The Manila Accord: A History

1. Introduction:

This essay discusses the events that led to the signing of the Manila Accord in 1963. The Manila Accord was a historic agreement between the leaders of the Malaysia, the Indonesia, and the Philippines. The agreement was signed in the wake of the Konfrontasi, or confrontation, between the two countries. The confrontation had its origins in the dispute over the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. The Indonesian government believed that the federation would be used as a tool by the British to maintain their control over the region. The Philippine government, on the other hand, saw the federation as a way to protect their interests in the region.

2. The Macapagal Plan:

In 1961, Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal proposed a plan for a confederation of nations in Southeast Asia. The plan, known as the “Macapagal Plan”, called for the creation of a “Association of Southeast Asian Nations” (ASEAN). The ASEAN would be composed of the Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Burma. The goals of the ASEAN would be to promote social, economic, and cultural development in the region.

The Macapagal Plan was met with skepticism by both the Indonesian and Philippine governments. The Indonesian government saw it as an attempt by the Philippines to “divide and rule” Southeast Asia. The Philippine government was concerned that Indonesia would use the ASEAN to further their own interests in the region. As a result, negotiations between the two countries broke down and tensions began to mount.

3. The Macapagal Treaty:

In 1963, President Macapagal decided to take another approach to resolving the differences between Indonesia and Philippines. He proposed a treaty that would create a “Confederation of Southeast Asian Nations” (CSEAN). The CSEAN would be composed of Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Burma.

The goals of the CSEAN would be to promote social, economic, and cultural development in the region. The CSEAN would also have a collective security system that would allow member states to defend each other from external aggression.

The treaty was signed by President Macapagal and Indonesian President Sukarno on September 8th, 1963. However, it was never ratified by either country’s legislature.

4. The Federation of Malaysia:

In 1963, Great Britain proposed the formation of a “Federation of Malaysia”. The federation would be composed of Malaysia (which included Singapore), Brunei, North Borneo (now Sabah), and Sarawak.

The Indonesian government saw this as an attempt by Great Britain to maintain their control over Southeast Asia. In response, President Sukarno began a policy of Konfrontasi (confrontation) against Malaysia. Konfrontasi involved Indonesian-sponsored guerrilla attacks against Malaysian targets.

5. The Republic of Indonesia:

In 1945, Indonesia declared its independence from Dutch colonial rule. However, Indonesia’s independence was not recognized by Great Britain or Holland until 1949. In 1950-1958 Sukarno was president who tried to unite all Indonesian people under his leadership with his political philosophy known as Pancasila. It was only in 1959 when Indonesia became a republic with Sukarno as its first president. Since then, Pancasila has been the state ideology of Indonesia.

The Indonesian government saw the formation of the Federation of Malaysia as a threat to their interests in the region. In response, President Sukarno began a policy of Konfrontasi (confrontation) against Malaysia. Konfrontasi involved Indonesian-sponsored guerrilla attacks against Malaysian targets.

6. The Republic of the Philippines:

In 1946, the Philippines gained its independence from the United States. The Philippines is a unitary presidential constitutional republic with an elected president and vice president. The current president is Rodrigo Duterte who has been in office since 2016.

The Philippine government saw the formation of the Federation of Malaysia as a way to protect their interests in the region. The Philippines was worried that Indonesia would use the ASEAN to further their own interests in the region. As a result, negotiations between the two countries broke down and tensions began to mount.

7. The Confederation of the Nations:

In 1963, President Macapagal proposed a treaty that would create a “Confederation of Southeast Asian Nations” (CSEAN). The CSEAN would be composed of Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Burma.
The goals of the CSEAN would be to promote social, economic, and cultural development in the region. The CSEAN would also have a collective security system that would allow member states to defend each other from external aggression.
The treaty was signed by President Macapagal and Indonesian President Sukarno on September 8th, 1963. However, it was never ratified by either country’s legislature. As a result, the CSEAN never came into existence.

8. Conclusion:

The Manila Accord was a historic agreement between the leaders of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The agreement was signed in the wake of the Konfrontasi, or confrontation, between the two countries. The confrontation had its origins in the dispute over the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. The Indonesian government believed that the federation would be used as a tool by the British to maintain their control over the region. The Philippine government, on the other hand, saw the federation as a way to protect their interests in the region.

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