By Priyashree Andley
Today, several terms are used to describe the range of efforts to mitigate conflict, including conflict management, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, conflict prevention, peace building, and so on. This understanding pertains to structure- and process-oriented endeavours for crisis prevention, strategies for empowering groups and building communities, conflict management and resolution activities, as well as rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation efforts in post-war situations.
We can take the case of maritime security in South and East Asia to understand the security situation in this region and thereby assess the difficulties in conflict prevention and shaping the security architecture here. For example, there is a need to control the vast maritime resources of India in the Indian Ocean. As seas go from coast to coast, the resources cannot be impeded anywhere. Hence, the Indian Ocean is not India’s ocean and this needs to be understood for improving inter-country interaction between India and its East Asian neighbours like China.
The problem lies with the idea of ‘country sovereignty’. For example, how can China exercise sovereign rights in the huge area of the South China Sea? The unpredictability of affairs leads to rise in instability. This calls for a larger game plan for a strategic approach in order to prevent rise of conflicts. Managing security of the Indian Ocean also requires a strategic approach. As per expert reports at the NIAS, Bangalore, 55 percent of India’s oil resources and 44 percent of gas reserves come from the Indian Ocean. Thus, the ocean can become a theatre of conflict with the increasing risk of strategic competition.
As governments often respond to operational situations, it sidelines the importance of regulatory rules to manage these regions. The Indian Ocean is a medium as well resource that needs to be used and managed well to sustain stability and security in the East and South East Asian region. Moreover, countries in the region to cooperate and establish an arrangement to prevent the rise of a ‘hegemon’ that can dominate the regional space. In this context, India needs to protect its boundary line.
India faces major challenges on the Indian Ocean. Firstly, the expanding Chinese naval power and development have increased the power of its armed forces. Technical sophistication can obviously become a challenging factor. Secondly, there is an increase in piracy, smuggling and armed robberies in the region. Experts say that piracy has increased at the Somali coast from 2008-2011 and Indian imports to the African countries have declined by percent.
Thirdly, it is difficult to counter increasing sea-based terrorism. News reports state that non-state actors have used the Indian Ocean as a base for attacks. Fourthly, the maritime infrastructure has not improved and port infrastructure is meagre in the region. Finally, there is a need for maritime domain awareness. There is increasing danger of information overload and increasing unmonitored coastal traffic in the region. The resultant effects need to be understood in order to prevent conflicting interests.
As security consultants assert, it is important to realise that trade and economic cooperation may not prevent conflict but can prevent war. Economic interdependence of India on its neighbours and need for increasing cooperation is a significant example of the same. Thus, we need to focus on deep Preventors/Structural Conflict Prevention that calls for better Institution building, democracy, good governance, and human security. However, the question that still remains unresolved is that can we prevent international actors from intervening in the region for their vested interests?
Priyashree Andley: An independent analyst and focuses on International Relations, Foreign Policy and Current Affairs. She has several years of experience working in both the public and private sector. Her research has taken her across India with publications appearing in national as well as international media. Priyashree is a Felix Scholar from SOAS, London and has degrees from JNU and St. Stephens College, Delhi.
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