Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia

Issue 21

Wars of Extinction: The Lumad Killings in Mindanao, Philippines

In the dawn of September 1, 2015, hundreds of men, women, and children of Sitio Han-ayan, Diatagon, were roused from sleep by a band of armed men from the Magahat Bagani paramilitary group. They were [...]
Issue 21

Why Does Indonesia Kill Us? Political Assassination of KNPB Activists in Papua

After Indonesia’s reformasi, which was reported on by international observers, the world tends to believe that Indonesia is reborn as the world’s third largest democracy. The blanket label has swept serious allegations of human rights violations [...]
Issue 21

Assassination in Thai Local Politics: A Decade of Decentralization (2000-2009)

The biggest change of decentralization in Thailand happened in 1997 together with the passage of the new constitution, widely celebrated as “The People’s Charter.” However, there was a deep concern that this rush might bring [...]
Issue 21

Killing for whom? Extrajudicial killing cases in the Philippines

Since Rodrigo Duterte took office in June 2016, extrajudicial killings have taken more than 5000 lives. The targets and pattern of extrajudicial killings during his presidency may have been different from those during the Marco [...]
Issue 21

Rethinking Approaches to the Study of Thai Foreign Policy Behaviours

Thailand, formerly recognised in the old days as Siam, has been generally praised for its successes in astute diplomacy. The conduct of Thai foreign affairs is commonly characterised as ‘bending with the wind policy’, ‘bamboo [...]

Political Assassinations in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia as a region has enjoyed a period of relative peace for the last 40 years. Despite a number of minor skirmishes between neighboring countries, there has been no war. This peace has allowed market integration and economic growth across the region. Domestic politics in individual countries, however, has been marked by state violence carried out to maintain political stability. This violence includes killing activists and political dissents, leaders of indigenous communities and minority groups outspoken against ruling governments, and those perceived as a danger to the nation-state. [...]

Commodification of Culture in Vietnam’s Northern Highlands

It is a hot late afternoon in the Vietnamese highlands, and the sun is beginning to set over the mountains. I have just paid a few dollars to enter Cat Cat Village, one of tourist attractions around Sapa which targets Vietnamese as much as international visitors. The main attraction is apparently a waterfall (‘Cat Cat’ being a corruption of the French ‘cascade’), but the trail leads through a local [...]

Memory Thickness: Presenting Southeast Asian Pasts

The research featured in this issue of Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia offers fresh insights into the places and tactile traces of memory in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and diaspora. Versed in distinct vocabularies of remembrance, our contributors destabilize official discourses and political constructs through innovative analyses of diverse vehicles of memory. Their discrete vistas on Southeast Asian memory disrupt homogenizing discourses – whether theoretical or official – with innovative analyses grounded in specific vocabularies, whether linguistic or aesthetic. […]

REVIEW— KABISERA (The Seat)

Reviews

Film: Kabisera (The Seat) Directed by: Arturo San Agustin and Real Florido Release date: 25 December 2016 Language: Filipino When a Widow Takes the Helm When a family is forced to come to terms with […]

REVIEW— ทาง: รวมเรื่องสั้นชุดซ ายผ านศึก The Path: Stories of the Veteran Leftists

Book Reviews

Book title: ทาง: รวมเรื่องสั้นชุดซ ายผ านศึก　(The Path: stories of the veteran leftists) Author: เสกสรรค์ ประเสริฐกุล (Seksan Prasetkul) Publisher: Samanchon Books, 2016 Stories of the Lost Generation Seksan Prasertkul is a well-known figure in Thailand for […]

REVIEW— 入門　東南アジア近現代史 (Introduction of Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian History)

Book Reviews

Title: 入門　東南アジア近現代史 (Introduction of Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian History) Author: 岩崎郁夫 (Iwasaki Ikuo) Publisher: Kodansha, January 2017 In Japan, over the last five years we have witnessed an interesting development with the publication of […]

REVIEW— Keyakinan dan Kekuatan: Seni Bela Diri Silat Banten

Book Reviews

Title: Keyakinan dan Kekuatan: Seni Bela Diri Silat Banten (Faith and Force: The Silat Martial Arts of Banten) Author: Gabriel Facal Translator: Arya Seta Jakarta: Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia and O’ong Maryono Pencak Silat Award, […]