SEASA Blog!

Updates for the week of April 18th

2011-04-24T12:30:00.002-04:00

Malaysia - Minister wants to know why 72 Malaysians jailed in China
April 19, 2011

Currently there are 72 Malaysians detained in China for drug trafficking and smuggling
offenses. Foreign Minister Datuk Deri Anifah Aman asks why: "We need to find out where we should tighten our rules and the reasons behind the crime. We need to find out why."

Original article.

Vietnam - Vietnam’s Inflation Accelerates to Fastest Pace in 28 Months
April 23, 2011

Vietnam's inflation rate accelerated to the fastest pace its had since 2008. Consumer prices increased 17% since one year ago. “Inflation shows little signs of responding to monetary and fiscal austerity just yet,” said Bill Stoops.

Original Article

Thailand - Thai army denies using toxic gas in Cambodian border battle
April 23, 2011

Battles that began April 22 have killed five Thais and six Cambodians, ending two months of peace since the United Nations Security council urged a permanent cease-fire on Feb. 14. Cambodia's Defense Ministry said Thai soldiers used "heavy guns loaded with poisonous gas" in yesterday's fighting.
Thailand denies any accusations of doing so.

Original article.

Indonesia - Indonesian police find explosives at suspect's home
April 24, 2011

Indonesian police say they found explosive material after a search of an alleged bomber's home in the city of Bekasi. The suspect, who is identified by his initial P, has been connected to the failed attempt to detonate a bomb in a cathedral.

Original article.

Updates for the week of April 11th

2011-04-14T11:59:00.014-04:00

Thailand - Thailand wants to close Myanmar refugee camps
April 11, 2011

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva stated that "They[Myanmar refugee camps] have been in Thailand for more than 20 years and it became our burden to take care of them", after Thailand showed desires to close its Myanmar refugee camps following Myanmar's first election in 20 years. They want to send back the more than 100,000 residents in these camps.No definite date has been announced but the Thai government is currently in discussion with the Myanmar government.

Original article

Malaysia - M'sia unveils 10-year capital market growth blueprint
April 12, 2011

Malaysia announced a 10-year plan to strengthen its capital markets with goals to triple the size of its capital market to $1.9 trillion (S$2.$ trillion) by 2020. The plan promised to "speed up approval for business, improve fund-raising rules and allocate more funds to venture capital and private equity firms." Essentially, the plan provides for a more business and investment friendly market in Malaysia.
The Prime Minister Najib Razak states that "we are paving the way not only for a more equitable society but for a Malaysia that is more stable, more transparent and more market-friendly."

Original article

Philippines - Philippine army arrests bomb suspect with JI links
April 13, 2011

Abi Pamanay, a suspected militant believed to be a liaison between Muslim rebels and a southeast terrorist network, was arrested in the central part of Mindanao Island on Tuesday based on an arrest warrant for murder in connection with bombing attacks. Philippine army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz accused Pamanay of being a member of the largest Muslim separatist group and a "senior associate" of notorious bomb-maker Adul Basit Usman who is a Filipino on the US State Department's list of most-wanted terrorists. Pamanay did not resist arrest and denied the charges against him.

For more information on JI visit this site.

Original article

Cholera outbreak kills 19 in Philippine tribe
April 14, 2011

An outbreak of cholera killed 19 remote cave-dwelling Philippine tribe members and affected more than 400 others. Treatment of the Palawanon tribe proves difficult with the tribe's poor hygiene and isolation. Manuel Mapue, the head of a government dispatched medical team, concluded that cholera was to blame; initially, doctors made a wrong diagnosis of the diarrhea.
The area had no portable water system and samples from the rivers used by the tribes showed positive for feces contamination.

Original article

Indonesia - Suicide bomber wounds 26 at Indonesian mosque
April 15, 2011

A suicide bomber wounded 26 people at an Indonesian mosque during Friday prayers in the West Java town of Cirebon. Many of the injured were police officers.

Updates for the week of April 4th

2011-04-10T22:19:00.002-04:00

Thailand - Why Thai Rice Production May Decline

As world supply of rice increases, the price goes down, making it harder on Thai's farmers who are currently struggling with less than reasonable prices and less than expected production.
Ever since 1965 Thailand has prospered from its rice exports. Thai farmers say production costs are higher than income, they can't afford to continue planting.
The government has proposed to reduce annual exports by 20% and focus on higher grade rice, in addition to installing a southeast Asian standard for rice quality.
This means Thailand is ready its role of being the leading rice exporter.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_16/b4224009283905.htm

Singapore - Lim Boon Heng stepping down

Lim Boon Heng, a minister in Prime Minister's Lee Hsein loong's office, announced that he will not be seeking re=election.
He plans to continue serving in the People's association and the National Trades Union Congress.
But he did not specify whether he would continue with the People's Action party.

http://www.straitstimes.com/GeneralElection/News/Story/STIStory_655155.html

Indonesia - Indonesia may extend interest-rate pause as inflation slows

Indonesia's central bank will probably extend the pause in raising interest rates after inflation slowed for the second month in march.
The official decision comes out tomorrow.
They raised the key rate,determines bank lending rates and the cost of credit for borrowers, for the first time in February, stating that the strengthening currency is helping reduce price gains. An economist comments that "They have to raise rates sooner rather than later as just tightening via the exchange-rate channel will not be enough.”

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-04-10/indonesia-may-extend-interest-rate-pause-as-inflation-slows.html

Malaysia - Malaysian MP says men have affairs as wives 'neglect' duty

"MALAYSIAN men have extramarital sex because of 'wives who neglect their responsibilities' to their husbands, a Malaysian lawmaker told Parliament on Thursday, outraging women's groups."
Men say that when the arrive home, their wives ignore their marital duties and put of the sexual advances of their husbands.
But "In Islam, wives are supposed to stop everything to fulfill their husband's demands." said Ibrahim Ali who heads a right-wing "Wives failing in their duties pushed men to go to 'private places to satisfy their urges", he said. -- AFP"

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_654381.html

News Updates for Week of March 28th

2011-04-03T19:05:00.005-04:00

Philippines - Rebels Kill 8 of Politician’s Staff

Muslim rebels killed eight armed employees of a local politician in a clash in the southern Philippines on Sunday, the military said. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels opened fire at the armed security staff of a Muslim political clan at its property on Mindanao island. 'The clash left at least eight people dead, at least four injured and there are two missing on the Mangudadatu side,' Colonel Asto said, referring to the property owners who are related to Esmael Mangudadatu, governor of Maguindanao province. The clash came amid peace talks between President Benigno Aquino's government and the 12,000-member MILF, which has been waging a decades-old armed campaign that has left 150,000 people dead according to some estimates.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_652582.html

Vietnam - Thousands Cheered Capture of Revered Turtle

Thousands of onlookers cheered in central Hanoi on Sunday when rescuers captured for treatment an endangered and ailing giant turtle revered as a symbol of Vietnam's centuries-old independence struggle. This is one of the most endangered animals in the world and there's very little known about it.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_652576.html

Philippines - Two of Fifteen Hostages Freed

Two of a group of 15 teachers and students hostages taken by armed tribesmen in the Philippines were freed on Sunday, hours after the kidnappers failed to show for talks with the government, police said.
The abduction of the group on Saturday was part of a bid by members of the forest-dwelling Manobo tribe to secure the release of a relative held in prison while on trial over a similar mass kidnapping in 2009, officials said.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_652531.html

Malaysia - Gold Bags of Cash Seized from “Dirty” Customs Officers

Gold bars and bags of cash containing up to RM600,000 (USD 200K) have been discovered in the homes of several Customs officers during raids by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Other ill-gotten stash included luxury watches and posh cars.

The MACC seized millions of ringgit from at least five of the 62 Customs officers arrested to date in a series of raids over under-declaration of duties and tax evasion. MACC investigation director Datuk Mustafar Ali said a Customs director arrested last Tuesday had millions of ringgit spread over several bank accounts. Another officer had almost RM1 million (USD 330K) in his bank acount. Two others had between RM500,000 and RM850,000, he told a press conference on Saturday.

