14. Decolonisation in Asia Flashcards
1
Q
How did Britain view the colony Burma after WW2?
A
- Much of Burma had been occupied by Japan - many Burmese had collaborated with Japan and resented the British
- Decided to grant independence shortly after the war due to violent activities of the nationalists and the rise of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPEL) led by Aung San
- Originally planned a measured, slow independence - breakdown of order which sped up withdrawal
2
Q
How did Burma gain independence?
A
- Jan 1947 - talks took place between Aung San and Attlee’s government in London
- April 1947 - agreed that elections for a Constituent Assembly would take place - produced a huge AFPFL majority
- Factions of the AFPFL couldn’t agree
- July 1947 - Aung Sun was assassinated
- Jan 1948 - granted independence for Burma
3
Q
How successful was British withdrawal from Burma?
A
- Not very
- Britain left swiftly
- Eruption of civil war
- The Burmese turned their backs on Britain and rejected the idea of joining the British Commonwealth
4
Q
How did Britain view the colony of Malaya after WW2?
A
- Regarded it as crucially important to the post-war recovery and imperial strategy
- It was a major producer of rubber - promised to be an important earner of dollars after the war
5
Q
Who were the MNLA?
A
- The Malaysian National Liberation Army
- Communist guerrilla army that fought against British and Commonwealth forces during the Malayan Emergency from 1948-60
6
Q
What was the Malayan Emergency?
A
- A guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed fighters and the MNLA from 1948-60
- Called an emergency rather than a war to avoid the need for the British government to seek parliamentary approval
7
Q
How did Malaya gain independence?
A
- Large wave of Chinese immigration to Malaya - made up 38.4% of the population by 1947
- By 1947 ethnic tensions (between Chinese and Malay people) were very high - Britain had to create a ‘Malay Union’ which awarded equal Malay citizenship to all ethnic groups
- June 1947 - new scheme - restricted definition of Malay citizenship - discriminatory against the Chinese
- Jan 1948 - the Federation of Malaya was created
- The new federation had many problems - the Malayan Communists Party’s army launched an insurgency in 1948 which lasted until 1960
- June 1948 - Britain declared Malaya a State of Emergency
- Colonial authorities used military force and legal measures to arrest suspects and impose order
- Troubles raged between 1948 and 1952
- British High Commissioner assassinated in 1951
- 1952-54 - the Malays and Chinese united against British (Malay Chinese association, MCA, who wanted independence) and won 81% of the vote run the 1955 federal elections
- Britain was fearful that there would be a violent military rebellion if they did not grant independence - Malaya gained independence in 1957
8
Q
How successful was British withdrawal from Malaya?
A
- Fairly successful
- Despite the previous tensions, there was no further violence in the region
- Britain retained the economic and strategic benefits of the region
9
Q
How did Britain view the colony Singapore after WW2?
A
- It was regarded as crucially important to the post-war recovery and imperial strategy
- It had a major naval base and was regarded as being military and strategically important to Britain’s wider interests in the Asia
10
Q
How did Singapore gain independence?
A
- It was given its own government in 1947-48 with an executive and Legislative Council (25 seats - 6 elected on British subjects)
- The government struggled to contain communist insurgency
- There were arrests and imprisonments
- Britain attempted to win the loyalty of the population by enlarging the Legislative Council to 32 seats - 25 chosen by an electorate of 3,000,000 in 1953
- In 1955 several new left-wing parties emerged - wanted self-rule
- Impressed the British by taking strong action against the communists and persuaded Britain to implement full internal self-government - led to State of Singapore Act in 1958
- Britain was fearful of communists - made Singapore part of the federation of Malaya - proved unworkable as conflict between the Chinese and Malays led to a breakdown in public order
- 1965 - Singapore was expelled from Malaysia - became fully independent in its own right
11
Q
How successful was British withdrawal from Singapore?
A
- Not massively
- The scheme to unite Singapore with Malaya failed after only 2 years
12
Q
To what extent was decolonisation in South East Asia successful? (successful)
A
- Britain retained its influence in Malaya meaning it maintained its economic and strategic benefit
- There were gradual constitutional reforms which enabled some control over the hand over of power
13
Q
To what extent was decolonisation in South East Asia successful? (unsuccessful)
A
- They were forced to act due to mass civil disobedience showing they were losing control of the situation
- They were unable to have controlled withdrawal - had to make a fast exist because of the breakdown in order e.g. Malaya, Burma
- Civil war broke out in Burma and it declined to join the commonwealth showing they didn’t leave on friendly terms
- Their plans failed e.g. The Federation of Malaya - Singapore as part of Malaysia
14
Q
To what extent was decolonisation in South East Asia successful? (judgement)
A
- Highly unsuccessful in Burma
- Limited success elsewhere in the region - meant that Britain still had some influence e.g. in Malaya
- Often their initiatives and plans failed and they were forced to grant independence sooner than originally intended
- Overall fairly unsuccessful
15
Q
Who was Sir Gerald Templer?
A
- High Commissioner of Malaya (1952-54)
- He was appointed to deal with the emergency after the previous high commissioner was killed by communists
- He tried to win the hearts and minds of the people who were rebelling against British rule
- He fought to grant Malayan citizenship to over 2.6m Malayan residents - seeking political and social equality for all Malayans
- Set up schemes that rewarded surrendering rebels and those who encouraged them to surrender
- Used strict curfews
- Involved the local population in the fight against the guerrillas by increasing the number of Malay battalions and strengthening the Home Guard
- He promised independence once the guerrillas had been defeated which won him the support of many nationalists
