China's new European trade hub: An Irish town of 18,000 - Christian Science Monitor
The Athlone Institute of Technology hosts more than 200 Chinese students – one of the links that helped bring the trade hub to the town, says Prof. Ciaran Ó Catháin, the president of the school and one of the players in the project negotiations. Professor Ó Catháin would not disclose ...
Vietnam’s Problems, Promises - Asia Sentinel/RTÉ World Report
“We tend to lose around 20% of our staff every year after Tet” (the Vietnamese New Year), said Kim Jung Hee, manager of a factory in Binh Duong province, an hour's drive from Saigon's centre. Her Korean company NB Blue employs a thousand workers, in a clean and well-lit factory ...
Thailand sentences American to prison for insulting king - Los Angeles Times
"In Thailand they put people in jail without proof," Lerpong said Thursday, his arms and legs shackled, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. "I was born in Thailand, but this does not mean I am Thai. I am proud to be an American citizen."
DMZ: Road trip to the world's most heavily armed border - CNNGo
SEOUL - As the tour bus moves from central Seoul to the city outskirts, the seamless transition from one of the world's biggest and most vibrant cities to the world's most heavily armed border is as surreal as it is functional, with roadside bus-stops giving way to military watchtowers even ...
Potent mix for Timor-Leste - Asia Times
DILI - Land, corruption and poverty are all on the table as Timor-Leste gets into political mode ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for 2012, with one controversial figure already throwing his hat into the ring.
If Samuel Beckett met Pol Pot - Asia Sentinel/Irish Examiner
TIK PANHAO, CAMBODIA - In some of Cambodia’s thousands of killing fields, the bones of the dead can sometimes be seen, rising to the surface after storms or rain, like grisly emblems of an unburied past. Perhaps 16,000 died at the s-21 Detention Camp in Phnom Penh, or at Choeung ...
Voting ends in southern Sudan referendum - Sunday Tribune
Kyeli, Blue Nile State, Sudan - “Soon after we married, my husband was killed during the war”, says Hawa Abdul-Gadr. Her eyes show a suppressed grief, but her demeanour is purposeful. That said, there is a perceptible sadness - long-kept under wraps but perhaps closer to the surface than she ...
An unbreakable bond? – Asia Times
JERUSALEM – In 'The Great Divorce' C.S. Lewis attempted to allegorise about a reality which he admitted he could not know, but tentatively hoped to suggest. The US-Israeli relationship, to most, seems like an unbreakable bond, and any potential divorce might be regarded as unimaginable. But when Israeli Prime Minister ...
Narcotic use, drought rob babies of food – The Washington Times
DIRE DAWA, Ethiopia | When drought and food shortages hit, it is the very young who suffer first, and most. Weighing only 10 pounds, Ayaan is among nearly 100,000 Ethiopian children whose lives are at risk. Just four days before her first birthday, she is lighter than an average 3-month-old ...
Corruption trumps tribalism – New York Times (IHT)
Kenyans were cynical about their political establishment long before the latest election violence. One wisecrack doing the rounds since last year says "there is more chance of a Luo becoming president of the United States than president of this country" - referring to Barack Obama, whose father hails from the ...
Why are Thais always protesting? – The Casual Truth
November 20th, 2009
http://www.thecasualtruth.com/node/278
Redshirts brave the rain to mark 3 years since Thaksin's ouster, 19/9/09 (Pic: Simon Roughneen)
For over a year, Thailand’s image as a tourist-friendly destination has taken a bit of a battering, with colour-coded political protests almost a weekly event – this week being no exception. But what are the protests and blockades about?
Broadly speaking, Thai politics – or at least Thai protests – are divided between ‘Redshirt’ supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister and telecoms billionaire, and ‘Yellowshirts,’ who support Sondhi Limthongkul, a former Thaksin ally and himself a wealthy media baron.
The remaining Thais do not accept the division and are somewhere in the middle.
