Topic: Implications of Myanmar Crisis for ASEAN

Guest Speaker: Dr. Desmond Molloy, Adjunct Professor at Pannasastra University & Independent Political/Conflict Analyst

Host: Ms. CHHOUN Sreynou

It has been more than one year since the 1^st February Coup in Myanmar; however, the situation and the progress of the issue is still lagging. The possibility of peaceful negotiation between conflicting parties is very uncertain; at the same time, the intensification of military clashes continues. In response to the crisis, ASEAN as the regional organisation, put a lot of effort in assisting Myanmar to return to normalcy by promoting mutual understanding, ceasing arm fighting, providing humanitarian assistances, and creating peaceful dialogue. ASEAN has agreed on 5 points consensus which serves as a guideline of implementation for Myanmar; as well as, established special envoy to assist the peaceful and constructive dialogue in Myanmar.

Cambodia in particular has prioritised the issue of Myanmar as her most significant agenda since starting the leadership as the 2022 ASEAN Chair. Even though Cambodia is doubted and questioned regarding her position and intention towards Myanmar, the Kingdom stands strong on her vision in bringing and maintaining peace in Myanmar as well as the region as a whole. By seeing the urgency of the comprehension on this issue, in this episode of Asian Vision Dialogue, we meet with Dr. Desmond Molloy, Adjunct Professor at Pannasastra University & Independent Political/Conflict Analyst.

Dr. Desmond“Des”Molloy is a Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) practitioner and scholar who has contributed to the evolution and operationalization of innovate approaches to disengaging and reintegration of ex-combatants and armed gang members in a variety of conflict environments.

He spent more than twenty years (1975 -1996) in the Irish Defense Forces focused on internal security and anti-terrorism, including UN missions in Lebanon and Cambodia. Des has served as the Emergency/Relief Coordinator with the International Federation of the Red Cross in Eastern DRC; with Dutch Red Cross and International Committee of the Red Cross in Bosnia and Herzegovina and with various INGOs and UN Agencies in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kosovo, and East Timor. From 2002 to 2004, Des was Chief of the UN DDR Section in Sierra Leone and from 2004 to 2007 he piloted innovative approaches to Community Violence Reduction (CVR) with the UN mission in Haiti.  

From 2007 to 2013 Des completed both his MA and PhD in International Studies/Inter-regional Relations (TUFS, Tokyo), the latter focusing on a comparative analysis of security dilemmas in evolving DDR theory and counterinsurgency doctrine. During his advanced studies, Des continued to work as a contractor for UNDP as Senior Advisor DDR in Somalia (2008), Sri Lanka (2008), CAR (2009) and Nepal (2010-2012) and for DfID, USCFR and USIP in Niger Delta (2009).

From Oct 2013 to Apr 2019, Des was Senior Program Director, Myanmar with The Nippon Foundation, focusing on peacebuilding and subsequently from October 2019 through 2020, he was the Manager of Peacebuilding Programs in Myanmar for The Asia Foundation.  He is currently Adjunct Professor of International Relations at Pannasastra University in Phnom Penh and also acts and an Independent Political/Conflict Analyst.

Des is associated with the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Cambodia; a core member of the International Research Group on Reintegration, PCS, Tromsø University, Norway; Course Mentor with Hiroshima Peacebuilders Center, Japan, and a DDR resource person to FBA Stockholm. He has published numerous papers and book reviews. His DDR: Theory and Practice was initially published by Lynne Rienne, Boulder, in 2017.