India and Indonesia both held Independence Day celebrations last week. India, which gained independence from British colonial rule on Aug. 15, 1947, marked the day with cultural and military parades, colorful festivals and political speeches. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation, saying that India would not bow to extremism and calling for young people to turn away from violence.

Indonesia, which gained independence from Dutch colonial rule on Aug. 17, 1945, marked its Independence Day by sinking 60 foreign ships seized for fishing illegally in the country’s waters. The government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has taken a hard-line stance against illegal fishing, partly driven by the need for Indonesia to show its neighbors, including China, that it is in control of its vast territory of 17,000 islands.

In other images from the Asia-Pacific region last week, Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Palace, will be hoping luck is on his side as he prepares to launch his Wynn Palace project in Macau, where growth is downshifting into a new phase after years of turbocharged expansion. Macau, a former Portuguese colony near Hong Kong, is the world’s biggest casino market, with revenues four times those of the Las Vegas Strip.

Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling arrived back home after winning the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 100-meter butterfly. Schooling upset Michael Phelps to win his island nation’s first-ever Olympic gold. Phelps finished in a three-way tie for silver.

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This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Karly Domb Sadof in Bangkok.