By Prashanth Parameswaran
ASEAN must continue to remain a strong force for regional ties in the Asia-Pacific and avoid short-sighted attempts to undermine the bloc's unity or exploit divisions.
Questions are still being asked about ASEAN's unprecedented failure to issue a joint communiqué for the first time in its 45-year history at Phnom Penh earlier this month due to disagreements over the South China Sea. Regardless of what transpired at the meeting, it was an embarrassing moment for ASEAN and it raises questions about the ability of the organization to preserve its autonomy and centrality amidst great powers with the potential to dominate the region. If the grouping needs to do some "soul searching" over the next few months, as ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan put it, where should it start?
A logical start should be to try to make some progress on the South China Sea (SCS), since events at Phnom Penh illustrated that intra-ASEAN divisions on the issue can clearly tarnish the organization's image.
Read the full story at The Diplomat