GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY School of Foreign Service Fall 2009

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY School of Foreign Service Fall 2009 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Past and Present INAF 378-01 M 12:15 pm 2:05 pm. Lecture Room: ICC 202 Course Instructor: Dr. Pamela Sodhy. Office: ICC 626 M 2:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. W 10:30 a.m 12 noon and by appointment E-mail: sodhyp@georgetown.edu and psodhy@verizon.net Tel: 202-687-6061 (Hist. Dept. Gen. No.) Course Description Syllabus This seminar traces the major developments in the history of Southeast Asia s own regional organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), from its formation in 1967 to the present. From five founding members -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand the Association has since doubled in size to include Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Burma (Myanmar), and Cambodia. Individually, some ASEAN states may be small, as in the case of Singapore and Brunei, but collectively the regional organization is a force to be reckoned with as it covers a huge land and sea area and has a combined population of over half a billion people. Moreover, the ASEAN states occupy an important geographical location between India and China, serving as a cultural crossroads. The region also has strategic sealanes, such as the Straits of Malacca through which oil from the Middle East is shipped to Japan. Furthermore, the Southeast Asian nations are rich in economic resources like spices, gold, tin, oil, rubber, copra, oil palm, and forest and marine products. In earlier days, the area s strategic position and economic wealth attracted the attention of the Western powers, leading them to eventually colonize all of Southeast Asia except for Thailand. In Thailand s case, it escaped subjugation by cleverly making trade and territorial concessions to the Western powers and by deftly playing them off each other. As for the other Southeast Asian states, Indonesia fell to the Dutch; Burma, Malaya, Singapore, and Brunei to the British; Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to the French; and the Philippines to the Spanish at first and after that to the Americans. Only after WWII did these countries obtain their independence, some through wars of national liberation and others through negotiations with the colonial rulers. Presently, as independent nations, the ASEAN states continue to be important for economic and strategic reasons and comprise part of the thriving Asia-Pacific region so vital to world trade. ASEAN is especially important to the United States as America now trades more with the Pacific nations than with the Atlantic states, its former traditional trading partners. This change since the 1980s constitutes a major historic shift in US economic history. This shift is clearly mirrored in US-ASEAN trade as ASEAN has become America s third largest trading partner. The course will begin by highlighting the significance of ASEAN and by providing some background information on Southeast Asia and on each of the ten member states of the regional organization. It will then examine the reasons leading to ASEAN s establishment in 1967, at the height of the Vietnam War which reflected the Southeast Asian theatre of the Cold War. 1

ASEAN s five founding members were united in espousing an anti-communist and prodemocracy stand. Some discussion on the precursors of ASEAN will be included, such as the Southeast East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) in 1954, the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA) in 1961, and MAPHILINDO (an acronym from Malaya, the Philippines, and Indonesia) in 1963. Next, ASEAN s early years to late April 1975, when Saigon fell to the Communists, will be traced, especially the grouping s initial organization, the cooperation between member states, and the early challenges. Following this, the immediate post-vietnam War period from 1975 to 1978 will be examined for the shock of America s defeat in the Vietnam War galvanized the ASEAN states into action. For example, they held their first summit meeting in February 1976 at Bali, where they signed a Declaration of ASEAN Concord, a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and an Agreement on the Establishment of the ASEAN Secretariat to be based at Jakarta. They also agreed on dialogue partners for trade and held a second summit meeting in 1977 at Kuala Lumpur. By early 1979, however, they were involved in the Third Indochina War which broke out after Vietnam invaded and occupied Cambodia. The course will examine ASEAN s involvement in this war until it ended in 1989, in part with ASEAN s help. Throughout this war, which also mirrored the then Sino-Soviet split, ASEAN launched a diplomatic offensive against Vietnam, with measures that included yearly UN resolutions calling for the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Cambodia and for the right of self-determination for the Cambodian people. Other topics on ASEAN include the following: the Association s structure and organization after 1976; intra-asean and extra-asean trade; ASEAN policies; security issues; the growth in membership; the causes and effects of the 1997 Asian financial crisis; the cooperation and tension between member states; the new ASEAN Charter; the strengths and weaknesses of ASEAN; and current problems faced by the regional organization. The course will end by stressing that at the start of the 21 st century ASEAN is in crisis as it faces problems on all fronts - - political, economic, social, and religious. Recent troubles include secession and terrorist threats, leadership problems, economic hardship, religious and ethnic strife, and continuing problems with military rule in Burma. Moreover, the links between radical Islamic groups in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore and the Al Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden have led to Southeast Asia being called the second front in the war on terrorism. Traditional ASEAN policies, like non-interference and non-involvement in the internal affairs of member states, are no longer effective and changes are in order. ASEAN is thus at an important crossroads in its history and needs to chart new policies that can better help it to respond effectively to the increasing challenges that it now faces. The ASEAN Charter, with its new legal framework, is an attempt by the regional organization to strengthen itself. Required Texts: Ronald D. Palmer and Thomas J. Reckford, Building ASEAN: Twenty Years of Southeast Asian Cooperation (New York: Praeger, 1987). [out of print; sold as a course packet by GU Bookstore] Mary Somers Heidhues, Southeast Asia: A Concise History (London: Thames & Hudson, 2000). A set of documents and articles on ASEAN (to be placed on Blackboard) 2

