A time-line of IndochinaWorld News | Politics | History | Editor(Copyright © 1999 Piero Scaruffi) |
A timeline of Indochina and Indonesia206 BC: the kingdom of the Nam Viet dynasty extends from Vietnam to Canton 257 BC: An Doung Voung (Thuc Phan) unifies tribes of Vietnam and creates the kingdom of Auc Lac with his capital at Phuc An 1## AD: an Indian brahmin founds the kingdom of Funan 192 AD: China expands into Vietnam to the border with the Champa empire 221 AD: China is unified and begins expanding south 5## AD: the kingdom of Chenla annexes Funan 500: the Srivijaya kingdom is founded in southern Sumatra (Indonesia) with capital in Palembang 572: Sambhuvarman becomes king of Vietnam and builds monuments at Mi Son 605: China captures the Champa capital Trakieu 612: first inscriptions in the Khmer language 616: Isanavarman I becomes king of Khmer with its capital at Sambor Prei Kuk 650: Mi Son (Vietnam) 657: Jayavarman I of Chenla founds the Khmer dynasty 686: the Srivijaya kingdom expands over Sumatra (Indonesia) and the Malay peninsula 717: the Khmer kingdom collapses 732: Sanjaya founds the Sanjaya dynasty in central Java (Indonesia) with capital in Mataram 778: Sailendra king Dharmatunga begins construction of the Buddhist temple at Borobudur in Java (Indonesia) 802: Jayavarman II liberates the Khmers from Javanese domination and founds a new Hinduist kingdom in Cambodia 825: the capital of Pegu (south Burma) moves its capital at Hamsavati 832: the Nan-chao kingdom (north Burma) subdues the Pyu people 832: the Sanjaya kingdom annexes the Sailendra kingdom in Java (Indonesia) 875: Indravarman II founds a new Champa kingdom at Indrapura/ Quangnam 877: Indravarman II invades the Khmers and creates a network of irrigation in Cambodia 907: China's domination of Indochina ends 910: Sanjaya king Daksa begins construction of the Hindu temples at Prambanan in Java (Indonesia) 910: Yashovarman I establishes the Khmer capital at Yashodharapura (Angkor) 921: Jayavarman IV usurpes the throne of Khmer and moves the capital to Koh Ker 938: Ngo Quyen liberates Vietnam from China at the battle of Bach Dang 944: Rajendravarman becomes king of Khmer and moves the capital back to Angkor 950: the Khmer kingdom expands from Cambodia to Burma, Laos and Siam 968: Vietnamese king Dinh Bo Linh founds the Dinh dynasty and moves the capital to Hoa Lu 982: the Vietnamese capture the Champa capital Indrapura and the Champa kingdom moves its capital to Vjaya 985: Sanjaya king Dharmavamsa conquers Bali (Indonesia) 1006: the Srivijaya kingdom of southern Sumatra (Indonesia) attacks Sanjaya, destroys Mataram and kills Dharmavamsa 1010: the Ly dynasty moves the capital of Vietnam to Thanh Long (Hanoi) 1019: Airlangga founds the Kahuripan kingdom in eastern Java (Indonesia) and invades Bali 1030: Airlangga annexes the kingdom of Srivijaya (Indonesia) through marriage but divides his kingdom between his sons (kingdoms of Janggala and Kediri) 1050: Udayadityavarman becomes king of Khmer and the empire reaches its peak (Cambodia, south Laos, south Thailand, north Malaysia) 1057: King Anawrahta/ Anoratha founds the kingdom of Bagan in north Burma and converts to Theravada Buddhism 1084: king Kyanzittha becomes king of Bagan in Burma 1088: the kingdom of Melayu (Jambi) in southern Sumatra takes over the territory of Srivijaya 111 BC: Han China conquers the Nam Viet kingdom 1112: earliest inscriptions in Burmese 1113: Suryavarman II becomes king of Khmer 1130: Khmer king Suryavarman II builds Angkor Wat 1145: The Khmer army defeats the Champa army 1147: Champa under Jaya Harivarman I repels the Khmers 1177: Champa under Jaya Indravarman loots the Khmer's capital Angkor 1181: Jayavarman VII becomes king of Khmer, converts to Buddhism, builds the Bayou, and conquers the Champa kingdom 1220: the Champa kingdom becomes independent again 1221: Ken Angrok (Rajasa) founds the Singhasari kingdom in Java (Indonesia) with capital in Kediri 1238: the kingdom of Sukhothai is founded in Thailand 1239: Mangrai founds the kingdom of Lan Na in northern Thailand, with capital at Chiengmai 1279: Sukothai's king Ramkamhaeng extends the kingdom to Vientiane (Laos) in the east and to Pegu (Burma) in the west 