Section 1, SE Asia Topic Paper

[STACEY K SOWARDS <staceyk@utep.edu>]

	I am posting this topic paper to the L now, because Tuna asked me
to post before CEDA nats.  The Southeast Asia Topic Paper is very long, so
I divided it into three sections for posting to the Ls.  This section is a
general overview of the paper and offers some insight into the political
and economic structures of Southeast Asian nations.  I recommend reading
at least the introductory paragraphs.  The second section describes the
five areas (democracy, human rights, regional security, trade and cultural
hegemony)  that we felt could provide good aff and neg ground for debate. 
There is a pretty extensive lit review as well as some sample resolutions.
The third and final section discusses neg ground and the bibliography
concludes the paper (Section 4 in the original draft).  This is the
original text of the paper we submitted in November 1996, and hasn't been
updated since then.  There was also a problem with footnotes, so the
random numbers in the text are the footnotes, and the actual references
are at the end of each section.

Stacey Sowards and Richard Pineda
University of Texas at El Paso


	Southeast Asia, while one of the most economically important
regions in the world, has been neglected by American foreign policy and
trade agreements.  The nations of Southeast Asia have been some of the
fastest growing economies in the world over the last ten years.  In fact,
Southeast Asian economy growth rates have been unprecedented and
previously thought unattainable.  The implications of these growing
economies mean that Southeast Asia will play a larger role in the world
economy and require increased cooperation in the region, as well as with
nations outside Southeast Asia.  While virtually all of the nations of
Southeast Asia have moved toward capitalist structures and market
economies, the status of true democracy and human rights remains in flux. 
Additionally, the global expansion of markets and media has brought
substantial foreign capital and goods to the region, creating a question
of regional, national, and ethnic identity.  The nations of Southeast Asia
are immensely diverse, but because of the formation of regional
organizations these nations tend to stand together to address regional
issues.  The unity of these nations is ultimately important in maintaining
regional security and ensuring the continued growth of the Southeast Asian
economies. 
	The creation of regional institutions has been instrumental in
defining the identity and interaction of Southeast Asian nations.  The
most prominent of these organizations are:  ASEAN (Association of
Southeast Asian Nations), ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum), APEC (Asian Pacific
Economic Countries), ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) and AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade
Agreement).  ASEAN plays a substantial role in regional dialogue and is
probably the most effective organization in Southeast Asia.  ASEAN is
comprised of the following six nations:  Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.  ASEAN also maintains dialogue
partners, which include mostly Western nations.  ASEAN has become the key
institution in Southeast Asia because it has been able to develop a sense
of cohesion among the disparate nations, as well as move towards economic
cooperation.  The other important regional organizations, such as ARF and
AFTA, have been promulgated by ASEAN.  AFTA has not been officially
adopted yet, but negotiations for such a free trade agreement are
underway.  APEC is also a vital institution in the region, given the
economic cooperation between the nations of Southeast Asia and the
neighboring nations of the Pacific Rim. 
	One of the best reasons to choose Southeast Asia as a topic for
debate is the wealth of information available for research.  Included at
the end of this paper is a detailed bibliography of the books and
periodicals used to generate the ideas for each of the topic areas.  The
bibliography represents a concentrated effort to stick to widely available
and easily accessed published material.  A striking characteristic for the
literature review should be the lack of Lexis Nexis material in the
bibliography.  We felt the best way to justify topic research for both
small and large schools was to stick to the "middle of the road" when
researching material. 
	The bibliography is composed of a number of books that provide a
beneficial introduction into the history and political structures of
Southeast Asia.  Our desire was to incorporate a variety of opinions, and
also to present a healthy discourse about the region.  Books that we have
found especially helpful to reach this goal are: Pacific Asia in the 1990s
by Shibusawa, Ahmad and Bridges; The State and Ethnic Politics in
Southeast Asia by Brown; Contemporary Issues in Asia and the Pacific
edited by Koppel; Focus on Southeast Asia edited by Church; The
International Politics of the Asia Pacific, 1945-1995 by Yahuda.  A number
of these books were available through a smaller university library,
therefore we feel more than certain that research for this topic can be
pursued by any program committed to understanding the intricacies of
Southeast Asia and the relevant regional and international actors. 
	The periodical listings for the bibliography centers around
Current History and the Asian Survey, but by no means is limited to these
periodicals.  Indeed, the benefit of researching Southeast Asia is the
wide number of topic oriented periodical material. The following is only a
partial list of journals and periodicals that might serve useful on the
Southeast Asian topic area:  The Asian Wall Street Journal, the Far
Eastern Economic Review, Far Eastern Survey, Indonesia, Jakarta Post,
Journal of Asian Studies, Modern Asian Studies, Monash Papers on Southeast
Asia, The New Strait Times, Pacific Affairs, Southeast Asia Chronicle and
Vietnam Insight.  Southeast Asia is also well reported in the following: 
Christian Science Monitor, Cultural Survival Quarterly, The Economist of
London, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Fletcher Forum of World Affairs,
Foreign Policy, The International Herald Tribune, International Affairs,
International Relations, Journal of Democracy, New York Times, Wall Street
Journal, Washington Quarterly, World Affairs, World Press Review, and
Xinhua News Service.  Human rights oriented material is often published
through Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch and the specific
literature from the Human Rights Watch/Asia. 
	A major vein of information also exists in the government
documents published by the United States federal government.  For example,
the Committee on International Relations, the Subcommittee on Asia and the
Pacific, and the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights
all hold annual hearings on the status of United States policy, offer a
wealth of ideas for affirmatives, and attempt to justify action on the
part of the United States. 
	The literature cited above presents what we feel is a well
balanced approach to the topic, not only providing insight to the United
States' perspective on policy and delegated action, but also representing
the regional perspective in an unbiased fashion. 
	In order to address Southeast Asia as a topic area, several key
areas need to be articulated.  First, we will provide a short description
of the political structure and key issues in each of the countries of
Southeast Asia.  These nations, as defined in most of the Southeast Asian
literature include:  Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.  Other countries that might
be included in this list that are not discussed in this paper, because
they do not commonly appear in the Southeast Asian literature, are: 
China, Hong Kong, Macau, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, the Spratley
Islands, and Taiwan.  In the second section, we will discuss subtopic
areas, serving as the basis for resolutions, as well as more specific
affirmative and negative ground, and will include the following five
categories:  democracy, human rights, regional security, trade issues, and
cultural hegemony.  While we recognize that there are other important
issues of the region, such as environmental degradation, unsustainable
growth, and population control, we felt that the 1996-1997 debate topic
has covered these issues sufficiently (although not necessarily in
Southeast Asia), so that their inclusion in the topic area would be
repetitive.  Necessity will dictate the incorporation of these subjects
into a debate on the trade or regional security resolutions.  Thus, those
issues will not be addressed as potential subtopic areas.  The third
section of this paper will focus on general negative areas for a Southeast
Asia topic.  Finally, the fourth section will provide a reference list of
literature relevant to debating the Southeast Asia topic. 
	We also recognize that the NDT community has recently debated the
issues of development assistance to South Asia.  However, the nature of
Southeast Asian nations are substantially different and unique in terms of
political and economic structures, security issues, and human rights
violations.  Myanmar is the only country overlap between the two topic
areas, and thus we regard this overlap as insignificant as to the amount
of repetitive debate.  Furthermore, Southeast Asia has been neglected by
American foreign policy, but is critical to the spheres of influences of
China and Japan.  South Asia, on the other hand, is a region that has not
been ignored by the United States in the past.  Consequently, Southeast
Asia becomes even more unique and interesting, as relatively few Americans
understand the relevance and importance of this region, and has not
received widespread attention from the debate community. 

