Thread on nation-building in SE Asia: easy to forget how young the concept (& reality) of nation-state is. Historians suggest first nation-state was 17th C England or 18th C France. And formal unification of Germany & Italy was only completed 150 years ago brookings.edu
SE Asian nation-states are much younger, mostly formed during and after World War Two from the arbitrary limits of colonial expansion. Of course, every SE Asian nation traces its history back to earlier kingdoms and sultanates. But SE Asia's nation-states are very recent indeed.
Just consider when independence was declared (setting aside Thai kingdom & struggles to secure declared independence): 1945: Indonesia and Vietnam, 1946: Philippines, 1948: Myanmar 1949: Laos, 1953: Cambodia 1957: Malaysia, 1965: Singapore, 1984: Brunei, 2002: Timor-Leste.
In my new paper for @BrookingsInst, I argue that many SE Asian nations are still going through a process of nation-building. This is not surprising when you think about how young they are and how difficult it is to forge unified nation-states from the embers of empire.
Many analysts of SE Asia frame contemporary governance challenges through lens of "democratic backsliding" or a "global democratic recession". Certainly democratic governance is on the wane in key countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar & Philippines.
While "democratic recession" is a good descriptor, it's not that helpful in explaining why this is happening. I don't think SE Asian leaders are sensing a global trend of rising authoritarianism and trying to hop on board with Xi, Trump & Bolsonaro, as often suggested.
Rather, these nation-states are struggling to find definitive answers to existential questions such as who controls state power, how the economy is oriented, and who can be a citizen. These are burning issues, not academic questions.
Think about how many SE Asian states are facing long-running insurgencies or separatist conflicts, both peaceful & violent: Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. In my Brookings paper, and my upcoming book Man of Contradictions, I focus on the case of Indonesia.
Southeast Asia's biggest nation is still caught between democracy and authoritarianism, between Islamic majoritarianism and pluralism, and between economic nationalism and the need for foreign capital. These are foundational questions, not technocratic ones, as often presented.
Just as Indonesia's contemporary challenges can be traced back to independence, we see a similar trend in other large fully or partially democratic SE Asian nations. In Malaysia, collapse of PH govt highlighted ongoing struggle with race, religion, & economic inequality.
In Thailand, decades-long battle between monarchy, military, & democrats looks no closer to a stable resolution. Myanmar is facing fundamental questions: how military shares power with civilians & how to forge a united nation from disparate ethnic groups & myriad conflicts.
Why does this matter for foreign policy? As the US, Australia, & other Western governments look to deepen their engagement with SE Asian nations, it is more important than ever that they grasp the drivers of their domestic politics, which typically steer their foreign policy.
Rather than framing partnerships through global trends or China competition, Western govts need to work with SE Asian nations on their own terms. To do so successfully, they need a much better understanding of the
long-running challenges of nation-building brookings.edu
long-running challenges of nation-building brookings.edu
Loading suggestions...