1283: the Thai alphabet is invented 1287: Kublai Khan's Mongols conquer Bagan (Burma) 1288: the Vietnamese army of Tran Hung Dao defeats the Mongols 1290: Singhasari king Kertanegara conquers Bali, the whole of Java and parts of Sumatra (Indonesia) 1292: Marco Polo is the first European visitor to Indonedia 1293: the Mongols attack Singhasari with help from warlord Wijaya, but Wijaya (Kertarajasa Jayawardhana) defeats both and founds the kingdom of Majapahit with capital at Trowulan in Java (Indonesia) 1297: Malek Saleh of Sumatra (Indonesia) converts to Islam 1315: Shans found the kingdom of Sagaing in Burma 1343: Majapahit conquers Bali (Indonesia) 1350: Cambodia converts to Theravada Buddhism 1350: Majapahit under prime minister Gajah Mada conquers northern Sumatra (Indonesia) 1351: king Rama Thibodi I unifies Thailand and founds the Siam kingdom with capital at Ayutthaya 1353: the kingdom of Lan Xang is founded in Laos by Fa Ngoun, who introduces Theravada Buddhism into Laos 1363: Sultan Muhammad Shah founds the sultanate of Brunei in Borneo 1364: the Shans of Burma move their capital to Ava 1369: the Mons of Burma establish their capital at Bago 1377: Majapahit conquers Palembang in Sumatra (Indonesia) 1402: Paramesvara (Iskandar Syah) founds a kingom at Malacca in Malaya and converts to Islam 1413: the Chinese reoccupy north Vietnam 1428: Vietnamese king Le Loi (Le Thai To) defeats the Chinese army and founds the second Le dynasty (called "kingdom of Annam" in China) 1431: Siam invades Angkor and destroys the Khmer empire 1438: Sukhothai is annexed into the Ayutthaya (Siam) kingdom 1447: Majaphit king Kertawijaya converts to Islam (Indonesia) 1460: Jambi converts to Islam 1471: the Champa kingdom is conquered by China 1478: the sultan of Demak conquers the Majapahit kingdom of Java (Indonesia) 1486: Majapahit moves its capital to Kediri (Indonesia) 1511: Portuguese admiral Albuquerque conquers Malacca in Malaya 1514: Ali Mughayat Syah becomes sultan of Aceh in Sumatra (Indonesia) 1527: the sultan of Demak conquers the last Hindu kingdom in Java (Indonesia) 1527: the Le dynasty collapses in Vietnam 1531: Tabinshwehti founds a dynasty with capital at Toungoo/Taunggu (Burma) and unifies Burma 1541: Tabinshwehti conquers the Mon kingdom of Bago and unifies Burma 1542: Spain occupies the Philippines 1552: the sultanate of Banten is founded in Java (Indonesia) 1558: Burma invades the kingdom of Lan Na in Thailand 1569: Burma invades the kingdom of Siam in Thailand 1569: Burmese king Bayinnaung conquers the kingdom of Ayutthaya (Siam) 1571: Spain establishes its colonial capital in Manila (Philippines) 1574: Burma invades the kingdom of Lan Xang (Laos) 1581: Kyai Ageng Pemanahan founds the second kingdom of Mataram 1584: king Naresuen regains Siam's independence from Burma, with capital at Ayutthaya 1596: Dutch colonization of Indonesia begins 1602: the Dutch East India Company (VOC) is established by Holland 1605: Gowa in the island of Celebes/Sulawesi (Indonesia) converts to Islam 1619: the Dutch found Batavia (Jakarta) 1635: Burma moves its capital back to Ava TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. 1637: Soulinga Vongsa restores the kingdom of Lan Xang (Laos) 1641: Holland conquers Malacca in Malaya from Portugal 1641: Taj ul-Alam becomes the first female ruler (sultana) of Aceh (Indonesia) 1646: sultan Agung of Mataram conquers all of Java except Banten and Batavia (Indonesia) 1650: Holland and Britain trade Banda in Indonesia for Manhattan in America 1651: Jesuit Alexandres de Rhodes invents a Latin script for Vietnamese 1668: Holland assumes control of the sultanate of Gowa (Indonesia) 1681: Holland quells a rebellion in Madura on behalf of Mataram (Indonesia) 1707: the Lan Xang kingdom splits into two kingdoms, Luang Phabang in northern Laos and Vientiane in southern Laos 1713: Champasack declares its independence from southern Laos 1740: Holland massacres 10,000 Chinese in Batavia (Indonesia) 1748: Holland assumes control of the sultanate of Banten (Indonesia) 1749: the kingdom of Mataram splits into two sultanates, Surakarta and Yogyakarta, both under Dutch control (Indonesia) 1752: Ava (Burma) is conquered by Shan tribes and the