Political Change in South-East Asia takes up the debate between those who resist the pressure for democracy and point to unchanging 'Asian' values, and those who believe that the appeal of democracy is universal.
The author examines the case for both sides and concludes that the strong state will be a fixture of South-East Asian politics for some considerable time to come. Increasingly close links between the ten states of South-East Asia are likely to reinforce perceptions of a common culture and in the end put up more effective defences against external cultural influence.

Political Change in South-East Asia takes up the debate between those who resist the pressure for democracy and point to unchanging 'Asian' values, and those who believe that the appeal of democracy is universal.
The author examines the case for both sides and concludes that the strong state will be a fixture of South-East Asian politics for some considerable time to come. Increasingly close links between the ten states of South-East Asia are likely to reinforce perceptions of a common culture and in the end put up more effective defences against external cultural influence.

This revised third edition provides an analysis of Suharto's New Order from its inception to the emergence of B.J. Habibie as President. The author reassesses the New Order's origins and its military roots and evaluates the considerable economic changes that have taken place since the 1960s. He examines Suharto's politics and, in a new chapter, the reasons behind the crisis and Suharto's fall.

A powerful examination of the conflicts in Southeast Asia that risk destabilising its remarkable development.