Thailand Political Reform: Dreaming the Impossible Dream

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COVER STORY 1-3REGIONAL PROJECT 4-8UPDATES FROM FELLOWS 2-7FELLOWS IN FOCUS 9-12API NEWS 13REPORT FROM THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE 13NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS 14CALENDAR OF EVENTS 15MESSAGES FROM TNF AND FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK 15API INFORMATION 16

NEWSLETTER ISSUE NO. 22 / FEBRUARY 2011

We often look at issues affecting other

countries from our own vantage point.

Take the recent violence in Thailand. For a

person in Manila, confronted by images of

demonstrators shouting slogans in a foreign

language, he or she may think it was similar

to the ‘People’s Power’ that brought down

Ferdinand Marcos. On the other hand, a

person in Kuala Lumpur might be reminded

of the racial riots that killed hundreds in

May 1969. In Jakarta, the sea of red in the

streets of Bangkok was akin to the Jakarta

demonstrations that brought down the

Suharto regime in 1998. Everybody seeks

to make sense of Bangkok 2010 through

something they can relate to.

To many Thais, however, the political

violence in May was unique. It cannot be

compared to the many upheavals which

affl icted the country’s long and turbulent

history.

For many, the mass demonstrations

differed from the democracy movement

in the 1970s. The political struggle three

decades ago against military dictatorships

that won the country a place in Southeast

Asia’s democracies share one thing in

common - the hope to be freed from the

repressive control of the generals. The May

political violence, on the other hand, was

a case of a society being ripped apart and

bitterly divided into two opposing halves.

Between April and May 2010, Thailand

was torn by violent political clashes between

government forces and anti-government

protesters who called themselves the ‘red

shirts’. Bangkok streets were turned into a

gridlock when the demonstrators occupied

the central business district for about one

month, and declared it a ‘state authority

free zone’. The red-shirt leaders demanded

the government to dissolve the parliament

Prangtip Daorueng, THAILAND FELLOW YEAR 2001-2002

Fellows Explore Decen-tralizing Health and Forest Management in Indonesia

Yuli Nugroho, INDONESIA FELLOW

YEAR 2005-2006

“Continue to develop programs to

educate the public about the importance

of local food as a source of nutrition,

provide education on how to process

local foods to enhance their nutritional

value, and develop campaigns to

promote pride in local food diversity.”

p.10

Photograph by Dave Lumenta

Th e API Regional Project team at Ivana Port on Batan Island prior to embarking for Sabtang Island. Front from left : Glecy C. Atienza, Rosalie Hall, Cristina Lim, Edward

Cabagnot, Isabel Nazareno, Yeoh Seng Guan; back from left : Isagani Yuzon, Th eresita V. Atienza, Sirirat Katanchaleekul, Chalida Uabumrungjit, Motohide Taguchi, Henry

Chan, Cecilia de la Paz, Aprilia Budi Hendrijiani, Myfel Paluga, Mary Racelis, Dicky Sofj an, Arnold M. Azurin, Dave Lumenta; partly hidden from left : Joyce Lim, Dailo Reyes.

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and schedule new elections. The protest

was sparked after the Supreme Court’s

decision ordering the seizure of former

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s assets

worth billions of baht on the grounds of

fraud and corruption.

The red shirts subsequently declared

a ‘class war’, pitting the rural ‘commoners’

against the feudalistic ‘aristocrats’.

Frustration ran high in the capital city as

many of Bangkok’s urban middle-class

felt they were being held hostage by the

demonstrators. Violence soon escalated.

On May 19, the country witnessed a brutal

civil-war-like situation with armed clashes

between military forces and red-shirt

groups. A number of buildings were also

set on fi re and Bangkok was left with more

than 90 dead.

Why has a country as charming as

Thailand gone amok? Will the situation

ever get back to normal? Everyone has

an opinion on this contentious issue, but

answers invariably lead to more questions.

There is a great sense of despair among

Thais. Yet while fear lingers, there is hope.

Political Violence in Context

It was not the first time that Thailand

has experienced such chaos. Political

upheavals have occurred periodically

since 1932 when the country made the

transition from absolute monarchy to

constitutional monarchy and embraced

the parliamentary system of governance.

Decades of military dictatorship and bitter

struggles for democracy followed before

Thailand emerged as a proud member of

Southeast Asia’s growing number of liberal

democracies in the early 1990s.

The economic boom, lower degree

of military intervention in politics, press

freedom and the rise of civil society groups

all paved the way for more active political

participation among the citizens. The

‘People’s Constitution’, which was drafted

by representatives from all sectors of the

society, was enacted in 1997. Several

progressive ‘organic laws’ were passed to

guarantee citizens’ rights while a raft of

independent institutions were established

to put political power under public control.

Then came the 1997 Asian Financial

Crisis, which brought economic havoc

and spurred more changes. While the

crisis triggered a political movement

in Indonesia which finally toppled the

30-year-old New Order regime, Thailand

too saw a new government in place.

Telecommunications tycoon Thaksin

Shinawatra was catapulted to power on

the back of popular support from Thais

who viewed him as the country’s savior in

the wake of the 1997 crisis. In the January

2001 elections, Thaksin’s party won the

right to govern by itself - a fi rst in Thailand

where coalition politics had up until then

was the norm.

Bangkok again was the venue for mass

demonstrations. After months of street

protests by the anti-Thaksin movement,

which dubbed themselves as yellow shirts,

a military clique - which called itself the

Council for National Security - staged

a coup against Thaksin in September

2006. The deposed prime minister went

into exile soon after he was charged in a

corruption case.

Ever since then, Thai politics has

gone from normalcy to chaos. A new

constitution, drafted by the military junta,

was enacted in 2007. However, the general

elections which followed brought Thaksin

supporters back to power, but this was

followed by a “judicial coup” which threw

them out, and the eventual formation of

a coalition government led by the anti-

Thaksin Democrat party.

The combined eff ects of corruption,

human rights violations, an activist mass

media, street violence and the military

coup over the past four years have led

to despair among the ordinary Thais.

However, the blame for this setback to

Thai democracy does not rest on the

shoulders of a few key personalities but

many ordinary citizens.

The May 19 tragedy should be seen

in this context. Why is the Thai society so

fragile that it opened the door for such

damage to be done to its democracy?

Perhaps the answer lies in the way Thais

deal with one another, especially those

whom they disagree with. Violence is

unavoidable in a society which does not

have the ability and maturity to listen,

reason and to give-and-take in finding

common grounds.

Enter the Reform Panels

How Thailand tackle such a challenging

problem remains an issue. But at least, it

has been decided ‘who’ should kick start

this work. In the wake of the May violence,

many predicted that the Democrat

government would not last if it decided

to use the military to crack down on the

demonstrators. The security forces were

nevertheless used. The government

survived, but not without harsh public

responses and continued political

uncertainty. Despite the emergency rule,

which is still in effect for Bangkok and

some other provinces, sporadic violence

Independent fi lmmaker and video artist Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand Fellow

Year 2008-2009) teamed up with two fellow Thai artists to stage an exhibition from

August 1-18, 2010 at SOL Space, Bangkok. Titled Undoing, the show explored the

concept of undoing what has been done in the past. In Undoing, Phuttiphong explored

the phenomenon that has arisen since the dawn of the digital age of pressing the

convenient <command z> on the keyboard to nullify erroneous actions. Undoing was

a contemporary art exhibition that asked the viewer to consider how often the eff ect of

negative actions they have made in the past can be reversed.

continued on page 3

Photograph by Karnt Th assanaphak

My Image Observes

Your Image, If It Is

Possible To Observe

It, 2010, single chan-

nel video installa-

tion, 7min loop.

Cover Story

“Violence is unavoidable in a society which does not have the ability and maturity to listen, reason and to give-and-take in fi nding common grounds.”

Having consolidated his power,

Thaksin pushed through policies that

appealed to the rural poor. Ironically,

along with his populist approach, there

were strong accusations of massive

corruption, cronyism and severe human

rights violations.

His ‘war against drugs’ resulted in over

3,000 extra-judicial killings while his iron-

fi st approach to the confl ict in the southern

Muslim provinces resulted in a full-blown

anti-government insurgency. His alleged

involvement in corruption and human

rights abuses inevitably drew criticisms

from civil society members and the mass

media.

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continues. More critically, the gulf between

Thais who support diff erent political camps

continues to widen. The society remains

traumatised as there is no solution in sight.

It was in such an atmosphere that the

government established three committees

to find a way out and initiate bold

reforms. First, a Truth and Reconciliation

Commission was set up to resolve the

immediate problems, which is the dispute

over the cause of the deaths and injuries

sustained by both sides during the May

mass demonstrations. The commission,

which will incorporate public participation,

is in charge with investigating the violence

of April and May while leaving the matters

of culpability and punishment to the

judicial system. It will also formulate plans

to heal the physical and emotional damage

of those involved, and identifying ways to

prevent similar violence in the future.

The other two committees are to fi nd

a longer-term social and political solution.

The National Reform Committee is led by

former prime minister Anand Panyarachun,

while the Assembly for National Reform is

headed by respected social critic Prawase

Wasi. Both groups are tasked to suggest

institutional reforms in three years. The

newly-formed panels are expected to

come up with ways which Thai institutions

can better mediate future political turmoil.

