Chanintira na Thalang | Thammasat University (original) (raw)

Papers by Chanintira na Thalang

International studies perspectives, Jun 19, 2024

Critical Asian Studies, Oct 1, 2023

Journal of International Peacekeeping

Based on an examination of the peace process in Thailand’s southern border provinces, this articl... more Based on an examination of the peace process in Thailand’s southern border provinces, this article asks what are the important lessons learned for strengthening asean’s role in conflict resolution. The argument of this article is threefold. First, asean’s entrenched norms have prevented a regularised role for asean in the area of conflict resolution. Second, due to this arrangement, asean member states have applied a varied mix of approaches to resolving or managing ethnic conflicts. From a comparative perspective, the Thai approach to resolving the conflict falls in an in-between position along the spectrum of democratic and authoritarian means used by its fellow asean member states. Third, the lack of regularised procedures is not necessarily an obstacle to resolving conflict but it reduces opportunities to deepen regional cooperation. More pressing is asean’s inability to protect minority rights, which has negatively affected asean’s centrality, and its commitment to building a p...

Journal of International Peacekeeping, 2023

Based on an examination of the peace process in Thailand’s southern border provinces, this articl... more Based on an examination of the peace process in Thailand’s southern border provinces, this article asks what are the important lessons learned for strengthening ASEAN’s role in conflict resolution. The argument of this article is threefold. First, ASEAN’s entrenched norms have prevented a regularised role for ASEAN in the area of conflict resolution. Second, due to this arrangement, ASEAN member states have applied a varied mix of approaches to resolving or managing ethnic conflicts. From a comparative perspective, the Thai approach to resolving the conflict falls in an in-between position along the spectrum of democratic and authoritarian means used by its fellow ASEAN member states. Third, the lack of regularised procedures is not necessarily an obstacle to resolving conflict but it reduces opportunities to deepen regional cooperation. More pressing is ASEAN’s inability to protect minority rights, which has negatively affected ASEAN’s centrality, and its commitment to building a people-centred community.

Critical Asian Studies, 2023

International Affairs

Based on statements made by political and military elites and government officials, the article e... more Based on statements made by political and military elites and government officials, the article explores how Thailand selectively supports and capitalizes on certain elements of the contemporary world order, namely United States-led security cooperation and economic liberalism, while half-heartedly embracing the ideals of liberal democracy. Although this never caused problems with the West during the Cold War, matters began to change in the 1990s against the backdrop of systemic-level shifts. While these developments have caused sporadic tensions with the West and effectively brought Thailand closer to China, Thailand has pragmatically sought ways to maintain its autonomy from both the United States and China. Based on Thailand's experience, this article reveals how smaller states pursue a variety of strategies to enhance their agency despite their lack of material capabilities. In turn, the discussion exemplifies how smaller states are not always determined by systemic level fa...

International Affairs, 2023

Contemporary Southeast Asia, 2022

Based on cross-national surveys and reflexive stocktaking, this special issue seeks to gain a bet... more Based on cross-national surveys and reflexive stocktaking, this special issue seeks to gain a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges to advancing the debates on Global IR in seven Southeast Asian academic communities, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Reflecting on various political and socio-economic variables that have shaped the contours of the discipline, it is argued that the primary challenges to advancing Global IR are 1) the dominance of existing mainstream IR theories in teaching and research; and 2) the propensity for scholars based in Southeast Asia to conduct policy- and empirical-oriented research. However, amidst these challenges, many contributors have argued that there are some opportunities for the development of Global IR. These include prospects for pre-theorisation and conceptulisation based on the abundance of empirical-based research, support for familiarising students with publications by local scholars, and constructivism’s growing popularity. Finally, the article proposes various ways to advance Global IR.

Contemporary Southeast Asia

Based on survey data and reflexive stocktaking, this article examines the status of IR in three a... more Based on survey data and reflexive stocktaking, this article examines the status of IR in three areas, namely teaching, research and theory application, with the purpose of understanding the opportunities and challenges with respect to advancing the debates on Global IR from the perspective of Thai academe. While the current state of the discipline reveals many challenges, this article argues that the prospects for progressing the debates on Global IR are contingent on how Thai academics seek opportunities for theory building through inductive reasoning and critically questioning the relevance of mainstream IR theories to local contexts outside the West. Equally important is how Thai IR scholars realize the potential for policy-oriented research to lead to pre-theorization. However, whatever is inferred from these local experiences must offer useful implications beyond national and regional boundaries.

