The Securitization of Cultural Heritage in ASEAN: Soft Power, Identity, and Regional Security
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29407/xa6ctg02Abstract
Cultural heritage has become increasingly important in contemporary international security studies as a result of the proliferation of non-traditional security hazards in the era of globalisation. In Southeast Asia, cultural identity and legacy are regarded as strategic instruments that serve to reinforce regional stability, societal cohesiveness, and state legitimacy, in addition to serving as historical assets. However, the ASEAN member nations' concerns regarding identity loss and cultural sovereignty have been exacerbated by the intensification of globalisation, digital misinformation, and transnational cultural contestation.. The objective of this paper is to examine the securitisation of cultural assets in ASEAN from the perspectives of soft power theory and securitisation theory. The research utilised a qualitative descriptive technique with a literature study approach, assessing academic journals, books, ASEAN papers, and UNESCO publications that were associated with regional security and cultural diplomacy. The findings indicate that ASEAN member states are increasingly resorting to cultural heritage as a form of soft power to fortify national identity, diplomatic influence, and regional legitimacy. Additionally, the ASEAN cultural diplomacy fosters the resilience of society, regional collaboration, and conflict avoidance in the presence of contemporary non-traditional security threats. Therefore, cultural legacy must be regarded as a strategic factor in the development of ASEAN's identity and regional security, in addition to a cultural asset
Keywords:
Non-Traditional Security, Cultural Diplomacy, Societal Security, Identity Politics, ASEAN CommunityDownloads
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