Method: This seminar will consist of weekly discussions on the major developments in ASEAN s history since its founding in 1967. Some films on Southeast Asia will also be shown. These films will include general films on the region as well as specific ones on the individual member states of the Association. Students are expected to complete the assigned readings, to take an active part in class discussions, and to attend class regularly. Regarding an absence from class, students should contact the professor and documentation may be required. Students will take turns to assist in leading the discussion each week. Other course requirements include a map test on Southeast Asia and a research paper on ASEAN. Research Paper: The topic for the research paper on ASEAN is to be chosen in consultation with the course instructor. The topic chosen should be within the time-span covered by this course, i.e. from 1967 to 2009. The length of the paper should be around 20 pages. The paper should contain footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography. Both primary and secondary sources are to be used for the research paper. The primary source materials can include legal documents, speeches, published and microfilmed government documents and reports, contemporary newspapers, texts of treaties, memoirs, novels, poems, and short stories. Students are to meet with the course instructor to settle on a paper topic by Monday, October 5, 2009. A brief paper proposal of a few paragraphs in length, together with a preliminary bibliography, is to be submitted to the course instructor by Monday, October 26, 2009. The proposal should include the following information: the title of the research paper, the aim and the scope of the paper, and how it will be organized. The preliminary bibliography should list, in two separate sections, the primary and secondary sources to be used. The deadline for the submission of the research paper is Monday, November 30, 2009. The research paper will be graded on content, organization, style, analysis, and use of sources. Grading: Map Test: 10% Class Participation: 45% Research Paper: 45% Important Dates: Monday, September 28, 2009 -- Map test on Southeast Asia Monday, October 26, 2009 -- Submission of Research Paper Proposal Monday, November 30, 2009 -- Deadline for submission of Research Paper 3

CLASS MEETINGS 1 st CLASS Course Introduction and Overview Sept. 2, 2009: The Significance of ASEAN Background Information on Southeast Asia and on the 10 ASEAN States Film on Southeast Asia and Discussion of Film Readings: Heidhues, Southeast Asia: A Concise History, Introduction and Chpts. 1-4. Monday, Sept. 7, 2009: Labor Day, No Class 2 nd CLASS The Formation of ASEAN in August 1967: Reasons, Precursors, and the Sept. 14, 2009: Overcoming of Obstacles. Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film. Readings: Heidhues, Southeast Asia: A Concise History, Chpts. 5-7. Palmer and Reckford, Building ASEAN, Chpts. 1 & 2. Doc. 1: The ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration), Bangkok, August 8, 1967. Doc. 2: First ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Bangkok, August 8, 1967. Selo Soemardjan, Introduction & Estrella D. Solidum, The Role of Certain Sectors in Shaping and Articulating the ASEAN Way, in R.P. Anand & Purificacion V. Quisumbing (eds.), ASEAN: Identity, Development and Culture (Manila: UP Law Center and East-West Center Culture Learning Institute, 1981), pp. ix-xxviii & pp. 130-148. 3 rd CLASS ASEAN s Early Years, August 1967 April 1975: Initial Organization, Sept. 21, 2009: Cooperation between Members, and Early Challenges. Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film. Readings: Palmer and Reckford, Building ASEAN, Chpts. 3-4 & Chpt. 5, pp. 37-48. Docs. 3-8: 2 nd to 7 th ASEAN Ministerial Meetings, 1968-1974. 4

