ASEAN was preceded by the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), formed in 1961 by the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand. ASEAN itself was established on 8 August 1967, when the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand signed the ASEAN Declaration, also known as the Bangkok Declaration. Its formation was driven by a shared concern over communism and a strong desire for economic development. ASEAN expanded when Brunei Darussalam joined as its sixth member on 7 January 1984, just days after gaining independence.
