What is the range of issues/problems facing Southeast Asian nations - Essay Example

?  What is the range of issues/problems facing Southeast Asian nations? Term Paper   school What is the range of issues/problems facing Southeast Asian nations? Introduction The Southeast Asia is a region known for various issues and problems – economic, social, environmental, political, and security problems. It is a region which has experienced civil and political unrests, abject poverty, terrorist attacks, health issues, and natural disasters. These issues have created a highly economically diverse group of countries, from the poor countries of the Philippines and Cambodia, to the richer and major economy of Singapore. This paper shall discuss the range or issues and problems facing Southeast Asian nations. It shall discuss the argument that the various issues which the region is facing is also contributing significantly to the poor status of most of the countries in the region. This paper is being undertaken in order to evaluate Southeast Asia and to establish its political, social, economic, and environmental status with the goal of establishing the causes of the issues and possible solutions which can be implemented to resolve some if not all of the issues this region is facing. Body Political/security issues The main security issues in Southeast Asia have mostly been internal. The security problems which have been seen in this region have come from internal conflicts which seem to present significant threats to the unity and the development of the region1. This region, being politically and socially diversified, internal conflicts affected their sovereignty and territorial security. Internal conflicts have been seen in the form of armed conflicts, ethnically-motivated communal conflicts, conflicts involving political troops, political uprisings, and secession. In recent years, religious radicalism and terrorism, these internal conflicts have become even more complicated2. Internal political issues have been seen through armed struggles between the government and insurgent troops and between ethnic nationalist groups and government officials3. The goals of these conflicts have mostly been on overthrowing the government or on gaining independence from their central government. Moreover, the political systems of Southeast Asia have become even more complex with various protests from non-state actors4. Political instability and changes in various Southeast Asian nations have impacted not just on the internal stability of the countries involved, but also on regional security and the political balance between the ASEAN and the rest of the world in general5. The nationalist and ethnic issues in Southeast Asia have mostly found their roots on European colonization and subsequent decolonization6. One of the most dominant issues being faced in these conflicts is founded on the significant challenges these conflicts have posed on the security and political stability of the countries in this region. One of these conflicts is the conflict in Myanmar which is between the ethnic groups and the central government7. The current Myanmar central government is trying to integrate its ethnic groups in the border regions and Northern Myanmar has become political chaotic due to violent clashes between the government military authorities and these ethnic groups. These skirmishes have made it difficult for the government to seek a transition to democracy, with the threat of the conflict progressing towards a civil war if not immediately resolved. The issues and challenges posed by internal conflicts in Southeast Asia have also created inter-state conflicts and territorial disputes which have often escalated throughout the years. Territorial disputes and other types of inter-state rivalry hinder development and regional integration however, throughout the years, many of these incidents have not been resolved. One of these territorial disputes is the Thai-Cambodian border conflict. The recent violent conflicts in the Thai-Cambodian border over the Preah Vihear Temple triggered the conflicts of the temple and the border, leading to a political and military standoff between the two countries8. The ASEAN and international organizations have not been successful and mediating the conflict and establishing peaceful settlement between the countries involved. Furthermore, the tense domestic politics as well as the uncertainties in Thai politics and also Cambodia’s internal issues have further interfered with the negotiations in the management of the conflicts between these two countries9. The ethnic conflicts between the Myanmar military and the ethnic groups of Myanmar seem to have become a significant political and security issue for Myanmar as well as its neighboring countries Thailand and India. The Thai government has recently declared their desire to close down some border camps and deport about 140,000 Myanmar refugees back to Thailand10. The conflicts in the Myanmar border will however continue to increase the flow of refugees to their neighboring countries and will also likely increase activities like illegal trading, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and diseases. These refugees would also impose an economic burden to their neighbors which would likely exacerbate the disputes between neighboring countries11. The territorial conflict between Indonesia and Malaysia over the Ambalat block in the Celebes Sea seabed, considered to be abundant in mineral resources, is also another issue in the region12. Various incidents of face-offs between these countries and the fact that the water boundary between these two countries has not been settled as yet are not helping matters in any way. Moreover, there have been no agreements or talks between these two countries regarding their territories and these disagreements are continuing to cause tension between these two countries. Aside from the conflicts described above, water supply is also a significant issue between Singapore and Malaysia13. The impact of the conflict is not significant. Due to difficulties in accessing water, Singapore has been importing water from Malaysia for a while now. Issues have arisen due to the increased price rates, including threats of being cut-off from these supplies. Singapore has implemented various means to minimize its need to import water from Malaysia, and with the increased demand for freshwater as well as the persistent conflict with Malaysia, its water issue shall serve to cause more problems in the future14. Environmentalists as well as scientist have also expressed their concerns on the various threats which are being created by the unconscionable hydropower