In the past decade, Southeast Asia has faced a series of crises: the Asian financial crisis, Islamic and separatist terrorism, continued instability in recently democratized states, the erratic security behavior of the military junta in Burma, and the 2004 tsunami disaster. Despite Southeast Asia’s progress toward democratization and economic development in the late twentieth century, the region’s future remains in doubt, with grave implications for the large share of global trade and energy supplies that transit the region.

How are the governments of Southeast Asia responding to these challenges, and what support do they require from the United States? What are the ties between Southeast Asian separatists and the global jihadi movement? Can ASEAN maintain progress toward regional integration while the regime in Burma fuels regional insecurity and competition between India and China? What interests and responsibilities does America have in the region? On May 24, AEI will hold a half-day conference to address these and other questions related to the security crisis in Southeast Asia.