Toungoo dynasty ends 1752: Luang Prabang (Laos) is invaded by Burma 1755: Burmese king Alaungpaya founds the Konbaung dynasty, unifies the country and builds the city of Rangoon 1756: Holland signs a trade agreement with the sultan of Banjarmasin (Borneo) 1767: Burma destroys Ayutthaya and Siam moves its capital to Thon Buri (Bangkok) 1773: a northern revolt threatens the unity of Vietnam 1776: Siam conquers Lan Na from Burma 1778: Siam annexes Vientiane (Laos) and Champasack, and conquers Luang Prabang from Burma 1782: Rama I founds the Chakkri dynasty in Siam and new capital of Bangkok 1783: Burma moves its capital back to Amarapura 1784: Burma extends its borders to British India 1795: Holland surrenders Malacca to Britain 1802: Nguyen Anh (Gia Long) reunifies Vietnam with capital at Hue 1811: Britain invades the Dutch possessions in Indonesia and appoints Stanford Raffles governor 1815: at the end of the Napoleonic wars, Britain returns the colonies to Holland and Indonesia becomes a colony of Holland 1819: Stamford Raffles buys an island from the sultan of Johore and founds Singapore 1824: Britain and Holland divide the East Indies with Sumatra, Java, Muluku, Sulawesi, Irian Jaya, south Borneo to Holland, Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo to Britain, and Aceh and Bali independent ("treaty of London") 1824: Britain invades Burma for the first time 1826: Malacca, Penang and Singapore join in a British colony 1839: British explorer James Brooke is appointed Rajah of Sarawak by the Sultan of Brunei 1844: Cambodia becomes a Thai protectorate 1852: Britain invade Burma 1855: Siam's king Ram IV signs treaties with the European powers and the USA 1857: king Mindon moves the capital of Burma to Mandalay 1858: France invades Vietnam for the first time 1859: The Dutch cede East Timor to Portugal 1861: a French explorer discovers the ruins of Angkor 1863: Cambodia under king Norodom becomes a protectorate of France 1868: Rama V (Chulalongkorn) becomes king of Siam and carries out reforms, abolishing the feudal system and slavery 1868: during the fifth Buddhist council in Mandalay (Burma) the Pali scriptures are inscribed in marble 1882: Britain declares Sabah in Borneo a British protectorate 1883: Annam (Vietnam) becomes French colonies 1883: the eruption of a volcano off the coast of Java (Indonesia) annihilates the island of Krakatoa 1885: Britain capture Mandalay and Burma becomes a province of British India 1886: Britain conquers all of Burma and annexes it into British India 1888: Britain declares Sarawak and Brunei in Borneo a British protectorate 1893: Siam cedes the territories east of the Mekong river (Laos) to France and Laos becomes a protectorate of France 1895: Malay states join in a federation 1898: The USA wins the Philippines (besides Cuba and Puerto Rico) from Spain 1904: Holland invades the kingdom of Jambi in Indonesia 1904: Phan Boi Chau founds the Vietnamese Reformation Society and leads protests against the French 1907: Holland invades Aceh in Indonesia, thereby completing the conquest of Sumatra 1908: Holland invades the kingdom of Bali in Indonesia 1917: Siam allies with Great Britain during World War I 1928: Achmad Sukarno founds the Nationalist Party with the mission to gain independence for Indonesia 1930: Ho Chi Minh founds the Indochinese Communist Party 1930: Anti-French riots in Vietnam 1932: King Prajadhipok of Siam (Thailand) is overthrown and a constitution is introduced 1935: The USA grants the Philippines independence and Manuel Quezon becomes the first president 1937: Britain makes Burma a separate colony from India 1939: Siam changes its name to Thailand 1940: Japan invades Vietnam 1941: Japan invades the Philippines 1941: Norodom Sihanouk becomes king of Cambodia 1941: Ho Chi Minh leads a guerrilla force, the Viet Minh, against Japan 1941: Japan invades Thailand 1942: Japan invades Dutch East Indies 1942: Thailand declares war on Britain and invades Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia 1942: Japan occupies Cambodia 1942: Japan invades Burma 1944: The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL), led by Aung San, fights the Japanese occupation 1945: Japan occupies Laos August 