ASIAN REVIEW

A “Bangladeshi” Descendant Muslim Community in Northern Thailand

2025-08-07T18:12:39+07:00

Thailand is a majority Buddhist country. However, there is a Muslim population in some parts of the country. One such community is a so-called "Indian" Muslim community in northern Thailand. In fact, they originally came from East Bengal, now Bangladesh, not India. A large community of such Bangladeshi descendants can be found in Chiang Mai and other groups of them live in some smaller towns in northern Thailand.

This paper discusses the migration processes, routes, and settlement processes of a group in northern Thailand. When the author started researching them, they declared themselves "Bangladee" (Thai pronunciation of Bangladesh), but they added that they did not know where their ancestors came from, only knowing place names like Chittagong or Noakhali. This paper will focus on an examination of their settlement processes and community formation. It will also emphasize the importance of the land route connection between South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Nationalism and Indian Community in Malaya during the Japanese Occupation, 1941-45

2025-05-31T21:14:50+07:00

This study examines the transformation of the Indian community in Malaya during the Japanese occupation (1941–45), with a focus on the rise of nationalist consciousness and collective identity. Through the formation and activities of the Indian Independence League (IIL) and the Indian National Army (INA), the Indian community experienced significant organizational and ideological changes. Under Subhas Chandra Bose’s leadership, civilian participation and support for the INA increased dramatically, fostering a sense of unity and purpose. Comparative analysis highlights the differing wartime experiences of Malaya’s major ethnic groups: while Malays benefited from Japanese policies, the Chinese faced harsh repression, leading to intensified interethnic tensions. The findings suggest that the Indian community’s collective wartime experiences fostered political unity and national identity, contributing to both the anti-colonial movement and the post-war restructuring of Malaya’s multi-ethnic society.

Fluctuating “Indianness” or “Belonging”

2025-05-31T21:18:45+07:00

The Ramayana was introduced to Southeast Asia through commercial and cultural exchange between India and these nations, which was influenced by the historical process of Indianization. In each of these countries, the Ramayana played a significant role in the development of both the written language and oral tradition, and it also transformed into various art forms, including dance, drama, shadow plays, paintings, sculpture, and architecture. In Singapore, Ramayana traditions are predominantly maintained among the Indian diasporas. Today, Singapore Indian performing arts groups often represent Singapore as a symbol of a multicultural society at international arts events such as the Ramayana festival. This paper will focus on the incident of Singapore Indian dancers and their encounter with Southeast Asia at the Ramayana Festival in Bangkok. It will investigate the reflexive processes that occur in the construction and representation of identity among Singapore Indian dancers through their experiences.

Introduction

2025-12-02T09:09:06+07:00

This issue of Asian Review is a product of the Asian Consortium of South Asian Studies. The article in this volume explores the profound and multifaceted ways in which communities of South Asian descent have migrated to, settled in, and dynamically reshaped their identities within Southeast Asia. Moving beyond the historical narrative of South Asian Diaspora, these studies demonstrate that the notions of belonging, diasporic identity and national identity are not static concepts but are continuously negotiated, performed, and politicized in response to local contexts and global shifts. The papers collectively reveal a complex history of South Asian migration.