
independence and sovereignty of the member-states. Additionally, it plays as a political tool
for the state to prioritize its assigned tasks to preserve domestic stability as internal security
matters because this is a fundamental way for the state to exercise its power and act accordingly
towards the situation without having a second thought from the external views.

However, in a wrong way, when the state is being corrupted, or in chaos, it can do whatever is
necessary to protect its own political interests and act accordingly to maintain stability and peace
within the country and mobilize the military or use necessary means if it has to. For example,
Myanmar crisis, many people died because of the Myanmar coup of protecting the leader’s
interest by protecting its political power, yet there is no one to execute or interfere in that matter.

Some powerful states use their power to oppress and abuse smaller states for their own
survival and benefit. For instance, the U.S invaded Iraq and accused Iraq of possessing a mass
destruction weapon but as a result, there was nothing to be found and causing many causalities.
Even though Russia vetoed the invasion decision but the invasion still occurred anyways.

5. Is ASEAN’s consensus-based decision-making process a good thing or a bad

thing? Give at least 2 reasons to support your argument.