Syllabus: This course surveys the main issues of Southeast Asian security, giving due attention to traditional concerns with interstate conflict as well as non-traditional themes like the economy and the quality of democratic governance. It also provides a grounding in the Cold War-era conflicts that shaped the region as we know it today. The central focus, however, is on contemporary internal armed conflict rooted in processes of state formation and state decay. Key internal conflicts affecting the human security of millions of Southeast Asians, as well as near neighbours like Australia, will be analysed in their unique historical and cultural context, and related to cross-cutting questions with broad inter-disciplinary significance negotiating views from above and below, from inside and outside.

At the end of the course, students will have gained a thorough understanding of security issues in Southeast Asia. They will have obtained in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of internal conflicts prevalent in the region, and will have studied the conflict preventation mechanisms in place to address them.

In addition, students will have deepened their analytical and presentational skills, preparing them for future professional work in government, think tanks, intelligence, academia or development agencies.

Proposed Assessment: Tutorial Attendance and Participation (10 %), Tutorial Presentation (15 %), Tutorial Paper (1000 words: 15 %), Research Paper (2500 words: 30 %), Take-home Exam (30%).

Contact Hours: One two-hour lecture and one one-hour tutorial

An introductory knowledge of Asian societies, Asian religions, or the fields of history, politics, or anthropology indicated by the completion of two introductory courses in Asian Societies and Histories, or two introductory courses in history, politics or anthropology is desirable.

ASIA 2028 and ASIA 2030

All essential readings and some recommended texts will be placed on WebCT, and the course guide will include a bibliography for each week. For course preparation, students should read Alan Collins, Security and Southeast Asia: Domestic, Regional and Global Issues (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2003).