activities in the Mekong River. The lack of transparency and access to data as well as the “uncoordinated and overlapping regional organizations driven mostly by economic and political interests rather than environmental concerns have made the situation much worse”15. The continued and sustained development of the river is important because the hydropower plant presents opportunities for development which can also improve people’s lives. However, as the environmental impact of the hydropower plants seems to pose a viable threat to the region, the environmental threat first has to be addressed before any moves to use the river’s potential for development can be considered. Territorial disputes in this region abound as far as the South China Sea alone is concerned. This Sea is being contested by various countries in the region including Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, as well as China and Taiwan16. Various counterclaims have been made on the Spratly Islands as well as the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. More recently, China has shown its muscle against the Philippines in one of the contended areas in the Sea – the Scarborough Shoal – which is said to be rich in oil resources17. The disunity between these countries has also led to the weakening of the ASEAN and its negotiations with Beijing18. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) has been assigned the responsibility of protecting the security of the region and of promoting democracy and human rights protection among the member states19. Its goal is also to reestablish the organization as a strong foundation for Asian unity and regionalism. The ASEAN has also gained much progress in the economic trading, however it is facing political and security problems20. Since the organization functions on the basis of consensus and non-intervention, there is no firm intervention or policy which can be implemented to secure its goals. The ASEAN credibility as well as the political instability in Myanmar is at risk on the Thai-Cambodian border21. Serious concerns have also been raised on the failure to resolve these issues and that such failure would likely reduce the credibility of the ASEAN as an organization. Currently, its inability to manage the regional conflicts is seriously compromising its political influence as well as its power to settle future disputes in the region. As a political and economic organization, the mutual cooperation of its members is essential among its member states and internal as well as external disputes have to be addressed before any significant changes can be seen in the region and among its member states. Poverty is considered to be the cause of the security issues within the region. Half of Southeast Asian countries score low in the human development UNDP parameters. About one-fifth of the population in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam are living below the poverty line22. Poverty and negative human development seems to be causing human security problems, including hunger, disease, inadequate access to healthy drinking water, inadequate access to healthcare, and inadequate police security23. The poor communities are also the most vulnerable during disasters and health care crises. The lack of jobs are causing millions to leave their homes and find work abroad, often causing problems in the security of their countries of destination24. Although rivalries in the region subsided after the end of the Cold War, the economic revival of China and its major economic and diplomatic interests in the Southeast Asian region have caused other countries to direct much attention to the region25. Concerns on the impact of Chinese domination in the region are also causing other countries to engage closer regional initiatives26. Maritime security in Southeast Asia, mostly on safety, security and environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca have also become one of the most important security issues in the region. Concerns in this region have been related to piracy and to terrorism27. Due to the threats that these security issues are causing, various countries have increased their security measures in the Strait which have caused piracy and terrorist threats to decline in the past few years. Nevertheless, this strait is still considered as security threat which is continually being monitored by countries in the vicinity. Aside from maritime and territorial threats in Southeast Asia, terrorism is also one of the major issues in the region28. It is not a new threat in Southeast Asia and it has not been confined to the presence of Muslim followers in the region. However, the region has had various skirmishes and links with the al-Qaeda group, particularly the Jemaah Islamiyah which has made the region a secondary hub for terrorism29. The Jemaah Islamiyah seems to have its own political goals, primarily on the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in the Muslim-dominated regions of the Southeast Asia30. Not much progress has been gained to further this goal. Moreover, the Jemaah Islamiyah seems to have another agenda, one very much linked to al-Qaeda goals. These goals seek to target the interests of the US and its allies in the region. In fulfilling this goal, it seems to be gaining much ground. Integrated efforts in various countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia in coordination with the ASEAN and other organizations have managed to control the operational threats to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore31. However, the JI continues to pose a threat to the region and seems to require the consistent vigilance of the region if the eradication of the threat would ever be achieved. The threat created by al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda groups in the region cannot be eradicated through weak security measures. The strategy for eradication seems to be based on preventive measures which are based on political and socio-economic remedies32. By preventing the threats, attention cannot be concentrated on discounting extremist Islamic teachings, it must also consider the political and socio-economic causes of international terrorism, including the Western imperialistic policies in Asia, the Palestine issue, political oppression, and marginalization33. For the Southeast Asian region, there seems to be a need to improve their intelligence and operational functions, especially as far as security agencies are concerned. Elements of effective collaboration are also among the major concerns in the resolution of security threats in the region, and without such collaboration, these security threats will persist and will