ASEAN and its Sustainable Policy Implementation:

Challenges & Opportunities

Author:
SITI OCTRINA MALIKAH

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 ABSTRACT

Preface

ASEAN‟s political achievements are quite remarkable if we compare to its condition which
was noted for its instability, both at national and regional levels, when ASEAN was founded
in Bangkok, 8th August 1967. The strengthen of ASEAN bound is often tested with several
bilateral conflicts in any concerns, such as dispute settlement, immigrant workers, cultures,
terrorism, etc. The fact that ASEAN survived these conflicts and crises must be regarded and
awarded as important political achievements. Although the Bangkok declaration did not
mention political cooperation, explicitly it contains the political perspectives basic regarding
the members‟ responsibility for regional stability and security. ASEAN does have challenges
in it, but we also cannot close our eyes that ASEAN has great potentials to be explored that
can create a better sustainability policy implementation. ASEAN will have stronger role in
international politics compare to one by one member states role because world will see all
these ten countries as a gold region, South East Asia.

Main discourse

As a regional organization, ASEAN should force its member to cooperate, not to confront.
ASEAN can stimulate its member states to increase the human development index and
making good governances. The other thing is although local wisdom and local identity are
important, but ASEAN should play its role as the media of good neighborhood. Besides those
challenges of role for ASEAN, there are also some potential that can be made as instrument
to receive the ASEAN goals. Robert J. Saphiro with his theory about “The Three Tsunamis/
The Three Global Forces” is relevant to show ASEAN‟s opportunity in today world order.
Globalization, demographic shift, and the fall of USSR have made a shifting from west to
east. Directly, that argument can be used to analyze how important ASEAN is in international
politics. All this opportunity will make ASEAN, all its member states, feel the advantages of
being integrated.

Conclusion (Including Ideas or Suggestions)

Despite the differences, however, ASEAN maintains its outward unity that possibly to trigger
the sustainable policy implementation. If ASEAN success to do its job as the media of
cooperation than confrontation and able to optimize all its potentials, ASEAN will not only
„riding the wave‟ but also as the wave itself. ASEAN has great potentials to be exploited
optimally when all ASEAN countries can bury their differences and agree on a common
regional framework for regulating friendly relations each other. ASEAN should be strong
bounded because there are too many extra-regional powers with direct interest to the region.
ASEAN should finish the existing challenges, prevent the possibility of new challenges
arising, and continue its mutually beneficial relationships.

Keywords: Three global forces, opportunities, challenges

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 4

I.I. REALIZING ASEAN 4

I.II. ASEAN EFFECTIVENESS: AN OVERVIEW 8

CHAPTER II: CONTENT 10

II.I. REGIONALISM THEORY 10

II.II OPPORTUNITIES IN CREATING SUSTAINABLE POLICIES‟ IMPLEMENTATIONS 12
II.III CHALLENGES IN THRIVING SUSTAINABLE POLICIES‟ IMPLEMENTATION 15

CHAPTER III: CLOSURE 18

III.I SOLUTIONS AND PROPOSAL ON THE ISSUE OF CHALLENGES ON IN IMPLEMENTING ASEAN‟S

POLICIES 18
III.II CONCLUSION 19

REFERENCES 20

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 Despite the differences, however, ASEAN
maintains its outward unity that possibly to trigger
the sustainable policy implementation. If ASEAN
success to do its job as the media of cooperation
than confrontation and able to optimize all its
potentials, ASEAN will not only „riding the wave‟
but also as the wave itself. ASEAN has great
potentials to be exploited optimally when all
ASEAN countries can bury their differences and
agree on a common regional framework for
regulating friendly relations each other. ASEAN
should be strong bounded because there are too
many extra-regional powers with direct interest to
the region. ASEAN should finish the existing
challenges, prevent the possibility of new
challenges arising, and continue its mutually
beneficial relationships. This paper will try to
analyze the core opportunities and challenges in
ASEAN sustainability of policies implementations
and how those opportunities and challenges should
be addressed, with some statistical facts and actual
statistics from various sources are given in some
areas to support the analytical claims in this paper.

