Singapore as a Destination Among Trans-Border People: Migration from the Indo-Myanmar Borderland

Abstract

This article analyses the significance of kinship and ethnic networks in the migration of the Kuki people from the Indo-Myanmar borderland to Singapore. In addition to facilitating the dissemination of information and the formation of collective decisions, kinship and ethnic networks are crucial in fostering a sense of community and belonging in the new destination. The article investigates the church’s function among Singapore’s Kuki population. It argues that religion deconstructs ‘otherness’ that came about when colonial rulers split the Kukis into two separate countries (India and Myanmar). The church serves as a powerful symbol of Kuki identity since it facilitates efforts for ethnic unification and allows them to revive the sense of ethnic solidarity lost for decades.