Introduction Chapter §

(F) Day of the week: Tuesday Class: IS204 Created Time: October 22, 2019 9:16 AM Database: Class Notes Database Date: October 22, 2019 9:16 AM Days Till Date: Passed Last Edited Time: June 9, 2021 10:42 AM Type: Reading Notes

Since after the Cold War, Southeast Asia has been often overshadowed by other conflicts in the middle east or other parts of the world. If anything, news from Southeast Asia is often either or of . §

BuddhismHinduism §

Mahayana Buddhism §

Confucianism §

Islam §

The diverse practice of religions and their interactions created many ways to organize societies politically and economically across the region. §

19th and 20th century, for nearly 5 centuries, European colonialism influenced the region by:

• Imposed the idea of “Civilization”: nationalism, capitalism, republicanism, democracy, and communism.
• Divided internationally recognized boundaries for the region’s countries
• The commercial sector was Chinese and Indians as locals found the work opposing their traditions
• Nationalism emerged in 20th century by the exploitation and neglect of its populations and countries.
• After brief Japanese occupation, European came back with internationally recognition of its return.

The Cold War’s Influence on the region:

1. Internal Ideological Struggle: The vision conflicted against the others
   • The leftist communism
   • The democratic capitalism
   • Right-leaning militaries
   • Traditional monarchists
   • Neo-imperial foreign influences
2. Superpower rivalry:
   • In 1960, the Sino-Soviet split over the communist supremacy affected the US-USSR rivalry.
   • Soviet continued to support Vietnam as China turned to support the in the mid 1970s
   • Ethnic minorities were recruited into Golden Triangle of lawlessness local opportunists
3. Interstate Conflicts:
   • Thailand and the Phillipines as joined Southeast Asian Treaty Organization, then later ASEAN after the Vietnam war
   • Indonesia: Sukarno failed maintaining neutrality led to anticommunist Suharto regime which took power.
   • Cambodia’s King Sihanouk claimed neutrality but
     • US supported Lun Nol’s coup
     • Chinese supported Khmer Rouge
     • Soviet supported Vietnam who later occupied Cambodia

In 1980s, Japan’s economic success also brought up the “Asian Economic Dragon” which inspired the shift SEA countries to the Asian Dragons’ success called “Look East Policy”. §

Shared Social Patterns

The diverse Southeast Asian countries share elements of §

Change: Society has changed from agriculture to industry and services as being important for the economy §

Continuity: hierarchical structure of patron-client ties with mutual benefits between two participants. §

• Patron: individuals with higher power or resources, Who expects support or labour in return from their client.
• Client: individuals with less power and limited access to resources seeking Patron in exchange for vote or labour.

Patron-Clients systems could form corrupt governments with too much power. §

The region also share economy dominating Chinese business communities §

The New International Era §

• In 1989, to revive the economically stagnant Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev’s policy of imperial disengagement.

  withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, the Sino-Russian border and Vietnam.

• Vietnam restructured it’s economy with the Doi Moi policy

• China established as regional economic partner.

• Bipolar -> Multipolar, allowing more rising powers from Asia and Europe.

• During the 80s and 90s, IOs and NGOs became more assertive in the world such as WTO and IMF to enforce rules of globalization.