The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic: National and Regional Implications
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ASEAN’s External Cooperation in a Global Pandemic: An Expansion of the Concept of National Security The Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic: National and Regional Responses 1 1 THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC: NATIONAL AND REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS Published by Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Cambodia Edited by Pich Charadine Robert Hör ASEAN’s External Cooperation in a Global Pandemic: An Expansion of the Concept of National Security The Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic: National and Regional Responses ABOUT CAMBODIAN INSTITUTE FOR COOPERATION AND PEACE The Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP), founded in 1994, is a neutral, non-governmental, non-profit and non-partisan foreign policy think-tank institution based in Phnom Penh. CICP has undertaken various activities to promote and stimulate policy dialogue including organizing public forums, conducting research, distributing publications, participating in international conferences and widening networks, directing skills training, disseminating information, and formulating policy recommendations that are well presented to policymakers at both national and regional frameworks. We aspire to become a leading institution in Cambodia that dedicates to the study of political, security, social, and economic trends in Cambodia and the region of Southeast Asia as a whole, with the aim to cultivate broader interests among the scholarly community, policymakers, and the public at large, in order to facilitate the search for viable policy-based solutions to tackle the confronting challenges. CICP is a member of numerous eminent think tank networks including ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN – ISIS), Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP), Global Center for Mekong Studies (GCMS-Cambodia Center), Network of ASEAN- China Think Tank (NACT), ASEAN-Korea Think Tank Network, Global Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Network, among others ABOUT KONRAD-ADENAUER-STIFTUNG CAMBODIA Freedom, justice and solidarity are the basic principles underlying the work of the Konrad- Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). The KAS is a political foundation, closely associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU). As co-founder of the CDU and the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967) united Christian-social, conservative and liberal traditions. His name is synonymous with the democratic reconstruction of Germany, the firm alignment of foreign policy with the trans-Atlantic community of values, the vision of a unified Europe and an orientation towards the social market economy. His intellectual heritage continues to serve both as our aim as well as our obligation today. In our European and international cooperation efforts we work for people to be able to live self-determined lives in freedom and dignity. We make a contribution underpinned by values to helping Germany meet its growing responsibilities throughout the world. KAS has been working in Cambodia since 1994, striving to support the Cambodian people in fostering dialogue, building networks and enhancing scientific projects. Thereby, the foundation works towards creating an environment conducive to economic and social development. All programs are conceived and implemented in close cooperation with the Cambodian partners on central and sub-national levels. 6 7 ASEAN’s External Cooperation in a Global Pandemic: An Expansion of the Concept of National Security The Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic: National and Regional Responses Contents Editorial Note Part I: Politics and Diplomatic Context Chapter 1: Post-Covid-19 World Order Ambassador Pou Sothirak 12 Chapter 2: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility? Diplomatic Battle Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic Dr. Deth Sok Udom 20 Chapter 3: Between National and Regional Responses to Covid-19 Crisis: Experiences from the EU and ASEAN Dr. Chheang Vannarith 32 Chapter 4: Covid-19 and Regionalism: What Can and Should ASEAN Do? Ambassador Simon Tay and Sarah Loh 44 Chapter 5: ASEAN’s External Cooperation in a Globlal Pandemic: An Expansion of the Concept of National Security Dr. Neak Chandarith and Sam Ath Sambath Sreysour 54 Part 2: Economic Implications Chapter 6: Covid-19 and the Economic Fallout in the Region Dr. Jayant Menon 80 Chapter 7: Regional Supply Chains and Economic Intergration in Post-Covid-19 Southeast Asia: A Political Economy Perspective Dr. Bradly J. Murg 90 6 7 ASEAN’s External Cooperation in a Global Pandemic: An Expansion of the Concept of National Security The Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic: National and Regional Responses Chapter 8: Cambodia’s Fiscal Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic Suy Heimkhemra 98 Chapter 9: Vulnerabilities and the Effects on the Informal Economy in Cambodia Khoun Theara 114 Chapter 10: Post Covid-19 Economic Recovery: ASEAN Resilience, Adaptation and Growth Dr. Aries A. Arugay 134 Part 3: Social Impacts Chapter 11: Covid-19: Addressing Public Health Care in Southeast Asia Tang Vouchnea 152 Chapter 12: Exploring the Impacts of Covid-19 on Education in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Opportunities Heng Kimkong 166 Chapter 13: The Impact of Covid-19 on Employee’s Psychological Well-Being and Workplace Culture Hoeur Sethul and Dr.Tineke Water 178 8 9 ASEAN’s External Cooperation in a Global Pandemic: An Expansion of the Concept of National Security The Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic: National and Regional Responses Editorial Note 2020 has proved to be a testing year due to the unprecedented crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic which has shaken the world we live in on many fronts including politics, economics, and society at large. By November, there were already more than 49 million people infect- ed and more than 1 million deaths worldwide. Global economic activity gradually came to a near standstill, owing to the restriction of movement, disruption of supply chains, closure of manufacturing production and further containment measures, costing the world economy trillions of dollars and forcing millions of people out of their jobs — this is in fact the most severe economic shock the world has experienced in decades. As of today, the 23rd of November 2020, the World Health Organization reported a total of 57,882,183 confirmed Covid-19 cases, resulting in 1,377,395 deaths. Southeast Asia remains vulnerable in many aspects. Although the respective countries have taken consecutive, far-reaching measures to contain the spread of the virus and to cure the infected, more precaution guidelines are still needed. It is hence more timely and important than ever to assess and try to shed a new perspective on the enduring struggles now and the prospective challenges in the future. The discussion surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic has been widely conducted on various platforms in every corner of the globe in the form of op-ed, short commentary and articles, video-conferences and virtual panel discussions alike. Never- theless, it fell short of scientific research and constructive analysis in a more concrete, in-depth format, e.g., a book compilation, for future reference and extended outlook. We, the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Cambodia, are particularly proud of having undertaken this book project. The framework resides in three main categories, namely politics and diplomacy, economics, and social contexts. The discussions cut-cross various issues ranging from individual countries’ measures in combating the pandemic to an evaluation of socio-economic impacts and their implications, highlighting political and diplomatic battle between major powers amidst the global emergency threat, to pinpointing a future outlook on a post-Covid-19 societal state, just to name a few. 8 9 ASEAN’s External Cooperation in a Global Pandemic: An Expansion of the Concept of National Security The Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic: National and Regional Responses This project would not have been possible without strong collaboration from our contributors whose expertise helped shed light on the enduring crisis that we are all facing. We want to express a great deal of gratitude, hoping that this book will serve its purpose of facilitating and forwarding discussion and academic debate, raising public awareness, and serve as a useful resource for interested stakeholders at all levels in Southeast Asia and beyond. Enjoy reading! Pich Charadine* and Robert Hör** * Pich Charadine is currently the Deputy Director of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) and concurrently serving as the Coordinator of the Global Center for Mekong Studies (GCMS-Cambodia Center, a Track II think tank network of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation). She also serves as the Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia. She obtained her B.A. in Political Science and International Relations with High Honors from Zaman University (Cambodia) and holds an M.A. in International Politics (concentrated on political dialogue) with Merit from Keele University (United Kingdom). She was nominated to the 2019 U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Visiting Fellow at China Institute for International Studies (CIIS) in 2018 and Visiting Scholar at China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU) in 2019. She has written and published on various issues concerning Cambodia’s political development and its subsequent foreign policy implications including Sino-Cambodia