Obstacles to Democratization in Southeast Asia: A Study of the Nation State, Regional and Global Order

Obstacles to democratization in Southeast Asia are substantial but vary from state to state because of historical circumstances. In many instances, authoritarian power disenfranchises the majority of people and leads to widespread corruption and repression. At the regional level, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) vision of a democratic community faces serious problems. The inability of ASEAN to confront Myanmar's state of permanent aggression against its people is indicative of ASEAN weakness as a mechanism to advance human rights in Southeast Asia. ASEAN needs to institutionalize a community like the European Union. However, this is unlikely to be achieved unless member nation states allow citizens to freely decide on their political and economic futures.

In this book Paul comprehensively analyses the meaning of democratization in Southeast Asia's nation states and how it relates to the development of ASEAN. In doing so, he questions the viability of ASEAN and its potential to move towards a common market and community.

Erik Paul is Vice-President of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney, Australia. He is a lecturer and researcher specializing in Australia's relations with Asia-Pacific and issues of regional and world peace.