South East Asia Flashcards
Which is not true about the political history of Myanmar?
It gained independence in 1948.
General Aung San was killed before Indepence.
It was occupied by the Japanese as part of their large Empire.
The East Indian Trading Company was active there, and then It became a British colony.
General Aung San helped Britain repel the communists.
It used to be called Burma in English.
General Aung San helped Britain repel the communists.
Which is not true about the role of the military in Myanmar?
The Roadmap to Democracy is a plan to gradually return Myanmar to democracy.
General Ne Win staged a coup in 1962 and imposed martial law.
The military has now completely withdrawn from political influence.
Until recently, modern Myanmar was ruled by a military junta who refused to concede power even after they lost an election.
The military has now completely withdrawn from political influence.
The military is still shaping policy behind the scene.
Which is not true about Aung San Suu Kyi?
She led her party to victory in the recent elections and so is now the Prime Minister.
Her party is the League for Democracy.
She was held under house arrest for several years.
She is the daughter of General Aung San.
She led her party to victory in the recent elections and so is now the Prime Minister.
the constitution bans her for being PM.
Which is not true about the BRI in Myanmar?
Myanmar has recently decided not to participate in China’s BRI.
Myanmar may be even more indebted to China in the future.
The electricity generated from the Myitsone Dam is slated to go mostly to China rather than Myanmar.
There are several BRI projects in the works for Myanmar.
Myanmar has recently decided not to participate in China’s BRI.
the BRI is still active in Myanmar.
Which of these does not share a border with Thailand?
China.
Malaysia.
Laos.
Myanmar.
Cambodia.
China
Which is not true about the political history of Thailand?
Thailand was never a colony of a European country.
Thaksin was elected with strong support from the North and Northeast populations.
After Taksin was ousted, his younger sister replaced him as leader.
Currently Thailand is ruled by General Prayuth.
Unlike Pakistan or Myanmar, Thailand has not had periods of rule by a military leader.
Thaksin is now in exile because he has been convicted in absentia in Thailand.
Unlike Pakistan or Myanmar, Thailand has not had periods of rule by a military leader.
Which is not true about the Reds and Yellows?
The Yellows tend to be more supportive of the monarchy.
The Reds have strong support in the rural regions and the areas well north of Bangkok.
The public demonstrations by the Yellows and Reds are still taking place.
The Yellows chose that colour because it is the colour associated with the day of the week on which the late king was born.
The public demonstrations by the Yellows and Reds are still taking place.
those demonstrations are banned
Which is not true about the current protests in Thailand?
One goal is to return to a full democracy with fair elections.
One goal is to lessen Thailand’s involvement with the BRI.
One goal is to lessen the political influence of the king.
One goal is to have an elected Senate, to lessen the power of the pro-military party.
One goal is to lessen Thailand’s involvement with the BRI.
many Thais may be critical of the BRI, but that isn’t a main agenda item among the current protestors.
Which is not true about the geography of Malaysia?
Around 60% of the population are ethnic Malay, who are mostly Muslim.
Around 23% of the population are ethnic Chinese, who are mostly Buddhist or Christian.
West Malaysia is on southern part of the Malay Peninsula, south of Thailand.
East Malaysia consists of the whole island of Borneo.
East Malaysia consists of the whole island of Borneo.
Which is not true about politics in Malaysia?
There is an title know as the Paramount Ruler (in English), which rotates among the traditional sultans of 9 states.
From 1963 to 1965 the Federation of Malaya included what is now Malaysia and Singapore.
The British ruled Malaysia as a colony until independence in 1957.
The government promotes policies intended to uplift the economic status of its ethnic Chinese citizens.
The government promotes policies intended to uplift the economic status of its ethnic Chinese citizens.
Yes, who do the policies actually favour?
Which is not true about the French period in Vietnam?
The French ruled the Vietnamese as kind and sympathetic colonizers, but the Vietnamese still wanted independence.
The French ruled Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos as a colony called French Indo-China.
The French built a prison in Hanoi called Maison Centrale to house dissidents, which was later used to house captured US military persons such as the young John McLain.
The French period came to an end soon after France’s total defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
The French ruled the Vietnamese as kind and sympathetic colonizers, but the Vietnamese still wanted independence.
Yes, the French were rather brutal to the Vietnamese. Read the book Saigon sometime to get the story.
Which is not true about the ‘Vietnam War’?
The USA pushed for the elections to be held because they knew the vote would favour their interests.
The elections were never held and the country remained divided, with Ho Chi Minh ruling the North and an anti-communist government in the south.
The USA at first sent military ‘advisors’ to support the troops in the south, but then began to escalate their involvement into a full scale war.
In the end, the USA had to leave Vietnam, effectively loosing the war.
The 1954 Geneva Peace Accords ended the French colonial period and called for a divided North and South
Vietnam and elections to be held within two years to determine the future.
The Vietnamese saw both the French and the Americans as foreign rulers, even though the USA saw itself as helping to fight communism rather than establishing a colony.
The USA pushed for the elections to be held because they knew the vote would favour their interests.
Yes, the USA resisted the call for elections even though it nominally supports democracy.
Which is not true about the current government of Vietnam?
There is a President.
There is a Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The government has managed to end its economic dependence on China.
It is a one-party socialist state.
The government has managed to end its economic dependence on China.
Which is not true about the Political history of Singapore?
The first PM was the long-serving leader Lee Keun-yew.
Singapore was part of the Malay Federation (or Federation of Malay) from 1963 until it became a separate nation in 1965.
The symbol of the city is a tiger.
Most of the citizens are ethnic Chinese, but there are sizable Malay and Indian minorities.
The symbol of the city is a tiger.
Yes, a ‘Lion City’ can hardly have a tiger as it’s symbol!
Look at the map in the lecture slides or online maps, and then pick an answer that includes a country that does not share a border with Myanmar.
To the West: Bangladesh.
To the East: Laos. Thailand and Vietnam.
To the Northeast: China.
To the Northwest: India
To the East: Laos. Thailand and Vietnam.
Yes, it does not border Vietnam.
