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 208 BC: Chao To create the kingdom of Namviet in northern Vietnam 111 BC: China annexes the kingdom of Namviet 1## AD: an Indian brahmin founds the kingdom of Funan, with capital in Vyadhapura 192 AD: China expands into Vietnam to the border with the Champa empire 221 AD: China is unified and begins expanding south 529 AD: Rudrawarman founds a new dynasty in Champa 50#: the Srivijaya kingdom is founded in southern Sumatra (Indonesia) with capital in Palembang and Buddhism as the state religion 55# AD: the kingdom of Chenla (north Cambodia) annexes Funan (south Cambodia) 572: Sambhuvarman becomes king of Vietnam and builds monuments at Mi Son 58#: the Srivijaya kingdom expands on Java 605: China captures the Champa capital Trakieu 612: first inscriptions in the Khmer language 616: Isanavarman I becomes king of Chenla 627: Isanavarman I annexes Funan and northwest Cambodia 653: Prakasadharma becomes king of Cham and builds the Hinduist temples of My Son (Vietnam) 65#: the Nanchao kingdom forms in northern Burma 657: Jayavarman I of Chenla conquers north Laos and founds the Khmer dynasty 686: the Srivijaya kingdom expands over Sumatra (Indonesia) and the Malay peninsula 7##: the Sailendra, allied of Srivijaya, rule in central Java 717: the Chenla kingdom collapses and falls under the influence of the Sailendra 732: Sanjaya founds the Sanjaya dynasty in central Java (Indonesia) with capital in Mataram (central Java) 778: Sailendra king Dharmatunga begins construction of the Buddhist temple at Borobudur in Java (Indonesia) 791: the Nanchao kingdom (north Burma) expands under I-mou-hsun 802: Jayavarman II liberates the Khmers from Javanese domination and founds a new Hinduist kingdom in Cambodia, Angkor, with capital near Seam Reap (Roluos ruins) 82#: Sailendra king Samaratunga completes construction of the Buddhist temple at Borobudur in Java (Indonesia) 825: the kingdom of Pegu (south Burma) moves its capital at Hamsavati 832: the Nanchao kingdom (north Burma) subdues the Pyu people 832: the Sanjaya kingdom annexes the Sailendra kingdom in Java (Indonesia) 875: a new Champa kingdom is founded at Indrapura/ Quangnam under king Indravarman I who protects Buddhism 877: Indravarman I of Khmer creates a network of irrigation in Cambodia and builds the temples of Bakong and Preah Ko 889: Yasovarman I founds the city of Angkor 893: Indravarman II founds a new Champa dynasty 898: Sanjaya king Balitung of Mataram restores Hinduism in Central Java 907: China's domination of Indochina ends 910: Sanjaya king Daksa begins construction of the Hindu temples at Prambanan in Java (Indonesia) dedicated to Shiva 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 929: Sindok founds a new dynasty in East Java 938: Ngo Quyen liberates Vietnam from China at the battle of Bach Dang 939: Ngo Quyen declares the independence of Namviet and founds the kingdom of Annam (north Vietnam) 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: Champa king Dinh Bo Linh founds the Dinh dynasty and moves the capital to Hoa Lu (Vietnam) 979: Annam's king Le Hoan founds the first Le dynasty in Vietnam 979: Champa (south Vietnam) king Paramesvaravarman attacks Annam (north Vietnam), the beginning of five centuries of warfare, but is defeated and killed 982: Annam's king Le Hoan captures the Champa capital Indrapura and the Champa kingdom moves its capital to Vjaya 982: 979: Annam's king Le Hoan captures the Champa capital Indrapura and the Champa kingdom moves its capital to Vjaya 985: Sanjaya king Dharmavamsa conquers Bali (Indonesia) 988: Harivarman II founds a new Champa kingdom with capital in Vijaya 1006: the Srivijaya kingdom of southern Sumatra (Indonesia) attacks Sanjaya, destroys Mataram (Central Java) and kills Dharmavamsa 1010: the Ly dynasty succeeds the Le dynasty and moves the capital of Annam to Thanh Long (Hanoi) 1019: Dharmavamsa's son-in-law Airlangga founds the Kahuripan kingdom in East 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) 1030: the Chola of India raid Srivijaya 1044: Annam raids the Champa capital and kills the Champa king in Vietnam 1049: Airlangga retires in a monastery and divides his kingdom between his two sons 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 1069: Annam seizes the northern provinces of the Champa kingdom in Vietnam 1084: king Kyanzittha becomes king of Bagan in Burma 1088: the kingdom of Melayu (Jambi) in southern Sumatra takes over the territory of Srivijaya 1096: the Payao kingdom is founded in northern Thailand 111 BC: Han China conquers the Nam Viet kingdom 1112: earliest inscriptions in Burmese 1113: Suryavarman II becomes king of Khmer 1117: the kingdoms of East Java are unified by Kamesvara of Kediri 1130: Khmer king Suryavarman II builds Angkor Wat 1145: The Khmer army defeats the Champa army and takes its capital Vijaya in Vietnam 1148: Champa king Jaya Harivarman I expels the Khmers and reunites the Champa kingdom in Vietnam 1177: Champa under Jaya Indravarman loots the Khmer's capital Angkor 1181: Jayavarman VII becomes king of Khmer, converts to Buddhism and builds the Bayon 1190: Jayavarman VII conquers the Champa kingdom 1192: Suryavarman expels the Khmers and restores the kingdom of Champa 1203: The Khmers reconquer the kingdom of Champa 1220: the Champa kingdom becomes independent again 1221: Ken Angrok (Rajasa) destroys the kingdom of Kediri and founds a new kingdom in Singhasari in East Java (Indonesia) 1225: the Ly dynasty in Annam (north Vietnam) is