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Southeast Asian arts, the literary, performing, and visual arts of Southeast Asia. Although the cultural development of the area was once dominated by Indian influence, a number of cohesive traits predate the Indian influence. Wet-rice (or padi) agriculture, metallurgy, navigation, ancestor cults, and worship associated with mountains were both indigenous and widespread, and certain art forms not derived from India—for example, batik textiles, gamelan orchestras, and the wayang puppet theatre—remain popular. The term Southeast Asia refers to the huge peninsula of Indochina and the extensi...

The Indian Ocean is becoming increasingly important to China’s economic and security interests. China appears to be pursuing what has been widely characterized as a “string of pearls” strategy of cultivating India’s neighbors as friendly states, both to protect its economic and security interests and to balance a “rising India.” With Chinese influence in the region growing, it is essential that the U.S. not fall behind in the Indian Ocean, but maintain a steady presence in the region, both to signal its resolve to stay engaged and to avoid the difficulties of reentering a region.

Burma has a long record of its ancient history and a living tradition where old texts were still relevant. A visit to one of the largest printing presses in Rangoon in 1910 illustrates how these texts were transitioning from manuscript to print.

Shares On March 18, 1944, men and animals from the 2nd Battalion cross the Tanai River on a bamboo bridge built by Kachin tribesmen, working with the Office of Strategic Services, near the village of Ning Awng. (Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo) DOD Merrill’s Marauders—officially Galahad Force or the 5307th Composite Unit (Provi- sional)—existed for just one year, from September 1943 to August 1944. In that time, the unit and its men performed some of the most arduous missions asked of an infantry unit in World War II. Their accomplishments left a strong legacy that is visible in the Army o...