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SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE COLD WAR. Indonesia Malaya/Malaysia Thailand Philippines Indochina – Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos. INDONESIA. GEOGRAPHY. 13,000 islands 230 million people – 4 th highest in world. Main population center is Java Resources: oil (Sumatra), rain forest timber, spices
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SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE COLD WAR Indonesia Malaya/Malaysia Thailand Philippines Indochina – Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
GEOGRAPHY • 13,000 islands • 230 million people – 4th highest in world. • Main population center is Java • Resources: oil (Sumatra), rain forest timber, spices • Low-cost manufacturing on Java • Capital: Jakarta, popul. 7.5 million
MAIN ISLAND: JAVA • http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/12/28/travel/1228-JAVA_index.html?emc=eta3
Borobudur • World’s largest Buddhist temple – In a Muslim country.
Indigenous peoples • Thousands of ethnic groups on different islands. • Dayak child of Borneo.
Colonization • Dutch oust Portuguese • Founded Batavia, now Jakarta • Exploited people and country • Rapid population growth
JAPANESE OCCUPATION – WORLD WAR II • Japanese occupy Dutch East Indies to secure the oil supply on Sumatra • Occupy it using Korean troops
SUKARNO • Led independence drive against Dutch Leader of Neutral bloc in Cold War “Guided Democracy” after 1959 Leaned towards Communists
1960s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn0wW4-ciMA By the early 1960s, Indonesia’s Communist party is the largest in Asia outside of China U.S. concerned about Communist takeover – the biggest ‘domino’ in region.
NIGHT OF THE GENERALS • 1965 - Five prominent generals assassinated • Communist party blamed • Sukarno removed by officers; replaced by General Suharto • Half-million Communists purged and most executed.
SUHARTO • Suharto is pro-Western • Also very corrupt; family runs almost everything • Invades Portuguese East Timor in 1975, hundreds of thousands killed there • Economy grows rapidly, but so does population • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=941b2tPqyuU
Suharto falls in 1998; today Indonesia’s democracy is growing
THAILAND • Never colonized by a European power • Reverence for king and royal family • Real power can fluctuate – military coups, etc. • King Mongkut – 19th century modernizer similar to Meiji in Japan • Neutral in World War II, leaned toward Japanese
THAILAND IN THE COLD WAR • Communist insurrection in 1960s • Rebels were unable to gain much support; people trusted the government. Govt. provided services and security. • Insurrection fizzled out in 1979 when government offered an amnesty to rebels • Thailand a strong ally of U.S. – naval presence there • Refugee camps for displaced persons from other Southeast Asian countries.
MALAYA / MALAYSIA • British colony till 1965 • A confederation of formerly independent small states ruled by Muslim sultans • After Japanese conquest in WWII, the small communist party became well-organized as a resistance force. • Led a rebellion, mainly among Chinese Malayans
MALAY EMERGENCY- A successful counter-insurgency • British, with help of Malay C.C. Too, develop psychological warfare techniques • Set out to win “hearts and minds” of villagers • Many Chinese Malayans rounded up and put into fortified camps/villages. • Some are still there • Rebellion fails • Malaysia – Malay peninsula plus British colonies in Borneo, become independent in 1965. Singapore decides to be independent.
TODAY: MALAYSIA Developing nation Oil wealth in Borneo Petronas Towers – world’s tallest building Dr. Mahathir Mohammed
PHILIPPINES • Peopled over 20,000 years ago • Modern people of many ethnic groups speak Malay languages • Conquered by the Spanish; most are Catholic • A few million in south are Muslim
U.S. in Philippines • U.S. conquered Manila in Spanish-American War • Pres. McKinley decided to keep islands as a colony “to civilize and Christianize them” (although they were already Christians)
HUK REBELLION Japanese conquer and occupy Philippines in early World War II, US under Gen. Douglas MacArthur (“I Shall Return”) reconquers. US grants independence in 1947 After war, Communists seek to take advantage of rebellion in its southern islands - fails
FERDINAND MARCOS • Ferdinand Marcos elected Pres. In 1966 • Declares state of emergency, continues to rule under martial law for 20 years, backed by US. because he was a staunch anti-Communist
PEOPLE POWER - 1986 • Opposition leader Benigno Aquino murdered trying to return in 1983. • In 1986, anti-Marcos demonstrations grow to enormous size, backed by army, Catholic Church and the middle class. • Marcos, ill, flees to US. • Aquino’s widow, Corazon, becomes Pres.-democracy restored.