and Violence inAsia The StateofConflict academic studies and policy analyses, weaving them together to provide an accurate picture of picture accurate an provide to together them weaving analyses, policy and studies academic and othersinplanning prioritizinghowtoaddressconflictandviolencemost effectively. policymakers help can This type. each drives what of analysis finer-grained a for allowing and a wide range of types of conflict and violence, clarifying which predominate in different locales, riots? ethnic as such violence, collective of most of the homicides a result of interpersonal violence, or are they the result of larger outbursts violence. and conflict of causes the obscure can measure one into forms all aggregate that prone to other types (such as national political contestation). On the other hand, homicide datasets i.e. whether countries that experience one type of violence (say, transnational terrorism) are also that the links to other forms cannot be untangled, and little is understood about how they relate, violence—means domestic or crime, urban violence, electoral at violence—or war civil at lation terrorism. or violence, political violence, war civil as such violence, of type one and comparative analysis of violence, in Asia and beyond, but these reports tend to focus on just data provide reports Many non-existent. often is violence of forms local on data Solid violence. in Asia. International violence datasets are unreliable and often massively underreport levels of conflicts—draw outbroaderfindingsandimplications. resource natural and land and violence, gender-based terrorism, and insurgency cross-border expert essays—focusing on the links between conflict and regime type, intercommunal violence, thematic, Five comparison. easy for allowing violence, and conflict of type each for ranked are resource conflict, urban crime and violence, and local domestic and violence, gender-based electoral violence. Countries and political local conflict, ideological and communal autonomy, and and local levels: national civil war, national political conflict,subnational, transnational terrorism,national, separatism transnational, the at contestation of types nine examining framework, common a use chapters The today. violence and conflict of patterns shape conditions social and economic, political, current how and contestation of roots II War post-World the assesses a conciseoverviewofthediversityandcomplexityconflictviolenceinAsiatoday. presents volume analysts,andactivists,this international affairsandsecurity leaders, business professionals, development and aid scholars, diplomats, and officials government for Designed analyses of historical patterns and current trends in conflict and violence in 14 Asian countries. violence? countries over time? And what countries are particularly prone to different forms of conflict and How do conflict and violence affectAsia? What are their roots, and how have they evolved within Introduction Each chapter draws on a broad range of sources, including official data, survey evidence, and The Each country. Asian one in impacts their and violence and conflict considers chapter Each Asia in Violence and Conflict of State The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia in Violence and Conflict of State The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia in Violence and Conflict of State The fills critical gaps in the understanding of conflict of understanding the in gaps critical fills contains accessible, up-to-date, data-driven up-to-date, accessible, contains 1 Looking in iso in Looking considers 2 Are -

