Professional Documents
Culture Documents
to the indigenous Indonesias, curtailing the role the Chinese could play, in the
eoncomic sector. In 1979, a regulation was passed, needing all foreign
investments to be in the form of joint venture with indigenous Indonesias. In
1979, another regulationwas passed, stating that the government contracts
would be given priority to the local economically disadvantaged groups, the
indigenous Indonesians. The priority given to the Indonesias would lead to the
Chinese to lose out and thus biased treatment could threaten national unity due
to the hatred created form the minorits towards the governments.
However, the social policies were more effective in inculcating the minorities into
the nation so as to promote national unity. National unity to include the
minorities was fostered through cultural and national values that were promoted
to foster a stronger sense of nationalism soon that all ethnic groups, the
minorities included will see themselves as a state, thereby reducing the threat
the minorities posed to threaten national unity forged by the nation. In Indonesia,
the national ideology of Panchasila was widely promoted by the government. It
has five principles of which the first which states the belief in God implies that
the minorities values and cutlrue should be involved in the nation-building
process so they should also be seen as one. In 1978, an institution was
established to instill the Pnachasila ideology. Hence, as one can feel from the
policies used to forge national unity through ideologies and culture was effective
as it made the minorities integrated allow them to see themselves as part of the
nation home, fostering national unity and reducing threat posed. In Laos, the
revolution for the Party Central organization concerning ethnic minorities affairs
in the new era is recasted to include all the minorities in the country in 1992.
This has allowed all the minorities int eh country in 1992. This has allowed Laos
to gain greater national unity through uniting the minorities as a whole, and from
allowing the nation to grow as one. Improving of living conditions of the
minorities and expanding on the minorities cultural and historical heritage as
part of the program helps to allow the minorities to be able to see themselves,
given attention to by the government and the unbiased treatment would see
national unity to be forged as the minorities feel inclusive and contented in the
society, reducing the threat they pose to national unity.
In conclusion, much as minorities were given certain fair treatment as the
government tried to inegrate them through promoting cutlrue and national
values, making them feel at home, the lack of poltical representation clearly
states the lack of minoritiy rights and they are still deemed as insignificant in
comparison to the rest. Economic policies pulled minorities apart from the rest as
they caused the minorities to sense the differential treatment clearly, much as
national unity was promoted, and they deem it as a faade behind the biased
treatment. Hence, policies were ineffective to a large extent.
Thesis
The choice of a state religion, usually based on that of the majority ethnic
group in the respective Southeast Asian states, as a unifying tool was seen by
the ethnic and religious minorities as a clear indication of their inferior status as
compared to the majority group, thereby stimulating their opposition to the new
nation-states and resulting in political instability. (Burma, Thailand)
the dominant group on them as a basis for a national identity, therefore causing
political instability. (Burma, Thailand, Indonesia)
Anti-thesis
The promotion of a neutral language in some Southeast Asian countries
contributed to a sense of cultural equality and helped to reinforce ethnic
harmony between the majority and minority groups, thereby facilitating the
establishment
of
national
unity
and
contributing
to
political
stability. (Singapore, Indonesia)
The flexible approach to the issue of religion, usually premised on the
commitment to a secular state, by some Southeast Asian governments helped to
alleviate the fears and concerns of ethnic and religious minorities about the
domination of the majority group, hence encouraging the integration of
minorities
into
the
new
nation-states
and
preventing
political
instability. (Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia)
The emphasis on multiculturalism by some Southeast Asian states provided a
conducive environment for minorities to participate in the gradual formulation of
a common national identity, without the fear of undermining their distinct
religion and culture, thereby contributing to political stability. (Singapore,
Malaysia)
Evaluation focus on the differing impact of assimilative and multiculturalist
policies on the various ethnic and religious minorities in Southeast Asia and their
consequent response to their inclusion as part of the newly-established nationstates