1945: The Viet Minh liberate Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam's independence September 1945: Vietnam's regime liquidates Trotskyists such as Ta Tu Thau 1945: Indonesian independence leader Achmad Sukarno declares independence and begins to fight the Dutch 1946: France attacks the Viet Minh at Haiphong killing 6,000 civilians 1946: King Ananda of Thailand is assassinated and Phibun Songkhram becomes dictator 1946: In Cambodia communist guerrillas begin a liberation war against France 1947: National Burmese hero Aung San is assassinated 1948: Burma becomes independent with U Nu as prime minister 1948: The Federation of Malaysia is born under British rule 1948: France appoints emperor Bao Dai as president of Vietnam 1949: Holland recognises the independence of the Republik Indonesia Serikat (United States of Indonesia), comprising Sukarno's state in Java 1950: Sukarno seizes power over the whole of Indonesia 1950: France has 150,000 troops in Vietnam 1950: France uses napalm against the Viet Mihn at Tien Yen 1950: Vietnam's independence is recognised by China and USSR 1950: Britain resettles 500,000 Chinese of Malaysia to eradicate the communist guerrilla 1953: King Sihanouk declares independence in Cambodia from France December 1953: North Vietnam launches agrarian reform in the liberated areas 1954: after the Viet Minh defeat France at Dieu Bieu Phu (thousands die on both sides), the Viet Minh and France sign a peace treaty dividing Vietnam into North and South, and scheduling a general election for 1956 (76,000 French soldiers have died) July 1954: the USA installs Ngo Dinh Diem as president of South Vietnam 1954: Laos becomes an independent country, but communist guerrillas, the Pathet Lao, try to overthrow King Savang Vatthana 1955: Ngo Dinh Diem deposes the emperor Bao Dai and names himself president of South Vietnam after rigged elections (he wins 98.2% of the votes) 1956: Burmese leader U Nu and Indonesian president Sukarno are among the founders of the Movement of Non-Aligned States 1956: The South Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh Diem arrests dissidents and refuses the referendum on unification with North Vietnam, while the Vietminh start a guerrilla war 1957: The Vietcong communist guerrillas begin to fight against the Diem government in South Vietnam 1957: Malaysia becomes independent and Tunku Abdul Rahman becomes its first prime minister October 1958: North Vietnam launches its own "Great Leap Forward" modeled after China's 1959: North Vietnam offers military assistance to the Vietcong via the "Ho Chi Min trail" 1959: the South Vietnamese rebels kill 1,200 government officials 1959: anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia 1960: The USA offer military assistance to South Vietnam 1961: Burmese official U Thant is elected secretary-general of the United Nations 1961: The Pathet Lao occupy half of Laos 1961: Indonesia begins persecution of West Papua 1961: the USA has 3,000 soldiers in Vietnam TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. 1962: A military coup in Burma removes U Nu and installs a communist dictatorship led by general Ne Win 1962: Indonesia invades the Western part of New Guinea 1962: Following a summit between Kennedy and Krushev, Laos is de facto divided in two 1963: Sabah and Sarawak join the federation of Malaysia 1963: the South Vietnamese government cracks down on Buddhists assembled in Hue to celebrate the 2527th birthday of the Buddha, after which the CIA orchestrates a coup that replaces Diem with Nguyen Van Thieu, July 1963: Cambodian communist leader Saloth Sar (Pol Pot) flees Pnomh Penh and organizes the Khmer Rouge in the countryside 1964: The "Tonkin Gulf Incident" (presented by the USA as an attack on its warships) triggers a massive escalation of USA intervention 1965: The USA dispatches 200,000 soldiers to South Vietnam and begins bombing raids on North Vietnam 1965: King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia allies with North Vietnam 1965: Thailand allies with the USA against North Vietnam 1965: The US begins a secret bombing campaign of Laos 1965: American students conduct anti-war demonstrations in campuses 1965: Communist