Southeast Asian Nations Gain Independence CH. 18 Section 2 Southeast Asian Nations Gain Independence

Main Idea The European colonies in Southeast Asia became independent countries in the postwar period.

Why It Matters Now The power and influence of the Pacific Rim nations are likely to expand during the next century.

Setting the Stage At the end of WWII colonized people all over the world wanted independence. As it had in India, Britain gave up control of its Southeast Asian colonies. It gave up Burma quickly and Malaysia after some delay. The Dutch were reluctant to give up their Southeast Asian possessions The US gave up its Asian colony in the Philippines soon after WWII.

The United States and the Philippines The Philippines became the first of the world’s colonies to achieve independence following WWII. The US granted the Philippines its independence July 4, 1946.

The Philippines Achieves Independence The Filipinos first goals were to rebuild the economy and restore the capital of Manila, damaged during WWII. The US promised $600 million in war damages, but the US insisted the Filipinos approved the Bell Act. This act would allow free trade between the US and the Philippines for eight years, then gradually increasing tariffs.

The Philippines Achieves Independence Filipinos were worried the US would exploit the resources and environment. But approved the Bell Act and received their money. The US wanted to maintain its military presence in the Philippines. They wanted to protect their interests in Asia. Both China and the USSR were opponents of the US at this time.

The Philippines Achieves Independence Both were Pacific powers with bases close to allies of the US and close to raw materials and resources vital to US interests. So the US demanded a 99 year lease on military and navel bases in the Philippines. These bases proved critical during the Korean and Vietnam wars. These bases also became the single greatest source of conflict between the two countries.

The Philippines Achieves Independence Later agreements shorten the length of the lease and in 1991 the US gave up the bases. After WWII the Philippines government was still dependent on the US. The Philippines government looked for ways to lessen this dependency. It looked to Japan for investments. It also broadened it contacts with Southeast Asian neighbors and with nonaligned nations.

The Marcos Regime and Corazon Aquino Ferdinand Marcos was elected president of the Philippines in 1965. He ruled from 1966 to 1986 and the country suffered during this time. He imposed an authoritarian regime and stole millions from the public treasury. Although their constitution limited Marcos rule to only eight years, he got around this by declaring martial law from 1972 to 1981. His chief opponent was Benigno Aquino.

The Marcos Regime and Corazon Aquino He was shot when he returned to the Philippines from the US , lured by the promise of coming elections. In the elections of 1986 Marcos ran against Aquino’s widow, Corazon Aquino and lost, but he would not acknowledge her victory. He declared himself the winner. There was a huge public outcry and he was forced into exile in Hawaii where he later died 1995 the Philippines recovered their money.

The Marcos Regime and Corazon Aquino During Aquino’s Presidency, the Philippine government ratified a new Constitution. In 1992 Fidel V Ramos succeeded Aquino as President. Ramos is restricted by the constitution to a single six year term. Its design to prevent the abuse of power that occurred during Marcos’s 20 year rule.

British Colonies Gain Independence Britain’s timetable for giving its colonies independence depended on local circumstances. Burma had been pressing for independence from Britain for decades. It became a sovereign republic in 1948 and choose not to join the British Commonwealth. In 1989, Burma was officially named Myanmar, its name in the Burmese Language.

Burma Experiences Turmoil In the postwar years Burma suffered one political upheaval after another. Its people struggles between repressive Military governments and pro-democracy forces. During WWII when Japan took over Burma, they declared it a sovereign state. When in fact the Japanese were in control. The Japanese demanded forced labor from the Burmese and it was unpopular.

Burma Experiences Turmoil The Burmese nationalists army led by Aung San at first cooperated with the Japanese in order to drive out the British. Then the army teamed up with the British to defeat the Japanese. They succeeded in driving out the Japanese and were about to become independent, when Aung San and most of his cabinet were gunned down on orders of the Burmese political rivals.

Burma Experiences Turmoil Conflicts among Communist and ethnic minorities disrupted the nation. In 1962, General Ne Win set up a repressive military government, with the goal of making Burma a socialist state. Although Ne Win stepped down in 1988, the government continue to rule repressively. The Daughter of Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi became active in National League for Democracy.

Burma Experiences Turmoil For her pro-democracy activities she was places under house arrest for six years by the government. In the 1990 election the Nation League for Democracy won 80% of the seats. The Military Government refused to recognized the election and kept Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest. She was finally released in 1995, but was kept under surveillance.

Malaysia and Singapore During WWII the Japanese conquered the Malay Peninsula, formerly ruled by the British. The British returned after the Japanese defeat in 1945. The British tried to unsuccessfully, to organize Malaysia into one state. They also struggled to put down a communist uprising.

Malaysia and Singapore Ethnic groups resisted British efforts to united their colonies on the peninsula and in the Northern part of the Island of Borneo. Malays were a slight majority on the peninsula, while the Chinese were the largest group in Singapore. In 1957, the Federation of Malaya was created from Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak, and Sabah.

Malaysia and Singapore The two regions on the Malay peninsula and on northern Borneo were separated by 400 miles of ocean. In 1965, Singapore separated from the federation and became an independent city state. The Federation of Malaysia consisting of Malaya, Sarawak, and Sabah was created. A coalition of many ethnic groups maintained steady economic progress in Malaysia.

Malaysia and Singapore