terminated by the Tran 1238: Thais conquer Sukhothai from Angkor and found a new kingdom in northern Thailand 1239: Mangrai founds the kingdom of Lan Na in northern Thailand, with capital at Chiengmai 1253: the Mongols conquer Nanchao 1268: Kertanegara becomes king of Singhasari in East Java 126#: The north of Sumatra (Samudera) converts to Islam 1275: Kertanegara of East Java launches a campaign of military expansion 1279: Sukothai's king Ramkamhaeng/ Rama Khambeng extends the kingdom to Vientiane (Laos) in the east and to Pegu (Burma) in the west 128#: the kingdom of Sukothai defeats Srivijaya 1281: the Mons under Wareru declare independence in the south of Burma with capital at Martaban during a Mongol invasion 1283: Sukothai's king Ramkamhaeng/ Rama Khambeng adopts the script of the Khmers to create the Thai alphabet 1284: Kertanegara invades Bali 1287: Kublai Khan's Mongols are defeated in Vietnam for the third time by Annam 1287: Kublai Khan's Mongols conquer Bagan (Burma) and the Shan brothers carve out principalities for themselves in the north of Burma while Arakan declares independence in the southwest of Burma 1287: Sukothai's king Ramkamhaeng/ Rama Khambeng conquers the Mons of the northern Malay peninsula 1287: the kingdoms of Sukothai, Payao and Chiangmai in Thailand strikes an alliance 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 Indonesia and founds Muslims already established in Sumatra 1292: Kertanegara of East Java is overthrown and killed by the prince of Kediri 1292: Thais conquer the Mons of Chiangmai and found a new kingdom in northern Thailand 1293: the Mongols attack Singhasari with help from Kertanagara's son Wijaya/Vijaya, but Wijaya (Kertarajasa Jayawardhana) defeats both and founds the kingdom of Majapahit (Trowulan) in Java (Indonesia) 1297: Malek Saleh of Sumatra (Indonesia) converts to Islam 1300: the Shans defeat the Mongols in Burma 1312: Shan king Thihathura establishes the capital of his northern Burmese kingdom at Pinya 1312: Annam's king Tran Anhton conquers and annexes Champa in Vietnam 1315: a rebel Shan founds the kingdom of Sagaing in Burma 1317: Sukothai's king Ramkamhaeng/ Rama Khambeng dies and is replace by his son Lo Tai 1323: Che Anan declares the independence of Champa from Annam in Vietnam and founds a new dynasty 1328: Wijaya/Vijaya/Kertarajasa dies and Majapahit's confederation collapses 1330: Gaja Mada is appointed chief minister of Majapahit and wields more power than the king 1343: Majapahit reconquers Bali (Indonesia) 1347: Thinhkaba declares the independece of the principality of Toungoo in Burma 1350: Cambodia converts to Theravada Buddhism 1350: Majapahit under prime minister Gajah Mada conquers northern Sumatra (Indonesia) 1350: Hayam Wuruk expands the kingdom of Java to most of Indonesia 1351: Ramadhipati/ Rama Thibodi I creates a new kingdom in southern Thailand, the Siam kingdom with capital at Ayutthaya, and subdues Sukothai's king Lo Taid 1353: the kingdom of Lan Xang/ Luang Prabang is founded in northern Laos by Fa Ngoun, a Thai who introduces Theravada Buddhism into Laos 1360: Che Bong Nga seizes power in Champa 1363: Sultan Muhammad Shah founds the sultanate of Brunei in Borneo 1364: Thadominbya, a descendent of the Shans of Sagaing, establishes the capital of nothern Burma at Ava 1364: Gaja Mada of Majapahit dies 1368: Mingyi Swasawke becomes king of Ava in Burma 1369: the Mons of southern Burma move their capital to Pegu/Bago 1371: Che Bong Nga of Champa attacks the kingdom of Annam in Vietnam and raids Hanoi 1373: Laos' king Fa Ngoun is overthrown after having created one of the largest states in Indochina 1377: Majapahit conquers Palembang in Sumatra (Indonesia) 1377: Ava's king Mingyi Swasawke has Pyanchi of Toungoo murdered in Burma 1378: the Siam kingdom of Ayutthaya annexes Sukothai 1385: Razadarit becomes king of the Mons in Pegu (Burma) 1389: Majapahit conquers Palembang in Sumatra (Indonesia) 1398: Annam moves the capital from Hanoi to Thanh Hoa 1400: The Tran dynasty is deposed in Annam (north Vietnam) 1401: Minhkaung becomes king of Ava in Burma and fights both the Mons in the south and the Shans in the north 1402: during a war between Virabumi of East Java and Vikramavarddhana of Majapahit, the prince Paramesvara (Iskandar Syah), a Majapahit, founds a kingom at Melaka/Malacca in Malaysia and converts to Islam 1404: The Burmese of Ava conquer Arakan 1407: Ming China deposes the ruler of Palembang in Sumatra and assigns the city to Majapahit of Java 1407: Ming China intervenes in Vietnam to stop Annam (north Vietnam) from conquering Champa (south Vietnam) 1409: the emperor of China recognizes Paramesvara (now renamed Megat Iskandar Shah) as king of Melaka/Malacca in Malaysia 1413: the Chinese reoccupy north Vietnam 1418: Le Loi organizes Annam's resistance against Ming China 1424: Boromoraja seizes power in Siam (Thailand) 1424: Paramesvara (now renamed Megat Iskandar Shah), king of Melaka/Malacca in Malaysia, dies and is succeeded by his son 1428: Le Loi (Le Thai To) defeats the Chinese army and founds the second Le dynasty in Annam (north Vietnam) 1430: Narameikhla liberates Arakan (western Burma) from the Burmese and builds a capital at Mrauk-U 1431: the kingdom of Siam under Boromoraja destroys the Khmer empire and Angkor is abandoned 1441: China sends an army to fight the Shans in northern Burma 1441: Jyaya Simhavarman V dies and civil war erupts in the kingdom of Champa in Vietnam 1443: Narapati becomes king of Ava 1446: Rajah Kasim/ Muzaffar