Chapter I – Introduction

I.i – Realizing ASEAN

ASEAN is a region that is really admired by most of other countries or other regions
as the laboratory to observe inter-countries relations because of ASEAN has already had
several fundamental gifts. ASEAN through its member states is already given naturally with
a lot of gifts since the very first beginning. Unfortunately, for many times, we were failed to
accommodate those gifts into something beneficial for the sustainability of ASEAN. We are

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rich of cultures, natural resources, potential young human resources, and we are counted as
the hope of the world for facing and solving several non-traditional issues, for examples are
terrorism, climate change, trafficking, democracy, human rights, etc. Those are why most of
those substantial collective problems can be observed from ASEAN that lately has become
the strategic and important issues for East Asia and India. Absolutely, by seeing those
tangible potential, we are supposed to find the next step to capitalize them into something
more beneficial politically and economically. If not we are, as the ASEAN society, then who
else?

Cultures Attraction

All member states of ASEAN are blessed with a lot of culture diversifications
including dances, songs, tribes, clothes, foods, etc. We have hundreds of tribes, thousands of
islands, and millions of people that are ready to be explored and manifested. We are now
living in the multi-polar world that is why we need an ASEAN identity to be well-known by
the world. And I believe that the multi-identities that represented each of ASEAN member
states itself are the identity of ASEAN. These cultures should be point out to the rest of the
world as the trade mark of ASEAN, so that all people out there will be attracted to see
ASEAN closer, not only within the multi-identities but also the unity that is crated above
those culture differences.

Human and Natural Resources Attraction

In the other hand, we are also blessed with tremendous packages of human resources
and natural resources, both reversible and irreversible. Among the ageing population
phenomena that happened in most developed countries (eq. United States and most European
countries), ASEAN comes with a hope of young potential human resources which not only
benefit our region but also for those ageing population countries that need our human
resources to, more less, help participate in their countries that leak of regeneration people.
Most of member states are producing rice/paddy as their main agricultural production, as we
now the world main consumption until nowadays is still rice/paddy. Luckily, rice/paddy is not
the only agricultural productions that we have, we also have coffee, tea, cocoa, palm oil,
wheat, etc (most of them are counted in the international trade as commodities with best
quality and big quantity). Our natural resources are not only the reversible resources but also
the irreversible resources such as oil, coal, gas, gold, bronze, silver, steel, etc.

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Non-traditional Issues Attraction

The remarkable event of 9/11, which had created horrific destruction of New Yorks‟s
World Trade Center, has brought up a dramatic and revolutionary change to the world
consciousness. United States announced that Southeast Asia was the second front in the
global collective action on terrorism. Southeast Asia even became the region of hope to finish
this problem after US because of some countries have intra-related bound with the terrorist,
individually and collectively. Several bombing cases happened in Indonesia such as Bali
bombing and Australian Embassy bombing, some of the terrorist themselves are stayed in
Southeast Asia countries or even get nationality from Southeast Asia‟s countries.

For the first time since the US war in Viet Nam, American former President George
W. Bush stated about the importance of counterterrorism for US domestically in Southeast
Asia. The recognition of the newest program of American security interest and engagement in
Southeast Asia overlays a more complex set such as deeper political, economy, and cultural
international interest that linked the United States to the Southeast Asian countries. US
interest is only one of the example to prove that Southeast Asia is really counted in today
world‟s dynamics besides US still have to compete with other developed countries such as
Japan, China, and the European Union (EU) which also have interests towards Southeast
Asia‟s potential. Terrorism as the security dilemma in the world is only one of the indicator of
the pattern of international relations that make Southeast Asia become an important unit of
the global international system1.

