The collection of essays in this volume provides a rather eclectic set of writings on Southeast Asian politics...The variety of topics covered in this collection should encourage students to have a deeper interest in and understanding of the political dynamics not just of the mainstream but also of the periphery, the informal, as well as the "illegal" or "criminal" aspects of state and society relations in Southeast Asia.

The articles selected for this volume thus provide the underpinnings in understanding contemporary Southeast Asian politics. These issues are very much part of the foundations in which comparative studies in the region have been pursued in the past as well as in the present and will continue to surface in future researches in this area.

This volume also offers a rich variety of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches by which to examine and comprehend the various aspects of politics in Southeast Asia. More importantly, these also provide a critical perspective in the manner in which politics in the region could be better dissected to further pave the way for new, fresh, and cutting-edge analysis of the same as well as other pertinent aspects of political life.
(From the back cover)