Doc. 9: Agreement for the Establishment of a Fund for ASEAN, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, Dec. 17, 1969. Doc. 10: Zone of Peace, Freedom & Neutrality Declaration (Kuala Lumpur Declaration), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 27, 1971. Shee Poon-Kim, A Decade of ASEAN, 1967-1977, Asian Survey, 17:8 (August 1977), 753-770. 4 th CLASS ASEAN in the Aftermath of the Vietnam War, May 1975 December 1978: Sept. 28, 2009: Major Developments, Organizational Changes, and New Challenges. Map Test on Southeast Asia. Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film Readings: Palmer and Reckford, Building ASEAN, Chpt. 5, pp. 48-57. Jose D. Ingles, Problems and Progress in Regional Interaction in Anand & Quisumbing, Asean: Identity, Development, and Culture, pp. 217-225. Doc. 11: 8 th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Kuala Lumpur, May 13-15, 1975. Doc. 12: Declaration of ASEAN Concord, Bali, Feb. 24, 1976. Doc. 13: Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, Bali, Feb. 24, 1976. Doc. 14: Agreement on the Establishment of the ASEAN Secretariat, Bali, Feb. 24, 1976. Doc. 15: 9 th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Manila, June 24-26, 1976. Doc. 16: 10 th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Singapore, July 5-8, 1977. Doc. 17: Meeting of the ASEAN Heads of Government (2 nd (2 nd Summit), Kuala Lumpur, August 4-5, 1977. Doc. 18: 11 th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Pattaya, Thailand, June 14-16, 1978. 5

5 th CLASS ASEAN s Role in the Third Indochina War, 1979-1989: The Diplomatic Oct. 5, 2009: Offensive. Brunei s Entry into ASEAN in 1984. Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film. Readings: Palmer and Reckford, Building ASEAN, Chpt. 6. John Funston, The Third Indochina War and Southeast Asia Contemporary Southeast Asia, 1:3 (December 1979), 268-289. Russell H. Fifield, ASEAN, Kampuchea and the United Nations, Asia Pacific Community: A Quarterly Review, 17 (Summer 1982), 74-88. Doc. 19: Declaration of the Admission of Brunei Darussalam into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Jakarta, January 7, 1984. Doc. 20: ASEAN Foreign Ministers Call for a Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Kampuchean Problem, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, July 3, 1989. Monday, Oct. 12, 2009: Columbus Day, No Class 6 th CLASS The Structure and Organization of ASEAN, 1979-1989. Oct. 19, 2009: ASEAN s Third Summit Meeting, Manila, December 15, 1987. Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film Readings: Doc. 21: Agreement between the Government of Indonesia & ASEAN relating to the Privileges and Immunities of the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Jan. 20, 1979. Doc. 22: Protocol Amending the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, Manila, Dec. 15, 1987. Doc. 23: Protocol Amending the Agreement of the Establishment of the ASEAN Secretariat, Bandar Seri Begawan, July 4, 1989. Doc. 24: Manila Declaration of 1987, Manila, Dec. 15, 1987. (ASEAN s 3 rd Summit Meeting). 6

Donald K. Emmerson, ASEAN as an International Regime Journal of International Affairs, 41: 1 (Summer/Fall 1987), 1-16. 7 th CLASS Intra-ASEAN and Extra-ASEAN Trade to 1990. Oct. 26, 2009: ASEAN s Dialogue Partners Film on an ASEAN State and Discussion of Film Submission of Research Paper Proposal Readings: Palmer and Reckford, Building ASEAN, Chpts. 7-10. Rolf J. Langhammer, ASEAN Economic Co-operation: A Stock- Taking from a Political Economy Point of View, ASEAN Economic Bulletin (November 1991), 137-150. 8 th CLASS ASEAN Policies Nov. 2, 2009: ASEAN s Fourth Summit Meeting, Singapore, 1992. Cooperation and Tension within ASEAN Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film. Readings: Bilson Kurus, The ASEAN Triad: National Interest, Consensus-Seeking, and Economic Co-operation, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 16:4 (March 1995), 404-420. Michael Antolik, The ASEAN Regional Forum: The Spirit of Constructive Engagement, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 16:2 (September 1994), 117-136. Robin Ramcharan, ASEAN and Non-interference: A Principle Maintained Contemporary Southeast Asia, 22: 1 (April 2000), 60-88. Doc. 25: ASEAN Declaration on the South China Sea, Manila, Philippines, July 22, 1992. Doc.26: Protocol Amending the Agreement on the Establishment of the ASEAN Secretariat, Manila, Philippines, July 22, 1992. 9 th CLASS ASEAN s Growing Membership: The Entry of Vietnam in 1995, Laos Nov. 9, 2009: & Burma (Myanmar) in 1997, & Cambodia in 1999. ASEAN s Fifth Summit Meeting in Bangkok, 1995. 7

Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film Readings: Sukhumbhand Paribatra, From ASEAN Six to ASEAN Ten: Issues and Prospects, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 16: 3 (December 1994), 243-258. Allan Goodman, Vietnam and ASEAN: Who Would Have Thought It Possible?, Asian Survey, 36: 6 (June 1996), 592-600. Simon J. Hay, The 1995 ASEAN Summit: Scaling a Higher Peak, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 18: 3 (December 1996), 254-274. 10 th CLASS ASEAN and Security Issues Nov. 16, 2009: Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film Readings: L. Smith and D.M. Jones, ASEAN, Asian Values and Southeast Asian Security in the New World Order, Contemporary Security Policy, 18: 3 (December 1997), 126-156. Malcolm Chalmers, ASEAN and Confidence Building: Continuity and Change after the Cold War, Contemporary Security Policy, 18: 1 (April 1997), 36-56. Simon S. C. Tay with Obood Talib, The ASEAN Regional Forum: Preparing for Preventive Diplomacy, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 19:3 (December 1997), 252-268. Shawn Narine, ASEAN and the ARF, Asian Survey, 37: 10 October 1997), 961-978. Ian James Storey, Creeping Assertiveness: China, the Philippines and the South China Sea Dispute, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 21:1 (April 1999), 95-118. 11 th CLASS ASEAN and the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis: Causes, Effects, & Solutions Nov. 23, 2009: Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film. Readings: Sheldon W. Simon, The ASEAN Economic Crisis and ASEAN Political and Security Concerns, International Studies Notes, 23:3 (Fall 1998), 1-7. David B. H. Denoon and Evelyn Colbert, Challenges for 8

the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Pacific Affairs, 71: 4 (1998), 505-523. Crossroads for ASEAN: At 30 the Association of Southeast Asian Nations embraces an entire region and braces for bigger trials in coming years, Asia Week (December 12, 1997), 35-37; 52-54. John Funston, ASEAN: Out of its Depth?, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 20:1 (April 1998), 22-37. Michael Wesley, The Asian Crisis and the Adequacy of Regional Institutions, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 21:1 (April 1999), 54-73. 12 th CLASS ASEAN and Recent Challenges Nov. 30, 2009 Film on an ASEAN state and Discussion of Film Submission of Research Papers Readings: John Funston, Challenges Facing ASEAN in a More Complex Age, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 21:2 (August 1999), 205-219. Maria Ressa, Uncovering Southeast Asia s Jihad Network Oct. 29, 2002. (A three-part CNN Special Report on Terrorism in Southeast Asia). http://asia.cnn.com/2002/world/asiapcf/southeast/10/29/asia.jihad. Doc. 27: Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Phnom Penh, Nov. 4, 2002. Doc. 28: Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (Bali Concord II) Oct. 7, 2003, Bali, Indonesia. Michael E. Jones, Forging an ASEAN Identity: The Challenge to Construct a Shared Destiny, Contemporary Southeast Asia, 26:1 (April 2004), 140-155. Doc. 29: Chairman s Statement of the 11 th ASEAN Summit, Dec.12, 2005, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. LAST CLASS Dec. 7, 2009 Latest Developments in ASEAN ASEAN s Strengths and Weaknesses 9

Readings: United States Relations with ASEAN at Thirty, and The State of U.S.-ASEAN Relations, East-West Center Asia-Pacific Bulletin, No. 1, Nov. 2007. Ambassador K. Kesavapany, Myanmar, ASEAN s Albatross, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Southeast Asia Bulletin, July 2008. Dominic McGoldrick (ed), The ASEAN Charter, International and Comparative Law Quarterly, Vol. 58 (Jan. 2009), 197-212. Doc. 30: Ambassador Barry Desker, Where the ASEAN Charter Comes up Short, The Straits Times, July 18, 2008. Doc. 31: Prof. Tommy Koh, Not Perfect but Charter is a Good Start on Road to Regional Progress, The Straits Times, July 21, 2008. Doc. 32: Ambassador Barry Desker, Diluted Charter Digresses From Vision of New ASEAN, The Straits Times, July 23, 2008. 10

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