Unlike other multi-ethnic nations, such as Myanmar and India, where official language policy has sparked bloody clashes, Thailand has maintained relative stability despite its eighty languages. In this study of the relations among politics, geography, and language, William A. Smalley shows how Thailand has maintained national unity through an elaborate social and linguistic hierarchy. Smalley contends that because the people of Thailand perceive their social hierarchy as the normal order, Standard Thai, spoken by members of the higher levels of society, prevails as the uncontested national language. By examining the hierarchy of Thailand's diverse languages and dialects in light of Thai history, education, culture, and religion, Smalley shows how Thailand has been able to keep its many ethnic groups at peace. Linguistic Diversity and National Unity explores the intricate relationship between language and power and the ways in which social and linguistic rank can be used to perpetuate order.

"The present guide offers information related to norms and mechanisms developed to protect the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. It includes detailed information about procedures and forums in which minority issues may be raised to minorities and by also covering selected specialized agencies and regional mechanisms, the present Guide complements information contained in Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society"--Introduction.

Focusing on the situation of both Muslim and non-Muslim religious minorities in the Middle East, this volume offers an analysis of various strategies of resilience and accommodation from a historical as well a contemporary perspective.

Seminar papers.

Saudi Arabia remains one of the most restrictive countries in the world with regard to religious freedom, particularly for Shi’a and other religious minorities who continue to face official discrimination, social exclusion and state persecution. Still invisible – the stigmatization of Shi’a and other religious minorities in Saudi Arabia highlights how, though the state has frequently emphasized the importance of national unity, its recent response to demands from Shi’a for greater religious freedom and equality have further alienated many communities. This was especially evident in the crackdown on protests in the Eastern Province, beginning in 2011, with hundreds of activists killed, injured or imprisoned since then. This includes death sentences against a prominent Shi’a activist, Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr, and his nephew, Ali Mohammed Baqir Al-Nimr, despite him being only 17 years old at the time of his alleged offences. Shi’a in Saudi Arabia have also been subjected to an unprecedented wave of violence by militants apparently linked to Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Shams (ISIS), with at least five major attacks between November 2014 and October 2015 that have killed dozens and injured many more. Though these incidents have attracted official condemnation, concrete measures to address the underlying problems of sectarianism have yet to be implemented to protect those at risk. While the authorities treat civil protests and targeted violence against Shi’a and other groups in narrow terms of security, Saudi Arabia will likely continue to experience popular protests and the threat of militant violence. Securing a long-term solution will therefore depend on the ability and commitment of the state to enable its religious minorities to participate as free and equal citizens, ending decades of discrimination against them.