Section One:  General Overview on Southeast Asian Nations


Brunei Darussalam

	Brunei is an Islamic state, comprised of mostly Malays and
Chinese.  Brunei's political structure is an absolute monarchy, one of the
few left in the world.  The wealth of the economy produced by copious
amounts of oil and gas reserves allows Sir Hassanal Bolkiah, the current
sultan of Brunei, to remain in power, as there is relatively little
conflict or protest.  The profits from the oil and gas industries mean
that Brunei enjoys the highest per capita income in Southeast Asia. 
However, while Brunei is dependent on oil exports, attempts have been made
to diversify the economy to light manufacturing and agricultural
industries.  In 1987, Brunei also became the sixth member of ASEAN,
showing its willingness to participate in issues of the region.  Although
Brunei has been relatively politically stable under the reign of the
absolute monarchy, the growing middle class may create some political
unrest with their demands for increased political involvement, as
Bruneians currently have no political freedom. 

Cambodia (Kampuchea)

	Cambodia had been ravaged by civil strife since the 1970s until
1993, when the United Nations established a coalition to end the civil war
between the four main Cambodian factions.  The United Nations Transitional
Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) has been criticized heavily for its failure
to disarm the four factions, but did receive praise for managing to set up
elections to form the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) under the reign
of King Sihanouk, Prince Ranariddh as the first prime minister, and Hun
Sen as the second prime minister.  Technically, UNTACs system is a
constitutional monarchy that presides over a democratic political system. 
Realistically, the Cambodian government has moved to neoauthoritarianism,
under the guise of democracy.  This transition to neoauthoritarianism has
resulted in the silencing of opposition groups, government corruption,
human rights violations, and the rise of the uncontrollable Khmer Rouge,
one of the original factions.  Additionally, decades of civil war have
left the Cambodian economy in a state of disarray and Cambodians in
extreme poverty.  In 1993, the GDP per capita was less than US$200. 
Economic problems are furthered exacerbated by government corruption and
the fact that the political system is relatively unstable, as no successor
to the king has been named.  Elections are scheduled for 1998, but the
instability of the country will dictate the occurrence of those elections. 
Under the status quo, peace and economic stability are not guaranteed and
the situation in Cambodia is not likely to improve without some action. 
However, the international community has been hesitant to provide aid,
military or financial, to the corrupt, unstable RGC. 

