A timeline of Indochina and Indonesia

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A timeline of Indochina and Indonesia

10,000 BC: Domestication of plants in Thailand 
4,000 BC: Metallurgy in Thailand 
206 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) 
1380: Muslim traders invade the Philippines and impose Islam on Mindanao 
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 
1512: Johore (south Malaysia) becomes a sultanate 
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 
1524: Mughayat Shah defeats the Portuguese in Sumatra and conquers Aceh in Sumatra 
1526: Portuguese explorer Jorge de Meneses is the first European to set foot in New Guinea 
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 
1594: The world's first Chinatown is established in the Philippine capital Manila 
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 
1660: The Dutch East Indies Company claims New Guinea 
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 
1791: The British acquire Penang 
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 
1812: End of Johore's sultanate 
1815: at the end of the Napoleonic wars, Britain returns the colonies to Holland and Indonesia becomes a colony of Holland 
Apr 1815: Mt Tambora erupts in Indonesia 
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, who adopts the Chinese model of centralized bureaucracy 
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 
1824: Britain recognizes Dutch rule on the western half of New Guinea 
1825: A prince of Jogyakarta, Dipo Negoro/ Dipanegara, 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 introduces a "Culture System" to tightly regulate what each district produces 
1830: The population of Java is seven 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 
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 
1860: Korean peasant mystic Choe Cheu founds a new religion, "Tonghak 
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 
1864: The Dutch parliament assumes direct control of the Dutch Indies and introduces capitalist reforms that benefit entrepreneurs over princes 
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 
1866: Koreans massacre French missionaries and France bombs Korea 
1867: France signs a treaty with Siam recognizing French rule over Cambodia and France recognizing Siam's rule over Angkor 
1867: Holland confiscates the lands of the princes who act as regents in Java 
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 
1884: Germany claims northeastern New Guinea, while Britain claims the southeastern part 
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 of Thibaw Min, burns the royal treasury and unites Burma with British Burma 
1887: The French colonies of Cochin China, Annam, Cambodia and Tongking are united as the Indochinese Union 
1888: Britain declares Sarawak and Brunei in Borneo a British protectorate 
1888: Muslims stage an insurrection in western Java 
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 
1891: Eugene Dubois discovers the skull of an ancient hominid ("Pithecantropus Erectus") in Java 
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 
Aug 1896: Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio begin a war of independence against Spain 
1896: Britain organizes a federation of Malay states with Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Negri 
1897: Britain organizes the first conference of Malay rulers in history 
1897: China cedes Kokang to Britain's Burma 
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 
Jan 1899: Emilio Aguinaldo leads a rebellion against the USA in the Philippines 
1899: Germany moves its operations from New Guinea to the Bismarck Archipelago 
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: The population of Java is 28.4 million, quadrupled since 1830 thanks to the agricultural boom of the "culture system" 
1900: British investors revolutionize the rubber industry of Malaysia that has been until now dominated by the Chinese 
Apr 1902: The Filipino rebels surrender to the USA in the Philippines after 220,000 Filipinos have been killed 
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 
1906: Burmese intellectuals found the Young Men's Buddhist Association in Burma, a nationalist anti-British movement 
1906: British New Guinea is assigned to Australia 
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 
1912: Hajji Ahmad Dahlan founds the Muhammadiya Sarekat Islam while Haji Samanhudi and Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto found Sarekat Islam, the two main Muslim movements in Dutch Java
1914: The Dutch consolidate all the Indies under one government 
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 
1920: Britain obtains northeastern New Guinea from Germany 
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 
May 1930: Ba Thoung founds the communist and nationalist Dobama Asiayone Movement or Thakin in Burma 
1930: Vietnamese intellectual Ho Chi Minh founds the Indochinese Communist Party and organizes anti-French riots in Vietnam 
Apr 1930: The Malay Communist Party is founded 
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 
