Society and politics in Southeast Asia

This study is an outcome of several papers presented at national and international seminars and workshops. The themes broadly include the issues of topical relevance, such as ethnicity, social and political problems, including the dynamics of disputes over the Spratlys in South China sea. There is a chapter on the role of Indian diaspora in the region. The study is mainly focussed on society and politics of ten countries of Southeast Asia with emphasis on Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia and Myanmar. Southeast Asian society and politics are different from society and politics in the Indian subcontinent. There was time when scholars like G Goedes, R.C. Majumdar, Nilkanth Sastri, B.R. Chatterji, and Clifford Geertz wrote about Indian influence and Indianization of Southeast Asia by tracing the similarities in art and architecture, language and literature, religion and culture, inseriptions, customs and traditions, but contemporary Southeast Asia is different. They are trying to project their eulture, customs and way of life to be indigenous, distinctly different from one another. Although Southeast Asians are evolving common values through "ASEAN Way", but at the same time they are promoting their national and ethnic identities advertently for integration, cohesion and development. There is growing consensus towards secular polity, but the outcome of Bhumiputra policy in Malaysia, Pribumi rights in Indonesia and Burman predominance under Tatmadaw are critical matters of concern. They have generated advantages for the dominant section of the society, which needs to be rectified because no section of the society should feel deprived of their natural rights. The democratic norms and governance are broadly appreciated and democratic institutions needs to be rapidly evolved. This study provides a brief analysis of emerging society and politics in the region, which may prove relevant in the rapidly changing global environment.