The world, less more, is hanging on ASEAN to handle a lot of non-traditional issues,
for example like terrorism cases above. Forestry keeping in ASEAN becomes the concern to
decrease the possibility impact of climate change and some countries even regarded as green
countries. ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) places as one of the most important market in
international trade and even become the concern of many developed countries as a potential
market. ASEAN scores success enough in implementing democracy among its fragmented
differences such as religions, ethnicities, ideologies, etc. With all of this richness that ASEAN
have and offer to the international politic, we can assume that nowadays ASEAN has a very
significant position in the world, both as the subject and the object.

1Weatherbee, Donald E. “International Relations in Southeast Asia: The Struggle for Autonomy”. United States
of America: Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, Inc. 2005: 1-2

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 But, do we ever think that we have independently optimally wisely exploited and
explored it for our prosperity and goodness? Or we just nicely sit and see those foreigners
come and exploited it for their own goodness? Should we just keep silent because we are too
busy to think about the national interest and neglecting the regional interest? Or have not we
all realized that we are in one region and we are better need to cooperate to enhance and
empower our region than to do it alone? In some cases we were not independently optimally
wisely to think what is best for our region, Southeast Asia.

Latent Challenges

Nationally, every member states of ASEAN have their own latent problems.
Unsolvable corruptions that happen in almost all countries, separatism movement (Free Aceh
Movement in Indonesia, Moro separatism in Philippine, Pattani separatism in Thailand, etc.),
minority discriminations that sometimes trigger violence (Ahmadiyah tragedy in Indonesia,
Chinese in Malaysia, small ethnic in Myanmar with Burma, etc.), authoritarian bureaucracy
in Myanmar, and there are other problems in politic, economy, social, and culture.

Bilaterally, there are significant problems between two countries in ASEAN. Most of
the problems are not far from culture and territorial dispute settlement. Malaysia and
Indonesia have several territorial disputes in Ambalat block and Sipadan-Ligitan islands, the
claim of cultural heritage of Indonesia by Malaysia, and also about the violations to the
immigrant workers. Malaysia also have some others territorial disputes to Singapore and
Philippines. The latest bilateral challenge is happening between Thailand and Cambodia in
claiming the temple near the border of both countries. Conflicts that keep coming among
countries have created distrust thought to their neighbors. This distrust absolutely will affect
the cooperation and deal within member states of ASEAN regionally.

Regionally, a lot of problems in Southeast Asia, basically, need further collective

concern from all member states of ASEAN but the collective concern itself is hard to be
achieved because the leak of trust and self-determination. Many agendas are canceled or
neglected because the consolidation is hard to be built. Terrorism, climate change, forest
burned, human rights, and several other regional problems have not been solved effectively
yet.

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I.ii – ASEAN Effectiveness: an Overview

Just like the two sides of coin, instead of its gifts or positive modals, ASEAN also
faces many challenges, nationally, bilaterally, and regionally, that somehow become the
barriers of ASEAN sustainability and improvement today and tomorrow. Now, let‟s see what
ASEAN have done so far to solve those challenges. Did ASEAN perform significantly in
perceive the solvency of challenges?

We are not failed, we are just doing nothing. See Myanmar violation of human rights,
did ASEAN do something important to help the democratization and human right abuse in
Myanmar? ASEAN is used as a diplomatic arena to discuss any strategic discussions in
Southeast Asia. As a cooperation media, it is also used to manage the relation and interaction
between countries. But, it only catch the member states‟ problems as a way to talk and
discuss only, not for taking those problems into higher level, decision making for example.
That is why for some cases, ASEAN with its non-interference idea, cannot give tangible way
out or solution to the problem that occur. This incapability of decision making and
interference for some cases are good, but in the other hand it makes ASEAN far from the
ASEAN‟s people heart. No doubt, nowadays, only small number of people that realize the
existence and importance of ASEAN because it gives leak or even no significant role.

