Asean States Security: Resilience through Security Cooperation
Abstract
National resilience and regional resilience are important to the security of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is comprised of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand. Since its early formation, ASEAN has overcome great cultural and economic diversity among its member states to become one of the world's most successful regional organizations. ASEAN's greatest achievement has been the growth of its solidarity and cohesion, as a result of the challenge posed by the communist threat to this region, and of a sense of collective identity as a group of like- minded countries working together for their common good. As a regional grouping, ASEAN has, however, excluded security alliance from its objective, although security cooperation between states is quite substantial. The question remains how ASEAN could face the challenge of a security threat to the region in the absence of collective security alliances within ASEAN. This is more pertinent in light of the US withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975 following its Guam Doctrine, and the departure of another Western power, Great Britain, from East of Suez following its decolonization policy in this region. Both policies placed the burden of security and defense on member states (Indonesia is not directly affected by either policy as she was a former Dutch colony).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA217497
Entities
People
- Abdul R. Rais
Organizations
- Air War College