> Dear Khun Zulki,
> I just had a time to read your article about
> Langasuka in full. Excellent
> work!!! I really enjoy that though
> I have a different theory concerning Srivijaya as
> the federation of the
> nautical princely city-states in
> Java, Sumatra and mainland Southeast Asia.
> Well...after reading several claims I tend to
> believe that there were no real
> centre of power in this
> region, but many city-states that were tied togeter
> by trades and family
> connection. Jayavarman II of
> Angor was the Sailendra from Java. The legend from
> the present day south of
> Thailand tells the story of
> a prince who arrived in Patani whose son found the
> city of U-Thong in Chao
> Praya river basin. The
> present Thai language itself (though the royal thai
> academy love to associate
> it with Tai-Kadai) is a
> creole language, which is a combination of different
> languages including
> Javanese & Malay. I myself am
> a descendant of Sultan Sulaiman of Singora who was
> of Persian stock from Java.
> Therefore, I strongly believe in the importance of
> transmigration and
> interactions between cultural
> group in the process of cultural formation of
> Southeast Asia. I have found the
> 'Race Theory' in the
> exisiting tradition of historical writing
> unstatisfactory and misleading. They
> create more conflict than
> understanding of how we became the way we are and
> how we want to be in the
> future.
> At the moment I am reading the history of Southeast
> Asian performing arts
> through the
> interpretation of bronze drums from Dongson Culture.
> Your account of
> Mayong/Manora and Naga is
> very useful as it helps me to be able to link many
> thing together. I will send
> a copy to you when I finish
> writing. I feel
> that you are one of a handful
> people I could discuss thing Southeast Asian with.
> Regards,
> Golf
>
> Jirayudh SINTHUPHAN