It is learnt that investigations by a task force estimated that about RM10bil (USD 3.3B) had been smuggled out or remitted overseas.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_652523.html

Myanmar Warns against Decadent Dress for New Years

Revellers who wear 'decadent' clothing during Myanmar's upcoming New Year's celebrations can face up to a month in prison, a news report said on Sunday.
The four-day festival begins April 13 and marks the traditional New Year on the lunisolar calendar that is also used in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. It's one of the few times when Myanmar's citizens can cut loose under the watchful eye of the repressive regime. Revellers in the impoverished country splash one another with water and dance in the streets, despite annual warnings of proper etiquette from the government.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_652500.html

Singapore – Yale-NUS to Open in 2013

Yale-National University of Singapore liberal arts college is finally a done deal.
On Thursday, the two universities announced that the 'Yale-NUS College', as it will be called, will open in 2013 and at a steady state admit 250 students a year. They will take up general education courses that will synthesise Western and Asian perspectives in the first two years, before going on to concentrate on a major. At the end of the four years, students will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts or Science (Honours) awarded by NUS, but their degree scrolls will include the Yale-NUS College name.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_651510.html

Thanks for checking in!
SEASA <3s

News Updates for Week of March 21st

2011-03-27T19:00:00.001-04:00

Indonesia – Muslims Protest Gaddafi

MORE than 10,000 Muslims marched on Sunday in Indonesia to support pro-democracy and reform movements in Libya, Yemen and Bahrain, calling for the immediate resignation of Libya's leader and protection of civilians. Men, women and children attending the rally in the capital of the world's most populous Muslim nation waved Indonesian flags and shouted 'Allah akbar,' Arabic for 'God is great.' Banners and placards carried by marchers read: 'Revolution for freedom,' 'No to Dictator Gaddafi' or criticised the international air strikes that have checked Libya's military and helped rebels gain control of key towns.

http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_649994.html

Two 7.0 Earthquakes hit Myanmar

Two strong earthquakes struck north-eastern Myanmar less than a minute apart on Thursday night. They could be felt as far away as Bangkok, but a tsunami was not generated. The first 7.0-magnitude quake was just 10km deep, according to the US Geological Survey. It was followed by another of the same strength but far deeper: 230km. The quakes struck along Myanmar's borders with Thailand and Laos, about 110km from the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai. Buildings swayed in Bangkok, 800km south of the epicenter. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre says it was located too far inland to create a destructive wave.

http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_648925.html

Thailand Rejects Foreign Election Monitors

Thailand on Thursday dismissed suggestions that foreign observers were needed to monitor its upcoming election, with the deputy prime minister saying he does 'not respect' Westerners. It would be 'inappropriate' to allow outside involvement in the poll, which is due in June or July and comes after deadly street protests last year, said Suthep Thaugsuban. 'I don't respect 'farangs'. We do not have to surrender to them,' he said, using the Thai word for 'Westerners'.
Thailand has never officially allowed election monitors to operate during its polls, but anti-government 'Red Shirts' have recently called for international observers to be present. 'I am surprised that Red Shirts do not respect our country's sovereignty... I don't understand why they constantly call for foreign involvement, it is inappropriate,' Mr Suthep told reporters.

http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_648749.html

Malaysia - Police Arrested 2 in Connection with Sex Video

Police arrested two men in connection with the sex video of a man who is said to resemble a prominent opposition politician having sex with a foreign prostitute. It is learnt that the two - former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik and businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah - are now out on police bail.

http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_649229.html

Thanks for checking in!
SEASA <3's

News Article for Week of March 14th

2011-03-13T18:40:00.002-04:00

SEASA extends our deepest condolences to those harmed by the tsunami and earthquake in Japan that occurred over the past week. We hope your family and friends are safe and sound, and we wish Japan a swift recovery.

Here’s a special news article.

Japanese PM on Disaster

Japan is facing its worst crisis in the 65 years since the end of World War II, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Sunday, calling on the nation to unite after it was devastated by a huge earthquake. The situation at a quake-stricken atomic power plant also remains grave, Mr Kan said as engineers battled a nuclear emergency sparked by the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake and the devastating tsunami it triggered.

'The current situation of the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear plants is in a way the most severe crisis in the past 65 years since World War II,' Mr Kan said at a press conference. 'Whether we Japanese can overcome this crisis depends on each of us,' Mr Kan said, calling for the nation to unite. 'I strongly believe that we can get over this great earthquake and tsunami by joining together.'

Japan battled a feared meltdown of two reactors at a quake-hit nuclear plant Sunday, as the full horror of the disaster emerged on the ravaged north-east coast where more than 10,000 people were feared dead.

http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_644763.html

And for some Southeast Asian news,

Bibles issue being resolved amicably

The issue of the impounding of 30,000 Bibles at Port Klang and Kuching Port is being resolved amicably with the parties concerned, based on advice from the Attorney-General. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the situation was not due to the books or the material but the pending appeal by the Catholic Herald over the use of the word 'Allah' in its publication. Mr Hishammuddin was commenting on the controversy over the impounding of the Bibles following calls by the Sarawak government for the books to be released immediately.

http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_644698.html

Thailand – Red Shirts Mark 1 Year Protest Anniversary

Thousands of anti-government 'Red Shirt' demonstrators took to Bangkok's streets on Saturday amid a heavy police presence, marking a year since the start of protests in the capital that turned deadly. Thai society remains deeply divided following political violence that left about 90 people dead - mostly civilians - in a series of bloody street clashes between armed troops and protesters in April and May last year. Police estimated that about 25,000 people had joined Saturday's gathering by early evening with the numbers expected to increase later for a video-link address by the Reds' hero, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. 'In the past year we have suffered excruciating pain and been suppressed by the elite,' said Nattawut Saikuar, one of seven main leaders of the movement recently released on bail after nine months in prison.

http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_644652.html

To end on a high note, SEASA’s Culture Show is this Saturday at Lyons Rat! Be there for some terrific performances!!

Cheers,
SEASA

News Updates for Week of February 21st

2011-02-27T13:47:00.003-05:00

Thailand – Army Did Not Kill Reuters Cameraman

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has concluded that Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto, who was killed during political protests last year, was not shot by security forces, the head of the DSI said on Sunday.
That conclusion contradicts a preliminary finding in a DSI report leaked to Reuters in December, which indicated the bullet that killed the Japanese journalist on April 10 came from the direction of troops.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_639469.html

Thailand – Future Uncertain for Children in Baby Scam

The fate of around nine unborn children hangs in the balance as Thai authorities weigh what to do with the offspring of Vietnamese women freed from an illegal baby breeding ring in Bangkok.
A total of 14 women, half of them pregnant, were freed on Wednesday from an operation using them as surrogates for wealthy childless couples overseas who placed orders for newborns online. A few were offered up to US$5,000 (S$6,364) per baby.
'There is a risk that those children might end up as stateless, that they won't get citizenship anywhere,' said Benedict Phillips, Asia strategy director at Save The Children. Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit has described the gang, which operated under the name Baby 101, as 'illegal and inhuman' and suggested some of the women had been raped.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_639452.html

Malaysia – Businessman Pays SGD 9 Million Ransom

A businessman from Singapore was forced to pay a staggering SGD $9 million to secure the release of his family in what has been described as Malaysia's largest ransom payment in recent years.
The nightmare began when the businessman's wife, their maid and daughter were driving home. They were forced off the road by another vehicle in Permas Jaya recently. Subsequently, the kidnappers took over the wheel and drove off with the three of them to an undisclosed location.
Bukit Aman sources said that the kidnappers sent an MMS of the three victims being held at gunpoint to the businessman before demanding a ransom of $50 million. The kidnappers warned the millionaire, who has businesses in real-estate and gaming, not to alert the police and to pay up if he wanted his family back. It is learnt that after negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to a ransom of $9 million and demanded that the money be prepared in large denominations of Singapore dollars.
Apparently, the businessman was then instructed to drive to a plantation in Kulaijaya to drop off the money. Sources said that the victims were only released at least two days after the ransom was paid. It is learnt that they were blindfolded and gagged during the ordeal which lasted several days. The three victims, who were all unharmed, were eventually dropped off around Danga Bay.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_639384.html

