Non-Official Diplomacy in Southeast Asia: "Civil Society" Or "Civil Service"‪?‬

Introduction Over a decade has passed since the phenomenon of non-official diplomacy emerged as a notable theme in the international affairs of Southeast Asia. (1) The emergence of unofficial diplomats from epistemic communities as well as "Track 2" networks across the Southeast Asian region--such as the ASEAN-ISIS (ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies) and CSCAP (Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific), among others--has contributed to a more expansive understanding of diplomacy as a multi-tracked enterprise with governmental as well as non-governmental features (Hernandez 1994; Simon 2002; Woods 1993). Moreover, in the light of ongoing (albeit incipient) institutional changes to long-standing regional norms and practices, non-official diplomacy has arguably had some impact in engendering those regional transitions. (2)