Striking the right balance

Prof Paul says that the decision of whether a state goes to war or not is often made by a small elite group, even in some of the best democracies in the world.

Asean member nations including Malaysia, can count on their own grouping and the UN to restrain powerful countries from aggressive behaviour in the region.

ASEAN (the Association of South-East Asian Nations) countries have depended on institutions like the United Nations (UN) to contain the power of dominant players in the region, such as the United States and China.