The article discusses the conceptualization of “maritime security” in Southeast Asia, highlighting the ongoing difficulty in defining this term among regional states. Commodore Sam Bateman (ret.) emphasizes that, despite its importance, there is no consensus on what elements should be included in the definition of maritime security. He identifies “wicked problems”—complex challenges like differing interpretations of international maritime law, maritime boundary disputes, and maintaining order at sea—that prevent solutions from being reached.
At a recent RSIS roundtable, participants agreed that key coastal Southeast Asian nations view maritime security as a broad concept encompassing various threats to state prosperity, including military, non-state, and environmental risks. While