'Japanese Rule, In Southeast Asia, Simply Exchanged One Externally- Based Power For Another.' Discuss The Validity Of This Statement
While it is generally accepted that the Japanese invasion and occupation turned Southeast Asia upside down, the nature, extent and permanence of the changes of these years have been viewed from sharply differing angles. While many have judged it to have been the climacteric in the modern history of Southeast Asia, contrasting images jostle for attention. One is of a dark age of barbarism quenching the 'Roman' legacy of colonial government. Another is of the dawn of a new age, heralding the triumph of national self-determination. There are also those who are less inclined to be startled by big bangs and prefer an interpretation that places more emphasis on continuous development. By examining the nature and effects of the Japanese Occupation on Southeast Asia, it will be shown that the above statement is only true with regards to the nature of Japanese rule. As an interpretation of the effects of the Japanese Occupation, the view fails to stand up to close scrutiny.
In terms actual control and rule, as the view suggests, it is true that Japanese rule hardly differed from Western colonial rule and was akin to the exchange of one externally-based power for another.
Politically, the impact on administration was minimal In each state vacated by Europeans, the Japanese inherited and utilized institutions and instruments that came to hand. In Indochina the Japanese retained French officials until March 1945, Governor-General Decoux arguing that in this way France saved its colonies. In the Philippines, where Filipinos had managed affairs since the inauguration of the Commonwealth in 1935, the local elite continued in post, and in other parts of the region where Southeast Asians had occupied junior echelons of government, local officials were advanced to fill gaps at higher levels.
Similarly, former critics of colonialism and nationalist politicians who previously had either been imprisoned by Europeans or fled from...
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