What this lesson teaches
I can judge how Southeast Asian governments held on to power and what this led to.
Syllabus 9174, Paper 2, Theme I, Learning Outcomes. evaluate the outcomes of Southeast Asian governments in consolidating power in different contexts and over time
Make a guess
Governments faced communists, ethnic rebels and protesting students. Do you think repression always kept rulers in power?
- No, repression sometimes worked but sometimes brought rulers down.
- No, because governments in the region did not use repression.
- Yes, rulers who were willing to use force kept power.
Show the answer
No, repression sometimes worked but sometimes brought rulers down.
Coldstore weakened Singapore's left, but crackdowns in Thailand in 1973 and the Philippines fuelled opposition that toppled rulers.
Governments faced communists, ethnic rebels, Islamic movements and protesting students. They responded with repression, co-option and reform.
Communist movements were the main threat in many countries. Singapore's PAP broke the left-wing Barisan Sosialis by detaining its leaders in Operation Coldstore in 1963. Suharto destroyed the PKI after 1965. The Philippines fought the New People's Army from 1969.
Ethnic and regional rebels challenged several states, such as the Karen and other groups in Burma and the Moro in the southern Philippines.
Students and the urban middle class led protests in several countries. Examples are Thailand in 1973 and 1992, the Philippines in 1986, Burma in 1988 and Indonesia in 1998.
Governments used repression, such as detention without trial under Malaysia's and Singapore's Internal Security Acts. In Malaysia's Operasi Lalang in 1987, more than 100 people were detained.
They also used co-option, bringing rivals inside. Malaysia's Barisan Nasional, formed in 1973-1974, absorbed several former opposition parties, including PAS for a few years.
The Cold War affected these struggles. Anti-communism justified repression and brought US support, while the end of the Cold War made repression harder to justify.
- Operation Coldstore
- 1963, Singapore.
- Barisan Nasional
- Formed 1973-1974; absorbed rivals.
- Operasi Lalang
- 1987, Malaysia.
Real examples to use
Operation Coldstore, 2 February 1963
Singapore's security forces arrested 113 left-wing politicians, unionists and students, crippling the Barisan Sosialis before the 1963 election.
Destroying the PKI, 1965 to 1966
After the 30 September Movement, the army and its allies killed at least 500,000 people linked to the communist party (PKI), destroying it as a political force.
Operasi Lalang, 27 October 1987
Malaysian police detained 106 people, including opposition leaders, activists and teachers, under the Internal Security Act.
Worked example: Comparing responses to opposition
How did governments deal with challengers?
- Repression: Coldstore 1963; the PKI 1965-1966; Operasi Lalang 1987.
- Co-option: the Barisan Nasional absorbs rivals.
- Reform: Thailand's new constitution of 1997.
- Failure: Marcos, 1986; Suharto, 1998.
Watch out for this
Repression always kept rulers in power.
Repression worked against small or isolated groups, but it failed against mass movements when the army or elites split, as in the Philippines in 1986.
Check your understanding
What is co-option?
- Holding a free and fair election
- Bringing rivals into the government or ruling coalition
- Detaining opponents without trial under security laws
Show the answer
Bringing rivals into the government or ruling coalition
Right. The Barisan Nasional did this.