Asian Security Reassessed

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements Given the dispersed home bases of the editors, authors, and publisher, the publication of this book is a triumph of global communication over physical separation. Nor has the diversity of the authors’ academic backgrounds and analytical approaches prevented a satisfying degree of conceptual convergence. In view of the many other commitments engaging editors, authors, and publisher alike, the book’s completion may be seen as a triumph of professional commitment and persistence. But authors hardly write in a vacuum, or should we say in pristine cyber-space. Robust on-the-ground institutions were needed to provide financial, administrative, and editorial support to make possible the composing, editing, and publishing of this book. The editors would like to thank the following institutions for their generosity: the University of Auckland Research Committee for an International Collaboration Grant; the University of Auckland’s Political Studies Department and General Library for administrative support, bibliographic resources, and online access; the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Humanities and Department of Political Science, and the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institute Freiburg for providing institutional support to five of the contributors; the Universitas 21 consortium for providing a network linking the contributors; the two anonymous reviewers nominated by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) for constructive comments, and the editorial and publications staff of ISEAS, Singapore for encouragement, valuable advice, and professional editing, formatting, and presentation. Many individuals including sponsors, mentors, colleagues, spouses, family and friends provided the editors and authors with material assistance, advice or personal support, including enhancement of their human security. But they are too numerous, and their contributions too varied, to name separately, so the editors and authors would like to acknowledge their help 00 Asian Security Prelims.pm65 6/12/06, 2:35 PM 7 viii Acknowledgements with a blanket “thank you” and leave specific gratitude to those concerned. Nevertheless, the dedicated and careful proofreading of Julia Übelhör, Benjamin Köhler, Dennis Mutschler, Henning Vogelsang, and Daniel Walter deserves specific mentioning. The editors express their sincere gratitude to them. The editors would also like to thank each of the authors for taking time out of their teaching and research programmes to write on their areas of security expertise and then to endure the editors’ sometimes substantial amendments with good grace. And finally the editors would like to thank each other for sincere dedication to the joint project, to which each made an invaluable contribution over a three-year span, never doubting, even as themes were modified and deadlines set back, that the initial vision would yield a worthwhile volume in the end. They are pleased to be able to share the fruits of their labours with security-policymakers, scholars, students, and interested readers everywhere. Stephen Hoadley Jürgen Rüland Auckland Freiburg 00 Asian Security Prelims.pm65 6/12/06, 2:35 PM 8 ...