Since its inception in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has represented a story of success in regional cooperation among developing countries. Its founding nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand chose to support the free world and oppose communism, refuted the domino theory of communism's spread and positioned the region to emerge from the Cold War era intact, enriched and self-confident.
Upon the completion of Asean's long-held aspiration to encompass all 10 nation states within the region in the 1990s, former ideological enemies reconciled and became integral parts of the Asean family. Asean, as an Association, became a community based upon a common set of ideas and rules, as demonstrated by the Asean Charter, which came into full effect and force in 2008.
A major source of the association's pride is in its convening power, where friends near and far are often invited to join in meetings and activities to work towards mutual benefits. These dialogue and sectoral partnerships within Asean are significant, as joint improvement strategies can be formulated while pressing issues can be discussed and resolved.
The Asean Regional Forum was created to "foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern and to make significant contributions to efforts towards confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region". This annual forum permits countries with opposing ideas and manners to sit together and participate in essential conversations. Additionally, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia is a joint peace treaty open to all countries within Asean.
Asean has ventured to declare its wishes and ambition to become a prime mover in the architecture of the Asia-Pacific region, where it strives to play a role of centrality within the affairs of the region. This self-confident and proactive posturing is not based on vague desires or wishful thinking.
The countries within it are endowed with a population of around 650 million people, representing a relatively young, increasingly urbanised, technology-savvy, and hard-working population, as well as expansive land and seas containing abundant natural resources. The countries exist within a geographical location that links the great oceans of the Indian and the Pacific.
Finally, the countries sit astride one of the most important trade routes of the world.
Despite these reasons for optimism, however, recent years have led to a general feeling and perception that Asean is losing its lustre, sense of direction, and purpose, along with a rising trend of disunity and separateness. The Asean leaders appear to behave as distant cousins, instead of family members living together closely and in harmony.
Although photo sessions and joint statements indicate some semblance of closeness, their actions suggest otherwise. Asean has failed, so far, in implementing the Five Point Consensus to bring peace and democracy back to Myanmar. Asean has not been able to work together in response to the South China Sea's territorial disputes, especially in standing up to China's aggressive and coercive behaviour against fellow Asean member states.
Asean's concept of centrality has been non-existent, either ignored, forgotten, or circumvented with the emergence and activeness of the Quad arrangement, the creation of Aukus, and the creation of various trilateral security alliances.
What is quite worrying is the fact that Asean has the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, a declaration that Southeast Asia is to be a zone of freedom and neutrality, and a declaration that Southeast Asia is to be a nuclear-free zone, which altogether point to Asean's wish to be friendly and play a constructive and cooperative role for all.
Asean has therefore placed itself in a neutral position to help bring about peace and harmony through dialogue and cooperation. But some members of Asean, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, due to extenuating circumstances, have to rely on external powers for their survival and security. In this sense, there could be conflicts of interest between the adherence to Asean common positions and the imperative needs of particular member states for a military build-up and subsequent security arrangements.
In such scenarios, there is a pressing need for Asean to take stock of itself and to access the regional and international environment, in order to position itself accordingly. It must be done so especially to bring back and realize the concept of Asean's guiding principle of centrality, as well as the concept of its zone of freedom and neutrality.
Previously, Asean's original six member states, and currently, the present 10 member states, have been able to work together and achieve success. The region's historical repulsion of communism and its integration of Asean, especially the Asean free trade area, the joint undertaking to help Myanmar recover after the Nargis Cyclone, the realisation of the Seven Point Road Map that ended military rule and restored democracy back to Myanmar, are all examples of Asean members working towards the common interest that the association initially sought to achieve.
There has previously been unity, a sense of purpose, as well as mutual respect between nations. Asean leaders of those days were real colleagues and dedicated themselves to the common good within the region.
Such a working atmosphere can be brought back so that the members of this association can work in concert towards the overall success and prosperity of grouping as a whole.
What Asean needs is for its leaders to have the courage and initiative to do so. We move into 2025 with hope and optimism of this occurring, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia becoming the Chair of Asean, as he is a seasoned politician, well-known and respected within the Asean circle. At the same time, original members of Asean, especially Indonesia, have a moral obligation and the sense of greatness to continue, contributing to the common cause and common good. Indonesia's new leadership wants to have strategic autonomy in the global context, but this desire does not prevent Indonesia from taking on a greater leadership role within Asean.
The prime minister of Malaysia and the president of Indonesia can work together to revitalise and recalibrate Asean for the benefit of its 650 million Asean citizens as well as Asean as a force to be reckoned with.
Kasit Piromya is former Ambassador and former Foreign Minister of Thailand.