Diversity marks Southeast Asia in many ways. From Singapore’s consolidated three-race model to Indonesia’s cacophony of 300 ethnic groups, ethnicity comes atop discussions on diversity in the region. Located on the great trade routes that connected ancient civilizations and, consequently, enticing colonists from the West, Southeast Asia is home to all the major religions of the world. Diversity in the region goes beyond just ethnicity and religions; Southeast Asia is also home to contrasting geography, which simply renders the experience of living in the region different from place to place.
While all this diversity makes for great tourism ads – colorful scenes and exciting locales – it is an exceedingly difficult ingredient for nation-building. Politicians seem to be aware of this: the enlightened ones struggle to put a good spin on it – unity in diversity, anyone? – but the unscrupulous ones use the tensions deriving from diversity to score more political points. The reason is human: it is easier to live and work together with people who look like oneself.
The threat of communal conflicts breaking out is real in Southeast Asia, and once one does break out, it is hard to stamp out. Each country has such a history: from Thailand’s long-running, low-intensity conflict in its south, to the Philippines’ long-running, low-intensity uprising in its own south. In Southeast Asia, the Asia Foundation notes, the average duration of a subnational conflict is over 30 years.
However, sectarian conflicts need not reach the point of armed insurrection to rot the ties within a country’s population. Myanmar’s xenophobic monks are equally raging against the Rohingya as they are against other non-Burman, non-Buddhist insurgents on its borderlands. This reaction is threatening to undo the ongoing peace process that was meant to mend the country. Likewise, Indonesia’s easily agitated anti-Chinese sentiment was again in display as outgoing Gov. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or better known as Ahok, faced trumped-up charges and went to prison for them.
This week’s first Spotlight highlights Thailand’s answer to Myanmar’s monk Ashin Wirathu and the sudden conversion he had vis-a-vis the Muslims who live in Thailand’s deep south. Our second piece underscores how depressingly often the Malay-Muslim identity must be asserted to harm Malaysia’s other ethnicities.