ASEAN simply becomes the impotent organization that is not empowering the
member states. Its weakness basically is the powerless of force to its member states that make
ASEAN not more that a „hang out‟ place to the member states. ASEAN, without its forcing
agreement, cannot represent Southeast Asia interest to the world politics because most of the
member states are afraid to let go their egoistic national interest. In the name of national right
and interest, member states of ASEAN are hard to decide some decisions for the regional
needs because they put distrust to other countries and afraid that other countries have some
hidden agendas to that ASEAN‟s policy. So it is clear that we need to build good
neighborhood that based on trust. With having trust among the member states, deals and
decisions will much easier to be made.

This paper will first elaborate on the importance of regionalism in today world politic,
the opportunities of Southeast Asia in parameter of the theory of three tsunamis/three global
forces, the challenges in Southeast Asia nationally, bilaterally, and internationally, and a brief
analysis on the ASEAN as a regional organization that can accommodate the opportunities

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and challenges towards a sustainable policies‟ implementation, which will lead us to a
prediction of where the future will bring the ASEAN and its policy implementation
sustainability. This paper will then conclude by proposing the measures and policies ASEAN
should take to address its challenges, and finally my proposal on changes that should be made
within ASEAN to sustainable implementation of its policies.

Research questions include; how is actually the importance of regional organization in

international politics and why ASEAN is important for all its member states in facing today
trend of regionalism? What are the opportunities that ASEAN has already had in creating
sustainable policies‟ implementations? What challenges that ASEAN would and have faced in
thriving for these sustainable policies‟ implementation? How ASEAN can do better in
achieving its goal as an integrated nation compare to one by one country?

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Chapter II – Content

II.i – Regionalism

Theory

Regionalism emphasizes the increasing levels of interdependence between states

which are forcing them to cooperate and integrate each other. This theory credited largely to
Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye, conceptualizes cooperative behaviors among states.
According to Keohane and Nye, economic interdependence and the benefits obtained from it
act as a major incentive for states to cooperate2.

They would explain regional integration as a rational response by states to the

dynamics of the new realities created by globalization and increased interdependence in the
post Cold War era. It is also seen as a move towards maximizing state welfare and interests
through cooperation especially as dictated by the new international political order3.

The motivation for states to form regional cooperative mechanisms is to avoid

negative “national policy externalities from interdependence, to facilitate intra-regional trade
linkages while at the same time reducing costs of operating within international rules and the
procurement of public goods4. Regional integration is viewed as an incremental process
through which collective action problems are resolved and formalized within institutions.
Regional integration in the Asia Pacific and East Asian regional can be examples.

Implementation of Regionalism: As a Phenomenon

Regionalism nowadays are becoming a phenomenon in all regions in all over the
world, for examples are the emergence of regionalism in Latin America (Mercosur, 1991),
Southeast Asia (AFTA, 1992), North America (NAFTA, 1992), in addition to further
strengthening of European economic integration with the formation of the European Union

2 Keohane, Robert O. and Nye, Joseph S. 1989.“Power and Interdependence”.2nd Edition. New York:
Longman. Pg. 4-19
3Mansfield, Edward D. and Milner, Helen V. (eds.). 1997. “The Political Economy of Regionalism”. New York:
Columbia University Press. Pg.6
4 Soderbaum, Fredrik. “Rethinking the New Regionalism”. Paper for the XIII Nordic Political Science
Association meeting. Workshop Session 23: Regions and Regionalization. (Aalborg, Sweden, 15-17th of August
2002)
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(Maastricht Treaty, 1992)5. There are more parts of the world that start concerning in having a
stronger and stronger bound of regional organization because they feel the important
demands and benefits of it. The triggers come from the needs of each country and also the
ineffective international organization to accommodate and mediate the interests of those
countries.

There are needs coming from the world citizen that the most capable part to help them
when they are in sudden or latent problems are their closest neighbor. Closest neighbor that I
mean in here, of course, geographically close to the country. For example, when Indonesia
experienced natural disaster, the faster help will come from surrounding countries in
Southeast Asia compare to other regions. Regionalism becomes an important study for
international relations, when in reality, after realizing that global issues still need to be
handled and solved in smaller cooperation scoop, in regional system.