Shah, a Tamil Muslim, overthrows the kind in Melaka/Malacca but real power falls in the hands of Tun Perak who leads the conquest of the Malay peninsula and expands trade with Gujarat 1447: Majaphit king Kertawijaya converts to Islam (Indonesia) 1448: Siam's king Boromoraja dies and is succeeded by his son Trailok 1451: a long war erupts between Siam and Chiangmai in Thailand 1454: China cedes part of the Shans' northern Burma to Ava 1459: Arakan (western Burma) seizes Chittagong from Bengal 1460: Jambi converts to Islam 1470: Raja Muhammad, son of Sultan Mansur Shah of Melaka, establishes a new kingdom in Pahang (Malaysia) 1471: the Champa kingdom is conquered by Annam's king Le Thanh Ton in Vietnam 1477: Alaudin Riayat Shah becomes sultan of Melaka 1478: the sultan of Demak conquers the Majapahit kingdom of Java (Indonesia) 1486: Minkyinyo becomes king of Toungoo in Burma 1488: Siam's king Trailok dies and is succeeded by his son Boromoraja III 1498: Tun Perak, the real ruler of Malaysia, dies 1511: Portuguese admiral Albuquerque conquers Melaka/Malacca in Malaysia 1514: Under sultan Ali Mughayat Shah, reeling from the conquest of Melaka by the Christian Portuguese, Aceh (north Sumatra) profits that Muslim traders shift their routes to avoid Melaka 1519: Portugal establishes a trading post in Martaban, the Mon capital of southern Burma 1519: Mac Dang Dung seizes power in Annam (north Vietnam) even if the Le dynasty is theoretically still ruling the country 1520: Laos' king Potisarat moves the capital from Luang Prabang to Vienchang/Vientiane 1526: The Portuguese destroy what is left of the kingdom of former Melaka's sultan Mahmud/Mansur Shah 1527: the sultan of Demak conquers the last Hindu kingdom in Java (Indonesia) 1527: the Le dynasty collapses in Annam (north Vietnam) and the Mac seize power 1527: the Shans sack Ava in Burma 1528: Raja Muzaffar Shah, the eldest son of the last Sultan of Melaka (Mahmud/Mansur Shah), establishes a new kingdom in Perak (Malaysia) 1528: Alaudin Riayat Shah II, another son of Mahmud/Mansur Shah, establishes the kingdom of Johore in Malaysia 1528: Muzaffar Shah another son of Mansur Shah, establishes the kingdom of Perak in Malaysia 1530: Aceh (north Sumatra)'s sultan Ali Mughayat Shah dies and is succeeded by his son Alauddin Riayat Shah that expands the kingdom on most of Sumatra and part of the Malaysian peninsula 1531: Tabinshwehti founds a dynasty with capital at Toungoo/Taunggu (Burma) and unifies Burma 1533: Nguyen Kim restores the Le dynasty in Annam (north Vietnam) and the Mac withdraw to the Tongking (Hanoi) 1535: Northern Java is completely Muslim, mainly dominated by the kingdom of Demak 1539: Tabinshwehti conquers the Mon Pegu of southern Burma 1541: Tabinshwehti completes his conquest of the Mons of southern Burma 1542: Spain occupies the Philippines 1545: Tabinshwehti defeats the Shans in Burma 1545: Laos' king Potisarat invades Chiengmai and installs his son Settatirat as king 1545: Nguyen Kim of Annam is assassinated and Trinh Kiem succeeds him 1541: Burmese king Tabinshwehti moves the capital to Pegu 1547: Laos' king Potisarat dies and is succeeded by his son Settatirat 1550: Tabinshwehti of Burma dies and is succeeded by his enemy Bayinnaung 1555: the Burmese king Bayinnaung conquers Ava 1556: the Burmese king Bayinnaung conquers Chiengmai and unifies Burma 1556: First Portuguese settlement in Timor 1558: the Burmese king Bayinnaung invades the kingdom of Lan Na in Thailand 1568: the sultanate of Bantam is founded in West Java (Indonesia) by a Muslim, Hassan Udin 1569: Burmese king Bayinnaung conquers the kingdom of Ayutthaya in Thailand/Siam 1570: Trinh Kiem of Annam dies and the kingdom is divided between the three families of Mac (in Tongking), Trihn (Thanh Hoa) and Nguyen (Hue) 1571: Spain establishes its colonial capital in Manila (Philippines) 1574: Burmese king Bayinnaung invades the kingdom of Lan Xang (Laos) but is defeated 1575: Burmese king Bayinnaung invades the kingdom of Laos for the second time and installs a puppet king 1581: Kyai Ageng Pemanahan founds the second kingdom of Mataram (Central Java) 1581: Burmese king Bayinnaung dies having conquered most of Burma and Thailand, and is succeeded by Nanda Bayin 1584: king Naresuen/ Pra Naret regains Siam's independence from Burma, with capital at Ayutthaya 1587: the first British visitor arrives in Burma, Ralph Fitch 1591: Laos declares its independence from Burma under king Nokeo Koumane with capital in Vientiane 1592: Laos' king Nokeo Koumane defeats Burma's king Nanda Bayin 1592: Trihn Tong reconquers the Tongking (Hanoi) from the Mac and reunites north Vietnam, while the Nguyen rule from Hue on Annam (and also on Champa) 1593: Trinh Tong of Annam moves the capital back to Hanoi 1594: Siam/Thai's king Naresuen invades Cambodia that becomes a Siamese protectorate 1595: Jan-Huygen van Linschoten published detailed instructions for navigating to the East Indies 1595: The first Dutch expedition reaches Indonesia, commanded by Cornelis de Houtman (the trip takes 14 months and costs the lives of 100 sailors) 1597: The first Dutch expedition returns from Indonesia (two years and four months later after leaving, and with only 89 of the original 249 men) 1598: Jacob Van Neck leads a Dutch expedition that reaches Indonesia in "only" six months 1599: Toungoo in Burma rebels against king Nanda Bayin, kills him and conquers his capital Pegu (southern Burma) 1599: the East India Company is established by Britain 1600: Nguyen Hoang secedes