The sea nomads are the very personification of the fluidity of life. Just like the fish and dolphins and whales that don't observe the human-made national boundaries, these sea nomads live a life like that. But nomads are not much welcome by any state authorities. The Guardian reports the last of the sea nomads and how it is at odds with the state authorities by saying,
"Nomadism has always been at odds with the fixed boundaries of the nation state, and over the last few decades controversial government programmes have forced most Bajau to settle on land. Today, many live in stilt villages such as Torosiaje, though the settlement is unique in that it lies a full kilometre out to sea."This reminds me of the expulsion of the Roma by the French government.
Today is 18 September, the anniversary of the Mukden Incident (九一八事變). This year's demonstration in protest against the Japanese government coincided with a recent Diaoyu Tai incident where the captain of a Chinese trawler was arrested by the Japanese government.
All these make me think about the almost unchallenged legitimacy of the nation state. And such an issue arouses so much emotion.
Maybe I should reread Benedict Anderson's Imagined Community. The urge is deepened all the more by the hundreds of flags anticipating the celebration of the 61th anniversity of the PRC in my district. Interesting that those are flags sponsored by the District Council and not the national flags. So, what should we imagine given those candy-coloured flags flying along the breeze?
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