Country profile: Vietnam Vietnam, a one-party communist state, has one of south-east Asia's fastest-growing economies and has set its sights on becoming a developed nation by 2020. It became a unified country in 1976 after the armed forces of the communist north had seized the south of the country in the previous year. This followed three decades of bitter independence wars, which the communists fought first against the colonial power France, then against US-backed South Vietnam. In its latter stages, this conflict held the attention of the world. The US had entered hostilities to stem the "domino effect" of successive nations falling to communism. The jungle war produced heavy casualties on both sides, atrocities against civilians, and the indiscriminate destruction and contamination of much of the landscape. A visit to Vietnam by US President Bill Clinton in November 2000 was presented as the culmination of American efforts to normalise relations with the former enemy. Vietnam struggled to find its feet after unification and it tried at first to organise the agriculture-based economy along strict collectivist lines. But elements of market forces and private enterprise were introduced from the late 1980s and a stock exchange opened in 2000. Foreign investment has grown and the US is Vietnam's main trading partner. In the cities, the consumer market is fuelled by the appetite of a young, middle class for electronic and luxury goods. After 12 years of negotiations the country joined the World Trade Organization in January 2007. But the disparity in wealth between urban and rural Vietnam is wide and some Communist Party leaders worry that too much economic liberalisation will weaken their power base and introduce "decadent" ideas into Vietnamese society. Vietnam has been accused of suppressing political dissent and religious freedom. Rights groups have singled out Hanoi's treatment of ethnic minority hill tribe people, collectively known as Montagnards. Country profile: Malaysia Malaysia boasts one of south-east Asia's most vibrant economies, the fruit of decades of Economic reform has challenged Communist Party ideology 1 industrial growth and political stability. Its multi-ethnic, multi-religious society encompasses a majority Muslim population in most of its states and an economically-powerful Chinese community. Consisting of two regions separated by some 640 miles of the South China Sea, Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and three federal territories. It is one of the region's key tourist destinations, offering excellent beaches and brilliant scenery. Dense rainforests in the eastern states of Sarawak and Sabah, on the island of Borneo, are a refuge for wildlife and tribal traditions. Ethnic Malays comprise some 60% of the population. Chinese constitute around 26%; Indians and indigenous peoples make up the rest. The communities coexist in relative harmony, although there is little racial interaction. Although since 1971 Malays have benefited from positive discrimination in business, education and the civil service, ethnic Chinese continue to hold economic power and are the wealthiest community. The Malays remain the dominant group in politics while the Indians are among the poorest. Malaysia's economic prospects remain healthy, although it faces fierce competition from its neighbours, and from China and India. Free trade talks were opened with the US, but the US has said it will not be able to conclude a deal in 2007 as the two sides failed to meet a deadline to secure a deal before President George W Bush's fast- track trade authority expired in June. The country is among the world's biggest producers of computer disk drives, palm oil, rubber and timber. It has a state-controlled car maker, Proton, and tourism has considerable room for expansion. But it also faces serious challenges - politically, in the form of sustaining stability in the face of religious differences and the ethnic wealth gap, and, environmentally, in preserving its valuable forests. Malaysia's human rights record has come in for international criticism. Internal security laws allow suspects to be detained without charge or trial. Country profile: Singapore 2 Malaysia made the transformation from a farm-based economy Singapore is south-east Asia's hi-tech, wealthy city-state which is also known for the conservatism of its leaders and its strict social controls. The country comprises the main island - linked by a causeway and a bridge to the southern tip of Malaysia - and around 50 smaller islands. Once a colonial outpost of Britain, Singapore has become one of the world's most prosperous places - with glittering skyscrapers and a thriving port. Most of its people live in public-housing tower blocks. They enjoy one of the world's highest standards of living, but also a system of punishments for acts deemed to be anti-social. Government-led initiatives have encouraged Singaporeans to have more babies and to be more courteous. Citizens are urged to "Speak Good English" in place of a local slang known as "Singlish". Chinese make up more than 75% of