Thailand – Former Tennis Star and Miss Universe to Breakup

Former tennis star Paradorn Srichaphan and 2005 Miss Universe Natalie Glebova will tell the public about their breakup for the first time in a prerecorded television program.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_639178.html

Indonesia - Increase in Arms a Cause for Concern

From petty crime to armed robbery to major terrorism operations, the increasing use of illicit firearms in Indonesia has reached a level that security experts warn must be addressed.
“Armed robbery has been around for years, but the cases seem to have intensified recently,” said Suryo Guritno, an independent weapons expert.   Police say there were almost 1,000 crimes involving guns or explosives last year.   In a special report, the Jakarta Globe looks at the various ways civilians, for whom legally owning a gun is almost impossible, can get their hands on weapons.   In Cipacing, West Java, dubbed Indonesia’s air rifle manufacturing capital, homemade pistols can be bought for as little as Rp 2.5 million(USD 300), but they are often of such poor quality that they either misfire or break after a few shots. Real handguns are for sale at black-market prices of about Rp 15 million (USD 1700).
More worrying are those smuggled out of police or military armories, which one army deserter says is relatively easy to do. This appears to have been the source for a group of militants accused of running a terrorist training camp in Aceh.   Two police officers are being tried for selling 28 weapons and 20,000 rounds of ammunition from a police warehouse to the terrorist group.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/alarm-as-illicit-weapons-fuel-rise-in-gun-crimes/425540

Malaysia and Turkey Joined in Police Training

Malaysia and Turkey have agreed to cooperate in police training which will also see Turkish police personnel attending the Malaysian Academy on Trans-national Organised Crime (Matoc) in Langkawi, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. Datuk Hishammuddin said the exchanges would help build stronger relations between the police forces of both countries.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_639144.html

Philippines - Marcos victims in Philippines to get compensation

About 7,500 victims of human rights abuses during late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos' regime will receive compensation for their suffering starting next week, 25 years after a peaceful revolt forced Marcos into exile in Hawaii, their lawyers said on Thursday.
It is the first time the victims will receive any compensation since they filed a class suit in 1986.'The distribution is historic and a triumph after 25 years of struggle to achieve justice,' said American lead lawyer Robert Swift. Mr Swift said victims will receive the equivalent of US$1,000 each starting in a ceremony on Monday. Mr Swift and his Filipino co-counsels, assisted by the Commission on Human Rights, will distribute checks personally to claimants or their heirs in Manila and 15 other locations in the country.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_638458.html

Thanks again for checking in!
Stay classy,
SEASA

News Updates for Week of February 14th

2011-02-20T14:06:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's! Hope you had a good one with many exchanges of chocolates and letters lol!

Malaysia - Young Suicides Cause for Concern

A rash of suicides in Malaysia has raised concerns over the problems that ail its youngsters, who appear to make up the bulk of the victims. In the past two weeks, seven cases have been reported in the media. In the whole of 2008, there were 290 cases of suicide, according to the National Suicide Registry, which began collecting figures in mid-2007. Last year saw 445 cases in the first eight months alone.
The registry estimates there are now about 60 suicides every month. More than half those in 2008 involved Chinese. Experts have linked it to stress, increasing mental health problems and Internet escapism.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_636673.html

Thailand – Thousands of Red Shirts Rally in Bangkok

8,000 Thai 'Red Shirts' gathered in Bangkok on Saturday to mark nine months since a bloody crackdown on their anti-government rally and to press for the release of detained leaders. ‘We came today to ask for justice for our people who died exactly nine months ago at this place,' said Thida Thavornseth, leader of Red Shirt movement. More than 90 died and nearly 1,900 were injured in clashes between protesters and the army during the two-month rallies in 2010 calling for immediate elections
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_636773.html

Myanmar – Suu Kyi Must Apologize for Sanctions

Myanmar’s military rulers called on Saturday for the party of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to apologize to the public for backing Western sanctions it said were restricting the country's development. Analysts believe she is using her influence on the West as leverage to coax the reclusive generals towards reforms, but their latest rebuke suggests they are still unwilling to cooperate.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_636737.html

Singapore – All Singaporeans Will Get up to SGD800 (USD630)

A total of SGD3.2 billion (USD2.5 billion) will go into the 'Grow And Share' package that will benefit more of the middle and lower-income groups, said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. A sum of SGD3.4 billion will also be spent on longer-term investments to enhance the well-being of Singaporeans.
Growth dividends stand at SGD1.549 billion and will benefit about 2.5 million Singaporeans. Each Singaporean will receive between SGD100 and SGD800 in cash, based on assessable income.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_636654.html

Thailand – Attacks Would 17

Seventeen people were wounded in Thailand's insurgency-ridden far south when insurgents launched a grenade attack on a karaoke bar and then detonated a bomb nearby, police said on Sunday.
Two women were injured in the M-79 attack on the bar in Narathiwat town on Saturday night, which was followed 25 minutes later by a bomb blast in front of a massage parlour just 100m away, wounding 15 people. Shadowy Islamic insurgents have waged a bloody campaign in Thailand's southernmost region since early 2004, leaving more than 4,400 people dead, including both Muslims and Buddhists, in near-daily attacks.

http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_637034.html

Singapore – Low Birth Rate

The Singaporean Government will look at ways to help single men and women find partners, in a bid to tackle the problem of falling birth rates.
More people are staying single and those who are married are putting off having babies, said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, on Sunday.
It was announced last month that Singapore's total fertility rate hit a historic low of 1.16 last year.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_637106.html

Indonesia – Controversial Film Tax

Under fire for a potential new tax on foreign films that has led distributors to halt their importation, the government on Sunday promised to review the move.   The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, said the government wanted to support the development of the domestic film industry with the proposed new tax.   “We will review the Directorate General of Taxation’s circular issued in January on the new levy on imported films,” he said. “This is because we are not going to pursue regulations that have a bad effect on the public and threatened to kill the cinema industry here with their implementation.”   The minister said the government, if necessary, would also invite distributors to discuss how much they were prepared to pay. Imported films already pay a 23.75 percent excise duty and another 10 percent income tax. Local governments also levy up to a 15 percent tax on ticket sales.
There has been a barrage of criticism, both here and abroad, over the proposed tax. The Motion Picture Association, which represents some of the biggest studios in Hollywood, on Thursday told journalists in Jakarta that it would stop movie exports to the country because of the possible new levy, which was rumored to cost as much as 43 cents per meter of film imported.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/govt-pledges-review-of-controversial-new-indonesianfilm-tax/423848

Have a good week ahead!
SEASA <3's

East Timor Pleads to UN for Accountability

2011-02-13T12:21:00.003-05:00

"We are still not yet free of the shadow of serious crimes committed during the 24 years of Indonesian occupation. We have suffered a lot during that period; physically and psychologically", these were the words given by the Timor-Leste National Alliance for an International Tribunal(ANTI) in a letter to UN as a plea for action.

ANTI looks to take action to end impunity given to those who partook in the criminal actions that occurring during this time. General Ban ki-Moon, a UN Secretary, was given heat by ANTI for his failure to bring this issue into the light during his most recent report to the Council.

The organization's main concerns are that the continued lack of action against this issue will diminish country stability and will encourage similar crimes elsewhere in the world. The concerns, and the future of the UN mission in Timor, will be discussed further on the next council meeting on February 22.