1935: Britain makes Burma a separate colony from India and grants it a parliamentary system with Ba Maw as prime minister 
1937: Aung San becomes the charismatic leader of the communist Thakins in Burma 
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 
Aug 1940: Burmese nationalist Aung San flees Burma to 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 
Dec 1941: The Burmese communist militia under Aung San joins the Japanese 
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 
Aug 1943: Ba Maw unilaterally declares the independence of Burma from Britain 
Nov 1943: Japan creates a unified Muslim organization in Java, as Muslims support the Japanese against the Dutch 
1944: Thailand's prime minister Pibun is replaced by Pridi 
Mar 1945: The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL), led by Aung San, turns against the Japanese 
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 
May 1946: Dato Onn bin Jafar founds the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) to fight British colonialism 
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 
Jul 1947: National Burmese hero Aung San is assassinated by order of former prime minister U Saw 
1947: A coup reinstalls Pibun as prime minister of Thailand 
Mar 1947: Chin Peng is elected leader of the Malay Communist Party 
Jan 1948: Burma becomes independent with U Nu as prime minister and Sao Shwe Thaik as president but the Karens determine to fight for their own independence 
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 
Dec 1948: British troops massacre 24 ethnic Chinese at Batang Kali in Malaysia 
Dec 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 
1951: Malaysia's civil war against the British kills more than one thousand people including the British governor Henry Gurney 
1952: A British newspaper publishes pictures of atrocities committed by British troops in Malaysia against ethnic Chinese rebels 
1953: King Sihanouk declares independence in Cambodia from France 
1953: North Vietnam launches a "land reform" campaign that will kill more than 200,000 people in 4 years 
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) 
1954: Lee Kuan Yew founds the socialist-leaning People's Action Party in the British colony of Singapore 
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) 
1955: Indonesia holds the first conference of non-aligned countries, the Afro-Asian conference, with 29 countries (including India's prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, China's Zou Enlai, Egypt's president Gamal Abdel Nasser, but only 4 independent African countries) 
1955: An alliance of UMNO, Malayan Chinese Association and Malayan Indian Congress win a landslide victory in Malaysia's elections 
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 
Feb 1957: Sukarno of Indonesia launches "nasakom", a mix of nationalism, Islam and communism as opposed to parliamentary democracy 
Aug 1957: Malaysia becomes independent and Tunku Abdul Rahman becomes its first prime minister 
1957: Indonesian students are invited by the Ford Foundation to study Economics at UC Berkeley in California (the "Berkeley mafia") br>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 
1959: Lee Kuan Yew's People's Action Party wins democratic elections in the British colony of Singapore 
1960: The USA offer military assistance to South Vietnam 
1960: Singapore has high unemployment and poor education 
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 Economic Development Board is established in Singapore to guide economic growth and an industrial park is created by finance minister Goh Keng Swee 
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, 
June 1963: Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc sets himself on fire in a busy street of Saigon to protest against the pro-Catholic South Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh Diem 
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 in Vietnam 
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 
Aug 1965: Lee Kuan Yew becomes prime minister of the newly independent state of Singapore 
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 
Oct 1965: A failed coup by generals against Indonesia's Sukarno is used as a pretext by his general Suharto to unleash a campaign against the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) that kills 500,000 people 
1965: Ferdinand Marcos becomes dictator of the Philippines 
Mar 1966: Sukarno is stripped of his powers and his general Mohammed Suharto de facto seizes power in Indonesia 
Oct 1966: Suharto enacts economic reforms in Indonesia designed by the "Berkeley mafia" 
1967: The USA increase its presence in South Vietnam to 500,000 soldiers 
1967: Widjojo Nitisastro, the senior member of the "Berkeley mafia", is appointed Minister of Planning in Indonesia 
1967: Cambodia crushes the Samlauth revolt 
1967: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is founded by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand 
Jan 1968: The Vietcong and North Vietnam (the "Tet Offensive") begin a joint attack against the USA in South Vietnam 
1968: Singapore launches a plan to woe foreign multinationals 
