Southeast Asian Politics and History Exam Review Flashcards

A comprehensive set of 200 practice flashcards in Question and Answer style covering all lecture notes, readings, figures, and historical facts on Southeast Asian politics and history.

Which ancient temple complex was the core subject of the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand?

Preah Vihear

How long is the total border between Cambodia and Thailand described in the transcript?

Roughly 800 km

Which historical colonial boundary commission demarcated the border area containing Preah Vihear between 1904 and 1907?

The French-Siamese boundary commission

What principle was intended to be used as the stated boundary by the French-Siamese commission, and how did the resulting map differ?

A watershed line was the stated boundary, but the French map placed Preah Vihear in Cambodia, contrary to a strict watershed reading.

In what year did Cambodia first bring the Preah Vihear temple dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?

1959

On what date did the International Court of Justice (ICJ) deliver its landmark ruling on the Preah Vihear temple complex?

15 June 1962

What was the core legal justification for the ICJ ruling in favor of Cambodia in 1962?

Thailand's long-standing acceptance of the French-drawn Annex I map through decades of inaction and prior conduct (tacit acceptance/acquiescence).

Contrary to common misconceptions, what is the physical geography and accessibility of Preah Vihear from both sides of the border?

The temple is accessible via a steep cliff from Cambodia, while the easy, natural approach is from Thailand.

On what date in 2025 did a border skirmish re-ignite tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, resulting in the death of one Cambodian soldier?

28 May 2025

What specific landmine and diplomatic incidents occurred in mid-to-late July 2025 between Thailand and Cambodia?

Landmine incidents injured Thai soldiers, leading to mutual accusations and both countries expelling each other's ambassadors.

Where was full-scale fighting concentrated during 24-28 July 2025 between Thailand and Cambodia?

The contested "Emerald Triangle" area where Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet.

Where was the 28 July 2025 ceasefire brokered, and which foreign powers exerted diplomatic pressure?

Putrajaya, Malaysia; with mediation from Malaysia and diplomatic pressure from the US and China.

Which two world leaders were present or publicly touted their roles during the signing of the Joint Peace Statement on 26 October 2025?

US President Trump attended the signing, and China's President Xi publicly touted Beijing's role.

When did the 2025 truce break down, leading to Thai forces seizing several towns and strategic hills?

December 8-27, 2025

What agreement was reached in the second ceasefire signed on 27 December 2025?

Both defense ministers agreed to freeze troop positions.

How many total deaths and civilian displacements resulted from the 2025 border conflict across both phases?

More than 100 deaths and over half a million civilians displaced.

Which four Cambodian provinces experienced heavy civilian evacuations topping 490,000 people by mid-December 2025?

Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Battambang, and Siem Reap.

What type of weapon did Cambodian troops launch into Thai border provinces during the July 2025 escalation?

BM-21 "Grad" rockets (unguided, area-effect rockets).

What specific civilian targets were hit by Cambodian rocket strikes in Sisaket and Surin provinces in July 2025?

A 7-Eleven attached to a petrol station in Sisaket province and a 30-bed hospital in Phanom Dong Rak, Surin province.

How many maps made up the atlas produced by the Mixed Commission in 1907 for the Dangrek border region?

Eleven maps (the Preah Vihear sheet was the "Annex I" map).

Who conducted the mapping work for the 1904-1907 border demarcation, and why?

France conducted the mapmaking because Siam explicitly lacked qualified personnel and requested France to prepare and publish the maps.

Who was Hun Sen's main royal political rival during his rise to power and the 1997 coup?

Prince Norodom Ranariddh (son of King Norodom Sihanouk).

Who was Sdech Kan in 16th-century Khmer history, and how was he traditionally regarded?

A 16th-century commoner ("Kan the peasant king") who overthrew the king through force; traditionally cast as a villain/usurper and cautionary tale.

How did Hun Sen politically reframing Sdech Kan to justify his own power?

He reframed Sdech Kan as a hero and freedom fighter against an unjust royal elite, claiming to be Sdech Kan's reincarnation.

What actions did Hun Sen take to promote the myth of his connection to Sdech Kan?

Funded research linking their birth province and zodiac sign (Year of the Dragon), wrote a 2006 book foreword, produced an expensive biopic, and erected at least seven statues resembling himself.

Which ethnic group is the largest in Indonesia, and what political dominance have they held regarding the presidency?

The Javanese (nearly 40% of the population); all Indonesian presidents have been Javanese.

What are the official capitals and dominant religions/ideologies of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Timor Leste?