from the Trinh in Annam (north Vietnam) 1600: Portuguese mercenary Philip de Brito occupies the Burmese port of Syriam 1601: James Lancaster leads the first British cargo to the East Indies (the trip takes 14 months one way) and establishes a British factory at Bantam (West Java) 1602: the Dutch East India Company (VOC, Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) is established by Holland 1605: Gowa in the island of Celebes/Sulawesi (Indonesia) converts to Islam 1605: Anaukpetlun becomes king of Ava in upper Burma 1607: Aceh (north Sumatra)'s sultan Iskandar Muda Shah launches a campaign of conquest in Sumatra and Malaysia 1608: Holland opens a factory at Ayuttaya in Siam/Thailand 1609: A Thai delegation travels to Holland, the first Thais to set foot in Europe 1610: Holland opens a factory in Arakan (western Burma) 1611: The British established diplomatic relationships with Siam 1613: Ava's king Anaukpetlun of northern Burma captures Syriam and executes Toungoo's king Nat Shin Naung and the Portuguese mercenary Philip de Brito 1613: Nguyen Phuc-Nguyen ascends to the throne of Hue/Annam (Vietnam) 1614: Macao-based Jesuits expelled by Japan migrate to Faifo, the main port of the kingdom of Hanoi/Tongking (north Vietnam) 1615: Ava's king Anaukpetlun of northern Burma captures Chiengmai from Burma 1617: Jan-Pieterszoon Coen is appointed governor of the VOC in Indonesia 1618: Burma seizes Chiengmai from Siam while Cambodia declares its independence from Siam 1619: the Dutch found Batavia (Jakarta) and invite Chinese immigrants to develop it 1620: War erupts between the Nguyen of Hue/Annam and the Trinh of Hanoi/Tongking in Annam (north Vietnam) 1620: Aceh (north Sumatra) conquers Perak in Malaysia 1621: Mataram (central Java) sultan Sunan Agung embark on a holy war of territorial expansion in Indonesia 1625: Mataram (central Java) conquers Surabaya and controls most of Java 1629: Mataram (central Java) attacks the Dutch in Batavia but is defeated 1629: Melaka and Johore unite to defeat Aceh and stop its expansion in Malaysia 1629: Ava's king Anaukpetlun of northern Burma is murdered and succeeded by his brother Thalun 1630: Pya Sri Worawong/Prasat Tong seizes power in Siam 1632: Japanese immigrants are massacred in Siam 1632: Hendrik Brouwer is appointed governor of the VOC in Indonesia 1633: Holland imposes a blockade on Melaka 1634: Holland opens a factory in Arakan (West Burma) and Ayuttaya (Siam) 1635: Holland opens its first factory in Burma at Syriam (under Ava's king Thalun of northern Burma) 1636: Antonie van Diemen is appointed governor of the VOC in Indonesia 1636: Iskander Muda Shah dies and the northern Sumatran sultanate of Aceh begins to decline 1637: Holland opens a factory in Cambodia 1637: Souligna-Vongsa seizes power in Laos 1639: Holland signs a treaty with Aceh (north Sumatra) to allow them to trade with Perak in Malaysia TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. 1637: Soulinga Vongsa restores the kingdom of Lan Xang (Laos) 1639: Mataram (central Java) sultan Sunan Agung embark on a holy war against the two non-Muslim regions of Balambang (Sulawesi) and Bali but fails to take Bali that remains Hindu 1641: Holland conquers Melaka/Malacca in Malaya from Portugal, beginning the decline of the city and becoming the leading power in Indonesia 1641: Holland opens a factory in Laos 1641: Taj ul-Alam becomes the first female ruler (sultana) of Aceh (Indonesia) 1642: Dutch sailors discover a shorter route to the East Indies than the one used by the Portuguese 1645: VOC's governor Van Diemen dies 1645: Mataram's (central Java) sultan Sunan Agung dies and is succeeded by Amangkurat I 1646: sultan Agung of Mataram conquers all of Java except Bantam and Batavia (West Java) 1647: Britain opens its first factory in Burma at Syriam 1648: Ava's king Thalun of northern Burma dies and is succeeded by his son Pindale 1650: Holland and Britain trade Banda in Indonesia for Manhattan in America 1651: Jesuit Alexandres de Rhodes invents a Latin script for Vietnamese 1651: Abulfatah/ Agung becomes sultan of Bantam (West Java) 1652: During a war between Holland and Britain, Holland destroys all British settlements in Burma 1653: Holland establishes a base in Timor 1653: Johan Maetsuycker, the former governor of Ceylon, is appointed governor of the VOC in Indonesia 1656: Siam's king Prasat Tong dies and is succeeded by his son Narai 1658: The sultan of Palembang attack the Dutch factory but is defeated and becomes a Dutch protectorate 1658: The last Ming emperor flees to Burma, causing a civil war within Burma 1661: A coup replaces Ava's king Pindale with his brother Pye in northern Burma 1662: The Societe de Missions Etrangeres is founded by French Catholics in Siam's capital Ayuttaya, and sends missionaries to Cambodia and Vietnam 1663: Holland obtains the monopoly of the pepper trade in western Sumatra 1664: Chiengmai rebels against Siam and joins Burma again 1664: Siam's king Narai grants Holland the monopoly of the trade in hides 1666: Holland subdues the Aceh sultanate in Sumatra 1666: The Mughals of India conquer Chittagong from Arakan (western Burma), causing the decline of Arakan 1667: Holland obtains Bantam (West Java) from Britain by the treaty of Breda 1668: Holland assumes control of the sultanate of Gowa (Indonesia) 1668: After defeating Makassar, Holland assumes control of Celebes/Sulawesi (Indonesia) and causes emigration and piracy among the Bugis of the island 1672: Ava's king Pye dies and the Burmese kingdom