the community; Malays and Indians make up much of the remainder. There are many foreign workers. Although Singapore is a multi-party nation, the People's Action Party (PAP) has been the dominant force since independence. Rights groups have accused some politicians of using defamation suits to silence their opponents. Singapore is often referred to as one of Asia's economic "tigers". Its economy is driven by electronics manufacturing and financial services and has weathered regional crises, including the 1997 Asian markets slump and the 2003 Sars virus outbreak. In the face of strong competition from regional manufacturers, Singapore is seeking to strengthen its services sector and tourism industry. The country was referred to - less kindly - by the writer William Gibson as "Disneyland with the death penalty". Singapore argues that its use of capital punishment - applied mostly for drugs trafficking offences - has stopped the growth of narcotics syndicates. Country profile: Thailand Thailand is a country of mountains, tropical rainforests and flat plains. Religion, the monarchy 3 Britain's Sir Stamford Raffles saw Singapore's commercial potential and the military have helped to shape its society and politics. The 1980s brought economic boom, and the agriculture-based economy changed as Thais flocked to work in industry and the services sector. But the bubble burst in 1997 with the south-east Asian financial crisis. Stock and property prices plummeted, dragging down the currency and leading to bankruptcies, recession and unemployment. The government of the time - under Chuan Leekpai - worked with the IMF to reform the battered economy. But the 1997 experience caused many Thais to regard international finance with deep distrust. Mr Chuan lost the 2001 elections to an opponent who promised to help people with their daily difficulties. Though Thailand's recent governments have been civilian and democratically-elected, the country has seen turbulent times. The military governed, on and off, between 1947 and 1992 - a period characterised by coups, coup attempts and popular protests. In September 2006, the military once again stepped into politics, carrying out a bloodless coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra while he was at the UN General Assembly. An interim prime minister was appointed a month later. By the end of 2007, the military junta had drafted a new constitution and held general elections, marking the beginning of the transition back to civilian rule. Thailand has a minority Muslim population, concentrated in its southern provinces. A decades-old separatist struggle in the region - which abated in the 1980s - flared again in 2004. The violence has claimed more than 3,000 lives. Thailand's capital, Bangkok expanded rapidly with the influx of workers during the boom years. It is one of Asia's most vibrant, and heavily-congested, cities. The large-scale sex industry which flourishes there contributed to the incidence of HIV infection - a major concern for the Thai government. 4 Cranes vie with the capital's tallest building, the Baiyoke 2 tower Thailand has taken the lead in the region in distributing cheaper generic drugs for Aids sufferers and awareness campaigns are credited with reducing the number of new infections. Thai cuisine is known throughout the world for its use of hot, sweet and sour spices. Sculptures of the Buddha in sitting or reclining positions are also characteristic of Thailand, as is classical dance. Country profile: Indonesia Spread across a chain of thousands of islands between Asia and Australia, Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population. Ethnically it is highly diverse, with more than 300 local languages. The people range from rural hunter- gatherers to a modern urban elite. Indonesia has seen great turmoil in recent years, having faced the Asian financial crisis, the fall of President Suharto after 32 years in office, the first free elections since the 1960s, the loss of East Timor, independence demands from restive provinces, bloody ethnic and religious conflict and a devastating tsunami. Sophisticated kingdoms existed before the arrival of the Dutch, who consolidated their hold over two centuries, eventually uniting the archipelago in around 1900. After Japan's wartime occupation ended, independence was proclaimed in 1945 by Sukarno, the independence movement's leader. The Dutch transferred sovereignty in 1949 after an armed struggle. Long-term leader General Suharto came to power in the wake of an abortive coup in 1965. He imposed authoritarian rule while allowing technocracts to run the economy with considerable success. But his policy of allowing army involvement in all levels of government, down to village level, fostered corruption. His "transmigration" programmes - which moved large numbers of landless farmers from Java to other parts of the country - fanned ethnic conflict. Suharto fell from power after riots in 1998 and escaped efforts to bring him to justice for decades of dictatorship. 