ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the various diplomatic initiatives taken by Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1982 when the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK) was formed and parallel peace endeavours were made by Indonesian civil and military wings and the cordiality began to grow between Jakarta and Hanoi. It explores the development which did not go unnoticed by ASEAN that prudently decided upon encashing this cordiality by designating Indonesia as 'interlocutor' between ASEAN and Vietnam. ASEAN was also aware that the Khmer Rouge which had a highly motivated force by itself, could make a serious bid to drive out the strong Vietnamese military forces from the Cambodian territory. The failure of the 'Five-plus-Two' formula and 'ASEAN Appeal', Malaysia, came out with another peace proposal, called 'Proximity Talks' or indirect talks, the brain child of Tengku Ahmed Rithauddeen, the Foreign Minister of Malaysia. The 'Cocktail Party' idea also differed from Malaysian Foreign Minister Tengku's earlier 'Proximity Talks' or indirect talks.