declines 1672: The 52-year war between the Nguyen of Hue and the Trinh of Hanoi/Tongking in Annam (north Vietnam) ends 1673: Annam intervenes in Cambodia and installs two puppet kings, one in Udong (central Cambodia) and one, Ang Non, in Saigon (south Cambodia) 1677: Trunojoyo seizes power in Mataram (central Java) deposing sultan Amangkurat I 1679: Holland abandons its factories in Burma 1679: Ang Non, the king of Saigon (south Cambodia), tries to seize power in Udong (central Cambodia) but is repelled by Siam while Saigon remains under Annam (Vietnam) 1680: Civil war erupts in Bantam (West Java) between Abulfatah/ Agung and his son Haji 1680: France opens a factory in Siam's capital Ayuttaya 1680: Mataram (Central Java) becomes a Dutch protectorate after Trunojoyo is dethroned and killed by Amangkurat II with help from Holland 1681: Holland quells a rebellion in Madura on behalf of Mataram (Central Java) 1682: Holland conquers Bantam (West Java) in Indonesia 1683: Haji becomes sultan of Bantam (West Java) with help from the VOC but Bantam becomes a protectorate of Holland, while the British withdraw to Bencoleen 1687: Siam declares war on Britain 1688: Siam's king Narai falls ill and Pra Petraja seizes power 1692: The Chams of Champa rebel against their rulers the Nguyen of Hue/Annam but they are defeated 1699: the kingdom of Terangganu is founded in Malaysia by Zainal Abidin I 1700: Holland leaves its factory in Tongking and trade between Europe and Vietnam is limited to the Portuguese of Macao and the French missionaries 1700: Sai-Ong-Hue seizes power in Laos with help from the Vietnamese of Hue/Annam 1706: Holland captures Surabaya, thus controlling all of Java 1707: the Lan Xang kingdom splits into two kingdoms, Luang Phabang in northern Laos and Vientiane in southern Laos 1707: King-Kitsarat rebels against Sai-Ong-Hue in Laos and establishes a rival kingdom in Luang Prabang 1713: Champasack declares its independence from southern Laos 1714: Annam (Vietnam) gains control of the Chinese settlement of Hatien 1722: The Bugis (originally from Celebes/Sulawesi) help Daing Parani to seize power in Johore (Malaysia) and become the dominant force there 1724: The Bugis of Johore establish control over Kedah and Perak in Malaysia 1727: Chiengmai becomes part of Siam again 1731: Arakan's king Sandawizaya is murdered and the kingdom plunges into anarchy 1733: Boromokot seizes power in Siam 1740: Holland massacres 10,000 Chinese in Batavia (Indonesia) 1740: The Bugis of Johore establish control over Selangor in Malaysia under Raja Luma 1743: Mataram signs a treaty with Holland ceding the north coast and moves its capital to Surakarta 1748: Holland assumes control of the sultanate of Bantan (Indonesia) 1749: Cambodia loses more territory to Annam (Vietnam) 1752: The Burmese capital Ava is conquered by the Mon kingdom of Pegu and the Toungoo dynasty ends 1753: Luang Prabang (Laos) is invaded by Burma 1755: Burmese king Alaungpaya liberates Ava from the Mons, founds the Konbaung dynasty, moves the capital to Shwebo and renames Dagon as Rangoon 1755: the kingdom of Mataram (Central Java) splits into two sultanates, with capitals in Surakarta and Yogyakarta, both under Dutch control 1755: the kingdom of Siak (central-eastern Sumatra) signs a treaty with Holland 1756: Burmese king Alaungpaya captures Syriam 1757: Burmese king Alaungpaya captures the Mon capital of Pegu and unifies the whole of Burma 1758: The Bugis of Johore (in Malaysia) sign a peace treaty with Holland ceding the monopoly of the tin trade 1758: Siam's king Boromokot is succeeded by his son Boromoraja 1756: Holland signs a trade agreement with the sultan of Banjarmasin (Borneo) that de facto becomes a protectorate 1760: Burmese king Alaungpaya invades Siam but die on the way to Ayuttaya 1758: William Wilson discovers a passage to China between the Philippines and Formosa/Taiwan that increases the strategic importance of Borneo 1762: Britain acquires the island of Balambangan off the northern coast of Borneo from the Bugis sultan of Sulu 1763: Burmese king Hsinbyushin moves the capital from Shwebo back to Ava 1764: Burmese king Hsinbyushin conquers Luang Chang/Vientiane and Chiengmai from Siam 1766: China attacks Burma 1766: the kingdom of Selangor is founded in Malaysia by Sultan Lumu 1767: Burmese king Hsinbyushin captures Siam's capital Ayuttaya 1767: Burma destroys Siam's capital Ayutthaya, kills Siam's king Boromoraja and Siam's general Pya Thaksin establishes a new capital in Dhonburi (Bangkok) 1768: During the war between China and Burma, Siam's leader Pya Thaksin liberates Ayuttaya 1769: Siam's king Pya Thaksin invades Cambodia and installs a puppet king, Ang Non 1770: China and Burma sign a peace treaty 1771: Britain acquires a colony at Penang (Malaysia) from the sultan of Kedah 1773: The revolt of the Tayson brothers, led by Nguyen Van-nhac, threatens the kingdom of Annam 1773: the kingdom of Negeri Sembilan is founded in Malaysia by Raja Melawar, descendant of the Minangkabau of Sumatra 1775: the kingdom of Kelantan is founded in Malaysia by Long Yunus 1775: Pirates destroy the British settlement of Balambangan in Borneo 1776: Burmese king Hsinbyushin dies, Siam conquers Lan Na from Burma and the war ends with Pya Thaksin ruling over all of Siam 1777: The Tayson brothers, led by Nguyen Van-nhac, conquer Saigon of Annam and terminate the old Nguyen dynasty 1778: Siam annexes Vientiane (southern Laos) and Champasack, and reduces Luang Praban (northern Laos) to a Siamese protectorate 