continue to compromise the communication and relations of the countries in the region. Environmental issues Aside from the political and security threats already discussed above, Southeast Asia also suffers from significant threats to its environment. The environmental picture of the region is one which is rich in degradation and decline34. First of all, the region is prone to ecological and natural disasters. It lies in the Pacific ring of fire which makes it highly susceptible to earthquakes as well as volcanic eruptions. It also lies in a region prone to typhoons and other weather disturbances. Aside from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it is also prone to floods, tsunamis, landslides, droughts, as well as fires35. The impact of these disasters is different for each country, but not one country can spare itself from encountering at least one of these disasters in the span of a year or even months. Another environmental issue in the region involves high air pollution levels, considered to be one of the highest in the world; this threat has a strong imposition on the health of the people in the region36. Air pollution often comes from the burning of fuels for power generation and many Southeast Asian nations do not have efficient pollution control devices to manage such problem37. Moreover, forest fires which are rampant during the summer months in some areas are also causing significant air pollution. The 1997-1998 fires indicate how a fire can have overwhelming effects with this fire in Indonesia affecting the country as well as other neighboring countries38. The area impacted by the six major pollutants from the fire covered more than 3200 kilometers from East to West – through six Southeast Asian nations, affecting about 70 million individuals39. The water quality in their lakes and rivers as well as their coastal regions is also a major environmental issue for Southeast Asian countries. Their bodies of water have been contaminated by their wastewater discharges from their domestic, industrial, as well as agricultural activities40. These contaminated waters are often dumped in rivers and seas; moreover, oil spills and other chemical contaminants from shipping and maritime activities are also being dumped in their waters41. In addition, surface run-offs of oil and other contaminants also make their way towards bodies of water; and these run-offs pollute the rivers and their coastal areas. Large-scale dam construction in the Mekong and the other rivers in Southeast Asia are also having an unfavorable impact on the quality of their waters42. Concerns have also been raised that the dams will increase the fluctuations of flow of sediments which are needed for fishes and other agricultural activities43. Aside from the above environmental issues, Southeast Asia also has the highest rate in terms of deforestation. The region has an average annual rate of deforestation at 1.35%, and the world percentage is 0.2% annually44. Trees and other forest products are being exported at massive scales with Indonesia and Malaysia being the largest exporter of palm oil in the world45. As more plantations are also needed to support agricultural activities, more forests are being converted to farms. The loss of these forests however has had major effects on the climate and on the atmosphere46. With lesser forest covers, the lands are exposed to the elements and to the effects of desertification. There is also lesser vegetation to absorb carbon dioxide which is produced by humans and their activities. Carbon dioxide and its derivatives cause the absorption of more heat causing the general global temperatures to increase47. Biodiversity is also compromised in Southeast Asia. The region is considered home to almost half of the world’s terrestrial and marine species48. Land conversion, climate change, pollution, and uncontrolled harvesting have caused major losses of habitat as well as the loss of biodiversity. As a result, the number of endangered plants and animal species has increased49. Fish stocks have also decreased. There are about 2500 species of fish in the region alone50. The coastal states in Southeast Asia are major producers of cultivated as well as captured fishes which is equivalent to a significant percentage of global supplies51. As a result, the fish stocks have started to decline. Moreover, many fishermen have also resorted to dynamite fishing, further causing loss of young as well as adult fishes and also polluting the waters52. Poverty/economic/health issues Due to the various political as well as environmental issues, majority of the region suffers from abject poverty. Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam account for 70% of the population in the Southeast Asian region, and about 50% of this population are poor53. These figures are even higher in the rural areas. The levels of poverty in the country are noted through various indicators including persistent malnutrition among the children and many adult women. In Cambodia alone, 46% of their children under the age of 5 are underweight and 22% of rural women are also suffering from malnutrition54. Enrollment rates in the rural areas are also low and gender equality is poor as many women only gain elementary education at the most. Child and maternal mortality is also high especially in the poor rural regions55. In other words, there is persistent gap between the rich and the poor and these gaps are not likely to be filled anytime soon. Conclusion Based on the discussion above, Southeast Asia is rife with various issues, including political, security, economic, as well as environmental issues. Terrorism is a constant threat to the region, and the abject poverty in the area seems to be driving many of their citizens out of the country or to driving them into the arms of terrorists. The environment in the region is severely threatened by uncontrolled and unregulated human activities. The fragmented political situation in the region is also not helping integrate and coordinate regional cooperation. As a result, the issues of the region will likely continue to persist and worsen without any major moves towards regional cooperation and integration. Bibliography Z Abuza, Al-Qaeda Comes to Southeast Asia, cited in P Smith, Terrorism and Violence in Southeast Asia: Transnational Challenges to States and Regional Stability, New York, M.E. Sharpe, Inc, 2005, p. 34 A Acharya, Terrorism and Security in Asia: Redefining Regional Order?, Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, 2004, p. 5 ASEAN, ASEAN Report to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Jakarta, ASEAN, 2002, p. 8. 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