Southeast Asian Games SEAP Games was conceptualised by Luang Sukhum Nayaoradit, then Vice-President of the Thailand Olympic Committee. The proposed rationale was that a regional sports event will help promote co-operation, understanding and relations among countries in the Southeast Asian region. Six countries, Burma (now Myanmar), Kampuchea (now Cambodia), Laos, Malaya (now Malaysia), Thailand and Vietnam were the founding members. These countries agreed to hold the Games biennially in June 1959 and SEAP Games Federation Committee was formed thereafter. The first SEAP Games were held in Bangkok from 12–17 December 1959 comprising more than 527 athletes and officials from Thailand, Burma, Malaya (now
Emblem of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN; the addition of four more rice stalks to represent the whole ten ASEAN nations. The three remaining nations; Laos, Burma, and Cambodia were scheduled to join ASEAN in July 1997, to commemorate this auspicious event, the new emblem of ASEAN was unveiled. Laos and Burma (Myanmar) joined on 23 July 1997, however the admission of Cambodia was postponed to 30 April 1999 due to their internal politic problems. Despite the Cambodian postponed membership, the ASEAN new emblem still consisted of ten rice stalks unveiled in July 1997. Emblem of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations The Emblem of the