Last Security Council Report:

http://www.laohamutuk.org/reports/UN/UNDocs/2011/SGRept11_32.pdf

Link to the Article:

http://www.etan.org/news/2011/02anti.htm

Malaysia Reports an Alarming Suicide Rate

2011-02-13T11:51:00.003-05:00

Recent reports suggest that the suicide rate in Malaysia adds up to an an average of two suicides per day as the growing pressures and stresses of family dilemmas, school, and work prove too much for many Malaysians today.

The National Suicide Registry in Malaysia has reported 425 deaths caused by suicide over a course of eight months last year(January through August) coming to an average of nearly 61 people per month. They say "reported" but that excluding the multiple unreported deaths that would skew the statistic upward.

Hopefully, measures are being aught to try and reduce these figures, in particular for those within the age range of 16 to 25 who are, according to the Health Ministry, the highest suicide instances.

Link to article:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_633334.html

A Vice-free Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T03:07:00.003-05:00

Islamic officials in Malaysia are pushing to reduce the number of vice activities that occur on Valentines day, a day that has been known for such frivolities, both in Malaysia and elsewhere around the globe. Their goal is with these crack-downs is to continue to encourage a sin-free life.

Jakim officials will carry out a campaign with the theme 'Mind the Valentine's Day Trap' to prevent celebration of that day. They are able to further legitimize their actions because of the specifics of Islamic religious beliefs, which reject anything that is not consistent with the beliefs of the Islamic teachings, and according to a ruling six years ago, the day had connotations of Christian faith.

Link to the article:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_634485.html

Thailand to Keep the UN out of Border Disputes

2011-02-13T02:58:00.004-05:00

Recent reports indicate the growing tension that surround the Thai-Cambodian border dispute centered around the temple of Preah Vihear. A closed-door meeting will be held to explain the situation and Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thailand Prime minister seems assured that they can explain how the standoff was the cause of Cambodia and that all of Cambodia's claims are "wrong".

These disputes over borders are responsible for four days of violence around the area earlier in this month and while Cambodia is appealing for an intervention via a third country, Thailand is leaning more towards placing Cambodia in an unfavorable light through it's case evidence(media reports, pictures).

Link to the article:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_634524.html

Peace Talks to Commence with Communist Party in the Philippines

2011-02-13T02:21:00.004-05:00

The Communist party of the Philippines(CPP), has caused a number of problems for the Philippine government since it's founding in 1968. Peace talks between the party and the Philippine government and set to take place in Norway proceeding years and years of disagreements and confrontations.

Alexander Padilla, a chief government negotiator, says that 'Our most optimistic projection is that... substantive agreements can be reached in 18 months' time and peace achievable in three years,'. These talks seem to look promising, but the CCP, just a few days after these talks were scheduled, an attack was mounted on a town in Northern Philippines with communist rebels responsible.

Link to article:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_634513.html

Deforestation at Large in Malaysia

2011-02-06T12:59:00.003-05:00

Recent reports by a research group called Wetlands International have confirmed a substantial deforestation rate in Malaysian forests, reportedly at a rate almost three times faster than the rest of Asia.

The actual numbers indicate that in Sarawak, the largest Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, about ten percent of the forested are uprooted annually over a five year period. A parallel range of years for the rest of Asia shows a 2.8 percent deforestation rate. Taken all together, approximately 353,000 hectares of rain forest land was deforested within these last five years alone.

These recent studies may very well indicate and correlate with a higher demand for palm oil, a product produced largely in Malaysia and neighboring Indonesia and made largely from the stripped forests.

Link to article:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630609.html

Aung San Suu Kyi in Support of Egyptian Protesters

2011-02-06T12:26:00.004-05:00

"We're all with you": These were the words of Aung San Suu Kyi, a recently freed, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and an icon for Democracy in Burma. These words were in response to the growing situation in Egypt involving one of the largest displays of protest in the nation's history.

Issues involved in the protests include but are not limited to police brutality, low minimum wages, inflation, and the lack of free speech and elections. Suu Kyi supports the efforts of these protesters seeking a better Egypt and comments that people "have much better means of getting in touch with each other and arranging mass public demonstrations such as they have done in Egypt".

World views on the situation have been mixed but hopefully a peaceful solution can be found.

Link to article:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630684.html

Poh Chen Shui CAUGHT in Fiji Bank Fraud

2011-02-06T12:01:00.003-05:00

Recently, a Singaporean businessman by the name of Poh Chen Shui was caught for engaging in a bank fraud that's worth was 50 million Euros(Equivalent to over 80 million U.S. dollars)

What happened is that Shui went to Fiji and started up a business back in January of 2009 with two Fji natives: Rajnesh Singh and Atunaisa Veitata. The trio called this company Full Creations Investments Ltd. A forged bank draft with the worth of 50 million Euros was then deposited by Veitata in an attempt at easy money but was discovered by the bank to be fake.

Reports indicate that Rajnesh Singh was using this forgery in an attempt to buy several acres of land belonging to an Anglican Church.

Link to article:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_631859.html

Vang Pao's Appeals for Arlington Burial Denied

2011-02-06T11:47:00.003-05:00

Vang Pao, a general in Laos, was recently denied burial at the famous Arlington Cemetery where many heroes had been buried in the past, including the Kennedy's, other former presidents and military leaders.

Vang Pao has recently passed away at the age of 81 after having served for the Royal Lao Army from the 1940's up to 1975. Based on the pre-established conditions of burial at Arlington Cemetery as described by the Federal Code of Regulations, there is no rule specifically preventing Pao's burial there.

The committee organizing the funeral wanted to do it in a traditional Hmong style alongside burial with honors at Arlington but were unfortunately denied. Pao's dedicated supporters and followers are currently appealing to U.S. President Barack Obama to potentially overturn this decision.

Link to article:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_631917.html

Picture of Vang Pao:

http://riverdaughter.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/vangpao.png

Continued Border Disputes Between Cambodia and Thailand

2011-02-06T11:30:00.003-05:00

Recently, a third day of fighting has broken out between the two neighboring Southeast Asian nations Cambodia and Thailand. Despite a cease fire, deployed troops continue to ravish the disputed border situated around the Preah Vihear Temple.

The temple itself was began in the 9th century as a tribute to Shiva. It is situated in the Phnom Troap mountain ranges in Northern Cambodia.

A world court ruling back in 1962 confirmed that the site belongs to Cambodia but this claim has been disputed by many Thai people. This was not the first act of violence in this border dispute, perhaps the first and most famous of these modern day confrontations began in 2008 labeled as the "Cambodian-Thai Stand-Off".

Link to article:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_631864.html

Map of Cambodia-Thailand:

http://www.search-internetmarketing.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/fe36d_CambodiaThailandBorder.jpg

Wharton Publications names CIVETS: the New BRICs

2011-01-30T16:11:00.005-05:00

CIVETS is formed by Colombia Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa. Insert this address on your browser for the full insight: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2679

SEASA <3's

News Updates for Week of January 24th

2011-01-30T15:48:00.006-05:00

Singapore – Drew USD 10.1B in Fixed Asset Investments

Singapore’s powerful economic rebound and Asia's roaring growth lured companies from around the world to invest here last year. The strong investment momentum broke a few records and is expected to continue into this year, the Economic Development Board (EDB) said on Monday. In its annual recap, the EDB said companies last year committed to pour USD 10.1 billion into fixed assets such as factories and machinery here, handily beating the board's forecast of USD 8 billion to USD 9.5 billion. All this bodes well for job seekers. When completed, the projects committed to last year will result in 21,300 new skilled jobs, the most ever.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_628001.html
image from www.livetradingnews.com

Thailand – Yellow Shirts Return to Street Politics

More than a thousand people have camped out around the government's compound since Tuesday, demonstrating against its handling of a border dispute with neighbouring Cambodia. Despite relatively small numbers compared to their arch enemies - the anti-government 'Red Shirts' whose most recent rally attracted nearly 30,000 people - the group has managed to choke off streets around Government House. Tensions centre on 4.6 sq km of land around the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which the World Court ruled in 1962 belonged to Cambodia, although the main entrance lies in Thailand. 'I came here to help my country. We have to fight to protect our land,' said a protester.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630014.html
image from www.bbc.co.uk

