Category Archives: east asia

Malaysia Accused of Mistreating Refugees

By admin | December 24, 2014

Written for The Diplomat A documentary produced by Al Jazeera has portrayed the Malaysian government as neglectful of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in the country’s detention centers. The claims were supported by Richard Towle, the representative for Malaysia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “Refugees are treated as illegal […]

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

Koreans Alarmed by Rising Crime in the Philippines

By admin | December 7, 2014

Written for The Diplomat The Korean embassy has issued a statement expressing alarm over the reported spike in crimes victimizing Korean tourists and businessmen residing in the Philippines. It cited the killing of a Korean businessman last July and the abduction and killing of a Korean college student in Manila last March as examples of […]

Also posted in nation | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Laos’ Internet Law Undermines Free Speech

By admin | November 25, 2014

Written for The Diplomat The government of Laos has signed an Internet law that claims to support the growth of the Internet but actually contains numerous contradictory provisions that undermine free speech and other citizen rights. When this was reported almost two months ago, the concern of many was the broad and vague cybercrimes enumerated […]

Also posted in media | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Why Malaysia Reduced Its Fuel Subsidy

By admin | November 8, 2014

Written for The Diplomat Malaysia’s decision to slash fuel subsidies has led to an increase in the price of petrol products, which in turn angered many consumers but was applauded by economists and credit rating agencies. Prime Minister Najib Razak defended the government action by citing the need to balance the budget. He said the […]

Also posted in economy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Myanmar Insists Reforms Are Working

By admin | October 19, 2014

Written for The Diplomat Myanmar is changing and changing in the right direction. These were the exact words used by Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin when he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly of world leaders in New York on September 29, 2014. He declared that “positive changes” and “winds of change” have […]

Posted in east asia | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jokowi’s First Week as Indonesia’s President-Elect

By admin | September 26, 2014

Written for The Diplomat Aside from reaching out to his political opponents, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo spent his first week as Indonesia’s president-elect thanking volunteers and asking netizens to choose the members of his Cabinet. Jokowi was proclaimed winner on July 22 by the Electoral Commission after he received 71 million votes, or 53 percent of […]

Posted in east asia | Tagged | Leave a comment

Charter Reforms in Southeast Asia: The Good, The Bad, and The Half-Serious

By admin | September 15, 2014

Published by The Diplomat The good: Five million people in Myanmar signed a petition asking Parliament to remove the undemocratic provisions in the 2008 Constitution. The bad: Thai military authorities enacted an interim constitution that gives sweeping powers to the army. The half-serious: Philippine President Benigno Aquino III hinted that he is open to the […]

Also posted in nation | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Malaysia Threatens to Block Facebook

By admin | September 2, 2014

Written for The Diplomat The Malaysian government revealed that it is studying a proposal to ban Facebook, in response to the rising number of abuses reported on the popular social network. Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek made the announcement after a Facebook user posted a doctored photo of a road accident […]

Also posted in media | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Meaning of the Mandalay Riots in Myanmar

By admin | July 29, 2014

Written for The Diplomat More rioting between Buddhist and Muslim groups erupted in Myanmar early this month, killing two people and injuring 14 others. The fatalities included a young Buddhist man who was riding a bike and a Muslim bicycle shop owner. The riots – which took place over four days in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second […]

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

Thailand’s ‘Happy’ Coup

By admin | July 12, 2014

Published by The Diplomat Thailand’s coup regime is handing out freebies to prove its sincerity in bringing happiness back to the country. First, it arranged live broadcasts of all 64 World Cup matches on Thailand’s free TV. Then it lifted the night curfew in more than 20 provinces, allowing football fans and tourists to watch […]

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