1779: A rebellion in Cambodia deposes Ang Non and installs Ang Tong 1782: A general seizes power in Siam, renames himself Rama I, and founds the Chakkri dynasty and the new capital Bangkok (across the river from Dhonburi) 1782: Bodawpaya seizes power in Burma 1783: Burmese king Bodawpaya moves the capital to Amarapura, near Ava 1784: Burmese king Bodawpaya invades Arakan and therefore extends Burma's borders to British India 1784: Holland destroys the Bugis kingdoms of Malaysia (Johore, Selangor) 1785: Burma led by king Bodawpaya invades and destroys the kingdom of Arakan (western Burma), whose population emigrates massively to Chittagong 1786: The sultan of Kedah in Malaysia cedes Penang to Britain 1787: France signs a treaty with the deposed Hue/Annam king, Nguyen Anh, to recover the throne lost by him to the Tayson brothers 1788: The Tayson brothers conquer Tongking/Hanoi from the Trihn and split Vietnam in three kingdoms (Hanoi, Hue, Saigon), but Nguyen Anh and the French begin the invasion of the south 1791: African slaves rebel in Haiti, causing the collapse of the coffee economy in the West Indies and a boom in Java's coffee exports 1796: After France invades Holland, Holland surrenders Melaka/Malacca, Sri Lanka and the Cape of Good Hope to Britain 1801: Nguyen Anh defeats the Tayson brothers and reconquers Hue with help from France, returning to the throne of Annam 1801: Chin Byan leads a revolt in Arakan (western Burma) against the Burmese occupation 1802: Nguyen Anh conquers Hanoi, reunifies Annam/Vietnam with capital at Hue and renames himself Gia Long 1802: The treaty of Amiens returns to Holland all the territories seized by Britain during the Napoleonic wars except for the Cape colony and Ceylon 1805: Stamford Raffles arrives at the British colony of Penang in Malaysia 1811: Britain invades the Dutch possessions in Indonesia and appoints Stanford Raffles governor 1812: Siam invades Cambodia when the king Ang Chan refuses to hand over power to Siam's chosen successor, but Annam/Vietnam invades and reinstates Ang Chan 1815: at the end of the Napoleonic wars, Britain returns the colonies to Holland and Indonesia becomes a colony of Holland 1815: Chin Byan dies and the revolt of Arakan (western Burma) ends 1817: Burma invades Assam and installs a puppet king 1818: Stamford Raffles is appointed as the governor of Bencoolen on western Sumatra 1819: Hussein is proclaimed sultan of Johore with help from the British, and Stamford Raffles buys an island from the sultan of Johore and founds the British settlement of Singapore 1820: Annam/Vietnam's king Nguyen Anh/ Gia Long dies and is succeeded by his son Minh-Mang 1821: Siam invades Kedah in Malaysia 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: Siam's king Rama II dies and is succeeded by his son Nang Klao 1824: Britain declares war on Burma after Burma tries to invade India 1825: A prince of Jogyakarta, Dipo Negoro, launches a guerrilla war against Holland in Indonesia ("Java war") 1825: Holland conquers Palembang in Sumatra 1826: Melaka/Malacca, Penang and Singapore join in a British colony, the Straits Settlement, with capital in Penang 1826: Britain defeats Burma and seizes Arakan and Assam 1827: Vientiane (southern Laos) rebels but Siam crushes the rebellion 1830: Holland wins the Java War and annexes more territory from both Jogyakarta and Surakarta 1830: Holland appoints Johannes van den Bosch as the governor of Indonesia and he introduced a "Culture System" to tightly regulate what each district produces 1830: The population of Java is six million 1831: Siam invades Cambodia but Annam/Vietnam restores Ang Chan as king and annexes Tran Ninh/ Xiangkhoang (eastern Laos) from Siam 1832: Britain moves the capital of the Straits Settlement to Singapore 1833: Annam/Vietnam's king Minh-Mang persecutes Christians 1834: Cambodia's king Ang Chan dies and Annam/Vietnam appoints a princess, And Mey, as queen 1836: Siam annexes Luang Prabang (northern Laos) 1837: Burmese king Bagyidaw is deposed and his brother Tharrawaddy becomes king of Burma 1837: British explorers discover an overland route from Burma to China 1838: The sultan of Brunei asks British pirate James Brook for help against rebellious tribes 1841: British explorer James Brooke is appointed Rajah of Sarawak (northern Borneo) by the Sultan of Brunei 1833: Annam/Vietnam's king Minh-Mang dies and is succeeded by Thieu-Tri, who continues the persecution of Christians 1841: the kingdom of Perlis is founded in Malaysia by Raja Syed Sapee 1841: Cambodia revolts against the Vietnamese occupiers 1843: The "Culture System" introduced by Holland in Java causes a famine 1844: Cambodia becomes a protectorate of Siam 1846: Tharrawaddy dies and Pagan Min becomes king of Burma 1848: The population of Java has increased from six million to 9.5 million since the introduction of the "Culture System" 1848: Annam/Vietnam's king Thieu-Tri dies and is succeeded by Tu-Doc 1849: Sarawak's ruler James Brooke destroys the pirates of Borneo 1851: Siam's king Nang Klao dies and is succeeded by his brother Mongkut/ Rama IV, a Buddhist scholar who introduces Western ideas and methods into the kingdom 1851: Chanthakumanking/ Tiantha Koumane ascends to the throne of the Siamese protectorate of Luang Prabang (southern Laos) 1852: Britain takes Pegu and Rangoon from Burma 1853: Mindon Min seizes power in Burma 1855: Siam's king Ram IV signs treaties with the European powers and the USA 1855: Siam's king Rama III signs a trade treaty with Britain 1857: king Mindon moves the capital of Burma to the newly founded city of Mandalay 1857: Brooke quells a revolt by Chinese immigrants in Sarawak (Borneo) 1858: France invades Annam/Vietnam for the first time and obtains three eastern provinces 1858: Holland annexes Siak in Sumatra 1859: Holland cedes East Timor to Portugal 1860: King Norodom becomes king of Cambodia, vassal of Siam 1860: Burma mints the first coins 1861: Siam mints the first coins 1861: a French explorer discovers the ruins of Angkor 1862: The "Culture System" for pepper is abandoned by Holland 1862: Arakan and Pegu are united in the province of British Burma with capital in Rangoon, that rapidly becomes a prosperous city 1863: Cambodia under king Norodom becomes a protectorate of France 1863: The "Culture System" for clove and nutmeg is abandoned by Holland 1863: Holland annexes the sultanate of Banjermasin in southern Borneo 1864: Chinese refugees (called Ho) pour into Indochina and organize into armed bands 1864: The region around Saigon (Cochin China) is declared a colony by France 1866: The most lucrative cultures in Indonesia are coffee and sugar, neither of them native to Indonesia 1866: France seizes more provinces of Annam/Vietnam 1866: French explorer Francis Garnier navigates the Mekong upstream to China 1867: France signs a treaty with Siam recognizing French rule over Cambodia and France recognizing Siam's rule over Angkor 1868: Rama V (Chulalongkorn) becomes king of Siam and carries out reforms, abolishing the feudal system and slavery 1868: Siam's king Rama IV dies and is succeeded by his son Chulalongkorn/ Rama V, who introduces Western fashion but has 34 sons and 43 daughters 1868: Holland conquers Bencoleen in Sumatra 1868: during the fifth Buddhist council in Mandalay (Burma) the Pali scriptures are inscribed in marble 1869: Egypt opens the Suez canal, which increases the strategic importance of Aceh in northern Sumatra 1870: An agrarian law by Holland ushers in the age of private enterprise in Indonesia 1871: Britain allows Holland to invade Aceh (northern Sumatra) in return for Holland's colonies in West Africa 1871: Burmese king Mindon Min convenes in Mandalay the fifth Buddhist council 1873: Holland launches its invasion of Aceh in northern Sumatra 1873: Holland completes the first railway in Java 1874: The Malaysian states of Perak, Selangor and Sungei Ujong become British protectorates, reporting to the governor of the Straits Settlements, with their economic development assigned to the Chinese communities 1874: Siam's king Rama V outlaws the slave trade and slavery by birth 1877: Britain introduces rubber in Malaysia 1878: Mindon Min dies and is succeeded by Thibaw 1880: Britain introduces a "Resident System" for the Malay states that have become protectorates, starting an economic boom (railwas, roads, telegraph, banks, hospitals) and massive Chinese immigration 1882: Britain declares Sabah in Borneo a British protectorate 1882: France invades Annam/Vietnam and conquers Hanoi 1883: Annam/ Vietnam becomes a French protectorate, and France returns the provinces that it had occupied 1883: Siam occupies Tran Ninh/ Xiangkhoang (eastern Laos) from Vietnam to defeat the Ho 1883: Holland begins drilling for oil in Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Borneo) 1883: the eruption of a volcano off the coast of Java (Indonesia) annihilates the island of Krakatoa 1884: War erupts between France and China over the borders of Annam/Vietnam and France invades Formosa/Taiwan 1885: France and China signs a treaty recognizing French authority in Annam/Vietnam and returning Formosa/Taiwan to China 1885: Britain captures Mandalay, terminates the Alaungpaya dynasty and unites Burma with British Burma 1886: Britain conquers all of Burma and annexes it into British India 1888: Britain declares Sarawak and Brunei in Borneo a British protectorate 1888: The Malaysian state of Pahang becomes a British protectorates, reporting to the governor of the Straits Settlements 1888: France defeats the Ho rebels in northern Vietnam and northern Laos, also annexing territory formerly controlled by Siam 1893: Siam cedes the territories east of the Mekong river (Laos) to France and Laos becomes a protectorate of France 1894: Holland conquers Lombok in Indonesia 1895: The nine Malay states of Minangkabau join in the confederation of Negri Sembilan that becomes a British protectorate, part of the federation with Perak, Selangor and Pahang 1897: Britain organizes the first conference of Malay rulers in history 1897: France appoints Paul Doumer as the governor of Indochina, which is organized in one colony (Cochin-China) and four protectorates (Annam, Tongking, Laos, Cambodia) 1897: France builds a railway from Vietnam to China 1897: The railway from Bangkok to Ayuttaya is built in Thailand 1898: The USA wins the Philippines (besides Cuba and Puerto Rico) from Spain 1899: British Malaysia exports almost half of the world's tin 1899: Holland conquers Aceh but the leaders continue a guerrilla war 1900: The exports of Holland's Indonesia have more than doubled in 30 years 1900: Raden Adjeng Kartini founds a school for girls in Indonesia 1900: British investors revolutionize the rubber industry of Malaysia that has been until now dominated by the Chinese 1904: Holland invades the kingdom of Jambi in Indonesia 1904: Phan Boi Chau founds the Vietnamese Reformation Society and leads protests against the French 1906: Holland invades Bali 1907: Holland breaks the last resistance of Aceh's old