One of the phenomena after 1945 is the significant growth of regional organization.
By its smaller size compare to international organization, decisions are easier to be made and
the peacemaking mechanism also can be supervised. There are needs to develop and to
explore economic relations to the neighbor in purpose to face technical problems that reveal
because of natural interdependency in region. By realizing a characteristic of the region,
hopefully, it will minimize the conflict between its member states.

The multilateral organization, in the other side, is not effective anymore to

accommodate the best needs of all countries in the world, or in the other name United Nation
has failed to unite the nations equally. It takes a long time to make a decision in multilateral
organization, may be because of its big number of members, wide responsibilities,
diversifications of problems. Even, one time a decision has been made, potentially, it will
disappoint a big enough number of countries. This dilemma has already there as the weakness
of multilateral organization since the very first existence of it. Often, multilateral organization
is all about the superpower interest to the world because of some countries get veto right
which fragment the members into superior and inferior. For many times, the powerless
countries‟ needs are not being heard and accommodate through the multilateral organization
because it might not be categorized as a significant issue in the world.

5Gao, Henry. “China‟s Strategy for Free Trade Agreements: Political Battle in The Name of Trade”. Working
Draft.

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 By realizing the limited capability of multilateral organization, the role of regional
organization becomes more important to substitute and/or complement the weakness of
multilateral organization. ASEAN, basically, also has a significant role in Southeast Asia as
the place to accommodate its ten members more wisely and more effectively compare to
United Nation. ASEAN has a chance to proof it if the member states give more power and
more legal entity to ASEAN to force its member in certain regulations such as preventing and
solving any disputes, strengthening the relations among member states through a common
ASEAN identity, contributed and counted more significant in the world politics, and other
benefits. But until now, the member states of ASEAN have not got any significant benefits
because of several problems in ASEAN system, mainly about legal entity.

I hope that after realizing the significant and important role of a regional organization,
ASEAN can provide a stronger basis for the organization to proceed. ASEAN will not simply
be drafted to maintain the status quo, but it should give a new dynamism to ASEAN and
should be forward looking.6 All member states should also make ASEAN more people-
oriented and move away from being state-centric, only if all member states work together
they can answer all the challenges adequately and will benefit them more.

II.ii – Opportunities in creating sustainable policies’ implementations (Robert J.

Saphiro: Three Tsunamis/ Three Global Forces7)

Three powerful global forces are currently reshaping humanity‟s near-term future,
writes former U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce Robert J. Shapiro in his new book
Futurecast. These forces are globalization, an aging world population/ demographic shift, and
the fall of USSR. Analyzing them, Shapiro creates a “global blueprint” that charts the likely
course of the planet over the next decade and a half. Most of the discussion revolves around
the impact of globalization, which Shapiro believes will produce the greatest amount of
change, as it breaks down barriers and opens up economies. He argues that the rest of the
world has no choice but to embrace globalization, despite its drawbacks and limitations.8

6 Wanadi, Jusuf. 2005. “Global, Regional, and National: Strategic Issues and Linkages”. Centre for Strategic
and International Issues (CSIS). The ASEAN Charter: Its Importance and Content: 278-280
7Saphiro, Robert J. 2008. “Futurecast: How Superpowers, Populations, and Globalization Will Change the Way
You Live and Work”. United States: St. Martin‟s Press
8 Ibid.
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Globalization

The tension of human interaction increases as the aim of human for better living
standard increases. The term of globalization is one of the key to make a new movement of
human needs and aims. When the states are failed to accommodate their interest to make
prosperous nations then globalization is one of the hope of the new human civilization. When
globalization appears, state is not enough anymore to struggle for interest because we are
now talk about a very wide borderless range, the world. State needs to build coalition with
other states in purpose to enlarge and strengthen their power towards global challenges. That
is why globalization has put regional organization in a very significant role nowadays
because by a regional organization, for example ASEAN, several states can build a regional
interest that can force the world more than single national interest does. By this mean, global
challenges and opportunities become a collective concern towards human goodness in very
the regional scoop.

