Category Archives: east asia

A Korean ‘War’ in Cambodia?

By admin | January 27, 2011

It seems like a mini Korean War is brewing in Cambodia. But unlike the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, which could end up involving a military clash, the ‘war’ in Cambodia is a kind of culinary conflict. In 2002, the North Korean government opened a restaurant in Siem Reap near the world famous Angkor […]

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Burma: Where Old Is New, Again

By admin | January 20, 2011

Burma’s junta leaders delivered what could probably be the political masterstroke of 2010 in the South-east Asia region: Obscure the continuing military dictatorship in the country by releasing from detention a global democracy icon and conducting nationwide polls. Despite its new name (Republic of the Union of Burma) and the inauguration of a new republic […]

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Laos, Philippines: The politics of currency notes

By admin | January 9, 2011

Last month, Laos introduced a new 100,000 kip (US$12.45) banknote and released memorial gold and silver coins to commemorate the 450th anniversary of its capital, Vientiane, and the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Meanwhile, the Philippines which elected a new president last May unveiled the new designs of its […]

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Too Many Doctors in Malaysia

By admin | January 3, 2011

Concerned about the oversupply of doctors and housemen (junior doctors) in the country, the Malaysian government has recently imposed a five-year moratorium on medical courses. According to the Malaysian Medical Council, Malaysia has 27,709 doctors (including 3,651 house officers). Malaysia is producing about 3,500-5000 medical graduates annually, a big figure for a country with a […]

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WikiLeaks’ Thai Revelations?

By admin | December 12, 2010

There are some interesting WikiLeaks revelations related to Thailand. Of the estimated 3000 cables sent by the United States Embassy in Bangkok to the US State Department, the most intriguing are those tied to the case of Russian businessman and alleged arms smuggler Viktor Bout, who faced trial in Thailand before being extradited to the […]

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Slashing Scare in Singapore

By admin | November 27, 2010

Earlier this month, the Singaporean government released two National Education Surveys that showed more than 95 percent of young people are proud to be Singaporean. The authorities should be rejoicing—they can cite the survey results as proof that government programmes are successful in tapping into the support of young Singaporeans. But at the same time, […]

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Myanmar: New Flag, Same Country

By admin | November 8, 2010

The Union of Myanmar (Burma) is now officially known as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and its new flag was unveiled for the first time last week. Is the change part of the so-called democratic reforms that the ruling junta promised to deliver in time for the widely anticipated November 7 elections? As […]

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Mahathir vs Lee

By admin | October 21, 2010

Written for The Diplomat When Singapore’s longest-serving prime minister and current Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was interviewed by The New York Times last month, nobody expected anything controversial—or that he would upset neighbor Malaysia. And mostly there was nothing there that would have done, with the 87-year-old leader talking mainly about yoga and literature. […]

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Asia’s Water Crisis

By admin | August 24, 2010

written for The Diplomat…. Wracked by droughts, floods and simmering tensions, Asia’s governments need a more co-ordinated approach to water crises. As the contradictions of Asia’s water challenges have been laid bare this summer—with millions affected by flooding while others are hit by droughts—one thing has been made clearer: the coming water crisis could exacerbate […]

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Sex and the Censors in Asia

By admin | July 15, 2010

Part 1: Politics and immorality in Southeast Asia written for The Diplomat South-east Asian governments are increasingly censoring ‘immoral’ web content. Do they have political motivations as well? Last February, the Indonesian government dropped plans to filter ‘bad’ content through its Multimedia Content Screening team after the plan met with strong public opposition. Yet, undeterred, […]

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