The two leaders of the reform panels

clearly stated that national reconciliation

and national reform are two different

issues. According to Anand in one of his

media interviews, national reform is a

matter for the future, while reconciliation

is an immediate task of the current

government. The two committees will

however focus on future problems rather

than past confl icts.

The two reform panels share the same

goals but have diff erent approaches. The

National Reform Committee has the task to

formulate strategies for reform, while the

Assembly for National Reform will work at

the grassroots level to gather inputs from

citizens on how reforms should be carried

out. To assuage public fear of political

manipulation, the government has

promised a set of mechanisms to ensure

that both panels are free from political

interference.

The two panels have a rather broad

and ambitious agenda. The 20-member

National Reform Committee is responsible

for identifying wide-ranging reforms on

specific issues. It will deal with issues

of concern related to the economy,

resources, human rights, opportunities and

bargaining power. Issues such as urban and

rural debt, labour wages, equitable farming

contracts and a social welfare system are

included.

In six months, the panel will lay down

the fundamentals needed for national

reform, and will suggest short-term

measures. The proposed measures could

then be put into immediate eff ect with

a special budget allocation. The second

phase would involve policy drafting and

long-term measures that require approval

from parliament or concerned agencies.

The panel is empowered to carry on even

after the present government’s term in

offi ce has come to an end.

impossible task.

Tough Challenges Lie Ahead

Challenges are expected to any reform

eff ort in a divided society such as present-

day Thailand.

The first and toughest challenge

experienced in many societies facing

similar problems is ‘trust’. Thailand is

no exception. The reform panels must

persevere against tough questions,

protests and even rejection. The bottom

line is that suffi cient political support from

the public is crucial for their success.

Despite the fact that the two leaders

of the reform panels have assured the

public that their work will be independent

and free from government interference,

the committees are under constant attack

by some red-shirt supporters that some

panel members have openly opposed the

red shirts.

The lack of confidence and

understanding of government ’s

reconciliation efforts, which is an

unavoidable part of the reform, is

worrisome. A poll conducted among

1,112 people by Bangkok-based Rangsit

University in June indicated substantial

doubt on the government’s reconciliation

proposals. Nevertheless, a few good signs

have emerged, in particular the agreement

that all parties in conflict should show

respect to social rules and the judicial

system.

Decades of political struggle in

the country have opened a window for

multiple political constituencies to be

deeply engaged in the political process. In

many cases, tension is unavoidable in the

process of democracy. In Thailand, where

mass anxiety over rapidly changing power

dynamics and inequitable access to the

political system loom large, serious reforms

are needed to provide a solution and to

mediate such tensions. And the success of

these three reform panels will ultimately be

the success of the society as a whole.

The Society for the Study of Peace, Confl ict, and Violence: the Peace Psychology Division (48) of the American

Psychological Association bestowed its Ralph K. White Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010 upon Cristina

Montiel (Philippines Senior Fellow Year 2001-2002), a professor of peace/political psychology who has been

teaching at the Ateneo de Manila University for more than 30 years. She is the fi rst non-American to be honored

with this award since it was initiated in 1992. The Division’s criteria for award selection states that: “Embodied

within the defi nition of this award is distinguished accomplishment of an individual whose theoretical and applied

research in peace studies, including topics such as cooperation, social justice, war and aggression and/or confl ict

resolution, has inspired yet another generation of psychologists around the world.”

continued from page 2

Prangtip Daorueng has been working as a journalist

covering politics and social development for both local

and regional newspapers since 1985. In 2002, she spent

a year in Indonesia on a book project covering the con-

fl ict in Aceh. At present, she travels between Indonesia,

Malaysia, and Thailand covering diff erent stories on

separatist movements in the region.

Cover Story

“At the core of it, the two pan-els are expected to identify the root causes of socio-political divisions to prevent future vio-lence. Th ey are also responsible for outlining clear and feasible reforms that will create a trust-ful institutional framework for Th ais from all backgrounds.”

Meanwhile, the objectives of the

Assembly for National Reform include

the promotion of fair business practices,

strengthening the communities, reforming

the bureaucracy and restructuring the

economic, education, media, and judicial

sectors. The main focus of the assembly is on

lessening social inequality and it will make

recommendations to the government on

ways in which tax measures and land reform

can achieve that goal.

At the core of it, the two panels are

expected to identify the root causes

of social-political divisions to prevent

future violence. They are also responsible

for outlining clear and feasible reforms

that will create a trustful institutional

framework for Thais from all backgrounds.

Given their three-year time-frame and

confronted with rapid political changes

and uncertainly, the members of the two

panels have indeed been given a near

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The Philippines working group sur-

mounted incredible logistical challenges

in hosting the First Asian Public Intellec-

tual Regional Project on Batanes, a remote

group of islands situated in a typhoon-belt

along the northernmost edge of the Philip-

pines. Conducted from April 5-16, 2010,

the group of seven foreign participants

and 11 members safely and productively

completed the week and a half long visit

with lasting memories of the islands’ rug-

ged appeal.

Two teams, roughly divided into

“social scientists” and “artists” immersed

themselves on two separate island sites,

the fi shing hamlet of Diura, Mahatao town

in Batan Island, and the more laid back,

remote and culturally-pristine Sabtang

Island. The Diura team focused on the

ecological facets of the ritual-infused

seasonal mataw fi shing activities (to catch

the dorado or Coryphaena hippurus).

The Sabtang team, meanwhile,

explored the cultural heritage (folk

singers, local craftsmen, cuisine, home

architecture) which exemplify the local

coping strategies with the unforgiving

weather and environmental vagaries of

the island. The experience of sleeping,

eating, and living the same as locals for

several days enabled a more meaningful

interaction with the people as well as the

land and sea.

The teams re-united in a community

sharing activity inside Jay Ticar ’s

(Philippines Fellow Year 2007-2008)

seascape and landscape themed art

installation space at the Mahatao

church convent. In this convivial “library”

atmosphere, a teacher training session

on sustainable development was capped

Life in an Unforgiving Landscape: Narratives from the Batanes Field Visit

by API Fellows sharing insights from their

visits through fi lm and photo clips. The

community-sharing day culminated in the

ritual placing of the “books of memories” in

which Fellows had written their fi eld notes

of the visit.

The Three Contributors

Henry Chan (Malaysia Fellow Year 2001-

2002) describes the ritual practices and

socio-economic context of mataw fi shing

activities in Diura, a fishing village on

Batan Island facing the Pacifi c Ocean. He

reveals the ecological link between the sea

and the forests by pointing to the growing

scarcity of fresh water shrimp used as bait

for the live fl ying fi sh then used to catch

dorado.

Arnold M. Azurin (Philippines Senior

Fellow Year 2002-2003) ponders the

notion of traditional/local elements of

Sabtang’s houses and songs, discovering

the indigenous in one laji singer’s life story

as well as in the imposing idjang (fortress)

of Savidug.

Rosalie A. Hall (Philippines Fellow

Year 2004-2005) reflects on the API

Community building that went with the

RP. She candidly recounts the hard work,

challenges, tensions and reconciliations

that the Philippines RPWG encountered

during the two-year course of the project.

With the site visit completed, the

Philippines RPWG plans to produce a book

on “Batanes’ Living Culture”. In addition,

plans are underway to conduct further

training on local museum management

to sustain the art installation library in

Mahatao, and a public forum/consultation

with Batanes stakeholders in Manila.

The foreign participants in the

Batanes field visit are: Henry Chan of

Malaysia, Joyce Lim Suan Li (Malaysia

Fellow Year 2003-2004), Dave Lumenta

(Indonesia Fellow Year 2002-2003),

Aprilia Budi Hendrijiani (Indonesia Fellow

Year 2002-2003), Chalida Uabumrungjit

(Thailand Fellow Year 2002-2003), Sirirat

Katanchaleekul (Thailand Fellow Year

2007-2008) and Motohide Taguchi (Japan

Fellow Year 2002-2003).

The Philippines RPWG include:

Glecy C. Atienza (Fellow Year 2006-2007),

Theresita V. Atienza (Fellow Year 2005-

2006), Arnold M. Azurin, Edward Cabagnot

(Fellow Year 2007-2008), Cecilia de la Paz

(Fellow Year 2001-2002), Rosalie Hall,

Cristina Lim (Fellow Year 2008-2009),

Myfel Paluga (Philippines Fellow Year

2006-2007), Danilo Reyes (Fellow Year

2003-2004), Jay Ticar and Isagani Yuzon

(Fellow Year 2003-2004).

The group was joined by Yeoh Seng

Guan (Regional Project Management

Team, Malaysia Fellow Year 2005-2006),

Dicky Sofj an (API RP Manager, Indonesia

Fellow Year 2007-2008), Isabel Nazareno

(Philippines Partner Institution Program

Coordinator), Fr. Jose Cruz (Philippine

Program Director), and Mary Racelis

(International Selection Committee).

One of the leading Lanna dancers of our time, Ronnarong “Ong” Khampa (Thailand Fellow Year 2009-2010), co-

organized and performed “An Evening of lanna Dance”, at Iori’s “Origin” Stage, Kyoto, Japan, on August 8-9, 2010.

