ABSTRACT
At independence, the states of Southeast Asia found little to bind them together. Although many regional leaders spoke prominently of regional politics and the importance of cooperation among neighboring states, their links to Europe, and the allure of global politics were stronger than their links to each other. The traditional regional political system offered few models for interstate cooperation. A key element for such cooperation—acceptance of the concept of sovereign and equal states—had no political basis in the concepts of the traditional system. Bilateral relations have frequently been governed by domestic political climates, which in turn were governed by the rhetoric of the cold war. The historical experience of the Southeast Asian states may explain much of the initial lack, and subsequent slow evolution, of regional cooperation. There have been numerous attempts at creating organizations to serve the interests of regional states that were not led by extraregional powers.
