SPEAKING
FREELY
Lest we forget in Myanmar
Optimistic reports of
positive change flow freely from Myanmar, as the president portrays himself as a
leader who sincerely wants to improve citizens' livelihoods, alleviate poverty
and include the oppressed opposition in the political process. But the West
blindly supports the shallow democratic transition, and increasingly runs the
rising risk of being on the wrong side of history. - Nancy Hudson-Rodd
(Feb 3, '12)
Singapore's gains look
fragile
The Singaporean economy took on a healthy glow at the end of last year, thanks
in part to an unexpected surge in industrial production. The latest findings
for the Purchasing Managers' Index are far less rosy. - Robert M Cutler
(Feb 1, '12)
When rogues drift apart
As Myanmar drifts into the United States orbit, Washington is wagering that the
economic carrot will influence a move away from North Korea - and towards
transparency about past dealings with Pyongyang on nuclear contracts. While the
Southeast Asian nation's elevation from an "outpost of tyranny" could cost the
North Korean regime another of its arms-purchasing allies, it may serve as a
guide for US-North Korean detente. - Jacob Zenn
(Feb 1, '12)
INTERVIEW
Healing Southeast Asia's 'comfort
women'
Those who doubt angels of mercy exist among us should heed the heart-warming
career of Cristina Rosello, a Filipina therapist who treats former "comfort
women" forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during World War II. In
this exclusive interview with Asia Times Online contributor Victor Fic,
Rosello describes her creative methods and how she is both healer and healed.
(Feb 1, '12)
Premature rush for Myanmar
riches
Myanmar is fast becoming Asia's next big thing as the rapid pace of reform
raises speculation that the United States and European Union could lift
sanctions, opening the floodgates for their investors, even as Asian companies
get there first. It's all too much, too soon since there is a long way to go
before President Thein Sein creates change that affords legal protections,
basic infrastructure, and an unsullied cast of potential business partners. - Brian
McCartan (Jan 31, '12)
Arms-wrestling in Indonesia
Military experts are questioning Jakarta's decision to purchase Leopard 2A6
battle tanks that seem unsuited to Southeast Asian conditions, arguing that -
as in a $1.07 billion order for South Korean submarines - the army seems more
focused on matching neighbors' arsenals than in meeting the country's strategic
needs. - John McBeth (Jan 27, '12)
New battlelines in Thailand
The appointment of Air Chief Marshal Sukampon Suwannathat as Thailand's new
defense minister signals a potentially extremely dangerous new period of
uncertainty in which the government could come in confrontation with the army
and the palace. - John Cole and Steve Sciacchitano
(Jan 26, '12)
INTERVIEW
Power grew out of Zheng He's
gunboats
Admiral Zheng He's armadas sailed from Nanjing to as far as East Africa over
eight voyages between 1405-1433. Most Chinese lionize the Muslim eunuch as an
ambassador of peace and friendship. But Australian historian Geoffrey Wade
tells Victor Fic the admiral was a Ming military commander pursuing
gunboat diplomacy, and indicts him for war crimes. (Jan
25, '12)
Inflation tests stability in
Vietnam
Vietnam, stymied by interest rates at 15%, has little in its monetary armory to
target runaway inflation. With rampant economic growth of the past few decades
now tapering off, economists warn conditions are ripe for social unrest as
those left behind in the rush to riches feel the pain of rising prices. Roberto
Tofani (Jan 25, '12)
Back at last to Mandalay
Myanmar has fast become the world's must-visit country, and not just by
politicians negotiating an end to sanctions. A surge in visitors, keen to take
in majestic Himalayan mountains, glittering pagodas and pristine tropical seas
- and secure business deals - is leaving visitors struggling to find hotel
accommodation, seats on domestic flights - and even travel guides. - Chris
Stewart (Jan 24, '12)
China, Vietnam drift in
South China Sea
Eight months after trading threats, China and Vietnam are now huddled in
negotiations over claims to the South China Sea. With elements of a deal on the
table, the full prestige of both politburos has been engaged, even though it's
a high-stakes game for both countries' communist leaders. - David Brown
(Jan 20, '12)
BOOK REVIEW
Obama, the Lone Ranger
Barack Obama in Hawaii and Indonesia: The Making of Global President
by Dinesh Sharma
This book maps out how the cultural influences and global underpinnings of
Barack Obama's diverse upbringing in Indonesia and Hawaii created the president
America needed for the multipolar world of the 21st century. Written by a
cultural psychologist, it uses anthropological, political and genealogical
perspectives to argue that Obama's life journey has reflected the challenges
America faces today. - Richard Kaplan (Jan
20, '12)
Fewer zeroes for Indonesia
Indonesia is preparing to knock a few zeroes off the nominal value of the
rupiah, although before enacting the proposed change the authorities will spend
as much as two years educating a public "traumatized" by earlier
redenominations. - Megawati Wijaya (Jan 19,
'12)
Power shifts in south
Thailand
Although military pressure forced Thailand's Yingluck Shinawatra government to
back away from campaign promises to grant greater autonomy to southern
provinces afflicted by a Malay Muslim insurgency, Bangkok has appointed a
rising star to the region's administrative body - likely tasking him with
reaching out to the separatists and endorsed an official dialogue track. - Jason
Johnson (Jan 18, '12)
SPEAKING FREELY
The progress flows in
Myanmar
What large-scale protests as seen in the Arab Spring could not achieve in
Myanmar, now may take place sheerly through the weight of history. Perhaps not
wanting to be a surrogate of China or another North Korea, Myanmar sees reforms
as a chance for new economic opportunities with the West. - David Koppers
(Jan 18, '12)
Longest rebellion reaches
tentative peace
A ceasefire between Karen National Union rebels and Myanmar authorities is an
important first step to ending the world's longest-running insurgency. With an
apparently reformist and less military-oriented government now in power, there
is some hope that the new agreement will be different from the many failed
peace attempts that stretch back to when the armed struggle began in 1949. - Brian
McCartan (Jan 17, '12)
The limits of reform in
Myanmar
Despite Myanmar's prisoner releases, ceasefire agreements and liberal steps,
constitutional guarantees for the military-dominated structure of the "elected"
government prevent genuine democracy ever taking hold. The speed of
pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's political resurrection also raises
suspicions that changes are merely cosmetic, with concerns she's become a pawn
in Naypyidaw's bid to rehabilitate the country's image. - Bertil Lintner
(Jan 17, '12)
US, Thailand tussle over
terror plot
While a raid by Thai authorities on the home of an alleged Hezbollah member
found thousands of kilograms of potential bomb-making materials, Bangkok has
taken the United States Embassy to task over a terror warning it issued for the
capital following Hussein Atris' arrest. Concerned over the impact on the
heavily tourism-dependent economy, the government has decried the US's
"unilateral" approach. - Richard Ehrlich (Jan
17, '12)
Philippines emerges from
economic shade
The Philippines under the management of President Benigno Aquino may be losing
its reputation for economic underperformance, with favorable notices from
investment tipsters and credit agencies and fund inflows from the Middle East
and elsewhere. - Joel D Adriano (Jan 17, '12)
Myanmar frees leading
political prisoners
The Myanmar government has released leading political detainees including Min
Ko Naing and U Gambira among more than 650 prisoners set free under a
presidential pardon. The move, and a peace deal with Karen rebels, may prove
key steps towards persuading the United States and other countries to lift
economic sanctions. - Mair Dubois (Jan 13,
'12)
Post-trial bounce for
Malaysian opposition
The acquittal of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on charges of sodomy may have
given the opposition a fillip, but voters will want more than that on election
