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Changing Times in
Southeast Asia
As you have read, many countries in Southeast Asia have undergone
revolutionary changes in their political and social organization. The
region continues to struggle with its past and to face new challenges,
but democratic reforms are becoming more common.
The past and present exist side by side throughout much of
Southeast Asia. For an increasing number of Southeast Asians, housing,
transportation, even purchasing food are a mixture of old and new.
These images explore the differences between traditional and modern,
rich and poor, past and present.
RESEARCH LINKSFor more on life in
Southeast Asia, go to classzone.com
Housing
The luxury apartment building (background) in
Jakarta, Indonesia, towers over the shabby and
polluted slum of Muarabaru (foreground).
Indonesia declared its independence in 1945, but
was not recognized by the United Nations until- Since independence, Indonesians have
enjoyed relative economic prosperity, but bridging
the gap between rich and poor is an issue that
faces Indonesia and much of Southeast Asia.
▲▼Transportation
The water buffalo-drawn cart (shown
above) is a common sight in rural Thailand.
It is a mode of transport that reaches deep
into the past.
In Bangkok, Thailand (shown below)—
with its cars, motorcycles, and public buses—
transportation is a very different thing.
These distinctly past and present modes of
transportation symbolize the changes many
Southeast Asian countries are facing.▲