Political Fragmentation in Southeast Asia: Alternative Nations in the Making

This book provides an analysis of a number of separatist and autonomy movements in Burma, Indonesia, East Timor, Thailand and Laos, tracing how they emerged and highlighting the ways in which these movements gained their strengths. Using a multidisciplinary approach this book brings together political scientists, anthropologists, geographers and sociologists to examine these movements and compare the way they structure their ideologies.

PART ONE: Theoretical Approaches. 1. Introduction- Atavism, ingigenism and nations of intent, Vivienne Wee; 2. The construction of ethnic minority nationalisms, David Brown; 3. Contested identities and sovereignties on our political map, Carl Grundy-WarrPART TWO: Burma. 4. Burma: A state in name and not in fact, Ananda Rajah; 5. Displacement and uncertain futures: the internally displaced Karenni, Carl Grundy-Warr; 6. A nation of intent: Karen ethno-nationalism, nationalisms and narrations of nation, Ananda Rajah.PART THREE: Indonesia. 7. The making and unmaking of Indonesia, Vivienne Wee and Michael Jacobsen; 8. Revitalising custom, reasserting sovereignty: Indonesia's Customary Society Movement, Greg Acciaioli; 9. Constructions of Christian-Muslim conflist in Ambon, Kathleen Turner; 10. Sovereignty, successor states and universal human rights: the international structuring of Acehenese nationalism, Edward AspinallPART FOUR: East Timor. 11. Reinventing independent East Timor Lorosae, Geoffrey GunnPART FIVE: The Philippines. 12. Saints, scholars and the idealised past in Philippine Muslim separatism, Thomas McKennaPART SIX: Thailand. 13. Irredentists or separatists? Malay-Muslims in South Thailand, Saroja DorairajooPART SEVEN: Laos. An imagined Hmong nation, Nicholas Tapp