ASEAN

• ASEAN was founded


  8 August 1967
• ASEAN


  Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• Founding Fathers of ASEAN

  • Adam Malik (Indonesia)
  • Narciso R. Ramos (Philippines)
  • Tun Abdul Razak (Malaysia)
  • S. Rajaratnam (Singapore)
  • Thanat Khoman (Thailand)
• ASEAN Declaration


  • Short, simply-worded document containing 5 articles
  • Declared the establishment of ASEAN
  • Spelled out the aims and purposes of ASEAN
• Aims and purposes of ASEAN

  • Cooperation in economic, social, cultural, technical, educational and other fields
  • Promotion of regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter
• ASEAN was open for participation by all States in the Southeast Asian region subscribing to its aims, principles and purposes
• Thanat Khoman of Thailand: '"At the banquet marking the reconciliation between the three disputants, I broached the idea of forming another organization for regional cooperation with Adam Malik. Malik agreed without hesitation but asked for time to talk with his government and also to normalize relations with Malaysia now that the confrontation was over."'
• Founding of ASEAN


  1. Thailand brokered reconciliation among Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia

  2. Thailand invited ASA members plus Indonesia and Singapore to a meeting in Bangkok

  3. Foreign Ministers spent 4 days in Bang Saen negotiating the ASEAN Declaration
• Narciso Ramos (Philippines): '"The fragmented economies of Southeast Asia (with) each country pursuing its own limited objectives and dissipating its meager resources in the overlapping or even conflicting endeavors of sister states carry the seeds of weakness in their incapacity for growth and their self-perpetuating dependence on the advanced, industrial nations. ASEAN, therefore, could marshal the still untapped potentials of this rich region through more substantial united action."'
• Adam Malik (Indonesia): '"Indonesia's vision of a Southeast Asia developing into a region which can stand on its own feet, strong enough to defend itself against any negative influence from outside the region."'
• Tun Abdul Razak (Malaysia): '"We the nations and peoples of Southeast Asia must get together and form by ourselves a new perspective and a new future for this region."'
• ASEAN was conceived, given a name, and born


  1967
• ASEAN


  • Established to create a stable Southeast Asia, not a balkanized Southeast Asia
  • Aims to build a new society that will be responsive to the needs of the time and efficiently equipped to bring about conditions of stability and progress for the people
  • Inclusive outlook has paved the way for community-building not only in Southeast Asia, but also in the broader Asia Pacific region
• ASEAN Founding Member States

  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Indonesia
  • Laos
  • Malaysia
  • Myanmar
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
• ASEAN Logo


  • Five brown sheaves of rice stalks, one for each founding member, set on a field of yellow encircled by a blue border
  • Brown stands for strength and stability, yellow for prosperity and blue for the spirit of cordiality in which ASEAN affairs are conducted
  • When ASEAN celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 1997, the sheaves on the logo had increased to ten – representing all ten countries of Southeast Asia and reflecting the colors of the flags of all of them
• Current Leaders of the 10 ASEAN Member States

  • Sultan of Brunei Darussalam
  • Head of State of Cambodia
  • President of Indonesia
  • President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
  • President of Myanmar
  • President of Philippines
  • President of Singapore
  • Head of State of Thailand
  • Head of State of Vietnam
• Cambodia's population is around 16 million people, while Laos has approximately 7 million inhabitants.
• ASEAN member countries work towards harmonizing economic policies and regulations to facilitate trade and investment within the region.
• Myanmar has a population of over 51 million people, making it one of the largest markets in Southeast Asia.
• The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) aims to create a single market and production base, allowing the free flow of goods, services, investment, and skilled labor among member states.
• The Philippines is the second-largest economy among the CLMV countries, with a GDP of $340 billion.
• ASEAN has established the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) to promote economic integration among member countries by reducing tariffs and trade barriers.
• ASEAN provides assistance to member countries in the form of training and research facilities.
• ASEAN promotes regional peace, collaboration, and mutual assistance on matters of common interest.
• Malaysia is a member country of ASEAN.