British Empire - South-East Asia

By seamusgallagher

  • North Borneo Chartered Company founded

    Operated trade in present-day Malaya, specialising in coal, iron and tobacco. Formed to fend off the challenge of other European powers to British economic supremacy.

  • France add Laos to French Indochina

    Originating with the French Cambodian protectorate in 1863, France added its Vietnamese territories to create Indochina in 1887. This prompted Britain to compete with their acquisitions of Malaya and Burma

  • Britain lose control of Singapore, Malaya, Burma and Hong Kong

  • Aung San's Burma Independence Army support the British

    Also called the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League, they had initially fought against the British during the war.

  • Britain recapture Singapore from the Japanese

  • Malayan Union established

    11 provinces including various ethnicities were ruled by the Sultan. Opposition came from Onn Jafar's United Malays National Organisation, who said that the Union undermined Malay rights and was created without the consultation of local people. A campaign of civil disobedience was launched.

  • Assassination of Aung San

    Campaigning for Burmese independence, San was killed by soldiers hired by former Prime Minister U Saw. British Army Captain David Vivian was imprisoned for selling arms to U Saw. Along with 6 other members of his Cabinet.

  • Burma achieves independence

    Aung San had played a key role in negotiations for independence before his death.

  • Federation of Malaya established

    Reinstated the traditional rulers' power and preserved Malay rights, despite this the Malayan Emergency would break out merely a few months later. The Malaysian independence movement would soon splinter between the UMNO, Chinese and communists.

  • Legislative Council created in Singapore

    Comprised of elected and appointed members included Singaporeans. Island, 50km wide

  • State of Emergency declared in Malaya

    The Malayan National Liberation Army (MRLA) waged a guerilla war, assassinating 3 Europeans. These Malayan communists fought against British and Anzac forces. The emergency would cost the lives of 6,710 communists.

  • Assassination of Henry Gurney, High Commissioner of Malaya

    Malayan Communist Party ambush.

  • Malaya achieves independence as Federation of Malaya

    Prime Minister Tunku Rahman led the country despite the ongoing conflict.

  • Singapore achieves self-government

    The leadership of Lim Yew Hock convinced the British that communism was not a threat in Singapore, and he was rewarded with self-government.

  • Malayan Emergency concludes

    The communist insurgency had been defeated.

  • Singapore joins Federation of Malaya

  • Singapore expelled from Federation of Malaya, becomes independent

    Political tensions between Singapore's parties and the Kuala Lumpur federal government, as well as ethnic tensions between Singapore's Chinese and Malayan populations forced their expulsion. Singapore thus became an independent nation in its own right. Lee Kuan Yew was an authoritarian Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990.