Philippines – Fire Killed 12

Twelve people were killed in a huge fire that razed some 100 houses in a poor residential area in the Philippine capital on Sunday, authorities said. The fire at suburban Navotas city, north of Manila, began before midnight Saturday and lasted for about five hours. Among the twelve killed, five were children.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630028.html

Philippines - Terror Alert after Bus Bomb Kills 4

A bomb on a packed bus in the Philippines' financial hub killed four people on Tuesday, sparking a warning from President Benigno Aquino that the country faced a raised terror threat. Authorities said it was too early to say who was behind the explosion as the bus travelled along one of Manila's busiest roads, but Mr Aquino ordered security forces on alert.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_628362.html

Malaysian Student Gang-Raped in London

An 18-year old Malaysian student in London was allegedly gang-raped by several Russian men, including an intelligence officer who has been charged with the offence. The Sun tabloid of London, which broke the story on Thursday, reported that the girl had attended a party at the prestigious Bellerbys College in Greenwich, South London, where she is studying. The report, quoting sources, claimed that the girl was allegedly drugged and then filmed while being assaulted by seven Russian men, including the intelligence officer identified as Oleg Vladimirvich Ivanov, 23. The seven men had claimed to be students, but it quoted well-informed sources as saying that Ivanov worked in the Intelligence Section of the Moscow Police.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630012.html

Indonesia – Anti-graft Body Detains 19 Politicians

A sign that one of Indonesia's long-awaited corruption trials will begin soon, its anti-graft commission has detained 19 current and former Members of Parliament over alleged bribery related to the appointment of a central banker.
The suspects are accused of receiving traveller's cheques worth 150 million rupiah (S$21,400) to 1.45 billion rupiah each to elect Ms Miranda Goeltom as senior deputy governor of Bank Indonesia in 2004. Current legislators said KPK, the anti-graft body, could have overstepped its legal mandate. Nevertheless, Indonesia Corruption Watch coordinator Adnan Topan Husodo said it was a 'big step by KPK, a good move to start 2011'.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630010.html

Myanmar – First Parliament in Decades

Myanmar is preparing to open its first session of parliament in more than two decades, a major step in the ruling military's self-styled transition to democracy but one being carried out with little fanfare or public enthusiasm. Delegates are gathering for Monday morning's simultaneous opening of the 440-seat lower house and 224-seat upper house in a massive new building in Naypyitaw, the remote city to which the capital was moved from Yangon in 2005. One-quarter of the seats in each chamber are given under the 2008 constitution to the military, supporting criticism that the so-called roadmap to democracy is a fig leaf for continued rule by the army.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630024.html

Thailand – Coral Crisis Part of Thai National Agenda

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is planning to make 'efforts against coralbleaching' a national agenda.
Many diving sites at famous marine national parks in the Andaman Sea have been closed to tourists since Jan 21 after coral bleaching killed a large portion of reefs. The head of the DNP, Mr. Songtham, says they are considering the use of zoning, admission fee hike and a ceiling on number of divers each day.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_629739.html

Malaysia - Politician's "No Handshake" Stirs Row

A Malaysian politician has caused a stir by declining to shake hands with men as she campaigned in a tight by-election, triggering debate across Malaysia's racial and religious divide.

Normala Sudirman, a rising star within the conservative Islamic party (PAS) which belongs to the opposition alliance, said her faith prohibits close contact between unrelated men and women. 'We (Muslim women) do not even shake hands with Muslim men,' she said this week, defending her stance against allegations that it was a sign of the rising 'Islamisation' of the multicultural state.

Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, is ruled by a coalition of race-based parties including the Malaysian Chinese Association. Malaysia's ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, who follow Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism among other religions, complain their rights are being trampled by the imposition of Muslim values on their way of life.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_628123.html
image from marvelousarchive.blogspot.com

Thanks for checking in this week guys!
SEASA <3's

News Updates for Week of January 16th

2011-01-23T18:53:00.006-05:00

First of all, Happy New Year to all SEASAlites! Hope you will all have a terrific year ahead!

Starting off, our first news piece of the year, Suu Kyi Gets Access to Internet

Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has finally had Internet access installed at home after her years of isolation were brought to an end two months ago, an aide said on Friday.
Her security chief Win Htein said, 'but she cannot use the Internet now as she is not feeling well and is coughing.’ It is believed that the Nobel laureate has never before surfed the web. Suu Kyi, who was locked up for seven straight years with no telephone or Internet until November, has expressed an interest in using the micro-blogging site Twitter or the social network Facebook to reach young people.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_626742.html

New Vietnam General Secretary

picture from vietnamembassy-usa.org

Vietnam’s Communist elite picked Nguyen Phu Trong, 66, current chairman of the lawmaking National Assembly, to be the next general secretary of the Communist Party. In addition, three high ranking party members were re-elected.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_625720.html

Malaysia - Increase in Alcohol Permits

The number of permits to sell liquor in Malaysian has increased since 2008 owing to the influx of foreign tourists. He added that the Malaysian Government would not prevent non-Muslims from consuming alcoholic beverages because it was their right to do so. Tourism and Culture committee chairman Mr. Takiyuddin said the money collected from such permits was not included in the municipal council accounts. 'Such monies will either be donated to temples or used to finance minor projects within the municipality,' he said.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_625866.html

Malaysia - Police Crackdown on Baby-selling Syndicate

Police rescued the babies - one aged five days and two who were seven days old - during an operation conducted by the Bukit Aman vice, gambling and secret societies unit. They expect to make more arrests soon. Initial investigations revealed that the babies were sold for between RM15,000 and RM20,000 (USD4,900and USD 6,500) each, depending on their appearance and health.
Commissioner Bakri said police had monitored the syndicate's movement since July when two raids in Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur saw the rescue of 22 babies and arrest of 30 people. http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_625758.html

Singapore - Gary Ng Arrested for Sex Offences

Gary Ng sentenced to 50 months in prison and a USD15,600 fine. Chen Guilin alias Gary Ng, 28, had admitted to having 507 obscene films, mostly of himself having sex with other women. Some of the women were willing parties for the filming while others were not. He had hidden a video camera in a plastic bag with a slit to film his acts and uploaded some on the Internet.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_626141.html

Vietnam - Cold Spell Disrupts Country

A cold spell over the past three weeks has killed at least seven people as well as more 20,000 cows and buffalos. Temperatures have plunged as low as -3.6 degrees C, whereas the norm for this period is typically around 15 degrees C. Children and the elderly also have swamped hospitals, mostly with respiratory illness. The cold spell was forecast to last at least two more weeks.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_626745.html

Thailand - Closing Dive Site due to Bleaching

Thailand is closing dozens of dive sites to tourists after unusually warm seas caused severe damage to coral reefs in the Andaman Sea, one of the world's top diving and beach resort regions, authorities said on Thursday. The coral bleaching is caused by an increase in the ocean temperatures.
Other parts of South-east Asia have also suffered. An international team of scientists studying bleaching off Indonesia's Aceh province found that 80 per cent of some species have died between May and August.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_626618.html

Indonesia - Blackberry to Stop Access to Porn

Indonesia’s Information Minister says he's happy so far with BlackBerry's efforts to filter pornography from its smartphones in the world's most populous Muslim nation. Among the websites no longer visible are Playboy and many other porn websites.
BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion Ltd agreed earlier this week to filter out porn in the nation of 237 million by Friday after the government threatened to revoke its operating license here.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_626246.html

OPINION

Indonesia - Tax Collector who Has Rp 25 Billion

For the past year, Indonesia has been shocked by the case of Gayus Tambunan, a low-ranking tax collector, who has a fortune of Rp 25 billion, or approximately USD 3 million, in his bank account. Day after day, many newspapers put the case developments on the front page. They follow the controversies related to his ability to attain such large amount of cash, for instance the possibility of existence of an international money laundering syndicate that had been backing him, possible political games that attempt to curb the large political party Golkar from power, etc. Many ask if these are not just attempts by higher powers to keep the news from uncovering the real and more significant corruption issues in Indonesia. As of January 19th, Gayus is sentenced to seven years in prison.

