Are Borders the Reflection of International Relations? Southeast Asian Borders in Perspective

Published date01 December 2018
DOI10.1177/2347797018798253
Date01 December 2018
Subject MatterArticles
Article
Are Borders the Reflection
of International Relations?
Southeast Asian Borders
in Perspective
A. K. M. Ahsan Ullah1
Asiyah Az-Zahra Ahmad Kumpoh2
Abstract
Over the past decade, the concepts of border have gained resonance in several
disciplines within social sciences. While critical theory of borders has made
tremendous advancements, scarcity of the scholarship in border studies is still
evident. Borders are, in general, cultural, social, territorial, geographical, political,
sexual and racial separators. This article deals with geographical borders in the
Southeast Asian (SEA) region. Most countries in SEA share borders with each
other. Under a range of circumstances and relationships such as trade, security and
migration flows take place. Southeast Asia’s heterogeneity—politically, ethnically,
religiously, economically, demographically and spatially—has crucial implications
for neighbourly relationships, trade, border constructions, migration and refugee
flows for all the countries. This article delves into the interplay between borders
and heterogeneity in SEA and their outcomes. We argue that borders type
determine the level of relationship between neighbouring countries and security
outcome, trade and population mobility.
Keywords
Borders, international relations, Southeast Asia, ASEAN, heterogeneity, geopolitics
Journal of Asian Security
and International Affairs
5(3) 295–318
2018 SAGE Publications India
Private Limited
SAGE Publications
sagepub.in/home.nav
DOI: 10.1177/2347797018798253
http://journals.sagepub.com/home/aia
1 Associate Professor, Geography, Environment and Development, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
(FASS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam.
2 Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Jalan
Tungku Link, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam.
Corresponding author:
A. K. M. Ahsan Ullah, Associate Professor, Geography, Environment and Development, Faculty of
Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong
BE1410, Brunei Darussalam.
E-mails: ahsan.ullah@ubd.edu.bn; akmahsanullah@gmail.com
296 Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs 5(3)
Introduction
In today’s world, the border agenda has undergone enormous expansion in the last
few decades. Of course, border controls and security perceptions have transformed
tremendously after the 9/11 (Kurki, 2014; Newman, 2007, p. 30). Since the election
campaign of the United States of 2016 began, border debates have received
renewed attention which attracted both applause and criticisms from all walks of
life in the USA and beyond. The campaign seemed to have pointed that drugs and
related crimes and criminals sneak through the pores of the USA–Mexico border.
Therefore, it is important to erect a wall on the border.
Within business and social sciences, over the decades, border concept has gained
resonance in several disciplines. While over the years ‘critical theory of borders—
(re)thinking borders, processes of bordering, re-bordering and de-bordering’—has
made astounding advancement (Horvat, 2013, p. 108), there is still evident scarcity
of border-focused research. Some events the world has witnessed in the last few
decades such as the collapse of Soviet Union, the integration of European countries,
the USA–Mexico border debates and the massive global migration flows have
brought the border to the heart of the current global discourse (Alvaréz, 1995;
Heyman, 1994; Sadowski-Smith, 2008; Schimanski & Wolfe, 2007; Vila, 2003).
Border serves two basic purposes—protection from external and internal
threats and territorial determination (Newman & Paasi, 1998). Newman and Paasi
(1998) and Newman (2010) also argue that borders determine the internal and
external identities of territories. According to Friedrich (1903) and Julian Minghi
(1963), borders and states complement each other (Gerfert, 2009).
International politics is essentially about how states influence one another’s
policies in ways they believe will contribute to their security. State security and
sovereignty are conditional upon economic, social, political and transnational
processes (Agnew, 2009; Flint & Taylor, 2007; Held et al., 1999; Ullah, 2010b).
As nations have become increasingly interdependent (Scott, 2015), there are good
reasons for nations to be more careful about their own security issues. Thus, social
pressure becomes a tool of modern international relations (Kelley & Simmons,
2015). Today, border, trade, migration and geopolitics are very much a part of
international studies. Border determines the level of relationship between the
border-sharing countries. Economic integration, threats to peace and security and
an international focus on human rights and environmental protection all speak to
the complexity of today’s international relations.
International borders are expressed in terms of border markers, national security,
custom and immigration controls for passports and visas, fences, walls, border guards
and national military troops (Bruce, 2008; Nelson et al., 2010; Sadowski-Smith, 2002,
p. 8; Wastl-Walter, 2011, p. 2). Borders emerged in various forms as far as security
challenges and migration flows came into place with heightened significance. Putting
up walls on the borders—a practice from time immemorial—indicates straining
relationship and distrust between countries. Historically, Chinese and Roman
empires, and prosperous nation-states (i.e., France and Germany) enforced their
borders from adjacent land-based national groups and states (Findlay, 1994). The
Romans built Hadrian’s wall about 120 years after the birth of Christ to protect the

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT