By Joshua Kurlantzick
Last year saw some of the biggest political developments in Southeast Asia in decades. Burma finally seemed poised for real change, while Thailand continued to move closer to the brink of self-immolation, as political in-fighting worsened. The United States, China, and Association of Southeast Asian nations continued to raise the stakes in the South China Sea, to a point where, now, it seems unlikely anyone can back off their claims and truly sit down at the table to negotiate some kind of agreement. Singapore had its most competitive election in generations, while in Malaysia massive street protests have clearly rattled the government. Even smaller states faced political turmoil: Papua New Guinea went for weeks with two prime ministers – and the potential for civil strife – before the situation was resolved.
What, then, should we expect for an encore?
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