Thanks for checking in! See you soon!

SEASA <3's

News Updates for Week of November 29th

2010-12-05T20:44:00.005-05:00

Philippines – 10 Missing after Ship Sinks

Ten Chinese crew members were missing after their vessel went down in waters off the northernmost Philippine islands, the Philippine coastguard and police said on Saturday.

The Panamanian cargo vessel MV Hong Wei, with 24 Chinese crewmen, sank off the Batanes islands late on Friday. Fourteen crewmen were rescued by a passing ship and a Taiwan coastguard vessel, the police and coastguard said. However, 10 crew members were still missing even as Philippine and Taiwan coastguard vessels searched the waters, said coastguard spokesman Earl Paredes. The cause of the sinking is still not known but Mr Paredes said the waters in the area were known to be rough and dangerous.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610453.html

Thailand – 5 Shot Dead in the South

Suspected Islamic militants shot dead five people in attacks across Thailand's restive south, including one Muslim man gunned down by a gang apparently dressed as soldiers, police said on Saturday.

The 36-year-old deputy village headman was killed after three gunmen dressed in clothing resembling military uniforms broke into his house in Narathiwat on Friday evening, according to police. In the same province a 43-year-old Buddhist man, who worked with the local irrigation office, was also shot and killed at his home. Earlier in the day, a 55-year-old Muslim government worker died on his way back from afternoon prayers in a drive-by shooting in Pattani province. Another shooting in Pattani killed a 32-year-old security volunteer who was driving a motorcycle. His wife, who was a passenger on the vehicle, was seriously injured. In Yala province, a 41-year-old Muslim man was shot dead while returning from working at a rubber plantation on Friday afternoon.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610452.html

Malaysia - Investors to Have Confidence in Market

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission admits the business sector is highly prone to corrupt practices and the MACC and the respective chambers of commerce in the country want to fight this.

'We want to create a healthy business environment for Malaysia, so that foreign investors have stronger confidence in the country. 'We want to tell investors that Malaysia is not a corrupt-infested country and they do not have to pay extra to do business here,' said MACC deputy chief commissioner (prevention) Datuk Sutinah Sutan, when announcing that the business community would take a pledge next week to fight corruption.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610447.html

Indonesia – On Alert for Religion-related Terrorism

Indonesia has gone on alert for terror attacks during the Christmas and New Year period after police found and defused several homemade bombs in Central Java on Wednesday.

The revelation yesterday coincided with the discovery of a cache of explosives in a warehouse in North Jakarta. National Police spokesman Iskandar Hasan told reporters yesterday that the alert has been raised across the country, particularly in areas like Bali, Java and Sumatra, which have been targets in the past.

It came after police found bombs in three separate places this week - on the roadside in front of a Christian chapel, an Islamic hospital and a police post in Kendal, Central Java. Each bomb was made up of four or five petrol-filled 600ml plastic bottles hooked up to a timer, a detonator and a battery. A police source told The Straits Times that one of them was supposed to explode at 2am, but failed to go off. 'This is a terrorist group showing their existence,' said Inspector-General Iskandar, adding that police were investigating. 'They are targeting the Christmas and New Year eves.'

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610390.html

Singapore – Dean One of Top 100 Thinkers

The dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) has been selected by Foreign Policy magazine as one of its top 100 global thinkers in 2010.

Prof Kishore Mahbubani, a distinguished diplomat, is honoured by the magazine 'for being the voice of a new Asian century'.
Prof Mahbubani was appointed Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in 2004 after having served 33 years in the Singapore Foreign Service. He was the permanent secretary of the Foreign Ministry from 1993 to 1998. He has also written several books such as Can Asians Think? and Beyond The Age Of Innocence: Rebuilding Trust Between America And The World.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_608615.html

Cambodia and Thailand – Border Gate to Reopen

Cambodia plans to reopen a border gate with neighbouring Thailand at the 11th century Preah Vihear temple this weekend, officials said on Monday, indicating a thaw in relations between the two countries. The move came after the redeployment of both Cambodian and Thai soldiers away from the border. He said the tense situation there had eased and troops from both sides had covered up their bunkers in the area. Ties between the neighboring countries have been strained since July 2008 by a series of deadly border clashes over land surrounding the temple after it was granted UN World Heritage status.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608657.html

Indonesia - Yogyakarta statement on Tuesday

Amid a heated debate over the President's comments on the special status of Yogyakarta, the government will issue a formal statement via the Home Affairs Ministry on Tuesday, an official said.

The President's comment, which hinted that the automatic ascension of the Sultan of Yogyakarta as governor of the province was in direct conflict with democracy, has evoked the anger of people who adhere to the sultanate's special status in the country. The sultanate, under law, is given special rights due to the extraordinary contribution of the Yogyakarta Sultanate to Indonesia's birth as a republic. Sultan Hamengkubuwono X said he was considering relinquishing his position as governor following the statement.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608550.html

East Timor – Wants in on ASEAN

Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta said on Wednesday it would be symbolic if his fledgling country gained Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) membership next year when former occupier Indonesia takes over as chair of the regional bloc.
'If it is under Indonesia and Timor-Leste joins Asean as the 11th member at the summit in Jakarta in November 2011, it would elevate Indonesia's statesmanship, it would elevate Asean,' Mr Ramos-Horta said in Singapore.

Indonesia will assume the revolving chairmanship of the 10-member Asean in 2011 from Vietnam. As chair, it will host the group's annual summit and related meetings and steer the agenda for the year.

Timor Leste, a former Portuguese colony, was invaded by Indonesia in 1975 as it moved towards formal independence, starting a brutal 24-year occupation. It won its freedom in a 1999 UN-backed referendum that was marred by violence as Indonesian-backed militias laid waste to much of the country in a scorched earth campaign that displaced hundreds of thousands.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_609252.html

No to ‘Hot Money’ Controls

At 7th ASEAN Finance Minister's Investor Seminar in Kuala Lumpur, Southeast Asian finance ministers said on Tuesday there was no need to coordinate on the massive inflow of foreign capital into the region, which has raised fears of destabilising economies.
The 'hot money' has nudged most Asian currencies higher, making their exports more expensive on the global market as the US allows the dollar to weaken and China keeps a tight rein on the yuan.
The influx of funds has also led to steep gains in stocks and property prices, which have stoked fears of 'bubbles' that could later burst if the money is withdrawn quickly, and prompted individual central banks to act to cool down their market.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608953.html

Cambodia – USD 8m Given to Restore Angkor Wat

Chine has given Cambodia US$6 million to help restore a deteriorating temple at the Angkor Wat temple complex, one of Asia's greatest landmarks.
Soeung Kong, an official with the agency that oversees the Angkor Archaeological Park, said on Monday the renovation of the Hindu-style Ta Keo temple will begin early next year and should be completed in eight years. He said the temple is deteriorating badly and its walls are at risk of collapse due to natural deterioration.
Ta Keo is a pyramid of five levels, built entirely of sandstone in the late 10th century to early 11th century.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608833.html

Malaysia – ‘Green’ Snowman

AEON Bandaraya shopping complex decided to go green in a record-breaking way for the coming Christmas season with the biggest snowman in the country made of recycled plastic bottles. Standing at 9.14m tall and 6.1m wide, the Frosty snowman is made of 15,000 recyclable plastic bottles and is located at the complex's centre court in Jalan Lagenda. To top things up, the giant Frosty has made its way into the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) as the biggest snowman made of recyclable bottles in Malaysia.

