ON AUGUST 8, 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN was established in Bangkok, Thailand with the principal aim of strengthening economic and cultural development and maintaining peace in the region.
The original five members of the ASEAN were Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on January 8, 1984; Vietnam on July 28, 1995; Lao PDR and Myanmar on July 23, 1997; and Cambodia on April 30, 1999, making up what is today the 10-member ASEAN.