guerrillas try to seize Sarawak from Malaysia 1965: The Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) attempts a coup against Sukarno 1965: Ferdinand Marcos becomes dictator of the Philippines 1966: General Suharto seizes power in Indonesia and outlaws the communists (hundreds of thousands of communists are killed) 1967: The USA increase its presence in South Vietnam to 500,000 soldiers 1967: Cambodia crushes the Samlauth revolt 1967: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is founded by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand 1968: The Vietcong and North Vietnam (the "Tet Offensive") begin a joint attack against the USA 1968: USA troops massacre 500 civilians at My Lai 1969: The US begins a secret bombing campaign of Cambodia 1969: Ho Chi Minh dies and is succeeded as president of North Vietnam by Ton Duc Thang 1969: A huge crowd marches on Washington to demand an end to the Vietnam war March 1970: General Lon Nol removes prince Sihanouk and assumes power in Cambodia 1970: The USA invades Cambodia 1970: Abdul Rahman resigns and Tun Abdul Razak becomes prime minister of Malaysia 1970: Indonesian independence hero Sukarno dies 1971: King Sihanouk of Cambodia, exiled in China, allies with the communist guerrillas (the "Khmer Rouge") to fight Lon Nol 1971: South Vietnam invades Laos 1972: Muslim separatists (Moro National Liberation Front) carry out a terrorist campaign in the Philippines January 1972: Cambodia's government troops are decimated by the Khmer Rouge during operation Chenla-II 1973: Student riots in Thailand January 1973: The USA and North Vietnam reach an agreement to end the war April 1975: The Vietcong complete the conquest of South Vietnam and unify the country under president Ton Duc Thang, while the Khmer Rouge take control of Cambodia (ordering the total evacuation of Pnomh Penh) 1975: The Pathet Lao seizes power in Laos and Kaysone Phomvihane becomes prime minister 1975: The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, enter Phnom Penh and install a repressive communist regime 1975: In Burma several guerrilla movements begin fighting the communist dictatorship 1975: Portugal grants East Timor independence December 1975: The Khmer Rouge begin to liquidate political enemies 1976: Indonesia invades East Timor and annexes it, while Fretilin (Frente Revolucion ria de Timor-Leste Independente) starts a liberation war 1976: GAM is founded in Indonesia's province Aceh to fight for independence March 1976: Pol Pot of Cambodia appears in public for the first time (the opposite of Mao's cult of personality) 1976: Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge, orders widespread repression of Cambodians, that kills 1.7 million civilians in three years (34% of all men and 16% of women, 48% of Catholics and 40% of Muslims, 28% of the ethnic Chinese and 38% of the ethnic Vietnamese, 500 thousand executed, 500 thousand dead in prison and 700 thousand killed by hunger or disease) 1976: in Aceh (northern Sumatra) Muslim separatists begin fighting for independence from Indonesia (12,000 people will die in 25 years) 1977: Famine and purges kill hundreds of thousands in Cambodia 1977: Philippines dictator Marcos has dissident Benigno Aquino arrested, sentenced to death and then de-facto exiled September 1977: The Khmer Rouge finally admit the existence of the local Communist Party May 1978: Cambodia's Khmer Rouge exterminate more than 200,000 people in the east, following an insurrection 1978: More than 100,000 people flee Vietnam on boats ("boat people") 1978: The Hai Hong, an old cargo boat overloaded with refugees trying to leave Vietnam, becomes the first internationally known case of "boat people" January 1979: Vietnam invades Cambodia to restore order 1979: China invades Vietnam but is defeated 1979: Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge begin a guerrilla war against the Vietnamese from the jungle where they have retreated 1980: General Prem Tinsulanonda becomes leader of Thailand 1980: Thousands of skulls are exumated from the Khmer Rouge's mass graves at Choeung Ek 1981: Mahathir Mohamad becomes prime minister of Malaysia 1981: An Indonesian passenger ship catches fire and