Borders Without Boundaries: Reimagining Asia

Abstract

Borders originate in history. Boundaries are products of human geography. Borders enclose the modern nation state with its traditional badges of distinction, the passport, immigration officials, national anthems and national flag carriers. Boundaries are more fluid constructs which encapsulate economic and social spaces which transcend borders and have provided the porous dividing lines between peoples through much of history. Through millennia humans have moved across various parts of the globe and across the globe in search of livelihood, security against the forces of nature and from their fellow humans. Boundaries tended to be proclaimed when one set of migrant invaders of a land felt strong enough to exclude other migrants who chose to follow their path. For example, nation states such as the United States and Australia were once states without borders which kept expanding their boundaries through armed conquest of the lands of indigenous populations who never managed to either establish boundaries over their domain or to sanctify these within borders. Land, water, air, were seen as part of a divine inheritance to these indigenous peoples, to be shared not enclosed for parochial exploitation.