|
|
|
|
Honeymoon over for
Yudhoyono
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a month after being inaugurated
to his second and final term in office, is hounded by a corruption scandal that
puts his often plodding style in unfavorable focus. Yudhoyono's skill at taking
the middle road may be what Indonesia needs to ensure the growth of its
democracy, but he is unlikely to leave a meaningful policy legacy for his
successor. - Gary LaMoshi (Nov 19, '09)
OBAMA ON THE ASIAN HIGHWAY
A new courtship for Southeast
Asia
Barack Obama at the weekend became the first American president to share a room
with all 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The US's new
Asian focus is based partly on a belief that the region has been neglected,
giving China a pre-eminent position, and that it's time to get down to
business. - Brian McCartan (Nov 18, '09)
Why Yudhoyono needs FDI
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono wants to see faster growth and more people
at work in Indonesia, where more than half the 240 million people live on less
than US$2 a day, but liberalization measures that would help to attract foreign
direct investment, or FDI, to plug the vast gap in the required budget may be
slow in coming. - Fabio Scarpello (Nov 18,
'09)
Missing the nuance in south
Thailand
Misconceptions about the insurgent violence in Muslim southern Thailand have
grown with the conflict, as reports exaggerate or romanticize separatist
sentiments while claiming the Thai state's policy of arming Thai Buddhists is
fueling the violence. Overlooked are the connection many southerners feel
with Bangkok and local Muslim animosity towards the insurgents. - Jason Johnson
(Nov 16, '09)
'Advisor' Thaksin hits out at
protests
Exiled former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, taking up a controversial
post as Cambodia's newest economic advisor, has accused the Thai government of
"false patriotism" in its objection to his new role. While Cambodian Prime
Minister Hun Sen stands firmly behind Thaksin, his purpose in signing him up is
far from clear. - Jared Ferrie (Nov 12, '09)
OBAMA ON THE ASIAN HIGHWAY
Myanmar up close
President Barack Obama's meeting with Southeast Asian leaders next week will
likely focus on the new US policy of "constructive engagement" with Myanmar,
one indication he intends to put a greater emphasis on engaging with allies in
the region after seeing China expand its presence during the George W Bush
years.(Nov 12, '09)
 ASIA
HAND
Plots seen in Thaksin's Cambodia
gambit
Cambodia's welcome to exiled former Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra,
has added a volatile regional dimension to Thailand's political impasse. Thai
military planners now believe Cambodia's leader could be working with Thaksin
to bring down the government in Bangkok. However, Thai Prime Minister
Abhisit 'Vejjajiva may see no political point in easing tensions, given his
surge in domestic opinion polls over the issue. - Shawn W Crispin
(Nov 11, '09)
US digs deeper into Mindanao's
mire
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will walk into the middle of a
storm when she visits the Philippines this week to press Manila and a
separatist Muslim rebel group to resume peace talks. The government of
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the rebels are at serious odds over the
kidnapping of an Irish missionary. Clinton's way forward may be to press on
with controversial secret meetings with the separatists. - Al Labita
(Nov 10, '09)
Clock winds down on APEC
Twenty years after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum was established,
its goal of moving toward free trade among the now 21 members looks
increasingly distant amid rising protectionism and a noodle soup of bilateral
deals - Megawati Wijaya (Nov 9, '09)
Cambodia rattles Thailand's
chain
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's appointment of former Thai premier Thaksin
Shinawatra as an economic advisor has riled 
Bangkok. Hun Sen must have known that his cozying up to Thaksin, who lives in
exile and has been convicted on corruption charges, would have this effect. But
the long-serving Cambodian leader more likely has other reasons in mind. - Craig
Guthrie (Nov 9, '09)
Corruption bomb explodes in
Indonesia
Allegations in a wiretapped conversation involving businessman Anggodo Widjojo,
police and prosecutors, in which they appeared to plot 
against Indonesia's top anti-graft body, have also mentioned President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono. The shadow over Yudhoyono's hitherto squeaky clean image is
darkened by his seeming indecisiveness in the complex case. - Patrick
Guntensperger (Nov 6, '09)
US gives Myanmar a tentative
embrace
This week's landmark visit by senior United States officials to Myanmar
featured meetings with military leaders, pro-democracy figure Aung San Suu Kyi