sinks, killing 580 people 1983: Benigno Aquino returns to the Philippines and is murdered 1983: in Malaysia the Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir (or Ba'aysir) founds Jemaah Islamiyah, a clandestine organization whose goal is the establishment of a pan-Islamic state all over Southeast Asia. 1985: Hun Sen becomes prime minister of Cambodia 1986: Corazon Aquino ousts dictator Marcos who has to flee the country 1986: Vietnamese party leader Nguyen Van Linh introduces liberal reforms and frees thousands of political prisoners 1986: Laos introduces market-oriented reforms 1987: a Philippine ferry and an oil tanker collide, killing 4341 people 1988: Anti-government riots in Burma leave thousands dead 1988: General Chatichai Choonhaven replaces Prem at the helm of Thailand 1989: In Burma the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) declares martial law and arrests thousands of dissidents 1989: Vietnam withdraws from Cambodia 1989: the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is founded to bring together the USA, Japan, Australia, Canada, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, New Zealand 1990: In the first general elections of Burma the National League for Democracy wins a landslide victory 1990: Burmese democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Aung San, is put under house arrest 1990: Mahatir signs a peace treaty with the communist guerrillas and a period of economic growth begins for Malaysia 2004: Goh Chok Tong succeeds Singapore's patriarch Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister 1991: A coup creates political chaos in Thailand 1991: Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi is awarded the Nobel peace prize 1991: Khamtai Siphandon becomes prime minister of Laos 1991: The United Nations brokers a truce between the Cambodian government and the Khmer Rouge and installs a government led by King Sihanouk 1992: A new Islamic movement, Abu Sayyaf, unleashes a campaign of bombings, assassinations, massacres, kidnappings in the Philippines 1992: Than Shwe is appointed chairman of SLORC in Burma 1993: Prince Norodom Ranariddh wins the first free elections in Cambodia 1994: Abu Sayyaf terrorists hijack a Philippines Airlines jet 1994: The Cambodian government proclaims an amnesty for the Khmer Rouge guerrillas who surrender 1994: Laos and Thailand open a "friendship bridge" linking the two countries 1995: Vietnam and the USA restore diplomatic relations 1995: Vietnam joins ASEAN 1996: The inauguration of the Petrona Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the tallest buildings in the world, mark the economic success of Malaysia 1996: Jose Ramos-Horta of East Timor receives the Nobel Prize for Peace 1997: Hun Sen removes Prince Ranariddh of Cambodia from power with a coup 1997: Laos joins ASEAN 1997: Tran Duc Luong becomes president of Vietnam 1997: Burma joins ASEAN 1997: The stock markets and currencies of Southeast Asian "melt down" 1997: Tran Duc Luong is appointed president of Vietnam by the communist party 1998: Pol Pot dies 1998: Vietnam joins the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 1998: Riots cause the fall of the Suharto regime in Indonesia 1999: Abu Bakar Bashir returns to Indonesia from exile and founds the Mujahideen Council, a federation of terrorist groups with the aim to make Indonesia a purely Islamic state, that begins training a private army to help Muslims persecuting Christians in the Moluccas (hundreds of Christians are massacred by Islamic militia) 1999: Ethnic violence breaks out in several islands of the Indonesian archipelago 1999: East Timor becomes independent under the protection of the United Nations 1999: a ferry sinks killing over 200 people in Bangladesh 2000: The Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) attack government buildings in Cambodia in a failed attempt to overthrow Hun Sen 2000: Thaksin Shinawatra wins elections in Thailand, despite accusations of corruption 2000: Irian Jaya (western New Guinea) demand independence 2000: Muslim rebels in the Philippines (Abu Sayyaf) carry out kidnappings of foreigners 2000: A bomb planted by Islamic terrorists trained in Afghanistan kills 18 people