 Deforestation Southeast Asia forests have been decimated by unconstrained logging, much of it illegal, over the last two decades. Current patterns of forest exploitation in the region threaten ecological security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of millions of people who live in the remaining forest areas. In the Philippines 16 million hectares of natural forest have been reduced to just 700,000 hectares, with illegal logging causing much of the destruction. Smuggling of timber has also been documented across the region - from Indonesia to Malaysia, Singapore and China, from Cambodia to Thailand and Vietnam, and from Myanmar (Burma) to China.

 Indonesia Indonesia has the most extensive rainforests in Asia, globally ranking third in size after those of Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and their biological richness is unique. Many habitats and species are under serious threat as a result of deforestation; between 1990 and 2005, Indonesia lost 28 million ha of forest, including 21.7 million ha of virgin forest. This loss of primary forest was second only to that in Brazil and the deforestation rate is still increasing. In the 1960s 82% of the country was forested; today, that figure is 49%. Much of the remaining cover is over-logged and degraded. Indonesia's forests are some of the most threatened in the world.

 Malaysia Malaysia's timber industry is the country's fourth- largest export earner and is keen to increase market share in premium priced sensitive European markets. Malaysia has been accused by environmental campaigners of being a conduit for trade in illegally harvested timber products from Indonesia. In response, the government has prohibited imports of all logs and large sawn timber from Indonesia and tightened up regulations. However, there have been recent accusations of corruption among government officials, including the Chief Minister of Sarawak, enabling the illegal import of timber from Indonesia. Sarawak officials have also been accused of attempts to replace elected local officials with timber company stakeholders in Penan communities.

 Philippines Since the 1970s, the rapid depletion of timber stocks in the Philippines has led to a shift in emphasis from timber harvesting and utilization to protection, development and conservation of forest land. Deforestation and land degradation are serious problems, caused by decades of intensive logging, agricultural expansion, inequitable land distribution and failed policies. The government established more than 270 protected areas, encompassing more than 4.2million ha, and forest conservation areas now cover an estimated 2.7million ha. Logging is banned in old growth forests and on steeply sloping areas but the government is struggling to implement this because of economic necessity.

 Thailand Despite the logging ban and conservation measures, deforestation and degradation from encroachment and illegal logging continue to be serious problems. The ban also appears to be resulting in illegal cross-border activities with impacts on the forests of neighboring countries. Both the Malaysian and Myanmar (Burmese) authorities have recently arrested Thai loggers. There have also been allegations of Thai officials being involved in illegal logging.

 Paracel Islands - approximately 16 degrees north of the equator and about 233 miles east of Da Nang, Vietnam - once belong to the French Indochina until the Japanese held captive of them during World War II. - although closer to Vietnam, China took possession of the islands in Taiwan is also claiming Paracel Islands aside from China and Vietnam - countries are fighting over the islands for potential oil reserves beneath the ocean

 Spratly Islands - a group of more or less a hundred islands and reefs lying about 2/3s of the way from southern Vietnam to the Philippines. - used to be a submarine base by the Japanese during the WWII - have natural resources such as fish, guano and undetermined natural gas and oil potential - about 45 of the islands are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam - Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone in the southern Spratly in 1984

The Distribution Of Spratly Islands

 Spratly Islands - in 1994, Exxon, an American oil company signed a multibillion dollar deal with Indonesia to develop the Natuna gas fields in the southern Spratlys, an area claimed by China - clashes happened between China and Philippines in 1995 because China occupied one island within 124 miles of the Philippine island of Palawan - that same year, Indonesia joined the dispute over China’s claim to the natural gas fields

 Circular - this is the most desirable shape for a country because it allows equal access to all places from the center - it also implies stability - an example is the country of Cambodia

 Cambodia having a circular shape but doesn’t really have a history of stability.

 Elongated - elongated countries tend to have unity and control problems - examples are Vietnam and Laos

LAOS VIETNAM

 Prorupt - compact countries but have at least one extension of territory - usually have control problems especially in the prorupted areas - examples are Thailand and Myanmar, both have problems with prorupted areas esp in Thailand having a Muslim population in the southern part

THAILANDMYANMAR

 Archipelago - countries that are broken into pieces - have trouble with unity and have separatist movements - examples are Indonesia and Philippines having unity problems. However Brunei and Malaysia are archipelago countries too, do not suffer from instability

INDONESIAPHILIPPINES

BRUNEIMALAYSIA

 Association of Southeast Asian Nations  Formed in 1967 to promote social, economic and political cooperation within the region  Original members were Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines.  Brunei joined after its independence in 1984  Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia joined in the 1900s.  Timor-Leste joined after independence in 2002  Main goals are to promote and integrate economic development, encourage social and cultural progress and guarantee regional peace and stability

 Economics of the member countries are competitive rather than complementary thus trade outside the group is better than inside the group  Barriers that are employed to protect domestic industries serve as obstacle for intraregional exchange  Small productivity countries such as Vietnam and Brunei can not catch up and match up to the exchanges of more developed countries like Singapore and Thailand

 ASEAN change from trades within the group to building a single market and attract foreign investors  Singapore and Thailand are first in these cooperation  India and China are boasting about their investments in Southeast Asia, pointing out their importance

 Over lending by banks caused a major financial crisis hence a halt in the economic growth in the ASEAN countries  Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia were forced to devalue their money in 1997  This was caused by large foreign borrowing, large bank loans and slower than expected economic growth.  Japan then slowed its investments to Southeast Asia

 By early 2000s, China boomed and Southeast Asia’s foreign investors redirected to China leaving Southeast Asia even more slumped after the 1997 crisis.  The most recent crisis happened in 2007 when Southeast Asia’s economies exports fell and the flow of foreign investments stopped