Mar 1968: US troops massacre 500 civilians at My Lai 
1969: The USA begins a secret bombing campaign of Cambodia that will kill tens of thousands of peasants 
1969: Texas Instruments, National and Fairchild open plants in Singapore 
May 1969: Chinese and Malays riot in Malaysia (177 people are killed), leading Mahathir Mohamad to start an anti-Chinese campaign 
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: Tunku 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 
1971: Malaysia's prime minister Abdul Razak introduces racial preference for majority Malays to stem the economic influence of the ethnic Chinese population (the "NEP") 
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 
Dec 197Dec 1975: Indonesia invades East Timor and annexes it, while Fretilin (Frente Revolucion ria de Timor-Leste Independente) starts a liberation war 
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 of the GAM 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 
1977: Mahathir Mohamad is appointed minister of finance 
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: Indonesia appoints Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie minister for research and technology to promote high-tech projects 
1978: The Hai Hong, an old cargo boat overloaded with refugees trying to leave Vietnam, becomes the first internationally known case of "boat people" 
1978: British New Guinea becomes the independent state of Papua New Guinea 
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: Malaysia's finance minister Mahathir Mohamad creates the Heavy Industries Corporation of Malaysia Berhad (HICOM) to promote heavy industry 
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 
1981: East Asia has the highest poverty rate in the world 
1983: Benigno Aquino returns to the Philippines and is murdered 
1983: The "Berkeley mafia" deregulates Indonesia's economy to attract international capital 
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 
1984: Indonesia becomes self-sufficient in rice for the first time in its history 
1985: Hun Sen becomes prime minister of Cambodia 
1985: Economic boom of the Asian "tigers" (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia) 
1985: Malaysia's Proton introduces its first car 
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 
August 1988: Anti-government riots in Burma/Myanmar leave 6000 dead, mostly students of Paw Oo Tun's organization ("8888" demonstrations) 
1988: General Chatichai Choonhaven replaces Prem at the helm of Thailand 
1988: The Bougainville Revolutionary Army begins an insurrection in Papua New Guinea 
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: Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Philippines 
1991: Anwar Ibrahim is appointed finance minister in Malaysia 
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: The Moro National Liberation Front, the main Muslim movement fighting for Muslim self rule in the Mindanao region, accepts peace talks with the Philipino government, but a hard-line splinter group of radical Muslims who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, creates Abu Sayyaf (named after an Afghan mujahedin hero) unleashing a campaign of bombings, massacres and kidnappings 
1992: Burmese druglord Lo Hsing Han founds Asia World, that goes on to become a multinational conglomerate 
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: Malaysia announces the "Multimedia Super Corridor" 
1995: Vietnam joins ASEAN 
1995: Suharto of Indonesia appoints Prabowo Subianto as head of the Kopassus, Indonesia's secret police 
1996: The inauguration of the Petrona Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the tallest buildings in the world, mark the economic success of Malaysia 
1996: Malaysia's Proton purchases British sport car manufacturer Lotus 
1996: Malaysia embarks in the construction of the Multimedia Supercorridor 
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: Serial killer Ahmad Suradji is arrested in Indonesia after killing 42 women 
1997: Thailand introduces a democratic constitution that shifts the balance of power from the Bangkok minority to the rural majority 
1997: Laos joins ASEAN 
1997: Tran Duc Luong becomes president of Vietnam 
1997: Burma joins ASEAN 
Jul 1997: The stock markets and currencies of Southeast Asia (the "Asian tigers") melt down 
1997: Tran Duc Luong is appointed president of Vietnam by the communist party 
1998: Pol Pot dies 
1998: South Korea's GDP shrinks by 7%, Thailand's by 10%, Indonesia's 13%, while unemployment triples in Thailand, quadruples in South Korea and multiplies tenfold in Indonesia
1998: Mahathir fires Anwar Ibrahim in Malaysia 
1998: Vietnam joins the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 
May 1998: Riots that kill 1,188 people (mostly directed against the Chinese ethnic group and probably architected by Prabowo's Kopassus) cause the fall of the Suharto regime in Indonesia with the generals choosing Jusuf Habibie as the caretaker president who relieves Prabowo of the command of Kopassus 
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: Malaysia arrests Anwar Ibrahim, now a dissident, on charges of corruption and sodomy 
