Ecosystem of Peace

CHAPTER 2 OF THE ASEAN MIRACLE

CATAN, UMALI, VILLACENTINO, ZULUETA

INTRODUCTION
In earlier years, Southeast Asia is
considered as the most hospitable region on
our planet.

Stories of peace are told less frequently

than stories of conflict and war.

Three (3) Phases of ASEAN’s development

• Phase 1 - During Cold War (1967-1990)

• Phase 2 – Began with the end of cold war
and lasted through most of the 1990s.
• Phase 3 – Began in the early years of 21st
century.
KEY FACTORS THAT LED TO THE CREATION OF THE
ECOSYSTEM OF PEACE
1.Fear
2.Leadership
3.Luck
4.Success with East Asian
economic system
5.Communication
6.Golf
1st Factor: FEAR OF COMMUNISM
All Five founding ASEAN countries
experienced Communist insurgencies
at their countries:
MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE
Suffered terrorist
attacks by the Communist
Party of Malaysia (1940s
and 1950s)
INDONESIA
Traumatized by the
attempt coup of 1965
inspired by the
Communist Party of
Indonesia
THAILAND
Worried about both the domestic
Communist insurgency led by the
Communist Party of Thailand as
well as becoming a frontline
state if Indochina fell to the
Communists
PHILIPPINES
Experienced the
HUKBALAHAP insurgency
from 1942 to 1954
FALL OF SAIGON- APRIL 30, 1975
Darkest moment in the minds
of the ASEAN leaders

ASEAN leaders’ feared that

the Communist tide was
going to overwhelm all of
Southeast Asia

Led to the first summit

meeting of ASEAN leaders
held in Bali, 23-24 Feb.
1976
Arrogance of Communist Vietnamese leadership:

Planned to invade and

occupy Cambodia
(December 1978)

Vietnam
underestimated the
opposition of ASEAN
One of the Biggest Ironies of
History:
Vietnam wanted to join
the ASEAN organization
(July 1995)
2nd Factor: ROLE OF STRONG LEADERS
Pres. Suharto
(Indonesia)

PM Lee Kuan Yew

(Singapore)
PM Mahathir
Mohomad
(Malaysia)

FM Siddhi
Savetsila
(Thailand)
These leaders, though
different beliefs,
traditions and roots had
one thing in common,
they all are very
strong, which may be in
terms of character and
personality, they can be
considered as
significant people who
kept ASEAN together.
3rd Factor: GEOPOLITICAL LUCK
ASEAN was fortunate that a
series of geopolitical
accident worked in its favor
in the 1980s
ASEAN happened to be on the
winning side of the Cold
War between the US and the
Soviet Union.
Den Xiaoping’s pragmatic
governance that replaced Mao
Zedong’s doctrinaire and
ideological rule had an influence
on the development of ASEAN.
Vietnam invaded Cambodia in
December 1978.
Vietnam and the Soviet Union used
the Cuban chairmanship of the Non-
Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit
meeting.
The Cuban attempt to hijack
Third World sentiment
completely backfired.
ASEAN was supported by US and China
because its position aligned with
international law.
The US and China used ASEAN as a
valuable instrument to undermine
the Soviet Union
 4th Factor: MARKET- ORIENTED ECONOMIC POLICIES
Main Reasons for the relative
economic success of ASEAN in the
1980s and 1990s:

ASEAN countries learned the

best practices of economic
development from the leading East
Asian economies especially Japan
and the “Four Tigers” (South
Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and
Singapore).
Look East Policy

Logic of War to Logic of

Economic Development and
Growth

Group of 77
The dominant ideology of
the G77 block was anti-
capitalist and anti-free
market.
Foreign Investment Policy

As a result, the entire East

Asian region became
increasingly integrated within
itself as well as strongly
dependent on the American
economy as an engine of growth.
Integration into this larger
economic ecosystem was a key
reason for ASEAN’s successful
development.
5th Factor: ASEAN BASED REGIONAL NETWORKS
ASEAN Centrality

Annual Ministerial Meeting

(AMM)

Importance of AMM and PMC

ASEAN Effect
The ecosystem of peace that ASEAN
created within Southeast Asia has
influenced the wider region, changing
its chemistry and moving it in more
positive directions. Almost half the
world’s population lives in the
region in influenced by ASEAN’s
ethos. The benefits of ASEAN’s peace-
generating efforts have influenced
the course of the world history.
End