Unit 11 Southeast Asia

For many generations, Southeast Asian countries have varied in rebuilding and reforming their economies as a result of war devastation, colonial rulers, and a diversity of government systems.

Today, Southeast Asian countries struggle andface challenges in their desire for economic success both within their country and globally.

Southeast Asians who live and work in the mainland may have similar or different types of primary and secondary industries versus those in the maritime countries.

The number of people within a nation determines the need to produce goods and services to support a growing economy.

The use of its natural resources, labor resources, and capital resources are ways that economic systems change and become part of the world market.

Supply and demand process determines how much consumers are willing to pay for their goods and/or services, and how much the seller wants to charge for an item or service.

How much people are willing to spend depends on their purchasing power and their standard of living.

The other factor involved in supply and demand of goods and services is availability of resources. Sometimes countries may not have the natural resources and/or have limited labor resources.

Some Southeast Asian countries, either on the mainland or near the maritime, may have restrictions with trade or their ability to move their goods and services to global or worldwide markets.

In order to better understand present-day Southeast Asian regions, one has to reflect back on how their societies have evolved through the continuous influence of individuals and groups, colonial occupation, and being overwhelmed by political and military turmoil.

European colonization and the invasion and conquests of Chinese and Indian forces contributed to the molding process of Southeast Asian societies.

Great civilizations, such as the Khmers, established a Hindu Kingdom called Angkor-Khmer, which is present-day Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and parts of Laos.

By the late 15th century, the Islamic influence had developed, but this influence was eventually surpassed by the Europeans who gained power throughout the region.

Thailand remained the only country free from colonial occupation.

The natural resources and geographic location were ideal for shipping and trading routes but these same routes also became the battleground between the Allied forces and the Japanese during W W II.

Southeast Asian countries have become independent nations, but many have been overwhelmed by political chaos and their economic systems have been at times very unstable.

Some countries have had their share of ethnicity and social imbalances; conflicts and rivalry have also affected the stability of the region. In spite of these challenges, many of the Southeast Asian countries are showing signs of improvement since the 1980s and 1990s.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, the conflict between Communist and non- Communists groups, throughout the region, resulted into what became known as the Vietnam War.

Rising concerns that the Communist group of North Vietnamese would gain control over South Vietnam, a non- Communist country, was one of the major reasons why the United States became involved in Vietnam.

The idea of smaller events leading to a greater disaster was known as the “domino effect”.

The theory was first introduced by President Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States, to justify sending money to help Greece and Turkey in the 1940s.

But later became more popular in the 1950s when Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th U.S. President, theorized that if Indochina became Communist that other Southeast Asian countries would also fall “like dominoes”.

Today, we continue to see the changes and reforms in Southeast Asian contemporary societies because of the past historical events that influenced and shaped the minds of our leaders and citizens.