ASEAN Economic Integration: A Competing Narrative

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, a grouping which includes the 10 countries of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.  At numerous celebratory events, leaders from both within and outside the region sang the praises of the regional association.  The typical narrative offered in their speeches was that much of the success of the region was due to regional integration among its members, and that this integration was in turn the result of conscious direction and policy decisions by visionary and committed leaders.  But is this narrative really the right one?

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