Mekong Subregion: Great powers’ new strategic competition / Kavi CHONGKITTAVORN
Channel: IRASEC
Date: 2021-10-06

Mekong Subregion: Great powers’ new strategic competition
Kavi CHONGKITTAVORN, veteran journalist on regional affairs, Bangkok Post

Since the putsch on Feb. 1 in Myanmar, both the military coup-makers and the widespread public opposition movement do not appear to perceive that they have reached an intolerable mutually hurting stalemate and are still pursuing unilateral strategies in hopes of prevailing over the other. Myanmar’s crisis thus far resists any efforts – through either direct negotiation by the conflicting parties or mediation with third-party assistance – to arrive at political resolution and have become an intractable conflict. This crisis, therefore, presents unprecedented challenges to ASEAN, which has found itself unable to follow through on its own five-point consensus concerning Myanmar conflict. The notion of ASEAN Centrality, which in the past conveniently received recognition from competing great powers as if the bloc was at the heart of the regional institutional architecture, is losing its charm. ASEAN’s mediation effort that aims to achieve a political settlement in Myanmar will serve not only Myanmar’s interest but also ASEAN’s relevancy in broader regional geopolitics.
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Session 7 / Security Issues and Strategic Challenges in the Indo-Pacific
Chair: Mrs. Gwen ROBINSON (Chulalongkorn University/Nikkei)

Since its creation, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) has contributed to the maintenance of peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region. As Asia is becoming the global center of economic gravity, any conflict in the Indo-Pacific region involving a major power would have a global impact. Does a shared Indo-Pacific geographical understanding can contribute to security partnerships and stability and how can regional powers manage the strategic tensions arising across this wide area? This session deals with maritime security, but also cybersecurity, as well the sensitive management of water security issues in the Mekong by six countries. At least, the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar since 2015 and the recent Coup constitute a major challenge to take up. Could the Indo-pacific cooperation play a significant role to manage present and future crisis?
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“Asia’s Post-Pandemic Order and Integration: Outlook of ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific at Crossroads” is an international conference organized by The Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC-CNRS) with the ASEAN Studies Center (Chulalongkorn University) in Bangkok, and the ASEAN-India Centre (AIC), RIS in New Delhi.
8-9 July 2021 - Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
https://www.irasec.com/page569