Introduction
The document under consideration is written by Paul Halsall (1998) who tries to reveal the historic events of 1963. As this document was taken from the Modern History Source Book, this source is destined for the class lessons; it is also recommended for those who are eager to be aware of the events taking place in Manila, as it is also one of the most important contributions to the modern history. The main idea of the writing is to highlight the discussions held by the leaders of the three countries and important conclusions made while considering Macapagal’s plan. The source is the article about the Manila treaty that was written in 1998.
Summary: the significance of the author’s message
In the article, Halsall gives importance to the consideration of discussion between the leaders of the Federation of Malaysia, the Republic of Indonesia, and the Republic of the Philippines at the Conference of Ministers in 1963. The participants of the meeting intended to achieve a mutual agreement about economic and social stability. Under the guidance of the President of the Republic of the Philippines, Macapagal, the main purpose of the Conference was to create the Confederation of the Nations to resolve the above-mentioned issues and to consider the North Borneo questions.
The author emphasizes that all participants approved the Macapagal Plan disclosing the necessity to enhance the joint and individual attempts of the countries without encroachment on the countries sovereignty. The President put forward the idea about creating the machinery that would satisfy the social, national, economic, and cultural needs of each government.
In the article, there consider the problems of the Borneo territories in Malaysia. Hence, the governments of Indonesia and the Philippines expressed their support thus addressing the United Nations to act appropriately and to meet the requirements of the residents of those territories.
Finally, the author asserts that the meeting of the Ministers has positive results for all the parties, as they are entirely satisfied with the solutions believing that the meeting enhanced the fraternal relations between the countries. Due to the mutual efforts and the introduction of the Macapagal plan, this pivotal meeting is of great significance for the nations to preserve their ethnic identity and traditions.
Analysis and interpretation
The points of the article are rather consistent and logical where the author first introduces the readers to the conditions and reasons of the Conference thus further exploring the issues of the Manila Accord and the problems arising out of it. Halsall also manages to analyze the core points of the Macapagal plan and to make the necessary conclusions. However, considering the problems of the Borneo territories, the writer gives a one-way look at this problem, as he does not consider the position of the British Government and the difficulties that may appear during the negotiation for both parties of the dispute. Moreover, the article does not include the details of the Manila Accord, and instead, it displays only positive goals and results. In general, the strong point of this source lies in an objective account of facts where the author did not impose his personal opinion. Finally, the conclusion of the document fully covers the above points and the results of the negotiations.
The article is a valuable source that regards the most important historic event. Owing to that, it is an effective example for other developing countries to unite and cooperate for the improvement of economic stability and human welfare. In addition, the article serves as written evidence of this meeting thus becoming part of the history of the twentieth century.
Besides the business and arrangement issues, the work also comprises certain cultural information. Hence, Halsall mentions the problem of the national identity of the Borneo territories with the Philippines. This information submitted by the author uncovers the confrontation between the British Government rejecting to grant the sovereign status to the Borneo and the members of the Confederation of Nations striving to the consolidation of their lands and the equality of human rights. The Manila Accord shows that the heads of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines express their great concern about the present situation in the countries of the Global South and the way the Global North treats it. Therefore, Manila is the cultural and national determination of the Borneo territories that greatly improved its position among other countries.
Conclusion
From my point of view, this article is a crucial event for the whole international community, as it touches upon a wider theme. Hence, the Manila agreement could become the trigger point for other colonies to fight for their rights and freedoms and to proclaim their sovereignty. As the document was concluded in the second half of the last century, it also stipulates the refusal from the colonial past. By enlarging upon the terms of the agreement, the author succeeds in preserving the implicit cultural information and throwing the light on the actual attitude of the British government on territorial separations. Hence, the article manages to convey the idea to a full extent.
Works Cited
Halsan, Paul. “Modern History Sourcebook: the Manila Accord July 31, 1963″. 1998. Web.