Thaksin is probably the most divisive person in Thailand and second most popular after the king. He is currently based in Dubai, but facing corruption charges at home, which poor to middle class Redshirts believe are politically-motivated.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen agrees – and he provoked his bigger neighbour Thailand by offering Thaksin a job as an “economic advisor.” This has sparked a major cross-border row recently, especially when Thaksin was in Cambodia last week.
The Yellowshirts are made up of mostly middle to upper-class people who believe Thaksin threatened the monarchy in Thailand, and alleged that he sought to concentrate power in his own hands. (more…)
Assessing the US-Asean summit – The Irrawaddy
November 19th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17251
BANGKOK — The meeting between US President Barack Obama and his Asean counterparts has been mostly well-received, though some misgivings remain.
Obama made a much-anticipated call for the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s political prisoners during the hour-long summit, apparently reiterating language used during a speech given in Tokyo on Saturday, where he said that the Burmese junta needed to take “clear steps” toward democracy, including the unconditional release of all political prisoners, an end to conflicts with minority groups and a “genuine dialogue” with the opposition and minorities on a “shared vision for the future.”
Burmese opposition groups and political prisoners have backed the move, with Suu Kyi now asking for a meeting with Sen-Gen Than Shwe, the junta strongman, to discuss possible ways to get US sanctions on Burma relaxed. (more…)
Obama tells Thein Sein release Suu Kyi, but Asean differences remain – The Irrawaddy
November 15th, 2009
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17221
US President Barack Obama asks the Burmese junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, signaling differences between Asean and US, after the joint US-Asean statement omits the request
SINGAPORE — US President Barack Obama made a personal request to the Burmese junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, signaling that there is different view between Association of Southeast Asian Nations and US.
Speaking to media after the inaugural US-Asean summit in Singapore today Obama said, “I reaffirmed the policy that I put forward yesterday in Tokyo with regard to Burma.”
On Saturday, Obama offered Burma the prospect of better ties with Washington if it pursued democratic reform and freed political prisoners, including Suu Kyi.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs also told the reporters that Obama raised the issue “directly” with Burmese prime minister Gen Thein Sein. The meeting was the first time a US President has sat with Burmese leader since 1966, and comes as part of the new US policy on Burma, which includes dialogue as well as retaining sanctions.
However, a 27-point joint US-Asean statement released after the meeting does not request Suu Kyi’s release, with Burma accounting for one item under the headline “Enhanced Partnership for Enduring Peace and Prosperity”. (more…)
US-Asean Drop Call to free Suu Kyi? – The Irrawaddy
November 15th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17220
SINGAPORE –– An advance copy of the post-summit statement by the US and Southeast Asian countries fails to call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Burma, despite President Barack Obama making a personal plea for the release of the pro-democracy icon in Tokyo on Saturday.
The US sought the inclusion of wording calling on the junta to “help create the conditions for credible elections, including by releasing political prisoners and initiating a dialogue with political parties and ethnic minority groups,” but the line was not included in the final joint draft, according to The Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the statement to be issued by the US-Association of Southeast Asia Nations (Asean) Summit. (more…)
Obama to meet with Myanmar rulers – The Washington Times
November 15th, 2009
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/15/obama-to-meet-with-myanmar-rulers/
Visit marks major change in US policy
By Matthew Mosk and Simon Roughneen
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIPLOMATIC TOUR: President Obama speaks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday in Singapore, a stop that will include talks with Myanmar's leaders.
SINGAPORE | President Obama on Sunday will become the first American president in more than 40 years to attend a meeting with the repressive rulers of Myanmar, marking a dramatic shift in the U.S. approach to bringing change to a regime that responds brutally to dissent, locks up journalists and political opponents, and has kept itself largely walled off from the Western world.
Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar has for years played the role of skunk in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, repeatedly preventing the group from attracting participation from the United States. But Mr. Obama came to office promising to extend an open hand to rogue states in the hopes of changing the dynamics.
“The policies of the international community have not in two decades produced positive results,” said Jeffrey Bader, a special assistant to the president for national security. “One definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome. Twenty years is long enough.”
