Scot Marciel is the Oksenberg-Rohlen Fellow at Stanford University’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research. He retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in April 2022 after a thirty-seven-year career that included assignments as ambassador to Myanmar, ambassador to Indonesia, and ambassador for ASEAN Affairs. He also served as principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs and in U.S. missions in the Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Türkiye, and Brazil. Scot is the author of the new book, Imperfect Partners: The United States and Southeast Asia.
Thailand feels little obligation to deepen ties with the United States at the expense of ties with China. Instead, Bangkok guards its ability to maintain multiple alignments.
Indonesia possesses growing geopolitical importance but its role within U.S. statecraft has often been misunderstood. What should the U.S. strategy toward Indonesia be? What trade-offs and challenges will shape the future of U.S. policy toward this Southeast Asian giant?
Myanmar’s general elections, scheduled for early November this year, could mark a watershed in the country’s transition from military dictatorship to parliamentary democracy.