This authoritative book provides a comprehensive political history of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ten members of which are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Leading scholar Donald E. Weatherbee follows ASEAN from its inception in 1967, when it was founded with the goal of promoting peace, stability, security, and economic growth in the region. Throughout, a basic assumption of its leaders has been that the achievement of the first three conditions is necessary for the fourth. Weatherbee traces ASEAN's three reinventions: in 1976, it made security a primary Cold War interest; in 1992, it refocused on economic integration; in 2007, it adopted the ASEAN Charter, which was the legal basis for the establishment of the ASEAN Community in 2015. He shows how at each stage of its development, ASEAN has dealt at three levels of action: the regional international order; intra-ASEAN relations; and the spillover of the domestic politics of member states into regional relations, particularly on questions of democracy and human rights. ASEAN's greatest contemporary political challenge is in adapting to the regional impact of the US-China rivalry, particularly over South China Sea issues. For ASEAN to maintain its claim to centrality as a driving force in the regional security architecture, the author argues, a fourth reinvention may be required. Dispelling the myths surrounding the organization's achievements fifty years after its founding, this book will be invaluable for all readers interested in ASEAN's role in the broader Asia-Pacific region.

About the Author
Donald E. Weatherbee is the Donald S. Russell Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina.

Reviews
Don Weatherbee is a renowned analyst of Southeast Asian politics, and his latest book, ASEAN's Half Century, further burnishes his already splendid reputation. Weatherbee analyzes both the intramural dynamics of the ASEAN region and its complicated relations with the great powers. Highly recommended. -- Sheldon Simon, Arizona State University
Veteran Southeast Asian expert Don Weatherbee has produced an empirically rich, analytically insightful assessment of ASEAN's first fifty years. It provides a clear-eyed accounting of the association's past achievements and future challenges that will be required reading for anyone interested in ASEAN. -- Ann Marie Murphy, Seton Hall University



Book Information
ISBN 9781442272521
Author Donald E. Weatherbee
Format Paperback
Page Count 292
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 399g
Dimensions(mm) 232mm * 157mm * 16mm