Statement by Prof. George Dutton, Director, UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies

The UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies joins the UC President, Chancellors, and others in expressing its dismay and deep concern regarding the recently signed Executive Order restricting the entry of refugees into the United States and singling out predominantly Muslim nations. This Order is a fundamental affront to American values. It is also an action with highly detrimental impacts upon the community of higher education. It has already had an immediate effect on scholars personally subject to the restriction, and in the short term will have ancillary impacts upon scholars and departments whose research in some way intersects with the countries in question. It will also impact scholars studying Islam and Islamic majority countries more generally, for this Executive Order creates a profound sense of uncertainty regarding future travel prospects. As a Center which supports and sustains scholarship focused on a region with several Muslim-majority countries, and several with prominent (and frequently persecuted) Muslim minority populations, we will inevitably be impacted whether directly or indirectly. Only a week after this Order went into effect, our Center is already feeling the impact in terms of international scholars who have prudently elected not to travel to the United States to give talks in this atmosphere of uncertainty about travel to and from this country. The Center expresses its support for those at the UCLA and UC levels seeking to assist immediately effected students, academics, staff and their families, and urges the strongest possible efforts to convince the President and/or Congress to revoke these unjust, unnecessary, and profoundly inhumane restrictions.

George Dutton
Director, UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies

Additional Statement from the UCLA International Institute.