This is a first-hand account of what it's like to sit at the table with deadly Thai Muslim insurgents, mediate between warring clans in the Southern Philippines and console the victims of political violence in Indonesia - all in an effort to negotiate peace, and understand the reasons behind endemic violence.

Peering beyond brand new shopping malls and shiny glass towers in Bangkok and Jakarta, Michael Vatikiotis probes the heart of modern Southeast Asia. Why are the region's richest countries such as Malaysia riddled with corruption? Why do Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines harbour unresolved violent insurgencies? How do deepening religious divisions in Indonesia and Malaysia and China's growing influence affect the region and the rest of the world?

Vatikiotis tells the story of modern Southeast Asia using vivid portraits of the personalities who pull the strings, mixed with revealing analysis that is underpinned by decades of experience in the countries involved, from their silk-sheathed salons to blood-spattered streets. The result is a fascinating study of the dynamics of power and conflict in one of the world's fastest growing regions.

麥可．瓦提裘提斯Michael R. J. Vatikiotis

畢業於倫敦大學亞非學院（School of Oriental and African Studies，SOAS）並擁有牛津大學（University of Oxford）博士學位，現為亞洲社會國際理事會（Asia Society’s International Council）成員，並已於日內瓦人道對話中心（Center for Humanitarian Dialogue）擔任私設外交官與衝突調停員十年。在此之前，他曾於亞洲地區擔任記者三十年之久，旅居印尼、馬來西亞、泰國與香港，曾任BBC記者與《遠東經濟評論》總編輯。除本書外，已有兩本東南亞政治相關著作出版，現居新加坡。

譯者簡介

張馨方

政大阿語系畢，英國愛丁堡翻譯研究碩士。現為自由譯者，作品包括《恨意、精神分析與羅夏克墨漬測驗》、《脂肪的祕密生命》、《俄羅斯方塊：從誕生、版權之爭到風靡全球的故事》等（以上均為商周出版）。譯作賜教：nurachang@gmail.com。