Draft:Founding fathers of ASEAN
Submission rejected on 25 June 2025 by JacobTheRox (talk). This topic is not sufficiently notable for inclusion in Wikipedia. Rejected by JacobTheRox 5 days ago. Last edited by FrescoBot 15 hours ago. | ![]() |
Comment: The fact these five people happen to be the founding fathers of ASEAN will not make them notable for their own article. Unless you can prove that as a group they have some notability beyond just being the five founding fathers, they will never meet notability guidelines. If you can prove a connection between them beyond them just happening to be the founders and explain it while citing reliable, independent sources, then be my guest to consider submitting it again. However, I doubt that will be the case. JacobTheRox(talk | contributions) 13:29, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

The founding figures of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are political leaders and diplomats who played pivotal roles in the creation and early development of the regional organization. While the exact composition of ASEAN's founding figures varies depending on the source, the five foreign ministers who signed the 1967 Bangkok Declaration are widely recognized as its principal architects. The five foreign ministers are Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso R. Ramos of the Philippines, Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand. These individuals are credited with laying the groundwork for ASEAN's principles of regional cooperation, non-interference, and mutual respect, which continue to guide the organization today.[1]
List
[edit]ASEAN listed the five foreign ministers as its founding fathers.[2] These are:
Picture | Name | Country | Description |
---|---|---|---|
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Adam Malik | ![]() |
As Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Malik was instrumental in reversing Indonesia’s Konfrontasi with Malaysia. Malik also contributed significantly to the drafting of the Bangkok Declaration, the tenets of musyawarah (consultation) and mufakat (which evolved to the ASEAN way),[3] and the naming of ASEAN.[4] |
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Narciso R. Ramos | ![]() |
A journalist and member of the Philippine resistance during World War II, Ramos was first to speak at ASEAN’s founding to stress the importance of regional cooperation, citing challenges to the countries of Southeast Asia during uncertain and critical times.[5] He embedded the idea that ASEAN should resolve or dampen internal disputes peacefully, a principle later codified in the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.[1] |
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Tun Abdul Razak | ![]() |
Serving concurrently as Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Tun Abdul Razak steered the association toward non-alignment, formalised that stance in ZOPFAN,[6] pressed for tighter internal machinery, and reframed ASEAN diplomacy to let Southeast Asians, not external patrons, decide the region’s future.[1] |
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S. Rajaratnam | ![]() |
First foreign minister of Singapore, Rajaratnam warned of the dangers of “balkanization”, and saw a regional unity as vital to complement individualistic nationalism.[7] He helped steer ASEAN to issue a unified condemnation and push for a UN Security Council meeting to draw international attention to Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia in 1978.[8] |
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Thanat Khoman | ![]() |
Thailand’s foreign minister, Khoman initiated the dialogue that led to ASEAN, first at a banquet that eased regional tensions. He drafted the charter and hosted “sports-shirt diplomacy” talks at Bang Saen, laying the groundwork for the Bangkok Declaration.[5] |
Others
[edit]Had Sri Lanka been accepted as a founding member of ASEAN, its Finance Minister U. B. Wanninayake and another minister, would have been recognized among the organization's founding figures. According to Thai Foreign Minister Thanat Khoman, the two ministers had awaited an invitation for Sri Lanka’s to join the conference in an adjacent room leading to the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.[9] Due to Malaysia’s abrupt proposal for Sri Lanka’s inclusion late in the conference,[10] the five founding ASEAN states reportedly delayed the declaration in the absence of a formal written request.[11] In the end, the urgency to finalize ASEAN’s establishment, combined with Singapore’s objection to Sri Lanka’s participation,[12] resulted in the organization’s creation proceeding without Sri Lanka’s involvement.[13][14]: 47
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Koga, Kei (24 February 2012). "The Process of ASEAN's Institutional Consolidation in 1968–1976: Theoretical Implications for Changes of Third-World Security-Oriented Institution" (PDF). RSIS Working Paper Series. S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ "The founding of ASEAN". ASEAN. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ "ASEAN's strategic diplomacy underpins regional stability - East Asia Forum". East Asia Forum Quarterly: Volume 9, Number 2 2017. 9 (2): 7–9. 2017-04-01.
- ^ Krishnamra, Nadhavathna (2024). Thailand and ASEAN 1967–1979: A Commitment to Regionalism or Complement to Alignment? (PDF). International Studies Center. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
- ^ a b Ramos, Fidel V. (October 2017). "From "Sports‑Shirt" Diplomacy to a Model Rules‑Based Organisation". In Intal, Ponciano Jr.; Chongkittavorn, Kavi; Maramis, Larry (eds.). ASEAN@50 Volume 1: The ASEAN Journey: Reflections of ASEAN Leaders and Officials (PDF). Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. pp. 13–27. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ Farrelly, Nicholas, ed. (2011), "ZOPFAN", Southeast Asian Regionalism: New Zealand Perspectives, Books and Monographs, ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, pp. 37–53, ISBN 978-981-4311-01-4, retrieved 2025-06-23
- ^ "S'pore's founding father S Rajaratnam helped establish ASEAN 50 years ago, here's what he said in 1967". mothership.sg. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
- ^ Chong Guan Kwa, Sinnathamby Rajaratnam, S Rajaratnam on Singapore: from ideas to reality. World Scientific, 2006, p.9. text online
- ^ "Asean's birth a pivotal point in history of Southeast Asia". The Nation. 6 August 2007. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013.
- ^ Nathan, S. R.; Auger, Timothy (2011). An Unexpected Journey: Path to the Presidency. Editions Didier Millet. ISBN 978-981-4260-73-2.
- ^ Suryanarayan, V. (2022-10-18). "The myth and reality of ASEAN unity". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ Jayawardhana, Walter (2007-08-07). "Singapore's Rajaratnam prevented Sri Lanka joining ASEAN". The Nation. Archived from the original on 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2024-05-13 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Chua, Daniel; Lim, Eddie (2017-11-01). ASEAN 50: Regional Security Cooperation through Selected Documents. World Scientific. doi:10.1142/9789813221147_0001. ISBN 978-981-322-113-0.
- ^ Severino, Rodolfo C. (2006). Southeast Asia in Search of an ASEAN Community. Books and Monographs. ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. ISBN 978-981-230-389-9.