Editorial 

 

Greetings from the Journal of ASEAN Studies. We are very grateful to reach the fifth year of 

contributing to the Southeast Asian studies, both Association of Southeast Asian Nations 

(ASEAN) as institution and also individual country in the region. With the publication of 

this Volume 5 Issue 1, 2017, we are pleased to stay on track in providing an academic venue 

for scholars, practitioners, diplomats, businessmen, and larger stakeholders of ASEAN to 

contribute to the development of knowledge and debates pertaining to the Southeast Asian 

political, social, economic, and security issues. 

In this issue, there are six interesting manuscripts that consist of five articles and one 

research note. The first article is entitled, “The Evolution of Southeast Asian Regionalism: 

Security, Economic Development, and Foreign Power Support for Regional Initiatives, 1947-77” 

written by Sue Thompson from Australian National University, Australia. Thompson 

discusses Southeast Asian regionalism by focusing on the aspect of economic development 

and security. She argues that the evolution of Southeast Asian regionalism was a combined 

effort of foreign power support for Asian initiatives throughout the economic development 

with the aim to provide security during the political transformation of the region from the 

post-war period into the early years of ASEAN and the aftermath of the war in Vietnam. 

The second article is entitled, “Redefining ASEAN Way: Democratization and Intergovernmental 

Relations in Southeast Asia” written by M. Faishal Aminuddin and Joko Purnomo, both from 

University of Brawijaya, Indonesia. Aminuddin and Purnomo review inter-state relations in 

Southeast Asia countries and find that regional cooperation in the region has achieved 

limited political development. They provide an alternative type of political diplomacy by 

combining formal diplomacy actions done by state institution and informal diplomacy 

actions done by non-government actors. 

The third article is entitled, “The Rohingya Muslim in the Land of Pagoda” written by Leni 

Winarni from Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia. Winarni examines why the Buddhist 

Community in Myanmar turns into religious violence against Rohingya people in the State 

of Rakhine. She uses historical perspective to analyze the ethnic-religion violence and finds 

that the conflict is either an indication of a weak state or failure state in managing diversity. 

The fourth article is entitled, “Higher Education Integration in ASEAN: ASEAN University 

Network Case” written by Teuku Rezasyah, Neneng Konety, Affabile Rifawan, and Wahyu 

Wardhana from Padjadjaran University, Indonesia. Rezasyah et al. discuss the role of 

ASEAN University Network (AUN) in enhancing regional integration in the higher 

education sector in ASEAN. Lastly, the fifth article is entitled, “Sub-National Government and 

the Problem of Unequal Development in ASEAN Economic Integration: Case of Indonesia” written 

by Agus Suman, Pantri Muthriana Erza Killian, and Ni Komang Desy Arya Pinatih. They 

elaborate the problem of increasing intra-national development gap due to regional 

integration by using Indonesia as a case study. 

This issue ends with a research note entitled, “Liberal World Order in the Age of Disruptive 

Politics: A Southeast Asian Perspective” written by Moch Faisal Karim from University of 

Warwick, United Kingdom. Karim explores the notion of disruptive politics and the 

challenge it poses to the liberal world order. 



Finally, the editor-in-chief would like to express highest appreciation for the authors who 

have submitted their manuscripts as response from our invitation and call for papers, as 

well as who have participated in the International Conference on Business, International 

Relations, and Diplomacy (ICOBIRD) at Bina Nusantara University whose papers are 

published in this issue. We also would like to thank the Indonesian Association for 

International Relations (AIHII) for continuing support of this joint publication with the 

Centre for Business and Diplomatic Studies (CBDS) of the Department of International 

Relations of Bina Nusantara University.  

 

Jakarta, 31 July 2017 

 

 

Prof. Dr. Tirta N. Mursitama, Ph.D. 

Editor-in-chief