The Borderlands of Southeast Asia Southeast of Borderlands the That Comforting Ambiguity Has Disappeared

Edited by James Clad, Sean M. McDonald, and Bruce Vaughn s an academic field in its own right, the topic of border studies is experiencing a revival in university geography courses as well as in wider political commentary. Until recently, border studies in con- Atemporary Southeast Asia appeared as an afterthought at best to the politics of interstate rivalry and national consolidation. The maps set out all agreed postcolonial lines. Meanwhile, the physical demarcation of these boundaries lagged. Large slices of territory, on land and at sea, eluded definition or delineation. The Borderlands of Southeast Asia That comforting ambiguity has disappeared. Both evolving technologies and price levels enable rapid resource extraction in places, and in volumes, once scarcely imaginable. The beginning of the 21st century’s second decade is witnessing an intensifying diplomacy, both state-to-state and commercial, over offshore petroleum. In particular, the South China Sea has moved from being a rather arcane area of conflict studies to the status of a bellwether issue. Along with other contested areas in the western Pacific and south Asia, the problem increasingly defines China’s regional relationships in Asia—and with powers outside the region, especially the United States. Yet intraregional territorial differences also hobble multilateral diplomacy to counter Chinese claims, and daily management of borders remains burdened by a lot of retrospective baggage. The contributors to this book emphasize this mix of heritage and history as the primary leitmotif for contemporary border rivalries and dynamics. Whether the region’s 11 states want it or not, their bordered identity is falling into ever sharper definition—if only because of pressure from extraregional states. Chapters are organized by country to elicit a broad range of thought and approach as much as for the specific areas or nation-states examined in each chapter. This book aims to provide new ways of looking at the reality and illusion of bordered Southeast Asia. The Borderlands Edited by James Clad, Sean M. McDonald, and Bruce Vaughn, with contri- butions from: Clad, McDonald, of Southeast Asia Zachary Abuza Rhoda Margesson David Rosenberg and Geopolitics, Terrorism, and Globalization Richard P. Cronin Dick K. Nanto Carlyle A. Thayer Vaughn David Lee Patricia O’Brien Michael Wood Institute for National Strategic Studies National Defense University The Borderlands of Southeast Asia: Geopolitics, Terrorism, and Globalization The Borderlands of Southeast Asia: Geopolitics, Terrorism, and Globalization Edited by James Clad, Sean M. McDonald, and Bruce Vaughn Published for the Center for Strategic Research Institute for National Strategic Studies by National Defense University Press Washington, D.C. 2011 Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Defense Department or any other agency of the Federal Government. Cleared for public release; distribution unlimited. Portions of this book may be quoted or reprinted without permission, provided that a standard source credit line is included. NDU Press would appreciate a courtesy copy of reprints or reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The borderlands of Southeast Asia : geopolitics, terrorism, and globalization / edited by James Clad, Sean M. McDonald, and Bruce Vaughn. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. Borderlands--Southeast Asia. 2. Southeast Asia--Boundaries. 3. Southeast Asia--Foreign relations. 4. Terrorism--Southeast Asia. 5. Globalization--Southeast Asia. I. Clad, James. II. McDonald, Sean M. III. Vaughn, Bruce, 1963- IV. National Defense University. Institute for National Strategic Studies. JZ1720.B67 2011 327.59--dc23 2011020039 NDU Press publications are sold by the U.S. Government Printing Office. For ordering informa- tion, call (202) 512–1800 or write to the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. For GPO publications on-line, access its Web site at: http://book- store.gpo.gov. For current publications of the Institute for National Strategic Studies, consult the National Defense University Web site at: http://www.ndu.edu. Contents List of Illustrations ...................................................vii Introduction ...........................................................ix Chapter 1 Delineation and Borders in Southeast Asia ............................1 James Clad Chapter 2 Archaeology, National Histories, and National Borders in Southeast Asia .................................. 23 Michael Wood Chapter 3 Historical Survey of Borders in Southeast Asia ...................... 59 David Lee Chapter 4 Borderlands, Terrorism, and Insurgency in Southeast Asia .......... 