Status And Security In Southeast Asian State Systems

Southeast Asia serves as an excellent case study to discuss major transformations in the relationship between states. This book looks at the changing nature of relationships between countries in Southeast Asia, as well as their relationships with other states in Asia and beyond. A diverse region in many areas, open to outside influence in many fields, but not without dynamics of its own, Southeast Asia has been through centuries the site of states with very differing levels of power and in a variety of forms. It has also been exposed to powerful neighbours, seawards empires and contending world powers. Adopting a historical approach, the book analyses state relations against the background of regional and geopolitical developments from within and without. It discusses how Southeast Asian states of the 21st century can best preserve their security in the context of the rise of China, and goes on to look at the extent to which they can preserve their autonomy of action. Offering a long-term perspective on these issues, this inter-disciplinary study is of interest to scholars and students of Southeast Asian history and politics, world history and international relations.

Southeast Asia serves as an excellent case study to discuss major transformations in the relationship between states. This book looks at the changing nature of relationships between countries in Southeast Asia, as well as their relationships with other states in Asia and beyond. A diverse region in many areas, open to outside influence in many fields, but not without dynamics of its own, Southeast Asia has been through centuries the site of states with very differing levels of power and in a variety of forms. It has also been exposed to powerful neighbours, seawards empires and contending world powers. Adopting a historical approach, the book analyses state relations against the background of regional and geopolitical developments from within and without. It discusses how Southeast Asian states of the 21st century can best preserve their security in the context of the rise of China, and goes on to look at the extent to which they can preserve their autonomy of action. Offering a long-term perspective on these issues, this inter-disciplinary study is of interest to scholars and students of Southeast Asian history and politics, world history and international relations.

This book analyses the notion of neutrality to the politics of the state in Southeast Asia. Distinguishing among neutrality, neutralism and neutralisation, it asks what relation do the concepts bear to the independence of states, and how do they relate to other forms of inter-state relations and to participation in international organizations. The author considers concepts of neutrality and the policy of non-alignment as they were developed in South and Southeast Asia. Using case studies of a variety of Asian countries, including India, Burma, Cambodia and other countries in Southeast Asia, he discusses the novel notion of a regional form of neutralisation as a means of decolonising the region and examines the relevance neutralism has in current international politics and what might it have in the future. This new work by one of the most foremost historians on Southeast Asia is of interest to scholars in the field of Asian History, Politics, International Relations and Strategic Studies.

There is a growing interest in human security in Southeast Asia. This book firstly explores the theoretical and conceptual basis of human security, before focusing on the region itself. It shows how human security has been taken up as a central part of security policy in individual states in Southeast Asia, as well as in the regional security policy within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The book discusses domestic challenges for human security including the insurgencies in southern Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. Transnational security issues such as terrorism, drugs, human trafficking and the situation in Burma are explored by the author, and the ‘ASEAN’ way of contrasting the values and approaches of Southeast Asian countries with those in the West is assessed. By focusing on the ongoing changes and efforts to achieve human security in Southeast Asia, this book contributes to theoretical debates on human security as well as regional studies on Southeast Asia.

Alverdian explores how a distinct national character of maritime governance has influenced the nature of Indonesia's aspiration to go beyond archipelagic towards a maritime nation, through focusing on the intersection between the nation's political culture, historical changes and geopolitical contexts, which gave rise to the primacy of the theme of unity in the nation's discourse. The main theme of this research is the three-pillar framework of the Tanah-Air concept, which includes the political culture of persatuan nasional (national unity), the strategic culture of cakra manggilingan (turning of the times from dark to golden periods), and the geopolitical context of posisi silang dunia (world crossroad position). The findings of this publication indicate the dominant influence of Javanese political culture, philosophy, values, and traditions on the distinct character of Indonesia’s maritime orientation. Specifically, Javanese political philosophy and traditions within each pillar of Tanah-Air have influenced continuity rather than change in the evolution of Indonesia’s maritime policy. This book helps readers understand how the defining theme of unity in national political culture has shaped the evolution of Indonesia’s maritime policy from 1945 to 2019. It illustrates how the continuous influence of the theme of national unity as devised by the political elites through history has addressed the realities of the archipelago’s geography, and it is significant from both an academic and practical policy perspective. A book designed for academics and the general public interested in gaining greater insight and knowledge on Indonesia’s maritime policy and maritime nation aspirations.

The Routledge Handbook of Asian Security Studies provides a detailed exploration of security dynamics in the three distinct subregions that comprise Asia, and also bridges the study of these regions by exploring the geopolitical links between each of them. The Handbook is divided into four geographical parts: Part I: Northeast Asia Part II: South Asia Part III: Southeast Asia Part IV: Cross-regional Issues This fully revised and updated second edition addresses the significant developments which have taken place in Asia since the first edition appeared in 2009. It examines these developments at both regional and national levels, including the conflict surrounding the South China Sea, the long-standing Sino-Indian border dispute, and Pakistan’s investment in tactical nuclear weapons, amongst many others. This book will be of great interest to students of Asian politics, security studies, war and conflict studies, foreign policy and international relations generally.

The book examines ASEAN's mechanisms in managing challenges and threats to regional security. Its extensive analyses of the ASEAN story of managing regional security cover the different phases of ASEAN's development as a regional organization and explore the perceptible changes that have occurred in regional mechanisms of conflict management. The book also examines the roles of relevant actors beyond the states of ASEAN and the key interactions that have evolved over time, which have been instrumental in moving regional mechanisms beyond the ASEAN way. The book argues that the ASEAN way has not been impervious to change. As the association finds its way through periods of crises and continues to confront the many challenges ahead, ASEAN and its mechanisms are already being transformed beyond the narrow confines of the modalities associated with the ASEAN way. The changes in the political and security landscape of the region, as well as the democratic transitions taking place in some member states, have set the stage for a much more dynamic set of regional actors and processes that bring into question the kind of regionalism that is now taking place in the region. the way regionalism is changing in Southeast Asia.