A systematic investigation of the connection between civil society and political change in Asia - change toward open, participatory, and accountable politics. Its findings suggest that the link between a vibrant civil society and democracy is indeterminate: certain civil society organizations support democracy; thers could undermine it.

Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations Preface Contributors Introduction Muthiah Alagappa Part I. Conceptual Perspective 1. Civil Society and Political Change: An Analytical Framework Muthiah Alagappa Part II. Legitimate Civil Society: Negotiating Democratic Space 2. Indonesia: Transformation of Civil Society and Democratic Breakthrough Edward Aspinall 3. The Philippines: Fractious Civil Society and Competing Visions of Democracy Jennifer C. Franco 4. South Korea: Confrontational Legacy and Democratic Contributions Sunhyuk Kim 5. Taiwan: No Civil Society, No Democracy Yun Fan 6. India: Expanding and Contracting Democratic Space Amitabh Behar and Aseem Prakash 7. Japan: Social Capital Without Advocacy Robert Pekkanen Part III. Controlled and Communalized Civil Society: Challenging and Reinforcing the State 8. Malaysia: Construction of Counterhegemonic Narratives and Agendas Meredith L. Weiss 9. Sri Lanka: Ethnic Domination, Violence, and Illiberal Democracy Neil DeVotta 10. Singapore: Engagement and Autonomy Within the Political Status Quo Suzaina Kadir Part IV. Repressed Civil Society: Penetrated, Co-opted, and Avoiding the State 11. Pakistan: Civil Society in the Service of an Authoritarian State Aqil Shah 12. Burma: Civil Society Skirting Regime Rules Kyaw Yin Hlaing 13. China: The Limits of Civil Society in a Late Leninist State Mary E. Gallagher Part V. Conclusion 14. The Nonstate Public Sphere in Asia: Dynamic Growth, Institutionalization Lag Muthiah Alagappa 15. Civil Society and Democratic Change: Indeterminate Connection, Transforming Relations Muthiah Alagappa Tables and Figures Tables 1.1 Functions and Roles of Civil Society 000 5.1 Social Protests Reported in Taiwan by Number, 1983-87 000 5.2 Social Protests Reported in Taiwan by Issue, 1983-87 000 5.3 Social Movement Activists' Class Background 000 5.4 Social Movement Activists' Generational Background 000 5.5 Growth of Civil Society Groups in Taiwan, 1980-2001 000 6.1 The Sangh Family 000 7.1 Civil Society Groups in Japan 000 7.2 Relationship Between the Bureaucracy and Permitted Groups in Japan 000 7.3 What Japanese Neighborhood Associations Do 000 7.4 Press Coverage of Interest Groups as a Proportion of All Interest Groups Mentioned in U.S. Print Media in 1991 000 8.1 Four Paths for Civil Society's Influence 000 Figures 000 5.1 Number of National and Local Associations Registered in Taiwan, 1977-2001 000 7.1 Civil Society Employment as a Percentage of Total Employment 000 7.2 PIPs by Number of Employees 000 7.3 Revenue Sources for Civil and Advocacy Groups 000 7.4. Large Japanese and U.S. Civil Society Groups by Founding Date and Percentage 7.5 Research in Newspapers in Japan and the United States by Source 000

"Civil Society and Political change in Asia not only constitutes a major contribution to the study of civil society in East Asia but also helps to blaze the trail for contributions to be made in the future."