leaders in Indonesia, thereby completing the conquest of Sumatra 1907: Siam surrenders to France the Cambodian province around Angkor 1907: The boom of rubber makes Malaysia rich, attracting immigrants from China and India 1908: Holland invades the kingdom of Bali in Indonesia 1908: Waidin Sudira Usada founds the first nationalist association of Indonesia, Budi Utomo 1909: A treaty between Siam and Britain assigns Kedah and other northern Malaysian states to Britain, that now controls the Straits Settlements (Singapore, Melaka, Penang), the Malay federation (Negri Sembilan, Perak, Selangor and Pahang) and the unfederated states of Kedah, Johore, etc 1910: Siam's king Rama V dies and is succeeded by his son Maha Vajiravudh 1911: Omar Said Tjokro Aminoto founds Sarekat Islam in Indonesia, an Islamic movement whose main target are the Chinese traders that exploit the Muslim batik workers 1917: Siam allies with Great Britain during World War I 1917: Holland's "Culture System" for coffee is abandoned, ending the era of forced cultures in Indonesia 1920: British Malaysia exports more than 50% of the world's rubber 1921: Semaun founds the Communist Party of Indonesia (Perserikatan Komunist India) 1925: Siam's king Vajiravudh dies and is succeeded by his brother Prajadhipok, the 76th child of their father 1927: Achmad Sukarno founds the Nationalist Party (Perserikatan National Indonesia) with the mission to gain independence for Indonesia 1929: Holland arrests Achmad Sukarno 1929: Oil is discovered in Brunei 1930: Nguyen Ai Quoc/ Ho Chi Minh founds the Indochinese Communist Party 1930: Anti-French riots in Vietnam 1932: King Prajadhipok of Siam (Thailand) is overthrown by PridiBanomyong and a constitution is introduced 1933: Another coup in Siam installs general Pya Bahol new head of the country 1935: The USA grants the Philippines independence and Manuel Quezon becomes the first president 1937: Britain makes Burma a separate colony from India 1938: Malaysia produces 29% of the world's tin 1938: parliament forces Pya Bahol to resign and Pibun Songgram is appointed prime minister of Siam/Thailand 1939: Siam changes its name to Thailand 1939: Ho Chi Minh's communist movement renamed itself the Viet Minh, against Japan 1940: Japan invades Vietnam 1940: Thailand under Pibun allies with Japan 1941: Japan invades the Philippines 1941: The Chinese constitute the majority of the population in Singapore, while Malaysia is 49% Malay, 38% Chinese and 13% Indian 1941: The University of Batavia is founded in Indonesia 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 Java 1942: Japan invades Singapore 1942: Thailand declares war on Britain and invades Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia 1942: Japan occupies Cambodia 1942: Japan invades Burma 1943: Japan declares Burma's independence under a puppet regime 1943: Japan declares the independence of the Philippines under a puppet regime 1943: Japan appoints Sukarno in charge of Java's government 1944: The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL), led by Aung San, fights the Japanese occupation 1944: Thailand's prime minister Pibun is replaced by Pridi 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: Sukarno repels a communist coup in Java 1946: King Ananda of Thailand is assassinated and Phibun Songkhram becomes dictator 1946: In Cambodia communist guerrillas begin a liberation war against France 1946: In Malaysia the communism party is banned 1947: National Burmese hero Aung San is assassinated 1947: A coup reinstalls Pibun as prime minister of Thailand 1948: Burma becomes independent with U Nu as prime minister and Sao Shwe Thaik as president 1948: The Federation of Malaysia is born under British rule but communists stage violent uprisings 1948: France appoints emperor Bao Dai as president of Vietnam 1948: Khuang Aphaiwong wins national elections in Thailand 1949: Holland recognises the independence of the Republik Indonesia Serikat (United States of Indonesia), comprising Sukarno's state in Java 1949: The Karen launch an insurrection against the central government of Burma 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 1974: Portugal surrenders East Timor to Indonesia 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. 1984: Brunei declares its independence from Britain 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: telecommunication tycoon 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 begin an insurrection 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: The population of Java is 124 million 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, accused of corruption 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 2007: Japan signs a free-trade agreement with ASEAN 2008: Crash of the stock markets worldwide, triggered by the collapse of USA banks December 2008: mass protests by the "yellow shirts" force the government of Somchai Wongsawat to resign in Thailand and British born Abhisit Vejjajiva is appointed prime minister, causing the "red shirts" to start mass protests December 2008: the village of Renokenongo is submerged after drilling causes the eruption of a mud volcano December 2008: more than 50 people are killed in a fire that breaks out in a Bangkok nightclub Jan 2009: a ferry capsizes off Sulawesi (Indonesia) killing 250 people Jun 2009: 3,700 people have died in southern Thailand because of the Muslim separatist movement since 2004 TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. |
| (Copyright © 1999 Piero Scaruffi) |