Party and Nation in Southeast Asia

When feudal kingdoms in Europe recognized that the people within their borders shared enough of culture and history to be organized as separate nations, political parties became increasingly important. These parties represented different interest groups, but were committed to making their nations richer, stronger and better integrated. That model was brought to other parts of the world following the retreat of imperial powers like Britain, France and the Netherlands. In Southeast Asia, the powers left behind states with communities that did not have either common cultures or similar histories. Thus many of the political parties that the local leaders established sought to use the state machinery to create nation-states. This essay examines how the imported nation-state model spawned a variety of parties and why these parties needed strong states in order to mould future nations. The diverse experiences show that political parties that were effective where nation-states existed can serve to divide people and destabilize their lives when they are still struggling to see themselves as a newborn nation.