Contemporary Southeast Asia, 2022

Based on survey data and reflexive stocktaking, this article examines the status of IR in three ... more Based on survey data and reflexive stocktaking, this article examines
the status of IR in three areas, namely teaching, research and theory
application, with the purpose of understanding the opportunities
and challenges with respect to advancing the debates on Global IR
from the perspective of Thai academe. While the current state of the
discipline reveals many challenges, this article argues that the prospects
for progressing the debates on Global IR are contingent on how Thai
academics seek opportunities for theory building through inductive
reasoning and critically questioning the relevance of mainstream IR
theories to local contexts outside the West. Equally important is how
Thai IR scholars realize the potential for policy-oriented research to
lead to pre-theorization. However, whatever is inferred from these
local experiences must offer useful implications beyond national and
regional boundaries.

South East Asia Research, 2018

While the general literature analysing mobility patterns in Thailand's southern border provinces ... more While the general literature analysing mobility patterns in Thailand's southern border provinces largely indicates insecurity and violence as precipitating factors for migration, such explanations fail to fully explain why the majority of those who migrate do so within the conflict area rather than away from it. Based on fieldwork, this article argues that while a lack of security measures and higher levels of violence in rural areas have induced people to migrate to more urban areas, a variety of factors, including emotional attachment to homeland, and cultural and religious considerations have influenced peoples' decision to stay. Most importantly, the accumulation of 'insider advantages', enable most to adapt and seek employment despite the present circumstances.

Asian Survey, 2017

Peace negotiations are shaped not only by the agents of conflict, but also by the structures in w... more Peace negotiations are shaped not only by the agents of conflict, but also by the structures in which they interact. From a comparative perspective, this article examines how both structural and agential factors have influenced the trajectory of the peace processes in Aceh and in Thailand’s southern border provinces.

Asian Survey, 2017

Australian Journal of International Affairs, 2017

The conflicts in Thailand's southern border provinces and Mindanao have not only posed a challeng... more The conflicts in Thailand's southern border provinces and Mindanao have not only posed a challenge to the Thai and Philippine governments, but have also affected the respective governments' relations with Malaysia. From a comparative perspective, this article aims to illustrate how a complicated web of interactions between domestic and international factors has not only shaped domestic decision-making, but also influenced how states interact with one another in regard to the conflicts, which has resulted in a mix of cooperation and contention. It is argued that despite past downturns in bilateral relations, various developments have paved the way for Malaysia to play a role in the current peace processes in Thailand's southern border provinces and Mindanao. However, Malaysia has been able to accomplish more in Mindanao's peace process due to several favourable conditions, including the Philippine government's openness towards thirdparty involvement, regional security concerns and politics that have been less polarised until 2016.

Electoral Studies, 2014

• The 2014 Indonesian elections was a tight race between Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 2016

This article assesses the knowledge of, attitudes towards, and aspirations for ASEAN among Thai u... more This article assesses the knowledge of, attitudes towards, and aspirations for ASEAN among Thai university students, who are set to enter the ASEAN Community labour market and are among those most in touch with ASEAN issues. It uses data obtained from a countrywide survey and focus group discussions to identify variables that affect knowledge, attitudes, and aspirations and to explore the relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and aspirations. The quantitative analysis conducted here uses students’ fields of study, academic performance, and exposure to both ASEAN-related courses and also information and discussions about ASEAN in the mass media and public forums as predictors of their level of knowledge about ASEAN. The paper's results confirm that positive attitudes towards ASEAN lead to positive aspirations for ASEAN. They also reveal that significant knowledge about ASEAN cannot, in isolation, adequately explain students’ attitudes towards ASEAN and does not always lead ...

