Issue 15: The South China Sea

Issue 15 (March 2014). The South China Sea

Special Editorial

The territorial conflict in the South China Sea has become one of Asia’s most vulnerable flashpoints and a mystery for those seeking a solution. Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia, in this March issue, proudly presents the case of the South China Sea. We are delighted to have five excellent papers from experts in the field, covering a number of countries involving in the conflict, namely, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Moreover, we have two more papers, which examine the case from a broader perspective: one from a former official at the ASEAN Secretariat and the other reflecting a European viewpoint on the case.

In retrospect, both ASEAN and China attempted to deal with the South China Sea dispute through the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which called for “dialogue, confidence building and cooperative measures”. One of the key components of the declaration was the clause stipulating that countries should refrain from taking action “that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including . . . refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features”. However, the DOC proved extremely difficult to implement. The Five papers presented here, in many ways, are seeking to offer some recommendations for the issues at hand. The editorial team hopes that readers who are interested in this issue would gain new insights as they look deeper into the South China Sea issue.

Also, in the review section of Issue 15, we have four book reviews as well as a photo essay looking at the issue of asylum seekers housed in detention centres in Indonesia and offers a glimpse into the lives of the detainees. Finally, Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia is happy to welcome Eve Warburton, a young scholar from the Australian National University who writes about the thorny issue of resource nationalism in Indonesia. Look out for our regular monthly articles featuring other young academics.

Pavin Chachavalpongpun
Editor, Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia
March 2014

Issue 15— Main articles (March 2014). All are available in four languages

Managing Security in the South China Sea: From DOC to COC Mingjiang Li Mengelola Isu Keamanan di Laut Cina Selatan: Dari DOC ke COC 南シナ海における安全保障の管理：ＤＯＣからＣＯＣへ การจัดการด้านความมั่นคงในทะเลจีนใต้: จาก DOC ถึง COC

 

Three Priority Measures in Maintaining Peace and Stability in the South China Sea Nguyen Hung Son Tiga tindakan yang harus diutamakan dalam memelihara perdamaian dan stabilitas di Laut Cina Selatan 三つの優先的施策　南シナ海の平和と安定維持のために มาตรการสามอันดับแรกในการรักษาสันติภาพและเสถียรภาพในทะเลจีนใต้

Growing strategic rivalry among East Asia’s great powers: Implications for Southeast Asia and the South China Sea Aileen San Pablo-Baviera Meningkatnya persaingan strategis di antara kekuatan-kekuatan utama Asia Timur: Implikasi bagi Asia Tenggara dan Laut Cina Selata 高まる東アジア大国間の戦略的競争：東南アジアと南シナ海への影響 การแข่งขันเชิงยุทธศาสตร์ที่เพิ่มขึ้นในหมู่มหาอำนาจในเอเชียตะวันออก: ผลกระทบต่อเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้และทะเลจีนใต้

Known Knowns, Known Unknowns, Unknown Unknowns, and Unknown Knowns in the South China Sea Disputes Termsak Chalermpalanupap “Known Knowns, Known Unknowns, Unknown Unknowns, dan Unknown Knowns” di dalam konflik Laut Cina Selatan 南シナ海論争における 既知の知、既知の未知、未知の未知と未知の知 รู้ว่ารู้, รู้ว่าไม่รู้, ไม่รู้ว่าไม่รู้, และไม่รู้ว่ารู้ ในข้อพิพาททะเลจีนใต้

Chinese Soft Power and ASEAN’s Constructive Engagement: Sino-ASEAN relations and the South China Sea Mikael Weissmann Diplomasi ‘Soft Power’ Cina dan Kebijakan ‘Constructive Engagement’ ASEAN: Hubungan Sino-ASEAN dan Laut Cina Selatan 中国のソフト・パワーとＡＳＥＡＮの建設的関与：中・ＡＳＥＡＮ関係と南シナ海 Soft Power ของจีนกับการเกี่ยวพันอย่างสร้างสรรค์ของอาเซียน: ความสัมพันธ์จีน-อาเซียนและทะเลจีนใต้

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Review Essays (March 2014)
中国南传佛教研究 (Theravāda Buddhism in China) Author:  郑篠筠 (Xiaoyun Zheng) Beijing: China Social Sciences	Reviewed by 陈锴 (Kai Chen)
인도네시아 속의 한국, 한국 속의 인도네시아 – 투자와 이주를 통한 문화 교류 (Korea in Indonesia, Indonesia in Korea – Cultural Exchange Through Investment and Migration)  By 전제성(Jesong Jeon), 유완또 (Yuwanto) Seoul: Imagine, 2013 Era Emas Hubungan Indonesia-Korea:  Pertukaran Kultural Melalui Investasi dan MigrasiJesong Jeon and Yuwanto	Reviewed by Eunsook Jung
フィリピンの小さな産院から』(From a Small Maternity Clinic in the Philippines) Author: 冨田江里子 (TOMITA, Eriko) Publisher: Tokyo: Seifusha (2012)	Reviewed by Shiraishi Natsuko
Muzika: Malaya’s Early Music Scene, 1900-1965. Azlan Mohamed Said, edited by Juffri Supa’at. Singapore: Stamford Printing, 2013. 256 pages. Reviewed by Adil Johan	Reviewed by Adil Johan
PHOTO ESSAY Onward or Return: Asylum Seekers in Indonesia	By Dave Lumenta
Young Academics’ Voice (March 2014)
Northwest Vietnam’s Coffee Boom and Food Security	By Tuyen Nghiem Written in collaboration with Kono Yasuyuki
New Plantation ~ New Hope: Mangrove Plantations for Survivable Societies and Future Earth	By Andi Amri
Planting the Culture of Democracy: Kaliurang, Yogyakarta and Padang, West Sumatra Post-2010 Merapi Volcano Eruption and 2009 Sumatran Earthquake	ByLaila Kholid Alfirdaus
Where Are My Country(wo)men? The Lack of Singaporean Academics in Singapore’s Universities	By Jack Chia and Carissa Kang
From Fiesta to Festival: Tourism and Cultural Politics in the Philippines	ByLou Antolihao
In Whose Interest? Debating resource nationalism in Indonesia	By Eve Warburton

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