ASEAN's community moving in circles

Regional organisation continues to stumble in its quest for further integration. 2015 was meant to be a deadline for ASEAN. By the end of the year the final phases of the three pillars of ASEANs nascent community (political-security, economic and socio-cultural) were to be completed, ushering in a new phase of regional cooperation. Right on schedule, on 22 November at the 27th ASEAN Summit, Heads of State and Government released the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Community seemingly celebrating the successful completion of ASEANs community building project.