The show featured both classical displays of traditional dances from the Mekong region as well as contemporary

adaptations of these ancient dances. Ronnarong Khampha, who graduated from Chiangmai University in Thai

Arts and studied Javanese and Balinese dance at Solo (Surakarta), has developed a unique style of dance using

traditional Lanna Dance as the base. From August 2010 to January 2011, Ong conducted his research activities in

Japan as a Visiting Researcher at Kyoto Seika University.

continued on page 5

“Rosalie A. Hall... candidly re-counts the hard work, challenges, tensions and reconciliations that the Philippines RPWG encoun-tered during the two-year course of the project.”

Regional Project

The API Regional Project (RP) is a pioneering post-fellowship activity conceived and executed by members of the API Community. It sought

to foster greater regional consciousness by promoting relationships among cultures, engaging in collaborative activities, and confronting

issues whose relevance goes beyond locality and nation. Recognizing the socio-cultural dimensions of the current global environmental

crisis, the API Regional Project focused on the theme of—Community-Based Initiatives for Human-Ecological Balance.

Launched in November 2008, it ran for three years in fi ve sites within each of the API Participating Countries: Biwa-ko in Japan, Batanes

in the Philippines, Khiriwong in Thailand, Kali Code in Indonesia, and Tasik Chini in Malaysia.  The API Regional Project studied the responses

of local communities to environmental challenges relating to the four areas of forest degradation, water quality, urban environment and

marine coastal ecology. In doing so, the links between mountains, forests, rivers and seas are highlighted. Lessons learnt from community

wisdom, initiatives and experiences—both successes and failures—were documented in order to help develop better responses for the future.

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1Myfel Paluga explains

the use of the fresh

shrimp as bait. From

left : Cristina Lim, Sirirat

Katanchaleekul, Dicky

Sofj an, Myfel Paluga,

and Mary Racelis. Photograph by Yeoh Seng Guan

Prijono Tjiptoherijanto (Indonesia Senior Fellow Year 2007-2008), Professor of Economics at University of

Indonesia, is one of the authors of Paradigma Administrasi Publik dan Perkembangannya, published in 2010, a

book on the economic analysis of public administration’s evolution both in developed and developing countries.

The experiences of the developing world, particularly the ASEAN countries, were drawn from fi eld research

conducted by Prijono during 2007-2008 under the API Fellowships Program. The book is not only intended to

benefi t scholars in the fi eld of public administration, it is also benefi cial for students and practitioners from across

the broad spectrum of economics. It begins with an economic theory focusing on public goods and off ers policy

recommendations relating to the civil service or bureaucratic reform.

Traditional Mataw Fishing Examined:

Ecological Concerns in Batanes

Henry Chan (Malaysia Fellow Year 2001-

2002)

The Diura group consisted mostly of social

scientists led by Myfel Paluga. Four foreign

participants (Dave Lumenta, Indonesia;

Sirirat Katanchaleekul, Thailand; Aprilia

Budijiani, Indonesia; and myself ) and

several Philippines RPWG members

(Rosalie Hall, Isagani Yuzon and Cristina

Lim) focused on the practices and socio-

economic structures centered around

traditional mataw fi shing. Diura is the only

remaining fi shing community in Batanes

that continues to practice this way of life.

Mataw is a specialized fi shing system

governed by state-sanctioned rules and

regulations, and protected by rites and

rituals. From March to May, mataw is

the only fi shing system that is allowed

in the bay surrounding the Diura village.

By defi nition, “Mataw” refers to a specifi c

technique for catching one particular fi sh,

the golden-bellied dorado (Coryphaena

hippurus), using hooks and lines, but by

fi rst catching live fl ying fi sh bait using

special hooks and another form of bait

(crustacean). “Mataw” also refers to the

fi sher that does this kind of fi shing—and

that commits to only this kind of fi shing—

for a period of time during the summer

months in Batanes (Mangahas 2006).

Based on this, the categories of

mataw fi shing can be further described as:

· Mataw fishers are the group of

fi shermen who adheres to complex

social-economic regulations in the

catching of the arayu fi sh.

· Arayu fi sh is a migratory fi sh following

the Pacific Ocean currents flowing

through the Batanes Islands. They

appear during the summer period

from March to May. Elsewhere in the

Pacifi c, it is known as mahi-mahi.

· Parawon fl ying fi sh is used by mataw

fi shers as a bait to catch the arayu.

The parawon is a migratory fi sh that

begins to appear in February, a month

before the arrival of the arayu. After

being caught, the parawon must be

kept alive as the arayu only preys on

live fi sh. A special bait using fresh

shrimp is used to catch it to ensure

its vitality.

· Fresh water shrimp is used as a bait

to catch the fl ying fi sh. The shell of

the live shrimp is removed, the fl esh

meshed into pulp and then wound

tightly with a thread around a special

hook. The hook can be easily removed

without causing serious injury to the

fl ying fi sh.

A complex economic structure

supports mataw fishing. Boat owners,

providers of capital for purchase of

equipment, providers of fresh shrimp

bait, the fi sh processors and landowners

(mataw fi shers are also farmers the rest of

the year) contribute towards this activity.

As an activity, mataw fi shing is replete

with symbolism, rules and rituals. Only

men are allowed to go mataw fi shing and

only one person can fi sh by himself in his

small boat. With great skill, the fi sherman

enters the deep ocean and returns to

shore through a selected passageway

called the vanua.

A mataw fi sherman believes that the

arayu fi sh that is caught must be treated

with respect, otherwise he will fail in this

future eff ort. It is believed that mere skill

alone does not bring success; rather, the

fi sh must bestow its favor on the fi sherman

by off ering itself to be caught. If shown

disrespect, other arayu fi sh would avoid

the mataw’s bait even though they may

swim around him.

On return to the village from the

beach, he transports his fi sh (with its head

facing away from him) back by hanging

them on a pole carried over his shoulder,

seemingly telling everyone how many

fi sh he has caught. The fi sh is processed

as soon as possible to retain its quality

“Th e research team uncovered freshwater shrimp as the miss-ing link between mataw fi shing and the impending ecological degradation of a deforested wa-tershed.”

continued from page 4

continued on page 6

Regional Project

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and freshness. It is sliced into two whole

fi llets for immediate salting and hung up

to dry in the sun. The fi sh fi llet cannot be

sold until the end of the mataw season.

Only internal organs and leftovers (head

and bones with meat still attached) can

be consumed, given away or sold.

At the conclusion of the mataw

season, the dry fi llets are distributed in

accordance with a complex sharing and

reciprocity system to individuals who have

assisted the fi sherman while he spent the

entire three months at sea catching the

prized arayu. All this suggests that the fi sh

by itself carries little commercial value.

During the study in Diora, the

research team divided into two groups.

The international group of Fellows was

assisted by Rosalie and Myfel in translation

with local informants. Dialogues and

interviews were conducted mainly with

Manong Ernie, a former leading mataw

fi sher and current president of the fi shing

association, who is the son of the shaman

responsible for mataw rituals. Visits to

surrounding fields and observation of

fi shing above a cliff were undertaken to

get a glimpse of life among the people of

Diura. The other group comprised of local

Fellows from the Philippines who pursued

more detailed inquiries on their own.

Each day, however, the entire team came

together to refl ect on what they learnt.

One of the critical questions asked

is the relevance of mataw fi shing to the

RP, which is “to understand the local

contexts of environmental destruction

and conservation through a holistic multi-

disciplinary approach.” The surrounding

ocean is pristine while the backdrop of

a mountainous patchwork of forest and

grassland creates a vista of exceeding

beauty. The grassland is actually a

deforested landscape and an ecological

time bomb. Eventually, severe water

shortage and drastic soil erosion will occur.

The research team uncovered

freshwater shrimp as the missing

link between mataw fishing and the

impending ecological degradation of a

deforested watershed. This missing link

can be described as follows. The use of

shrimp bait to catch fl ying fi sh is the fi rst

rung in the complex mataw fi shing system.

Because freshwater shrimp, as the name

implies, live only in streams with adequate

water, the amount of water that fl ows into

a stream predetermines the existence of a

shrimp habitat.

Watershed ecology informs us that

the condition of the watershed forest

determines the state of water flowing

into the streams. The better the forest

condition, the better the quality and higher

the quantity of water generated. In view

of the degraded watershed, the amount

of water in the streams would surely

decrease. This observation corresponds

with the situation of local people having

to go farther distance from Diura to search

for shrimp, given the declining quantity of

water fl owing into the streams.

The question with all its implications

to ponder is—will the denudation of the

watershed forest eventually result in the

extinction of fresh water shrimp? Further

research questions to inquire are: What are

viable alternatives to shrimp as bait? How

resilient will mataw fi shing be in Diura?

What explains the persistence of mataw

fi shing in Diura when fi shers in other areas

have abandoned this mode of traditional

fi shing system?

Sabtang Island: Glimpses of Deep Time,

Vast Space

 

Arnold Molina Azurin (Philippines Senior

Fellow Year 2002-2003)

 

From the very outset of this project, it was

my assigned task to envision the book

publication component. My consistent

viewpoint transcends those that focused

on Diura, a single village of fi shers who

undertake a seasonal ritual of folk piety via

animal sacrifi ce and shamanistic prayers to

affi rm their vital kinship with the seaborne

spirits and material bounty of the seas.