Malaysia: Putra Jaya (Muslim); Indonesia: Jakarta (Muslim); Timor Leste: Dili (Secular).

What are the official capitals and official religions of Cambodia, Singapore, and Myanmar?

Cambodia: Phnom Penh (Theravada Buddhism); Singapore: Singapore (Secular); Myanmar: Nay Pyi Taw (No official religion).

What are the official capitals and official religions of Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Philippines, and Brunei?

Vietnam: Hanoi (Atheist); Thailand: Bangkok (No religion); Laos: Vientiane (Atheist); Philippines: Manila (No official religion); Brunei: Bandar Seri Begawan (Islamic).

How did the term "Southeast Asia" gain widespread currency as a recognized regional field of study post-WWII?

US military grants earmarked funding specifically for "Southeast Asia", incentivizing scholars to rebrand single-country expertise under a unified regional umbrella.

Approximately how many distinct political units existed in precolonial 18th-century Southeast Asia?

Forty-plus political units (kingdoms, principalities, sultanates).

What political structure model characterized precolonial Vietnam?

A centralized, Confucian-style bureaucratic pyramid with merit-based exam officialdom, codified law, and fixed borders.

What was the political structure model of the precolonial Buddhist mainland kingdoms (Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos)?

The mandala model, where power radiated outward from a semi-divine center and diminished across porous, negotiable frontier zones.

How is a suzerain defined in traditional Southeast Asian state relations?

A dominant power that controls the foreign affairs and international relations of a vassal state while allowing it internal self-governance.

Which mainland state served as a weak buffer state paying tribute simultaneously to both Thailand and Vietnam?

Cambodia

How was precolonial land tenure and farming structured for peasants across most of Southeast Asia, excluding Vietnam?

Peasants held use rights to land through active farming rather than outright private land ownership.

What categories of unfree labor existed in traditional Southeast Asia before European arrival?

Hereditary chattel slaves (mostly war captives), voluntary temporary debt bondsmen, and hereditary palace servants.

What is the national epic version of the Ramayana in Thailand, and which king personally composed a version of it?

The Ramakien; composed by King Rama I of the Chakri dynasty.

What are the local names for the Ramayana adaptions in Cambodia, Java/Indonesia, and Myanmar?

Cambodia: Reamker; Java/Indonesia: Kakawin Ramayana; Myanmar: Yama Zatdaw.

What is the Devaraja ideology, and with which kingdom was it most closely associated?

"God-king" ideology, associated with Angkorian Cambodia, where the king was viewed as an earthly manifestation of a Hindu deity (often Shiva).

What is the Dhammaraja model of kingship, and on what concept does its legitimacy rest?

"Righteous ruler" model in Theravada Buddhist kingdoms, where legitimacy rests on the king's accumulated karma and merit from past lives.

What is the national founding legend of Cambodia mentioned by Osborne regarding royal legitimacy?

A Brahmin priest marrying a local princess, tying legitimacy to a sacred foreign-local union.

What are Max Weber's three classic types of political legitimacy?

1. Charismatic; 2. Legal/Rational; 3. Traditional.

How is performance legitimacy defined in political science?

Legitimacy achieved by delivering strong economic growth and performance, where formal rules matter less than practical results.

What is the Traiphum, and what cosmological concept does it describe?

A Sukhothai-era legitimacy text describing the "Three Worlds" (desire, form, formless) spanning 31 cosmological realms organized by karma.

What title did King Lithai of Sukhothai adopt upon becoming king, reflecting the dhammaraja model?

"Great Righteous King of Kings"

In Javanese political anthropology, what is kasekten (kesekten)?

A concrete, substance-like spiritual potency accumulated by a ruler, physically manifested through virility, body, and sexual vitality.

What Javanese kingship concept translates to "union of subject and lord"?

Manunggaling kawula gusti

Which Indonesian leaders explicitly used Wayang Kulit shadow-puppet theater as a political propaganda tool?

Sukarno (in 1945 for independence) and Suharto (e.g., the Rama Tambak story in February 1998).

What hydrological mechanism creates the agricultural surplus around Tonlé Sap for the Angkor Empire?

The Mekong River swells during the monsoon and reverses flow into the Tonlé Sap River, expanding the lake sixfold and depositing nutrient-rich sediment for a 2nd annual rice crop.

What environmental factor eventually caused the failure of Angkor's hydraulic system and performance legitimacy?

Severe droughts causing starvation and city abandonment.

How did Srivijaya establish its trade monopoly in maritime Southeast Asia during its peak?

