ABSTRACT
The end of the Cold War in Asia was symbolized by the withdrawal of Vietnamese forces from Cambodia. The retreat of forces associated with the end of the Cold War, did not, however, herald a new age of peace for Asia. A security issues is the ongoing and in many cases prolonged disputes that have dogged relations between the states of South-East Asia. The enlargement of the Association of South East-Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the 1990s to include all ten South-East Asian states, illustrates the dramatic change from enmity to amity in the relationship between Vietnam and the original ASEAN membership. In the international sphere the emergence of China as a regional hegemon is a relatively novel development, while the interest of ASEAN members in prolonging a US military presence signifies a dependence on extra-regional powers to provide security. South-East Asian regimes have also found themselves challenged by the internal threats emanating from political ideologies.
