麻豆社

The Association of South-East Asian Nations is deeply diverse. Each of the 10 countries is different in terms of development, political systems, economic structure, language and culture. Once an impoverished, war torn region caught up in bitter cold war conflicts, it is now a relatively peaceful zone of prosperity with half of its population under the age of 30.

But some parts of South-East Asia continue to be politically volatile with ongoing concerns about freedom of speech, corruption and poverty. Whilst the region develops and grows for some, a younger and more educated generation is questioning whether the ASEAN Way is a block to human rights, political representation and quality of governance.

Zeinab Badawi travels to Phnom Penh the capital of Cambodia, to bring together political and business leaders from ASEAN countries to discuss the future of the region. The high level panel will face questions from an audience of ordinary citizens in Cambodia and its neighbouring countries, about the political, social and economic challenges facing the region and whether the ASEAN way is open to change, civic reform and greater political representation.

Producer: Ben Carter