JJC H1 HIST P2 Qn

1    JURONG JUNIOR COLLEGE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2015   HISTORY 9731/2       Paper 2: History of Southeast Asia c1900‐1997    Tuesday                  15 September 2015 3 hours    READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST 1. Answer four questions. 2. You must answer Question 1 (Section A), and any three questions from Section B. 3. Enter the questions attempted in the table below. 4. Begin each question on a new sheet of paper. 5. At the end of the examination attach the cover page to the front of your answer scripts 6. Fasten all your work securely together. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES All questions in this paper carry equal marks. You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.   NAME:    CLASS:            This question paper consists of 4 printed pages (including this page)

2    Section A You must answer Question 1. REGIONAL COOPERATION IN ASEAN 1 Read the sources and then answer the question. When answering Question 1 candidates are advised to pay particular attention to the interpretation and evaluation of the sources both individually and as a group. Source A In the first place, the partnership spirit is not fully developed. Some parties seek to take more than to give. Indeed, some of them do not hesitate to reduce their allotted share in projects, which, in their opinion, would not immediately bring the highest return, and thus they leave the burden to other members. In fact, it is common practice at many meetings, to fight for selfish gains and advantages, not bearing in mind the general interest. Nevertheless, the most serious shortcoming of the present system resides in the lack of political will as well as the lack of trust and sincerity towards one another. Yet each and every one in their heart realises that the advantages of ASEAN benefit them all, and no one is thinking of leaving it. Excerpt by former Thailand’s Foreign Minister, Thanat Khoman, 1992. Source B The concept of the ASEAN Way was a most favourable institutional norm for the member states. The ASEAN Way could respect each me mber state’s sovereignty and independence while aiming not at solving but at containing intraregional conflicts among the member states over issues such as territorial disputes . This was realised because the member states perceived a common threat in communist insurgencies and potentially unstable regional security, and their first priority became state-building and development. Despite worries over the loss of sovereignty, ASEAN held together because if it were to fall apart, there would be both large destabilising regional security costs as well as the member states’ internal security costs. Therefore, in the initial stage, the ASEAN Way served as a diplomatic tool to pursue member states’ national interests. Excerpt by an academic on ‘The Normative Power of the ASEAN Way’, Stanford Journal of East Asian Affairs, 2010. Source C Malaysian officials vented their frustration at the persistent problem, which analysts said highlights weakness both within individual ASEAN countries and the bloc itself in enforcing domestic laws and regional pacts. "This just shows that ASEAN must move from talk to action," said Joko Arif, Southeast Asia forest team leader at environmental group Greenpeace. "ASEAN has been dealing for more than 10 years on how to combat forest fires and haze, but I think more concrete action needs to be done," he said. For its part, Indonesia should effectively implement laws that ban the use of fire to clear land and be

3    more transparent in giving out information on the location and size of the burning activities, Arif said. According to ASEAN, haze caused by fires on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan spread across Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Millions of hectares of land were burnt, costing the region billions in economic, social and environmental losses. The Brunei Times, 2010. Source D ASEAN respects procedural significance. Gener ally, meetings do not end with tangible and specific results; this does not matter too much because the organisation values the conferences as progressive, having approached nearer to solving a problem. The consultative process itself is beneficial and serves this purpose well. As a whole, ASEAN entertains a cautious diplomacy. It does not try to instigate the member nations by enforcing them to sacrifice their national interests for those of the Association. It also does not impose strict rules to deprive other nations of their freedom. Excerpt by a Korean academic, 2006. Source E One of the reasons for establishing the ARF was to engage China. That was a wise decision. But the Spratly Islands issue is pe rhaps an example of where ASEAN is not in the driver’s seat of the ARF, as some ASEAN countries are in dispute between themselves and with China over those coral reefs and sandbanks. Disputes between member countries put ASEAN at a disadvantage, as the Association is then not in a position to negotiate collectively with China. China has been able to insist on bilateral negotiations. The Spratly Islands issue has detracted from ASEAN’s leadership in the ARF. The meetings held between China and the ASEAN countries within the ARF framework over the years contributed to the building up of confidence between them, so that they were able to reach agreement outside the ARF. The Financial Times report stated the following in its conclusion: Yet ASEAN, which has always operated on a consensus basis, still lacks the ability to speak with a unified voice on sensitive political issues, which leaves it in a weak position in dealing with China. So, even as it commits to the tighter embrace of Beijing, ASEAN is courting other powers such as India. Excerpt of ASEAN’s Role in the ASEAN Regional Forum by a Malaysian academician, 2003. Now answer the following question. How far do Sources A-E support the view that ASEAN did not contribute significantly towards regional cooperation?

4    Section B 2 ‘Success was not imagined.’ Discuss the validity of this statement with reference to the nationalist movements in Southeast Asia before 1941. 3 Why were the nationalists in Southeast Asia successful in achieving their cause since 1941? 4 Assess the extent of communist influenc es in the politics of independent Southeast Asia. 5 Critically evaluate the progress of economic development in independent Southeast Asia. 6 What were the challenges in resolving interstate tensions in Southeast Asia? END OF PAPER