The State Actor in Human-Security Issues: A Study of Cambodia and Indonesia

Abstract

Human security has become a popular issue in the realm of international relations, particularly since The Human Development Report 1994 was published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Some research on the subject has acknowledged that individual states are essential actors in achieving human security. This article considers the context of Southeast Asia and explores the case studies of the Cambodian and Indonesian governments, to address their respective domestic human-security issues. To this end, this article considers the modern political histories of Cambodia and Indonesia from a comparative perspective. The article concludes that as a state becomes more democratic its people are likely to have more human security.