Historical Treaties of Southeast Asia
A research program in global diplomatic history
Historical Treaties of Southeast Asia is a collaborative research program in Global Diplomatic History financed by the Swedish Research Council and running from 2022 until the end of 2027.
A team of seven researchers based in Europe and Southeast Asia investigate the role of treaties and treaty-making in the imperial expansion and colonisation of Southeast Asia from the eighteenth to the early and twentieth century.
The researchers systematically analyse all bilateral treaties concluded between a European, American or Japanese imperial power and a Southeast Asian polity between the eighteenth and early twentieth century. In addition, a selected number of diplomatic treaty-making processes are studied in detail. In doing so, the project aims to bring about a new and more nuanced understanding modern imperialism of relevance not only to Southeast Asia but globally.
Conference Update: A Strong Response to Treaties and Tributes 2027
The submission deadline for Treaties and Tributes: Asian Agency and Performativity in Cross-Cultural Diplomacy, c. 1400–1975, to be held at Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand, on 19–21 February 2027, has now passed.
Sebatik Island and the Legacies of Colonial-Era Treaties
Ariel Lopez offers a brief reflection on how colonial-era border agreements continue to shape everyday life and mobility on Sebatik Island, situated between Indonesia and Malaysia.
19
Feb
Thammasat University, Bangkok