Such bounty includes the migratory

schools of fl ying fi sh, which they catch and

then use as bait in capturing the similarly

migrating fi sh dorado (arayu in the local

lingo). The schools of dorado are just

passing by, on their way to their spawning

ground, probably, before resuming their

migratory life-cycle across the vast Pacifi c

Ocean and adjoining seas.

Despite the psychic depth of “kinship”

seasonably reincarnated among fish,

fi shers and farmers, this shamanistic ritual

cannot, in my view, adequately represent

the larger web of the cultural and ecological

practices and knowledge system of the

Batanes’ diverse communities that I hope

to encompass in the book project. This

ritualized mode of fi shing is limited to

one village outside Mahatao town, seven

kilometers from Basco, and limited to a

three-month season, as well as being

limited to catching only migratory fi shes.

However, the holistic notion of ecological

API Fellows inside the

traditional house used

by the Sabtang group

as day camp. From left :

Jay Ticar, Roger Amboy

(guide), Cecilia de la Paz,

Cristina Lim, Chalida

Uabumrungjit, Sirirat

Katanchaleekul, Joyce

Lim, Motohide Taguchi,

Henry Chan, Aprilia

Budi Hendrijiani, and

Rosalie Hall.

Photograph by Dave Lumenta

The executive director of Women’s Centre for Change (WCC) Penang, Loh Cheng-Kooi (Malaysian Senior

Fellow Year 2008-2009), was featured in The Star on August 1, 2010 (http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.

asp?fi le=/2010/8/1/lifefocus/6745861&sec=lifefocus). The newspaper reported on the WCC’s and JAG’s (Joint

Action Group for Gender Equality) silver jubilees to help mark 25 years of their role in protecting and empowering

women in society. “JAG started its fi rst campaign against violence against women in 1985, which we were a part

of. WCC also held its very fi rst public forum in 1986 on ‘Women in Crisis’, that was attended by 180 people. That

was the start of our community outreach programs and legal advocacy,” Loh was reported as saying. In its fi rst

year, WCC reached out to 13 women. In 2009, they conducted 2,709 counseling sessions for women.

“Th e vaster view of Ivatan life, past and present, is best repre-sented by the Idiang of Savi-dug—an ancient hilltop fortress whose sides are nearly vertical, thus providing refuge to the lo-cal defenders when attacked by warriors from other villagers.”

Regional Project

continued from page 5

continued on page 7

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sustainability in the Batanes island group

should be discerned on a larger scale and

via more variety of survival adaptations

as developed by a broader range of the

island inhabitants.

Therefore, despite the added problem

of doubling the itinerary of the team, our

study team went to Sabtang to look into

other manifestations of the islanders’

coping devices—in this region where

the surrounding seas, sparse streams and

headwinds are not always conducive to

fi shing or farming or raising cattle and

goats—the major livelihoods hereabout.

Sabtang’s weather was then sultry

(drizzling in Basco when we boarded the

boat) and anyone could appreciate the

role of the watershed/woodlands upon

Mt. Iraya, whereas Sabtang’s hill slopes are

denuded. The humid conditions were used

by our guide, Roger, and other newfound

friends, in explaining the self-cooling

features of the “Traditional Ivatan House”

(the quotes here are from the writings of

the Ivatan scholar, Florentino Hornedo,

who gave us a lecture in the course of our

study tour).

It occurred to me that the signifi cance

of enclosing in quotes the phrase

Traditional Ivatan House is clearly evident

in the historical development of this type

of shelter (having evolved in the Spanish

era) and the decadent condition of many

such structures in Sabtang’s Savidug

village. Some roofless stonewalled

structures in a row are either left to the

elements or supplanted by new buildings

using hollow blocks and cement, not the

stone, lime and sand mortar made famous

in tourism posters.

Obviously there is a need to analyze

the notion of the “traditional house” in

the steadily changing environment of

Batanes with care and while maintaining

a historical perspective. In our study

team, Cecilia de la Paz has expressed

interest in looking closer at this issue. The

same paradox of “tradition” or “native”

confronted our Japanese fellow-traveler,

Motohide Taguchi, who asked a local

violinist to render “native” or “folk” music

on his violin.

The old fi ddler in Chavayan village

gladly obliged with the song “Paper Roses”,

made famous by the American pop singer

Anita Bryant in the fi fties. He next coaxed

his violin to the musical strains of the

Ilocanos (a neighboring ethnolinguistic

group on Luzon Island) such as “Manang

Biday”. I explained to Motohide-san that

“traditional” or folk music is very diffi cult

to be sustained or preserved by a Sabtang

musician who, in the fi rst place, plays the

violin on this relatively remote island.

The genuinely indigenous did emerge

in the laji folk songs Filomena Hubalde

(Manang Adela) sang for our group.

Glecy Atienza has been so inspired by the

singer’s rendition of old Ivatan songs that

she has promised to focus her creative

eff ort in making either a play or a life story

of the chanter. Manang Adela of Savidug

village has lived a life very refl ective of

another piece of irony of living in so-

called reclusive islands far removed from

mainland Luzon. Instead of a life of sylvan

solitariness among the hills and shorelines,

she went to live in Manila as a hospital

assistant. Yet, while in Manila, instead of

getting drowned out by pop songs, she

was singing laji to entertain herself and

her friends.

The vaster view of Ivatan life, past and

present, is best represented by the Idiang

of Savidug—an ancient  hilltop fortress

whose sides are nearly vertical, thus

providing refuge to the local defenders

when attacked by warriors from other

villagers. Their tactic was to roll down or

hurl stones on their enemies.

The Idiang sanctuary was too high

for us to climb, and its role in the survival

of the inhabitants, as well as its structural

development, is too long a story to

include in this brief passage. Suffi ce to

say that it still refl ects that distant time

when in the 17th century Capt. William

Dampier described their cluster of “small

low houses: ensconced between hilltops

or squatting along cliff s to prevent their

enemies from assaulting without being

seen—and from those heights they hurtle

stones on their enemies below.

But on these seemingly solitary

hillocks, over  what were they fighting

time and again? Possibly the control or

the sharing of scarce water sources, which

is still a problem today (though there is no

more going on the warpath) particularly

as tourists are now poised to get a larger

share of the water supply. We will go into

that in the book on the ecology of Batanes.

API Community Building 101: The Inside

Story from Batanes

Rosalie A. Hall (Philippines Fellow Year 2004-

2005)

Why Batanes? How the Philippines ended

up with Batanes as the site for the API RP

(instead of Liguasan marsh in Mindanao)

portends to the many dramas that unfolded

in the course of preparations. Because of

security concerns in Mindanao, an alternate

site proposal for Batanes was hastily

conceived, for which I am in the most part

responsible. In retrospect, the choice of a

site for which no Philippines API Fellows

have previous engagement (not to mention

has ever been to) was un-pragmatic and

ambitious, if not downright insane.

I am writing this refl ection as a much-

chastised RPWG leader who bore many

lifelong lessons on community building

API Fellows during the

ocular visit of Racu a Idi

(communal pastureland)

in Mahatao, Batan Is-

land. Some recognizable

Fellows (from left ): Dicky

Sofj an, Sirirat Katan-

chaleekul, Cecilia de la

Paz, Edward Cabagnot,

Danilo Reyes and Rosalie

Hall.

Photograph by Yeoh Seng Guan

Toh Kin Woon (Malaysian Senior Fellow Year 2008-2009) was featured in New Straits Times on July 16, 2010 (http://

www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/LTSun_Somethingold_somethingnew/Article/). In the article, Toh Kin Woon, who had

resigned his posts as a state assemblyman for Machang Bubok in Penang and state executive councilor in March 2008

because of his support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Permatang Pauh by-election, said his position meant his

staying in the party was “untenable”, so he decided to quit and serve in “civil society”. He said he was now able to focus on

the Centre for Economic Studies, the Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI) and the LLG Cultural

Development Centre, which are connected to his life-long interests—social justice and multiculturalism. Since stepping

down from government, he has accepted the post of senior research fellow and continues his research into urban

poverty, brain drain and social justice for the Penang Blueprint, as well as having more time for research and writing.

Regional Project

continued from page 6

continued on page 8

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from the API Regional Project in Batanes.

Although I am not a novice on foreign

collaborative projects, the RP is my fi rst foray

into inter-disciplinary work with colleagues

whose intellectual or creative provenance

and methodological approaches are

completely diff erent from mine.

The banality of logistical preparations

and the sheer eff ort of bringing everyone

on board amidst indifference and

misunderstanding are so remote from my

experience as a military research specialist.

But the frustration, laughter and tears have

all indelibly connected me to API Fellows

in ways strong friendships are ultimately

built. With this project, I come away with

the feeling that I truly am a member of the

API Community.

From Day One, the fluctuating

composition of the RPWG refl ected the ad

hoc framework (voluntary participation) in

which the RP was anchored. Initial bursts

of enthusiasm in early meetings petered

down to a motley crew of academics

(political scientists, anthropologists,

economists, labor relations specialists,

art/film/literary experts) and a visual

artist able and willing to spare their time

and energy for the project. This group of

very accomplished, brilliant and creative

minds rarely arrived at a consensus on the

most vexing conceptual issues (in Nick

Deocampo’s terms the “spine”) of what is

the ecological and the human on which to

anchor proposed site visit activities.

