ABSTRACT
In 2007 the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrated its fortieth birthday. The original founding members, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, have subsequently been joined by Brunei Darussalam (1984), Vietnam (1995), Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar (Burma) (1997) and Cambodia (1999). Originally a small five-state security community, ASEAN now comprises an association with a combined population of 600 million, a GDP of US$1 trillion and generates annual trade flows in excess of US$900 million.1 Despite reaching its ‘middle age’ milestone, however, ASEAN’s achievements remain the subject of intense debate, as does its role and relevance to a region experiencing rapid change in its economic, social and political composition. Indeed, despite its commitment to realizing economic integration via the ‘free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital’, evidence of deeper economic engagement remains problematic.2
