political status
Indian Government Appoints Peace Panel
Large-scale forces such as national peace movements can normally promote harmony at the local level and foster more peaceful communities. The opposite generalization often applies: that wars can promote local strife, which helps build violent societies. Developments last week in New Delhi offer hope that peace in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir may […]
Rural Thai Politics and the 2006 Military Coup [journal article review]
Though his corruption was legendary, Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, was quite popular with the Rural Thai people, the majority of the electorate in that nation. When the Thai military removed him from power on September 19, 2006, the rationale for the coup by his opponents was that the elections which he […]
Malaysian Politics and the Rights of the Orang Asli
A Malaysian news source last week indicated that the Semai of Perak State are worried about recent political developments that may signal a return to governmental persecution. On February 5, Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, from the Barisan Nasional, or BN (National Front) party, was sworn in as the Menteri Besar, the Chief Minister of Perak […]
Women Help Resolve Political Conflicts in Rural Thailand [journal article review]
The intensity of local political elections in Rural Thailand can place immense stresses on Thai women, who have to maintain harmony within and between communities. In contrast to other authors, who see local Thai politics as primarily a male preserve, Katherine Bowie recognizes, in a recent journal article, the important role that women play as […]
Politics, Power, and Equality in Traditional Ladakh [anthology chapter review]
Although there are many inequalities in rural Ladakh, the Ladakhi villagers have a variety of social institutions that try to minimize the stresses that differing social statuses can produce. A chapter by Fernanda Pirie in a recent book on Ladakh explores the role of power and politics in rural villages, particularly the implications of the […]
