"...While the egos of Asean members were bruised by the Asian economic crisis and the diplomatic assault by the West for their embracement of Burma, Asean leaders took consolation in that fact that the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) remained arguably the preeminent regional security organization in the world. But rather than risk antagonizing Indonesia and violating Asean?s principle of non-interference, the organization balked at any involvement in alleviating the East Timorese situation and participation in a UN-mandated intervention. This has turned Asean?s successful record in security maintenance into another victim of non-interference. However, new leadership in Indonesia promises to bring changes to Asean..."