Unequal Society
2016 – 2018
In the last 20 years, many countries in East and Southeast Asia have achieved tremendous economic boom. Impressive numbers, powerful statements, and photos of glittering skyscrapers seem to be the proof of a great success. Big cities are getting rich and a few underdeveloped regions are becoming urbanized.
However, this success concentrates mainly on the cities along the coast. Most other people live in poor urban outskirts and remote mountain areas. The mountains inhabit ethnic minorities, who are very distinct from the coastal population. They have different cultures, languages, and they are significantly poorer.
South and Southeast Asia are a region of huge extremes. It is a double society. Rich and modern provinces exist alongside the provinces affected by poverty and chaos. These extremes are visible at the local level, and just below the skyscraper, there could be a crumbling slum. Social scissors are wide-open, and there is a long way to solve it.
