Choose one of the two topics below for your primary post. Your primary post is due by Wednesday 11:55 PM ET, and your two required replies by Sunday, 11:55 PM ET.

Topic 1. The Southeast Asia realm in the News

For this forum, find a recent news article (within the past 12 months) that describes the latest developments in a conflict, issue, or other major event in this the Southeast Asian realm. Provide a brief summary of the conflict/issue/event that your article describes, and your own analysis of how this issue might affect the realm, and might be resolved. Be sure that the topic of the news article has some connection with the geographical issues and concepts we've been discussing, and be sure to highlight these connections in your discussion.

Remember that your article summary must be in your own words to avoid plagiarism.

-OR-

Topic 2: What's in a name?

Names have power. What a particular nation or geographic feature is called varies depending on who's doing the naming, for a variety of political, cultural, and even economic reasons. Find a naming controversy involving Southeast Asia. Discuss the basis of the controversy, identify who calls the feature by what name and why, and then explain your opinion on what the geographic feature should be called. You could look at why the US government refuses to call Myanmar by that name (they still call it Burma http://blogs.state.gov/countries/burma ), or the controversy over naming the South China Sea, but there are more to choose from!