Asean: Changed security environment

NEW thinking about defense and security environment during the last few years pervades countries around the world. This was brought about by, to mention a few, the emergence of a terrorist quasi-state in the Middle East;  home-grown terrorist attacks prompting governments to be on extreme alert; mass immigration to Europe; the proliferation of advanced defense technologies; internal displacement of people due to armed conflicts; the phenomenon of environmental refugees including climate migrants as a consequence of natural disasters;  popularity of cyber warfare, which gave way to various levels of internal uncertainty and a new  perception about security concerns.

In  the Asean region, tension prevails as rivals jostle over territories in the West Philippine Sea which has enormous geo-strategic and economic significance. This climate of conflict has security implications which forced governments to  re-think their long-term defense strategies. In fact, some analysts opined that defense planning is increasingly being shaped by climate and resource considerations too. Take note that majority of  the Asean countries are vulnerable to extreme climate disturbances due to global warming and disaster relief had come to be accepted as the military’s secondary role.