ASEAN Security Under Laos: Indonesia's Perspective

According to a 2017 study by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Indonesia ranked fourth in Southeast Asia (ASEAN) in terms of security. Singapore ranked first with a Global Peace Index (GPI) of 1.534, placing 21st globally. Malaysia was second with a GPI of 1.637 (29th globally), followed by Laos in third place with a security index of 1.8 (45th globally). Indonesia ranked fourth with a security index of 1.85 (52nd globally).

The security index of these four ASEAN member states remained below the Asia-Pacific regional average of 1.92. A lower security index indicates a higher level of security. In the Asia-Pacific region, Indonesia recorded the largest decrease in security, 0.05 points, due to political terror and prolonged internal conflict, particularly between hardline Muslims and minorities, namely Christians. Cambodia, on the other hand, experienced the largest increase in security, 0.103 points.

IEP is a non-profit international organization that conducts surveys on global economic conditions and security levels. In its 11th study, IEP surveyed 163 countries, representing approximately 99.7 percent of the world's total population. This survey used 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators across three themes: societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict levels, and militarization levels.