and ethnic groups, but none led to any diplomatic breakthrough. Critics claim
Washington's engagement gambit, far from being aimed at achieving stability in
Myanmar, is more designed to counter China's overtures to Southeast Asia. - Brian
McCartan (Nov 6, '09)
Facebook people power
In an echo of the protests that demanded the ouster of dictator Suharto more
than a decade ago, Indonesians this month put pressure on President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono over the arrest of two anti-corruption commissioners,
subsequently released. This time around, though, the networking site Facebook
rather than the streets was the place to protest. - Sara Schonhardt
(Nov 6, '09)
Tennis diplomacy on the table in
Bali
If the Mohammedans won't come to the mountain, then the mountain - or at least
a stone from it - can come to the Mohammedans - or their closest neighboring
compatriots. The visit of an female Israeli tennis player to Bali, a resort
island of Muslim-majority Indonesia, has echoes of the sports diplomacy trail
famously blazed by American and Chinese ping-pong players. - Muhammad Cohen
(Nov 6, '09)
Little Laos relishes its big
moment
For the first time, Laos will host the Southeast Asian Games, with the 25th
edition of the 11-country sporting fest taking place next month. The tiny
landlocked country has had to rely on 
massive foreign aid - notably from China - to stage the event, arousing
considerable scorn in some circles. Yet, the enduring theme of Laos' history
has been its engagement with and dependence on foreign powers. For Laos, this
is a glorious coming-out for the one-party state. - Simon Creak
(Nov 4, '09)
Drugs, guns and war in Myanmar
Insurgent groups in the north of Myanmar have begun flooding the region with
cheap narcotics to boost revenues as part of a concerted weapons build-up. An
illicit trade that for years benefited the military leadership may now help
fund a re-ignited civil conflict that has the potential to spill over and
rattle relations with close ally Beijing. - Brian McCartan
(Nov 3, '09)
New heights for Singapore
property
Singapore's property market, buffeted as the city-state felt the full brunt of
the global financial crisis, is rebounding so strongly that home sales are
setting records and potential buyers are leaving blank checks with agents to
secure new apartments in new projects. - Megawati Wijaya
(Nov 3, '09)
AN ATOL INVESTIGATION
Deep inside Indonesia's kill
zone
Indonesia's Detachment 88 counter-terrorism teams are seen by some critics
as too willing to kill suspects and so do away with the need for long trials of
suspected jihadis. Yet the training of these crisis response teams, and their
weaponry, is in many ways inadequate for confronting at close quarters suicidal
and well-armed opponents. - John McBeth (Oct
30, '09)
What keeps Arroyo up at night
When she steps down in eight months, ending her constitutional immunity,
Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could face charges ranging from
corruption and electoral fraud to arranging extra-judicial killings and forced
disappearances. Arroyo would, though, dodge any bullets by winning a seat in
congress. - Al Labita (Oct 30, '09)
In Cambodia, a threatened tribe
of Islam
The distinct practices of the Cambodian Imam San community, which blend Islam
and animism, are seen by many Muslims as impure. Adding to the group's
estrangement, its members have rejected foreign-funded incentives to convert to
more orthodox Islam amid concern over the possible radicalizing influence of
foreign teaching. - Brendan B Brady (Oct 29,
'09)
As ASEAN dithers, the US circles
The rhetoric used at the latest summit of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations risks generating false expectations of the 10-member grouping
developing into a nascent European Union. Certainly, progress was made on
economic integration, but such issues as dealing with Myanmar remain
unresolved, which sends a mixed message to the United States as it ponders its
engagement in the region. - Simon Roughneen (Oct
27, '09)
Estrada back on center stage
Former Philippines president Joseph Estrada, a 72-year-old one-time screen idol
ousted in a 2001 "people's power" movement, is back in the 
political limelight with a comeback bid. Hugely popular with the masses despite
his well-publicized vices and prior conviction for graft, he has promised to
revitalize pro-poor programs and wage "all-out war" on Muslim and communist
insurgencies. - Al Labita (Oct 26, '09)
Rice tariffs snarl ASEAN single
market
The failure of Thailand, the world's largest exporter of rice, and the
Philippines, heavily dependent on imports of the food stuff, to agree on rice
tariffs has dealt a blow to efforts by the 10-member Association of Southeast
Asian Nations to forge a free-trade area along the lines of the European Union.
