State Rhetoric versus People Crossing Borders in Southeast Asia. An Ongoing Negotiation

Online Papers 4 ; In this paper, we explore certain aspects of boundaries and 'transnational' circulations, which we think policymakers should pay attention to. Firstly, we emphasise that borders should not be taken for granted. Moreover, taken outside a state-centric perspective, 'crossborder' phenomena should not be assumed as new or objectively 'problematic'. To do this, we discuss how young, often illusory, and arbitrary the current Southeast Asian state borders are when compared to ancient and ongoing human relations, mobilities and circulations. Secondly, we discuss why it makes sense to think of any state border as a process of 'becoming'. Indeed, borders are historical and ongoing social constructions, which give birth to and shape a great variety of wider 'cross-border' dynamics between people, livelihoods, economies, identities, ecologies, and more. To show this, we introduce four quite different Southeast Asian case studies, in which our research group is engaging, and try viewing them in some connection. The case studies largely focus on political-economic processes and the dynamics created by cross-border economic disparities. We conclude by calling into question current claims about governments 'opening up borders' as well as with four key points for policymakers. In her response paper, an experienced Malaysian human rights activist and researcher urges policymakers to rethink state securitarian concerns and to envision a people-centred Southeast Asian immigration policy. This would mean more focus on human rights, need and dignity. The first step in the Malaysian situation, which the author critically delves into, is decriminalizing undocumented migrants, asylum seekers and trafficked persons.