day. With the distracting circumstances surrounding the trial removed,
politicians can focus on the real issues confronting Malaysia: corruption,
rising national debt, declining energy reserves, the gulf between rich and
poor, and inter-religious and inter-ethnic issues. - Anil Netto
(Jan 12, '12)
Borderless instability in
New Guinea
While the Indonesian half of New Guinea island saw destabilizing strikes and
attacks by insurgents in 2011, its independent eastern half, Papua New Guinea,
descended into a protracted political stand-off. The instability comes as a
competition between China and the United States is intensifying for gas and
mineral resources set to transform PNG's underdeveloped economy. - Jacob Zenn
(Jan 12, '12)
AN ATOL INVESTIGATION
Better-armed, better-trained
Thai insurgents
Malay Muslim insurgents in south Thailand are using increasingly sophisticated
assaults, weapons and ambush tactics in a major escalation of the low-level
conflict. Graduating from home-made bombs and targeted killings to attacks of
up to 40 gunmen on army outposts, the trend demands a much more aggressive
counter-insurgency strategy. However, any fallout will become propaganda for
the insurgents' political wing. - Anthony Davis
(Jan 11, '12)
Anwar verdict resets
Malaysian politics
While Malaysia's opposition has been energized by the acquittal of leader Anwar
Ibrahim on sodomy charges, there is suspicion the verdict was orchestrated by
the ruling party to lend extra credence to Prime Minister Najib Razak's
democratic reform agenda. However, it has also raised hopes that future
elections will pivot on substantive policy issues rather than personal attacks.
- Simon Roughneen (Jan 10, '12)
A decommissioned inquiry on
Myanmar
The call for the United Nations to establish a Commission of Inquiry into
alleged crimes against humanity committed by Myanmar's military rulers is less
likely to be heard now that the country has taken some steps down the road to
reform. However, exiled Myanmar opposition groups and human-rights
organizations still see it as a card to play. - Simon Roughneen
(Jan 9, '12)
While one general rises ...
Lieutenant General Jessie Dellosa, the new chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, faces various regional and domestic challenges that will require
him to manage both the expected - clashes in the South China Sea and skirmishes
with Mindanao Muslim fighters - and the unexpected, in the form of natural
disasters. The "warrior" says he's ready. - Jacob Zenn
(Jan 6, '12)
... while another one falls
Retired Philippine general Jovito Palparan, known as the"the butcher of
Mindoro" and "the executioner of Samar" over alleged extrajudicial killings,
abductions and torture, rose rapidly in the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
administration. Last month's filing of kidnapping charges against him restores
some faith in President Benigno Aquino's reform agenda, but this will be
undermined should Palparan's civilian superiors escape scrutiny. - Mark Dearn
(Jan 6, '12)
Thai military regains lost
political ground
Praise for the Royal Thai Army's handling of last year's devastating floods has
rehabilitated the military's image after the deadly crackdown on "Red Shirts"
in 2010. The shift in fortunes will not go unnoticed by the Yingluck Shinawatra
administration, with mid-crisis cooperation between the two camps likely to
swiftly dissipate as issues of national reconciliation return to the fore. - John
Cole and Steve Sciacchitano (Jan 5,
'12)
Upstart Singapore outstrips Las
Vegas
Singapore’s two casinos earned more from gambling in their first full year than
the 39 casinos of the Las Vegas Strip. The Lion City now serves as a model for
other Asian countries seeking to bet on gambling revenue, while a heavy-handed
government with a grasp of law and the role of taxes is also suiting operators.
- Muhammad Cohen (Jan 4, '12)
Money for nothing in Malaysia
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's government has generously offered poorer
familiies, the elderly and students cash handouts in recent months, with
elections widely 
expected in March. The rub for ordinary Malaysians is that should Najib's
coalition win a stronger mandate, a new goods and services tax is likely as
well as a new health insurance scheme and higher electricity tariffs. - Anil
Netto (Jan 4, '12)
 ASIA
HAND
Southeast Asia-China
rise, fall together
Southeast Asia has benefited by piggybacking on the resilience of China, as
strong demand helped the region bounce back from the 2008-9 global financial
crisis. With China's immunity to global economic turmoil looking doubtful in
2012, the outlook for the region is darkening, and it will inevitably be among
the worst hit by any soft or hard landing in the world's second-largest
economy. - Shawn W Crispin (Dec 21, '11)
All roads lead to Myanmar
With Myanmar slowly opening up, Western countries that shunned the country for
decades are likely to stream in. In response, India, Singapore and Thailand can
be expected to step up their engagement to protect their influence ahead of the
arrival of American and European business. China, which has invested huge
amounts of capital and other resources, is unlikely to watch passively as its
presence is whittled away. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Dec 21, '11)
Asia's canaries coughing
South Korean stocks steadied after sliding, along with the won, in initial
reaction to the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. The sensitivity of
export dependent countries like Korea and Singapore to global economic health,
however, means "stability" in the present climate is very fragile at best. - Robert
M Cutler (Dec 20, '11)
Sex: A growth industry in the
Philippines
The total number of visitors to the Philippines pales compared to its Southeast
Asian neighbors, but while the numbers may be small, the country's draw for sex
tourists is believed to be growing, with 850,000 sex-workers - half aged under
18 - equal to the size of the country's manufacturing sector. As the US
ambassador to the Philippines suggested in hotly contested remarks, official
complicity is part of the problem. - Joel D Adriano
(Dec 19, '11)
Chinese gunboats on the Mekong
China has taken the significant step of mounting joint patrols on the Mekong
River to protect its fast expanding trade links with Southeast Asia. This is a
significant step for a country that so far has been reluctant to play a larger
role in regional security. However, there is a growing perception in Beijing
that it must take bold measures to protect its economic interests. - Brian
McCartan (Dec 16, '11)
Dead or alive in Mindanao
"Unimpeachable" sources backed the southern Philippine rebel Moro Islamic
Liberation Front's claims that Ameril Umbra Kato, leader of breakaway group,
had died of a stroke in September. Ever troublesome, Kato's faction trumped
that last week with a ''proof of life" photo showing the hardliner alive, if
not kicking. Yet the contested death has raised tensions between the groups -
and his infirmity has breathed new life into a stalled peace process. - Jacob
Zenn (Dec 14, '11)
Towards the end of war in
Myanmar
After opening new dialogue with rebel forces, Myanmar authorities have
reportedly withdrawn the Border Guard Forces concept that attempted to
assimilate the ethnic groups into the army. It's a further sign of the
traditionally military-run country's seemingly fast-paced reform that hints at
an end to six decades of civil war, with President Thein Sein pledging that
infrastructure projects and investment could now pour into remote regions such
as Wa state. - David Henry Poveter (Dec 13,
'11)
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Obama eyes 2012 and Asia-Pacific
United States President Barack Obama has stressed America's need to remain
engaged in the Asia-Pacific if it is to remain a viable power in the 21st
century. That link and the need to innovate to keep pace with China and the
region's other emerging economies are likely to become a campaign theme going
into the 2012 presidential election. Europe's economic malaise knows no end,
but the first "Pacific" president knows where salvation lies. - Dinesh Sharma
(Dec 13, '11)
ASIA HAND
Royal contradictions
in Thailand
Some high-placed royalists in Thailand believe a recent surge
of lese majeste cases has done more harm than good to the revered monarchy.