Adding to this situation are

professional commitments that members

must attend to (and can’t be faulted upon

to prioritize), necessitating some serious

personnel troubleshooting (e.g. Myfel

Paluga standing in as foreign participant

to the Biwako and Khiriwong visits in place

of designated core members who were

away on fellowship obligations; Rosalie

Hall vacating the leadership of the RPWG

for a Fulbright Fellowship in Chicago).

The looming site visit date pushed the

team to set aside evident tensions over

the project’s conceptual direction and

leadership in favor of logistical imperatives.

In contingency mode, the group

soldiered on and completed the required

ocular visits, produced the Handbook,

sent foreign participants to other sites

and managed to pull off the most

challenging logistical preparations for the

D-Day in April 2010, with much prodding

and guidance from Regional Committee

representatives Danilo Reyes and Theresita

Atienza, and Philippines Partner Institution

Program Coordinator Isabel Nazareno.

It is a great tribute to the RPWG that

the preparations were successfully carried

out virtually through email, Skype and

magic jack with me in Chicago; Theresita

(money), Glecy Atienza (travel agent),

Flaudette May Datuin (communications

node and travel insurance procurer,

Philippines Fellow Year 2004-2005) and

Cecilia de la Paz (Sabtang subgroup

leader) in Manila; Myfel (subgroup leader

for Diura) in faraway Davao and Father

Brigidio Casas (local go-to person) in

distant Batanes. Throughout these, visual

artist Jay Ticar took care of his own art

installation project logistics, independent

of the dual (Diura and Sabtang) site based

preparations.

The famed Batanes lassitude and

unpredictable sea transport availability

caused havoc with the schedule that the

group earlier agreed upon and caused

open confrontations. The Sabtang

group went onto their four-day exile

unaccompanied by the Diura group

(supposedly going too for a day ocular

visit). I forced the Diura group to withdraw

from their site to complete this ocular

visit in Sabtang (despite Myfel’s opinion

to remain for further deepening of their

community engagement) and compelled

the Sabtang group to play host (despite

the group’s preference for additional time

for their own fi eldwork).

Confusion over logistical work

versus research agenda of Philippines

RPWG members; on number crunching

to save precious project money; and

over reporting relationships between the

subgroup leaders and myself culminated

in a dramatic showdown during the

supposed synthesis session on the last

day. Over Myfel’s pointed comments

on the projects’ lapses, my tearful non-

response and attempted mediation by

Dicky Sofj an, the otherwise sour-end to

the fi eld visit was saved by Glecy Atienza’s

timed initiative for a karaoke outing.

Nothing like singing to ward off tensions!

For tunately, l ike all Fi l ipino

telenovelas, this drama had a happy

ending. After a three-month period of

silence, the group held a “post mortem”

to collectively and publicly refl ect on our

experiences and our feelings with the

aid of a neutral facilitator. While fragile,

the process enabled me to move forward

with renewed enthusiasm for our Year

Three country products and under a new

leadership structure.

Myfel and I reconciled, and I have

greater appreciation of his unorthodox

methods of data gathering and brilliant

ideas. I understand better Jay’s creative and

aesthetic gift, the value of Edward Cabagnot’s

green humor and the strategic importance of

Theresita’s charm off ensive. In the end, what

builds communities is the more nuanced

understanding of the personal.

Regional Project

Henry Chan (stand-

ing, right side) explains

a point about mataw

fi shing during the com-

munity sharing day at

the art installation space

in the Mahatao church

convent.

continued from page 7

Photograph by Dave Lumenta

“Th e frustration, laughter and tears have all indelibly con-nected me to API Fellows in ways strong friendships are ulti-mately built. With this project, I come away with the feeling that I truly am a member of the API Community.”

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Representing Whose Interest?: Japanese ODA and

National Interest Under the New GovernmentAkio Kawamura, JAPAN SENIOR FELLOW 2007-2008

The transition of the government from the

Liberal Democratic Party to the Democratic

Party in the fall of 2009 was greeted

with some expectation, however slight,

among Civil Society Organizations that an

opportunity existed for Japanese Offi cial

Development Aid (ODA) to become more

focused on poverty reduction. However,

whatever hope did exist quickly faded

as the new government started to show

more interest in balancing various interests

in Japan.

This posit ion is most clearly

demonstrated in the document “Promotion

of Open National Interest”, published by

Ministry of Foreign Aff airs in June 2010 to

clarify the “new” direction of the Japanese

ODA. As the title suggests, the document

states that the goal of ODA is the

promotion of national interest. Certainly

the national interest here is not limited to

a narrow military or economic interest, but

can include more expansive and long-term

interests such as a more peaceful and stable

international environment. Nevertheless,

giving center stage to national interest in

the policy paper opens up an avenue for

all kinds of interests to enter.

Regardless of whichever government,

Japan has never been involved in a crusade

against global poverty. Ever since Japan

started the ODA program in 1954, Japan

has been spending more on the large-

scale infrastructure projects than other

types of social development programs.

Construction of infrastructure in East Asian

countries helped Japanese construction

companies directly and other businesses

indirectly, while promoting the economic

development of the recipient countries.

Where the governments in the

recipient countries are committed to

universal provision of basic services such as

education and health, Japanese ODA could

have also helped poverty reduction, as

the governments have a better possibility

to procure resources in a growing

economy. However, the Japanese focus

on large-scale construction also resulted

in environmental destruction and human

poverty in aff ected areas.

In the last decade or so, there have

been several positive developments. In

order to prevent environmental and social

destruction by the ODA, ODA implementing

Some 100 farmers were

relocated from this

construction site of a

JICA-funded irrigation

dam project in the Philip-

pines. Most of them are

currently suff ering from

the lack of livelihood.

agencies such as the Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan

Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)

introduced “guidelines” for social and

environmental considerations under

pressure from NGOs. In response to the

increased attention to the poverty reduction

agenda, the Japanese Government started

to spend marginally more for the Least

Developed Countries (LDCs), which account

for 20.8% of the net ODA in 2008 compared

to 13.2% in 1998.

Shifting Back Again?

However, certain disturbing trends are

evident in the more recent Japanese

ODA policy developments. The increased

pursuit of national interest is refl ected in

several new emphasizes and directions.

One is the pursuit of “ODA with Japanese

faces”, meaning Japanese ODA should be

implemented by the Japanese from sectors

across Japan including business, civil

society organizations, local governments

and the national government. This goes

against the recent international trend for

more local ownership in decision making

for development programs. The emphasis

on so-called “strategic ODA” is another

worrisome trend, which strategically links

ODA to securing natural resources for

Japanese industry.

Why is All This Happening Now?

There are two major causes at the structural

level. One is the general lack of people’s will

to let the government fi ll the gap between

rich and poor, even within Japanese society

itself. This may be because of the general

lack of a sense of social solidarity, or due to

distrust of the government.

Japanese public expenditure is one

of the smallest among OECD countries,

and the budget for ODA depends very

much on loans. Public donations to CSOs

are also among the lowest. In short,

Japanese people simply do not like to use

“Th e citizens of Japan should raise their voices and convince the government that the national interest of Japan and its people is not restricted to those of a small group of companies, but extends to the welfare of the entire human race.”

their money to help each other, let alone

helping people in other countries. The

government is in a way simply reacting

to this situation, trying to gain support for

ODA spending by linking it to the narrower

national interest.

The second structural cause could be

the perceived and/or real competition with

“newcomers” in the ODA business, such as

China, South Korea and other relatively

wealthy countries in the region. As the

Japanese diplomatic philosophy is to “keep

a balance” among diff erent groups rather

than becoming a champion for a cause,

its position shifts as the wind changes

direction.

The government says it is committed

to international goals of ODA such as

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),

harmonization in ODA implementation,

and promotion of good governance, but it

does so in order to follow the “international

trend” and not from the bottom of its heart.

With the emergence of new donors such

as China with clear national interest bound

goals, the Japanese government’s position

seems to be changing again.

Responsibilities of the Public

Two developments appear necessary to

occur in order to bring the Japanese ODA

policy back on the pro-poor track. Firstly,

at the local level, the citizens of Japan

should raise their voices and convince the

government that the national interest of

Japan and its people is not restricted to

those of a small group of companies, but

extends to the welfare of the entire human

race. Japan also needs to act at a regional

level, where not only Japanese ODA needs

to be monitored, but also aid from new

donors must be constantly monitored

and considered. Otherwise, Japan might

just fi nd its position precariously balanced

somewhere between China and the other

OECD countries.

Fellows in Focus

Akio Kawamura is an Associate Professor at the Depart-

ment of Social Organization Development, School of

Human Welfare Studies, Kansai Gakuin University, Ja-

pan. This article is based on his refl ection after partici-

pating in a recent ODA seminar held in Kyoto on June 24,

2010. Hozue Hatae (Japan Fellow Year 2006-2007) also

joined in this seminar.

