What good is Asean, Indonesia wonders

The 10-member bloc has just finished another round of summits pledging cooperation, peace and prosperity, but its inability to confront thorny issues such as the Rohingya crisis leaves observers wondering why any of it matters

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Marty Natelegawa (centre) chairs an Asean meeting as Indonesian Foreign Minister in Jakarta. Photo: ISEAS

Published: 2:00pm, 23 Sep 2018Updated: 2:53pm, 22 Oct 2018

Does the Association of Southeast Asian Nations matter? The question has been asked many times since Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand first came together under that banner more than 50 years ago.

They were later joined by Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia in a regional grouping that has promoted decision making by consensus, and a doctrine of non-interference in each member’s domestic affairs – the so-called Asean way.

Yet in Indonesia, the group’s largest member state, politicians, companies and the wider public are still wondering how Asean is relevant, despite another recent round of regional summits and meetings where its members declared ever greater cooperation with each other.

Dr Marty Natelegawa, Indonesia’s former foreign minister, is the latest to ask the question in his new book Does Asean Matter? A View From Within.

Despite the “transformative” history of the association in promoting peace and prosperity over the past five decades, he argues that “more of the same” will not be good enough for Asean to meet the challenges of the 21st century.