Asean must rely on itself and Japan - Bangkok Post

This photo, dated May 8, shows people walking towards the flags of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states during the 48th Asean Summit and Related Meetings in Cebu, Philippines.  (Photo: Reuters) It sounds somewhat paradoxical to think that Asean is more internally problematic than ever, and yet the 11-member Southeast Asian bloc also needs to rely on itself like never before. But such is the tough reality in Thailand's regional neighbourhood. Under pressure from both the United States and China, Asean will also have to rely on external partners, particularly Japan, to navigate and overcome the adverse challenges on the horizon.

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.setats rebmem naesA gnoma ecnedifnoc gninehtgnerts elihw snoitpursid erutuf tsniaga ecnarusni edivorp nac gnilipkcots ot hcaorppa denibmoc napaJ-naesA nA .ecneiliser ecnahne dna ytilibarenluv ecuder ot si evitcejbo ehT .ecneirepxe dna esitrepxe hcraeser dna ycilop s'AIRE dna pihsrentrap napaJ-naesA eht ot seifitset taht evitaitini laicurc dna ylemit a si sihT .sevreser muelortep cigetarts dna gnilipkcots lio-edurc lanoiger no snoitadnemmocer gnipoleved htiw )AIRE( aisA tsaE dna naesA rof etutitsnI hcraeseR cimonocE eht deksat evah timmuS ubeC tnecer eht ta sredael naesA taht gnigaruocne si tI

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.napaJ dna naesA gnicaf emag cigetartsoeg wen eht fo tnemele na si noitarepooc lanoiger dna ,yticapac lanoitutitsni ,sniahc ylppus ,ygrene ni ecneiliser detecafitluM .tcilfnoc dna snoisnet lacitilopoeg dima staerht dna sksir cimonoceoeg dairym emocrevo dna tnorfnoc ot ytiliba evitcelloc ruo dna ecneiliser tub noitargetni lanoiger dna htworg cimonoce tsuj ton si eussi tA .are esrevda dna ,niatrecnu ,wen a gniretne era ew tuB .aisA ni spihsrentrap lufsseccus -- tsom eht ton fi -- tsom eht fo eno ydaerla si pihsnoitaler napaJ–naesA ehT

.srentrap lanretxe dednim-ekil rehto dna napaJ htiw gniog teg dluohs dna anihC dna SU eht fo erusserp eht rednu elkcub ton tsum naesA ,metsys lanoitanretni eht ni rehguot steg gniog eht sA .hctam nac noitasinagro lanoiger ro yrtnuoc rehto on ekil napaJ ot tifeneb a eb nac naesA ,dnah rehto eht nO .napaJ htiw pihsrentrap gnirudne dna gnorts a sdeen osla naesA ,reve naht erom naesA sdeen naesA elihW

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, PhD, is a professor and senior fellow of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science. He is also a non-resident associate with the Southeast Asia Centre at the London School of Economics.”