(Oct 26, '09)
US zeroes in on China's clout in
Myanmar
A senior United States State Department mission is going to Myanmar to
ostensibly discuss democracy and human rights, but the subtext will clearly be
boosting ties and building influence in a country long considered to be in
China's diplomatic pocket. The competition between Washington and Beijing for
influence in Southeast Asia could hinge on how Myanmar's generals react. - Brian
McCartan (Oct 23, '09)
COMMENT
How Australia can help Myanmar
The message the Australian government has for the military regime in Myanmar is
roughly: "We don't like what you're doing, but we are dead-set on continuing to
help your people." This is precisely what the generals need to hear. It is also
what Myanmar's business-focused neighbors - China, India and Thailand - need to
recognize in order to modify their approaches. - David Scott Mathieson
(Oct 23, '09)
The shape of things to come in
Indonesia
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democrat Party controls nearly
four times the number of seats in the legislature than it did during his first
term. The level of support for the new government, from both inside and outside
the political establishment, gives it an unprecedented opportunity to build on
national stability and push through important reforms. - Jacqueline Hicks
(Oct 22, '09)
Yudhoyono faces democratic test
Overwhelming political support in parliament and a potential dearth of
lawmakers who understand their roles could revert Indonesia's legislature into
a rubberstamp body for the president's office - as it was during the era of
dictator Suharto. Indonesians already view the government as corrupt, and a
return to a culture of collusion won't help. - Sara Schonhardt
(Oct 22, '09)
From killing fields to fields of
dreams
America's favorite pastime - the holy sport of baseball - has found its way to
the undeveloped backcountry of Cambodia through the efforts of a quixotic
Cambodian-American who fell in love with the game as a refugee in Tennessee. He
carved the country's first diamond out of some rice fields, and now Cambodians
are coming, and playing, in droves. - John Perra
(Oct 21, '09)
Philippine farmers feel the
pinch
Back-to-back typhoons have devastated the island of Luzon, which accounts for
half of the total agriculture output of the Philippines. Not only has the
country's farm growth rate been slashed, about 50,000 farming families face
financial ruin. - Prime Sarmiento (Oct 21,
'09)
Swarms of rats plague rural
Myanmar
Some 100,000 residents of Myanmar's Chin State are without proper food after a
rare mass flowering of nearby bamboo forests triggered an infestation of
ravenous rat armies which promptly devoured local crops. Thousands of people
are migrating to neighboring countries, especially India, in search of food and
employment. - Colin Hinshelwood (Oct 20, '09)
Cambodia balances East and West
As China deepens its ties with Southeast Asia, Cambodia has become a major
beneficiary of its loans, aid and investment largesse. Some fear the lack of
human rights and good governance strings attached to such bilateral deals have
adverse effects on society, while others see Beijing as offering Phnom Penh a
vital financial lifeline. - Sebastian Strangio
(Oct 19, '09)
ASIA HAND
Thailand mulls royal succession
Hundreds of thousands of Thais from across the country have journeyed to
Bangkok to wish 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej a quick recovery from
illness that has kept him hospitalized for nearly a month. Even as the revered
monarch slowly recovers, the nation faces up to what will be the most profound
transition in the kingdom's recent history with the monarch's eventual passing.
- Shawn W Crispin (Oct 16, '09)
BOOK REVIEW
On Indonesia's Islamic road
My Friend the Fanatic by Sadanand Dhume
The writer of this timely travelogue crisscrosses Indonesia's archipelago,
searching out the movers and shakers of a movement that aims to impose its
intolerant version of Utopia on a fledgling democracy. It's a vivid, graceful
and astute work, offering an inside look at the high toll politicized Islam
exacts on Indonesia. - Ioannis Gatsiounis (Oct
16, '09)
Bali escapes tide of recession
In the face of global economic woes and collapsing tourism markets, Indonesia's
top holiday destination is notching up record arrival numbers. - Muhammad Cohen
(Oct 15, '09)
Sinking feeling in the
Philippines
The tropical storm-induced flooding that has killed at least 700 people in
Manila and nearby provinces points to years of government failure in urban
planning and disaster-management preparedness. Philippine President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo's limp response has pulled her popularity ratings down even
further, and may sink her anointed successor in next year's polls. - Joel D
Adriano (Oct 13, '09)
INTERVIEW
The 'perfect' quake this way
comes
The 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the west coast of Sumatra island on
September 30 and killed more than 1,000 people was nothing compared to the
mammoth quake scientists predict for the area in the relatively near future.
