Analysis of the Cross-Border Drug Governance in Southeast Asia with ASEAN Participation

Abstract

With the development of The Times and the progress of technology, the drug trade has become increasingly rampant in Southeast Asia, and even triggered unrest in some Southeast Asian regions. The Southeast Asian region is hilly and mountainous, the climate is hot and humid, and the vegetation is dense, which provides natural conditions for the growth of opium poppy and the hiding of crimes. Countries are geographically close, borders are connected, borders are narrow and there are regulatory gaps, there are legal loopholes and national sovereignty issues, once the perpetrators cross the border, it is difficult to continue to pursue. As set up in 1967, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional organization that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its members. Therefore, ASEAN, as a regional organization in Southeast Asia, has begun the joint cross-border management of the drug problem in the region in order to ensure security in the region. This paper intends to analyze the difficulties and obstacles of cross-border drug control in ASEAN by understanding various documents, policies and organizations within ASEAN, and provide prospects for future cross-border drug control in ASEAN. However, it can be seen from the analysis of this article that the situation of ASEAN participation in cross-border drug control in Southeast Asia does not sound ideal.