Ethnicity and Politics in Southeast Asia

This Element disaggregates ethnicity into multiple constituent markers to explain the treatment of ethnic minorities in Southeast Asia.

This Element conceptually disaggregates ethnicity into multiple constituent markers: language, religion, and phenotype. It focuses on the interaction between these markers, and how they affect if a minority integrates within a broader ethnic identity; successfully extracts accommodation; or engages in a contentious relationship with the hegemon.What explains the treatment of ethnic minorities in Southeast Asia? This Element conceptually disaggregates ethnicity into multiple constituent markers – specifically language, religion, and phenotype. By focusing on the interaction between these three ethnic markers, Liu and Ricks explore how overlap between these markers can affect whether a minority integrates within a broader ethnic identity; successfully extracts accommodation as unique group; or engages in a contentious and potentially violent relationship with the hegemon. The argument is tested through six case studies: (1) ethnic Lao in Thailand: integration; (2) ethnic Chinese in Thailand: integration; (3) ethnic Chinese in Malaysia: accommodation; (4) ethnic Malays in Singapore: accommodation; (5) ethnic Malays in Thailand: contention; and (6) ethnic Chinese in Indonesia: contention.