Author Archives: admin

Why we should celebrate Edsa Dos

By admin | March 8, 2015

Written for Bulatlat Was Edsa Dos a coup, power grab, or an uprising? Was it a farce? It may be all of the above but it’s a political event worth celebrating. Why should we allow the Arroyos, Estradas, Aquinos, and the Catholic bishops to dominate the discussion about what Edsa Dos meant to our country’s […]

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Myanmar’s ‘Mad Monk’ Strikes Again

By admin | March 6, 2015

Written for The Diplomat U Wirathu, an ultranationalist Buddhist monk from Myanmar, publicly insulted a United Nations human rights envoy who was visiting the country to assess the progress of reforms initiated by the government. The video of Wirathu insulting the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, Yanghee Lee, has gone viral in Myanmar. Wirathu […]

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How to surrender a United States Green Card in 3 easy steps

By admin | February 22, 2015

Written for Bulatlat 1. You grew up fantasizing about life in the United States, the land of milk and honey. You were bombarded with seductive images of first world living courtesy of Hollywood. You and your childhood friends wanted a glimpse and taste of real America. Then you learned that you and your family will […]

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Everything you wanted to know about Philippine politics but were afraid to ask the Left

By admin | February 12, 2015

Written for Bulatlat What did the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan had in common in the 1950s? They all allowed the United States to build military bases in their territories. But in 1991, the Philippines kicked out the bases even if it remained an unabashed admirer of American culture. The expulsion of American troops from […]

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6 Events That Will Shape Philippine Politics in 2015

By admin | February 8, 2015

Written for The Diplomat If 2014 was the year when the Philippines struggled to recover from the devastating impact of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), what might await Philippine politics in 2015? 1. The state visit and apostolic journey of Pope Francis was a much needed spiritual boost for many people in the Philippines, the largest Catholic-dominated […]

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Thailand’s Twelve Turbulent Months

By admin | February 4, 2015

Written for The Diplomat Thailand is coming to the end of very difficult year, which brought violent street protests, an election boycott, martial law, a coup, media censorship, the appointment of a new military-backed government, and a royal divorce. Here, we look back at what has transpired over the past 12 months. January: Tens of […]

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A Disastrous New Year in Southeast Asia

By admin | January 31, 2015

Written for The Diplomat For several Southeast Asian countries, 2014 ended disastrously: the Air Asia QZ8501 crash, intense flooding in eastern Malaysia and south Thailand, and the destruction caused by Typhoon Jangmi (known locally as Seniang) in the Philippines. The devastating consequences of these tragedies are still being felt today in the region as governments […]

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Southeast Asia’s Top Stories in 2014

By admin | January 28, 2015

Written for The Diplomat As we welcome the new year, we look back and review the top news stories in the Southeast Asian region in the past 12 months. These news events were also widely reported and discussed in the international media: 1. Thailand coup. After months of intense street protests, the army of Thailand […]

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Southeast Asian Laws That Ought to Be Repealed in 2015

By admin | January 18, 2015

Written for The Diplomat Singapore’s anti-gay sex law, Malaysia’s Sedition Act, Thailand’s anti-royal insult law (lèse majesté), Philippine libel law, Vietnam’s media regulation laws, Brunei’s Sharia law – all these notorious laws made news this year and they ought to be reviewed, if not outright repealed, in 2015. Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code […]

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What I Saw in New York: An Angry America Rising for Justice

By admin | January 15, 2015

Written for Manila Today In 2008, the world was mesmerized by the victory of Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States. Everybody wanted to follow the example of the USA, a nation that overwhelmingly voted for change. In 2014 the world is horrified by what is happening in the USA: Michael Brown, […]

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