Table Of ContentRegional Cooperation in
South Asia and Southeast Asia
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The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) was established as
an autonomous organization in 1968. It is a regional centre dedicated
to the study of socio-political, security and economic trends and
developments in Southeast Asia and its wider geostrategic and economic
environment.
The Instituteʼs research programmes are the Regional Economic
Studies (RES, including ASEAN and APEC), Regional Strategic and
Political Studies (RSPS), and Regional Social and Cultural Studies
(RSCS).
ISEAS Publications, an established academic press, has issued
almost 2,000 books and journals. It is the largest scholarly publisher
of research about Southeast Asia from within the region. ISEAS
Publications works with many other academic and trade publishers and
distributors to disseminate important research and analyses from and
about Southeast Asia to the rest of the world.
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Kripa Sridharan
with T.C.A. Srinivasa-Raghavan
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies,
Singapore
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First published in Singapore in 2007 by ISEAS Publishing
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Pasir Panjang
Singapore 119614
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
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of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
© 2007 Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore
The responsibility for facts and opinions in this publication rests exclusively
with the authors and their interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views
or the policy of the publisher or its supporters.
ISEAS Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Sridharan, Kripa, 1949–
Regional cooperation : South Asia and Southeast Asia.
1. Regionalism—Asia.
2. Regionalism—Southeast Asia.
3. Regionalism—South Asia.
4. Southeast Asia—Economic integration.
5. South Asia—Economic integration.
I. Title
JZ5333 S77 2007
ISBN: 978-981-230-435-3 (hard cover)
ISBN: 978-981-230-426-1 (soft cover)
ISBN: 978-981-230-720-0 (PDF)
Typeset by International Typesetters Pte Ltd
Printed in Singapore by Oxford Graphic Printers Pte Ltd
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Contents
Preface vii
1 INTRODUCTION: WHY REGIONALISM? 1
2 REGIONALISM: THE INSTITUTIONAL 43
FRAMEWORK
3 THE POLITICAL DIMENSION OF 113
REGIONALISM
4 PATTERNS OF ECONOMIC REGIONALISM 205
T.C.A. Srinivasa-Raghavan
5 SOCIAL ISSUES AND REGIONAL 279
COOPERATION
6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 329
Index 353
About the Authors 370
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Preface
An unspoken but widely acknowledged view about
regionalism suggests that it is better to have regionalized
and faltered than never to have regionalized at all!
Taking this as its point of departure, this study provides
a comparative sketch of regional cooperation in South
and Southeast Asia in the light of various political,
economic and social developments in the two regions.
Since regionalism is both a pervasive and amorphous
phenomenon, a straightforward account of its similarities
and differences cannot be easily set down. But the broad
patterns of behaviour of the regional actors who gather
under a regional roof can be captured. This study regards
regionalism both as a formal entity and a process and seeks
to explain the dynamics of regional cooperation from this
intertwined perspective.
Regionalism represents the wisdom of hanging
together howsoever difficult that may be for states within
a given geographical space. The different sides of their
existence are played out within a regional context since
their conflicts and confabulations are mostly with their
immediate neighbours. Region is therefore both a threat
and an opportunity. Increasingly, states are convinced that
unless they relate well to their neighbourhood they are
unlikely to make an impact in the wider world. There is
also recognition that a regional platform can be extremely
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viii Preface
useful in keeping at bay the undesirable elements of
a rapidly globalizing world. But cognizance does not
automatically ensure appropriate behaviour and therefore
we find that some regional experiences have fallen far
short of expectations. Although the vehicle has not been
abandoned, it is not confidently striding ahead either. Such
situations call for introspection and course correction.
Learning from the experience of others can yield some
benefits in this respect and therefore comparing notes may
not be such a bad idea. To compare is not only understand
but to improve and avoid the avoidable. In the following
pages, an attempt has been made to highlight the highs
and lows of regional experiences mainly in South and
Southeast Asia interspersed with references to the European
Union (EU) where relevant. Europe is not exactly used
as a benchmark but only as a point of reference since it
has had a long stint in making regionalism work. Some
people may argue that the jury is still out on the success
of the European venture, and EU should not be used as
a yardstick because it is exceptional. While there may
be good reasons for such thinking, it is also apparent
that leaders and policymakers often refer to the advances
made by the EU in the context of the gaps in their own
regional efforts. To dismiss this as mere rhetoric, in my
opinion, is inappropriate. Therefore, this work refers to
the European experience where relevant. For Europe,
regional cooperation was a creed; for the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), it was a strategy and
for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC), it is so far, neither.
This study seeks to outline certain practical problems
that hobble regional cooperative efforts. It is mainly
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Preface ix
addressed to those who take a lively interest in regional
cooperation. It starts with a broad survey of the objectives
and course of regionalism so as to indicate its conceptual
and practical evolution. It does not claim to provide a
rigorous and direct comparative analysis of regionalism.
Its main purpose is to appraise the readers of the relative
progress made by regional organizations in South and
Southeast Asia. It is more of an illustrative comparison
rather than a comparative case study.
My gratitude and thanks are owed to a great many
people who made this study possible. Before mentioning
their names I must state that the usual disclaimer applies.
I take the responsibility for all the errors of omission and
commission in the study.
I should first of all thank the Institute of Southeast Asian
Studies, Singapore and its Director, Mr K. Kesavapany in
particular, for the sponsorship of this project. Without
Mr Kesavapanyʼs sustained interest, encouragement and
cheerful confidence, this work would not have seen the
light of day.
I would also like to thank Dr Chin Kin Wah, Deputy
Director, ISEAS, for his valuable comments when this
research was presented in a seminar in ISEAS.
I wish to thank the Department of Political Science,
National University of Singapore for granting me study
leave during non-teaching periods to work on the
manuscript.
I would also like to place on record my thanks to the
staff of ISEAS, especially Mrs Y.L. Lee for all the help
that I received in the course of working on the project. I
am very thankful to Mrs Triena Ong and her colleagues
in the ISEAS Publications Unit for their helpful editorial
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x Preface
support. I should also take this opportunity to thank the
two anonymous reviewers for their comments on the
manuscript.
This is an appropriate occasion to thank my former
teacher Professor A.J.R. Groom, Emeritus Professor,
University of Kent, U.K. who first introduced regionalism to
me as a subject of scholarly enquiry. But for his exceptional
instruction and training I would have remained ignorant
about the great possibilities of regional endeavours. I am
enormously indebted to him for this. Of course, any gap
in my understanding of regionalism is entirely due to my
inadequacy.
The writing of this book was made exceedingly
pleasant by the help that I received from my research
associate T.C.A, Srinivasa-Raghavan, Consulting Editor,
Business Standard, New Delhi. The chapter on the
economic dimension of regionalism is written by him.
I thank him for his contribution and intellectual support
which I have always valued highly.
I would like to thank Aparna Shivpuri, Research
Associate, Institute of South Asian Studies, Singapore,
for her splendid research help and valuable inputs for the
section on social issues in South Asia.
A great many scholars, officials and informed observers
deserve my special thanks for generously sparing their
time to talk to me about various aspects of regionalism
in South Asia and Southeast Asia. In particular, I would
like to thank the current Secretary General of ASEAN,
Ong Keng Yong, former Secretary General Rodolfo C.
Severino, and former SAARC Secretary General Abul
Ahsan for sharing their views with me.
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