by Peter Church
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
Introduction Introduction to the Sixth Edition
Introduction to the 2009 Fifth Edition
Introduction to the 2006 Fourth Edition
Introduction to the 2003 Third Edition
Introduction to the 1999 Second Edition
Chapter 1: Brunei Early History
The British Impact
Brunei in the New Millennium
Chapter 2: Cambodia Early History and the Empire of Angkor
The Kingdom of Cambodia, 15th–18th Centuries
The Colonial ERA, 1863–1940
World War II, 1940–1945
Toward Independence, 1945–1953
Cambodia Under Sihanouk, 1953–1970
War and Revolution, 1970–1975
“Democratic Kampuchea”: Khmer Rouge Government, 1975–1979
Cambodia a “Vietnamese Protectorate,” 1979–1991
UNTAC, The 1993 Elections, and the Royal Government of Cambodia
Cambodia in the 21st Century
Chapter 3: East Timor
Chapter 4: Indonesia Precolonial Indonesia
Colonialism
Nationalism
The Japanese Occupation
The Revolution
Indonesia After Independence
The End of Suharto's Rule
Chapter 5: Lao PDR The Creation of Laos and Its Earlier History
French Conquest and Rule to 1940
World War II and the First Indochina War, 1940-1954
The Failure of “Neutralisation,” 1954-1964
Laos and the Vietnam Conflict, 1964-1975
Laos Since 1975
Chapter 6: Malaysia Early History
Melaka and Malay Culture: The 15th Century
A Threatening World: The 16th to 18th Centuries
The British Advance: The 19th Century
The Colonial ERA
Japanese Occupation
The Postwar Period
Alliance Government and Independence
The Creation of Malaysia
The 1969 Crisis
Umno and Barisan Nasional Government
The Nep and Economic Growth
Mahathir and the Centralisation of Power
Chapter 7: Myanmar Precolonial History
The Colonial Period
Japanese Occupation
Independence
Chapter 8: Philippines Early History
Spanish Rule
Filipino Nationalism
US Colonialism
Japanese Occupation
Independence and the Democratic Years
The Marcos Era
The Restoration of Democracy
Chapter 9: Singapore Colonialism
Japanese Occupation
Toward Independence
Chapter 10: Thailand Early History
The Kingdom of Ayudhya, 1351-1767
The Rise of the Bangkok Empire
Bangkok and the West
The Eclipse of the Monarchy, 1910-1932
The Rise of Military Government, 1932-1948
The “Strongman” Era, 1948-1973
Between Autocracy and Democracy, 1973-1992
Unresolved Issues
Chapter 11: Vietnam Early History
The 19th-Century Confucian Revival
Colonial History
Culture and Politics in Colonial Vietnam
World War II and the First Indochina War, 1940-1954
Vietnam Partitioned and the Vietnam War, 1954-1975
Vietnam Since 1975
Further Reading
Maps
Index
End User License Agreement
A SHORT HISTORY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
6TH EDITION
PETER CHURCH
Copyright © 2017 Peter Church
Published by John Wiley & Sons Singapore Pte. Ltd.
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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any damages arising herefrom.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Church, Peter (Peter C.), editor.
Title: Short history of South-East Asia / [edited by] Peter Church.
Description: Sixth edition. | Singapore : John Wiley & Sons Inc., [2017] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016053371 | ISBN 9781119062493 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781119062486 (epub) | ISBN 9781119062479 (Adobe PDF)
Subjects: LCSH: Southeast Asia—History.
Classification: LCC DS525 .F63 2017 | DDC 959—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016053371
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Images: map © FrankRamspott/iStockphoto;
modern buildings © AsiaTravel/Shutterstock;
Sukhothai park © kungverylucky/Shutterstock;
people © Rukitsara Mukdamuang/Getty Images, Inc.
“To understand the present and anticipate the future, one must know enough of the past, enough to have a sense of the history of a people.”
