Proliferation of conventional weapons has been a repeating cycle for many different countries in Southeast Asia. Following the subsequent period after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. A lot of Southeast Asian countries found themselves in a predicament, where a lot of their currently in-service armament had slowly become obsolete throughout the years. In the efforts to pursue and protect their interests and sovereign territories. They sought upon procurement of weapons, and thus brought about the new cycle of weapons proliferation throughout the past two decades. This research utilized Qualitative Method from Creswell (2009). Additionally, the research data was gathered from a variety of declassified military reports, military journals, books, and journals of research with relevance to the subject matter. In order to identify the specific weapons procurement of Southeast Asian nations, and the insinuations or symbolism it carries behind them, which often perceived by the surroundings nations in the region.
Key Words: Proliferation, Conventional Weapons, Qualitative, Procurement, Military, Southeast Asia, Symbolism