Editorial
As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations turns 59, it should use the occasion to reflect on both its past progress and current challenges to determine future delivery in view of its diamond jubilee next year.
Stagehands arrange microphones on May 8, 2026, prior to the opening ceremony for the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines. (AFP/Pool/Aaron Favila)
Established in Bangkok on Aug. 8, 1967, the 11-member ASEAN celebrates its 59th anniversary today. It is the right moment to reflect on the past and confront, with honesty, the obstacles that stand in the way of progress, especially in light of next year’s diamond jubilee.For this commemoration, member states should recall the reasons the founders decided to work together. This also applies to Indonesia, which has a tendency to see itself as somewhat above ASEAN and desires to play a larger role befitting a key middle power.
Several challenges the grouping is unlikely to overcome anytime soon include the Myanmar crisis, the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute and slow progress on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
