Channel NewsAsia to air series on South East Asian identities
Inventing Southeast Asia is a 3-part series that brings viewers on an epic journey across Indonesia, Borneo, Vietnam and Cambodia to explore the origins of Southeast Asian identities. To uncover the past history of the 19th Century, host Dr Farish Noor follows in the footsteps of colonial explorers, conquerors and merchants who have shaped the identity of the region and its people. Dr Farish also travels to the hub of old Asian empires in Paris and London to reveal the roots of colonial thinking.
In the first episode, Conquerors and Merchants, Dr Farish Noor follows two East India Company men, Sir Stamford Raffles and John Anderson, who have shaped the modern identity of Indonesia. The British invasion of Java that led to the destruction of the Sultanate of Jogjakarta and the creation of stereotypes of Javanese identity are still potent today. Dr Farish speaks to eminent historians Tim Hannigan and Peter Carey to provide an insight to the impact of invasion and how the destruction of his ancestor’s sultanate still resonates in his life today.
Inventing Southeast Asia will be aired on Tuesday 30 August and Thursday 1 September.