The geological deck is stacked against the region, explains Sumatran tectonics
expert Richard Briggs, and local government apathy isn't helping. - Charles
McDermid (Oct 8, '09)
Cambodia's monarchy quietly
evolves
King Norodom Sihamoni, since replacing his 
colorful and controversial father, has withdrawn the monarchy from the
turbulent world of Cambodian politics, positioning it as a symbol of national
reconciliation. At the same time, the dominant Cambodian People's Party is
squeezing royalist political parties out of existence. - Sebastian Strangio
(Oct 8, '09)
Ghost of Thaksin's past visits
Abhisit
Even as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva works hard to assure foreign investors
and diplomats that Thailand's recent turmoil is no cause for 
concern, he is struggling to control his unwieldy and scandal-tainted
coalition. Whether Abhisit can maintain his clean image while in league with
coalition partners and party members who seem bent on self-enrichment may
determine his political future. - Seth Kane (Oct
6, '09)
Trial and tribulations in
Cambodia
As the first case at Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal, of notorious torture
chief Kaing Guek Eav, comes to a close, the court's future remains in doubt
over nagging allegations of political interference, corruption and fears that
elderly defendants will die before facing justice. - Jared Ferrie
(Oct 5, '09)
Indonesia a cut above Malaysia
A long-running feud between Indonesia and Malaysia over cultural ownership of
traditional dance, music and dress styles has been re-
ignited with the former's batik method of decorating cloth now added to a
United Nations heritage list. Jakarta claims it as a victory, while Malaysians
say an Indonesian inferiority complex is at work. - Sara Schonhardt
(Oct 2, '09)
US storms troops into the
Philippines
About 3,000 United States Marines are due to arrive in the Philippines for
training and humanitarian missions in the wake of recent floods there. That's
the official line, anyway. With extremists having recently killed two US
soldiers on war-torn Sulu island, the marines might have another mission in
mind. - Al Labita (Oct 2, '09)
China warily watches US-Myanmar detente
Ongoing concern in Bejing over unrest near the China-Myanmar border, which led
to a mass influx of refugees into southern China, has been heightened by
diplomatic overtures by the junta to the United States. China's leaders are
suspicious of any US attempt to counter its influence in the region. - Larry
Jagan (Oct 1, '09)
Islam as politics in Malaysia
American pop diva Beyonce will perform in Kuala Lumpur despite a raft
of piety-tinged controversies in recent weeks, including the 
sharia law sentencing of a woman to caning for drinking alcohol in public.
Issues of political Islam - somewhere between "Western sexy" on the one hand,
and jihadi terror on the other - now weigh mightily on Malaysia's national
discourse. - Simon Roughneen(Sep 30, '09)
US takes a radical turn on
Myanmar
The announcement that the United States intends to engage with Myanmar's
generals is a stunning change of tack towards the "outpost of tyranny". Critics
question the sense of dialogue with a reportedly rights-abusing
narco-state, but the US State Department says it was the generals who sought
the contact. - Brian McCartan (Sep 29, '09)
US bids to erase its Lao past
The United States has dropped charges against a 79-year-old Hmong leader and
former Central Intelligence Agency collaborator for allegedly purchasing
weapons in a plot to overthrow the government of Laos. Yet a new indictment for
the same crime has been filed against 11 other Hmong and a former US Special
Forces officer, raising questions about connections between insurgents in Laos
and their ethnic brethren in the US. - Brian McCartan
(Sep 28, '09)
Trees of profit
A trio of "serial entrepreneurs" is nurturing a for-profit initiative to cut
carbon emissions and convince Asians of the importance of growing and
protecting trees. - Muhammad Cohen (Sep 25,
'09)
In a haze, Indonesia slows
deforestation
Smoke from annual fires again blankets Indonesian Borneo and beyond,
temporarily obscuring genuine progress in the battle to save Asia's largest
remaining rainforest. - Muhammad Cohen
(Sep 25, '09)
Capital outflows cloud Malaysian
outlook
Malaysians relieved at signs that the economy's severe contraction is easing
still have plenty to worry about, including surging government debt and
outflows of capital, with recent reforms failing so far to stem the tide. - Anil
Netto(Sep 24, '09)
Myanmar's monks under close
watch
The Myanmar government has stepped up surveillance, infiltration and
restrictions on monks since the "Saffron" revolution two years ago, wary of the
Buddhist clergy's huge influence and 
mindful of its revolutionary past. The junta's efforts have reportedly led to
the imprisonment of hundreds, but monks are still seen as the most likely
catalyst for change. - Joel Chong (Sep 23,
'09)
Aceh drops a sharia gauntlet
The Muslim-dominated Indonesian territory of Aceh this month passed a series of
strict sharia-inspired laws that forbid adultery and homosexuality and hand
down a public flogging for the consumption of alcohol. If the central
government challenges the new ordinances, a peace deal with
semi-autonomous Aceh could unravel along religious lines. - Patrick
Guntensperger (Sep 23, '09)
New frontrunner emerges in the
Philippines
Philippines Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, who two months ago wasn't even in
the running for the presidency, has surged to the top of opinion polls. Last
month's death of his mother, former president Corazon "Cory" Aquino, catapulted
the family back into the national spotlight, dramatically altering the race to
next year's elections. - Joel D Adriano (Sep
22, '09)
Vietnam teeters towards a
currency crisis
The Vietnam government's struggle to raise funds through bond auctions as its
fiscal deficit rises means it is likely to unload debt onto private and
state-owned financial institutions. That, alongside overall economic
mismanagement, spells trouble for the country's currency. - Duy Hoang
(Sep 21, '09)
Indonesia strikes a blow against
terror
Authorities in Jakarta confirmed on Thursday the killing of terror mastermind
Noordin Mohammed Top following a raid and gun battle at a Central Java home.
