Human Security and Peace in Archipelagic Southeast Asia

Human Security and Peace in Archipelagic Southeast Asia highlight the increasing interdependence and interconnectedness among people and nations across the region and how it impacts the security and peace of the people in Archipelagic Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and Singapore. Acknowledging that human security issues can be divided into two categories—human security issues that derive mainly from human behaviour (man-made human security issues) and those that derive from natural disasters or forces of nature (natural events)—the focus of the book however is on the intended courses (such as side effects of drug trafficking and trafficking in human beings).

They are human activities that can be avoided, reduced, or perhaps eliminated altogether. Such “threats without borders” in both categories demonstrate how we human beings become vulnerable, insecure and interrelated. Human Security and Peace in Archipelagic Southeast Asia is the first book that has a comprehensive discussion on human security in the region with a fresh and relevant perspective. While providing empirical evidence on how human security and peace issues are actually being addressed in the region, the strength of the book lies in its original conception of the Bangi Human Security Peace Approach (BAGHUS).

The identification of different selected countries’ best or current practices in dealing with human security issues in Archipelagic Southeast Asia has further made it an important and a major textbook in tertiary education, giving them skills and strategies for addressing them. It is hoped that this book can become a valuable reference to instructors, non-governmental organisations and political advocates as well as a framework for leaders throughout all sectors of society to better design policies related to various major human security issues.

This book offers easy reading of peace and human security issues in Southeast Asia for both scholars, university students and the public. In order to place human security within the context of two important scenarios, man-made disasters and natural disasters, the book begins by describing and explaining the changing international political environment. Specifically, it attempts to answer the following questions: (i) How do concepts and issues of human security fit into the international political environment; (ii) How do Southeast Asian countries define human security; (iii) What are the trends and issues of human security currently faced by selected Southeast Asian countries; and (iv) What are some of the current or best practices carried out in dealing with human security issues in these countries?

The authors have divided human security into eight components, namely: economic security, food security, environmental security, health security, social security, personal and community security, political security and cultural security. The chapters in this book invite readers to carefully understand the complexity associated with human security and peace. Furthermore, it offers new insight as to how the international political environment, especially man-made disasters, can have a long-term impact on people’s lives and their survival. It is suggested that human security needs to be given priority for a better quality of life and for further issues. Peace and human security will contribute to a more harmonious region as the foundation for stability and development.