1999: East Timor becomes independent under the protection of the United Nations after almost 200,000 people have been killed in the war against Indonesia 
1999: a ferry sinks killing over 200 people in Bangladesh 
Jun 1999: Indonesia holds its first democratic election under the government of Jusuf Habibie and parliament elects Abdurrahman Wahid (leader of the largest Muslim organization and grandson of its founder) as the new president 
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 the first democratically elected 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 
2002: Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army sign a peace agreement 
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 southern 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, a former Suharto general, 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 
2004: The USA and Singapore sign a free-trade treaty 
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: A general, Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, stages a coup against Thailand's prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, accused of corruption and abuse of power 
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 ("Saffron Revolution") 
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 
May 2008: A cyclone kills 135,000 people in Myanmar 
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 
Apr 2009: Malaysia's prime minister Abdullah Badawi is replaced by Najib Razak 
2009: Andal Ampatuan masterminds a mass killing in Philippines' Mindanao of 58 people, including 32 journalists 
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 
Jul 2009: Seven people are killed by two suicide bombers in two blasts at luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital Jakarta 
Jul 2009: the USA accuses Burma/Myanmar of importing nuclear technology from North Korea 
Oct 2009: Aceh in Indonesia introduces shariha law 
Nov 2009: 57 people (supporters of Philippine politician Ismael Mangudadatu and opposed to Maguindanao's governor) are massacred in the Philippines 
Jan 2010: Muslims attack Christian churches in Malaysia 
Feb 2010: Former general U Thein Sein is appointed president, ending the 20-year old dictatorship of general Than Shwe and beginning democratic reforms 
Apr 2010: 21 people die in anti-government protests by the "red shirt" movement in Thailand 
Apr 2010: At least 20 people are killed by bombs in Yangoon, Burma 
May 2010: Benigno Aquino wins national elections in the Philippines 
May 2010: Indonesia uncovers a plot by Islamic terrorists to kill the president 
Nov 2010: Myanmar/Burma's dissident Suu Kyi is freed by the ruling junta 
Nov 2010: Almost 400 people are killed in a stampede during a festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia 
Dec 2010: Singapore's economy expands by 14.7% in 2010 
Apr 2011: Border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia kill soldiers on both sides 
Jun 2011: Vietnam and mainland China trade accusations over oil exploration in the South China Sea 
Aug 2011: Yingluck Shinawatra, the younger sister of billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, is elected by Thailand's parliament as the country's first female prime minister 
Aug 2011: The Philippines government holds peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Kuala Lumpur after more than 150,000 people have been killed in 40 years of insurrection 
Oct 2011: The world's population is 7 billion 
Jan 2012: Most of Myanmar's political dissidents are released from jail and the opposition is legalized 
May 2012: Riots between Muslims and Buddhists leave hundreds of people dead in western Burma/Myanmar 
Aug 2012: Danilo Medina is elected president of the Philippines 
Sep 2012: Myanmar's president U Thein Sein announces a plan to expel Muslims, backed by Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu and his 969 movement, causing a humanitarian crisis after more than 100,000 Muslims are herded into concentration camps and more than 100,000 flee the country 
Oct 2012: The Philippines and the Moro rebel group sign a peace agreement 
Nov 2012: Dozens of people are killed in violence between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas in the Rakhine state of Myanmar 
Nov 2012: Barack Obama is the first president of the USA to visit Myanmar/Burma 
Mar 2013: Buddhists kill scores of Muslims in Myanmar's Sit Kwin 
Jul 2013: Burma/Myanmar signs a peace treaty with the Wa rebels of Shan state 
Oct 2013: Indonesia arrests the chief justice of the constitutional court, Akil Mochtar, for corruption 
Oct 2013: A Malaysian court has ruled that non-Muslims cannot use the word Allah to refer to God 
Oct 2013: The sultan of Brunei enacts a code of law based on Islamic shariia 
Nov 2013: Thousands of protesters led by Suthep Thaugsuban (representing the "yellow-shirt" Bangkok-based establishment) demand the resignations of Thailand's prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra (the "red-shirt" movement, mainly representing the rural poor) despite the fact that the majority of the population supports her 
