Japan and Vietnam's Caodaists: A Wartime Relationship (1939–45)
The study describes an asymmetric relationship between Vietnamese Caodaists, followers of the Cao Dai religion, and the Japanese during World War Two. The Caodaists maintained a pro-Japanese stance throughout the occupation, based on their judgement that they could in this way advance the nationalist cause and achieve independence from French rule. The position of the Caodaists immediately after the end of World War Two was adversely affected as a result of their wartime collaboration.
Japanese Military Policy towards French Indochina during the Second World War: The Road to the Meigo Sakusen (9 March 1945)
The Japanese occupied the Philippines in 1941, and Burma and Indonesia in 1942. French Indochina, then called Futsuin by the Japanese, continued to remain in French hands until 9 March 1945. It seemed to present a contrasting picture vis-à-vis Japanese policies in other Asian countries and to contradict the declared policy as expressed in the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” (in Japanese Dai-Tōa-Kyoei-Ken). On 9 March, however, this was reversed by the Japanese military action, which disarmed the French Indochinese Army. This action has come to be known as the Meigo Sakusen (Meigo [bright moon] Action).
Southeast Asia in World War II : four essays
ter's insights and obvious familiarity with the main themes connected with "nation-building," factual errors, overemphasis on Malaysia as compared with other Southeast Asian countries, and superficial generalizations contained in the book deter this reviewer from recommending it to a general readership interested in a brief over-all look at the problems of the Southeast Asian region. In specific, Theravada Buddhism has not "formally replaced Confucianism" in South Vietnam (p. 26), and Thonburi, not Chonburi, is the twin city of Bangkok (p. 90). In addition, although some discussion is devoted to all countries in Southeast Asia except Laos and North Vietnam, disproportionate attention is given to Malaysia. The potential reader should be forewarned that the title belies the contents of the book. Inadequate knowledge of Southeast Asia as a whole together with some a priori reasoning underlie the large number of oversimplifications which would also mislead the general reader. For example, in a discussion of national language, Hunter states that "the main effect of independence was naturally to upgrade the language of the dominant group which came to power" (p. 120). He applies this conclusion equally to Indonesia where a new "national" language was developed, Malaysia where "Malay," the native tongue of only some of the variegated Malay groups who live in the country, still competes with English as a national language, Thailand which lacks a colonial past, and Cambodia and Vietnam where the language of the dominant indigenous populace was never seriously threatened. At the risk of appearing ethnocentric, I would also wonder whether a balanced treatment of foreign aid to Southeast Asia (cf. pp. 147-48) can be given with such scarce mention of American military and economic assistance in the region. His final conclusions are also disconcertingly facile: "For the mass will not remain passive for many more years; the education which is spreading will see to that. If opportunity is not more widely spread, the appeal of Communism becomes overwhelming" (p. 160). In short, South-East Asia—Race, Culture, and Nation is disappointing. There is a need for a book for interested nonspecialists which updates the ideas discussed twenty years ago by Cora du Bois in her Social Forces in South755