By controlling the Malacca Straits chokepoint and securing privileged Chinese tributary trading status.

What 13th-century shift broke Srivijaya's trade monopoly?

China began sailing its own trading junks directly to Southeast Asian ports rather than relying on intermediaries.

Which power finally finished off a weakened Srivijaya in the late 14th century?

Java's land-based states (Majapahit).

What is Thongchai Winichakul's concept of the "geo-body"?

The modern concept of a bounded, line-drawn nation-state created by cartographic mapping and internalized as national identity.

What was the Paknam Incident of July 1893 during the Franco-Siamese Crisis?

France sent gunboats up the Chao Phraya River to Bangkok to intimidate Siam into ceding territory east of the Mekong (Laos).

Which two Siamese provinces were occupied by France for over a decade as a guarantee of compliance after 1893?

Chanthaburi and Trat

Which two 19th-century Thai kings are credited with modernizing administration and using diplomacy to avoid colonization?

King Mongkut (r. 1851-1868) and King Chulalongkorn (r. 1868-1910).

What ICJ ruling occurred regarding the Pedra Branca dispute between Singapore and Malaysia?

The International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over Pedra Branca to Singapore.

How did colonial-drawn borders impact the indigenous Brao people on the mainland?

The Laos-Cambodia border split the Brao population between Southern Laos and northeastern Cambodia, separating families.

What replaced the Dutch Cultivation System in the Dutch East Indies around 1901?

The Dutch Ethical Policy, framed as a "debt of honor" to improve native welfare.

What were the three main pillars of the Dutch Ethical Policy?

1. Irrigation; 2. Migration (transmigration from Java); 3. Education.

How did the Dutch Ethical Policy unintentionally backfire on colonial rule?

It educated a small class of indigenous elites (priyayi) who were exposed to ideas of self-determination and led the nationalist movement.

What was revenue farming (tax farming) under colonial rule in the Dutch East Indies?

Licensing Chinese businessmen to collect taxes and manage monopolies (opium, gambling, toll roads), creating local resentment toward Chinese intermediaries.

What brutal Japanese massacre targeted ethnic Chinese in Singapore and Malaya in February-March 1942?

The Sook Ching massacre

What was PETA in Japanese-occupied Indonesia?

A volunteer homeland defense militia trained by the Japanese military, which provided Indonesian nationalists with combat leadership experience.

What forced labor system did Japan enforce across Southeast Asia during WWII?

Romusha

According to the transcript, what were the independence dates and primary political cleavages for Malaya, Burma, and Indonesia?

Malaya: 31 August 1957 (Ethnic); Burma: 4 July 1948 (Ethnic); Indonesia: 17 August 1945 declaration / Dec 1949 actual (Ethnic/Religious).

According to the transcript, what were the independence dates and primary political cleavages for the Philippines, Vietnam, and Singapore?

Philippines: 4 July 1946 (Class); Vietnam: 2 September 1945 / 1975 (Ideological); Singapore: 9 August 1965 (Ideological/Ethnic).

When did the split within the PAP occur that created the Barisan Sosialis in Singapore?

July 1961, when Lee Kuan Yew expelled 13 left-wing PAP assemblymen led by Lim Chin Siong.

What security operation in 1963 crippled the Barisan Sosialis and Chinese-educated left-wing opposition in Singapore?

Operation Coldstore

According to Benedict Anderson, what is an "imagined community"?

A nation where members will never meet most fellow members, yet feel a deep, horizontal sense of shared belonging within bounded borders.

How does Ernest Gellner explain the origin of nationalism?

Modern industrial economy requires a mobile, literate workforce educated in a standardized "high culture" and shared language.

How did print capitalism create national consciousness according to Benedict Anderson?

Fixed print languages standardized grammar, while mass daily newspaper reading created a simultaneous, shared ritual among strangers.

What are Anthony Reid's four types of nationalism?

1. Ethnie nationalism; 2. State nationalism; 3. Anti-imperial nationalism; 4. Outrage at state humiliation (OSH).

What does Duverger's Law state regarding electoral systems?

Single-member district (SMD) / plurality systems favor a two-party system, whereas proportional representation (PR) favors multi-party fragmentation.

What was the Sakdina system in traditional Siam?

A social hierarchy ranking individuals by field size entitlement (e.g., Crown Prince 100,000; commoners 10-20), determining legal rights and deference.

Which Thai military leader staged a coup in 1957 and actively promoted King Bhumibol's public profile to legitimize military rule?

Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat

What event ended the 1992 Black May crisis in Thailand?