1 | Introduction: The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia 2 | Introduction: The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia #1. Conflict and violence affect every country in Asia, not just those often those just not Asia, in country every affect violence and Conflict #1. Five emerging patterns entrenched conflictzonesandchallenginggeographiclocalesintheworld. knowledge and nuanced understanding of local politics and power, in-depth including in with some materials of published the most of analysis combine chapters the country, each in perience ex long-standing own Foundation’s Asia The on Drawing today. Asia in violence and conflict ligious identities as they bid to win or maintain power. This trend has become more marked more become has trend This power. maintain or win to bid they as identities ligious violence andcreates majorrisksforthe future. to led frequently has identities religious and ethnic of politicization The #3. than anywhereelseintheworld. as those in and ’s borderlands, have been more frequent and enduring in Asia providing space for violence to be used as a political and economic strategy. These conflicts, such bind competing national elites to the prevailing political settlement undermines the rule of law, areas for sufficient autonomy to protect their customs and local values. The use of patronage to borderland of desire the and countries Asian within diversity local immense the recognizing of expense the at integrity territorial maintain and power central consolidate that strategies statebuilding national of consequence a are volume, the throughout highlighted states, Asian many of peripheries the in conflicts Subnational violence. and conflict of forms other to led inadvertently often have stability national relative such achieve to used strategies the Yet ades. civil have beenparticularlybloody, warin but havenotledtolarge-scale,sustained recent dec the exception of . In , Thailand, and , national political conflicts local and subnational significant of price violence. the at often national but managing at contestation, successful relatively been have countries Asian #2. being affectedbyconflict. as of thought typically countries in just not everywhere, issue an are violence and conflict that clear becomes it spectrum, the Across increase. to violence electoral for potential the is there in in recent years, but land and natural-resource conflict is a significant problem, and violence or conflict little relatively been has There crime. violent of levels high particularly has type of conflict or violence. , for example, has low levels of most types of conflict, but it one least at by affected significantly are countries all that shows It years. 15 last the in country provides a comparative overview of the different forms of conflict and violence occurring in each attacks. justice vigilante and conflicts land including issues, local to related violence in dramatic cumulative impacts. In , almost 2,500 people were killed from 2005 to 2014 with everywhere—often present is violence Localized violence. intercommunal large-scale and conflicts subnational by affected deeply are countries other many Afghanistan; to confined not region typically thought of as a rare bastion of peace in a troubled world. Large-scale violence is thought ofasconflict-ridden. Powerful political elites across Asia have increasingly emphasized exclusive ethnic or re or ethnic exclusive emphasized increasingly have Asia across elites political Powerful with Asia, from absent been has war civil nationwide 2006, in war ’s of end the Since a Asia, in are violence and conflict serious and widespread how just highlights volume This 3 Table 1 Table - - - and religiousgroups. ethnic between cleavages the deepened has turn in Violence deaths. of thousands to led have riots these but elections, win to politicians for strategy a been has riots religious instigating example, for , In control. of out spun sometimes has which violence, to led often have tics poli Identity play. at tactics same the seen have Jakarta, capital, the in elections recent voters; rally to way a as identities confessional to threats emphasized provinces balanced religiously outlying, of range a in elites local Indonesia, In corruption. of allegations off fend to card chapter, for Theexample, shows competitive. how politicians more have increasingly become utilized have the Malay-Muslim politics and democratized have region the in nations as that deserveparticularattention.Betterresearchand dataareclearlyneeded. countries suggest do they although violence, gender-based of levels their by countries classify and cultural factors lead to widespread underreporting. As a result, the country chapters do not still unexplored and little understood. Survey data is inconsistent within and between countries, is violence such of impact and range full the Yet women. against violence reported in increase 2009 and 2013, which averages out to roughly 23 women raped every day. Nepal has seen a sharp ages of 15 and 49 report being raped. In India, there were 8,342 rapes reported per year between lence in most Asian countries. In Timor-Leste, for example, 14 percent of all women between the than previously understood. #5. Gender-based violence is widespread in Asia, and its impacts are greater highest homiciderateofanyAsiancity—11.9deathsper100,000people. of the population now live in Ulaanbaatar, rapid urbanization has helped push the capital to the schemes have contributed to the rise of the Naxalite movement. In Mongolia, where two-thirds for many, and protests have been met with violent crackdowns. In India, large-scale development has accelerated. In Cambodia, rapid economic expansion has reduced the security of land tenure growth as even intensified have conflicts subnational , the and Thailand like places In disparities. regional and inequality of rise the been has forces those of One violence. to led many, but the chapters in this volume show that the forces it has unleashed have also commonly outpacing far percent, 5.2 by Asia South and percent 7.1 by grew Asia East 2013, In respectively. percent, 15 and percent (PPP). day a 1.90 USD than less on lived Asia South than any other region in the world. In 1990, 60 percent of people in East Asia and 45 percent in violence inthecomingdecade. decrease than rather increase likely will urbanization and Development #4. The chapters in this volume point to the overwhelming pervasiveness of gender-based vio gender-based of pervasiveness overwhelming the to point volume this in chapters The Asia’s economic rise has been momentous. Since the early 1960s, it has grown richer faster richer grown has it 1960s, early the Since momentous. been has rise economic Asia’s any other region. other any 5 This rapid development has improved the lives of lives the improved has development rapid This 4 By 2013, these rates had fallen to under 4 under to fallen had rates these 2013, By - - 6

3 | Introduction: The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia 4 | Introduction: The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia Table violence andconflictinAsia 1.Levels of High Medium Low Afghanistan Timor-Leste Bangladesh Philippines Cambodia Indonesia Myanmar Mongolia Malaysia Pakistan Thailand Nepal India National civilwar National/transnational National political conflict Transnational terrorism Separatism and autonomy Subnational communal and Large-scale Large-scale ideological conflicts * Rankingsare basedonthelast 15 yearsandare relative toother Asian countries. electoral violence electoral Local political conflict and Local conflict over community rights resources and resources Local Urban crimeand violence