in Jakarta, Indonesia 2000: Jafar Umar Thalib founds a radical Islamic organization, Laskar Jihad, to join in the persecution of Christians in the Moluccas with help from the military 2000: members of the Indonesian army blow up a bomb in Jakarta that kills 15 people 2000: about 500 people die when a ferry sinks near Indonesia's Maluku island TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. Dec 2000: Indonesian terrorists of Jemaah Islamiyah blow up a train in Manila (Philippines) killing 22 people 2001: Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of Sukarno, becomes president of Indonesia 2001: Nong Duc Manh is chosen as new leader of the Vietnamese communist party 2001: Gloria Arroyo becomes president of the Philippines 2002: Hun Sen wins national elections in Cambodia 2002: in the Philippines, Muslim separatists set off a bomb in General Santos that kills 14 people 2002: Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is freed after 19 months of house arrest 2002: Indonesia recognizes the independence of East Timor that elects Xanana Gusmao president and Mari Alkatiri prime minister May 2002: Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is freed after 19 months of house arrest 2002: a ferry sinks killing 470 people in Bangladesh Sep 2002: relatives of former Burmese dictator U Ne Win are sentenced to death by the military junta Oct 2002: a bomb planted by Abu Bakar Bashir's Jemaah Islamiyah and Al Qaeda operatives (led by Iman Sumudra and masterminded by Riduan Isamuddin Hambali and Malaysian bomb expert Azahari Husin) kills 182 people in a disco of Bali May 2003: Indonesia launches Aceh offensive after peace talks with Aceh separatists (GAM) fail to end a 25-year old civil war that has cost 12,000 lives October 2003: Malaysia's prime minister Mahathir Mohamad steps down after 22 years in power and is replaced by his deputy, Abdullah Badawi 2003: the USA dispatches 1,700 soldiers to the Philippines, to help fight the Abu Sayyaf terrorists 2004: A suicide bomber of Abu Sayyaf blows up a ferry in the Philippines and kills 119 passangers 2004: Muslim separatists riot in Thailand 2004: Indonesia's first presidential elections 2004: Lee Hsien Loong succeeds Goh Chok Tong as prime minister of Singapore 2004: Burmese prime minister Khin Nyunt is forced to resign and is replaced by Gen Soe, a trusted deputy to the country's top general Than Shwe 2004: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono wins presidential elections in Indonesia 2004: Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is tried for a number of terrorist attacks in Indonesia 2004: tsunamis caused by one of the strongest earthquakes in history (9.0 magnitude) kill thousands in Southeast Asia 2005: the Philippine army attacks the Islamic separatist group Abu Sayyaf in the island of Jolo, and Abu Sayyaf responds by detonating four bombs that kill seven people 2005: Bombs kill 11 people in Rangoon, Burma/Myanmar 2005: Vietnam's prime minister Phan Van Khai visits the USA 2005: Aceh rebels surrend to the government of Indonesia 2005: bombs planted by Jemaah Islamiyah and Al Qaeda operatives kill 25 people in Bali, Indonesia 2006: general Sondhi Boonyaratkalin stages a coup against Thailand's prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra 2006: Muslim separatists set off bombs in Bangkok, Thailand 2006: an Indonesian ferry sinks killing about 600 people 2006: Myanmar moves the capital to a newly-built city, Naypyidaw 2007: Fretilin's support slips from 57% to to 29% in East Timor's national elections 2007: Indonesia sues Suharto for having stolen half a billion dollars during his rule 2007: more than 20 Philippine soldiers are killed by Abu Sayyaf 2007: Crash of the stock markets worldwide, triggered by the crisis of USA sub-prime mortgage lenders 2007: monks demonstrate in the streets of Yangoon, Myanmar, and the police kills 200 and arrests 6,000 2007: Samak Sundaravej, whose party supports ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, wins national elections 2008: Crash of the stock markets worldwide, triggered by the collapse of USA banks TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. |
| (Copyright © 1999 Piero Scaruffi) |