Amid competing interpretations of the apparent disconnect between royalist
calls for the reform of the law and its increasing use to silence dissent, the
democratic credentials of the ruling Yingluck Shinawatra-led government and the
rival Democratic Party administration that preceded it have been called into
question. - Shawn W Crispin (Dec 12, '11)
Palawan tribes go cyber
to keep out nickel miner
Filipino tycoon Lucio Tan's MacroAsia is facing an unexpected new obstacle in
its efforts to mine nickel in the Philippine island of Palawan. Tribes being
offered "social and management development programs" to win them over are a
step ahead, using Internet social networking to secure global support to save
their environment. - Melody Kemp (Dec 8, '11)
Philippines: Changing face of
terror
The Philippines army, as it redoubles efforts to capture suspected insurgents
for slaying special troops in southern Mindanao, estimates it has emasculated
the Abu Sayyaf group to somewhere between 300 and 400 rebels. Though it has
lost its center, Abu Sayyaf fighters have blended with the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front or become part of a new cult-like group. The group is still in
business, as the taking as hostage of Australian national Warren Rodwell shows.
- Jacob Zenn (Dec 8, '11)
Dams,
teeth, and Myanmar's China ties
The Buddha's wisdom tooth, in the midst of a tour of Myanmar from its base in
neighboring China, is a symbol of a close if not entirely amicable relationship
that, contrary to received popular opinion, will probably strengthen even as
Sino-Myanmar ties have been called into question by another high-profile visit
and the regime's abrupt postponement of the Myitsone Dam. Obituaries for
Chinese hydropower projects in Kachin - and Beijing's influence - may be
premature. - Peter Lee (Dec 6, '11)
Arroyo holds cards in
graft battle
Philippine President Benigno Aquino could burnish his reform and
corruption-busting credentials by leading his government to an evidence-based
prosecution of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on graft charges. However, with the
Supreme Court stuffed with Arroyo appointees and "no less corrupt than the rest
of the Philippine judicial system", he faces an uphill battle in meeting the
public's demands. - Joel D Adriano (Dec
5, '11)
Clinton tests the
Myanmar mystery
Fresh from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit, one of the keys
for the United States to unlock the mystery of Myanmar is to accept it as a
beautiful and bountiful country with a lucrative market, although now and then
politically odious. If Washington intended the rush of publicity as a reward
for reforms and an incentive to "do more", the country's hard-boiled rulers
didn't make any promises; they understand the fundamentals of the saga of the
US-China relationship and their place in it. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Dec 5, '11)
Najib thinks twice on reform
Doubts over Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's commitment to democratic
reform have intensified with this week's passing of the "ironically" named
Peaceful Assembly Bill. Unfavorable comparisons between the bill and Myanmar's
assembly laws add to accusations that Najib's ruling coalition is struggling to
maintain its tradition of patronage in an era of independent media. - Anil
Netto (Dec 2, '11)
US gambles on Myanmar reform
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's symbolic visit to Myanmar can be
chalked up as a "win" for Thein Sein's nominally democratic government, by
achieving what military regimes were unable to do - garner enough respect. With
the sincerity behind recent reform signals far from certain, and tempered by
the belief that generous US concessions were as much about counter-balancing
the regime's ties to China and North Korea as promoting democracy, the American
stance is a diplomatic gamble. - Brian McCartan
(Dec 2, '11)
MYANMAR IN THE MIDDLE
China-Myanmar:
border war dilemma
Optimism over Myanmar's recent liberal stirring glosses over the complex border
conflicts raging with ethnic groups. The regime has tried brutality, ceasefire
agreements and sophisticated weapons to quell the rebels, but as fighting again
intensifies, the situation is threatening President Thein Sein's vaunted
promises of national reconciliation. Meanwhile, faced with a insurgency on its
doorstep, China is loathe to enter the battle for fear of risking its vast,
resource-related investments. - Bertil Lintner
(Dec 1, '11)
This is the final article in a four-part series.
Part 1: China
embrace too strong for Naypyidaw
Part 2:India-Myanmar:
a half-built gateway
Part 3: US
engagement as nuclear pre-emption
MYANMAR IN THE MIDDLE
US engagement as nuclear
pre-emption
Myanmar's work with North Korea on weapons-related nuclear technologies -
instigated over fears of a United States invasion - likely looms large in
Washington's moves to engage Napyidaw. Visiting Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton has more on her agenda than human rights, with the US focused on
preventing Pyongyang's nuclear industry from capitalizing on a fraught global
proliferation environment. - Bertil Lintner
(Nov 30, '11)
This is the third article in a four-part series.
India-Myanmar: a half-built
gateway
As a vital link in India's "Look East" policy that envisions
challenging China's influence throughout Southeast Asia, Myanmar holds
significant strategic importance for India, prompting Delhi's decades-long
policy of nurturing business and diplomatic ties with Naypyidaw. However,
potholes on the Moreh road linking the countries are symbolic of the
partnership's failure to realize its full potential, with the regional balance
of power still tilted too far in China's favor. - Bertil Lintner
(Nov 29, '11)
This is the second article in a four-part series.