5 | Introduction: The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia 6 | Introduction: The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia violence have ebbed and flowed in most Asian countries. Twenty years ago, Timor-Leste was in and conflict time, over back looking Yet, peacebuilders. and policymakers of attention tinuing Bangladesh and Myanmar and between Pakistan and Afghanistan. These areas require the con between zones border Indonesia; and Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines, the in conflict national torisks alert remain elsewhere. but programming, conflict with spots hot Target #1. Five criticalimplications opment agencies have often coped less effectively with these cross-border dynamics than with the transnational jihadi networks and strengthening insurgent movements. Governments and devel spawning borders, national cross ideologies and goods, people, Guns, region. the in countries and promote violence, and country-to-country learning. conflict of drivers cross-border with Deal #4. rity isprovidedforall. growth; it is also a key preemptive strategy to ensure that human rights are respected and secu enhancing or delivery service improving for important just not is governance good Promoting strategy. political a as violence use to elites for space create institutions Weak resentments. fostering unpunished, go Crimes resistance. violent sometimes and grievances local to leads impunity Elite law. of rule the uphold not do institutions because occur violence and conflict volume, this in considered countries the of many In ways. nonviolent in competition economic and political manage to institutions legitimate and effective develop to crucial as just is it Yet flict-resolution mechanisms, promoting intercommunal tolerance—is vital in many areas of Asia. #3. Focusonbuildingtheruleoflaw. effective strategies. elites. Understanding this by political-economy, and solidified, how history further has and shaped it, exploited, is key often to developing are cleavages These today. violence drive that ages leaders in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar have directly determined the conflict cleav especially Bangladesh. Choices made by colonial powers and the first generation of postcolonial subcontinent’s two great Partitions still greatly impacts internal politics in India, Pakistan, and countries, and that have shaped the way that institutions function. The legacy of the South Asian have defined relations between groups, between society and the state, and between neighboring #2. Understandthehistoryandpolitics. Malaysia andCambodia,exhibitstrongriskfactors. and peace should never be taken for granted. Other relatively peaceful countries in Asia, such as resurfacing, of habit a have conflicts old Yet region. the in countries other many in than lower eastern provinces. Each is now firmly “postconflict”: current levels of most types of violence are and northern Lanka’s Sri affected violence horrific ago, decade a than Less war. civil bloody a the midst of violent resistance to an illegal occupation. Fifteen years ago, Nepal was wracked by The chapters in this volume show that conflict and violence in one country often affect other con local building processes, peace supporting and work—facilitating Peacebuilding that events and trends historical of product the often are violence and conflicts Today’s sub active of zones Afghanistan; of most elsewhere: as Asia, in spots hot conflict are There ------#5. Support locally owned violence monitoring systems to generate better data. izations promotepeaceathome. ways to share positive lessons such as these can help other governments and civil society organ effectivestrategies to reduceethnic or religioustensions anddetect emerging problems. Finding developed have organizations society civil countries, many in level local the At Province. Aceh in stuck has that settlement peace a negotiate to managed Indonesia Northeast. its in violence the reduced has India fruitful. be also could learned lessons sharing in cooperation Increased local drivers of violence. Multi-country approaches are needed to bolster security in the region. 4 3 2 1 picture oftheconflictandviolenceissuesdiscussedhere. oping similar systems across the region would contribute to a more accurate and comprehensive Indonesia, Nepal, and Bangladesh, and data from these is cited throughout this volume. Devel development of locally owned violent incident monitoring systems in Thailand, the Philippines, especially gender-based violence, is often missing. The Asia Foundation has been promoting the and violence, of forms localized on data Solid together. violence all aggregate to or violence of and violence for many countries. As noted above, global datasets tend to focus on just a few types underreport levels of violence. massively often datasets violence International quality. limited of still is violence and conflict Notes website, accessed August 21, 2017, 21, August accessed website, “Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day,” World Bank San Francisco:TheAsiaFoundation, 2013). Assistance Development International and Conflict Subnational Asia: of Corners Contested Thomas Parks, Nat Colletta, and Ben Oppenheim, (Vienna: UNODC, 2014), Data Contexts, Trends, 2013: Homicide on Study (UNODC), Crime and Drugs on Office Nations tion/violence/status_report/2014/en/ 2014), 2014 Prevention Violence on Report (WHO), Organization Health World manity.org/indexes/terrorism-index/ ( Index Terrorism Global Peace’s ucdp.uu.se/ www.acleddata.com/ See, for example, the data produced by ACLED ( It was clear when producing this volume that available data on the impact and incidence of incidence and impact the on data available that volume this producing when clear was It http://www.who.int/violence_injury_preven ), and the Institute for Economics and Economics for Institute the and ), ), Uppsala University ( University Uppsala ), http://www.unodc.org/gsh/ 7 It is extremely hard to find reliabledata for manyforms of conflict http://visionofhu http://data.world​ (Geneva: WHO, (Geneva: ). (Bangkok and (Bangkok Global Status Global ; and United and ; http:// http:// Global The - .

​ 7 6 5 cisco: TheAsiaFoundation,2016). Understanding Violence in Southeast Asia Morel, Adrian and Engvall, Anders Barron, Patrick violence/9789241564625/en/ http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/ violence sexual non-partner and violence partner intimate of effects health and prevalence women: against violence of estimates al World Health Organization (WHO), level. country the than rather regional the at results uses information on seven Asian countries, and reports only it however, methodology; rigorous more a used 2013 from study Organization Health World major A region/EAP 2017, 17, August accessed website, Bank World Pacific,” & Asia East Dashboard: Regional Equity & “Poverty bank.org/indicator/SI.POV.DDAY http://povertydata.worldbank.org/poverty/ (Geneva: WHO, 2013), WHO, (Geneva: . Global Global and region (San Fran - - - -

7 | Introduction: The State of Conflict and Violence in Asia