| Publication |
2008.
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| Summary/Abstract |
This article contributes to a bidirectional Asia-Europe comparative analysis of peace processes by exploring what experiences, both failures and successes, can the Basque peace process learn from the many interesting peace initiatives that Southeast Asia has seen in recent years, above all in Mindanao, Aceh, Southern Thailand and Burma. Although there are substantial differences between the Basque conflict and the Asian cases, it might be useful for the Basque case to look beyond the cases with which it traditionally has been compared to, such as Quebec, Northern Ireland or South Africa.
The author is particularly grateful to Vicenç Fisas, Director of the School for a Culture of Peace at the Autonomous University of Barcelona for his very valuable comments and suggestions, both based on his long standing experience studying the Basque Conflict. Most findings are based on a field research work conducted between August and December 2006 in Indonesia (Aceh), Philippines (Mindanao and Manila), Myanmar (Yangon, Shan, Karen and Mon states, as well as the border regions with Thailand in which are based some of the armed groups and the pro-democracy organisations) and Thailand (four southern provinces and Bangkok), as well as in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and the northern provinces, contiguous to Thailand) and Singapore (where are based some of the most well known research centres on South East Asian issues). The field research work included the visit to areas of conflict, the collaboration with local research institutions or the conduction of around 350 interviews to politicians, scholars, representatives of the civil society and the international community, as well as the leaders of some of the armed groups of the region. A previous field research was conducted in Aceh in November and December 2005
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