ASEAN was preceded by an organization formed in 1961 called the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), a group consisting of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand. ASEAN itself was created on 8 August 1967, when the foreign ministers of five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, signed the ASEAN Declaration, more commonly known as the Bangkok Declaration. The creation of ASEAN was motivated by a common fear of communism, and a thirst for economic development.ASEAN grew when Brunei Darussalam became its sixth member on 7 January 1984, barely a week after gaining independence.