Abstract

Southeast Asia’s smaller and middle-sized states face growing maritime security challenges. These include unresolved territorial and maritime jurisdiction disputes, the risk of regional conflict, and transnational issues such as piracy, illegal fishing, and environmental degradation. Emerging non-traditional threats—from climate change to pandemics—further complicate the regional maritime landscape.

At the same time, intensified great power competition is reshaping the regional order. Increased naval militarisation, new strategic ‘minilateral’ arrangements, and the use of coercive or so-called ‘grey zone’ tactics have heightened uncertainty about the future of maritime order in Southeast Asia. These developments test both the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ central role in regional security and the effectiveness of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the foundation for maritime governance and dispute resolution. For smaller states, this erosion of maritime norms is particularly concerning, as they depend on international law to safeguard their maritime rights and access to resources.

This paper examines small power maritime statecraft: how smaller coastal states navigate growing strategic competition to protect their maritime interests and promote an UNCLOS-centred order. It introduces the concept of normative sea power, defined as the strategic use of legal, diplomatic, and communicative tools to shape maritime order.

Focusing on Singapore, Brunei, and Timor-Leste, the paper:

  1. Outlines a conceptual framework for analysing small-state maritime strategy, encompassing diplomatic, legal, military, and economic instruments.
  2. Examines each state’s key maritime interests and security perceptions, drawing on official documents, statements, and policy perspectives.
  3. Compares their approaches to managing maritime challenges and supporting an order grounded in international law.

Together, these insights contribute to understanding how smaller Southeast Asian states exercise agency and adapt their maritime strategies within an increasingly contested regional environment.

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