The politics of military alliance among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is composed of six non-Communist states in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and beginning in 1984, the state of Brunei.;The purpose of this study is to investigate regional military co-operation among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The major task is to determine whether or not a military alliance is suitable for ASEAN defense, by examining the obstacles preventing ASEAN from becoming a military alliance.;The military resources of ASEAN in terms of manpower and military hardware is examined and compared with that of Communist Indochinese states. The arms build up among the ASEAN states after the Communist victory in Indochina is examined to see how these military program have affected national economic and social developments.;This thesis identifies both the internal and external threats to national security of the ASEAN states, and explains how ASEAN leaders perceive them as threats toward their own individual countries, and toward the region as a whole.;After the Communist victory in Vietnam in 1975, compounded by the withdrawal of American military presence in Southeast Asia (except in the Philippines), security became an immediate concern of the ASEAN nations. Their common fear of Communist aggression has drawn the members closer to each other. The ASEAN image as a non-military organization has been challenged by the outcome of the Indochina War. The member states have discussed the possibility of turning ASEAN into a common regional defense organization to counter Communist subversion. However, the idea of a collective security system has always met with opposition from both within and outside ASEAN.;This thesis also investigates both the past and present intra-ASEAN conflicts. This thesis investigates how each member proposes to transform Southeast Asia into a "Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality" (ZOPFAN); the political disagreements among ASEAN countries towards the policy of ZOPFAN; and how ASEAN uses of ZOPFAN to be a useful security arrangement for the region.;Based on the evidence, the study concludes that a military alliance among the ASEAN states is not suitable for ASEAN defense. The ASEAN states should rely on the national and regional resilience plan. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).