Regional-cooperation would be the best alternative which may give more efficient and
effective movement towards its strategies for the short, mid, or even long-term prospect to
gain more bargaining position in the world. When the role of states is decreasing, regional
organization is the answer to create a blockade to prevent the negative impact of
globalization. Regional organization is meant to be the best way of its members to
institutionalize and accommodate interests in the world of globalization. For example,
ASEAN could become one of the most effective regional organizations which could
accommodate the join-regional-cooperation among its members.

When the globalization appears, we will not only see the role of state actors but also
the role of non state actors such as NGO, individual, etc as the response of regional need.
Southeast Asia need more concern from its society, not only government, to improve and
reform it to a better ASEAN. So the non-state actors are functioned to give more
accommodating and more representing way for ASEAN as a whole. The non-state actors may
give the new perspective to the regional cooperation or regional organization to create
sustainability of ASEAN. The non-state actor would be the best side-hand of the state to build
a better and more significant role of ASEAN in Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific, an all over the
world.

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Demographic Shift

To talk about the populations in Southeast Asia as a whole is much more significant
than the populations from the single country, for example Malaysia or Thailand only. “The
demographic shifting” theory, is naturally beneficial for Southeast Asia countries. Many of
developed countries (such as United States and European countries) now face the ageing of
population. They experience to have too many adult and old people but slow rate of the birth,
means that their regeneration are in a problematic condition and this problem will create the
leak of the human resources. Different with most developed countries, Southeast Asia
provides much young people to regenerate the human cycle in the country. This is one of a
positive point that Southeast Asia has, which the population will become the hope of all over
the world.

The population density of the Southeast Asia Country, are the must-concerning project
to the new potential market. Both United States and China are now paying big attention to
ASEAN‟s market. Not only those two countries, but also other countries in the rest of the
world will attracted to build a trade or investment agreement to ASEAN member states. The
advantages of demographic shifting in ASEAN would make ASEAN as one of the hope the
quality and quantity human resource and also one of the most potential market in
international trade. But how these benefits from demographic shift would affect to the
sustainable policies‟ implementation of ASEAN?

One thing that we should realize as the Southeast Asia citizen is that we are much
stronger and more influential to the world when we are together instead of being a single-
fighter country. After we realize the strength of togetherness then all the members-state of
ASEAN will position ASEAN more important than before and trigger them to build a
regional interest which will give them higher bargaining position then national interest. These
member-states are also to realize how to accommodate and empower their national interest in
a bigger scoop and more represent the regional identity. So, the demographic bonus plus the
awareness of togetherness in one community, ASEAN, will expand the needs of Southeast
Asia region to achieve prosperity.

The Fall of USSR

According to the theory of Saphiro about the three global forces are mentioned that one of the
speculation towards the new era is the fall of USSR. So what is the correlation and why the
14
fall USSR can influence the sustainability in implementing ASEAN‟s policy?

The fall of USSR was also the end of the third world countries which is meant that the
bipolar system, between US and USSR, has been changed to a multi-polar system. The world
nowadays is not standing between two big mountains but we are navigating on the
turbulences ocean now. There are a lot of new emerging power countries that reveal after the
world become multi-polar. So are the member states of ASEAN, which now we have bigger
chances to show-off our potential and to struggle our interest.

We should not make this chance useless, so that we should create sustainable policies
to enhance the ASEAN bargaining position. Again and again I state in here that the world see
Southeast Asia more than a single fighter state, so that we will be stronger in this multi-polar
world when we have our alliances to offense and defense the challenges of today world.

