JC1 SEA introduction to themes and topics

JC SEA Paper 2 History

1. Approaches to Governance Bridging Lectures 1

2. Paper 2: The Making of Independent Southeast Asia (Independence - 2000) Theme 1: Search for Political Stability Political Structures and Governance Approaches to National Unity Theme 2: Economic Development after Independence Paths to Economic Development Asian Financial Crisis Theme 3: Regional Conflicts and Cooperation Inter-state Tensions and Cooperation ASEAN Essay Essay SBQ

3. Lecture Objectives Examine the struggles of the young nations of independent (pre-WWII nationalism) Southeast Asia in establishing stable governments. Recognize that the characteristics of the Southeast Asian countries are embedded in the region’s historic past (colonial legacy, WWII, legacy of decolonisation) Analyse the causal relationships that underpinned the establishment of different forms of government in SEA.

4. Paper 2 Syllabus: The Making of Independent Southeast Asia (Independence - 2000) Introduction: How Independence was achieved (Background) Trends of Pre-WWII Nationalism Japanese Occupation Process of Decolonization Theme 1: Search for Political Stability (Tested) Political Structures and Governance Approaches to National Unity Theme 2: Economic Development after Independence (Tested) Paths to Economic Development Asian Financial Crisis Theme 3: Regional Conflicts and Cooperation (Tested) Inter-state Tensions and Cooperation ASEAN Affects our understanding of….

5. Timeline for SEA History 1900 1942 1945 Starting point of SEA Theme 1: Independence –Late 1940s/1950s depending on country. Pre-WWII Nationalism Japanese Occupation Decolonization 2000 Theme 1: Search for Political Stability Emergence of nationalist movements in assorted SEA states under colonial rule WW2 and the Japanese Occupation provided a huge boost to nationalist movements. “Turning Point”. After WW2, nationalist movements increasingly pushed for independence. Eventually either granted by colonial powers or fought and obtained it. Prior events significantly affect the political structures of SEA states after independence! 5

6. So… SEA Theme 1 is about the political development of SEA states after independence – ie . Their political structures and governments. We cannot study this without some understanding of how they got independence! Because the process in which each country gained independence (through the Pre-War, Japanese Occupation, Decolonization phases) GREATLY AFFECTS these political structures! In each individual Case Study , we usually also provide this background context (In the first few sections)… But this lecture serves to first give you a broad overview/understanding of the background to independence! 6

7. It is important for the purpose of studying SEA to know these terms: Pre-WWII nationalism: Groups of movements that were interested in communal interests, ethnic interests, economic interests (e.g. Dewi Kartini Movement, YMBA, Van Cuong .. etc ) BUT THESE WERE NOT THE KIND OF NATIONALISM THAT WAS AIMED AT PROTECTING THE SOVEREIGNTY/INDEPENDENT OF A NATION AFTER WWII:The term Nation-State, National Identity (with the period of decolonisation and establishment of governance in SEA), COINED TO SYMBOLISE NATIONAL PRIDE AND A SENSE OF BELONGING TODAY: Nationalism can take on a more negative stance –more insular, xenophobic as a result of extreme ideologies and policies against assimilation and integration (refugee/asylum seekers) 6 2

8. WHO DETERMINES IDEOLOGIES? **Democracy similarly Communism is a UTOPIAN IDEAL! To enact the ideologies in its ACTUAL FORM SEEMS TO SUGGEST A PERFECT WORLD. THAT’S THE REASON WHY IDEOLOGIES ARE OFTEN INTERPRETED BY WHO’S IN POWER AND NOT BASED ON HOW IT IS ACTUALLY MEANT TO BE… DEMOCRACY? COMMUNISM? Liberal Democracy Maoism/Stalinism Socialist Democracy Bolshevism Paternal Democracy Marxism

9. Key Broad Questions What were the reasons which led Southeast Asian states to establish different forms of government after independence? How successful were these SEA states at maintaining domestic stability ? What was the role of the military in independent SEA states? What was the role of Communism in independent SEA states?

10. Timeline for SEA History 1900 1942 1945 Starting point of SEA Theme 1: Independence –Late 1940s/1950s depending on country. Pre-WWII Nationalism Japanese Occupation Decolonization 2000 Theme 1: Search for Political Stability Emergence of nationalist movements in assorted SEA states under colonial rule WW2 and the Japanese Occupation provided a huge boost to nationalist movements. “Turning Point”. After WW2, nationalist movements increasingly pushed for independence. Eventually either granted by colonial powers or fought and obtained it. Prior events significantly affect the political structures of SEA states after independence!