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Yuli Nugroho, INDONESIA FELLOW

YEAR 2005-2006

Among the ten research projects selected

by the Australia Indonesia Governance

Research Partnership (AIGRP) for 2009,

two projects were awarded to Indonesian

Fellows, Ambar Yoganingrum (Indonesia

Fellow Year 2004-2005) of Indonesian

Institute of Sciences (Lembaga Ilmu

Pengetahuan Indonesia [LIPI]) and myself,

Yuli Nugroho (Indonesia Fellow Year 2005-

2006), a researcher at Damar Foundation.

The Australian Government has been

funding research through AIGRP since

2007, managed by the Crawford School

of Economics and Government at The

Australian National University (ANU). AIGRP

is a vehicle for sponsoring and promoting

collaborative research between Australian

and Indonesian scholars, focusing

analytical expertise on policy relevant

issues in Indonesia as well as strengthening

the intellectual foundations of public and

scholarly debate.

Together with Fiona McDonald, a

lecturer at Queensland University of

Technology (QUT) School of Law, as well

as others, Ambar proposed a research

project titled “Evidence-based decision

making to strengthen local governance:

nutritional health interventions in Bantul

and Gunungkidul”.

This research aimed to assesses

the extent to which evidence-based

decision-making informs health policy

in two districts of Yogyakarta Province,

identifying both barriers and opportunities

for drawing locally generated evidence

into district level public health programs.

Under the health decentralization policy

framework in Indonesia (Law Number 32,

2004 on Regional Autonomy, the Ministry

of Health Decree number 1107/2000 on

the Authority of the Provincial Level of

Government and the Minimum Authority

of the District Government in Indonesia),

district governments in Indonesia have

principal responsibility for managing health

interventions, including improving the

nutritional status of women and children.

In part, the decentralization of health

services is intended to allow decision-

makers to integrate locally generated

evidence into a policy framework that might

still be dominated by national concerns.

Preliminary research indicates that eff ective

integration of locally generated evidence

into district health policies and programs

remains limited.

The policy brief recommendations

Fellows Explore Decentralizing Health and Forest Management in Indonesia

included: “1) Improve coordination with

the national government and develop

synergies amongst national, provincial

and district programs to reduce overlaps,

improve coordination and result in

improved health outcomes; 2) Create

integrated data centres to gather

valid, accurate and real time data and

consolidate nutrition/food security data

from all local bureaus within districts and

between the districts and national actors;

3) Commitment at the national and district

level to increasing the development

of EBDM in public health; 4) District

governments should develop measures

to improve coordination between bureaus

to address important cross sectoral

problems; 5) Encourage and facilitate

increased participation by all stakeholders

in planning processes at the national and

district level; and 6) Continue to develop

programs to educate the public about

the importance of local food as a source

of nutrition, provide education on how

to process local foods to enhance their

nutritional value, and develop campaigns

to promote pride in local food diversity.”

Meanwhile Dr. Mustofa Agung

Sardjono of the University of Mulawarman,

Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Dr. Iean

Russell of The University of Queensland

(UQ) and myself proposed a research

project titled “Decentralisation and

recentralisation of forest management:

impact and implications in Kutai Barat and

Gunungkidul”. This research investigated

how two district governments in Java and

Kalimantan (on Borneo Island) attempt

to balance the competing demands of

supporting local livelihoods and ensuring

forest sustainability. It also considered

to what extent community-based

forest management systems are in fact

deepening democracy.

The policy brief strongly recommended

that: “the decentralization processes

relating to the forest area of Indonesia

must be accelerated. Notwithstanding the

excesses during the brief relaxation of rights

to issue permits from central to district level,

the revocation of district control precluded

the possibility of district governments

and other local actors learning and

responding accordingly. Under the existing

arrangements, there is no room for local

initiatives to improve forest management

within state forest area. Legislative changes

are required for a more democratic process

of community- based forest management

to take eff ect.”

The fi ndings of AIGRP research projects

were presented as Policy Briefs during the

Policy Research Forum held on December

1-8, 2009 in Jakarta. The annual forum is

a mechanism for engaging policymakers

and communicating the latest insights

from AIGRP sponsored research. The forum

was attended by senior offi cials of both the

Indonesian and Australian governments,

representatives of donor agencies, the

media, NGOs, research institutes as well

as Australian and Indonesian scholars.

“Continue to develop programs to educate the public about the importance of local food as a source of nutrition, provide education on how to process local foods to enhance their nutritional value, and develop campaigns to promote pride in local food diversity.”

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Yuli Nugroho (left ) and Ambar Yoganingrum (right) at AIGRP Policy Research Forum, 2009.

Yuli Nugroho has been a Senior Researcher at DAMAR

Foundation, Indonesia, since 1998. He has been involved in

several studies related to rural and regional development

throughout Indonesia.

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Despite several decades of globalizing

and integrating trends, the world has

also in recent times witnessed and

experienced the opposite trend of “dis-

integration”. Indeed, the latter may

possibly be the stronger of the two forces

and tendencies. The collapse of former

unions, the rise of ethno-nationalism,

the spread of secessionist movements, as

well as various social, economic, cultural,

and political trends have led the world

toward disintegration. Concerned with

these tendencies towards disintegration,

the Chula Global Network (CGN) of

Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok,

Thailand, held a two-day international

conference Coping with Dis-Integration:

From the Perspectives of Local to Global on

September 13-14 at the university.

CGN is the platform and forum for the

exchange and integration of the various

members of national and international

academia including practitioners to

generate area specific knowledge in

an integrated manner, both multi-

disciplinary and interdisciplinary. The

CGN supports curriculum development

and organization of events such as

Coping with Dis-Integration: From the Perspectives of Local to GlobalToh Kin Woon, MALAYSIA SENIOR FELLOW YEAR 2008-2009

conferences, seminars and workshops

in fi ve thematic areas of: 1) peace and

conflict transformation; 2) regional

integration; 3) human security; 4)

inequality and governance; 5) identity,

diversity and cultural change.

Conference Objectives

The objectives of the conference

were fourfold: To promote a better

understanding of both integration

and dis-integration in the present

world; to exchange conceptual and

theoretical tools for research and

analysis of disintegrating conditions

from comparative case studies; to draw

up policy recommendations for coping

with dis-integration; and to enhance

networking and collaboration among

academics, practitioners and students

concerned with integration and dis-

integration.

Participation of API Fellows

In line with these aims, diplomats,

scholars and experts from both Southeast

Asia and Europe were invited to present

papers on various country experiences

and theoretical perspectives on dis-

integration. Suggestions for coping with

dis-integration were also put forward by

several scholars. Country case studies on

the former Czechoslovakia and Bosnia-

Herzegovina in Europe as well as Malaysia,

Indonesia and Vietnam in Southeast Asia

were presented. Either former or present

API Fellows presented all the Southeast

Asia country case studies at the Coping

with Dis-Integration conference.

Dr. Dicky Sofj an (Indonesia Fellow

Year 2007-2008) presented the paper

Killing Ourselves Softly: Preliminary

Inquiries on the Increasing Incidences

of Suicide. In it he examined the

phenomenon of social disintegration

and its correlation with the incidences

of suicide. He hypothesized that the high

incidence of and increasing trend toward

suicide evident in some countries is an

early warning sign of the high rate of

social disintegration.

Ms. Prangtip Daorueng (Thailand

Fellow Year 2001-2002) presented the

paper Reinventing Integration: The case

of Acheh. In it she traced the origins of the

violent confl ict between Acheh and the

national state in Indonesia, articulating

the policy mistakes committed by the

state that led to the hostility. She also

tracked the progress of the negotiations

that fi nally led to the signing of the peace

“Either former or present API Fellows presented all the Southeast Asia country case studies at the Coping with Dis-Integration conference.”

continued on page 12

Dicky (standing in the back row, fi rst from left ); Toh (back row, third from left ); Chinh (back row, fi ft h from right); Prangtip (back row, second from right); and

Surichai (front row, fi rst from right).

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accord in Helsinki on July 17, 2005.

Dr. Nguyen Van Chinh, a current

API Fellow presently undertaking

research in Bangkok, Thailand, related

the experiences of Vietnam in terms of

disintegration. He fi rst reviewed three

cases of dis-integration or separation

movements launched by the Hmong in

the northern highlands, the indigenous

Degar peoples of the Central Highlands,

and the Khmer Krom in the Mekong

Delta, followed by an analysis of the

roots of dis-integration among these

ethnic groups.

Malaysia Case Study

Finally, I related the trend toward dis-

integration and the way in which both

the Malaysian state and the society of the

country as a whole have coped with it in

my paper Coping with Dis-Integration in a

Fragmented Society: The Case of Malaysia.

Malaysia has by and large been marked

by an absence of openly violent inter-

ethnic confl ict, even as it experiences

the pulls and stresses that come from

its multi-ethnic and multi-religious

population, with its varied and often

confl icting demands. Diff erences over

nation building policies centering on

citizenship, language, culture, education

and wealth distribution continue to

trouble and divide the nation (Sheila Nair

2009). The cultivation of distinct ethno-

linguistic, religious and cultural identities

and the continuation of political division

among ethnic communities suggest an

inherent potential for dis-integration

(Maznah 2009).

