Tribal communities in the Malay world : historical, cultural, and social perspectives

The Malay World (Alam Melayu), spanning the Malay Peninsula, much of Sumatra, and parts of Borneo, has long contained within it a variety of populations. Most of the Malays have been organized into the different kingdoms (kerajaan Melayu) from which they have derived their identity. But the territories of those kingdoms have also included tribal peoples — both Malay and non-Malay — who have held themselves apart from those kingdoms in varying degrees. In the last three decades, research on these tribal societies has aroused increasing interest. This book explores the ways in which the character of these societies relates to the Malay kingdoms that have held power in the region for many centuries past, as well as to the modern nation-states of the region. It brings together researchers committed to comparative analysis of the tribal groups living on either side of the Malacca Straits — in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. New theoretical and descriptive approaches are presented for the study of the social and cultural continuities and discontinuities manifested by tribal life in the region. CONTENTS LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1. Introduction 2. On Being Tribal in the Malay World 3. Tribal People on the Southern Thai Border: Internal Colonialism, Minorities, and the State 4. Developing Indigenous Communities into Sakais: South Thailand and Riau 5. Organizing Orang Asli Identity 6. Traditional Alliances: Contact between the Semais and the Malay State in Pre-modern Perak 7. Forest People, Conservation Boundaries, and the Problem of “Modernity” in Malaysia 8. Engaging the Spirits of Modernity: The Temiars 9. Against the Kingdom of the Beast: Semai Theology, Pre-Aryan Religion, and the Dynamics of Abjection 10. Culture Contact and Semai Cultural Identity 11. “We People Belong in the Forest”: Chewong Re-creations of Uniqueness and Separateness 12. Singapore’s Orang Seletar, Orang Kallang, and Orang Selat: The Last Settlements 13. Orang Suku Laut Identity: The Construction of Ethnic Realities 293 Lioba Lenhart 14 Tribality and Globalization: The Orang Suku 14. Tribality and Globalization: The Orang Suku Laut and the “Growth Triangle” in a Contested Environment 15. The Orang Petalangan of Riau and their Forest Environment 16. Inter-group Relations in North Sumatra 17. State Policy, Peasantization and Ethnicity: Changes in the Karo Area of Langkat in Colonial Times 18. Visions of the Wilderness on Siberut in a Comparative Southeast Asian Perpective 422 19. Defining Wildness and Wilderness: Minangkabau Images and Actions on Siberut (West Sumatra) 20. Gender and Ethnic Identity among the Lahanans of Sarawak INDEX

From China to Facebookistan, the Internet has transformed global commerce. A cyber-law expert argues that we must free Internet trade while simultaneously protecting consumers.

On the ancient Silk Road, treasure-laden caravans made their arduous way through deserts and mountain passes, establishing trade between Asia and the civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean. Today’s electronic Silk Roads ferry information across continents, enabling individuals and corporations anywhere to provide or receive services without obtaining a visa. But the legal infrastructure for such trade is yet rudimentary and uncertain. If an event in cyberspace occurs at once everywhere and nowhere, what law applies? How can consumers be protected when engaging with companies across the world?

In this accessible book, cyber-law expert Anupam Chander provides the first thorough discussion of the law that relates to global Internet commerce. Addressing up-to-the-minute examples, such as Google’s struggles with China, the Pirate Bay’s skirmishes with Hollywood, and the outsourcing of services to India, the author insightfully analyzes the difficulties of regulating Internet trade. Chander then lays out a framework for future policies, showing how countries can dismantle barriers while still protecting consumer interests.

The Malay World (Alam Melayu), spanning the Malay Peninsula, much of Sumatra, and parts of Borneo, has long contained within it a variety of populations. Most of the Malays have been organized into the different kingdoms (kerajaan Melayu) from which they have derived their identity. But the territories of those kingdoms have also included tribal peoples {u2013} both Malay and non-Malay {u2013} who have held themselves apart from those kingdoms in varying degrees. In the last three decades, research on these tribal societies has aroused increasing interest.This book explores the ways in which the character of these societies relates to the Malay kingdoms that have held power in the region for many centuries past, as well as to the modern nation-states of the region. It brings together researchers committed to comparative analysis of the tribal groups living on either side of the Malacca Straits {u2013} in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. New theoretical and descriptive approaches are presented for the study of the social and cultural continuities and discontinuities manifested by tribal life in the region