Military improvement in ASEAN

By

Phonarnun Tatiyamaneekul

Phon G.11-06

The military improvement in ASEAN

Military improvement in ASEAN Phonarnun Tatiymaneekul (Phon)G11-06

Introduction

ASEAN is the big cooperation in South East Asian. This cooperation is not just about

economic but it is still about military too. ASEAN has 10 countries which all of them is in

South East Asia. ASEAN always improve military by individual or cooperation in ASEAN.

That means many countries in ASEAN has the strong military. Cooperation with a military in

ASEAN means they become ally which makes member states becomes stronger than before.

Ally will share technology with member states and there is joint military with other countries.

There are many allies in the world but almost of them didn't have territory connected together

which it will affect the relationship between member states ASEAN is the ally which has

territory connected together It means ASEAN will combine military to defense from invasion

in South East Asia. In World War II, There are allies and axis who fight each other but

countries that are in allies and axis have territory close to each other. It means it is very easy

to get attack by the enemy. It is the one reason that ASEAN will be the best ally in the Asia.

Almost cooperation in the world is just about economics but ASEAN also has economic and

joint military together. It shows that ASEAN will improve military and economic of member

states.

ASEAN military ranking in the world.

Cooperation of ASEAN can improve the military strength. This means they can

defend their countries from other countries when they got to declare war. ASEAN has the

cooperation of military named ADMM [ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting]. The website

of military named globalfirepower shows the ranked of the military in worldwide. The ranked

of ASEAN have been on top 50 of the world that based on military strength. The ranked can

show the strong military of each country. It also shows the number of military equipment that

they have. It means the danger of a country based on the ranked of the military that can fight
Military improvement in ASEAN Phonarnun Tatiymaneekul (Phon)G11-06

to other countries. Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar are the member state of

ASEAN that have a strong military. ASEAN can have strong military allies like Nato. The

book named Fitzroy Dearborn Book of World Ranking is the book about the ranking of every

ranking information in the world. It has information about arms import and more about the

military. Arms import means the weapon or military gadget that they import to their

countries. Arm import can describe strong military. The ranked shows that Thailand paid

$430 million to buy a weapon for increasing strength which is on rank 17 and Myanmar paid

$370 million which is on rank 19 (Kurian, 2013). There are another 2 countries that are of the

high rank. It is Vietnam and Singapore. It shows that 4 of these countries paid more than

billion dollars for arms import. According to Countries Ranked by Military Strength (2016),

Indonesia is at rank 14 because Indonesia paid a lot of million dollars for arms imports. The

member states of ASEAN almost paid a lot of budget for military which will mean ASEAN

almost have strong military similar to Indonesia soon. Shared technology can benefit to a

member state of ASEAN because ASEAN always improves their military strength. the

cooperation of ASEAN can improve the military strength of member state in ASEAN like

joint force, shared technology because many countries in ASEAN have a strong military.

The cooperation for the defense in ASEAN

Cooperation of deterrence in ASEAN. ASEAN will have cooperation about military

which will defense the ASEAN from other countries. This report comes from ASIAN

DEFENCE MINISTER MEETING. This report shows that ASEAN will combine the military

together which will make deterrence in Southeast Asia. In Bandar Seri Begawan, 29 August

2013. The defense minister of all countries in ASEAN has joined together to talks about the

defense of ASEAN. It shows about that ASEAN has cooperation that they use to protect their

civilians and territory. They make defense cooperation which will not affect the relationship
Military improvement in ASEAN Phonarnun Tatiymaneekul (Phon)G11-06

between ASEAN and other countries. They will improve the defense by the development of

shared understanding on defense and security challenges. ASEAN will work together to

fighting that ASEAN will have combined military and shared technology (Bandar Seri

Begawan Joint Declaration, 2013). The military in ASEAN is the strong military which will

make other countries afraid to fight with all member states in ASEAN. It shows that ASEAN

tries to make strong defense which needs understanding between Member states. Shared

technology will give benefit to ASEAN directly. These will relate to being strong ally which

will make deterrence for ASEAN. The website named International Policy Digest shows the

event that happens in the past. According to Mr. Wivell (2015), It was about China continues

its encroachment on the South China Sea. This event can relate to the cooperation that

ASEAN uses to stop China. ASEAN had cooperation for defense in the past like this event.

China is top 3 that has strongest military strength in the world for a whole time. China tries to

take territory without law or use force to take it. The cooperation in ASEAN happened

because the South China Sea was connected to Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam,

Cambodia and Singapore. It shows that ASEAN has cooperation for defense from China. It

means ASEAN has shared technology and use arms from every member states. In each year,

Each member states in ASEAN pay a lot of money for arms import. It means it will improve

the defense of ASEAN. In this event show that will have the chance to have cooperation

about military more than before because member states in ASEAN will fight for everything

that affects their territory or something that will harm ASEAN. It will increase the deterrence

when other countries try to attack or make dangerous to ASEAN. Cooperation in ASEAN

will make strong ally which means the combined in a military. Deterrence comes from the

strong military which makes other countries afraid to fight with them. ASEAN will be

combined together then it will have deterrence.

