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 The signing of the ASEAN Declaration in Bangkok on 8 August 1967 by five foreign ministers, marking the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). | |
| Type | Multilateral treaty |
|---|---|
| Signed | 8 August 1967 (1967-08-08) |
| Location | Bangkok, Thailand |
| Original signatories | |
TheASEAN Declaration[1] orBangkok Declaration is the founding document of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It was signed inBangkok on 8 August 1967 by the fiveASEAN founding members,Indonesia,Malaysia,Philippines,Singapore, andThailand.
It states the basic principles of ASEAN: co-operation, amity, and non-interference.[2] The date is now celebrated as ASEAN Day.[3]
One theory suggests ASEAN was formed as a display of solidarity againstcommunist expansion in Vietnam andcommunistinsurgency within their own borders. However, there is nothing written in the ASEAN Declaration that actually says this.
Prior to the declaration, the fiveSoutheast Asian states struggled to containcommunist influence.
At the time, theFilipino government struggled to giveamnesty to formerHukbalahap militants, who staged an armed conflict inLuzon during the 1950s that almost led to the collapse of the central government.
Conflict between the Indonesian military and the increasingIndonesian Communist Party apparently come to an end in late 1965 with the transition to the dictatorship ofSuharto's"New Order" after the horror ofIndonesian mass killings of 1965–66 being implemented.[4]
Communism also led to the idea of merging the Federation of Malaya,Sarawak,Singapore, andNorth Borneo into one entity, which had the intention of eliminating the possibility of Singapore falling into communism.Singapore was expelled from the Federation in 1965 over racial tensions and how the federation should be governed, but remained a capitalist democratic society with close ties with its new neighbors.
A related matter was the formation of Malaysia. In 1961,Malayan Prime MinisterTunku Abdul Rahman announced a proposal to create a new federation called Malaysia. This was opposed by Indonesia and the Philippines because Indonesia believed the new formation was a form ofneo-colonialism while the Philippinesclaimed eastern North Borneo (Sabah) as part of its territory.
To defuse tension, a non-political confederation calledMaphilindo was formed. This, however, was not successful due to the perception that Maphilindo was formed to delay or prevent the formation of Malaysia.
Despite opposition, Malaysia was formed in 1963. This led to theIndonesia–Malaysia confrontation. The Philippines withdrew diplomatic ties, causing relations to remain sour until the formation of ASEAN.
It is believed by scholars that the formation of ASEAN has prevented hostilities betweenSoutheast Asian states.[5][6]
