Keeping the Peace in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the Quest for Positive Peace

Main author: Emmers, Ralf
Other authors: Caballero-Anthony, Mely
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-39721
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description Southeast Asia has gone through a remarkable transformation in recent decades and seen peaceful change since the end of the Cold War era despite great power interference and rivalry and ongoing territorial disputes including the South China Sea conflict. The region has transformed its image from the so-called Balkans of the East in the 1960s and 1970s to an economically competitive and peaceful region today. Despite these accomplishments, the record of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in maintaining regional peace and security has also been seriously challenged, particularly at the domestic and transnational level. The paper argues that the Southeast Asian experience of peaceful change calls for a different framework of analysis that goes beyond the traditional International Relations theories which do not provide a compelling answer to whether regional peace has prevailed. It reviews ASEAN’s approaches to managing peace and security in Southeast Asia and brings close attention to domestic and international dynamics. The paper claims that the Southeast Asian states’ approach to positive peace, reflected in the notion of comprehensive security and the building of national and regional resilience, is instructive in understanding peaceful transformations in the region.
format Journal Article
author Emmers, Ralf
author_facet Emmers, Ralf
Caballero-Anthony, Mely
authorStr Emmers, Ralf
author_letter Emmers, Ralf
author2 Caballero-Anthony, Mely
author2Str Caballero-Anthony, Mely
title Keeping the Peace in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the Quest for Positive Peace
publisher Taylor and Francis
publishDate 2022
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/39721/