A second defect is the religious diversity of the region ranging from Buddhism to Islam to
Christianity. Internal conflict in Myanmar or Thailand between the Muslim minority and the
Buddhist majority can cause diplomatic dilemmas for Malaysia and Indonesia. In the past when
authoritarian regimes still dominated these two Muslim-majority countries, national leaders
could avoid being drawn into the internal conflicts of their neighboring countries (Dhillon 2009;
Perwita 2007). It is more difficult today when politics is more open and they have to be
amenable to popular pressure.