Overview of Conflicts in the Region

1. Most countries in Southeast Asia continue to face increasing INTERNAL problems and tensions. There are continuing struggles for self-determination, campaigns for democracy, resistance to globalization. Several of these conflicts are protracted and often involve a wide range of rebel groups. Overview of Conflicts in the Region

2. Peace talks are being conducted between the Government of the Philippines and the MILF – and not without challenges. Negotiations with the Maoist rebel groups remain stalled, while the government and the MNLF are conducting talks to revisit the implementation of the 1996 FPA.

3. The military junta in Burma has long been approaching different factions of the ethnic armed groups. Several agreements have been signed but often with short-lived results.

4. a.) Borders and political systems of many nation-states of Southeast Asia were moulded by colonial powers The legacy of colonialism is a recurring factor in our analyses of contemporary conflicts in the region. The struggles for self-determination such as those in Mindanao, Southern Thailand and West Papua (and Aceh) stem from the configurations and geographical boundaries created in the context of de-colonization as well as neglect and injustice imposed by elite-dominated, authoritarian government. How did these conflicts emanate?

5. b.) Self-determination issues as articulated in identity (i.e. ethnic and religious) underpin contemporary conflicts in Southeast Asia Tensions have remained as root causes of conflict have remained unaddressed leading to sporadic eruptions of violence along ethnic and religious lines. We have witnessed how the suppression of legitimate assertions of ethnic and religious identities and the marginalization of minority groups has created a deep sense of injustice and hence, the conditions for conflict and disharmony between different identity groups.

7. c.) Power inequalities and unequal access to resources are behind many conflicts in the region There is uneven development between countries and within countries. The problem of unequal control and access of natural resources is particularly acute among the region's indigenous communities, and has had grave impacts on their economic, social and cultural livelihood.

8. d.) The discriminatory policies of states and structural violence have caused much suffering, particularly for indigenous communities, ethnic nationalities and minority groups.

9. e.) The impact of the post 9/11 global security paradigm in the region The shift towards reliance on military force to achieve security (and in some countries, to combat terrorism) stymies the path toward peace and democracy and improved performance on civil rights in Southeast Asia.

10. We have witnessed how the war on terror has been used by some governments in the region to confront legitimate and peaceful assertions of basic issues and in addressing conflict situations. It has provided a rationale for suppressive internal security laws. The existing national security laws in Malaysia and Singapore have been made more virulent and legitimate by the war on terror paradigm. In the Philippines, the post 9/11 gave rise to draconian national security measures like the Human Security Act.

11. The war on terror is fueling militarization of the region and the expansion of US military influence, most notably in the southern Philippines, which was singled out by the US as the “second front” of the global war on terrorism.

12. There is need to collectively address these conflicts. Conflicts affect everyone, it can spill outside one's borders. And the impact is regional, even global like the Burma issue.

13. GPPAC-SEA's main advocacy is promoting partnerships, engagement with governments, multi-lateral agencies, inter-governmental institutions and civil society in preventing conflict and building peace. Specifically, GPPAC aims to wage a campaign for the establishment of Conflict Prevention and Peace Building mechanisms in the region both at the ASEAN level and in each member-nation. Advocacy/Policy Messages

14. Engagement with ASEAN started with the ASEAN Charter framework drafting process Submissions on the community pillars of ASEAN were made to the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) formed in 2006 whose primary task was to draft the ASEAN Charter framework. Engagement was continued with the High Level Task Force created to draft the ASEAN Charter itself. Advocacy/Engagement Target/s

15. A submission for the institutionalization of a Conflict Prevention Mechanism in ASEAN was included in the over-all civil society recommendations or lobby points

16. These engagements were pursued as we hope to contribute to building a broad civil society constituency who believe in influencing inter-governmental processes to become more people-centered, representative, inclusive, participatory, transparent.

17. Several approaches were utilized and platforms maximized to pursue the engagement: Meeting/audience were sought with the ASEAN Secretary-Generals and various officers and staff at the secretariat By being part of a regional civil society platform – SAPA Participation in regional meetings and processes (ACSC, APF) How is the engagement process?

18. Participation in the ASEAN Peoples' Assembly (APA) process Meetings/discussions with the ASEAN-ISIS

19. The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) was formed primarily to help address the challenge of preventing violent and destructive conflict. and Contribute to building a just and sustainable peace by transforming the underlying causes of conflict We are a global network of civil society working on conflict prevention and peace building that believe in the idea of networking and cooperation. Who are we?

20. We believe that partnerships between governments, international organizations and civil society are vital to make the transition towards effective ways of dealing with conflicts And that not one actor can resolve conflict alone.

21. We are present in 15 regions and in Southeast Asia, the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) is the Regional Initiator. Our membership involves around 16 organizations.