II.iii – Challenges in thriving sustainable policies’ implementation

ASEAN's future is now at stake

Basically, the old principles on which ASEAN has functioned non-legalistic and
informal system of cooperation between the states or their bureaucracies are no longer
adequate to cope with fundamental change in ASEAN and in each of its member countries.
ASEAN has been a state-to-state cooperation par excellence with no intentions to achieve
integration and become a community.

But, what is about the future? In the last 44 years there have been a lot of changes.
There have been significant internal changes within the member states, global, and regional,
have created extreme pressure for ASEAN as a whole and for each of its members. ASEAN's
role in Southeast Asia is not very significant when it does not have any chances to proof its
ability because of the non-intervention principal. This un-significant role has brought ASEAN
to become unremarkable organization for its member-states and slow but sure reducing
ASEAN popularity in Southeast Asia.

The greatest impact on ASEAN non-intervention system has been pressured by the
financial crisis in East Asia when the members cannot adjust to these external pressures
themselves. That may also be the reason why European Union members are expanding their
cooperation. The same weakness also affect to several other cases such as Junta Military‟s

15
human right violation in Myanmar, minority ethnic discrimination in Philippines and
Thailand, any territorial dispute settlements, which in facing these problems what ASEAN
did is limited only in discussing the matter without any solutions. ASEAN was formed only
to prevent and promote peace. That is why that time ASEAN was built the non-intervention
system was acceptable, but see the need of today where prevent and promote is no longer
enough to solve the problems that happen in today ASEAN.

ASEAN as a regional identity could be more relevant if it could get its act together
and change in a fundamental way. Therefore, the principle of 'non-intervention' has already
passed, while 'intervention' could be implemented in a more acceptable way, in the name of
balances between sovereignty of member states and the sustainable future of regional
organization in Southeast Asia, ASEAN. So that the problem that used to fail to be solved by
the non-intervention can be solved if ASEAN has certain legal regulations to give
interventions toward its member problem.

Less-accommodated of the increased participation of ASEAN non-official organizations

and peoples in ASEAN cooperation

Nowadays, when we talk about climate change, human rights, or other non-traditional
issues, we will not talk about state as the main actor. Non Governmental Organizations, mass
media, parliamentarians, and other non-states actor are also having significant roles to
contribute in finding further and more comprehensive solution for those issues. Their
significant position has put them as one of the stakeholder in Southeast Asia so that we
cannot neglected their existence when we are discussing about ASEAN‟s future and
ASEAN‟s sustainability.

ASEAN-ISIS, being one of the nonofficial institutions consisting of think tanks of six
ASEAN members plus a Cambodian Institution, but excluding Brunei which is still
considering establishing its own institution took up the proposal and organized the ASEAN
congress to take process. The congress proposes that ASEAN should not be only cooperation
among officialdom, but that ASEAN people of all walks of life should participate in ASEAN
to strengthen the foundation of ASE9 and therefore make ASEAN a more viable regional
organization in the future.

The congress was attended not only by academics but also by officials, the private
sectors, parliamentarians, NGOs as well as other social organizations. In fact, this gathering
16
could in the future be expanded into a forum of broader-based ASEAN non-officialdom. Such
discussions are important because ASEAN faces many challenges, and an inability to
overcome some of the challenges could severely weaken ASEAN.

The ignorance of these non-state actors with depend only on state-to-state relation will
only impoverish ASEAN, and might make the organization less relevant, even irrelevant, in
the future because critical issued faced within ASEAN should be discussed or even solved
outside of ASEAN. At the very least, it would constrain ASEAN's ambition to play a greater
future role in the wider Asia-Pacific region and the world. Only with greater supports,
participations and attentions by its people as well as its Non Governmental Organizations or
other non-states actors, ASEAN can remain relevant in the future and become stronger and
more cohesive to face its future challenges in Southeast Asia.