Lee Kuan Yew, then Prime Minister of Singapore, in January 1980 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the People's Action Party
Preface
I had already been involved with South‐East Asia for many years when I read the late Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew's thought‐provoking words set out on the facing page. Although I was an indifferent student of history at school in Australia, the words hit me like a sledge hammer. Whilst I was well aware of the importance to business of understanding the different cultures of South‐East Asia, I had not given a lot of thought to the relevance of history to the future in general, or to business in particular.
Since that time I have read a lot of history on the region and what I have learnt has over and over again reinforced Lee Kuan Yew's message. Unfortunately, I have found much of the history of the region has either been written by scholars abso
rbed by their topics and writing at a much greater depth than is required to get that broad understanding of history of the people or has been written in an abbreviated form for tourists or others needing only an outline of the past.
This book is the sixth edition of A Short History of South‐East Asia, and we continue to attempt to find a middle path which will give business and other readers enough detail to have a sense of the history of the different countries and their people. The first edition of this book was published in 1995 under the title Focus in Southeast Asia. The original book was written substantially by two leading Australian historians who specialise in the ASEAN region, Professor John Ingleson and Dr Ian Black, then both at the University of New South Wales. They immediately understood what it was that we were trying to achieve and, through their skill, sensitivity, and experience, the original book was published.
There have been significant historical developments in much of South‐East Asia since 1995 and this led us to bring the material up‐to‐date in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2009, and now again in late 2016. For this edition I turned to Janis Soo, formerly a senior editor at my publishers, John Wiley & Sons, for assistance and am extremely thankful to her for her professionalism and expertise. Any mistakes which remain are mine.
The original project proved to be a far more difficult exercise than at first envisaged. Not only is it difficult to condense thousands of years of history to a few pages, but at all times, we wanted to test the material against the objective that a reader should by the end of each chapter have a feel for the history of the particular people.
When the fifth edition went to press the whole world was being battered by the Global Economic Crisis. This time there is a more pressing regional issue and that is the territorial dispute that a number of South‐East Asian countries have with China over its claims to the South China Sea. Hopefully this dispute will be solved amicably as the effect could be catastrophic if it led to armed conflict.
Adding to this mix is the result of the presidential election in the United States. What President‐elect Trump's actual policies will be to Asia, as compared with his various pronouncements during the campaign, is at this point unclear. However, it is likely he will be more isolationist and, if so, this is likely to be negative for the countries of South‐East Asia in many ways, ranging from possible increased tariffs to export goods and services to the United States through to a reluctance of the United States to play a balancing role to China's aggressive stance in the South China Sea.
If I were going to pick one major development throughout the region since the last edition it would be the impact of the Internet and social media in all its forms on the governments of the region. We have seen the Vietnamese government prohibit discussion of politics on social media, the Thai government using its lese majeste and computer crime laws to crack down on discussion of the monarchy and dissent with the junta, and the Malaysian government blocking websites which are seen as antigovernment and charging those who it believes are using social media for the purpose of “defaming, abusing or inciting others to belittle the position of or instil hatred towards the institutions of government.” Even the Singapore government has recently passed a law with civil and criminal sanctions for any discussion, debate, or criticism of cases under review by the judiciary.
Sadly, another issue increasingly present in the current history of South‐East Asia is the incidence of Islamic terrorism. All of the governments in the region are doing their best to counter this scourge but one senses it will still be a major problem far into the future.
Above all, we hope you come away from reading this small book with a deeper understanding of the history of South‐East Asia which might, in a small way, better enable you to understand the present and interpret the future with respect to your South‐East Asia business and other interests.
Peter Church OAM
Singapore
10 November, 2016
Introduction
INTRODUCTION TO THE SIXTH EDITION
When the fifth edition of this brief and handy history was introduced in 2009, South‐East Asia, like nearly all the rest of the world, was struggling with contagious recession. The region emerged from that and has generally resumed growth. In the biggest economy, Indonesia, there is a fair chance of broad expansion and in a couple of the smaller states there is clear improvement. Political uncertainties constrain investment and growth in some places.
