Alistair Cook

Alistair Cook
University of Melbourne, Australia

Regions’ Influx - ASEAN and EU Perspectives on Forced Migration: The Case of Myanmar

Abstract:

Scholarly debate on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has long referred to the organization as an ‘embryonic’ European Union; others see the association as a vastly different and locally inspired regionalism project. The main sources of difference between the two, at present, are the strong emphasis on institutional development of European Union bodies and its supranational status on the one hand; and on the other, the ASEAN consensus-building policy making process and its intergovernmental and non-institutional approach to regional governance and cooperation. Therefore how these organizations formulate policy is vastly different. Recent challenges to both organizations have included forced migration and how they test the regional institutions and their member states. The legalistic approach of the European Union is how it is bound to process asylum claims and provide protection and provisions to those whom apply successfully in keeping with its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. On the other hand, the ASEAN founding principles of consensus building and non-intervention seemingly characterize their approach to forced migration with the non-signatory status of eighty percent of ASEAN members. Additional focus on other actors within the system highlights the complexity of the forced migration regime. This paper compares the EU approach to Myanmar with the ASEAN approach and argues that there are ways in which these two organizations can work together alongside others in approaching the largest forced migration producing state in Southeast Asia.

Biographical note:

Alistair studied his M.A. (Hons.) in International Relations focusing on the Middle East and Conflict Resolution from 1998-2002 at The University of St Andrews, Scotland. From 2002 to 2004, he studied his graduate M.A. at Purdue University USA in International Relations and Public Policy & Administration. At Purdue, he focused on International Norms, Comparative Policymaking Processes, Human Rights and Security. He was a Research Associate at the Social Research Institute and a PGSG Senator in his final year. After graduation, he worked as a Political Researcher for a British charity in London before moving to The University of Melbourne in early 2005. At Melbourne, his research interests are in Conflict Management and Resolution, Regionalism, Politics of Refugees, Human Rights and Security and is based in the Department of Political Science and the International Conflict Resolution Centre.

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