AEON Co (M) Bhd managing director Nagahisa Oyama said a total of 40,000 plastic bottles were collected during a recycling programme at all its shopping complexes and 90 schools nationwide. 'We hope to educate our customers on the importance of recycling, reducing (waste) and reusing items besides promoting the Green Christmas theme,' he said.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_610006.html

News Updates for Week of November 15th

2010-11-21T17:38:00.005-05:00

Malaysia Celebrates Hari Raya Haji

Muslims all over Malaysia celebrated Hari Raya Haji (also known as Eid al-Adha) on Wednesday on a moderate scale, but with a sense of gratitude and the spirit of sacrifice. They attended prayers at mosques and prayer halls, and slaughtered animals such as cows and goats to mark the festival of sacrifice which comes at the end of the annual Haj pilgrimage.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak attended prayers at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. He joined more than 10,000 fellow Muslims to perform prayers. Mr Najib, who was attired in a pink baju Melayu, was accompanied by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar as he arrived at the mosque at about 8.30am, and was greeted by the Grand Imam, Ustaz Ehsan Mohd Hosni. After the prayers, Mr Najib shook hands and exchanged Hari Raya Haji greetings with fellow Muslims who had lined up to greet the Prime Minister. Mr Najib, accompanied by Ismail, also sprinkled scented water on the grave of his father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, at the National Mausoleum at the mosque, and recited prayers.

The Eid al-Adha is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Isma'il) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_604255.html

Thailad - Bout Deported to US

Alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was flown out of Thailand on Tuesday on a special jet to face trial in the United States, bringing to an end months of legal wrangling over his extradition. The 43-year-old former Soviet air force pilot has been fighting extradition on terrorism charges since his March 2008 arrest after a sting operation in Bangkok involving undercover US agents posing as Colombian FARC rebels.

'Bout already left Thai soil at 1:27 pm (0627 GMT, 2:27 pm S'pore time) from Don Mueang airport,' Colonel Supisarn Bhakdinarunart, commander of Thailand's Crime Suppression Division, said Bout left Thai soil at 0627 GMT and is headed for a secret, final destination in the US.

Bout's sudden departure came shortly after the Thai cabinet approved his handover in a move likely to prompt further fury from Moscow which had vowed to do all it could to bring Bout home. He was escorted by police from Bang Kwang maximum security prison in a convoy of police cars with their sirens blaring.

The inspiration for the Hollywood film 'Lord of War", Bout is accused of using a fleet of cargo planes to deliver arms in Africa, South America and the Middle East.

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_603850.html

Cambodia - Landmine Kills 14

Fourteen people died in western Cambodia when their homemade tractor ran over an anti-tank mine left over from the country's civil war in the 1980s, an official said on Wednesday. The incident occurred on Tuesday in Battambang province, 250km north-west of the capital Phnom Penh, while the farmers were on their way back home from harvesting chilies, police Major Buth Sambo said.

The police officer said the area was the site of intense battles between the Khmer Rouge and government forces in the 1980s and early 1990s and thus was seeded with numerous mines. An estimated 4 to 6 million land mines and other unexploded ordnance from more than three decades of armed conflict continue to maim or kill Cambodians each year. Prime Minister Hun Sen said earlier this year that it will still take years to clear the once war-torn nation of land mines that endanger lives in nearly half the country's villages.

Indonesia - Bali Waters Protected Zone

The Mola Mola (also known as Ocean Sunfish)

Indonesia on Sunday declared the coral-rich waters around Bali - a popular scuba diving spot which is home to the giant Mola-Mola ocean sunfish - a protected zone.

The 20,000-hectare area around Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Lembongan islands will be protected from destructive fishing, waste dumping and coral mining, project leader Marthen Welly told AFP. 'Destructive fishing is carried out by fishermen using cyanide and explosives,' Welly of the conservation group The Nature Conservancy (TNC) said. 'Many ships also throw anchors on the coral reefs and hotels and households dump wastes causing water pollution. Now they can't do these anymore,' he said.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605772.html

Indonesia - Merapi Cooling Down, Death Toll 304

The number of deaths caused by recent eruptions at Indonesia's most volatile volcano has risen to 304.

Slamet Sugiono from the National Disaster Management Agency said on Sunday the toll climbed after some victims succumbed to severe burns and illnesses linked to the eruption. Also, more ash-buried bodies have been found on the slopes of Mount Merapi. The volcano started erupting late last month after years of dormancy. The most significant blast on Nov 5 was Mount Merapi's deadliest in decades. The agency says volcanic activity has declined sharply and Merapi's current eruptions are not strong enough to endanger people, and so, half of nearly 400,000 evacuees have returned home in recent days.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605751.html

Scores of people were forced to flee their homes after a restive Philippine volcano shot a column of ash into the air on Sunday, showering surrounding villages, authorities said.

Philippines - Mount Bulusan Shows Activity

Residents of two villages near the 1,565-metre Mount Bulusan volcano evacuated their homes after the volcano shot a column of ash some two kilometres into the air. Evacuees were taken to government schools that are being used as relief centres, he added. More than 750 people have fled their homes since Bulusan started emitting ash on Nov 6, said Mr Lopez.

Government vulcanologists had earlier raised the alert level for Bulusan from zero to level 1, indicating abnormal activity, possibly a sign of more ash eruptions to come.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605764.html

Malaysian Hacker 'Highly Skilled'

The Malaysian accused of hacking into the system of a US central bank branch in Cleveland, Ohio, is believed to be highly skilled and collaborating with others in carrying out cyber crimes. US prosecutors described Lin Mun Poo, 32, as an 'extremely sophisticated and dangerous computer hacker' in documents obtained from the US Justice Department.

Lin made world headlines for the wrong reasons - he managed to hack into high security cyber systems of major institutions in the US, including the Federal Reserve Bank and the Pentagon's security contractors. He was caught in a New York diner by the Secret Service on Oct 21 while allegedly selling stolen credit card numbers for US$1,000 (S$1,295). It was only hours after he had arrived in the city. On Thursday, he was indicted by a grand jury on four charges, including for hacking into the central bank branch in Cleveland. If convicted, Lin faces a jail sentence of between six-and-a-half years and eight years.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605717.html

Philippines - Bomb Narrowly Missed Mayor Ampatuan

A bomb attached to a parked motorcycle exploded on Sunday in a violent southern Philippine province, wounding two people and narrowly missing the convoy of a mayor belonging to a powerful clan blamed for a massacre last year of dozens of people, officials said. The bomb constructed from a mortar round went off near a grade school in Maguindanao province's Shariff Aguak town a few minutes after the convoy of Mayor Akmad Ampatuan of nearby Datu Salibo town passed by, police said. The bomb, which wounded two residents, appeared to have been meant for Ampatuan, police said.

Several members of his clan and armed followers have been put on trial in connection with the massacre in Maguindanao last Nov 23 of 57 people, including political rivals and at least 30 media workers.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605770.html

Singapore - Third Teen Slashing Incident

Police have arrested a teenager who was involved in an attack on another youth in Ang Mo Kio on Thursday. In yet another incident of youth violence, a 17-year old , who was acquainted with the alleged attacker, also 17, was slashed on the right shoulder at Block 448, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at about 7pm. The New Paper reported on Friday that the two youths had got into a loud dispute and a shoving match before the victim was knifed. A police spokesman told straitstimes.com on Friday morning that the incident had nothing to do with gang activities, and investigations are ongoing. This is the third of knife fights within three weeks, the first of which ended in a teen's death, and the second of which seven youths were slashed.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_604990.html

Thailand - 2,000 Foetuses Found at Temple

THAI police investigating a strong smell emanating from a Buddhist temple have found more than 2,000 foetuses hidden in the complex's morgue that appear to have come from illegal abortion clinics. During an initial investigation at the temple in Bangkok on Tuesday, police discovered piles of plastic bags containing more than 300 foetuses. Police Lieuenant Colonel Kanathud Musiganont said workers pulled more bodies from the temple's morgue on Friday. More than 2,000 have been unearthed from vaults where bodies are traditionallyinterred pending cremation, which under some circumstances can take place years after death.