The death of this "Robin Hood figure" - one of Southeast Asia's most wanted and
dangerous militants - has eliminated a major threat before United States
President Barack Obama's expected visit in November. - Sara Schonhardt
(Sep 18, '09)
China in Laos: Counting the cost
of progress
China's role in the development of northern Laos has grown significantly in
recent years, but with several unfortunate side effects. Rare wildlife is being
poached for Chinese consumption, while land grabs for rubber plantations are
destroying not only the environment, but also the livelihoods of local
people. - Daniel Allen (Sep 18, '09)
ASIA
HAND
Thai recovery sets political
quandary
Thailand's export-dependent economy is showing all the signs of a strong
rebound, playing into the hands of the ruling Democrat Party if it wants to
hold a general election next year. Yet if it sensibly decides to trim
crisis-timed spending plans, that could turn to the advantage of political
opponents. - Shawn W Crispin (Sep 17, '09)
Bank bailout scandal rocks
Indonesia
When Indonesia's Century Bank faced a severe crunch last November, President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his technocrats were there with a hefty handout.
Now the political opposition, including the vice president, claim
behind-the-scenes collusion allowed connected depositors to recover their
cash. - Patrick Guntensperger(Sep 16,
'09)
COMMENT
A vote for Webb's Myanmar
opening
The recent visit of United States Senator James Webb to Myanmar has been
criticized by the sincere but somewhat misguided Burmese democracy movement.
Webb's trip did not, and could not, resolve all the issues of the sorry state -
but isolation only exacerbates those problems. The world should applaud the
modest beginning Webb's visit has created, and explore its positive
ramifications. - David I Steinberg (Sep 16,
'09)
BlackBerry's success
has sour taste
Long the businessman's favorite smart phone, the BlackBerry is increasingly
popular among Indonesia's general population. That should be good news for the
Canadian producer, except that success has attracted government attention, and
the unofficial market undermines direct company sales. - Sara Schonhardt
(Sep 15, '09)
ASIA HAND
Chinese shadow over Vietnamese repression
Vietnamese authorities have in recent weeks arrested and detained journalists
and bloggers who have penned materials critical of China. The crackdown
suggests that Beijing's surging economic power, including as an outward
investor and potential lender of last resort to Hanoi, may have outweighed the
two nations' complex - and at times bloody - relationship. - Shawn W Crispin
(Sep 11, '09)
China, Myanmar border on a
conflict
The Myanmar government's rout last week of ethnic Kokang insurgents on the
Chinese border may have been a test of Beijing's resolve to back its
Myanmar-based allies and the readiness of rebel groups to band together against
the junta. As all sides prepare for the next round of fighting, it seems
unlikely Myanmar's military will be able to control the ceasefire regions in
time for the 2010 national elections. - Brian McCartan
(Sep 9, '09)
Laos power plant misses jumbo
payout
A proposed highly polluting lignite mine and power station in northwestern Laos
would feed power to Thailand while threatening to kill local tourism and
elephants that are an important attraction. Yet it is the jumbos, if properly
husbanded, that could be more lucrative than the mine, with the income staying
in Laos. - Beaumont Smith (Sep 8, '09)
Arroyo slips another scandal
noose
Although Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband have been
cleared of any involvement in a scandal surrounding a US$329 million
telecommunications deal with a Chinese company, the incident - and others like
it - seriously undermine investor confidence in the Philippines. - Joel D
Adriano (Sep 4, '09)
Terrorism takes on democracy in
Indonesia
After delivering him two overwhelming electoral mandates, Indonesians are
looking to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to entrench democratic policies
and institutions. Whether the moderate Yudhoyono can pull this off amid
terrorist threats and pressure from his security forces to curb civil liberties
in the name of national security will be a key test. - Patrick Guntensperger
(Sep 3, '09)
AN ATOL INVESTIGATION
Religion, guns tear apart south
Thailand
The number of civilians involved in anti-insurgent, government-organized
militias in southern Thailand will pass 100,000 this year. This means lots of
guns, little direct military oversight and a high risk of full-blown violence
in the shadowy conflict between Thai Buddhist and Malay Muslim communities. - Brian
McCartan (Sep 1, '09)
Border war rattles China-Myanmar
ties
The Myanmar military offensive against an insurgent group, which has pushed an
estimated 50,000 refugees into southwestern China, is a sign that the ruling
generals are asserting their independence from Beijing, the regime's main
backer. Increased efforts to disarm other rebels, including those that enjoy
special ties with China, may plunge the China-Myanmar border into widespread
conflict. - Larry Jagan (Aug 31, '09)
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
From My Lai to Lockerbie
When the Libyan jailed for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie
was freed, a furor erupted in the United States. At the same time, an apology
from an American sentenced to life in prison for the massacre of Vietnamese
civilians in 1971 - but who spent only three days locked up - was met with
little fanfare. - Nick Turse (Aug 31, '09)
Economic crisis hits Myanmar's
migrants
Migrant workers from Myanmar, already struggling to support families back home
on low wages earned in factories across the border in Thailand, are finding
life even harder as the economic downturn leads to layoffs and reduced working
hours. (Aug 31, '09)
Tobacco fair tests Thai
anti-smoking efforts
Thailand, in many ways a regional leader in efforts to curb cigarette smoking,
faces a direct challenge to its policies and international agreements in the
form of a tobacco trade fair in Bangkok - sponsored by the country's own
tobacco monopoly.(Aug 28, '09)
A natural successor emerges for
Aquino
In the emotional aftermath of former Philippine president Corazon Aquino's
death, there are growing calls for her son Senator Benigno 
"Noynoy" Aquino III to run for president. The people believe Noynoy has
inherited his mother's religious values and moral authority, making him the
perfect antidote to a decade of corruption-plagued rule. - Joel D Adriano
(Aug 27, '09)
Singapore faces a 'silver
tsunami'
Elderly Singaporeans are being forced into shelters for
"abandoned parents" or suing their children for financial support as the island
state grapples with the rising health-care costs of an aging society. The trend
has grave implications for the economy, and has led to some controversial
proposals: one minister has suggested all elderly be shipped to Malaysia. - Megawati
Wijaya (Aug 26, '09)
On the march to do business in
Myanmar
One is an alleged arms dealer with shadowy links to Asia's most notorious
regimes. Another was once known as the "King of Opium". Still others have used
family ties and deep pockets to gain favor with the ruling generals in Myanmar.
These are some of the businessmen who will be rehabilitated and free for joint
ventures with Western partners if sanctions are relaxed against Myanmar. - Brian
McCartan (Aug 25, '09)
Murder rap slows Suharto's
rising son
The announcement that former dictator Suharto's son Tommy feels a "duty" to
assume the leadership of his late father's Golkar party has reset Indonesia's
political calculus. There is little question that Tommy's ultimate goal is the
presidential palace, but a 2002 conviction for contracting the drive-by killing
of a judge may be too much criminal baggage to overcome. - Patrick Guntensperger
(Aug 24, '09)
INTERVIEW
From microfinance to social shake-up
Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, after revolutionizing the way in which
credit is disbursed among the poor, has now set his sights on universities,
arguing that students need to get their hands dirty - not only for their own
benefit, but also for the advancement of rural folk.
(Aug 21, '09)
Thai rebels head for the hills
Veterans of jungle warfare understand the task the Thai military faces as it
battles shadowy Malay-Muslim militants in the southernmost tip of Thailand. For
now, the military is turning to small well-armed patrols to track down
militants hiding in the forests. The military claims it is making progress, but
the enemy remains elusive. (Aug 20, '09)
ASIA HAND
A desperate plea for amnesty
Four months after the bloody street battles in Bangkok, the red-shirted United
Front Against Dictatorship for Democracy movement is still a personality cult
driven by the aim of restoring exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to
power. Its inability to evolve into a more genuine pro-democracy movement will
most likely keep the movement's plea for Thaksin's pardon from reaching royal
ears. - Shawn W Crispin (Aug 18, '09)
Regime rides above sanctions
The meeting of United States Senator Jim Webb with Myanmar leader Than Shwe
raises new questions about the efficacy of sanctions against the regime, which
continues to benefit from Asian states fiercely competing for its oil and gas
concessions and other natural resources - Simon Roughneen
(Aug 17, '09)
Realpolitik revealed in Myanmar
release
United States Senator Jim Webb scored a public relations coup in Myanmar at the
weekend by gaining the release of jailed American John Yettaw, but the move was
hardly a major diplomatic breakthrough - it may have been the generals' reward
for Webb's strident anti-sanctions stance. The trip did make clear that Webb
and Washington have the larger goals of containing China in mind. - Brian
McCartan (Aug 17, '09)
Suu Kyi verdict tests ASEAN's
resolve
The credibility of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is again at stake
as the international community awaits a tough regional response to Myanmar
keeping Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest. Weak words on the junta could
fatally undermine ASEAN's long-awaited human-rights body as well as its
commitments to promote democracy. - Alistair B Cook and Mely
Caballero-Anthony (Aug 13, '09)
Cambodia joins microloan
clean-up
Cambodia has emerged at the forefront of a campaign to ensure that borrowers
from microfinance companies can find out what interest they are really being
charged - and so bring the lenders back to their mission of poverty reduction.