Yet the nation has not disintegrated

and there have been very few instances

of open, violent inter-ethnic confl ict thus

far. There are a number of reasons for this:

the rapid economic growth, accompanied

by redistribution of wealth which reduces

inter-ethnic income disparity and thus

resentment; the democratization of

educational opportunities which has

led to a burgeoning middleclass that

acts as a social force of stability; the

consociational politics of inter-ethnic

bargaining, even if carried out among

the elites, has led to the resolution of

some contradictions among, and the

fulfi llment of some of the demands in

language, education, culture and religion

of the diff erent ethnic groups; the role

of multi-ethnic non-state non-elite civil

society groups in building cross-ethnic

and cross-cultural bridges through their

participation in the arts, music, women’s

issues, human rights, environmental

protection, etc (Francis Loh 2010); the

reduction in the feelings of deprivation

and a strengthening of ethnic pride and

cohesion among Peninsular Malays as a

result of the hegemonic position of the

Malay language and Islam; the success

of state sponsored eff orts in nurturing

an immense Malay professional and

business class; and the use of coercion

to enforce acceptance and compliance

of race-based economic policies. These

factors have all contributed to the

avoidance of open, violent inter-ethnic

confl ict.

This has given rise to a situation

of “stable tension in the country” (Ong

Puay Liu 2009; Shamsul A.B. 2000). While

Malaysia may have been successful

thus far in avoiding disintegration,

concerns have been expressed as to the

sustainability of peace and harmony in

the future. These concerns are premised

on the continued resort to ethnic

posturing by the ethnic state, because

some mainstream media are sympathetic

to the ruling elites, and also because

there are some rightwing extremist race

based non-governmental organizations.

Such chauvinistic lines of political

campaigning are not likely, however,

to cause any open conflict in the

future, although some tensions may be

created. This is due to the hegemony of

the ethnocentric line in Malaysia being

increasingly challenged by a multi-racial

mix of intellectuals, scholars, social

activists and political leaders from the

opposition coalition at the federal level.

continued from page 11

on upholding Malay dominance and

pursuing the Malay agenda will be

thwarted. Moreover, the ethnically bi-

polar society will increasingly become

asymmetrical with the rapid growth

of the Muslim-Malay portion of the

total population, further reducing the

potential for an all out ethnic war.

Beside inter-ethnic tensions, another

potentially disintegrating force is the

pursuit of the Islamization agenda by

almost all Muslim groups and political

parties. A question troubling many is

whether Malaysia will become an Islamic

state. Many are of the view, however,

that this fear is largely unfounded as

the contest and competition for non-

Muslim electoral support will see to the

moderation of this resolve on the part of

the Muslim groups on both sides of the

political divide.

Regional disparities, especially

between Peninsular Malaysia and the

two east Malaysian states of Sabah

and Sarawak, is another potentially

destabilizing factor. Yet another danger

of disintegration may happen if the

entire process of democratization breaks

down at the federal level, especially after

the next general election scheduled

sometime over the next two years. This

danger may take the form of the current

ruling coalition grabbing power back

from the current opposition coalition,

in the event of the latter winning power

with a slim majority, through enticing

newly elected parliamentarians to cross

the fl oor.

If this were to occur, Malaysia would

potentially sink into chaos. However,

even in this event, dis-integration may

not happen along the traditional ethno-

religious fault lines. Instead, political

chaos arising from non-compliance

with the generally accepted rules

of parliamentary democracy may

ensue. Overall, Malaysia is still likely to

continue to avoid disintegration, even

as the current ruling regime continues

to ensure that ethnic and, increasingly,

religious tensions continue.

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Toh Kin Woon is a previously elected member of the

State Legislative Assembly, Penang and Penang State

Executive Councilor for Education, Economic Planning,

Human Resource Development, Science, Technology

& Innovation. Recent awards that he has received are

the 2005 Outstanding Individual Award for Human

Resource Development from the Asian Regional Training

and Development Organization, Lim Lian Geok Spiritual

Award for 2007 and API Fellowships for 2008-2009.

“Th e hegemony of the ethno-centric line in Malaysia is be-ing increasingly challenged by a multi-racial mix of intellectuals, scholars, social activists and po-litical leaders from the opposition coalition at the federal level.”

This dispute between state

sanctioned and counter-hegemonic

views on issues related to citizenship, the

institution of the monarchy, the status of

Islam, the special position of the Malays,

and education and language has been

facilitated by the rapid spread of the new

technology (Khoo 2010).

Such contestations and movements

for change will no doubt continue

in the next few years. In the process,

eff orts at whipping up Malay rage and

fears by those Malay political leaders,

social activists and NGO leaders bent

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Coinciding with the API 10th Anniversary,

the API Thailand National Coordinating

Committee (NCC) proposed to consolidate

the intellectual resources generated thus

far and publicize them to the Thai audience

at large. Aiming at achieving such a goal,

a series of country-level activities have

been initiated, including a publication of

the API Fellows’ works in Thai language, a

video project documenting the current

work engagements as public intellectuals

of Thailand API Fellows, and conducting

a number of public seminars on diff erent

social issues. The proposal was endorsed

by TNF in November 2009.

Between July 14 to 15, 2010, the fi rst

activity took place in Pattani province,

Southern Thailand. The two-day event was

Thailand API Community—Initiatives to Commemorate the API’s 10th Anniversary

combined with a fi eld visit and a public

seminar, organized in collaboration with

the Social Development Program, Faculty

of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prince

of Songkla University. On the fi rst day, 11

API Fellows separately joined in fi ve fi eld

visits for exchange with local leaders and

youth groups on particular concerns

of each community, such as the unjust

accusation of villagers as being terrorist

sympathizers, conflicts over water use

in newly industrialized districts, identity

related discrimination by the state, and

promotion of co-existence among people

of diff erent faiths by alternative media

and community groups.

At the public forum held on second

day at the Songkla University’s Pattani

campus Prof. Amara Pongsapich, Chair of

the National Human Rights Commission

of Thailand, delivered a talk on ‘Linking

API’s knowledge base to solve the crisis

in Thailand’s Deep South.’ The forum was

joined by local academics and students

as well as attended by villagers from

various marginalized communities. The

forum successfully provided a channel

for Fellows to share the lessons they had

learnt from their fellowship experiences

and learn about the local perspectives as

well as to explore future eff ort to work

with communities in such a confl ict prone

region. In early 2011, a further three public

forums will be organized in Chiang Mai

and Bangkok.

(From left ) Alisa

Hasamoh, Prangtip

Daorueng, Kokaew

Wongphan, Darunee

Tantiwiramanond, and

Penchom Saetang.

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RP Product Development

RP Book

Since the last report, much progress has

been made in the RP Book development.

The Selection Committee (consisting of RC

Chair Herry Yogaswara, Narumol Aphinives

as the RC Point Person for the RP Book

development and Michiko Taki of TNF)

has fi nally settled on hiring a Book Editor/

Coordinator. The search for the Book Editor/

Coordinator went through a rigorous and

competitive process initially via a formal

Request for Proposals (RFP) in the first

quarter of 2010. After numerous inquiries,

expressions of interests and submissions

of proposals, the RFP was unsuccessful in

Updates on Regional Projects and ActivitiesJuly-December 2010

fi nding a suitable candidate, who matched

the job requirements.

The Selection Committee decided

to cast the net again through word of

mouth, personal references and networks.

Subsequently, the Selection Committee

appointed Ms. Justine Vaz (Malaysia) for

the position.

Ms. Vaz brings with her a wealth

of experience in conservation and

environment work. She has specialised

knowledge on protected areas and their

relationships with local communities,

traditional wisdom and cultures. Ms. Vaz

has worked for various environmental

organizations and programs, including

WWF, the Borneo Biodiversity and

Ecosystem Conservation and Partner

for Wetlands, and which has taken her

to places in Sabah and Central Borneo.

The Selection Committee has every

confidence in Ms. Vaz’s abilities and

energy in undertaking the complex task

ahead.

Another development concerns the

appointment of Professor Emeritus Koji

Tanaka from Kyoto University, Japan, as

the Technical Adviser to assist the RP

Book development. He will be assisting

in laying out the concept and providing

a regional outlook and perspective for the

Book.

Report from the Regional Committee

continued on page 14

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ISC Member Transition

Takashi Shiraishi, Executive Member of the Council for Science and Technology

Policy, Cabinet Offi ce of Government of Japan, who served as International Selection

Committee (ISC) member since 2000, has completed his term in 2010. He has

contributed signifi cantly to the high standard of Fellow selection. He is succeeded

by Koji Takana, former Program Director for Japan Partner Institution. API extends

our warm welcome and looks forward to working with him to further strengthening

the Program.Takashi ShiraishiKoji Tanaka

Notices & Announcements

continued from page 13continued from ppage 13

in October 2010, and the transfer of work

on the Webmastering has been done. Sirirat

Katanchaleekul (Thailand Fellow Year 2007-

2008) has agreed to take-up the task.

RP Digital Documentary

The Regional Celebration of API Fellowships

Program’s 10th Anniversary, held last May

in Manila, saw the showcasing of the

two documentary trailers. The trailers

were produced by Nick A. Deocampo

(Philippines Senior Fellow Year 2000-

2001), Creative Director of the Center for

New Cinema (CNC). Except for Tasik Chini

(Malaysia), the trailers contained footage

of four other sites. In November the CNC

conducted its research visit to Tasik Chini

together with the Malaysia RPWG.