China embrace too strong for
Naypyidaw
China's plundering of Myanmar's natural resources over the
past two decades and a huge influx of Chinese workers into the country have
created deep distrust over Beijing's designs, now seen in Myanmar's openings to
the West. While the Myitsone dam u-turn stunned the Chinese leadership and was
hailed as Naypyidaw "bowing to public pressure", it was a progression of an
anti-China internal shift underway since 2004. - Bertil Lintner
(Nov 27, '11)
This is the first article in a three-part series.
US muscle manifesto for Asia
Making its presence felt at a string of high-level summits and official visits,
the United States this week emphatically restated its commitment to reengaging
Asia - the Southeast in particular - with diplomatic machinations matched by
ongoing military-to-military charm offensives. China's muted reaction suggests
it's either been taken off guard or is wary of pushing South China Sea
claimants further into Washington's arms. - Brian McCartan
(Nov 23, '11)
Aquino's reform promise fades
Justice remains elusive for 58 Filipinos killed two years ago in an allegedly
politically motivated massacre in Maguindanao, a province in the southern
Philippines notorious for its violence, with the entrenched position of the
local dynasty linked to those accused of the killings. As the case is bogged
down in technicalities, President Benigno Aquino's promise to stop a pervasive
culture of impunity throughout the country looks increasingly shaky. - Carlos
H Conde (Nov 23, '11)
US-Myanmar: A convergence of
interests
Unprecedented progress in Myanmar-United States relations is the result of
internal and external stimuli in both countries. While Naypyidaw has finally
realized the importance of countering China's influence to balance its foreign
relations, Washington has abandoned a failed, two-decade old strategy of regime
change. Mutual interests can now overshadow antagonism, but only if reformers
defeat their many opponents. - David I Steinberg
(Nov 23, '11)
America pivots toward ASEAN
Barack Obama's presence as the first American president to attend an East Asia
Summit is emblematic of United States attempts to reverse the erosion of its
standing in Southeast Asia, the brightest spot in a darkening world economy. As
it also pivots towards the Association of Southeast Nations' decision to
welcome Myanmar as the group's future chair, the US is closing the diplomatic
distance. - Donald K Emmerson (Nov
22, '11)
US ups ante on Myanmar
engagement
By sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Myanmar so soon after
its "flickers of progress" appeared, Washington risks criticism that the
opening has less to do with human rights and democratic reform than with a need
to counter-balance China for America's "return to Asia". Naypyidaw has
instigated change, but 50 years of military repression can't be unraveled in a
few months. - Brian McCartan (Nov
18, '11)
ASIA HAND
After the flood in Thailand
As Thailand's flood waters slowly recede, a new political crisis is emerging
that could undermine Prime Minister Yingluck's moves to put the establishment
on the back foot. As Yingluck bids to regain momentum lost by her
administration's erratic handling of the natural disaster, she will face
rejuvenated royalists and more radical elements that are already threatening a
backlash against her plan to secure an amnesty to rehabilitate her elder
brother Thaksin from self-exile. - Shawn W Crispin
(Nov 18, '11)
From tragedy to sham in Cambodia
Cambodia's Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal has suffered another blow
to its credibility, with one of its four remaining defendants declared unfit
for trial due to "moderate dementia" just days before major hearings. The
tribunal also faces charges of political interference, with Prime Minister Hun
Sen seen as triumphing in his years-long effort to wrest control of the court
from the United Nations. - Sebastian Strangio
(Nov 18, '11)
BOOK REVIEW
Revelations of a secret
war
The Secret Army: Chiang Kai-shek and the Drug Warlords of the Golden
Triangle by Richard M Gibson and Wenhua
Chen
While it's known that thousands of Chinese nationalists settled in
north Thailand after the civil war, as seen in thriving Chinese villages like
Mae Salong, this book reveals how the United States rebuilt and re-equipped the
forces to fight Mao Zedong's China and later Thai communist insurgents. It also
constructs how US involvement helped created the narcotics production hub that
is today's Golden Triangle. - Bertil Lintner
(Nov 18, '11)
America: The new sick man of Asia?
China, excluded from the free-trade aspirations of the Trans Pacific
Partnership, smarted from the lash of American condescension as the United
States flaunted Asia-Pacific solutions at a regional meeting in Honolulu. The
problem for Washington as it presses China to "play by the rules" and deliver
on a revalued currency and more open markets is that its own qualifications to
lead economic rejuvenation - rather than spread imperial malaise - are looking
increasing dubious. - Peter Lee (Nov
18, '11)
US, China role play for ASEAN
China and the United States are reaffirming the tendency in Southeast Asia to
see both in terms of specialist roles: Beijing as the economic partner bringing
prosperity and Washington as guarding the peace. That dichotomy is
understandable and in full view at a current crop of summits. The Association
of Southeast Asian Nations wants China at arm's length from a security role as
it flexes its muscles in the South China Sea, and while more trade with America
is desired, that may drop off the radar if US priorities turn inward. - Donald
K Emmerson (Nov 18, '11)
Abuse me please, sir
A growing number of Filipinos are exploiting legal loopholes in Hong Kong's
processing of torture claims and its leniency toward political asylum-seekers
to extend their stays and work illegally. With poverty pushing around 3,000
Filipinos to leave the country daily for work abroad, the territory's logjam of
processing claims gives every incentive, though the window may be closed by new
legislation. - Cher S Jimenez (Nov
17, '11)
Tiger in the dragon's yard
Limited expectations in India over this week's East Asia Summit underline the
country's bit player status in the Asia-Pacific. Strategic elites want India to
court China-fearing nations and rise as a countervailing force in Beijing's
backyard, but until it owns a world-class navy, Delhi will struggle to balance
the United States' decline. - Sreeram Chaulia
(Nov 17, '11)
Airlines face East-West fight
The launch of low-cost Air Asia cleared the way for a new style of airline
business in the region. Subsequent growth in passenger numbers and expansion of
land-based infrastructure are now facing headwinds in the shape of taxes and
restrictions in the United States and Europe that could lead to an expensive
East-West face off. - Michael Mackey
(Nov 16, '11)
Half-free trade in Vietnam
A rewriting of Vietnam's rules on importing sex toys - don't - underlines the
country's ambiguous commitment to free trade. Contradictory trade codes help to
maintain a trade surplus, but failure to clarify trade rules and regulations
may deter overseas investors wishing to follow Intel, Nokia and Tata Steel into
the country. - M Goonan (Nov 15,
'11)
Clinton in the middle of
Philippine fight
Splits within the Philippines elite over the worsening Islamic insurgency in
the country's south will greet United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
as she lands in Manila on Tuesday. With a ceasefire accord in strife-torn
Mindanao now shattered, former president Joseph Estrada is among opposition
hawks who believe full-blown war should be an option should new peace talks
fail. In contrast, incumbent President Benigno Aquino's softer stance has
sparked rumors of a coup plot among disgruntled army generals. - Al Labita
(Nov 14, '11)
Fear of flying in the
Philippines
The sorry state of repair of the aged Ninoy Aquino International Airport is
symbolic of the Philippines' increasingly laggard position in a region noted
for the best airports in the world. While a modern facility remains underused
due to a long-running contractual dispute, the airport operates well above its
capacity, and as safety concerns mount international carriers are fleeing for
the exits. - Joel D Adriano (Nov
10, '11)
Freeport strike may continue
Union workers at Freeport McMoRan's Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia say they
may extend their strike by another month rather than end the two-month long
dispute next week, and just after the union said it would almost halve its pay
demands. The mine is the world's most profitable - but also has security costs.
