We Belong to South East Asia (SEA)

If I were to give you a task to map out South East Asia region without relying on any source would you be able to do it? Well, this is what my "artwork" of South East Asia and with one glance you would identify mistakes here and there. It's disappointing when I realize that I was ignorant to my own surroundings. Then it struck me that we must not only regard ourselves as merely Malaysians but also members of a much larger community. This statement was also repeated by my journalism lecturer Mr.Kuttan. He went on saying that we are not only citizens of our respective countries but we are also proud citizens of south east asia and i could not agree more on that. So with that motion, Mr.Kuttan has given us task to resarch and explore the history and so many relevant issues that may be useful to a journalist point of view and concurrently brush up my general knowledge about where i belong, South East Asia.

Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia. Southeast Asia consists of Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia while the maritime section consists of Brunei, East Malaysia, East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, and Singapore. The major religions are Islam and Buddhism, followed by Christianity. However a wide variety of religions are found throughout the region, including many Hindus.

Geographical characteristics and politics played a big part shaping South East Asia to what it is today. For instance, British ruled Burma and the 3 French territories which was Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Now Thailand acted as a political buffer mainly because it remained a free land throughout its history. With history behind the British and the French. Both sides fought numerous wars against each other, including the Hundred Years' War and the Anglo-French Wars. Therefore, Thailand which was previously called Siam, was the only country that separated two rival powers that serves to lessen the danger of conflict. Thailand's independence was only ensured when the King of Siam had to sacrifice Laos and Cambodia to the French. This was to grant commercial concessions to France. Therefore, Thailand remained the buffer state ever since the British Raj and the French Indochina era.

Another exciting aspect regarding South East Asia is the formation of Malaysia. The British plotted a political move against the Indonesia's planned expansion to incorporate Malaya, North Borneo and the Philippines and form a massive Malay empire called Indonesia Raya or Maphilindo. Noticing the fact that the geography of Malaysia would provide a strong front against both impending Indonesian aggression and the spread of communism. With Tunku Abdul Rahman at his prime federating states of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore into the Federation of Malaysia; a powerful political figure like himself could easily exert his influence over these states and disregard any attempts made by the Philippines and Indonesia to undermine his effort and indeed was a great asset to the British.

Modern Southeast Asia has been characterized by high economic growth by most countries and closer regional integration. Countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand have traditionally experienced high growth and are commonly recognized as the more developed countries of the region. As of late, Vietnam too had been experiencing an economic boom. However, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and the newly independent East Timor are still lagging economically. On August 8, 1967, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded by Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Since Cambodian admission into the union in 1999, East Timor is the only Southeast Asian country that is not part of ASEAN, although plans are under way for eventual membership. The association aims to enhance cooperation among Southeast Asian community. ASEAN Free Trade Area has been established to encourage greater trade among ASEAN members.

I have learnt so much from this research and believe me there is still tonnes more to realize and grasp more about this region. Nevertheless, this exercise definately has been beneficial and gives me the true spirit being a South East Asia citizen.

South East Asia Map