Western constitutionalism in Southeast Asia: some historical and comparative observations

Abstract

This paper seeks to describe and understand the varying practices of constitutionalism in Southeast Asia from a historical and comparative perspective. Part I of the paper introduces basic concepts which supply the overall theoretical framework for the study of constitutionalism in Southeast Asia. Part II describes the practices of constitutionalism in Southeast Asia by systematically organizing and classifying the relevant historical experience of the countries concerned. Part III provides some concluding observations from a macro-historical and comparative perspective.