5 Independence anniversary: 300- year Dutch rule ended in armed struggle Post-Suharto Indonesia has made the transition to democracy. Power has been devolved away from the central government and the first direct presidential elections were held in 2004. But the country faces demands for independence in several provinces, where secessionists have been encouraged by East Timor's 1999 success in breaking away after a traumatic 25 years of occupation. Militant Islamic groups have flexed their muscles over the past few years. Some have been accused of having links with Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda organisation, including the group blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people. Lying near the intersection of shifting tectonic plates, Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. A powerful undersea quake in late 2004 sent massive waves crashing into coastal areas of Sumatra, and into coastal communities across south and east Asia. The disaster left more than 220,000 Indonesians dead or missing. Country profile: Laos Laos, one of the world's few remaining communist states, is one of east Asia's poorest countries. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 it has struggled to find its position within a changing political and economic landscape. Communist forces overthrew the monarchy in 1975, heralding years of isolation. Laos began opening up to the world in the 1990s, but despite tentative reforms, it remains poor and dependent on international donations. 6 The government has implemented gradual economic and business reforms since 2005 to somewhat liberalize its domestic markets. Its longterm plans for reform include high-profile projects such as the Nam Theun 2 power project. Thailand is the largest foreign investor in Laos. While this support is badly needed, the dangers of exposing Laos's fragile economy to world trends are clear. The Asian currency crisis of 1997 caused the national currency, the kip, to lose more than nine-tenths of its value against the US dollar. Laos is a landlocked, mountainous country, widely covered by largely unspoilt tropical forest. Less than 5% of the land is suitable for subsistence agriculture, which nevertheless provides around 80% of employment. The main crop is rice, which is grown on the fertile floodplain of the Mekong River. Vegetables, fruit, spices and cotton are also grown. Part of the region's heroin-producing "Golden Triangle", Laos has all but stamped out opium production. Outside the capital, many people live without electricity or access to basic facilities. But Laos is banking on the anticipated returns from a billion-dollar dam scheme, intended to generate electricity for export to Thailand, to boost its economy and infrastructure. Several small bomb blasts in recent years in and around the capital, Vientiane, have suggested that opposition to the ruling party may be growing. But any public dissent is dealt with harshly by the authorities. The country's human rights record has come under scrutiny. Laos denies accusations of abuses by the military against the ethnic minority Hmong. Hmong groups have been fighting a low-level rebellion against the communist regime since 1975. Country profile: Cambodia 7 AT-A-GLANCE Politics: Ruling communists maintain a monopoly of political power Economy: One of the world's poorest nations, Laos has little industry and relies on foreign aid; hopes are pinned on a hydroelectric project International: Communist regime is backed by China and Vietnam Timeline The fate of Cambodia shocked the world when the radical communist Khmer Rouge under their leader Pol Pot seized power in 1975 after years of guerrilla warfare. An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died during the next three years, many from exhaustion or starvation. Others were tortured and executed. Today, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world and relies heavily on aid. Foreign donors have urged the government to clamp down on pervasive corruption. Cambodia is burdened with the legacy of decades of conflict; unexploded munitions - thought to number in the millions - continue to kill and maim civilians, despite an ongoing de-mining drive. Only now is the country beginning to put the mechanism in place to bring those responsible for the "killing fields" to justice. Cambodia and the UN have agreed to set up a tribunal to try the surviving leaders of the genocide years. The tribunal held its first public hearing - a bail request by one of the defendants - in November 2007. Trials are expected to start in 2008 and last for three years. In pursuit of a rural utopia, the Khmer Rouge abolished money and private property and ordered city dwellers into the countryside to cultivate the fields. The effects can still be seen today, with around 70% of Cambodia's workforce employed in subsistence farming. The Mekong River provides fertile, irrigated fields for rice production. Exports of clothing generate most of Cambodia's foreign exchange and tourism is also important. The imposing temple complex at Angkor, built between the ninth and 13th centuries by Khmer kings, is a UN heritage site