International studies perspectives, Jun 19, 2024

Critical Asian Studies, Oct 1, 2023

Journal of International Peacekeeping

Journal of International Peacekeeping, 2023

Based on an examination of the peace process in Thailand’s southern border provinces, this articl... more Based on an examination of the peace process in Thailand’s southern border provinces, this article asks what are the important lessons learned for strengthening ASEAN’s role in conflict resolution. The argument of this article is threefold. First, ASEAN’s entrenched norms have prevented a regularised role for ASEAN in the area of conflict resolution. Second, due to this arrangement, ASEAN member states have applied a varied mix of approaches to resolving or managing ethnic conflicts. From a comparative perspective, the Thai approach to resolving the conflict falls in an in-between position along the spectrum of democratic and authoritarian means used by its fellow ASEAN member states. Third, the lack of regularised procedures is not necessarily an obstacle to resolving conflict but it reduces opportunities to deepen regional cooperation. More pressing is ASEAN’s inability to protect minority rights, which has negatively affected ASEAN’s centrality, and its commitment to building a people-centred community.

Critical Asian Studies, 2023

International Affairs

International Affairs, 2023

Contemporary Southeast Asia, 2022

Contemporary Southeast Asia

Contemporary Southeast Asia, 2022

South East Asia Research, 2018

Asian Survey, 2017

Australian Journal of International Affairs, 2017

Electoral Studies, 2014

• The 2014 Indonesian elections was a tight race between Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 2016

Global International Relations in Southeast Asia

Reflecting on the status of IR as a discipline in Southeast Asia with comparisons to that in Chin... more Reflecting on the status of IR as a discipline in Southeast Asia with comparisons to that in China, it is argued that although existing mainstream IR theories remain dominant, it is possible to identify some exciting contributions to Global IR in the form of pre-theory and concepts based on local experiences, some of which have attracted trans-regional debate. In contrast, the possibilities for home-grown theories remain limited but are not entirely non-existent. Considering the present circumstances, the conclusion proposes various ways to advance Global IR.

Global International Relations in Southeast Asia

Based on survey data collection and reflexive stocktaking, this chapter examines the status of IR... more Based on survey data collection and reflexive stocktaking, this chapter examines the status of IR in Thailand in three areas, including teaching, the use of theory, and research with the purpose of understanding the opportunities and challenges to advancing the debates on Global IR. While the current state of the discipline reveals many challenges, this chapter argues that the prospects for progressing the debates on Global IR are contingent on how Thai academics seek ways to revise existing theories and make the most of the abundance of empirical- and policy-oriented studies to introduce homegrown theories and concepts. However, whatever is inferred from these local experiences must offer useful implications beyond national and regional boundaries.

Global International Relations in Southeast Asia

While the debates on Global IR are gaining momentum in many parts of the world, the advancement o... more While the debates on Global IR are gaining momentum in many parts of the world, the advancement of such discussions in Southeast Asia has lagged behind many other regions. Within this context, this introductory chapter establishes the boundaries of the edited volume, Global International Relations in Southeast Asia, positioning it within the debates of Global IR and justifying why we should learn more about Southeast Asia’s experiences. Lastly, it defines the terms pre-theory, theory, and concept, which will form the basis of the discussion in the subsequent chapters.

While explanations to why there is an absence of an indigenous sourced International Relations (I... more While explanations to why there is an absence of an indigenous sourced International Relations (IR) theory as discussed in this volume reinforces similar experiences of other academic contexts, these explanations cannot explain why the conceptualisation of and theoretical debates in Thai (domestic) politics are a more common occurrence among Thai, Asian and western scholars. This chapter proposes three possible explanations to why this is the case. First, the conceptualisation and theorisation of domestic politics is easier to the due scope of study which is more compact than IR. Second, domestic instability in Thailand has attracted increased scholarly attention from political scientists and area study specialists while interest in IR is stagnant. Third, debate in IR is limited due to several reasons including the public’s lack of interest in foreign affairs and the IR community’s small size which is laden with diverse research interests. Though Thailand lacks in an active, cohesive and continuous policy on the international stage; conflicts, agreements and interactions stemming from Thailand’s geographical location are a crucial source of empirical data. However, conceptualisation or theorisation would only materialise if empirical knowledge is ulitilised to seek patterns and identify generalisations.

