Kuala Lampur, July 15 -- In the highly fluid and dynamic diplomatic environment of Southeast Asia, back-channel diplomacy is not merely an option - it is a strategic necessity. While Asean may appear ritualistic and indecisive on the surface, beneath that calm exterior lies a quiet but firm will not to acquiesce. When issues are too politically combustible or diplomatically delicate to be addressed in formal settings, Asean turns to a different toolkit - one built on discretion, trust, and personal rapport.

This is not weakness. It is survival through subtlety.

The quiet refusal to accept the unacceptable

Asean is often criticized for being too slow, too soft, or too silent. But this criticism stems from a misreading of its behaviour. ...