The Trustworthy Peace?

Abstract

Studies of East Asia have generally focused on one of four concerns: economic achievements, given the region’s generally remarkable performances; interest in inter-nation conflict, since the countries in the region assert competing territorial claims; the potential for civil wars, where civil-military relations; and ethnic differences have led to regime changes or clashes over governance; and democratic development, where the region has seen political progress in emergent democracies that outpaces counterparts in other regions. Curiously, one area that is the foundation of each of these fields – domestic peace – is largely sidestepped in these studies. This is despite the fact that domestic peace underpins the full slate of economic achievements, outward-looking policies and democratic development.