Non-Intervention and ASEAN’s Role in Conflict Management

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has come under much criticism for the violation of their held principles, which are also often referred to as the “ASEAN way.” In particular, scholars have pointed to situations in which ASEAN has apparently violated the sacred principle of non-intervention, which in turn has led to the questioning of the authenticity of the “ASEAN way.” In fact, in recent years, ASEAN has been spoken of negatively within the scholarly community and has fallen to the wayside in light of more urgent world events. However, with Singapore’s Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong’s speech on revitalizing ASEAN, it is now time to take a closer look again at the Association, and at its potential not only within the region, but also in terms of its demonstrated uniqueness in conflict management which may be applicable to the larger international society. In this paper, I will seek to make a differentiation between the “ASEAN way” and the principle of non-intervention. I will also compare the strategies adopted by ASEAN in managing conflict situations with those employed by the Organization of United States (OAS) in order to delineate the “ASEAN way.” It will be suggested that there are some merits to the “ASEAN way” which may be usefully applied to global conflict management. It would be useful to this paper to review some of the key ideas behind ASEAN before proceeding with the main discussion.