Dr. Clark D. Neher

Southeast Asia
 

Stability and Instability in Southeast Asia

    1. Asian (Authoritarian) "Democracies"
      1. Thailand
      2. Malaysia
      3. Singapore
      4. Philippines
    1. Asian Authoritarian Governments
      1. Indonesia (in transition)
      2. Burma
      3. Brunei
      4. Laos
      5. Vietnam
      6. Cambodia (in transition)
    1. Period of Non-Crises
      1. End of external and internal Communist threats
      2. End of struggles for independence
      3. Regional cooperation
    1. Economics
      1. Flourishing free enterprise economies
      2. Liberalizing command economies (Vietnam, Laos)
    1. Primary Problems for Foreign Investors
      1. Infrastructure weaknesses (stemming from remarkable economic successes)
      2. Bureaucratic obstacles
      3. Environmental degradation (traffic, pollution, water contamination, crime, urban alienation)
      4. Corruption
      5. Cost of living
      6. Gap between urban rich and rural poor
      7. Cultural difference
    1. Primary Opportunities
      1. Vietnam - The New Economic Frontier
      2. Thailand - Stability, Discipline, Inexpensive Labor, Gracious Citizenry
      3. Singapore - Antiseptic, Technological, Safe, Orderly, Entrepreneurial
      4. Philippines - English language, Educated, Democracy, Coming out of malaise
      5. Malaysia - relatively non-corrupt, infrastructure
      6. Indonesia - vast population, inexpensive labor

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