Question: How did Southeast Asia gain autonomy?  (scroll down for definition)           Question: How did Southeast Asia gain autonomy? Answer: After the Age of Imperialism, Southeast Asia was controlled by European nations. However, as imperialism became expensive and unpopular, countries gained their own rule (autonomy). 1. The United States fought to control the Philippines in a bloody conflict c1900. The Philippines gained their independence in 1946. Ferdinand Marcos is a leader you should know. He stole from the people, and was exiled after he refused to accept the results of an election he lost in 1986. 2. Indonesia is a complex network of islands in the Pacific. It is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world.  Indonesia was controlled by the Dutch, and then the Japanese. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian independence movement. After World War II, he declared the region independent. Despite a Dutch attempt to regain the territory, Indonesia remained independent by 1949. Under the dictator Suharto, Indonesia was ruled by the military, and many suspected communists were executed. In the twenty-first century, the most practiced religion in Southeast Asia has become Islam.    Return to US Flashcards....Global Flashcards