The Ethnic Triangle: State, Majority, and Minority in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore

Abstract

Conventional studies of ethnic conflict and violence have offered general explanations as to the factors that variously influence the escalation of conflicts into violence. The validity of such explanations, by and large, has been confirmed via numerous empirical and quantitative research studies. This particular study, however, does not intend to figure out which factors are more important in bringing about ethnic conflict and violence but rather, is more concerned with interpreting how the various ¿master cleavages¿ in selected countries affect ethnic groups and inter-ethnic relations in general. More specifically, this thesis aims to investigate ¿the processes¿ by which Governments adopt in managing ethnic relations, specifically, the series of institutional arrangements or policy designs, which in turn lead to changes in the balance of ethnic groups¿ relative status and strength. Given the dynamic characteristic of inter-ethnic relations, especially majority-minority relations, invariably, there are bound to be different responses from ethnic groups of such state-initiated policy moves. In turn, these could force the government to further mediate, if not amend, its policies¿with the similar corresponding chain reactions from affected ethnic groups, being repeated again and again. It is argued in this thesis that such processes, although admittedly dynamic and somewhat complicated, can actually be better understood through the ¿ethnic triangle model¿, which is adapted from the ¿strategic triangle¿ theory in international relations. Applying this theoretical paradigm, this dissertation reviews and analyzes the dynamic, on-going change consequent to State actions, in the relationships among the principal actors in the ¿triangle¿, namely, the State, the Chinese, and the indigenous population, in three post-colonial countries¿Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.