Approaches to peace and economic co-operation in Southeast Asia

Abstract

A journalist is always told never to start an article with definitions. It is good advice. But a scholar often has little choice. The topic assigned for this paper is 'Approaches to peace and economic co-operation in Southeast Asia'. Just as the causes of peace and the foundations of economic co-operation may often differ very substantially, the approaches to the one are not necessarily identical or even close to the approaches to the other. To be sure, peace and economic co-operation are often closely inter-related. It is normally easier for trade and other economic co-operation to follow the flag of peace. But there are many cases indeed of nations at peace with one another, which have not developed meaningful forms of economic co-operation. And there are cases where certain forms of economic co- operation proceed even within an ambience of hostility and an inter-relationship of conflict.