(Nov 10, '11)
Perception shift on Myanmar
media
Rapid changes in Myanmar's media environment come as exile agencies famed for
their undercover reporting of the regime's excesses are losing funding over
financial scandals. However, the host of issues still off-limits in President
Thein Sein's new era and the industry's hobbling by decades of repression mean
exile media won't need to stop their presses just yet. - Dan Waites
(Nov 10, '11)
Philippines roils South China
Sea
A war of words over a Philippine warship that became entangled with
the cables of a Chinese fishing vessel has roiled disputed waters already
unsettled by a show of force in the South China Sea, just as a meeting of world
leaders looms on the horizon to calm tensions. "No apologies were necessary and
none was given," says the Philippines government, while the China Communist
Party's English-language daily mouthpiece says Manila "should prepare for the
sound of cannons". - Al Labita (Nov
9, '11)
The good, bad and ugly in
Myanmar
In the year since elections put Myanmar on a new trajectory, the
changes underway can no longer be framed in black and white. There's the
qualified good: political shifts that released pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu
Kyi speak of positively. The categorically bad: serious violations in ethnic
minority areas. And the plain ugly: the staggered release of prisoners of
conscience in a seemingly calculated fashion that represents in microcosm of
the real human-rights situation on the ground. - Benjamin Zawacki
(Nov 7, '11)
Russia targets China's clout
Burgeoning defense and trade ties between Myanmar and Russia compliment plans
by the former to study Moscow's politics for its vision of "disciplined
democracy". As Russia prepares to deliver Nawpyidaw 20 MiG-29s and build the
capital's first subway, its and India's increasing involvement are set to
become a balancing force to China's domineering influence. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Nov 7, '11)
Deadly fog on the Mekong
Even before all the bodies were found, a fog of disinformation
descended on the massacre of 13 Chinese barge crew on the Mekong River that has
thrust the lawless Golden Triangle border into brutal relief. China has already
moved fast to demand Thailand, Myanmar and Laos cooperate to safeguard river
traffic, but its ambitions will be thwarted. The narcotics-driven criminality
and corruption spreading south are partly the bitter fruit of China's own
foreign policy. - Michael Winchester
(Nov 4, '11)
BOOK REVIEW
A path not taken
The Ideal Man: The Tragedy of Jim Thompson and the American Way of War
by Josh Kurlantzick
Rather than seeking answers to Jim Thompson's mysterious disappearance
in 1967, this book examines how the American spy turned Thai silk magnate
increasingly resented his idealized Thailand being swept away by the
involvement of the United States in the region. As Thompson strolled into
Malaysian hills never to return, his era of intrigue and opportunity was fading
forever from Southeast Asia. - Sebastian Strangio
(Nov 4, '11)
Hell and high water in Thailand
Trust has been breached for Bangkokians whose homes have been
inundated by floodwaters that are now edging closer to the Thai capital's
sandbagged city center. Areas that officials earlier said would be spared are
now slipping under water and as sluice gates and canals are overwhelmed,
reports of power outages, food shortages and the emergence of water-borne
diseases stir anger and confusion at the mixed messages coming from government
and city authorities. - Simon Roughneen
(Nov 3, '11)
Competition deepens in the
South China Sea
Vietnam and the Philippines, likely emboldened by strategic
commitments from Japan and India, are saying in no uncertain terms that they
will not yield to pressure from China over unresolved territorial issues in the
South China Sea. While their stand promotes American and regional power
involvement in the dispute, they will need to tread carefully since the tides
are in Beijing's favor. - Roberto Tofani
(Nov 2, '11)
Freeport strike mines a
political jungle
Union leader Sudiro has brought havoc to the world's richest copper and gold
mine, United States-based Freeport McMoRan's Grasberg operation in Indonesia. A
mere mechanic, he has friends in high places, including the army, which is
being squeezed out of lucrative mine-related security. In the background, the
Free Papua Movement stalks the mountains, and company executives battle over
the future of multi-billion contracts with the government. - John McBeth
(Nov 1, '11)
Vietnam's ports have sinking
feeling
Vietnam has plenty of ports, with more on the way, to handle trade for its
growing economy - arguably too many. The absence of a central body allows local
authorities and private entrepreneurs to compete in building facilities that
often fall short of international standards, while poor connections mean road
transport is often preferred for intra-Asian traffic. - Michael Mackey
(Oct 31, '11)
SPEAKING FREELY
Cambodia's unrealized
promise
Twenty years after the Paris Peace Agreements ended Cambodia's civil war
with the Khmer Rouge, the country has seen a fair degree of prosperity and
development. However, Prime Minister Hun Sen's scant regard for the rule of law
has allowed a corrupt elite to ruthlessly pursue wealth at the expense of the
impoverished, with little progress towards the democratic future long-suffering
Cambodians were promised. - Ou Virak
(Oct 27, '11)
INTERVIEW
The seeds of a
president
United States President Barack Obama spent the first 18 years of his
life, from his birth in 1961 to his departure for college in 1979, in Hawaii
and Indonesia. Dinesh Sharma's Barack Obama in Hawaii and Indonesia: The Making
of a Global President examines how his early years impacted on Obama.
