They shared close ties with the United States, particularly the Philippines, and they faced incipient communist insurgencies against their own governments.[14] Thailand became a member upon the discovery of the newly founded "Thai Autonomous Region" (the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture) in Yunnan (in South West China) – apparently feeling threatened by potential Maoist subversion on its land.[15] Other regional countries like Burma and Indonesia were far more mindful of domestic internal stability rather than any communist threat,[14] and thus rejected joining it.[16] Malaya (independence in 1957; including Singapore between 1963 and 1965) also chose not to participate formally, though it was kept updated with key developments due to its close relationship with the United Kingdom.[14]