REVIEWING THE 14th AND 15th ASEAN SUMMIT 2009: CRISIS AND OPPORTUNITIES

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Hyung Jong Kim
Mala Selvaraju

Abstract

The aim of this article is to investigate the major developments of regionalism in
Southeast Asia through the ASEAN Summit and related summits which were held
in Thailand in 2009. The 2009 summit ought to be given some attention as it was
the first Summit held after the implementation of the ASEAN Charter which is
expected to bring significant changes to operations and vision of ASEAN. ASEAN,
at this Summit, was expected to deal with the coming economic crisis as the region
was under severe effects of the global economic recession. However, the political
turmoil in Thailand, the current chair of ASEAN became a concern as it had to
postpone the Summit and other related important summits including the Asean
Plus Three(APT) and East Asia Summit (EAS). The crisis is a double-edged sword
for regionalism. While it could undermine the capability of individual government
and actors, it also could generate strong motive and catalyst as witnessed through
the aftermath of the economic crisis in 1997-98. Thus, this article argues that the
current crisis-like conditions in the region should be considered as a critical juncture
for the ASEAN’s long term goal of establishing community.


Keywords: ASEAN Summit, ASEAN plus Three, East Asian Summit, regionalism, and ASEAN Charter

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