Sharma speaks to Asia Times Online about the book, while explaining why there
is need for another tome on Obama. (Oct 27, '11)
Freeport loses Midas touch in
Indonesia
A six week-long strike at Freeport-McMoran's Grasberg mine in the Indonesian
province of Papua threatens to spiral into a destabilizing separatist uprising,
with the Free Papua Movement calling for complete closure of the project and
300 arrests at a rally demanding Papuan independence from Indonesian rule. -
Jacob Zenn (Oct 26, '11)
SPEAKING FREELY
Indonesia's 'war'
against the people
The threats from a number of lawmakers in the Indonesian House of
Representative calling for the dismissal of the Corruption Eradication
Commission need to be stopped. Dismissing the commission - which is waging a
successful battle - would be like fighting a "war" against the civilized
Indonesian people. - Yasmi Adriansyah
(Oct 26, '11)
Politics of proclamations in
south Thailand
Human-rights groups have accused Muslim rebels in south Thailand of
"war crimes" against civilians and distanced themselves from the term
"insurgency", with blame for the thousands killed in bombings and shootings no
longer squarely placed on the Thai state and military. However, simply
restructuring legalese surrounding the conflict is unlikely have a significant
impact on ground realities. - Marc Askew
(Oct 24, '11)
Ball bounces out of Bali
The sponsor is pulling the plug on what was once voted the women tennis tour's
favorite destination. Tennis came to Bali 11 years ago to help improve its
image and seems to have accomplished its mission too well to survive. - Muhammad
Cohen (Oct 24, '11)
Southeast Asia's failing war on
drugs
Dire conditions and abuses in the largest rehabilitation facility for drug
addicts in Laos highlight the challenge for Southeast Asia as the region
reaches for an unobtainable "drug-free" status by 2015, even as production of
stimulants soars. Small organizations from Indonesia to Cambodia have pioneered
health-based approaches to treatment with some success, but incarceration is
the failing institutional norm.
- Sebastian Strangio (Oct 20, '11)
The Arab Spring and Myanmar
Myanmar's history of brutally suppressed people-led revolts makes an Arab
Spring-style movement unlikely to succeed in overthrowing authoritarian
leaders. However, the unexpected positive changes instigated by the
military-in-mufti leadership suggest the Middle East's tumult convinced it that
socio-economic liberalization and a modest degree of political pluralism were
needed to keep a grip on power. - David I Steinberg
(Oct 20, '11)
ASIA HAND
It's all wet in
Thailand
Devastating floods in Thailand and an erratic government response that has put
protection of industrial estates and central Bangkok property over grassroots
livelihoods have put Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's political and
economic leadership under intense scrutiny. Elected this year on pro-poor
populist policies that inflated expectations, her credibility and popularity
post-flood are now expected to sink. - Shawn W Crispin
(Oct 19, '11)
Happy to be Chinese in Indonesia
A combination of preferential business deals and racial discrimination
made Indonesia's ethnic Chinese minority ideal scapegoats under former dictator
Suharto's regime. Jemma Purdey, who wrote the book on anti-Chinese riots in
1998 that contributed to Suharto's fall, says that while ethnic tension has
cooled, the religion-based conflict that's taken its place is far more complex.
- Muhammad Cohen (Oct 19, '11)
SPEAKING FREELY
Indonesia: Among the
happiest people
Indonesian people often refer to themselves as being open-minded, at
the same time some of them are afraid of trying new things. It is a country of
diversity and tolerance. At the same time it is a country of covert intolerance
and internal fear of new things that seem alien to its culture. Indonesia is a
developing country, but the Indonesian people are perhaps among the happiest
people in the world. - Zeyneb Temnenko
(Oct 18, '11)
China behind Myanmar's course
shift
Scratch the veneer of democratic governance in Myanmar and regime
survival emerges as the reality that belies seemingly daring moves by President
Thein Sein to heed "the will of the people". Efforts to reduce dependence
on China and smooth rifts inside the military over strained relations with its
northern neighbor - plus a little icing on the cake to induce the lifting of
international sanctions - are the real substance behind recent burnish. - Bertil
Lintner (Oct 18, '11)
RIM on edge in Indonesia
Relatively low prices and handy encryption have helped Research in Motion
secure almost half the potentially huge Indonesian smartphone market with its
BlackBerry products. Its decision to prefer Malaysia for a new factory has
angered politicians in Jakarta. - Jacob Zenn
(Oct 18, '11)
Thein Sein as Myanmar's
Gorbachev
The uncertainty over whether to take Thein Sein's reform promises at
face value or dismiss developments as a sham echoes the reactions that greeted
the first stirring of the profound shift in the Soviet Union under Mikhail
Gorbachev. If Myanmar really is at a tipping point, the cautious welcome
favored by most governments, backed by calls for more concrete action, would
appear to be a prudent response. - Andrew Selth
(Oct 18, '11)
OBITUARY
Passage of a
trailblazer
Documentary filmmaker Adrian Cowell braved Chinese convoys in Tibet
and Burmese soldiers and opium-traffickers to give the world its first glimpses
into Asia's more remote indigenous struggles. The seminal works of Cowell, who
passed away this month, set the bar high for today's digital camera-toting
wannabes. - Bertil Lintner (Oct
17, '11)
India burnishes its Myanmar ties
Myanmar's nascent reform program has allowed India to more openly
embrace the government in that country, highlighted by the visit of President
Thein Sein to Delhi last week. At the same time, with signs that Myanmar is
seeking to reduce its dependence on China, India is well placed to get down to
some real business deals, provided it can improve on its poor record of not
delivering on its promises. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Oct 17, '11)
Wasted youth in the Philippines
A series of crimes committed by children barely out of grade school -
notably armed taxi robberies - has legislators mulling legal changes that would
make kids as young as nine years old criminally liable for their actions. This
raises questions about whether this move would deal more with the symptom than
the disease, which has poverty as its roots. - Joel D Adriano
(Oct 14, '11)
West 'risks Myanmar folly'
The release of about 200 political prisoners in Myanmar is intensifying debate
over when and if the West should lift sanctions on the country, with observers
divided over the merits of recent reforms by a "still incredibly brutal,
recalcitrant and isolated regime". - Marwaan Macan-Markar
(Oct 14, '11)
Small step to freedom
in Myanmar
Myanmar's release of over 200 political prisoners furthers the narrative of
substantive change being forwarded by President Thein Sein's elected
government. The move has been welcomed by the West, but a history of broken
promises means deeper reform and freedom for more prominent detainees is
required to gain the international community's trust and see sanctions lifted.