This chapter explores the trajectory and the current state of Southeast Asian Studies in Thailand... more This chapter explores the trajectory and the current state of Southeast Asian Studies in Thailand as well as the contributors of Southeast Asia Studies in IR. While Southeast Asian Studies has enjoyed a steady supply of scholars interested in international relations of the region, none have made any contributions to theory development in the field of IR. This is due to several reasons which may not be unique to the Thai context. First, as an area study, empirical research is priortised over theory development. Second, the dominance Western academic thought including epistemological paradigms and theories which raises the question whether we can free ourselves from the structures in which we have been academically socialised in? Third, English still remains the main medium of interaction which limits debate from Thai Southeast Asianists at the global level. Fourth, largely there is a lack of institutional support and encouragement for publications and research in Thai academia.

Ethnic conflicts have long been a contentious issue for Southeast Asian states. Disparity and sup... more Ethnic conflicts have long been a contentious issue for Southeast Asian states. Disparity and suppression in political, economic, and social arenas have led to discord and violence between ethnic groups. When violence turns into wars, peoples’ lives are at risk. When people are at war, political, economic, and social developments are hindered. When war expands, this limits the capacity of the state to implement an effective rule of law. Moreover, war can spill over borders and can potentially change territorial borders. As such, an ethnic conflict becomes a matter where internal and international politics meet.

Ethnic conflict resolution is never straight forward. Various factors such as diverse actors with conflicting goals, competing nationalisms, internal politics, and vested interests all play a part in complicating and frustrating opportunities in bringing an end to ethnic conflicts. While international organisations have become more involved in settling conflicts across the globe, there has been much reluctance from East Asian states to institutionalise a role for the region’s organisations to play a part in settling ethnic conflicts. By ‘institutionalise’ this chapter concurs with the definition in the introduction of this volume which is a process to regularise cooperative action amongst East Asian states. Recent developments show that a number of ASEAN members have warmed to the idea of having a fellow ASEAN member involved in peace processes. However, external involvement is defined by the host state on an ad-hoc basis as opposed to being institutionalised to regularise any set procedures.

This chapter examines two cases of armed ethnic conflicts, namely Aceh and Thailand’s three southernmost provinces from a comparative perspective. It also explores what role, if any, ASEAN or any other East Asian regional organisation have played in these conflicts. Peace negotiations between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have resulted in the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2005 ultimately ending a three-decade long struggle for independence. In comparison, the case of Thailand’s three southernmost provinces shows that the Thai government and armed groups have attempted talks for peace but without avail. The two cases are selected for the following reasons. Firstly, the cases illustrate that the success and the failure of peace processes are dependent on internal configurations and not external pressure from either ASEAN as an institution or an ASEAN member state. Secondly, from a comparative perspective, this chapter explores the different ways and circumstances individual ASEAN member states have become involved in peace processes in the cases of Aceh and the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. In the case of Aceh, individual member states have played a role in monitoring the peace agreements of 2002-3 and again in 2005. In the case of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand, individual member states, namely Malaysia and Indonesia, have played a role in facilitating talks between the conflicting parties. Although individual ASEAN member states have been involved in settling ethnic conflicts in Southeast Asia, it is not based on institutionalised practices but: (a) are subject to the invitation of the host state; (b) on an ad-hoc basis; and (c) confined to a comparatively limited role, such as peace monitoring and facilitating. The absence of any institutionalised role for ASEAN is due to ASEAN member states’ insistence of maintaining ethnic conflicts as a purely domestic matter. State sovereignty is further protected by security and cultural practices governing inter-state relations among ASEAN members emphasising non-interference. Furthermore, it is highly questionable whether ASEAN possesses the capacity to take on such a role.

This chapter focuses on Southeast Asia for the comparability of cases. Thus, much of the discussion surrounds the role of ASEAN due to its existence as the only regional organisation vis-à-vis the absence of an East Asian-wide organisation. Furthermore, other East Asia’s regional security forums such as ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) are to a certain degree an extension of ASEAN’s security norms and practices.