Ethnic Politics in Southeast Asia And Quest for Identity

Ethnic Politics in Southeast Asia and Quest for Identity, is a case study of five important minority ethnic groups in the region, i.e. Timorese, Patani, Rohingyas, Moro and Hoas and it is an attempt towards objective understanding of ethnic disputes. Thus this study has analysed ethnic policies of Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines and their interaction with minority communities.
Most of the publications on this issue have been written by the western authors and they are often biased in favour of one group or another. Their perusal tempts us to put forward regional perspective and this study has tried to do so by analyzing the genesis of ethnic disputes and highlighting the importance of peace and conflict resolution for greater good of the humanity.

Ganganath Jha, an alumnus of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, has been engaged in teaching and research ever since 1970. He has travelled in the region and has been writing on various aspects of Southeast Asian society and polity in the past two decades. His major publications are in Contemporary Southeast Asia, Indonesian Quarterly, International Studies, China Report, India Quarterly, Strategic Analysis, Foreign Affairs Report, Journal of Peace Studies and has contributed articles in the edited volumes of Parimal Kumar Das, S.D. Muni, Andrew Forbes, Chen Lufan, S.R. Chakrabarti, Shamsuddin, Riaz Punjabi and Imtiaz Ahmed. Besides he has two books; (a) Foreign Policy of Thailand, (Radiant, 1979) and (b) Southeast Asia and India A Political Perspective (NBO, 1987). Presently he is Associate Professor in Southeast Asian and Southwest Pacific Studies of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.