- Brian McCartan (Oct 13, '11)
SPEAKING FREELY
South China Sea: A new
geopolitical node
The South China Sea occupies a special position in the world as the place where
the interests of major powers - the United States, Japan and those rising
giants, China and India - intersect. A whole set of challenges and threats in a
region of growing economic power and potential conflict make the turbulent
waters a flashpoint that will have a huge influence on the course of world
politics in coming decades. - Prokhor Tebin
(Oct 13, '11)
New balance in China, Myanmar
ties
Myanmar President Thein Sein's decision to suspend construction of the
China-backed Myitsone dam feeds growing suspicion in China about its neighbor's
dependability as a bridge beyond Southeast Asia and its strategic intentions as
it seeks a fresh start with the West. While the hard fact remains that China is
Myanmar's biggest economic patron, Beijing can expect Naypyidaw to roll out
more surprises.
- Yun Sun (Oct 12, '11)
SPEAKING FREELY
Verify, don't trust
Just a few weeks before the US$3.6 billion Chinese-backed dam was suspended,
the government saw popular opposition as no obstacle to work already underway
on the mega-project. Predicting the next twist in the saga is difficult in a
country of limited transparency, when the decision to suspend might yet be
reversed again with a new government take on "the will of the people". - Curtis
S Chin (Oct 12, '11)
Partial peace in Myanmar
The Myanmar government is burnishing its peace credentials after talks with
rebel groups led to a tentative resumption of ceasefires. Like earlier
negotiated peace efforts, political issues have been left to fester and if
President Thein Sein genuinely wants to reform he must convince armed ethnic
groups to join the mainstream political process - a tall order after past
broken promises. - Brian McCartan (Oct
11, '11)
Terror politics in the
Philippines
A spate of unclaimed bombings in Mindanao has raised concerns the Abu
Sayyaf group is being trained by Indonesian terror outfit Jemaah Islamiyah.
However, the attacks could be a political statement ahead of 2013 elections.
Unless Manila can address the poverty and religious issues fueling Mindanao's
conflicts, the island will likely continue to paint the country in an unstable
light. - Joel D Adriano (Oct 6,
'11)
Machinations behind
Thai military movements
A dispute between Thailand's Yingluck Shinawatra-led government and senior
military officials over a long-awaited appointment of the new army chief of
staff has thrown a shadow over what was ultimately to be an amicable reshuffle.
The real test will be her brother Thaksin's possible return in the next few
months, since the appointments essentially leave an institution still largely
controlled by his political opponents. - John Cole and Steve
Sciaccitano (Oct 5, '11)
SPEAKING FREELY
The South China Sea is
not China’s Sea
It would be absurd if England were to try to claim sovereignty over most of the
English Channel, Iran the Persian Gulf, Thailand the Gulf of Thailand, Vietnam
the Gulf of Tonkin, Japan the Sea of Japan, or Mexico the Gulf of Mexico. For
their own sake, the major powers must not abandon the South China Sea to be
turned into a Chinese lake and Southeast Asian nations to fall into China's
orbit. - Huy Duong (Oct 4, '11)
Religious powder keg sizzles in
Indonesia
The escalation of a fatal road accident involving a Muslim and a
Christian on Indonesia's Maluku Islands into wider clashes raises fears
sectarian violence that killed thousands there in 1999-2002 could be revived.
While militants are trying to exploit such incidents and decades of religious
antipathy to revitalize their jihad campaign, they face a growing lack of
public support. - Jacob Zenn (Oct
4, '11)
Thai rice policy stirs market
Thailand's decision to pay more to its rice farmers for their products
could lead to international consumers paying more for the Thai product - or
switching to other sources in a plentiful market now being rejoined by Indian
producers. - Marwaan Macan-Markar (Oct
4, '11)
Myanmar buys time with dam block
Myanmar's decision to suspend building of a US$3.6 billion hydropower dam
project backed by China has officially been attributed to "the desire of the
people". This marks the first tangible reform initiative undertaken by
Myanmar’s six-month-old, nominally civilian government. Beijing has reacted in
measured tones, perhaps aware that the decision is in reality more likely
linked to intensified fighting between insurgents in the dam's region and
government forces. - Simon Roughneen (Oct 3,
'11)
Refugees: Australia
back to drawing board
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been sent back to the drawing board
to recast policy on asylum-seekers after the high court prohibited a deal
struck with Malaysia to move illegal immigrants arriving in Australia by boat.
The real losers are genuine refugees who will have lost an additional 4,000
asylum slots to Australia, while the winners until Canberra can devise a
coherent policy are people-smugglers and the rich who can afford to pay them. -
Alexander Casella (Sep 30, '11)
BOOK REVIEW
Before the darkness
Rangoon Journalist: Memoirs of Burma days 1940-1958 by J F
Samaranayake
This gripping account of a journalist's life in mid-1940s-1950s Burma before
press repression took hold covers the "gold rush", a time when media were more
modern, outspoken and professional than any other in the region. Aside from
offering a chilling glimpse into the descent into military rule, the book
offers a valuable and rare account of the country's forgotten literary history.
- Bertil Lintner (Sep 30, '11)
What Thein Sein promised Suu Kyi
Myanmar President Thein Sein's meeting with opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi last month was an historic "trust-building exercise" during which
"genuine reform and democracy" was discussed, according to insiders. Progress
in releasing political prisoners and an uncensoring of international media also
suggest real change is possible. However, raised hopes have been brutally
crushed in the past, and military hardliners still wait in the wings. - Larry
Jagan (Sep 29, '11)
Aquino faces 'clean' downside
Philippine President Benigno Aquino vowed upon taking office to better run the
national finances. Now business leaders say the desire to avoid corruption has
slowed government spending too much just at a time when more is needed. - Joel
D Adriano (Sep 27, '11)
Church bomb shows Indonesian
extremism President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono links
Sunday's suicide attack on Christian worshippers to a national terrorist
network. Growing religious intolerance that he condones seems a more likely
candidate. While minorities are increasingly marginalized by a combination of
violent extremism and politicians playing the Muslim card, religious strife
threatens to serve as a convenient smokescreen for forces that challenge
freedom for all. - Gary LaMoshi (Sep
27, '11)
SPEAKING FREELY
Crisis thinkers or
thinkers in crisis?
A recently released report on Myanmar by the International Crisis
Group (ICG), the world's best known think tank on crises, brims with hope. But
once past the optimistic title, Myanmar: Major Reform Underway, multiple
shortcomings and intellectual sins that undermine its credibility make the
report grim reading. - Maung Zarni (Sep
27, '11)
Death before pay for CIA's Air
America
A dwindling band of the CIA's Air America flight crew are still fighting nearly
four decades after the secret war in Laos ended; to secure pension benefits
denied them under a convoluted bureaucracy that critics say defies logic. US
Congress opposition to new costs may stall an already lengthy process, but time
is a luxury the aging claimants don't have on their side. - John McBeth
(Sep 26, '11)
Citibank serves up cautionary
tale in Bali
Citibank dropped its brief sponsorship of Bali's internationally
renowned literary festival following a pair of high-profile banking scandals.
