Explainer | What is Asean and why was it formed?

  • Created in 1967 to contain communism in the region, Asean’s focus is on economic integration and maintaining stability

Asean foreign ministers earlier this year. Photo: EPA
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has 10 member states comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Members cooperate and collaborate to advance the interests of the region, which include economic growth, boosting trade, protecting the environment and ensuring peace and stability.
A Rohingya refugee girl next to newly arrived refugees who fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar. Photo: AFP
A Rohingya refugee girl next to newly arrived refugees who fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar. Photo: AFP
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