If the campaign succeeds, the multi-billion dollar industry could be in for a
shake-out. - Stephen Kurczy (Aug 13, '09)
The hunt goes on for terror
mastermind
Noordin Mohammad Top, the prolific and ingenious terror
bomber, remains at large in Indonesia after a weekend raid in which he was
initially said to have been killed. Top's ability to move with impunity and
acquire recruits suggests that grassroots support for his radical cause runs
deep. Every moment he remains on the loose reinforces that suspicion. - Patrick
Guntensperger (Aug 12, '09)
Suu Kyi's detention splits East
and West
The ruling of a military court to extend the home arrest of pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi is certain to increase divisions between the West and
Asia on how to promote political reform in Myanmar. At least that's what junta
leader Than Shwe appears to be counting on, as the ruling generals move toward
a peaceful transfer of power to the next military generation under the guise of
civilian rule. - Larry Jagan (Aug 12, '09)
COMMENT
To beat terrorists, use judo,
not boxing
Terror bombing mastermind Noordin Top has been on the run for years, sustained
by a network of supporters. Some say his recent brush with death in Indonesia
will only fuel his legend, but there's a counter-perspective: Top's willingness
to target and escalate attacks on civilians may have eroded the public support
he needs to hide, maneuver and build bombs. - Frank J Cilluffo and Sharon
L Cardash (Aug 12, '09)
Myanmar silences Suu Kyi - again
Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was on Tuesday given one and a
half years of house arrest for violating the terms of a previous house arrest
order. This will effectively bar her from multi-party elections next year. It
will also place Myanmar on a new collision course with the United States, whose
carrots of investment money in exchange for Suu Kyi's release were rejected. - Shawn
W Crispin (Aug 11, '09)
Remittances save the Philippines
Filipinos, defying the global downturn, continue to find work
overseas, aided in part by government deals with countries from Qatar to
South Korea. That is helping to maintain remittances to families back home -
and prolonging the country's dependence on this source of funds. - Joel D
Adriano (Aug 10, '09)
New Tiger chief does not pass go
It was an extremely short stint as leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam for Selvarasa Pathmanathan, arrested in Southeast Asia this week and
shipped back to Sri Lanka. The capture of the elusive legend who ran the
Tigers' lucrative international operations is a coup for Colombo, but it may
have sabotaged any chance that the LTTE would reinvent itself as a political
force. - Sudha Ramachandran (Aug 7, '09)
Political rumbles after
Indonesian blasts
The two losers in last month's Indonesian presidential polls, Megawati
Sukarnoputri and Jusuf Kalla, have teamed up to challenge the vote, heightening
the country's already tense political situation following the July hotel
bombings. Megawati claims to have evidence of 28.5 million fraudulent votes, a
challenge not without merit given past plunders by the General Elections
Committee. - Patrick Guntensperger (Aug 6,
'09)
No winners in Malaysia's
political tussle
Both opposing political sides in Malaysia have suffered setbacks in recent
months and are now angling for new advantages. The struggling economy will
continue to weigh on Prime Minister Najib Razak's government. But with a new
sodomy trial hanging over opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, questions are
emerging about how long he can hold his movement's disparate political forces
together. - Anil Netto (Aug 5, '09)
SPEAKING FREELY
An 'Asia-Pacific' chimera
While evaluating the "Asia-Pacific community" proposed by Australian Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd last year, attention must be paid to the differing and
complex political and economic realities of East, Central and South Asia.
Creating a brand new pan-regional institution is impossible. - Andy Yee
(Aug 5, '09)
AN ATOL INVESTIGATION
A bid to buy Thai Muslim hearts
and minds
Thailand is funneling nearly 100,000 security forces and US$1.85 billion into a
four-year pacification and spending program in the country's insurgency plagued
southernmost provinces. The military top brass claims recent success in the
region, but analysts say the insurgents are far from defeated and instead have
become more focused - not to mention more deadly. - Brian McCartan and Mark
Oltmanns (Aug 4, '09)
The Philippines loses its
democratic heart
The passing of former Philippine leader Corazon Aquino has brought back
memories for the hundreds of thousands who joined her idealistic "People's
Power revolution" to oust dictator 
Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. Her dream has been born again in emotional
outpourings from a society divided by widening differences in education, income
and class. - Donald Kirk (Aug 3, '09)
Aquino: An accidental leader
She was an avowed housewife who became a national leader; a
deeply religious widow who dressed a protest movement in yellow and took it to
the streets. Along the way, former Philippine president Corazon Aquino became
the national embodiment of moral authority, and a beacon of democracy in a
region where authoritarian rule is still the norm. - Joel D Adriano
(Aug 3, '09)
Peace dances in the Philippines
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was bullish about peace this week
after separate meetings with the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front and United
States President Barack Obama. Arroyo can now claim she has pushed for peace in
restive Mindanao, and counter those who think US$300 million worth of American