89 Zachary Abuza Chapter 5 The Maritime Borderlands: Terrorism, Piracy, Pollution, and Poaching in the South China Sea ....................107 David Rosenberg Chapter 6 Bilateral and Multilateral Trade Arrangements in Southeast Asia: Forces for Integration? ..........................127 Dick K. Nanto Chapter 7 The Environment and Development: Greater Mekong Subregion Dynamics Considered. 157 Richard P. Cronin v vi THE BORDERLANDS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA Chapter 8 Displaced Populations in Burma’s Borderlands: When Are Borders a Significant Barrier or Means of Protection? ..............187 Rhoda Margesson Chapter 9 Center-Periphery Relations and Borders in Western New Guinea ............................................211 Patricia O’Brien and Bruce Vaughn Chapter 10 China and Southeast Asia: A Shifting Zone of Interaction. .235 Carlyle A. Thayer About the Contributors ...........................................263 Illustrations Figures Figure 6–1. Types of Trading Arrangements by Intensity of Economic Integration .......................137 Figure 6–2. Major Regional Trade Arrangements in the Asia Pacific ..............................................143 Figure 6–3. ASEAN Trade within ASEAN and with Rest of World. .151 Figure 6–4. ASEAN Country Exports of Automobiles and Parts to ASEAN and to Rest of World .................153 Figure 6–5. Exports of Automobiles and Parts from Thailand ......................................154 Tables Table 6–1. Free Trade Agreements, Negotiations, and Discussions by ASEAN Members and Selected Other Nations, 2010 ............................141 Table 6–2. Major Trading Partners of East Asian Nations and the United States Ranked by Total Exports Plus Imports. 148 Table 9–1. Chronology of Key Events in Western New Guinea ................................................216 Maps Map 1–1. Southeast Asia. 3 Map 3–1. Ethnic Mosaic of Southeast Asia ............................... 62 Map 3–2. Colonial Boundaries in Southeast Asia ........................ 65 Map 5–1. South China Sea Maritime Claims ............................121 Map 6–1. Trade Arrangements in Southeast Asia .......................128 Map 7–1. Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Corridors. 169 Map 8–1. Refugee and Resettlement Sites along Thai-Burma Border ................................199 vii Introduction As an academic field in its own right, the topic of border studies is experiencing a revival in university geography courses as well as in wider political commentary. Of course, something about the postmodernist sensibility readily embraces the ambiguity, impermanence, transience, and twilight nature of bordered spaces among the planet’s 192 territorially defined states. But we have another motivation in assembling this book, one rooted in contemporary rivalries sited in one of the world’s most open regions. Until recently, border studies in contemporary Southeast Asia appeared as an afterthought at best to the politics of interstate rivalry and national consolidation. The maps set out all agreed postcolonial lines. Meanwhile, the physical demarcation of these boundaries lagged. Large slices of territory, on land and at sea, eluded definition or delineation. That comforting ambiguity has disappeared. Both evolving technologies and price levels enable rapid resource extraction in places, and in volumes, once scarcely imaginable. The old adage that God really does have a sense of humor (“after all, look where He/She put the oil”) holds as true in Southeast Asia as in the Middle East. The beginning of the 21st century’s second decade is witnessing an intensifying diplomacy, both state-to-state and commercial, over offshore petroleum. In particular, the South China Sea has moved from being a rather arcane area of conflict studies to the status of a bellwether issue. Along with other contested areas in the western Pacific and south Asia, the problem increasingly defines China’s regional relationships in Asia—and with powers outside the region, especially the United States. Yet intraregional territorial differences also hobble multilateral diplomacy to counter Chinese claims. For the region’s national governments, the window for submission and adjudication of maritime claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas marks a legal checkpoint, but daily management of borders remains burdened by retrospective baggage. The contributors to this book emphasize this mix of heritage and history as the primary leitmotif for contemporary border rivalries and dynamics. Whether the region’s 11 states want it or not, their bordered identity is falling into ever sharper definition—if only because of pressure from extraregional states. Chinese state and commercial power

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