King Bhumibol summoned General Suchinda and opposition leader Chamlong to kneel before him on live television.

What are the five features of Hyper-Royalism defined by Thongchai Winichakul?

1. Omnipresence; 2. Exaggerated exaltation; 3. Sacralization; 4. Diffusion beyond the state; 5. Legal enforcement (Article 112 / Lèse-majesté).

What is Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code?

The lèse-majesté law criminalizing defaming, insulting, or threatening the king, queen, heir-apparent, or regent with 3-15 years' imprisonment.

What does the term ta sawaang ("the Awakened") refer to in modern Thai politics?

A mass, internet-driven anti-monarchy perspective that emerged among Red Shirts following the 2006 coup and 2010 crackdown.

Who were the Promoters of the 1932 Siamese Revolution that ended absolute monarchy?

A coalition of military officers (Plaek Phibunsongkram) and civilian bureaucrats (Pridi Banomyong) forming the Khana Ratsadon (People's Party).

What were the Rathaniyom ("Cultural Mandates") issued by Phibunsongkram between 1939 and 1942?

Twelve decrees that renamed Siam to Thailand, mandated the greeting "sawasdee", required Western dress, and enforced national anthem rituals.

Which two major army factions competed for dominance in the Thai military from 2001 onward?

The Queen's Guards / Buraphapayak (royalist, Prem-aligned) and Wongthewan (supported by Thaksin).

How do Samuel Huntington and Samuel Finer differ on military professionalism and coups?

Huntington argues high professionalism makes the military apolitical and prevents coups; Finer argues professionalism can drive coups if the military feels its institutional capacity/autonomy is threatened.

According to James Ockey, why did the 2006 Thai coup occur?

The "Professional Soldiers" faction led by Sonthi initiated a defensive coup to prevent Thaksin's Class 21 faction from capturing top military command posts.

What slogan and key proposal defined the Move Forward Party's platform in Thailand's 2023 election?

Slogan: "Not the Same as Before"; key proposal: reforming Article 112 (lèse-majesté).

What six dystopian vignettes were featured in the United Thai Nation (UTN) attack ad targeting Move Forward in 2023?

1. Begging ex-civil servant; 2. Protest fatigue/vandalism; 3. Dinner-table democracy; 4. Conscription abolished/border invasion; 5. "It's my body" sex work; 6. Empty household shrine.

Why does Robert Ricks describe Thailand's 2019 election as "an authoritarian survival mechanism"?

Because the junta used constitutional engineering (fused single ballot MMA formula and 250 appointed senators) to convert direct military rule into an elected government led by Prayut.

What are Paul Chambers' four channels of "Khaki Capital" in Thailand?

1. Defence budget; 2. Land (over 6.25 million rai); 3. Corporate ownership/shareholdings (TMB, TV5, radio stations); 4. Corporate sinecures (board seats).

What does the 2017 Thai National Strategy mandate regarding defense spending?

Legally mandates annual defense spending increases for 20 years (2017-2036), with removal from office for non-compliance.

How is the Indonesian Parliament (DPR) and Regional Representative Council (DPD) structured?

DPR has 580 seats elected via MMD (3-10 seats per district); DPD has 152 non-partisan seats (4 per province across 38 provinces).

What was Indonesia's 1999 "Big Bang Decentralization"?

Devolving administrative power and budgets directly to regencies (kabupaten/kota) rather than provinces to prevent balkanization.

How many total regencies (kabupaten and kota) exist in Indonesia today?

514 regencies (416 kabupaten and 98 kota).

What are Pancasila and the Jakarta Charter dispute of 1945?

Pancasila is Indonesia's 5 principles. The Jakarta Charter draft required Muslims to follow Syariah law and the President to be Muslim, but Hatta removed these requirements to keep secular outer islands in the republic.

What were the two main Islamic mass organizations in Indonesia and their primary affiliations?

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU, traditionalist santri/abangan tolerant) and Muhammadiyah (modernist/scripturalist santri).

What was the scale of the 1965-1966 anti-communist massacres in Indonesia, and who conducted them?

At least 500,000 to 1 million killed; carried out by Suharto's army alongside NU and Muhammadiyah youth militias targeting PKI members.

What was the PKI's "Fifth Force" proposal in early 1965?

A proposal to arm 15-21 million workers and peasants as a 5th military branch reporting to Sukarno, alarming the army leadership.

What trigger event caused the 2016 Islamist mobilization in Jakarta described by Marcus Mietzner?

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's alleged blasphemous comment regarding the Qur'an, prompting an MUI fatwa and the 212 rally.