Focuses on modern Southeast Asia since the end of the colonial period exploring the turbulent shifts between dictatorship and democracy which shape much of the political experiences of the region; surveys the rise of military regimes and the politicisation of the army, the pro-democracy movements, communist insurgencies and rebellion, and the civil wars which threatened to break up the new unions - from the centuries old Muslim separatist movement in southern Philippines to the current issue of East Timor. The regimes of Marcos, Sukarno and Suharto, Mahathir, Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Chok Tong, and Ne Win provide some case studies from which to analyse the problematics of corruption, nepotism, regime violence and torture.