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.

Maarten Manse at the GLOBALISE Conference, Amsterdam 2026

International Institute of Social History Collage

Category

Events

Dates

2026-03-05 09:00 - 10:45

Venue

International Institute of Social History, Nikolaevsky room. - Amsterdam

Website

https://globalise.huygens.knaw.nl/globalise-conference-4-6-march-2026-amsterdam/

Maarten Manse will participate in the GLOBALISE Conference, Colonial Pasts, New Approaches and Historiographical Futures: Explorations of GLOBALISE, the Dutch East India Company Archives and the Writing of New Histories, held in Amsterdam from 4–6 March 2026. The conference brings together international scholars to explore new historiographical and digital approaches to the VOC archives and to rethink colonial and global histories through inclusive and comparative perspectives.

Manse will present the paper “Recasting the Terms of Empire: Indigenous Translators and Scribes in the VOC Archives, and how they Mediated the Legal Vocabulary of Empire through Treaty-making in Southeast Asia (c. 1680–1780)” in Session 3 (Mediators, Knowledge and Contestation) on Thursday 5 March, 09.00–10.45. The paper examines the role of indigenous intermediaries in shaping legal and diplomatic language within the Dutch colonial archive.

In addition, I will be discussant in a panel on Wed 4 March 15.00 - 16.30, Session 2C: Currencies, Politics and Labour.

More information: https://globalise.huygens.knaw.nl/globalise-conference-4-6-march-2026-amsterdam/

All Dates

2026-03-05 09:00 - 10:45

Project Member Ariel Lopez Featured in New Historical Documentary

Project member Ariel Lopez appears in a new documentary

Treaties and Origins of the Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute

Ever since Cambodia became independent in 1953, its border with Thailand has been contested, the ancient Hindu temple Preah Vihear (or Phra Wihan in Thai) being a particular source of discord. To understand the present conflict, it is necessary to look at two treaties concluded in 1904 and 1907.

06

May

Project participants at Svenska historikermötet (Swedish historians' meeting) 6-8 May 2026.

Malmö University, Niagara och Orkanen

Global diplomacy, treaties & new perspectives. Malmö, May 2026. Linnaeus & Lund universities.

01

Sep

Project member Panel at EuroSEAS Conference, Madrid 2026

Project members convene Southeast Asia diplomacy panel at EuroSEAS Madrid, Sept 2026

01

Sep

CFP Deadline – Treaties and Tributes Conference 2027

CFP Deadline: Treaties & Tributes 2027 conference. Submit to 2027conference@sea-treaties.org

19

Feb

2027 Conference: Treaties and Tributes: Asian Agency and Performativity in Cross-Cultural Diplomacy, c. 1400–1975

Thammasat University, Bangkok

International conference on Asian diplomacy, treaty-making & cross-cultural relations. Bangkok, 2027

BooksIMG