11. Overview How do we study independent SEA governments and their challenges? Case Study: Burma/Myanmar (Military) Case Study: Indonesia (Military) Case Study: Philippines (Civilian/ Military) Case Study: Malaysia (Civilian) Case Study: Thailand (Civilian / Military) Case Study: Vietnam (Communist) Additional Case Studies: Laos (Communist), Cambodia (Communist) and Singapore (Civilian) Assorted Summaries

12. Objectives Cause & Effect, Significance, Change & Continuity How independent SEA countries’ political structure came to be. Factors that shaped SEA political structures. Forms of governance in SEA - Liberal Democracy. Forms of governance in SEA – Maximum Government The Role of the Military in SEA The Role of Communism in SEA The different approaches towards national unity The different approaches towards economic development

13. Historical Concepts Cause & Effect What caused the different forms of political governance to emerge in SEA? What were their effects on different SEA states then? Change & Continuities, Significance Certain Significant changes – and their effects on political governance Certain continuities – and their effects on political governance

14. Main Ideas (Page I) This part of the syllabus concerns itself with how the various countries determined their political structures and govemments after independence , and thereafter how the respective governments established and maintained political stability. These should be your guiding questions throughout our surveys of the different SEA countries:

15. Causal relationship explaining the establishment of different forms of governance (Page 2) Many different forces influenced this process Change & Continuities Personality of SEAsian States leaders Could change or continue. Historical (Colonial & Traditional) Legacies of SEAsian States Continues from colonial period or before Impact of mass political participation Big change as a result of Japanese Occupation Performance of parliamentary democracy vs maximum governments Varies depending on country, but increasingly many early democratic experiments failed badly.

16. Continuities : Important historical legacies affecting Nation Building History (a) The Pre-Colonial era Traditional authority Patron-Client relationship (b) The Colonial era Political, economic and educational character Social divisiveness . E.g. presence of minorities; new migrants Chinese in Malaya; Indians in Burma

17. Changes : Important historical legacies affecting Nation Building (c) World War II Change in mental attitude towards colonial rulers Emergence of new leaders, new mass movements and new opportunities Tunku Abdul Rahman, Prime minister of Malaya 1957-1970. Aung San, Burma (d) Circumstances of Decolonization/ Independence Peaceful (without revolution ) – Singapore, Malaya, Philippines, Burma. Revolution – Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia ( communist in nature ), Indonesia ( non-communist in nature )

18. Change & Continuities : Key Players Involved: Colonial masters Nationalists leaders/ Elites Non-elites/ Masses 31

19. The democratic experiment and authoritarian alternatives (Page 3) Democracy had an intrinsic appeal to nationalist elites, many of whom were Western-educated and therefore exposed to democratic norms and institutions in the metropoles. (SG, Malaya, Burma) Accepting democratic norms was also an important tactical weapon in the nationalists' battle for independence. By doing so, they had hoped to attract Western sympathy and diplomatic support for their struggles against undemocratic colonial rule. (all of SEA, with the exception of North Vietnam

20. The democratic experiment and authoritarian alternatives (Page 3) The democratic situation of the home countries of the colonial powers in Southeast Asia was also CRUCIAL : the political structures that the colonial powers left behind often demonstrated attempts to replicate parliamentary democracy to the SEA setting (exception: N. Vietnam). However, as we shall explore in the lectures that follow, democracy was successful in some SEA countries more than others.

21. The democratic experiment and authoritarian alternatives (Page 3) There were three categories of political structures that were identifiable across the SEA nation-states: political structures 1. Affected by revolution and war 2. Parliamentary/liberal democratic governments and 'maximum' governments. All these would have an impact on the degree that democracy had taken root in the various SEA nation-states.

22. The democratic experiment and authoritarian alternatives (Page 3) Where the democratic experiment failed, SEA states turned instead to military regimes or civilian-led authoritarian rule (maximum governments) as alternative structures of governance. By the mid-1970s four states in SEA were governed by military-dominated regimes: Burma,Indonesia,South Vietnam, and Cambodia.