2013: Philippine's GDP grows 7.2%, one of the highest growth rates in the world 
Jan 2014: The Thai government imposes a 60-day state of emergency in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces 
Jan 2014: The Philippine army kills about 37 rebels in the Maguindanao province who oppose a peace accord between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front 
Jan 2014: The opposition led by Suthep Thaugsuban disrupts national elections asking to abolish democracy 
Mar 2014: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the Philippines signs a peace deal with the government 
Apr 2014: A South Korean ferry sinks killing hundreds of people 
May 2014: Thailand's Constitutional Court orders prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and several of her ministers to step down on abuse of power charges and Thailand's army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha stages a military coup and bans all political activity 
May 2014: Angry at China for moving a drilling rig into Vietnamese waters, mobs of Vietnamese people set on fire 15 foreign-owned factories 
Jul 2014: Jakarta's governor Joko Widodo ("Jokowi") wins elections over Suharto's son-in-law Prabowo Subianto and becomes president of Indonesia 
Jul 2014: Abu Sayyaf gunmen attacked Filipino civilians celebrating the end of Ramadan, killing 21 
Aug 2014: Thailand's parliament votes to appoint junta leader general Prayuth Chan-ocha who led the military coup as prime minister 
Jan 2015: Members of both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) kill 37 police officers in the Philippines 
Feb 2015: Kachin's warlord Phone Kyar Shin (Peng Jiasheng) attacks the Burmese army in Kokang killing more than 130 people 
Mar 2015: Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew dies 
Jul 2015: The head of Vietnam's communist party, Nguyen Phu Trong, visits the USA 
Jul 2015: Thailand deports 100 wanted Uighurs to China 
Aug 2015: Bombs set by a Muslim from China's Xinjiang, Abudusataer Abudureheman, kill 20 people in Thailand's capital Bangkok 
Nov 2015: Suu Kyi's party wins Myanmar/Burma's first democratic election 
Nov 2015: A landslide kills more than 100 people in an open mine in Myanmar 
Dec 2015: Indonesia foils a terrorist attack planned by ISIS against Shiites and Christmas 
Dec 2015: 6,500 people have died in southern Thailand because of the Muslim separatist movement since 2004 
Jan 2016: ISIS terrorists, masterminded by Bahrun Naim, attack the Indonesian capital Jakarta but manage to kill only two people 
Jan 2016: Myanmar's parliament elects Htin Kyaw of Suu Kyi's party as the first civilian president since the military seized power 
2016: Myanmar is the world's fastest-growing economy 
May 2016: Anti-crime politician Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte wins the Philippine presidential elections 
May 2016: The USA lifts the arms trade embargo against Vietnam 
Jul 2016: The Philippines win a legal case against China's annexation of the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea 
Aug 2016: Eight bombs kill 4 tourists in Thailand 
Aug 2016: More than 1,900 people are killed in two months during president Duterte's war on drugs 
Sep 2016: A bomb by Abu Sayyaf kills 14 people in the Philippine city of Davao after the government launches a military operation against it 
Oct 2016: Nine Myanmar police officers are killed in attacks by Muslim insurgents on posts along the border with Bangladesh, and in retaliation the military cracks down on the Rohingya minority, with thousands fleeing into Bangladesh 
Nov 2016: Three ethnic Burmese armed groups (the Kachin Independence Army, Ta'ang National Liberation Army and Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army) launch attacks on military outposts and police stations across Myanmar's northeastern Shan state 
Dec 2016: Amnesty International denounces ethnic cleansing by Myanmar's military against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine (killings, rape and torture) 
Dec 2016: 6,500 people have been killed in political violence in Muslim southern Thailand since 2004 
Jan 2017: Muslim civil-rights lawyer Ko Ni is murdered in Myanmar's capital Yangon 
Apr 2017: An oil pipeline from a Myanmar port to China becomes operational 
Jun 2017: Isnilon Hapilon's Islamists occupy the town of Marawi in the Philippines 
Aug 2017: Rohingya militants attack 30 police stations in Myanmar and the military responds by killing more than 6,700 Rohingyas and causing the exodus of more than 600,000 to Bangladesh 
Aug 2017: Thailand's former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra flees to Dubai just hours before a verdict is read against her 
Sep 2017: Cambodia arrests opposition leader Kem Sokha 
Oct 2017: The Philippines kills Isnilon Hapilon, Abu Sayyaf militant and ISIS' leader in southeast Asia 
Mar 2018: Eleven Asia-Pacific countries sign the trade pact formerly known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, NewZealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam) 
Apr 2018: Vietnam jails prominent activists including lawyer Nguyen Van Dai