New vigour for ASEAN ?

The Association for South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit opens in the Philippines on Sunday December 10, for what some of its members hope will mark the start of a new era for the organisation. There are plans to finalise an ASEAN charter embodying the organisation’s values, principles, and commitments, and bring forward a deadline for economic integration from 2020 to 2015. Some member states are also keen to move away from ASEAN’s consensual politics and commitment to non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs.

Burma is a key issue here. Malaysia in particular is unhappy about the negative impact on ASEAN’s international reputation of Burma’s failure to reform. Kuala Lumpur for years spearheaded a diplomatic initiative to achieve this objective -- to no avail. The UN has now formally taken up the cause, largely at Washington’s insistence. ASEAN dislikes being seen as impotent.

Yet hopes that the summit will mark a new dawn are too optimistic. Financial integration and free trade talks have proceeded so slowly to date because of large wealth disparities within the group and conflicting interests. And Burma is not the only member unwilling to expose its domestic political arrangements to closer ASEAN scrutiny.