ASEANS ARMS PROCUREMENTS - CHALLENGE OF THE SECURITY DILEMMA IN THE POST-COLD-WAR ERA

The ASEAN nations confront the classic security dilemma of seeking to ensure their individual national securities (largely through arms purchases), yet creating a regional environment of decreased relative security for each party. Perceptions of a diminished U.S. military role in Asia, coupled with rising fears of Asian regional powers (Japan, China, India, Vietnam), led ASEAN countries to invest heavily in modernization of their armed forces. This spiraling effect could conceivably generate a regional arms race, or, conversely, through regional cooperation, could lead to the development of a fairly impressive collective defense capability. However, the ASEAN states have rejected military alliance. Nevertheless, proposals have been made for ASEAN maritime cooperation. In this manner, ASEAN would be able to act collectively as a ''military power, even though it would be devoid of a formal regional military structure.