2 - The Orang Suku Laut and the Art of Resilience

Southeast Asia is a region of long-established maritime traditions, and the phenomenon of sea nomadism has been common in its waters for centuries. Until today, numerous widely scattered communities of sea nomads can be found across the region. Once a people highly esteemed for their nomadic lifestyle in opening new areas to generate wealth for sedentary populations, their history of nomadism is currently viewed as making them a backward people. Policy makers are exerting immense pressures to change their lifestyle, yet their continued widespread distribution in Southeast Asia bears testament to their proficiencies to strike- and push back against state intrusions. This paper focusses on a case study of the Orang Suku Laut to address the question, “What are the present strategies developed by sea nomads to maintain their identity, and what is their capacity for resilience?”