But the most striking change since 2009 is the large and rapid increase in the salience of China's presence and influence. This is evident in new regional institutions, in trade, and in infrastructure funding and in an assertive claim of sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. That claim has been given physical shape by the development of reefs and islands, some newly and artificially formed, on some of which air strips or other military facilities are being installed. Despite a decision by an arbitration tribunal operating under the auspices of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea against China's claims, regional governments have been relatively careful in their criticism of China's claims. Whether the United States, which has also disputed China's claims, will continue to do so under a Trump Administration remains to be seen. President‐elect Trump's remarks during the campaign might suggest a reduction in US engagement in the region.
Sydney, 10 November 2016
Rawdon Dalrymple AO
Former Australian Ambassador to Israel, Indonesia, United States, and Japan
INTRODUCTION TO THE 2009 FIFTH EDITION
The first sentence of my introduction to the fourth edition has been reinforced by the market since then. More than 150,000 copies of “this little book” have now been sold and here we are with a fifth edition. That it fills a need is more than ever obvious. Busy people who need a basic history of one or more of the countries of South‐East Asia have been well‐served by it.
The region, like the rest of the world in January 2009, faces formidable difficulties. Demand for exports is drying up, as is foreign investment. Economies that have a major exposure to earnings sent home by workers who have jobs in other countries are likely to be adversely affected. For example, some eight million Filipinos work overseas and their repatriated earnings are a significant part of the country's national income. The competence of governments every‐ where will be tested. Some will manage better than others, but all will come under strain. A major question is whether regional cooperation will be more effective than in 1987–88. Their histories do not enable us to predict with certainty how South‐East Asian countries will be affected. But some knowledge of history certainly helps.
2009
Rawdon Dalrymple AO
Chairman, Advisory Board of Asean Focus Group
INTRODUCTION TO THE 2006 FOURTH EDITION
The continuing and increasing demand for this little book reflects not only the quality of its contents and the relevance of its format but also the prominence of South‐East Asia in events which have engaged worldwide attention. Thus Islam in South‐East Asia has been much discussed and many outside the region have become aware that there are more adherents of that religion in Indonesia than in any other country in the world. Political changes and developments in Indonesia, with a new and very different president, have appeared to hold out new promise, as has the change of leadership in Malaysia. Security incidents and concern about threatening networks have prompted unprecedented cooperation between the countries of the region including Australia. Most recently the natural disaster of the tsunami wave originating off Sumatra has focused world attention on the region and brought a huge supportive international response.
The East Asian solidarity movement, based on ASEAN, Japan, China and Korea, is still in an early stage, with difficulties between Japan and China, and reservations in ASEAN about both the giant northern neighbours, seeming likely to complicate prospects. But South‐East Asia continues to seek to shape this regional cooperation by, for example, insisting that candidates sign on to its Treaty of Amity and C
ooperation. Both Japan and the Republic of Korea found ways of doing so without prejudice to their alliance arrangements with the United States, and the government of Australia appears to be considering doing so. Economically, South‐East Asia is far from demonstrating the dynamism of China and indeed China's growth increasingly raises questions of the effects on the region. The flood of China's low‐priced products is damaging South‐East Asian exports to major existing markets, especially since the textiles regime changed. But some Chinese industries are investing in production facilities in South‐East Asia and Chinese demand for raw materials and energy resources is benefiting some parts of the region. In any case, the rise of China seems certain to be a major influence on the region in the years ahead. The countries of the region, and especially perhaps Indonesia and the Philippines, will need to address present constraints on their economic performance in order to hold their own.
2006
Rawdon Dalrymple AO
Chairman, Advisory Board of Asean Focus Group
INTRODUCTION TO THE 2003 THIRD EDITION
The success of this book shows that it fills a need, both in Australia and beyond, and that there is continuing interest in learning about the countries of South‐East Asia. That is encouraging because there have been major changes in the region since the book was first produced. Those changes probably require qualification of the optimistic last paragraph of the introduction I wrote three years ago. I will try to say briefly why that is so.
In the first place the global climate is more uncertain and even threatening. It is a commonplace that the early post–Cold War euphoria has dissipated. The Western alliance system is divided and possibly even endangered; the enthusiasm for international economic liberalisation has diminished; fear of terrorism has had a major effect, especially on the only superpower; and there is an historically high level of resentment and friction in the global system.
