Abstract

ASEAN has become an important regional organization not only for Southeast Asia but also for countries beyond the region. With the visions adopted in 2003 and 2008, the Organization has moved towards the goal of creating a more integrated union in the security, economic and social fields. Especially with the 2008 Charter, it was envisaged that the new ASEAN vision would develop around a common identity that would include a perspective based on democracy, good governance, the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms. However, internal instabilities, ethnic conflicts and coups d'états in member states have been a serious obstacle to the realization of this vision. In 2021 when the military coup in Myanmar attracted the attention of the world, it also brought about debates on whether it was a new test for ASEAN. This article examines the democracy records of ASEAN members, scrutinizes the member states' and ASEAN's institutional positions towards the Myanmar coup, and analyzes the extent to which ASEAN has or has not followed a policy consistent with the principles set out in the 2008 Charter in a concrete crisis.