Indonesia

	Indonesia is one of the most important countries in Southeast Asia
for two reasons.  First, it has the fourth largest population in the
world, at 190 million people, and also has the largest Muslim population,
with 90% of its population following the Islamic faith.  This population
is incredibly diverse, and the Indonesian government has difficulty
maintaining unity among its varied population.  Second, Indonesia has
enjoyed political stability over the last thirty years under the authority
of President Suharto, which has allowed the country's economy to prosper
immensely.  Consequently, the Indonesian government has popular support
influential in generating political legitimacy, as well as a relatively
strong economy. 
	The political structure is democratic in nature with the position
of President elected by the People's Consultative Congress, however
President Suharto's thirty year election reign has brought doubt to the
sanctity of the process.  His supporting political party, Golkar, tends to
win approximately two thirds of the congressional seats.  However, Suharto
is in his 90s, and will probably not last much longer as the leader of the
nation.  In the next few years upon the passing of Suharto, a political
struggle is likely to ensue.  The events of the summer of 1996 illustrate
these struggles, as Megawati along with some of her supporters, members of
the opposition parties, were arrested.  Protests followed the arrests,
which were halted with force by the Indonesian army.  While Indonesia is
likely to remain economically stable, the political situation, especially
with the upcoming 1997 elections, remains uncertain.  Additionally,
Indonesia faces international charges of nationwide human rights abuse,
especially in Irian Jaya and East Timor.  Indonesians also do not have
many political freedoms given that the press is heavily censored and
because the government is extremely corrupt; the principles of democracy
mean little. 
	The stable economic situation in Indonesia is a striking contrast
to Indonesian politics.  In the last few years, Indonesia has had
sustained economic growth, around six percent per annum.  Inflation has
also been brought under control, and the economic infrastructure has
vastly improved under Suharto.  Agricultural policies have been largely
successful, as have the oil, coal, and textile industries.  However, even
with the stability and success of Indonesian industries, many Indonesians
remain subdued by abject poverty.  This is partly due to the corruption of
the government and the big industries, which are largely owned by
President Suharto's children and other family members.  Overall, Indonesia
has a fairly large economy that is important to regional stability as well
as to other nations of the Pacific Rim.

Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos)

	Lao's political structure is a one party, socialist system that is
governed by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.  The head of state is
currently Khamtay Siphandone, the Prime Minister.  Lao, as a land locked
nation in between Thailand and Vietnam, has been unable to develop its
economy to its fullest potential.  Additionally, years of war, both from
American intervention in Vietnam and civil unrest, have left the country
in economic devastation, and is thus one of Southeast Asia's poorest
nations.  Subsistence farming and the barter system are the main functions
of the economy, although the Lao infrastructure is improving.  The Lao
government is leery of foreign investment, as it does not want to be
economically dominated by its neighbors.  Lao is unlikely to move
decisively forward economically in the status quo, as it receives very
little international aid, due to the socialist nature of the state and the
collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Malaysia

	Malaysia's political stability has enabled its economy to grow
vastly.  However, in recent years, political dissension has been on the
rise.  Malaysia's head of state, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad of the
dominant Barisan Party, has been the Prime Minister since 1981.  He has
worked to sustain economic growth and keep political tensions from
dividing Malaysia.  One of the major concerns is the rise of Islamic
fundamentalism, and political pressure on the government to support these
movements.  Despite these issues, the government maintains the upper hand,
and has been able to control dissension in several ways, including press
censorship, removal of the power to veto legislation by the Malaysian
king, and arresting those that dissent. 
	The Malaysian economy has improved drastically since the 1970s due
to the New Economic Policy (NEP), which has been directed at eradicating
poverty and reducing the identification of economic function with race. 
>From 1971-1990, Malaysia's average growth in GNP was 6.8 percent, as a
result of this economic policy.  Malaysia has also had substantial foreign
investment, especially in the manufacturing industries, and is a major
exporter of several commodities, including oil and coal.  Malaysia,
consequently, is one of the most attractive areas of investment in the
Southeast Asian region because of its economic structure and comparative
political stability. 

