The first type of challenge is internal domestic crises such as the case of Myanmar.  Despite serious efforts from ASEAN, including the unprecedented steps to limit Myanmar’s participation at ASEAN Summit and ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, ASEAN has so far failed to bring the conflicting parties in Myanmar to negotiate peaceful resolution to the armed conflict. 

One important factor that inhibited ASEAN from a more active and forceful mediation efforts is its principle of non-intervention. Myanmar’s crisis is internal and domestic in nature and ASEAN is not designed to address internal domestic crises of its members. Instead, ASEAN’s instruments and mechanisms are primarily developed to promote and manage peaceful inter-states relationships among its members. 

For ASEAN to effectively mediate and contribute meaningfully to address crises such as in Myanmar, ASEAN first needs to consider a more fundamental question. Namely, whether ASEAN can agree on a set of common ideals as the foundation for its political-security community building. 

Strictly speaking, the principles of consensus, non-interference, non-aggression, non-use of force and peaceful settlement of disputes are not common ideals, instead they are codes of conduct on how ASEAN Member States should behave towards one another.  

Some principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter that reflect common ideals are among others the principles of democracy, fundamental freedoms, human rights and social justice, as well as a market-driven economy. 

To address internal domestic crises, ASEAN can over-ride its “code of conduct” of non-interference only if there is a breach of a more fundamental principle of ASEAN, namely the common ideals that serve as the foundation for ASEAN cooperation and community building.