Military improvement in ASEAN Phonarnun Tatiymaneekul (Phon)G11-06

New allies of ASEAN

Cooperation in ASEAN makes other countries want to have a joint military with

members states of ASEAN together. The reason that happens because ASEAN become an

ally after they have cooperation in SouthEast Asia. Other countries try to make joint military

with member states of ASEAN. It will make a relationship with ASEAN countries and it still

gives benefits to both of them. The Japan news named The Japan Time talks about Japan's

defense diplomacy with ASEAN member states. This shows that Japan will have a joint

military with ASEAN because ASEAN is the big ally in SouthEast Asia. It's good for Japan to

have a relationship with them and have cooperation too. Japan aims to make cooperation with

ASEAN because it will give benefits to Japan when Japan has a problem. Many countries try

to make cooperation with countries that has ally because those allies will support him when

there is war. Japan give vessels to Vietnam and Philippines (Satake, 2016). Thailand and

Myanmar have security partnership with Japan too. The benefits of having an ally that always

supports you. That's a reason why Japan try to have cooperation with ASEAN. The joint

military is the one of the cooperation between ASEAN and Japan. It is not only Japan who

want to have cooperation with ASEAN member states. India wants to have cooperation too

because ASEAN is the cooperation of 10 countries which has a strong military. This attracts

other countries to have cooperation with ASEAN more than have cooperation individual with

a single country. In the other case, The web site US government talks about a relationship

between Thailand and U.S.A. It shows that The ASEAN has a relationship with a country that

has the strong military. Thailand is the member states of ASEAN which mean U.S.A will

have a joint military with other countries in ASEAN too. According to U.S. relations With

Thailand (2017), Thailand and U.S.A has average 40 joint exercise each year. Joint military

with Thailand is the first step to having cooperation with ASEAN. U.S. will have a joint

exercise with member states of ASEAN like Thailand and U.S had. The joint military will
Military improvement in ASEAN Phonarnun Tatiymaneekul (Phon)G11-06

make strong relationship which will give benefits about economic, military and ally to both

of them. After ASEAN become the big ally in SouthEast Asia, U.S has a more joint military

with Thailand. U.S.A tries to have a joint military with other countries too. Some countries

like Indonesia already have a joint military with U.S.A. U.S.A is the strongest country which

shows that ASEAN is strong because other countries don't want to have cooperation with a

country that always needs to have support from them. Cooperation in ASEAN makes other

countries want to have the joint military with member states of ASEAN because it will make

strong relationship with countries in ASEAN.

Conclusion

The cooperation of ASEAN will improve the military strength of the member states.

ASEAN will combine military then I will make stronger military than before then ASEAN

will have the high ranking about the military in the world. The specific website about military

strength shows that almost of member states in ASEAN has a strong military. Each country in

ASEAN always improves their militaries by arms import. ASEAN focused on defense and

support member states, the cooperation will help ASEAN to deal with the problem. The

report from ADMM talks about the cooperation that will help ASEAN to defense and deal

with the problem that member states have. Foreign countries have more joint militaries with

member states of ASEAN because ASEAN is the big ally in Southeast Asia. News Article

from Japan shows about Japan will have join military with member states of ASEAN and US

still have the joint military with Thailand every year. Member states of ASEAN have strong

military and cooperation between them and other countries which will make ASEAN become

the strong ally in Asia. ASEAN can be the great example for many countries which is

developing because it will increase.

Military improvement in ASEAN Phonarnun Tatiymaneekul (Phon)G11-06

Reference

Countries Ranked by Military Strength (2016). Retrieved January 30, 2017 from

http://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-listing.asp

Kurian, G. T. (2013). Fitzroy Dearborn Book of World Rankings.

New York City: Routledge.

Bandar Seri Begawan Joint Declaration on the second ASEAN defense ministers' meeting

plus (2015). Retrieved February 9, 2017 from

https://admm.asean.org/dmdocuments/1.%20BANDAR%20SERI%20BEGAWAN

%20JOINT%20DECLARATION%20ON%20THE%20SECOND%20ASEAN

%20%20DEFENCE%20MINISTERS'%20MEETING%20PLUS

%20(SCANNED)1.pdf

Wivell, B. (2015). The Case for ASEAN Military Integration. Retrieved February 9, 2017

from https://intpolicydigest.org/2015/10/17/the-case-for-asean-military-integration/

Satake, T. (2016). Japans defense diplomacy with ASEAN member-states. Retrieved February

15, 2017 from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/08/30/commentary/japan-

commentary/japans-defense-diplomacy-asean-member-states/

U.S. Relations With Thailand (2017). Retrieved February 15, 2017from

https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2814.htm