Religion and nationality are inseparable for most people living in South and Southeast Asian nations, confirms a report of a survey Pew Research Center released on Sept. 12.
In Buddhist majority countries of Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, more than 90 % people believe religion and their national identity are linked, and being Buddhist is important to be part of their nation, said the report of the Pew survey conducted in 2022 in six countries in South and Southeast Asia.
In the same manner, almost all respondents in Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia believe being Muslim is important to be truly Indonesian or Malaysian, the report said.
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The only exception was multi-religious Singapore, where 56 % respondents said living among people of different religions, ethnic groups and cultures makes their country a better place to live. However, a small percentage (4 %) said it makes their country a worse place to live.
In the three Buddhist-majority nations, more than 90 % of the people said Buddhism is “a religion one chooses to follow.”
The majority in these three nations (80 % and above) also said Buddhism is “a culture one is part of” and “a family tradition one should follow.” They also (more than 75 %) said Buddhism was “an ethnicity one is born into.”