The Mekong Development Scheme And The Origin Of Regional Cooperation In Southeast Asia(1947-1966)

In November 2015,the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Framework initiated by China was officially established.The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Framework involves all the participants in the Mekong subreion,and creatively puts political security sphere into regional cooperation.Although the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Framework has mant advantages,the new framework also faces many disadvantages involves lacking of mutual trust,invalid communication and weak cooperation foundation.From the historic perspective,the development activities in the Mekong subregion has a long history,and gains much accomplishments in the long period.In this context,the successful experience in the history of development in the Mekong subregion is a valuable lesson for the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Framework in the future.Therefore,tracing the source of the development activities in the Mekong subregion has a fundamental meaning.ECAFE was founded in 1947.It was the first regional economic committee under the jurisdiction of ECOSOC.Before 1966,it was the only regional intergovernmental organization focuses on the regional economical development in the entire Asian region.In order to tackle the flood problems in Asia and Southeast Asia,ECAFE established the Bureau of Flood Control aims to plan cooperation in flood control and water problems.In 1951,the Bureau of Flood Control under the leadership of the ECAFE took the lead in establishing a cooperation project aiming to resolve the flood and water problems of the international rivers in the ECAFE region,and finally came out with a multi-purpose river basin development program that focusing on the Mekong River through hardworking field investigations.In 1957,Thailand,Vietnam,Laos and Cambodia formed the first regional cooperation organization which responsible for the development activities in the Mekong subregion-the Mekong Committee.In 1964,although the Mekong development scheme had made huge progress through its first"five-year plan",the scheme itself was increasing affected by the geopolitics in Southeast Asia because of American 's involvement in the Vietnam war.During 1947 to 1966,the Mekong development scheme had become a multi-purpose river basin development program through a series of fruitful regional cooperation practice,in which the Mekong Committee act as the leading role and which combines the policy guidance and technical support from the ECAFE and the Advisory Board,by collecting fund,services and human resources from national,regional and trans-regional levels,which aiming to two macroscopic development sphere,including engineering and social-economic matters.Therefore,due to the development activities launched by the Mekong Committee and its successor,the Mekong development scheme has a history over 60 years.Meanwhile,it is also the only regional cooperation organization in the Mekong subregion which lasted till today in Southeast Asia.The Mekong development scheme,is a flagship program and important part of the economic cooperation in the ECAFE region.Its core geographical direction poses to the Mekong sub-region,and poses an important effect to the construct of a Southeast Asia region through the regional cooperation in the Mekong sub-region.Meanwhile,in considering of the important effect which the ECAFE,donor nations,U.N institutions,project foundations and private enterprises had poses in the origin,evolution and regional cooperation of the Mekong development scheme.The constructive effect which the Mekong development scheme had poses to the Southeast Asia region had a cross-regional nature.It actually played as a pioneer in the proceeding of the regional cooperation in Southeast Asia.From the historic perspective,the Mekong scheme is the first regional development scheme that put into practice which initiated by the Asian in the proceeding of regional cooperation in Southeast Asia.From the organizational perspective,the Mekong Committee is the first regional cooperation platform aiming to develop the Mekong river which purely consisted of Southeast Asian nations.From the normative perspective,the principle of jointly participation,unanimous,consensus mapping and the Mekong spirit has become a valuable experience and common norm shared by the process of the Mekong development and regional cooperation in Southeast Asia.As a typical extra-regional driven regional cooperation scheme in the 1950s,the Mekong development scheme has become a Southeast Asian regional scheme that purely formed and dominated by Southeast Asian nations,through the normative construction and regional cooperative practice internalized of its unique regional features.As a result,it initiated an era starting from the 1960s,which the Southeast Asian nations began to dominate the regional cooperative pace that nurturing a growing sense of regional identity and self-confidence.Therefore,the Mekong development scheme which under the leadership of the ECAFE is the true origin of regional cooperation in Southeast Asia.In the main body,this thesis will consider the Mekong development scheme during 1947 to 1966 as a research topic.With the help of the existing documents,this thesis will study the origin and the evolution,the main programs,the activity results,the system,norms and the characteristics of the scheme.This thesis will clarify the fundamental role played by the Mekong development scheme in the proceeding of the regional cooperation in Southeast Asia,and manifest the the characteristics and the legacy of the "Mekong Spirit",as well as the value and meaning of the scheme itself.