Dr Yanitha Meena was featured in Firstpost on 6 March 2026.
At the Raisina Dialogue 2026, Aisha Rasyidila Kusumasomantri, Co-Director for Partnership and External Engagement and Head of Government Task Force at ISI Indonesia, highlighted the challenges ASEAN faces in managing conflicts between member states, especially in light of the recent clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. She noted that while ASEAN has attempted mediation, it “failed to create a peace mechanism.” Gordon Flake, Founding CEO of the Perth USAsia Center, Australia, supported this view, pointing out that recent tensions, such as between the Philippines and China, showed how member states sometimes turn outside the region for help instead of relying on ASEAN. They were speaking to Sharon Stirling, Chief Operating Officer, ORF America. Meanwhile, Yanitha Meena Louis, Analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia, discussed the impact of non-security challenges, including trade tariffs imposed by the United States, noting that “sweeping US tariffs led to global trade disruption.” Watch the full conversation on Firstpost.
