Today marked the 55th Anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN. Before ASEAN was founded in 1967, there were many attempts to establish international organizations or cooperation in the Southeast Asia region.
During the Cold War era, many Southeast Asian countries tried to form regional cooperation to protect regional stability. In 1954, Thailand and the Philippines joined the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), which is an international organization aiming at enhancing collective defense in the Southeast Asia region.
In general, SEATO was not successful due to conflict between member states and inefficiency in resolving the conflict. Besides this, the role of SEATO was also declining due to the normalization of the U.S. and China.
Apart from SEATO, some Southeast Asian countries had tried to form alternative cooperation such as the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA) and Maphilindo. However, both ASA and Maphilindo also faced several obstacles due to the territorial dispute between the Federation of Malaya and the Philippines on Sabah.
In August 1967, representatives from 5 countries ( Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand) came to Bangsean, Thailand to discuss the possibility of establishing a new regional organization. After a discussion in Bangsean, five representatives signed the Bangkok Declaration at Saranrom Palace on 8th August, which formally established the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
ASEAN was founded on 8th August 1967 as an attempt by Southeast Asian countries to promote peace and prosperity of the region. After 1967, ASEAN expanded gradually. From 1967 up till nowadays, ASEAN faced many challenges and opportunities along the journey. Despite several challenges, member states still manage to consult together in tackling those challenges and maintain the spirit of the ASEAN way.