Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia - Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia

Guest Editor’s Introduction – Decha Tangseefa, CSEAS

A border is a “contact zone” of people, culture, and capital. In an area like the Thai-Myanmar border, disease must also be included, as tuberculosis, drug-resistant malaria, and other illnesses have been prevalent since long before COVID-19 raged across the world. These transnational forces entwine and tremendously complicate the spaces in-between the two nation-states. As Burma/Myanmar has witnessed far more protracted armed conflicts than unarmed negotiations since its independence in 1948, this border region has become a space where hundreds of thousands have had to endure manifold sickness due to their marginal positionalities either as displaced peoples or voluntary migrants, many of whom become sources of unskilled or low-skilled cheap labor in Thailand. […]

Critical Counterpoints: Human-mosquito relations from the Thai-Myanmar borderlands to Singapore

Building on my previous work on environmental peacebuilding in Southeast Myanmar, my current research explores processes of “making peace” with disease-bearing mosquitos in Singapore. When I recently returned to the Thai-Myanmar borderlands for the 47th Southeast Asian Seminar, [...]

Circumventing undocumented-ness: Ethnic migrants along the Thai-Burma border pursue multiple mobilities

Having studied the migration of young Yunnanese migrants along the Thai-Burma border for several years, the 47th Southeast Asia Seminar gave me the chance to learn from other migrant communities, particularly the Karen. [...]

The Mae La “Temporary Shelter Area” as migration infrastructure & (im)mobility of people on the move

The Mae La “temporary shelter area” is the largest of nine such sites located along the Thailand-Myanmar border. It is situated in Tha Song Yang District, approximately 60 kilometers from the cross-border trading hub of Mae Sot District and less than 10 kilometers from Myanmar. [...]

The crime of caring

What does it mean when your own country does not care about you? Among others, this question swirls in my mind when I recall the places that we visited during the 47th Southeast Asia Seminar. Roaming the vicinity of the new Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Bible School and College just across the stream from the Mae La “temporary shelter area,” I was intrigued by the rustic cadence of the place. En route to the school, [...]

Experiences in temporary host countries and their impact on integrating resettled refugees

As South Korea marks the 10th anniversary of its pilot resettlement program, research findings on the experiences of resettled refugees are emerging. The 47th Southeast Asia Seminar offered a timely opportunity to further my own [...]

Intersections of health, border, and marginality: Field research enriches understanding of Japanese engagement with post-coup Myanmar

My academic career is marked by a prolonged focus on Japanese diplomacy and Asian politics. Currently, my research concentrates on Japan’s role in the health and social welfare of refugees and minorities. The consequences of [...]

(Health) care and family (planning) of undocumented people along state borders

The 47th Southeast Asia Seminar offered an excellent opportunity to expand my focus from displaced Rohingya refugee families in South and Southeast Asia borderlands to gain a deeper understanding of different displaced groups in the Thai-Myanmar borderlands. Instead of focusing on Rohingya as refugees, [...]

Enriching the land discourse from the Thai-Myanmar Border

Throughout the 47th Southeast Asia Seminar, participants examined a diverse range of topics from health to border dynamics and marginalization. Amidst the rich discussions, one theme particularly captured my attention: how people residing in borderlands perceive land. [...]

International relations research and borderland as inhabited space

Researchers and practitioners from multiple disciplines gathered to learn about and discuss the situation in the Thai-Myanmar border region during the 47th Southeast Asia Seminar. Field trips to several locations in Tak Province, Thailand generated ideas about what research can be further pursued by positivist International Relations (IR) studies that address security [...]

Urban Governance and Platform Dynamics in Southeast Asia

The rapid digital transformation in Southeast Asian cities, largely propelled by homegrown platform companies such as Grab, Go-Jek, Lazada, and Shopee, has significantly reshaped daily life, economies, and urban environments. These companies have fundamentally altered how individuals interact with services and businesses, leaving an indelible mark on urban landscapes and economic structures across the region. In conjunction with the transformative force of these private-sector platforms, several issues regarding platformization and urban governance require in-depth exploration. This issue of the Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia comprises five articles that delve into various aspects of urban platformization in Southeast Asian cities. Andrew Stokols investigates how the notable shift toward “platform governance” is increasingly prominent [...]

Social Media and Youths in Japan & Southeast Asia: An Instrument for Political Change?

Much of Southeast Asia’s political domain has long been dominated by authoritarian/semi-authoritarian regimes. Part of their success in maintaining power was the ability to control the mainstream media, shaping the way in which information is shared, circulated, and manipulated. For a long time, both print and broadcast media were exploited to serve a variety of political purposes of these states. Because of the need to justify their existence, the media became an important component in guaranteeing their political staying power. Alongside other powerful tools, such as education and state propaganda, the media has been used to strengthen political regimes, and this sometimes dampens or stokes political conflicts particularly when used to alienate those thinking differently from the regimes. Over the [...]

Springing Forward: Myanmar’s Rising Momentum and the Imperative for Future Accountability

by Chosein Yamahata in Issue 38 June 2024

The Spring Revolution signifies a grassroots commitment where Myanmar people are the primary source of strength, resilience, and determination. The revolution transcends various boundaries and is sustained by the unwavering unity of Myanmar people; a solidarity exemplified by a collective effort to provide essential support for [...]

Praetorian Variations: The United States and Military Politics in Thailand and the Philippines

by Mesrob Vartavarian in Issue 37 Mar. 2024

American Military Aid and Praetorian Agency Strategic considerations motivated US involvement in Cold War Southeast Asia. Containing communism required the construction and maintenance of military bases around rival states. [...]