Category Archives: east asia

Burma’s Surprising Protests

By admin | July 7, 2012

News about the protests that spread through several Burma towns last week over power shortages should be welcomed as a positive development in the country’s bid to achieve a full democratic transition. The series of peaceful protests started in Mandalay, where hundreds of residents gathered in front of a government electricity agency to condemn the […]

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Scarborough Shoal a Precursor?

By admin | June 25, 2012

French philosopher Voltaire once wrote a story about the mad behavior of men going to war over a “few lumps of earth.” In Southeast Asia, there are numerous small and midsize conflicts between countries over temples, borders, islets, reefs, shoals, and even puny rock formations that disappear during high tide. For example, Thailand and Cambodia […]

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Malaysia’s Summer of Discontent?

By admin | May 19, 2012

During elections, people tend to be more inspired to voice their opinions on politics, governance, and democracy. Campaigning hasn’t officially started in Malaysia, but it’s encouraging to see that ordinary citizens have been so aggressive in recent weeks in pushing for various government reforms. Bersih (clean), an electoral reform movement, surprised the government when it […]

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Burma’s Election Revelations

By admin | April 27, 2012

The obligatory applause for the electoral victory of Burma’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi reverberated around the globe immediately after local officials confirmed that her opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), had won in 43 of the 44 constituencies where it fielded candidates in last Sunday’s by-election. Suu Kyi herself won a […]

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Singapore’s Populist Budget

By admin | April 8, 2012

Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party, which has been in power since the 1950s, has been accused of populism by its critics following the presentation of the 2012 state budget. According to the opposition, the budget contains several expenditure items that reflect the desperation of the PAP to regain the trust of voters and party supporters […]

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Change the ASEAN Model

By admin | April 2, 2012

A smartphone app called ASEAN One, which translates popular business phrases into 11 languages of the Southeast Asian region, was launched last week in Bangkok. Private sector initiatives like this, which promote the concept of a Southeast Asian community, should be encouraged. Aside from ASEAN One, there are bigger projects that seek to foster unity […]

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Southeast Asia’s Forgotten Wars

By admin | March 19, 2012

Written for The Diplomat For tourists, Southeast Asia conjures visions of exotic islands in places like Phuket, Bali, and Boracay. For investors, it’s a relatively safe destination, where their capital can flourish in global cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok. Its ancient history is preserved at Angkor Wat, its rich biodiversity is visible in […]

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Cambodia’s Fainting Workers

By admin | February 29, 2012

Cambodia’s garment industry represents 90 percent of the country’s exports and employs more than 300,000 workers by some estimates. It survived the 2008 global financial crisis, although job losses were registered across all special economic zones. But despite its vital contribution to the local economy, the garment sector has been facing criticism that it has […]

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Southeast Asia: The January Spring

By admin | January 29, 2012

It seems that the winds of change have arrived early this year in Southeast Asia, which saw the unprecedented release of more than 600 political prisoners in Burma, the acquittal of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim over sodomy charges, the start of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona of the Philippines, and the […]

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Southeast Asia’s Elder Statesmen

By admin | January 18, 2012

Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and Juan Ponce Enrile of the Philippines – all have something in commons: they belong to Southeast Asia’s prominent club of senior citizen statesmen. Politicians may be getting younger, but it doesn’t mean the old guard […]

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