The Uniqueness of Southeast Asia: Constructing an Autonomous Regional Identity within an Open and InThe Uniqueness of Southeast Asia: Constructing an Autonomous Regional Identity within an Open and Inclusive Culture

Southeast Asia stands out for its construction of an autonomous regional identity within an open and inclusive culture. On one hand, located at the confluence of two oceans and two continents, Southeast Asia has, since ancient times, witnessed the flow, overlapping, and blending of multiple civilizations and cultures. In modern and contemporary times, it has also endured the impacts of Western colonial rule and modernization. On the other hand, in contemporary Southeast Asia where multiple civilizations and diverse modernities coexist, the pursuit of constructing an autonomous identity during the process of regional integration has led to a mutual empowerment and reinforcement between dynamic pluralism and unity. The cultural perspective of Southeast Asian studies can focus on three major dimensions: the process of multiple civilizations, diverse modernities, and the construction of a regional identity that combines diversity and unity, exploring the path towards building a community that is open, inclusive, and allows for the coexistence of pluralism.

Southeast Asia is known as the "crossroads of civilizations" and has been influenced by civilizations such as the Indian civilization, Chinese civilization, Islamic civilization, and European Christian civilization. The spread of Indian civilization to Southeast Asia approximately began between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, exerting a wide-ranging influence on Southeast Asia in various aspects including religion, legal codes, writing systems, literature, and social systems. The spread of ancient Chinese civilization to Southeast Asia mainly occurred at two levels: one is the dissemination of Confucianism, the imperial examination system, and Chinese characters; the other is the spread of artifacts and ways of life. Islamic civilization was introduced to Southeast Asia in the 11th century, gradually spreading from the coastal areas of the islands to the inland regions, and finally forming Islamic societies in the Indonesian Archipelago, the Malay Peninsula, and the southern part of the Philippine Islands. In the 16th century, as European powers began to establish colonial rule in Southeast Asia, Christian civilization had a significant impact on the religion, education, and way of life in the region.

Multiple civilizations have continuously spread and diffused in Southeast Asia, overlapping, intersecting, integrating, and evolving with local civilizations, presenting a relatively typical form of process-integrated civilization. Some scholars have proposed that the formation of Southeast Asian civilization is like shopping in a supermarket. Southeast Asians make selections according to their needs, autonomously choosing the elements they require from multiple civilizations in different ways and to varying degrees, thus enriching and developing local civilization. Ancient Southeast Asia was deeply influenced by Indian civilization but was not completely Indianized. Instead, it retained prehistoric cultures, tribal cultures, and village cultures in Southeast Asia, and these cultures permeated and organically integrated with Indian culture. For example, although social stratification is quite prominent in Southeast Asia, the region did not adopt India's caste system. Sanskrit was once the main writing system in some parts of ancient Southeast Asia, but later the locals developed their own writing systems based on Sanskrit and eventually abandoned Sanskrit. Indian works such as the Ramayana have spread widely in Southeast Asia, but they have given rise to artistic forms with local characteristics in different places.

Early modernity entered Southeast Asia along with Western colonial rule. The arrival of comprehensive modernity in Southeast Asia was relatively late, originating around 1900, and the belief in development has occupied a core position in Southeast Asian modernity. The modernization process in Southeast Asia supports Eisenstadt's theory of "multiple modernities," that is, the cultural and political programs of modernity that originated in Europe will not be fully accepted but will be selectively incorporated into the modernization processes of different civilizations.

Firstly, the modernization practices in Southeast Asia demonstrate the diversity of modernization paths. It is not a replication of a single Western model but a creative response to the challenges of modernization by activating its own cultural genes. Secondly, traditional culture and local values continue to participate in the construction of modern institutions, forming modernity with cultural characteristics. Finally, modernity has no fixed endpoint but is a process in which multiple civilizations continuously reconstruct it through dialogue, confrontation, and even conflict. As Eisenstadt said, the essence of modernity lies precisely in the endless reinterpretation of "modernity" by different civilizations.

In the field of political modernization, some scholars have found that clientelism is a typical feature of many Southeast Asian countries. Traditional clientelistic relationships are exchange mechanisms rooted in the local culture and social structure of Southeast Asia. The upper class provides protection, resources, or opportunities in exchange for the support and loyalty of the lower class; the lower class expresses gratitude and obedience to ensure the maximization of their own interests. After Southeast Asian countries gained independence and embarked on the path of political modernization, clientelistic relationships not only did not disappear but combined with party politics to form modern clientelism characterized by the dual network structure of "party-voter" and "ruling party-elite," becoming the principle for governing and managing the country. Although clientelism has weakened the development quality of modern politics, in the specific historical stage of Southeast Asian countries' construction and modernization process, it has played an important role in maintaining social stability, providing social security, and promoting democratic consolidation.

Some scholars have also investigated the modernization process of rural areas in Southeast Asia and found that the spiritual concepts and rituals prevalent in traditional culture have led to modern transformations in rural social relations. Western modernization theory does not provide solutions for using cultural traditions to achieve national modernization. The modernization transformation of rural areas in developing regions not only faces ideological pressure but may also lead to the disintegration of traditional authority and traditional society. For example, in rural areas of Laos, modernization has promoted the "re-enchantment" of spiritual cultural traditions. Ritual activities have been continuously transformed in daily practices, guiding modern transformations in rural social relations from the inside out. In this process, rural society has not been assimilated by global modernity but has actively absorbed modern spirits such as market economic reforms and integrated them with local cultural traditions, forming a modern rural form with local characteristics.

"Combining diversity and unity" or "unity in diversity" is a prominent feature of the regional integration process in Southeast Asia, that is, in the practices of multiple civilizations and diverse modernities, and in the process of open and inclusive cooperation, the region seeks to construct the identity of "one region." There is a common consensus in Southeast Asia that diversity is not a liability for regional integration but a valuable asset.

The regional process of "diversity" and the construction of a "unified" identity empower each other, maintaining and promoting regional peace, development, and progress. Since the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), there have been no serious conflicts or wars among its member states. Moreover, after the Cold War, through the "ASEAN Plus" approach, it has carried out regional cooperation on a larger scale, maintaining long-term peace in East Asia.

The successful practice of Southeast Asia's peaceful development and the construction of the identity of "one region" can be attributed to its generally open and inclusive culture, which has a long history and is good at absorbing, transforming, integrating, and innovating. Only by recognizing and respecting the diversity of civilizations and cultures can we fully consider the comfort of all parties in the process of regional cooperation and the construction of the identity of "one region." Placing the maintenance of the uninterrupted cooperation process as the top priority, instead of being eager to pursue the high efficiency of institutionalization and integration, and developing localized norms and solutions that are suitable for the local context. The experience of Southeast Asia in constructing "one community" in the practices of multiple civilizations and diverse modernities provides important inspiration for the harmonious coexistence of multiple civilizations and community building in the era of globalization.