and a big draw for visitors. Well over half of Cambodia is forested, but illegal logging is robbing the country of millions of dollars of badly-needed revenue. International watchdog Global Witness claims top officials are involved in the trade. The environment is also suffering, with topsoil erosion and flooding becoming prevalent. The spread of HIV/Aids is another threat; however, public health campaigns have reduced the rate of infection. Country profile: The Philippines 8 Boats race past the Royal Palace during the annual water festival More than 7,000 islands make up the Philippines, but the bulk of its fast-growing population lives on just 11 of them. Much of the country is mountainous and prone to earthquakes and eruptions from around 20 active volcanoes. It is often buffeted by typhoons and other storms. Two presidents of the Philippines were forced from office by "people power" in the space of 15 years. In 1986 President Ferdinand Marcos stepped down after mass demonstrations accompanied allegations of electoral manipulation. In January 2001 President Joseph Estrada relinquished power following months of protests. He was charged with plundering the economy for his own benefit, found guilty of massive corruption and jailed for life in September 2007. He won a presidential pardon. On the southern island of Mindanao, rebels have been fighting for a separate Islamic state within the mainly-Catholic country. The decades-long conflict has claimed more than 120,000 lives. Sporadic violence has continued despite a 2003 ceasefire and peace talks. Other Muslim separatists, the Abu Sayyaf group on Jolo, have a history of violence towards hostages, and the government has declared all-out war on the rebels. Though it once boasted one of the region's best-performing economies, the Philippines is saddled with a large national debt and tens of millions of people live in poverty. The economy is heavily dependent on the billions of dollars sent home each year by the huge Filipino overseas workforce. The Philippines has the highest birth rate in Asia, and forecasters say the population could double within three decades. Governments generally avoid taking strong measures to curb the birth rate, not wishing to antagonise the Catholic Church, which opposes artificial methods of contraception. The Philippines - a Spanish colony for more than three centuries - is named after a 16th century Spanish king. The territory was administered by the US in the early 20th century. Western and Asian influences have shaped Filipino culture. Country profile: Brunei 9 The church's influence is strong in Asia's largest Catholic nation A tiny country with a small population, Brunei was the only Malay state in 1963 to choose to remain a British dependency rather than join the Malaysian Federation. It became independent in 1984 and, thanks to its large reserves of oil and gas, now has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Its ruling royals, led by the head of state Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, possess a huge private fortune. A country of dense forests and mangrove swamps whose people enjoy high subsidies and pay no taxes, Brunei is highly dependent on imports. Despite its immense wealth, most of the country outside the capital remains undeveloped and unexploited. While oil and gas exports account for the bulk of government revenues, reserves are dwindling and Brunei is attempting to diversify its economy. It markets itself as a financial centre and as a destination for upmarket and eco-tourism. About two-thirds of the people of Brunei are ethnic Malays, and these benefit from positive discrimination. The Chinese comprise about 16% of the population. There are also Indians and indigenous groups, of whom the Murut and Dusuns are favoured over the Ibans. Since 1962 the sultan has ruled by decree. In a rare move towards political reform an appointed parliament was revived in 2004. The constitution provides for an expanded house with up to 15 elected MPs. However, no date has been set for elections. Brunei's financial fortunes have wavered. Shares and other assets were hit by the crash of the Asian financial markets in the late 1990s. In 1998 Prince Jefri's Amedeo conglomerate collapsed, leaving massive debts and precipitating a financial scandal. Country profile: East Timor 10 Friday prayers in the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan [...]... said poverty and unemployment had exacerbated the unrest As one of Asia's poorest nations, East Timor will rely on outside help for many years The infrastructure is poor and the country is drought-prone 11 However, vast offshore oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea hold much potential East Timor and Australia have agreed to share revenues from the reserves As a part of the deal, a decision on the disputed . Country profile: Vietnam Vietnam, a one-party communist state, has one of south-east Asia's fastest-growing. their power base and introduce "decadent" ideas into Vietnamese society. Vietnam has been accused of suppressing political dissent and religious