Democratization, Institutional Reform and Ethnic Politics in the Asia-Pacific

亚太地区的民主化对澳大利亚具有重大影响。巩固的民主国家能够更好地管理内部冲突，不太可能通过武器贩运、难民流和跨国恐怖主义对邻国构成威胁。然而，民主化的最初过渡期可能非常令人担忧，亚太地区的许多新民主国家都很脆弱，受到内部分裂和冲突的困扰。如果能够找到在民主框架内处理族裔和其他分裂的办法，该区域和平与稳定治理的前景将大大增强。这有可能改变该地区的安全以及澳大利亚与该地区的关系。

The democratisation of the Asia-Pacific has significant implications for Australia. Consolidated democracies are better able to manage internal conflicts, and less likely to pose a threat to their neighbours via arms trafficking, refugee flows, and transnational terrorism. However, the initial transitional period of democratisation can be highly fraught, and many of the new democracies of the Asia-Pacific are fragile, beset by internal cleavages and conflicts. If ways can be found to manage ethnic and other cleavages within a democratic framework, the prospects for peaceful and stable governance in the region will be significantly enhanced. This has the potential to transform the security of the region and Australia's relations with it.