Author Archives: admin

Thailand’s Absurd ‘Red Bowl’ Sedition Threat

By admin | May 9, 2016

Read more at The Diplomat A housewife was arrested and charged with sedition in Thailand for posting a photo of a red bowl given by ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Facebook. She was released after posting a bail of 100,000 baht ($2,800). If found guilty in a military trial, she could face up to […]

Posted in east asia | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The old and the young in the Philippine revolution

By admin | May 4, 2016

Written for Bulatlat News about the 47th anniversary of the Communist Party highlighted the group’s statement about the growing strength of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Mindanao on one hand and Malacanang’s dismissal of the claim on the other. This is newsworthy but not really new. Supporters and critics of the armed Left can […]

Posted in reds | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Behind Cambodia’s Social Media War

By admin | April 29, 2016

Over the past few weeks, there has been a focus in Cambodia on what one might call an ongoing social media war between the ruling party and its opposition. The Facebook page of the current Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, who has governed the country for more than three decades, now has more than 3 […]

Posted in east asia, media | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The books I read in 2015

By admin | April 23, 2016

Written for Bulatlat 1. In Defence of Politics, Bernard Crick. I disagree with the author’s conservative views and his rejection of communist societies as totalitarian regimes but his treatise on politics, elections, and behavior of political actors allowed me to better understand the worldview of mainstream politicians. 2. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold. A sad […]

Posted in education | Tagged | Leave a comment

Remembering ‘People Power’ in ASEAN

By admin | April 20, 2016

In recent years, the “Occupy” movements and “Arab Spring” came to symbolize popular actions for social change across the world. In Southeast Asia, the massive gathering of citizens against an unjust political order is more widely known as an expression and legacy of “People Power.” The idea of People Power became a potent political force […]

Posted in east asia | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Presidential hopefuls in the Philippines

By admin | April 5, 2016

Written for New Mandala On 9 May, an estimated 54 million Filipinos will vote for a new president. Campaigning starts today, with the new president taking office on 30 June. There are five major contenders in the race — Mar Roxas, Jojo Binay, Grace Poe, Miriam Santiago, and Rodrigo Duterte. With the eventual winner serving […]

Posted in election | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Politics and internet in the age of self-representation

By admin | March 28, 2016

Written for Bulatlat The selfie is both derided and hailed as a popular form of self-expression; but politically-speaking, what does it really signify? The ‘butterfly effect’ reminds us that a flap of a butterfly’s wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world. Applied to the taking of selfies, perhaps it is […]

Posted in media, youth | Tagged , | Leave a comment

What Millennials Should Know About the Kabataang Makabayan

By admin | March 19, 2016

Written for Manila Today Aside from Joma Sison and the surviving participants of the First Quarter Storm era, no one has come forward to publicly admit that he or she is the leader of the Kabataang Makabayan or KM. There is no roster of KM officers, there are no KM chapters recognized by schools, there […]

Posted in reds, youth | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Cambodia’s Hun Sen Wants a South China Sea Apology

By admin | March 10, 2016

Written for The Diplomat Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is seeking apology from those who criticized him in 2012 when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) failed to issue a joint communique for the first time in the organization’s history during Cambodia’s chairmanship. In 2012, some analysts accused Cambodia, then the ASEAN chair, of […]

Posted in east asia | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Politics, tourism and the struggle for social transformation in the Philippines

By admin | March 2, 2016

Written for Bulatlat Our country is on fire yet we continue to rank our islands based on what tourists want. Should we rejoice when travel magazines list some of our islands as among the must-see places in the world? Yes, of course. But it doesn’t mean we should adopt their standards to measure the relevance […]

Posted in places, travel | Tagged , | Leave a comment