international organization collective defense southeast_asia created signed september manila philippines formal institution established february meeting treaty partners thailand organization headquarters members joined organization primarily created block communist gains southeast_asia generally considered failure internal conflict dispute hindered general use military funded cultural educational programs left long standing effects southeast_asia dissolved june members lost interest withdrew united_states considers mutual defense aspects treaty active australia france new_zealand philippines thailand united_kingdom origins structure signed september manila creating anti communist collective defense treaties treaties agreements intended create alliances contain communist powers communist china case policy considered largely developed american diplomat soviet expert president secretary state john foster considered primary force creation expanded concept anti communist collective defense southeast_asia vice president richard_nixon advocated asian equivalent nato returning trip organization headquartered created meeting set treaty contrary preference organization intended southeast asian version nato military forces member coordinated provide collective defense members country headed secretary general office created meeting canberra council representatives member nations international staff present committees economics security information secretary general thai diplomat politician served thailand ambassador prime minister thailand september january unlike nato alliance joint commands standing forces addition response protocol event communism presenting common danger member nations vague ineffective membership alliance provide rationale large scale military intervention region vietnam war membership despite included countries located outside region interest region organization australia france new_zealand pakistan including bangladesh philippines thailand united_kingdom united_states philippines thailand southeast asian countries actually participated organization shared close ties united_states particularly philippines faced communist governments thailand member discovery newly founded thai autonomous region china apparently feeling threatened potential chinese communist land regional countries like burma indonesia far minded domestic internal stability concern communist threat rejected joining malaya including singapore chose participate formally kept updated key developments close relationship united_kingdom rest southeast asian countries vietnam prevented taking international military alliance result geneva agreements signed july year concluding end war lingering threat coming communist possibility theory turning communist frontier got countries protection act considered main involvement vietnam war rejected protection majority members located southeast_asia australia new_zealand seen satisfying organization collective defense organization great_britain france joined partly having long maintained colonies region partly concerns developments pakistan simply interested joining appeal potential support long struggle india southeast_asia pivotal frontier cold war saw establishment essential cold war policy membership reflected mid-1950s combination anti communist western nations nations southeast_asia united_kingdom france united_states joined ratified treaty vote represented strongest western powers canada considered joining decided order concentrate nato responsibilities general general military aspects creation quickly insignificant militarily member nations contributed little alliance military forces held joint military training employed internal disagreements unable intervene conflicts france britain rejected use military action result provided support sought involvement vietnam war denied lack british french cooperation united_states australia cited alliance justification involvement vietnam american membership provided united_states rationale large scale military intervention southeast_asia countries great_britain key nations asia accepted rationale commitment royal_australian_air_force deployed squadron thailand began play role vietnam war air defence responsibilities expanded include protection aircraft base strikes cultural effects addition joint military training member states worked improving mutual social economic issues activities overseen proved greatest successes secretary general created currently thailand train engineers sponsored creation offered technical programs created training facilities especially thailand ninety training workshops established provided research funding grants agriculture medical fields set later establishing second bangladesh laboratory soon world leading cholera research facility later renamed bangladesh interested literature literature award created given writers member states criticism dissolution secretary considered essential element american foreign policy asia historians considered manila pact failure pact rarely mentioned history books geneva conference sir diplomat naval described leaf american policy citing manila pact zoo paper tigers consequently questions organization arose pakistan withdrew bangladesh 26th march france withdrew financial support council agreed organization final exercise february organization formally dissolved june
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization