Japan's Peace-Building Diplomacy in Asia: Seeking a More Active Political Role

This book examines Japana??s emerging identity as an important participant in conflict prevention and peace-building in Southeast and South Asia, demonstrating that Japan has increasingly sought a positive and active political role commensurate with its economic pre-eminence. The Japanese involvement in many of the regiona??s most serious recent conflicts is considered, including: Japana??s part in the brokering and maintaining of peace in Cambodia, which in 1992 saw the first dispatch of troops abroad by Tokyo since the end of World War Two the attempts to bring peace to Aceh peace-building in Sri Lanka and in East Timor. It also investigates the less successful experiences in which Japan struggled to achieve its policy goals such as Mindanao and Afghanistan. The Japanese example is compared with other countries prominent in the fields of conflict prevention and peace-building such as: Norway, Finland, Canada andMalaysia. It recommends that if Japan is serious in its peace-building diplomacy it must learn from the experiences of these other states, especially Norway. Overall, this book provides a lucid appraisal of Japana??s new role in conflict prevention and peace-building, analysing the reasons behind this shift towards an active international role and assessing the degree of success it has enjoyed.