In Vietnam, during the late years of World War II, young revolutionary Thái Dịch Lý Đông A provided a vision of a federation of all Southeast Asian countries which he called the Federation of the Great South Sea (Đại Nam Hải). He constantly emphasized the need to integrate South East Asia and aspired for the outbreak by all peoples in the region to resolve impasses of the time leading to a fight for self-determination. Regrettably, Lý Đông A was assassinated by Vietnam communist shortly after World War II and his contention for an integrated South East Asia was in time forgotten.
In general, during the initial period, we observe that from Filipino intellectuals, first to seek to learn from the West, came politicians who had a longer vision and better understanding of relative positions among nations or national blocs in international politics. Thus, initial notions of integration were born here first, albeit motivated by a desire to be “regional leaders” and notwithstanding Filipinos limited understanding of Western civilization.
Thai leaders were clearly more myopic in using Japan to dispel British-French imperialists, especially the French on the eastern side, hoping in the best case to take the whole Southeast Asian subcontinent and the worst case some of Laos and Kampuchea territory.
As Lý Đông Á rightly observed: “The Great Thai doctrine is no more than the Great Viet doctrine that’s born premature, and can be likened to a fascist paradigm. Thailand is simply Japan’s lackey. Thai no longer determines its own fate, which is dependent on Japan. If Japan wins, Thailand might take some small parts of our territory…”
However, Lý Đông A also believed that if Japan lost, Japan (and Thailand) would become secret supporters of the revival and restoration of Vietnam. In reality, whether it followed the fascist’s policy of vertical strength through arms in the world war, or the capitalist’s policy of horizontal strength economy, Japan has never given up its imperialist intention toward our Southeast Asia.
