Southeast Asia
Report
Indonesia as a contributor to regional security
As an emerging maritime power, Indonesia will encounter a variety of considerations in deciding how it will project its power in the region.
Briefing paper
Questions from the lab – is Australia and the near region ready for the next attack of ‘flu?
This paper addresses the question of whether Australia and the near region are ready for the next attack of influenza. It notes that new pathogens are constantly emerging and also rapidly changing, developing better-tuned defences that resist human efforts to contain and control them.
Report
Asia’s strategic challenge: manoeuvring between the US and China
This paper outlines the dilemmas faced by Asian countries caught in strategic competition between great powers. Abstract This paper by Singapore’s Ambassador-at-large Bilahari Kausikan was the inaugural Shedden Lecture in Strategy and Defence. It artfully describes the tension regional countries face and advocates a posture of flexibility and independence. It argues we should not try...
Report
Crowded waters: naval competition in the Asia–Pacific
Overview: This report analyses the regional trend of key nations investing in more capable naval and air platforms. In Northeast Asia, countries include China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. In Southeast Asia, the paper looks at Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand. This analysis is used to determine potential implications for Australia’s strategic...
Report
Learning from history: some strategic lessons from the ‘forward defence’ era
This paper assesses the way the government handled commitments to three conflicts in Southeast Asia; the Malayan Emergency, Indonesian Confrontation and the Vietnam War. It then draws some lessons that remain applicable to our current challenges. Overview Australia is currently engaged in a major reassessment of its strategic policy. Those in and around the policymaking...