The organizers will be hoping that new backer ANZ Bank stays the course longer
as it seeks to attract customers in Indonesia's growing market. - Muhammad
Cohen (Sep 26, '11)
ASIA HAND
Thaksin tests
Thailand's deal
The deal that cleared Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's rise
to power - and her brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's return to
influence - is showing signs of strain. Yingluck is moving aggressively to
assert control over the bureaucracy, including a reshuffle of royalist Justice
Ministry officials. Key to Thailand's continued political peace is the reaction
of establishment forces if Thaksin is perceived to break the pre-election
bargain. - Shawn W Crispin (Sep 22,
'11)
Irrawaddy dam test for Myanmar
resolve
The Myanmar government has expressed its determination to continue with a
US$3.6 billion dam project at the head of the country's most important river,
the Irrawaddy. That resolve will be tested as opposition to construction grows
in volume and size. - Brian McCartan
(Sep 21, '11)
Inside the CIA's secret Thai
prison
Powerful Libyan commander Abdel Hakim Belhaj, now part of the anti-Muammar
Gaddafi transitional government, alleges the United States Central Intelligence
Agency "hung", "injected" and refrigerated him in 2004 in Bangkok before his
rendition to Tripoli. The location is likely to be the former Don Muang
International Airport and, if true, the claims are the first description of any
site in Thailand pinpointed by a CIA prisoner. - Richard S Ehrlich
(Sep 21, '11)
Cambodian NGOs under the gun
A crackdown by Phnom Penh on land-rights groups has heightened
concerns that an upcoming law on non-governmental organizations will become a
tool of repression. Forced for years to pander to foreign NGOs for aid needed
to rebuild the war-ravaged country, Prime Minister Hun Sen - emboldened by
no-strings-attached Chinese funds - is moving to strangle this nagging source
of criticism. - Sebastian Strangio (Sep
19, '11)
SPEAKING FREELY
Questioning Indonesia's place in
the world
Indonesia's lack of influence in the global political-economic arena belies its
size and abundant natural and human resources. Numerous internal challenges
that typically face developing nations are to blame, but by tackling the most
daunting - corruption, rule of law and poverty - Jakarta can prove that the
country is headed towards greater power status - Yasmi Adriansyah
(Sep 19, '11)
Najib punts on legal change
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has thrown down the gauntlet to
the country's political opposition with a bold-sounding reform package -
including replacement of tough security laws - aimed at winning back lost
popular support ahead of general elections due by 2013. - Anil Netto
and Simon Roughneen (Sep 16, '11)
Pro-reform president shakes up
Myanmar
Political concessions and humanitarian gestures have earned the Myanmar
government of Thein Sein praise from unexpected quarters, such as pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the European Union. As the sense of a real
departure from the nearly 50 years of military oppression hangs in the air,
critics maintain it is all a sop for the international community. - Marwaan
Macan-Markar (Sep 15,
'11)
Myanmar's roadmap comes full
circle
Even if steps Myanmar has taken to legitimize its "democratic" regime are
proved a short-lived facade, for now it appears that the new government has
broken from the junta's iron-fisted approach. As opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi is granted new freedoms and fledgling institutions gradually develop into
power centers, the country is moving towards becoming a unique "Myanmar-style"
democracy. - David Henry Poveter (Sep
13, '11)
Rebel with a cause in Mindanao
In his decades-long quest for an independent Islamic state in the southern
Philippines, influential rebel commander Ameril Umbra Kato has twice
split from groups that compromised with Manila. His radical new breakaway
faction, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, stands to play an
increasingly important role in the peace process as talks falter between the
government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. - Jacob Ze nn
(Sep 12, '11)
Yale alumni lament Singapore
sting
Hopes that the Yale-National University of Singapore plan will encourage
creative, analytical and critical education in Asia appear overly optimistic to
Yale alumni who instead point to a "brand-building"exercise. Those who expected
"free-thinking" Yale to expand freedom any way forget its historic role as a
bastion of the US establishment. - Muhammad Cohen
(Sep 8, '11)
McYale with the death penalty
Plans for Ivy League liberal arts to come to Singapore through a
collaboration between Yale University and the National University of Singapore
quickly led to the island-state being touted as the thought center of Asia.
However, Yale alumni and Singaporeans who've suffered restrictions on free
debate say the pride of America's university system has compromised its
principles. - Muhammad Cohen (Sep
8, '11)
SPEAKING FREELY
A democracy only in
name
Myanmar is celebrating the United Nations' International Day of
Democracy, urging its citizens to be "true patriots" and "honest with good
attitude for the motherland" during the country's still uncertain political
transition. Yet the sober reality of life under both the old and new
governments, particularly for rural farmers, is the antithesis of the regime's
declarations. - Nancy Hudson-Rodd (Sep
8, '11)
Toys for the boys in Myanmar
In the digital world, Myanmar cannot keep the rapid expansion of its defense
industries a secret. Military factories have sprung up in jungle clearings
throughout the country, along with research facilities where missiles and other
weaponry are developed. While according to a whistleblower a nuclear program is
a pipedream, the regime clearly is in no hurry to change its priorities and cut
defense spending that makes up as much as half its budget. - Bertil Lintner
(Sep 7, '11)
How the US really views the
Philippines
Based on the information and assessments contained in United States diplomatic
cables, the US has grown quite assertive of its role in Philippine politics,
economy and society, offering help and aid to improve the military's and
police's counter-terrorism capacities, overhaul the judicial system, and
eliminate child labor and human trafficking. This unprecedented peek into
America's involvement in Philippine internal affairs has many people angered. -
Carlos H Conde (Sep 6, '11)
Devils lurk in the Reds' details
Manchester United's stellar earnings will give American owner Malcolm Glazer
plenty to cheer and the Red Devils' Asian fans incentive to gobble up shares on
sale in Singapore. A raft of new sponsorship agreements add to the English
football champions' riches and points to a paper trail across the region that
sheds light on the money - and why in private Glazer is counting on fans to
open their wallets. - Mair Dubois (Sep
2, '11)
Singapore votes for stability
Tony Tan has narrowly been elected as president of Singapore. With
more than 27 years of experience in parliament and close ties to the ruling
party, the 71-year-old offered stability over change for a position that while
essentially ceremonial, can instill "confidence for the future" on the island
nation. - Megawati Wijaya (Sep 1,
'11)
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