The Political, Security, and Socio-Cultural Aspects of the AEC

While each economic aspect within the AEC is important, other aspects which may fall within other pillars of the ASEAN Community are no less important. This subtopic, thus, disccusses broadly the role of political, security, and socio cultural aspects in the implementation of AEC. It raises questions among other on how bilateral and multilateral disputes between states within Southeast Asia or between those in Southeast Asia and other regions affect the development of AEC and how various elements of domestic politics ranging from democratisation, ethnic politics and human rights affect the economic growth, competitiveness, and attitude towards AEC.