BOOK REVIEW: Civil Society in Southeast Asia, Power Struggles and Political Regimes

By Garry Rodan. Cambridge University Press, soft cover, US$22

It is often assumed that civil society and its organizations are a counterweight to state power, whether providing policy alternatives or filling gaps in social provisions. However, in this study of four Southeast Asian countries – Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand – Garry Rodan shows their roles in political life and in the national power …