A Short History of South–East Asia

PRAISE FOR A SHORT HISTORY OF SOUTH–EAST ASIA

"Peter has invaluable insights as a result of his many years living, investing and working in South–East Asia. It is clear through his writing that he has taken the time to really get a deep understanding of local people, systems and conditions and thereby provides a balanced view of the historical development of each individual country. He is one of my favourite ′go–to′ commentators on the countries in our region."
DANE CHAMORRO, CFE; Senior Partner Head of ASEAN, Control Risks

"A masterful overview of South–East Asian history in a single volume."
RONACHAI KRISADAOLARN, Managing Director, Bangkok International Associates, Thailand

"The interpretation of events in this book has managed to capture to a considerable degree South–East Asian perceptions of history. To have achieved this in such a brief text is impressive."
NONO ANWAR MAKARIM, Founder and Counsel to Makarim and Taira, Jakarta, Indonesia

"Peter Church′s book is ideal for those wanting to learn why South–East Asia countries operate the way they do by understanding their interrelated histories. It is also a great refresher and reference for those familiar with South–East Asia."
MICHAEL MANN, AM, Former Australian Ambassador to Laos and Vietnam; Chancellor, Torrens University, Australia

"The countries that make up the trading bloc known as ASEAN are not homogeneous and they vary vastly in culture, religion and peoples. Hence, a successful business strategy for one country will not necessarily succeed in another. Any businessman wanting to do business in South–East Asia must understand the history of the area if he is to be successful. This easily read book provides this invaluable information ignore it at your peril."
VALERIANO DEL ROSARIO, Managing Partner, Del Rosario Raboca Gonzales Grasparil Manila, Philippines

"The countries comprising South–East Asia are historically, culturally and politically diverse. Yet, this short book manages to pull these different strands together to provide readers with an easy to understand ′feel′ for the past and present of these countries and a glimpse into where they might be heading in the future. A must–read for those wishing to go beyond tourist guides and get a deeper understanding why certain things are where they are now in these countries."
LAI VOON KEAT, Managing Partner Greater China, Stephenson Harwood, Hong Kong

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1 Brunei

Chapter 2 Cambodia

Chapter 3 East Timor

Chapter 4 Indonesia

Chapter 5 Lao PDR

Chapter 6 Malaysia

Chapter 7 Myanmar

Chapter 8 Philippines

Chapter 9 Singapore

Chapter 10 Thailand

Chapter 11 Vietnam

Further Reading

Maps

About AFG Venture Group

About Stephenson Harwood

PETER CHURCH, OAM, is a lawyer, corporate adviser, and company director, who has spent more than 35 years living and working in South–East Asia and India. He advises a varied group of companies in relation to their activities in Asia and Australia and sits on a number of for–profit and not–for–profit boards. He is Chairman of AFG Venture Group, Special Counsel to the English law firm Stephenson Harwood, an Adjunct Professor at Curtin Business School in Perth, Western Australia, and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Great Lakes Institute of Management in Chennai, India. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1994 for his services to the promotion of business relations between Australia and the South–East Asian region.