south east asia | Simon Roughneen

What the GDP numbers hide – The Edge Review

Xanana Gusmao speaks to supporters after winning 2012 election in East Timor (Photo: Simon Roughneen)

JAKARTA – Launching a new website to promote tourism in East Timor, the founders of VisitEastTimor.com were right on both counts when they said “the people of Timor are just marvelous and love to welcome foreigners since they don’t get that many that often.”

US’s Burma Policy Seems to be Floundering- The Irrawaddy

http://www.irrawaddy.org/opinion_story.php?art_id=19039 Despite the US Senate vote to renew sanctions, America’s Burma policy seems to be floundering as Washington tries...

No textual healing for Thailand – ISN

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?lng=en&id=119092 Two months after Thailand’s army routed the anti-Government redshirt protest movement from central Bangkok, sixteen provinces including Bangkok...

Mantras, Misperceptions and Mutual Acrimony in Thai MP Debate – The Irrawaddy

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=18602 BANGKOK — Despite a comfortable margin of victory in a parliamentary no-confidence vote held on Wednedsay, Thailand’s Prime...

Thailand’s Mexican stand-off – The Irrawaddy

http://www.irrawaddy.org/highlight.php?art_id=18275 Feature – As soldiers and riot police gather near the main red shirt rally stage, fears grow of...

Burma’s Election (f)Laws – ISN

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?lng=en&id=113635 Burma’s new election rules vindicate the Cassandras who warned that the 2010 polls would be little more than...

Quintana recommends war crimes commission on Burma – The Irrawaddy

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=18013 The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Tomás Ojea Quintana, has recommended that the UN...

Ramos-Horta Launches Burma Petition – The Irrawaddy

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17987 Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta has launched a worldwide petition for democracy in Burma, which also calls for the...

Judgment Day in Thailand – ISN/The Irrawaddy

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?ots591=4888CAA0-B3DB-1461-98B9-E20E7B9C13D4&lng=en&id=113108 http://www.irrawaddy.org/highlight.php?art_id=17892 Politically troubled Thailand faces “Judgment Day” on Friday when the country’s Supreme Court rules on what to...

Bangladesh Pressures Rohingya after EU Visit – The Irrawaddy

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=17867 The Bangladesh authorities have renewed arrests and pushback of Rohingya refugees in the days following the departure of...