funding has gone to waste in the seemingly endless conflict. - Simon Roughneen
(Jul 31, '09)
BOOK REVIEW
A true espionage page-turner
The Spy Who Loved Us by Thomas A Bass
Colleagues of Phan Xuan An, a talented US-trained reporter 
during the Vietnam War, were shocked to later learn that the man they had grown
to trust and respect was a communist spy. As details of An's real role in the
war slowly emerged, the writer of this book set out - with some success - to
map the long road of Vietnam's master of deception. - Alexander Casella
(Jul 31, '09)
Farmers forgotten in
oil-for-food deals
"You have what we don't have, and we have plenty of what you don't have." The
secretary general of the Association of Southeast Nations failed to mention the
potential losers in his summary of the region's oil-for-food deals with arid
but affluent Gulf countries - small farmers being thrown off their land and
Asia's own often hungry population. - Brian McCartan
(Jul 30, '09)
AN ATOL INVESTIGATION
Color-coded contest for
Thailand's north
A government delegation was met this month in the north Thailand city of Chiang
Mai by a red-shirted mob armed with rocks, homemade bombs and at least one gun
- the latest show of force by the protest movement inspired by former premier
Thaksin Shinawatra. Just how far the "red shirts" are willing to go, and how
far the rival yellow-shirted group can rally, will be key to Thailand's
stability in the months, and perhaps years, ahead. - Shawn Kelley
(Jul 30, '09)
There's military logic to Suu
Kyi's trial
Myanmar's junta leader Senior General Than Shwe is expected to follow Friday's
verdict in the case of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi by forming a
civilian-led interim government to hold power until elections next year. It's a
move, analysts say, designed to deflect international criticism and move the
junta one step closer towards "discipline democracy". - Larry Jagan
(Jul 29, '09)
Why Arroyo gets no satisfaction
In a "farewell" address, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday
defiantly lauded her administration's achievements, attacked critics and
pledged to not seek an extension to her six-year term, which ends in 2010.
However, after failures in fighting mass poverty, endemic corruption and a
Muslim insurgency, Arroyo's legacy is far from secure. - Joel D Adriano
(Jul 28, '09)
What made Jakarta suicide
bombers tick
It is clear from an extensive planning blueprint for the October 2005 Bali
bombing, downloaded off Malaysian-born terrorist mastermind Azahari bin Husin's
laptop, that the plans and objectives of earlier attacks were repeated in this
month's suicide bombings in Jakarta. The document serves as another chilling
reminder that for these terrorists, killing is simply business. - John McBeth
(Jul 27, '09)
Clinton talks tough in Thailand
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton brought more to Thailand this
week than diplomatic platitudes and pastel pantsuits. Announcing "the US is
back in Southeast Asia", the former first lady set a new course for American
policy in a region that has recently felt unloved by Washington. Along the way,
she pulled no punches with Myanmar, North Korea or Iran. - Jakkapun
Kaewsangthong and Charles McDermid (Jul
24, '09)
Why Myanmar's elections will
work
As Myanmar's 2010 elections approach, some locals
are grudgingly warming to the junta. With one proviso - the fragile economic
growth must continue and there must be some semblance of wealth redistribution.
The trend is not new to allies like Singapore, which has long known regular
elections in hand with economic progress can gradually legitimize authoritarian
rule. - James Gomez (Jul 24, '09)
Indonesian terror changes face
Indonesia's recently re-elected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono garnered
praise for curbing Islamic extremism during his first term. But his
counter-terrorism successes have caused terrorist groups such as Jemaah
Islamiyah to transform into violence-prone splinter groups eager to assert
themselves. Last week's bombings of two luxury hotels in Jakarta is an ominous
sign. - Nelson Rand (Jul 23, '09)
It's a bumpy road back for Lao
exiles
Attracted by political stability and a growing economy, many
refugees who fled to the West after the Stalinist Pathet Lao seized power in
1975 are returning to Laos. Although their cash, skills and education could
help rebuild one of Asia's poorest economies, they face tricky cultural and
linguistic hurdles. - Stephen Kurczy (Jul 22,
'09)
Contexts of terror in Indonesia
If those responsible for Friday's bombings in Jakarta hoped to gain the
sympathy of Indonesians by attacking expatriates, they failed. Of the 37
victims whose nationalities are known, 60% were Indonesians. As for President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's landslide victory this month, the bombings will not
derail his inauguration. Nor will they do more than temporary damage to the
Indonesian economy. - Donald K Emmerson (Jul
21, '09)
COMMENT
Vietnam failing rights standard
Vietnam has made significant economic progress in the past decade, partly due
to renewed trade ties with former adversary the United States, but in other
areas it lags. After the prominent imprisonment of a priest and attorney over
criticism of the government, some voices in Washington say the country should
be put back on the US's human-rights blacklist. - Maran Turner
(Jul 20, '09)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
All material on this
website is copyright and may not be republished in any form without written
permission.
Copyright 1999 - 2009 Asia Times Online
(Holdings), Ltd.
|
|
Head
Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong
Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
|
|
|
|
