South East Asia and Oceania

About Centre

The South East Asia and Oceania Centre focuses on policy-relevant research with respect to the ten ASEAN states, East Timor and Oceania, including Australia and New Zealand. The Centre studies India’s bilateral and multilateral relations with states of the region with a view to providing contemporary relevance to India’s Look East policy. It has a futuristic-looking approach and examines the emerging trends in the regional security architecture. The Centre studies the potential for India’s enhanced defence cooperation (including maritime issues) and cooperation in non-traditional security issues with the region. It examines internal developments of countries in this region, especially political transitions and the role of the military, and their implications for India. The Centre seeks to promote Track-II institutional linkages with the region. Southeast Asia & Oceania Centre brings out a monthly newsletter – Insight Southeast Asia.

India’s approach to Asia Pacific

This policy brief discusses some of the key trends in the Asia Pacific and sets out a long-term approach for India so as to maximise its security and developmental opportunities.

Arvind Gupta
September 19, 2013
Policy Brief

Vietnam-US Rapprochement: A New Phase

Vietnam’s president Sang’s visit to the US is historic in many ways and promises to bring in a new era of partnership through active trade relations and strategic alliance as a counterweight to China.

Rahul Mishra
September 02, 2013
IDSA Comments

Assessing the Bodh Gaya Terror Attack

With increased cross-border mobility, instantaneous access to information and easy reach to small arms, terror attacks in India are finding new targets.

Myanmar Opens to Business Opportunities, but is it sustainable?

After years of political and economic isolation, Myanmar is opening up to investment particularly in the energy sector. There are however, accompanying uncertainties and risks.

Ethnic Tension and Political Drift in Myanmar

The impact of discord and disharmony within the country has started manifesting itself in the economic sphere. Despite the US and EU relaxing their sanctions, development problems have started showing up.

Gautam Sen
May 27, 2013
IDSA Comments

Australia-China Strategic Partnership

Timely as it was, the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s five-day China visit may be considered a success on all fronts. Leading the ‘strongest Australian delegation ever’ to China, Gillard pledged to give the relationship a ‘concrete shape’, which in Chinese Premier Li Kequing’s words, is already ‘comprehensive, constructive and cooperative’. This issue brief analyses Julia Gillard’s China visit in the context of rising Australia-China bonhomie.

Rahul Mishra
May 13, 2013
Issue Brief

More Ethnic Riots in Myanmar: Disturbances in Meikhtila

Unless the leaders of varying political hue and institutional oligarchs, including the military and, above all, Su Kyi, show political wisdom, incidents such as those in Meikhtila, Yamethin, and state military action against the Karens and Kachins will continue to recur.

Gautam Sen
March 28, 2013
IDSA Comments

Cooperation Between Indian and Myanmar Armed Forces: Need to Move Away from a Weapons & Equipment Supply-Based Relationship

While India has supplied arms and equipment quite selectively to Myanmar, the outcome, which was expected to serve India’s interests, has not been commensurate.

Gautam Sen
January 15, 2013
IDSA Comments

Obama’s Visit to Myanmar

Obama’s visit strengthens the hands of President U Thein Sein and has raised expectation that it would encourage the Myanmar government to address the democratisation and ethnic challenges.

Udai Bhanu Singh
November 29, 2012
IDSA Comments

Japan-China spat over the Senkakus shows no sign of abating

To avoid further deterioration in the bilateral relationship, both Japan and China need to now abandon their hard-line stance and stop escalating nationalistic sentiments among their people.