Adam Matthew Digital announces publication of module I of ‘Foreign Office Files for Southeast Asia, 1963-1980’

In the post-WWII period as the Vietnam War raged on, the threat of communism grew, and the influence of Western Empires diminished, Foreign Office Files for Southeast Asia, 1963-1980 Section I: Cold War in the Pacific, Trade Relations, and the Post-Independence Period, 1963-1966, offers an insight into the region’s struggle for independence against a backdrop of conflict and a shifting political landscape.

With material drawn from the National Archives, UK, this product provides a Western view of events through official British government documents and records covering the wider region and the rising animosity towards the perceived threat of communism at the time. There is a particular emphasis on the turbulent creation of Malaysia, alongside the release of the Cobbold Commission report, the end of the Malayan Emergency, and the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation.

“This fascinating collection of primary source documents will be an invaluable resource for academic researchers as well as students working in depth on post-war Southeast Asia, including topics such as the creation of Malaysia and Western relations with Indonesia.  Particularly impressive is the comprehensiveness of the coverage, which includes not only Foreign Office files, but records drawn from the Commonwealth Relations Office, as British diplomats and officials grappled with the end of formal empire, an assertive Asian nationalism, and the intrusion of Cold War pressures on a region undergoing profound transformation.”

Matthew Jones, Head of Department of International History, London School of Economics

This product covers a broad range of events during these pivotal decades for the region. Click here to find out more or to arrange free trial access: https://www.amdigital.co.uk/primary-sources/foreign-office-files-for-southeast-asia-1963-1980