Conflict
World War II- Japanese control of Southeast Asia
May 1941- Japan helped Thailand gain back territory ceded to France in and after 1893;
Thailand gained 54,000-sq. km. of territory
Thailand allied with Japan, declared war on the United States and Great Britain on
January 25, 1942
July 1944- Pro-Japanese government overthrown, new leader, Pridi, took over, Thailand
switched sides to the Allied cause
Thais wouldn't fight outside of Thailand
After war, French wanted Thailand to pay for allying themselves with Japan, got back
territory obtained by Thailand from them in 1941
Landon- U.S. attaché to Thailand
Vietnam- Chinese province from 111 BC, under Chinese rule for 1,000 years
Vietnam was independent from 939 AD to French colonialism in 1861
1954- French defeat at Dien Bien Phu
1966- C.I.A. informed U.S. government that South Vietnam was losing two years before
the Tet Offensive
Late 1980s- Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev- ideas of perestroika and glasnost,
retreat from Vietnam, Beijing and Hanoi moved to normalize relations
Communism- Stalin- 1948- A West vs. Communist Bloc was inevitable and imminent
Kruschev- 1954- War wasn't inevitable and imminent, but conflict with the West was
North Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea (although they allied themselves with China only and
rejected the U.S.S.R.) became Communist
Thailand- Burmese and Thais consider themselves traditional enemies
Circa 200,000 Burmese refugees in Thailand
Philippines- 1946, Philippine independence
After World War II, claimed Sabah, trained troops on Corregidor and Mindanao
Philippines formally allied with United States during Cold War
Cambodia- 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge
Massive population loss in "Killing Fields", about 1.7 million people killed
under Pol Pot regime (out of a total population of about 7 or 8 million people)
Spratly Islands- Claimed by Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and
Brunei
China claims all of the Spratly Islands as its own
All competing countries, except Brunei, have military installations on one or more of
the islands
Malaysia- In 1963, Sabah, Sarawak, Malaya, and Singapore became Malaysia
Singapore kicked out two years later
Indonesia refused to recognize Malaysia as a country, used armed force against Malaysia
(albeit in a limited way) for the first 2 or 3 years of Malaysia's existence
Cooperation
ASEAN- Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Founded in Bangkok in August 1967
Original Members- Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia
Designed to encourage economic growth and to promote peace and stability
Brunei joined in 1984 after attaining independence
Newest Members (1990s)- Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma
Current Members- Brunei, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Vietnam
Played important part in mediating civil war in Cambodia in the late 1980s and early
1990s
AFTA- ASEAN Free Trade Area
Agreement by ASEAN to reduce trade barriers, such as quotas and tariffs, among member
states
Founded in Singapore in 1992
Dedicated to goal of having nearly free trade among member nations in 15 years
APEC- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Founded in 1989, largely through Australian encouragement
Members- Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea,
Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States
Promotes regional integration and free trade (including global free trade)
ARF-ASEAN Regional Forum
Deals with political and security issues
Key Concepts
- Fall of Communism creating a more fragmented and interdependent situation in Southeast
Asia that is different from the Communist vs. non-Communist worldview previously adhered
to; Russian withdrawal from region has major effects on Southeast Asia
- United States foreign policy now makes Southeast Asia a secondary priority- U.S.
interests in region have been met, and no conflicts are threatening those interests
- Southeast Asian points of conflict no longer volatile- colonialism, Communist threat,
Vietnam War relegated to history
- Trade and aid issues more important than security issues at present
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