When Reform does not Transform: Problems and Challenges of the Security Sector in Southeast Asia.

The evolving discourse on security sector reform (SSR) has penetrated almost every part of the world except Southeast Asia. International organizations, multilateral institutions, NGOs, and epistemic communities have recognized that the provision of security must go beyond the imperatives of operational effectiveness and efficiency. There is now an appreciation that the security sector has a pivotal role on struggles for democratic consolidation, good governance, and peace-building. However, SSR remains to be problematic and poorly understood in Southeast Asia, a region infamous for having a security sector that is corrupt, politicized, and abusive. This paper examines the various factors that obstruct the implementation of genuine and meaningful SSR in the region. It discusses the cases of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand in order to highlight the inadequacies of current programs aimed at reforming the security sector. By way of conclusion, this paper enumerates some of the prospects and opportunities for SSR in Southeast Asia. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]