Preface

Summary

Since its inception in 1992, the annual Regional Outlook series has offered readers concise and insightful analysis of political and economic trends in Southeast Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific region. Over the course of those sixteen years, Regional Outlook has tracked existing political and economic trends, identified new ones and assessed their implications for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its member states. Written in an accessible and easily understood scholarly style, this publication is ideally suited for a modern audience of busy executives, professionals, diplomats, journalists and interested observers. The success of Regional Outlook is reflected in the loyal readership successfully built up over the years in Southeast Asia and beyond.

The year 2008 was a landmark year for ASEAN and its commitment to create an ASEAN Community by 2015. Most significantly, the ASEAN Charter was set to come into force in December after Thailand delivered the tenth and final instrument of ratification in November. The Charter will have far-ranging political, economic and social implications in that ASEAN will increasingly become a rules-based organization with its own legal identity. ASEAN's dynamic new Secretary-General, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, has already made good progress in turning the Association's aspirations into reality. In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated large parts of Myanmar, Dr Pitsuwan's unstinting efforts ensured humanitarian relief began reaching cyclone victims, underscoring how ASEAN can be an effective tool in times of crisis. On the domestic front, however, several ASEAN countries had to contend with political instability in 2008, especially Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. Political violence continued in southern Thailand, albeit on a reduced scale, while the failure of an agreement between the Arroyo government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was a major blow to peace-building efforts in the Philippines. Unfortunately political instability will continue to challenge several ASEAN members in 2009–2010.