Introduction

The question of an expanded ASEAN is timely and relevant not only to what presently constitutes ASEAN but also to the prospective components of ASEAN. A widening and/or deepening of ASEAN is called for in the wake of the post-Cold War realities. ASEAN runs the risk of being ignored by the rest of the world should it leave things as they are. A deepening of ASEAN may well be a costly affair, as it could cause serious trade and investment distortions that would render the grouping inward-looking. A widening of ASEAN, by comparison, is a better option, as it would only entail some additional budgetary allocations, a small price worth paying for increased political clout and lever-age it could bring.

An expansion of ASEAN from six to ten to include Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, the four Southeast Asian transitional economies (SEATEs), seems logical as they are all well qualified for ASEAN membership in both geopolitical and economic terms. ASEAN membership will enable the SEATEs to catch up with development in the region. They have much to learn from the ASEAN experience and can benefit much from ASEAN connections.

A bigger ASEAN will, of course, have cost implications for the region as a whole and individual member countries, although benefits will probably out- weigh costs by a substantial margin. An attempt is made in this chapter to discuss policy issues relating to the question of ASEAN expansion and prospects of ASEAN-Ten. The analysis presented here draws heavily on personal interviews, conducted by the author, with government officials in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in 1993.

Issues

ASEAN simply cannot afford to ignore the SEATEs. Indochina, in particular, has long been a major parameter in ASEAN's strategy. In fact, ASEAN might not have been created, had it not been for the communist threat emanating from Indochina in the late 1960s. The role that ASEAN has played in bringing about a political solution to the Cambodian problem is well known.