Let us take a step back.

In recent months, Southeast Asia has faced a series of destabilizing events. Indonesia has witnessed mass protests driven by widespread public distrust in the government, followed by social crackdowns that led to loss of lives and cabinet upheavals.

Border clashes have reignited between Thailand and Cambodia, affecting livelihoods of communities living near that border and jeopardizing diplomatic relations. Meanwhile, the Philippines is once again grappling with a corruption scandal that has sparked nationwide outrage, alongside ongoing violence in the south rooted in religious and clan-based tensions.

Adding to this turmoil, Myanmar remains gripped by the military’s protracted coup that continues to undermine peace and obstruct humanitarian efforts.

These events are not isolated. Unfortunately, they are part of a regional pattern, a mounting wave of instability that threatens to push Southeast Asia into a prolonged period of polarization, insecurity, and distrust.

It would be a mistake to think of these issues as confined within national borders. In reality, Southeast Asia is more interconnected than ever, economically, politically, culturally. Through trade, migration, digital platforms, and the framework of ASEAN itself, we are bound together. Sovereignty gives us independence, but our geography and shared interests ensure that instability in one country can quickly affect its neighbors.