Southeast Asia moved onto the world stage during the tragic United States war in Vietnam. As a local response to the threat of Communism and fear of its spread beyond Vietnam and China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established in 1967. Forty years later, ASEAN agreed upon a charter for the organization for the first time. Providing an overview of the dynamic Southeast Asian region and the 10 member nations that make up this organization, this new title highlights the association's successes, such as influencing the United Nations to not recognize the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia in 1978, and details its failures, like its limitations in influencing member nations regarding human rights issues. ""The Association of Southeast Asian Nations"" concludes with a look at the future of the organization and its effects on a part of the world that is experiencing an economic and cultural renaissance.

Series edited by: Peggy Kahn