Joint Seminar
Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University and
Institute of International and Area Studies (IIAS), Tsuinghua University

Program

Opening Address (5 minutes)

By Prof. Mieno Fumiharu, CSEAS

Presentations (30 minutes each, including Q&A)

1) Dr. Hao Guan, IIAS: “Open the Blackbox: A Case Study on Nguyễn Court’s Decision-Making in the Anouvong Rebellion”
2) Dr. Machikita Tomohiro, CSEAS: “Detecting Risky Workers in the Fish Trade”
3) Dr. Li Yuqing, IIAS: “Thailand’s Soft Power Development Strategies, Drawing on Insights from Fieldwork in Uthaithani”
4) Dr. Kobayashi Satoru, CSEAS: “Studying the Interrelationship of the Buddhist and Secular Orders in Southeast Asian Buddhist Societies in a Post-Monastic Era”

General Discussion (about 40 minutes)

1) Dr. Zhou Yan, IIAS
2) Dr. Decha Tangseefa, CSEAS

Closing Address (5 minutes)

By Dr. Zhou Yan, IIAS

About the Presentations:

1) Open the Blackbox: A Case Study on Nguyễn Court’s Decision-Making in the Anouvong Rebellion
By Dr. Guan Hao (IIAS, Tsinghua University)

Abstract: Anouvong’s Rebellion of 1826-1828 represents a pivotal event in Mainland Southeast Asian history that fundamentally shaped the territorial boundaries and political relationships between Laos, Siam, and Vietnam. Despite its significance, existing scholarship has inadequately examined the Nguyễn court’s diplomatic response and decision-making processes regarding this rebellion. This research conducts a process-tracing analysis based on Vietnamese primary sources to determine the factors that influenced Nguyễn Vietnam’s diplomatic calculations during this crisis. While it is widely accepted that Nguyễn court, especially emperor Minh Mạng, was deeply affected by Neo-Confucianism culture, I argue that the Nguyễn leadership made pragmatic decisions rooted in Southeast Asian political realities rather than Confucian moral codes. Instead of fulfilling the political obligation to protect a vassal state, Minh Mạng strategically avoided conflict with Siam and refuse to assist King Anouvong. Also, while a lot of existing research focus on the role of King/emperor in the politics and decision-making of Nguyễn dynasty, this research provides a case to observe how high-ranking mandarins participated in decision-making in Nguyễn court, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of power distribution within the Vietnamese imperial system.

2) Detecting the Risky Workers in Fish Trade
By Dr. Yutaka Arimoto (Hitotsubashi University), Dr. Tomohiro Machikita (CSEAS, Kyoto University), Dr. Kenmei Tsubota (Toyo University)

Abstract: Serious labour abuse and severe working conditions in the fishing sector in Thailand have received international attention as the so-called modern slavery, i.e., fishing vessels are places of coercive labour and destinations of trafficked persons. Using a unique survey of foreign fishermen on Thai fishing vessels conducted by the International Labour Organization in 2012, we measure and explain the degree of labour coercion by legal and multidimensional criteria. Employing detailed information about migrants and working conditions at fishing vessels, we find that: compared to non-forced labour with legal documents, forced and potentially forced labour are more likely to experience inferior working conditions–underpaid, overworked, beaten, and threatened with violence on the boats. We also find that these physical, scheduling, and human hazards are sizable. We interpret these facts as equilibrium outcomes in a setting where both fishermen (migrant workers) and fishing vessels (firms) choose their working conditions. We discuss the role of fluency in Thai language for foreign migrant workers on risk of human trafficking along the supply chains.

3) Soft Power Strategy and National Development: A Case study of the handwoven textile community in Ban Lai County, northern Thailand
By Dr. Yuqing Li (IIAS, Tsinghua University)

Abstract: This working paper examines the handwoven textile community in Banrai District, Northern Thailand, as a lens through which to explore the theoretical foundations and practical expressions of Thai-style developmentalism. It begins by tracing the historical trajectory of Thailand’s developmental strategies-linking Thaksinomics, the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, and the soft power strategy launched in 2023-to argue that Thailand’s current soft power strategy model is deeply rooted in long-standing socio-economic values and practices. Drawing on fieldwork conducted between 2018 and 2023, the article highlights how principles such as self-reliance, risk resilience, environmental sustainability, well-being, and community solidarity-rooted in the sufficiency economy-continue to shape grassroots life. Rural development projects have encouraged the formation of handwoven textile groups not only for economic purposes, but also to foster solidarity among local people. The study further illustrates how these communities navigate the tension between cultural preservation and commercial viability, demonstrating a uniquely Thai vision of inclusive and context-sensitive development. This case reflects a distinctively Thai model of national development.

4) Studying the Interrelationship of the Buddhist and Secular Orders in Southeast Asian Theravada Buddhist Societies in a Post-Monastic Era
By Dr. Kobayashi Satoru (CSEAS, Kyoto University)

Abstract: This talk explores changes in the relationship between the Buddhist and secular orders (the monks and laities) of Southeast Asian Theravada Buddhist societies. Most of the population of Mainland Southeast Asia, including Southwest China, adheres to Theravada Buddhism, which was introduced between the 11th and 14th centuries. Ordained Theravada Buddhists (monks) observe the 227 precepts and do not engage in productive activities. In the past, ordination was widely practiced among men as a rite of coming of age and as a means of transferring merit to parents and acquiring literacy skills. However, the number of ordained men in Thailand has been declining and has stagnated since the 1970s in Thailand and since the 2010s in Cambodia. On the other hand, with the development of secular education and various media, the “bearers of Buddhist knowledge” have been expanding outside the temple to include women. Declining birth rates, aging populations, and the global expansion of Buddhist networks are also creating new dynamics. This talk will explore the transformation of monks and laities through empirical community-level research at multiple sites in the region. The conclusion will challenge the conventional theory of Theravada Buddhist society in Southeast Asia, which maintains that ordination is central, and monks are the authoritative experts and representatives of the religion. It will, therefore, lay the groundwork for the future study of society and Buddhism—including Mahayana Buddhism.