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영어

This paper tries to answer the question “What makes institution building different in South-east Asia?” In order to answer this question, this article examines ASEAN’s use of Lukes’ second dimensional power in the Asia-Pacific diplomatic sphere. In contrast to the neo-realist perception of the world in which power stems only from the military and economic abilities of a nation, an international institution’s capacity lies within its ability to manipulate aspects that cannot be easily accounted for; a role attributed to the second dimensional power. This argument lends support to ASEAN’s current role in the far east and Pacific by stating that whilst ASEAN is a minor power in traditional terms, it still attains an influence through ASEAN-centric multilateral institutionbuilding, ‘gaining chair status to set the agenda in ASEAN-centric multilateral institutions’, and ‘creating and adhering to international norms’. The paper further analyzes how this subtle power is used in diplomatic circles with the example of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration and recent news articles that show ASEAN dealing with issues such as the South China Sea, allowing for stronger cooperation within the Asia Pacific, and extending the flow of multilateralism.