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced in February that the U.S. was reviewing its policy toward Myanmar, saying that neither sanctions nor engagement – the preferred policy of Myanmar’s neighbors – had nudged the military rulers toward democratic reforms. The new American policy was announced in late September, described as a carrot-and-stick effort, with the U.S. agreeing to talk to the junta and to relax sanctions if conditions are met.
The outreach to Myanmar has come in a series of steps, starting with a visit by Sen. Jim Webb, Virginia Democrat, in August, followed by the recent trip by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt M. Campbell, the first by a high-ranking U.S. official since then-U.N. Ambassador Madeleine K. Albright went to the country in 1995.
Now comes the meeting in Singapore, which the U.S. has touted as the most dramatic display of its change in policy. Host Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he expects concerns about Myanmar to be discussed at the ASEAN session, though Scot Marciel, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said he does not anticipate any direct talks between Mr. Obama and junta Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein. (more…)
What’s on the Cards When Obama Meets Thein Sein? – The Irrawaddy
November 14th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/highlight.php?art_id=17219&Submit=Submit
SINGAPORE — Continuing with the latest in a series of image-rebuilding foreign policy speeches, US President Barack Obama proclaimed himself “America’s first Pacific President” in Tokyo earlier today.
His address touched on a wide array of issues, from the US-Japan alliance to China’s emerging global clout and North
US President Barack Obama delivers a speech in Tokyo on Saturday. (Photo: AP)
Korean nuclear ambitions. Foreshadowing his meeting with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Singapore tomorrow, Obama also said that Washington’s new policy of talking to Burma’s military junta does not mean an end to sanctions, unless “there are concrete steps toward democratic reform.”
Tomorrow’s inaugural US-Asean summit will see the first meeting between a US president and a Burmese leader since Lyndon Johnson met Gen Ne Win in Washington in 1966. Ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, Obama reiterated the need for the junta to free political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to have “genuine dialogue” with the opposition and ethnic minority groups.
Making a subtle overture to the junta, which is thought to shy from reform due to a belief that only the military can hold the country together, Obama said that democratic reform can bring Burma “true security and prosperity.”
While the US-Asean meeting will encompass discussions on trade and growing Chinese influence in Southeast Asia, Obama is expected to raise Burma with the ten Asean leaders, who will include Burmese Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein among their number.
Speaking in Singapore earlier this week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked that China, India and Asean chair Thailand collaborate with the US in trying to bring about change in Burma.
Obama needs to take the opportunity tomorrow to advocate for a more forceful Asean policy in Burma—a move that would be welcomed by Burmese exiles and opposition groups. Obama “should urge Asean to echo the US view that without the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, the 2010 elections will not be recognized as credible,” Aung Din, the executive director of the US Burma Campaign, told The Irrawaddy. (more…)
Obama Says Release Suu Kyi, but Rights Whispers Grow – The Irrawaddy
November 14th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17218
SINGAPORE — Speaking in Tokyo this morning, US President Barack Obama called on Burma’s military rulers to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, saying it was a precondition for any softening of sanctions against the country’s military junta.
Obama said Burma needed to take “clear steps” toward democracy, including the unconditional release of all political prisoners, an end to conflicts with minority groups and a “genuine dialogue” with the opposition and minorities on a “shared vision for the future.”
Obama also pledged to raise human rights issues with the Communist leadership in Beijing, attempting to head off concerns that his administration was taking a soft line in countries such as Iran, Sudan and Zimbabwe, as well as in China and Burma.
However, to avoid angering Beijing, he did not mention Tibet. Obama recently came under fire from human rights advocates for refusing to meet Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Washington. (more…)
Surin Downplays Fallout from Thai-Cambodian Dispute – The Irrawaddy
November 13th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17206
Asean the secretary-general, Surin Pitsuwan meets youth delegates at the Apec summit today in Singapore. (Photo: Simon Roughneen)
The Asean secretary-general says the ongoing row between Cambodia and Thailand will not affect summit with the US.
