This book considers decentralisation in Southeast Asia. Focusing on Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, it looks back at the historical background of local governance in the region and examines the distinction between '' organic '' and administrative local governments. It explores the concept of pluralism in relation to locality and localism and explores the extent to which decentralised governance is mandated by the constitution before looking at examples of autonomy in the region. The book looks at processes and reservations such as sanctions, cancelling laws which are beyond powers or constitutional norms, dismissal of offi cials or fi scal measures. It looks at the way development communities internationally consider decentralisation of central importance and examines the impact of this. Finally it considers the way that the move to decentralise in the region has been followed by a measure of recentralisation.

Autorentext
Andrew Harding is Visiting Research Professor at the National University of Singapore, Professor of Law at the University of Reading Malaysia, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford. He is a founding editor of the Hart Publishing book series, Constitutional Systems of World.

Klappentext

This book assesses territorial governance (that is, all forms of subnational governance) as a constitutional artefact in five Southeast Asian countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand. Starting with the linked ideas of localism and subsidiarity, the argument is that these states have used various forms of subsidiarity for dealing with ethnic and religious pluralism and the social diversity for which Southeast Asia is especially noted. Territorial governance mechanisms discussed range from decentralisation to special regional autonomy, federalism, and local government, including village autonomy. A silent revolution has occurred in which our view of these states as highly centralised 'developmental states' is in need of serious modification. Southeast Asia, the book argues, presents a high degree of originality in the framing of territorial governance.

Inhalt

Introduction: A Sense of Place

Part I: General Issues

1. The Project

2. Constitution

   Part II: Case Studies

3. Indonesia
4. Malaysia
5. Myanmar
6. The Philippines

7. Thailand

   Part III: Special Regional Autonomy

8. Autonomy and the Demand for a Homeland
9. Regional Autonomy I: Aceh and Papua
10. Regional Autonomy II: Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, Muslim Mindanao

11. Regional Autonomy III: Sabah and Sarawak

    Part IV: Conclusions

12. Territorial Governance, Southeast Asia, and Innovation in Public Law