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Chapter III – Closure

III.i – Solution and Proposal on the Issue of Challenges on Sustainability in

implementing ASEAN’s Policies

1. ASEAN should find its one identity and value that represents the whole of Southeast
Asia nations that begin with good neighborhood and mutual trust. So that, ASEAN will
not only always discuss about respecting differences but also the need of similarity that
will trigger togetherness. All member states will then learn to negotiate the regional
interest that will impact higher bargaining position that national interest. ASEAN then
could optimally explore their opportunities in achieving regional goals that represent
national goals, for example the big population of Southeast Asia, potential market in
international trade, leading in regional and global, etc.

2. ASEAN should deepen its cooperation to become a more legal entity that give more
power to bring the region better. Therefore, the principle of 'non-intervention' has already
passed, while 'intervention' could be implemented in a more acceptable way, in the name
of balances between sovereignty of member states and the sustainable future of regional
organization in Southeast Asia, ASEAN. So that the problem that used to fail to be
solved by the non-intervention can be solved if ASEAN has certain legal regulations to
give interventions toward its member problem. Yes, sure this solution will absolutely
lead us to ASEAN Community.

3. Expand the state-to-state relation with accommodating the non-state actors will make the
organization will more relevant in the future because critical issued faced within ASEAN
should be discussed or even solved outside of ASEAN. At the very least, it would
constrain ASEAN's ambition to play a greater future role in the wider Asia-Pacific region
and the world. Only with greater supports, participations and attentions by its people as
well as its Non Governmental Organizations or other non-states actors, ASEAN can
remain relevant in the future and become stronger and more cohesive to face its future
challenges in Southeast Asia.

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III.ii – Conclusion

Should ASEAN be more legally formed, consciousness of becoming one region society, and
cooperating with the non-state actor, ASEAN could sustainably implement its policies that
will benefit all of its member states through prosperousness, get more significant role in Asia-
pacific or even the world. A more legitimate ASEAN, ASEAN Community, would not only
prevent and promote peace but also become the organization that may solve the member
states problems.
Challenges are immense, obviously, but what must ASEAN see is the enormous
opportunities ASEAN would reap from a stronger bounded organization. ASEAN, beside the
obvious benefits of boosting ASEAN role regionally and globally, will bring the region closer
to each other and increasing the sense of unity and interdependence among its members.
ASEAN Community will be ready to face and critic the next changes and challenges which
can be more sensitive more effectively.

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Case, William. 2002. “Politics in Southeast Asia”. London: Routledge Curzon Press

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Keohane, Robert O. and Nye, Joseph S. 1989.“Power and Interdependence”.2nd Edition.

New York: Longman.

Mansfield, Edward D. and Milner, Helen V. (eds.). 1997. “The Political Economy of
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Nuraeni, dkk. 2010. “Regionalisme dalam Studi Hubungan Internasional”.

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Soderbaum, Fredrik. “Rethinking the New Regionalism”. Paper for the XIII Nordic Political
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Wanadi, Jusuf. 2005. “Global, Regional, and National: Strategic Issues and Linkages”.
Centre for Strategic and International Issues (CSIS). The ASEAN Charter: Its Importance and
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Autonomy”. United States of America: Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, Inc. 2005: 1-2
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 AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Siti Octrina Malikah was born in 2nd October 1991 in Medan, Indonesia. She is
currently studying international relations/ diplomacy studies in Paramadina University. As a
student of International Relation, she is interested the
most in the global non-traditional issues especially for
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
including child trafficking, child sex tourism, child
pornography, child marriage, and child prostitution.
Her essay about G-20 became the national top 6 in
Indonesian National Meeting of International Relation
Students (Pertemuan Nasional Mahasiswa Hubungan
Internasional se-Indonesia/PNMHII) XXII in Jakarta,
Indonesia.
Her interests outside the academic scoop are
philosophy, dancing, debating, and researching. In
2010, she joined the International Folk Festival
“Warsfolk” in Warsaw and World Folk Review
“Integracje” in Poznan, Poland. She is recently coordinating Liberal Art forum in Kafha;
Laboratory of Humanity and Culture in Paramadina University that held the discourse about
any ideas of philosophers.

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