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“It was so boring. Why do you keep on covering ASEAN?” asked a rookie journalist from Khao Sod Daily at the Cha-am Summit, Hua Hin, in February 2009. “Nobody else does it”, I replied without hesitation. That was a very pompous answer given to a 21-year-old beat reporter who was in a hurry to know why I have been so consistent in reporting on the affairs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — a subject she found herself disinterested in and disconnected from. Actually, there are better reasons why following ASEAN affairs can be rewarding, engaging, fun and educational…

I believe that the best way I can contribute to this excellent effort at a greater understanding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is to highlight what I see as elements in the nature of ASEAN — what it is and what it is not, what it can do and what it cannot do, what can be expected of it and what should not…

I grew up in the privileged 1980s and 1990s when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) original mission to maintain regional peace and neutrality amid communist threats and other external political manoeuvrings had largely dissipated. In my memory, ASEAN was a hodge-podge grouping of Southeast Asian states with disparate levels of political, economic and social development, loosely co-operating on various issues whenever they could. ASEAN Member States politely minded their own business, nothing substantive was ever achieved other than pretty pictures of officials doing the customary ASEAN handshake. Of course, then I was an ignorant adolescent with other greater priorities in life…

Since its inception, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), driven largely by market and institutional factors, has signed more than 270 co-operation and integration agreements. Though this is an impressive record, ASEAN is often labelled as a talk shop and its accords are seen as nothing but smoke…

The following sections are included: Keeping the Peace Assistance for Disasters and Disease Outbreaks Building Up Trade Linkages Dialogue Partnerships Why Does ASEAN have a Perception Problem and What Does it Need to Do?

The following sections are included: ASEAN: 43 Years of Comprehensive Co-Operation and Integration Challenges Some Reflections on the Way Ahead Conclusion

The following sections are included: Background Is ASEAN Reluctant to Accept East Timor? Conclusion

The following sections are included: ASEAN Political-Security Community ASEAN and International Relations Where is ASEAN in talks on global affairs? ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Moving beyond economic jargon and rhetoric to deliver action ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (Promoting an ASEAN Identity)

The following sections are included: Background Finding the Niche in ASEAN ASEAN, the Cornerstone Functional Gains Going to the Masses Looking Back, Looking Forward