Jones, Lee (2012). ASEAN, Sovereignty and Intervention in Southeast Asia.


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Rezensionen / Book Reviews

Jones, Lee (2012). 
ASEAN, Sovereignty and Intervention in Southeast Asia.
Houndmills, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN: 9780230319264. i-xvi + 262 pages.

 Citation  Amer, R. (2013). Book Review: Jones, L. (2012). ASEAN, sovereignty and intervention in Southeast Asia. ASEAS 
- Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 6(1), 232-234.

The book by Lee Jones dealing with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 

(ASEAN) is a welcomed contribution to the growing literature on ASEAN and on va-

rious dimensions of regional collaboration in the Southeast Asian region. The focus of 

the book on issues such as sovereignty and intervention is very relevant in the con-

text of ASEAN and the region of Southeast Asia. Given the emphasis ASEAN puts on 

non-interference and on respect for sovereignty within the framework for regional 

collaboration that the Association promotes in Southeast and also increasingly in the 

broader Pacific Asia, the book addresses a highly relevant area of research from both 

scholarly and policy perspectives.

The structure of the book is as follows: The Introduction outlines the purpose 

and structure of the book (pp. 1-9); Chapter 1 is primarily devoted to theorizing the 

concepts of sovereignty and intervention (pp. 10-35). Part I is devoted to the Cold War 

era and is divided into three chapters: Chapter 2 deals with the social foundations 

of ASEAN and non-interference (pp. 39-57); Chapter 3 is devoted to ASEAN and East 

Timor (pp. 58-74); Chapter 4 is focused on ASEAN and the Cambodian conflict (pp. 75-

91). Part II of the book is devoted to the Post-Cold War Period and is divided into four 

chapters: Chapter 5 deals with ASEAN after the Cold War with a focus on the crisis of 

the late 1990s (pp. 95-127); Chapter 6 looks at ASEAN and Cambodia in the Post-Cold 

War setting (pp. 128-149); Chapter 7 is devoted to ASEAN’s response to the East Timor 

situation of the late 1990s (pp. 150-179); Chapter 8 deals with ASEAN policies towards 

Burma (pp. 180-210). In the Conclusion the main findings are summarized followed by 

a final analysis (pp. 211-228). This is followed by the notes (pp. 229-233) and references 

(pp. 234-252). 

Jones outlines ASEAN’s position on sovereignty and intervention including the 

primacy of the principle of non-interference and the importance of this principle 



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within the ASEAN framework for regional collaboration in Southeast Asia. Through 

empirical case studies taken from the region he then examines how these principles 

are applied in practice. Jones’ empirical case studies display that the principle of 

non-interference is applied in a more flexible way than one would anticipate given 

the strong emphasis placed on the respect for sovereignty and non-interference in 

the internal affairs of the member states within the ASEAN framework. Since the 

situation during the Cold War period and the two cases of East Timor and Cambodia 

are addressed first, it can be observed that the first case was viewed as an internal 

Indonesian issue by ASEAN, while in the second case, besides the fact that Cambodia 

was not a member of ASEAN, the Association would argue that its policies were in 

response to Vietnam’s military intervention in Cambodia. Thus, these two Cold War 

cases do not offer any strong evidence to inquire into the practical implementation 

of ASEAN’s principles. The cases of East Timor and Cambodia, respectively, from the 

Post-Cold War Era are more convincing, and in particular the case of Cambodia. 

ASEAN even delayed admitting Cambodia as a member in 1997 on the grounds of the 

domestic developments in that country. This was a clear display of interference in 

the internal affairs of Cambodia. The case of Burma also offers a convincing example 

of the flexible implementation of ASEAN’s principle of non-interference given that 

the internal developments in Burma have been scrutinized by ASEAN and by some of 

its member states.

Jones’ findings highlight that ASEAN seems to experience a discrepancy between 

the stated principles of the Association as agreed upon by its member states and the 

policies conducted by its member states in practice both through their foreign poli-

cies and through ASEAN. This is not a unique situation as this phenomenon can be 

observed even more evidently in the context of the United Nations and its Charter 

and the policies conducted by its member states. 

If a weakness can be found in the book, it relates to the fact that Jones disregards 

the legal foundations of the principle of non-interference. The focus of the book is on 

the international relations dimension. The linkage between the ASEAN principles and 

the Charter of the United Nations should also have been made more explicit in the 

book. This would have revealed to the reader how the fundamental principles of the 

ASEAN framework adhere to international law and to the provisions of the Charter 

of the United Nations. 

Ramses Amer  - Book Review: ASEAN, Sovereignty and Intervention in Southeast Asia



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To summarize, the book is an interesting contribution to the study of ASEAN and 

of regional collaboration in Southeast Asia, in particular on core issues such as sov-

ereignty, intervention, and non-interference. Through its approach and originality, it 

complements existing literature in the field by offering new insights. The book can be 

recommended to both the scholarly community and policy makers. It is of consider-

able relevance to those interested in the Southeast Asian region as well as to those 

interested in regionalism and regional collaboration more broadly, given that issues 

such as sovereignty and intervention are of relevance in other regions as well. In fact, 

they are of global relevance.

Ramses Amer 

 Institute for Security & Development Policy, Sweden