Editing ASEAN (section)

==The ASEAN Way==
The "ASEAN Way" refers to a methodology or approach to solving issues that respect Southeast Asia's cultural norms. Masilamani and Peterson summarise it as:<ref name="Masilamani">{{cite journal|last1=Masilamani|first1=Logan|last2=Peterson|first2=Jimmy|title=The "ASEAN Way": The Structural Underpinnings of Constructive Engagement|journal=Foreign Policy Journal|date=15 October 2014|url=http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2014/10/15/the-asean-way-the-structural-underpinnings-of-constructive-engagement/|access-date=12 May 2015|archive-date=13 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513043858/http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2014/10/15/the-asean-way-the-structural-underpinnings-of-constructive-engagement/|url-status=live}}</ref><blockquote>A working process or style that is informal and personal. Policymakers constantly utilise compromise, consensus, and consultation in the informal decision-making process... it above all prioritises a consensus-based, non-conflictual way of addressing problems. Quiet diplomacy allows ASEAN leaders to communicate without bringing the discussions into the public view. Members avoid the embarrassment that may lead to further conflict. </blockquote>It has been said that the merits of the ASEAN Way might "be usefully applied to global conflict management". However, critics have argued that such an approach can be only applied to Asian countries, to specific cultural norms and understandings notably, due to a difference in mindset and level of tension.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Goh|first1=Gillian|url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/sjeaa/journal3/geasia1.pdf|title=The 'ASEAN Way'; Non-Intervention and ASEAN's Role in Conflict Management|journal=Stanford Journal of East Asian Affairs|pages=113–18|volume=3|issue=1|date=Spring 2003|access-date=2 March 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626113326/http://www.stanford.edu/group/sjeaa/journal3/geasia1.pdf|archive-date=26 June 2013}}</ref>{{RP|pp113-118}} Critics object, claiming that the ASEAN Way's emphasis on consultation, consensus, and non-interference forces the organization to adopt only those policies which satisfy the lowest common denominator. Decision-making by consensus requires members to see eye-to-eye before ASEAN can move forward on an issue. Members may not have a common conception of the meaning of the ASEAN Way. Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos emphasize non-interference while older member countries focus on co-operation and co-ordination. These differences hinder efforts to find common solutions to particular issues, but also make it difficult to determine when collective action is appropriate in a given situation.<ref name="Leviter">{{cite journal|last1=Leviter|first1=Lee|title=The ASEAN Charter: ASEAN Failure or Member Failure?|journal=New York University Journal of International Law and Politics|date=2010|volume=43|pages=159–210}}</ref>{{RP|161–163}}