The documentary project is currently

undergoing a formal Mid-Term Review

process undertaken by the RP Manager,

Dicky Sofjan, in consultation with the

Executive Producer, Tatsuya Tanami of TNF,

and Associate Producer, Yeoh Seng Guan,

as the RC Point Person for the documentary.

For this purpose, Mr. Deocampo recently

visited Yogyakarta to hold meetings

with the RP Manager. He also took the

opportunity to engage with the Kali Code

community leaders and filmed more

footage of the Kali River and its surrounding

settlements. Together with the community

leaders, Mr. Deocampo and the RP Manager

visited the environs of Mount Merapi a few

days before it erupted in late October.

Council of Working Groups

All RPWG leaders representing the five

sites met up with RPMT and CI in Bangkok

on 27-29 September to update each

other and review policies regarding the

Regional Project. A number of resolutions

were made in line with the collaborative,

interdisciplinary and pioneering nature

of the RP. Among others, it was resolved

to create an inventory of the database

of audio/video recordings and interview

transcripts to maximize resource sharing,

and to conduct an internal review in the

fi rst quarter of 2011. It was also proposed

to hold a “culminating event” of the RP

sometime in 2012 after the PR Book and

documentary have been completed.

In line with the rotational principle,

Ms. Supa Yaimuang (Thailand) replaced

Ms. Tatak Prapti Ujiyati (Indonesia) as the

CWGs Leader for Year 3 of the project.

Reported by Yeoh Seng Guan (RC Liaison Offi cer) and

Dicky Sofj an (RP Manager).

In mid-November, a Strategic Planning

Meeting was held in Penang, Malaysia, to

encapsulate the strategy ahead for the

Book development.

RP Website The API RP Website (www.api-rp.com) has

been up and running for several months.

It contains information and materials

related to the Regional Project. An Editorial

Board has been established recently, and

is chaired by Ms. Theresita V. Atienza, who

is also the RC Point Person for the API RP

Website. The Editorial Board members

comprise the following representatives

from the five participating countries,

namely: Pataya Ruenkaew (Thailand),

Motohide Taguchi (Japan), Joyce Lim Suan

Li (Malaysia), Rosalie B. Arcala (Philippines)

and Yayan Indriatmoko (Indonesia).

A Terms of Reference for the Editorial

Board has been established, and a guideline

for editorial content management has been

agreed and disseminated. The Editorial

Board will soon initiate the enrichment

of the Website content by inviting site

visit participants to submit contributions,

whether as texts, pictures or videos.

The contractual engagement with

the Website Developer, OpenEnd, ended

Report from the Regional Committee

Participants of the RP

Council of Working Groups

and RP Management

Team joint meeting held at

Chulalongkorn University,

Bangkok.

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Putting the ideals of API into action always

requires special attention, extra eff ort and

whole-hearted commitment. Oftentimes

the journey seems to be full of obstacles,

hurdles and challenges, but in dealing

with these diffi culties the rewards are an

unforgettable experience and growth as

individuals and as a community.

As featured in this issue, the Regional

Project Batanes site visit conducted in

April 2010 was one such undertaking. API

Fellows, resource personnel and community

participants grew closer and deepened the

understanding of the issues confronting the

region through experiencing challenges

together and being engaged in candid

dialogue. Indeed, the API Regional

Project has been most challenging. In

the practice and implementation of core

values of multidisciplinary partnership

and engagement with communities,

participants are oftentimes required to make

surprising adjustments to accommodate

each other, leading to new discoveries.

The sheer volume of the work required

in mobilizing a large community of Fellows

with various interests is daunting.

However, as Rosalie Hall states in her

article, she came “away [from this site

visit] with the feeling that I truly am a

member of the API Community”. This

explains how and why API Fellows and

other colleagues continue to commit

to the shared vision and undertakings.

Also introduced in this issue is

a project by the Thailand Fellows’

community coinciding with the API’s

10th Anniversary Regional Celebration.

In marking the 10 years of API, they

have taken one more step forward by

proposing to consolidate the eff orts of

the Thailand Fellows and disseminating

the outputs of their findings to a

wider public in a series of activities.

A collaborative eff ort such as this can

help to shape the future direction of

API as a whole, as we are aiming to

see more public engagements and

actions through working together and

continuing close engagements with

local communities.

In the Fellows in Focus section of

Message from the Editorial Desk

Calendar of events

This issue was originally planned for

December 2010. Pressure of work at the

API Coordinating Institution (CI) of the

Institute of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn

University and The Nippon Foundation

(TNF) has delayed publication until now

and for this we apologize. As ever, the API

Fellowships Program has been very active,

and celebrated its 10th anniversary in May

2010 in Manila. A special anniversary issue

is now in the works, so I will not go into

detail here, other than to say that the

anniversary was a wonderful opportunity

to look back on the past decade, refl ect on

the progress that has been made and look

forward to the future of the API Fellowships

Program and its community.

Among API Fellows, there are many

who are interested in human rights issues.

For these Fellows in particular, and for the

API Community membership in general, I

would like to report on a recent achievement

at the United Nations Human Rights Council

(UNHRC) and the United Nations General

Assembly (UNGA) that TNF strove to realize

together with our partners.

As you all know, the chairman of TNF,

Yohei Sasakawa, is also the WHO Goodwill

Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination. For

the past 30 years, he has been engaged in

the fi ght to rid leprosy from the world—

both the disease itself and the stigma

attached to it. Following the introduction

of an eff ective cure in the 1980s, as many

as 16 million people have been cured

worldwide. The number of new cases

diagnosed each year is now under 250,000,

and the medical battle is slowly being

won. Nevertheless, the stigma attached to

leprosy and the discrimination that results

remains deep-rooted.

As an NGO in consultative status with

the United Nations Economic and Social

Council (ECOSOC), TNF fi rst approached

the United Nations Office of the High

Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

about this issue in 2003. Over the next

several years, the persistent eff orts of TNF

this issue can be found several examples

of the recent activities of API Fellows in

carrying out significant initiatives. Yuli

Nugroho, for example, outlines how he

and Ambar Yoganingrum were two among

only ten research projects selected by the

Australia Indonesia Governance Research

Partnership (AIGRP) for 2009. Toh Kin Woon

reports on the Coping with Dis-Integration:

From the Perspectives of Local to Global international conference conducted

by Chula Global Network (CGN) held at

Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok,

where either former or present API Fellows

presented case studies.

These and many other examples

of the ongoing demonstrations of API’s

growing relevance can be found within

these pages and by visiting API website,

www.api-fellowships.org.

We welcome your contributions and

value the feedback of all readers. Our next

issue will be 10th Anniversary Regional

Celebration Commemorative Issue.

Michiko Yoshida and Andrew J. West

Message from The Nippon Foundation

RC Meeting in Kyoto in January 2011

The Regional Committee Meeting was hled

in Kyoto from January 21-23, 2011.

API Regional Project Kali Code site visit

took place from February 13-22, 2011.

Country Workshop 2011

The Country Workshop serves as a forum for

API Fellows to:

- share and exchange information on

various fi elds of endeavor;

- get updates on the activities and in-

volvements of other Fellows; and

- explore areas for potential collabora-

tion among Fellows.

Each respective API Partner Institution will

organize its Country Workshop as below:

- Indonesia: March 23-24, 2011

- Japan: March 5-6, 2011

- Malaysia: March 12-13, 2011

- Philippines: February 25-26, 2011

- Thailand: March 19, 2011

API Regional Project Tasik Chini site visit

will take place from April 12-23, 2011.

API Regional Project Council of Working

Groups and Regional Project Manage-

ment Team joint meeting will take place

from May 13-15, 2011 in Malaysia.

and its partner NGOs, led by Mr. Yohei

Sasakawa, eventually moved the Japanese

government to take up the issue. A draft

resolution to end discrimination against

people aff ected by leprosy and their family

members, accompanied by Principles and

Guidelines to this eff ect, was unanimously

adopted by the UNHRC in September 2010.

The Resolution was subsequently sent to

the UNGA and on December 21, 2010, it

was again unanimously adopted. This is the

culmination of seven years of hard work

and tireless advocacy.

I am not sharing this success story in

order to sing our praises; instead, I hope

it might serve as an inspiration to API

Fellows by showing how even a handful

of people can make a diff erence. Collective

and persistent eff orts, combining patience

and commitment, led us to this outcome.

And it all started from a small step.

On that note, may I wish you a very

happy and productive year!

Tatsuya Tanami

URL: http://www.api-indonesia.info/

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE AND TEAMThe Editorial Committee Consists of the Following:

Tatsuya Tanami, Executive Director, The Nippon Foundation

Michiko Taki, Chief Manager, International Program Department,

The Nippon Foundation

Surichai Wun’Gaeo, Director, API; and Michiko Yoshida, Program

Coordinator, API

The Editorial and Coordinating Team Consists of the Following

Members:

Michiko Yoshida, Program Coordinator, API; Akiko Kuwajima, Assistant

Program Coordinator, API

Andrew J. West, Freelance Editor, Patcharee Lae-Ya, Marketing Director,

Scand-Media Corp,. Ltd and Suchaya Binnarawee, Marketing Manager,

Scand-Media Corp., Ltd

For further information regarding the API Fellowships Program,

please visit www.api-fellowships.org.