Why are territorial disputes left unresolved? Finding the true utility of ASEAN through a mixed-method analysis on the case of Malaysia and its territorial disputes in Southeast Asia

• Main Authors: Chan, Felicia Jia Hui, Ng, Wei Ting
• Other Authors: Kei Koga
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Social sciences::Political science::International relations
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/143970
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) creates closely interlinked countries in Southeast Asia (SEA) to maintain peace, security and stability within the region. ASEAN’s code of conduct- the ASEAN Way, have been credited by many studies to prolong peace in the region. Despite the prolonged peace in the region, territorial disputes among member states still occurs. There is a lack of understanding to why disputes remain unresolved in the region. This dissertation attempts to use a mixed-methods methodology to identify factors that influence dispute management resolution and analyse the effectiveness of ASEAN’s dispute management mechanisms. Based on our analysis, our dissertation will answer the following questions - (1) What are the factors that cause territorial disputes to be unresolved in South East Asia?, (2) What are the dispute management tactics that ASEAN and ASEAN member states have implemented to resolve territorial disputes within ASEAN, and (3) Why are territorial disputes in ASEAN still in existence? With the focus on the cases of Malaysia, the mixed-methods approach will utilize a logistic regression and secondary research to draw results and discuss why conflicts still exist in ASEAN. From the results, the paper emphasises ASEAN’s economic interests and its indirect influence in dispute management. With respect to ASEAN’s nature in member engagements through the ASEAN Way, ASEAN’s efforts in dispute management are mostly ineffective. ASEAN’s ineffectiveness in dispute management is inevitable due to the nature and makeup of ASEAN members, contributing to its inability to resolve disputes effectively. In this dissertation, we argue that the fundamental utility of ASEAN as an economic-diplomatic institution. We conclude by understanding ASEAN’s attempts to address security issues in the region and the reasons for unresolved territorial disputes in the region.