SINGAPORE—As the bilateral row between Thailand and Cambodia deteriorates, the secretary-general of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Surin Pitsuwan, told The Irrawaddy on Friday morning that the fracas will not affect Asean’s preparations for the bloc’s first ever summit with the US.
The problem “will be managed,” according to the former Thai foreign minister. Relations between the two neighboring countries were further strained recently after Cambodia named fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as its economic adviser on Nov. 4. Thailand recalled its ambassador the next day and Cambodia followed suit.
Surin was speaking to a group of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic cooperation) youth delegates at the APEC media center in Singapore early on Friday. The remarks came after both countries withdrew senior diplomats overnight, days after the removal of their respective ambassadors in Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
The Thai government, led by the Democrat Party’s Abhisit Vejjajiva, regards Thaksin’s appointment as Cambodian-backed interference in Thailand’s internal politics and his latest gambit to return to power. Thaksin has responded by slating the Democrat administration’s “false patriotism.”
Thaksin was ousted in a coup for alleged massive corruption and other charges. His supporters say he should be pardoned and returned to power. Since the coup, Thaksin has lived abroad to escape a corruption conviction and two-year prison sentence.
After the ousted prime minister arrived in Cambodia on Tuesday, the Thai government asked Phnom Penh to extradite Thaksin to face the charges, while his supporters, commonly known as the “Red Shirts,” are seeking a royal pardon for their leader, a move which seems less likely now, after a controversial interview given to The Times, in which Thaksin calls for a reform of the Thai monarchy.
Bangkok has sent a provisional arrest warrant for the purpose of the extradition of Thaksin, but this was turned down by the Cambodian government, which said it “considers the prosecution and legal process against Thaksin Shinawatra a politically motivated proceeding.” (more…)
Apec: Trade remains key despite shift in focus – The Irrawaddy
November 12th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17203
SINGAPORE—Finance Ministers representing the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) bloc said
Apec Finance Minister meet in Singapore today (Photo: Simon Roughneen)
today that members should start to rein in the massive “stimulus” spending used by governments to offset the impact of the global economic crisis.
Speaking at the Ministers’ press conference after morning meetings in Singapore, the ministers said concerted and collaborative efforts would be needed to ensure a return to economic growth and maintain dynamism going forward.
Noting differences in economic development across the vast region—which takes in countries as diverse as Papua New Guinea, Peru, Mexico and Vietnam—delegates pointed out that some countries will be able to cut back on heavy government spending sooner than others.
While New Zealand will curb stimulus spending soon, the US will continue to pump government money into the economy, which is likely to add to the massive US treasury deficit.
US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner praised the role of Asia and China in helping his country and the rest of the world revitalize their economies, though the ministers cautioned that the road to full recovery was far from assured.
“We’re seeing Asia lead the world back to recovery; we’re seeing growth resume in the US and countries around the world after the worst recession we’ve seen in decades,” he said.
However the Finance Ministers did not get into controversial questions, such as the value of China’s yuan. (more…)
Looking Beyond the US-Asean Summit – The Irrawaddy
November 12th, 2009
http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17196
Simon Roughneen in SINGAPORE – When Singapore’s former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew visited Washington recently, he spoke at an awards ceremony sponsored by the US-Asean Business Council and attended by US President Barack Obama. The gist of his message was that Asian countries see American involvement as vital to balancing Chinese influence. With Obama taking time out from a knife-edge domestic debate on health-care reform, it remains to be seen what comes from his 10-day Asian tour on which he will visit Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea.
US-China relations and a variety of spin-off issues from the global economic turmoil will likely dominate headlines over the coming days. With China acting as an engine for global economic recovery, the world awaits a return to dynamism in the US.
“It’s amazing what China’s good fortune has done for the world,” said William Overholt, from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. “In refloating the world economy, there are only two countries that can allocate resources on a scale to get the global economy going again—the US and China.’
Exclude China and this year’s growth forecast for developing Asia drops from 6.7 (more…)
