ABSTRACT
At the end of the Cold War, major changes took place in Southeast Asia. With the break-up of the Soviet Union, confrontation between alliances disappeared in the region, and this was accompanied by the settlement of the Cambodian issue. The Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) states were then able to concentrate on economic development and regional economic integration. Attempts have also been made to establish regional security institutions to allow these states to play a significant role in the Asia-Pacific region. However, the Asian financial crisis was a major setback to the ASEAN states. It not only exposed their economic structural problems but also led to political instability in some of them. As a result, ASEAN has been weakened, and many of its member states are now tending to look inwards.
