SOVEREIGNTY, GLOBAL NORMS AND SECURITY COOPERATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Abstract

Discussions on cooperative security strategies in Southeast Asia often mention potential threats such as piracy,
illegal fishing, terrorism, island disputes and even the security concerns posed by natural disasters. The
aforementioned threats are mutual, between not only the ten ASEAN countries but also neighbors, such as
Australia and Timor Leste, along with rising and global powers such as China and the United States. However,
developing security cooperation even against mutual threats is hindered not only by geographic and monetary
restraints but by differences in national ideology, national interests, differing historical perspectives, divergent
legal opinions as well as intentional and unintentional misinformation. Using the perspective of a multi-discipline
approach to international relations realism and the security dilemma along with highlighting the sources of
miscommunication that hinder long-term security cooperation, this paper argues that Indonesia and the US
have incorrect and sometimes dangerous perceptions of the other. Differing concepts on national sovereignty,
interpretations of international law and the degradation of the rules-based order are all easily manipulated to
fuel dangerous misperceptions. Cooperation and sovereignty seem more at odds than ever before. But military
cooperation can still be successful using honest assessments that avoid false information and instead pursue
sincere engagements.