Book contents
- Asia-Pacific Perspectives on International Humanitarian Law
- Asia-Pacific Perspectives on International Humanitarian Law
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures and Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Editors’ Note
- 1 Introduction: Asia-Pacific Perspectives on International Humanitarian Law
- Part I Interviews
- Part II Development of International Humanitarian Law
- 6 The Origins and Evolution of Humanitarian Action in Southeast Asia
- 7 Humanitarianism in Chinese Traditional Military Ethics and International Humanitarian Law Training in the People’s Liberation Army
- 8 Military Practices in Ancient India
- 9 Asia-Pacific States and the Development of International Humanitarian Law
- 10 International Humanitarian Law and the Asia-Pacific Struggles for National Liberation
- 11 The Vietnam War and the Development of International Humanitarian Law
- 12 Critical Issues in the Regulation of Armed Conflict in Outer Space
- Part III Practice and Application of International Humanitarian Law
- Part IV Implementation and Enforcement of International Humanitarian Law
- Part V Looking to the Future and Enhancing Compliance with International Humanitarian Law
- Glossary of Publications
- Alphabetical Glossary of Cases and Decisions
- Chronological Glossary of Cases and Decisions
- Treaties and Other International Instruments, Resolutions and National Documents with an International Dimension
- Chronological Glossary of National Legislation and Secondary Instruments
- Peace Agreements and Communiques
- Abbreviations and Translations
- Index
6 - The Origins and Evolution of Humanitarian Action in Southeast Asia
from Part II - Development of International Humanitarian Law
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 October 2019
- Asia-Pacific Perspectives on International Humanitarian Law
- Asia-Pacific Perspectives on International Humanitarian Law
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures and Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Editors’ Note
- 1 Introduction: Asia-Pacific Perspectives on International Humanitarian Law
- Part I Interviews
- Part II Development of International Humanitarian Law
- 6 The Origins and Evolution of Humanitarian Action in Southeast Asia
- 7 Humanitarianism in Chinese Traditional Military Ethics and International Humanitarian Law Training in the People’s Liberation Army
- 8 Military Practices in Ancient India
- 9 Asia-Pacific States and the Development of International Humanitarian Law
- 10 International Humanitarian Law and the Asia-Pacific Struggles for National Liberation
- 11 The Vietnam War and the Development of International Humanitarian Law
- 12 Critical Issues in the Regulation of Armed Conflict in Outer Space
- Part III Practice and Application of International Humanitarian Law
- Part IV Implementation and Enforcement of International Humanitarian Law
- Part V Looking to the Future and Enhancing Compliance with International Humanitarian Law
- Glossary of Publications
- Alphabetical Glossary of Cases and Decisions
- Chronological Glossary of Cases and Decisions
- Treaties and Other International Instruments, Resolutions and National Documents with an International Dimension
- Chronological Glossary of National Legislation and Secondary Instruments
- Peace Agreements and Communiques
- Abbreviations and Translations
- Index
Summary
The history of humanitarianism in Southeast Asia is fraught with wicked problems and controversial decisions. Stemming from decades of bloody interstate wars, large-scale natural disasters and protracted subnational conflicts, Southeast Asia continues to be regarded as an especially conflict-ridden and disaster-prone region. This reflects a broader regional trend: a 2008 paper by the United Nations Development Programme identified Asia as having ‘the highest incidence of armed conflicts’ globally, with many lasting for decades and featuring both state-based and non-state-based violence. The ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar, separatist insurgencies in southern Thailand and human trafficking across the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal are but a few examples of the panoply of complex humanitarian challenges that come to mind. Even so, as this chapter posits, Southeast Asia’s collective memory is defined as much by acts of violence and political coercion as by humane acts of altruism and moral responsibility. Indeed, the region’s varied cast of humanitarian actors operate at multiple levels (i.e. transnational, domestic, interpersonal) and, depending on their operational context, can be driven by political imperatives as well as principled ideas.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019