Impacts and implications of non-traditional security issues on Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation

Abstract

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) comprising of Cambodia, China (Yunnan and Guangxi province), Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, was started in 1957 but the most effective initiative came in 1992 when the Asian Development Bank (ADB) initiated a regional Technical Assistance Program. The program was designed to promote and facilitate economic cooperation among the six riparian countries. However, the operation of GMS focuses on economic and physical development and overlooks the non-traditional security issues within the region. Therefore, this research attempted to study the extent of the non-traditional security issues and their impact and implications on Greater Mekong Subregion economic cooperation. Because without addressing the non-traditional security issues the regional cooperation is not able to achieve its aims in facilitating sustainable economic growth and improving the people’s standard of living in the Mekong region. The research finding suggested that the non- traditional security issues such as cross border migration, cross border human trafficking, cross border spread of HIV/AIDS and drugs and cross border environmental issues have direct implications on overall security not only in the Mekong region but also in the Asia- Pacific and on the wellbeing of individual states and society as a whole. Therefore, it should be noted that the full potential of the GMS countries can be realized only if the non- traditional security problems are adequately addressed and taking care of. This thesis is also attempt to bring better understanding toward problems concerning the limitation of cooperation due to non-traditional security issues that affect the political, security, economic and social cooperation in the GMS. By learning these issues and their impact and implications on GMS, those who concerned could formulate policies and practices in order to uplift the social wellbeing of the people in the GMS region.