Respect for cultural diversity, meanwhile, will enable mainstream society to value its Malay, Lao, and Khmer-speaking communities because their language skills and cultural affinities can help the country boost relations and economic activities with other Asean members more effectively. This new appreciation will lead to state support for cultural pluralism, not ethnic suppression as is the case now. Meanwhile, a critical study of history which does not make people see history as part of their identity will open minds, encourage open discussions, promote tolerance, and strengthen political maturity. This is exactly what we need to make peace possible amid ethnic and ideological differences.
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