Myanmar (Burma)

	Myanmar, in 1987, was given the status of 'Least Developed Nation'
by the United Nations, and is one of the ten poorest countries in the
world.  This status is only exacerbated by the Myanmar government, since
it has refused to allow foreign investment..  The formidable black market
economy and the Golden Triangle opium drug trade prop up the legal
economy, and ultimately prevent utter collapse of the country's economy. 
Myanmar is run by the military and as a result there is virtually no
political freedom for its citizens.  In 1990, democratic elections were
held, but when the military party lost badly to Aung San Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy party, they forcefully retained power,
placing Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for six years.  The Myanmar
government has also engaged a policy of expunging non-Burmese people,
creating tensions between Myanmar and its border nations.  Amnesty
International has been deeply concerned with human rights violations in
Myanmar, and has recently noted that the repression in the country has
amplified to its worst state since the crackdown following the 1990
elections.  

Philippines

	The Philippines is the only member of ASEAN that has not enjoyed
the unprecedented economic growth that the other nations have.  In fact,
for the last two decades, its economy has stagnated, mostly because of the
corrupt leadership of Ferdinand Marcos and the inability of the Cory
Aquinos to change the political and economic structures.  However, the
election of Fidel Ramos in 1992 has brought about major changes both
politically and economically.  In the last four years, economic growth in
the Philippines has reached comparable levels to other ASEAN countries,
and is attracting more foreign investment.  The main issues the Filipinos
face are mostly civil unrest from the predominantly Muslim population that
comprises the Moro Nationalist Liberation Front (MNLF).  This group seeks
an independent Muslim state and political freedom.  An additional matter
that raises concern is the removal of the American military presence in
the Philippines, once critical to United States Cold War containment
strategy in the Pacific.  While the Philippines is stable now, security
issues and demands for independence could significantly fragment the
country. 
	
Singapore

	Singapore, even though only a city-state and one of the smallest
countries in Southeast Asia, has the most successful economy with perhaps
the exception of Brunei.  Thus, Singapore is an integral part of the
Southeast Asian economic miracle.  While Singapore encourages foreign
investment and multinational corporations, the government is extremely
paternalistic and authoritarian.  The State controls large segments of the
economy and many aspects of people's lives, including censorship of local
media and the prohibition of foreign media that contribute to moral
pollution.  Goh Chok Tong has been the prime minister of Singapore since
1990.  He has worked to perpetuate economic growth while emphasizing
individual ability and achievement, as well as creating a Singaporean
identity.  As Singapore is comprised of mostly Chinese with a few Indian
and Malay minority groups, creating a Singaporean identity that is not
simply a Chinese identity has been difficult, but successful.  Singapore
is a nation that needs to be recognized as a driving force behind the
Asian economy, especially after the return of Hong Kong to China in July
of 1997.  It has also been predicted that Singapore will become one of the
three or four most prosperous, driven nations in the world by the turn of
the century. 

Thailand

	A 'managed democracy' best describes Thailand's political
structure.  The parliament is usually elected by the people, and the prime
minister, who is currently Chuan Leekpai is appointed by the parliament. 
Thailand also has a king and a military with substantial influence,
especially in the parliament.  In the last few years, power at the top has
changed hands several times, due to a 1992 massacre of student protesters. 
However, Thai politics are for the most part, very stable.  Thailand also
has one of the strongest economies of Southeast Asia, and has recently
achieved near NIC (Newly Industrialized Country) status, reaching growth
levels of over 10 percent per year in the 1980s.  Foreign investment
favors Thailand because of its political and economic stability, and the
agricultural, oil and gas, and manufacturing industries are also
expanding.  Despite this auspicious economic growth, Thailand has its
share of problems.  Among those include:  environmental degradation, a
huge number of heroin addicts, over 2 million people that are HIV
positive, an overburdened infrastructure in Bangkok, extreme disparities
of wealth, an educated and affluent middle class that are increasingly
discontented, overpopulation, and a trend that is moving Thai society away
from traditional cultural values, including Buddhism. 

Vietnam

	Since 1976, Vietnam has been under the control of the Vietnamese
communist party.  The political structure has transformed into a socialist
system, under the direction of one party and a more free economy.  Vietnam
is one of the poorer countries of Southeast Asia, but has opened the doors
to foreign investment and an open market structure.  Its current economic
structure is based on the agricultural industry and what little foreign
investment has been made.  The United States finally lifted its economic
embargo in 1994 and established diplomatic relations with Vietnam in July
of 1995, meaning that Americans are free to invest in Vietnam now. 
Relations with China have been incredibly strained in the past due to the
mistreatment of the Chinese in Vietnam and the 1979 invasion by the
Chinese in the northern part of Vietnam, but relations have been improving
in the 1990s, with the collapse of the Soviet Union (China no longer
perceives Vietnam as a Russian ally) and efforts from both camps to
improve trade and political relations.  Vietnam's strained relations with
Cambodia leaves the distinct possibility for border conflict and military
escalation, especially given the superiority of Vietnam's military.

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