'Bend the bamboo shoot while it's young': Rhetoric, ideals and children in Brunei Darussalam

Abstract

The protection and rights of children is a worldwide concern. Globally most countries have agreed to minimum standards for child participation, protection, and provision of basic needs. Yet, it is recognised that children in low through to high income countries often are left unprotected from a violation of rights. Many factors influence the care and protection of children such as political, economic and social stability, along with prevailing values. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the most widely used document. A comparable document from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Covenant on the Rights of the Child in Islam (OICCRCI), provides a faith based perspective on the care and protection of children. The government of Negara Brunei Darussalam is a signatory to both these documents and has various policies and aspirations to support children. Brunei has a strong Islamic ethos and unique culture. These factors shape childhood in Brunei, yet examinations of its impact have received little attention in the academic literature. A review of literature located studies on Bruneian history, culture, legal systems, education systems, and special needs policies. However, children had low visibility in the studies, suggesting the need for research that captured their experiences. This thesis examines children’s lived experiences in Brunei, providing an avenue for Bruneian children’s voices to enter academic narratives. Specifically, it explores how the Brunei Government’s child protection policies and principles are reflected in the everyday experiences of children. Diverse groups of Bruneian children participated in the research. Children have distinct vulnerabilities, which differ from the realities experienced by adults. Including their voices in research is necessary to develop understandings of the lived experiences of children. Interviews were undertaken with children living in Brunei, including both citizens and non-citizens. Children were recruited from a variety of contexts including, schools, religious programs, juvenile justice and child protection systems. Parents of children with special needs, and parents who adopted a child were also interviewed, as were practitioners and teachers. The adults in the study were interviewed for their specialist knowledge of working within, or experiencing, governmental systems relating to child wellbeing. 112 children, 16 practitioners and 11 parents participated in the research. Their accounts were thematically analysed. Results are discussed within the context of literature, child participation and prevailing child rights documents. Children described their lives at home, in institutions and at school. While differing in intensity, common themes were identified across the distinct case groups. Examples include, adult-child relationships, lived religion, feelings of safety, gender, issues of statelessness, feelings of inclusion, violence, truancy and the influence of friends. Three groups of children were recognised as having their rights infringed; children with special needs, non-citizens and females. There are disparities between the experiences of children in Brunei, with Muslim-Malay citizen children more likely to benefit from government policies. Bruneian children are protected by both formal and informal child protection measures identified throughout the data. In some instances, informal practices ensured positive outcomes for children, however a lack of monitoring may place children at risk. This thesis adds to the body of literature on child protection and participation in Muslim-majority contexts. To deepen understandings of child protection in Brunei, literature was reviewed on the influence of Islamic teachings in caring for children. Literature was reviewed focussing on Islamic teachings and their lived application. This guided the study in explorations of adoption, discipline techniques, child marriage, and duties between parents and children in Brunei. The approach used can be adapted for research on the rights of citizen and non-citizen children in other Muslim-majority contexts. Improving understandings of the realities of children in Islamic contexts, will improve responses to enhance child wellbeing. This thesis sits within a growing body of literature which challenges Islamophobic discourses which, have been harmful in Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority contexts. Throughout, there is a focus on where Islamic and Western concepts of child wellbeing converge. Areas of convergence represent areas where effective work with children can occur, supported by child rights practice, and congruent with religious norms. Divergences between Western and Islamic thought represent areas where dialogue can occur to further understand both positions, and work towards acting within in the best interests of the Muslim child.