Before noon on 5/26, please upload a 2-2.5 pp. response paper to one of the following three essay questions. Your essay should comprise a main thesis or theses, stated at the beginning, and an extended, but concise discussion of supporting evidence. Be analytical, not just descriptive. At all cost, avoid being vague and too general in your argumentation; the clearer you state your own position and your own analysis, the better. Pay attention to the details of the essay question; stay focused on the topic. Be specific. For supporting evidence, the use of concrete historical examples from the readings, incl. the novels, hand-outs, documentaries, and/or lectures is recommended; consistent citations style is expected. The response paper needs to be type-written, double-spaced, with margins 1 inch all sides, common 12 pt. font. Proof-read for spelling, punctuation, grammar, syntax, etc.! This is an individual assignment.
1) Describe and discuss features of Southeast Asian anti-colonialism from the 1890s to 1940. In what ways was its leadership new? How did new ideas/ideologies inform the formulation of political goals? How did economic, social and cultural changes find reflection in anti-colonial movements?
In addition to the Osborne readings, videos, handouts and/or lectures, your essay should also draw examples from the novels “Not Out of Hate,” “Dumb Luck,” and/or the essay “Dancing in Cambodia.”
2) Reflect on the transformative effects the Japanese occupation of most of Southeast Asia during World War 2 had on the course of Southeast Asian history: How dependent was the gaining of independence of the Philippines (1946) and Burma (1948) on the Japanese interlude? To what degree, if any, were the armed struggles for independence in Indonesia (1945-1949) and Viet Nam (1945-1954) enabled by the Japanese presence during the first half of the 1940s?
In your essay, focus on three of the four countries mentioned.
3) Without considering the Cold War and US anti-communist belligerence, the rise of militarism and authoritarianism in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s cannot be fully understood.
Comment in detail why you agree or disagree with the statement, with examples from at least three Southeast Asian countries.
