With a background in both journalism and conflict resolution, Vatikiotis, is able to look beyond the glass and steel facades of Southeast Asia’s rapidly growing economies to get at deep dynamics that are shaping the region. Today we tap him for his views on this emerging community of over 600 million with a focus on the seemingly futile fight against graft, the failures of democratisation, and the rise of religious extremism.

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Tags:  Journalist,  South East Asia,  Far Eastern Economic Review,  ASEAN region,  politics,  security,  art,  culture,  economics,  development,  pluralism,  democracy,  Vietnam,  internal armed conflict,  Myanmar,  Southern Thailand,  Southern Philippines,  diplomat,  corruption,  Jokowi,  China,  South China Sea,  King Bhumibol Adulyadej,  Indonesia,  authoritarianism,  pluralistic parliamentary democracy,  national unity,  political development,  Islamic fundamentalism,  Islamic militants,  ulama,  Saudi Arabia funding,  Other personality interviews