Abortion is illegal in Thailand except under three conditions - if a woman is raped, if the pregnancy affects her health or if the foetus is abnormal.

Several people have already been arrested in the case: two undertakers for hiding bodies to conceal the cause of death and an abortion clinic employee on charges of operating an unlicensed medical clinic and performing abortions.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_605071.html

US House Slams Myanmar Vote

The US House of Representatives on Thursday condemned Myanmar's recent elections and said no government there can be legitimate without the participation of Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi. By voice vote, lawmakers approved a symbolic resolution that 'denounces the one-sided, undemocratic, and illegitimate actions' of the country's ruling junta and accused them of consolidating their power with a 'flawed election'. 'No government in Burma can be considered democratic or legitimate without the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, and ethnic nationalities,' the measure states. The resolution also demands 'the full restoration of democracy, freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and internationally recognized human rights for all Burmese citizens.'

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_604966.html

Indonesia - 2 Foreigners Caught for Drugs, Possibility for Execution

A British man and a Japanese man are facing possible execution in Indonesia after customs officials found drugs in their luggage at Bali airport, authorities said on Monday. Customs officers said they had arrested British national Khuram Antonio Khan Garcia, 39, with methamphetamine and Japanese Morita Yuki, 35, with hashish as they arrived at the resort island's international airport.

Garcia was arrested on Thursday after landing on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha with 3.1kg of methamphetamine in his suitcase. The drugs had an estimated street value of six billion rupiah (USD 670,200). He told investigators someone called 'Mr. Ben' had asked him to carry the suitcase from Cameroon to Indonesia. An Indonesian suspect was arrested on Friday when he came from Jakarta to pick up the suitcase, the customs office said in a statement.

Yuki was arrested on Sunday after landing from Bangkok with 5.9kg of hashish valued at 3.5 billion rupiah (USD 390,952) hidden in paper packages in his suitcase lining.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_603506.html

Aung San Suu Kyi's 22 Years in Political Spotlight

2010-11-14T16:24:00.002-05:00

YANGON - AUNG San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar opposition leader who could soon be released from house arrest, was a political newcomer when she took up the struggle for democracy in 1988. Following are the major events in the history of her role in Myanmar's politics since a military crackdown in 1988 and the formation of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party that followed.
1988:
- August: Thousands of people are believed killed after troops open fire on mass protests. Suu Kyi, daughter of independence hero Aung San, delivers a speech at Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda to a crowd of 500,000  - September: Military takes charge with the creation of the State Law and Order Restoration Council ? Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) is formed
1989:
- July: Suu Kyi is placed under house arrest
1990:
- May: Her NLD wins 392 out of 485 seats in parliamentary elections but the junta refuses to recognise the results
1991:
- October: Suu Kyi wins Nobel Peace Prize
1994:
- September/October: Talks with junta number one and three, Senior General Than Shwe and Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt
1995:
- July: Released after six years under house arrest
1996:
- May: Some 10,000 supporters of Suu Kyi march in Yangon in the biggest demonstration since 1990, which the junta declares illegal
1999:
- March: Her husband Michael Aris, a British academic, dies from cancer having not seen his wife in four years
2000:
- August: Suu Kyi defies order confining her to Yangon. Again placed under house arrest the following month after attempting to travel to Mandalay
2002:
- May: Released after 19 months under house arrest
2003:
- May: Arrested in the country's north after a violent clash between her supporters and a pro-junta group  - September: Moved to her Yangon home and placed under house arrest for a third time
2007:
- September: Suu Kyi prays with Buddhist monks allowed to walk past her home during mass protests against escalating fuel costs, in her first public appearance since 2003
2008:
- May: Her detention is extended again three days after a referendum is held to confirm a new constitution that paves the way for an election in 2010 - August/September: Refuses food and placed on intravenous drip - October: Appeals through her lawyers against her detention
2009:
- May: Appeal against detention is rejected - Shortly before her expected release, Suu Kyi is put on trial over a bizarre incident in which an American man swims uninvited to her lakeside home. She is sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest. - November: Appeals detention at Supreme Court
2010:
- February: Supreme Court rejects appeal - March: Suu Kyi says she opposes contesting the first election in 20 years because the rules are unfair. Her party announces it will boycott the vote and is disbanded - May: Lodges last-ditch appeal with Supreme Court against detention - November: Suu Kyi remains in detention at her lakeside mansion on election day. Her final appeal is rejected but hopes for her release remain when her current sentence is completed - Supporters gather as officials say her release is imminent

Source: www.straitstimes.com

News Updates for Week of November 7th

2010-11-14T16:13:00.004-05:00

Suu Kyi Completely Free

Myanmar’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi walked free on Saturday after seven years as a prisoner in her own home, calling on a sea of jubilant supporters to unite in the face of repression. Waving and smiling, the Nobel Peace Prize winner appeared outside the crumbling lakeside mansion where she had been locked up by the military rulers, to huge cheers and clapping from the waiting crowds. 'We must work together in unison,' she told thousands of waiting people, suggesting she has no intention of giving up her long fight for democracy in what is one of the world's oldest dictatorships. Many people hugged each other with joy at the sight of the 65-year-old dissident, known in Myanmar simply as 'The Lady'. She wore a pale purple top and appeared in good health after her latest stretch of detention.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_603081.html

Brunei Prince’s Lawsuit

The kinky, narcissistic spending of a flamboyant prince has been revealed in a New York courtroom.
This week the younger brother of the Sultan of Brunei fought to keep photos of the almost $1million (£617,000) pornographic statues depicting himself in various sexual positions with a fiancee away from jurors in his upcoming civil trial against former advisers. Prince Prince Jefri Bolkiah, 56, immortalized his bedroom antics with Micha Raines in life-sized bronze sculptures he had commissioned for his mansion in Long Island. Jefri is going to court next week in Manhattan against two ex-financial advisers, Thomas Derbyshire and his wife, Zaman, saying they ripped him off when they sold the 23-room estate for just $11 million.

For more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326969/Prince-Jefri-Brunei-wants-sex-statues-barred-NY-courtroom.html#ixzz15IF9LbDu

Seven Youths Slashed

Seven youths were repeatedly slashed by a group of parang-wielding men in Bukit Panjang on Monday night, in what appeared to be gang-related attacks. The victims, aged between 14 and 20, were set upon in two separate incidents - first when a 20-year-old assistant technician was slashed in the back and legs, and then when a group of 20 youths were surrounded.
In both instances, the assailants first asked their victims whether they were from a gang named 'Pak Hai Tong'. When the victims denied associations with the group, they were slashed. The gang, believed to be eight-men strong, also shouted 'Sah Lak Kau' (Hokkien for 369), another gang name, before fleeing the scene. No one has been arrested thus far.

Monday's attacks came less than two weeks after Republic Polytechnic student Darren Ng was fatally stabbed at Downtown East in Pasir Ris.

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_601402.html

Mayor Shot 40 People

A policeman who witnessed an election-related massacre of 57 people last year told a court on Wednesday a former town mayor - the main suspect in the deaths - gunned down 40 victims as they pleaded for their lives.

Senior Police Officer Rainier Ebus testified he saw former Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr, the scion of the clan that was in control of southern Maguindanao province, shoot about 40 of the 57 victims after stopping their vehicles. Among the dead in the Nov 23, 2009 massacre - the worst political killings in recent Philippine history - were at least 30 media workers accompanying supporters of Esmael Mangudadatu, a local politician running for governor. His rivals from the Ampatuan clan and militiamen under their command have been charged with murder. They have pleaded innocent.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601691.html

Thaksin Wants Political Freedom

Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra urged his own country on Sunday to follow Myanmar's example of freeing political prisoners after the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup, said he believed the events in Myanmar would help improve 'the protection of human rights and democracy' in Southeast Asia, in particular Thailand. The situation in Myanmar shows that the release of political prisoners 'will be a starting point towards national reconciliation and creation of genuine social justice", he said in a statement.

Thaksin, who lives in self-imposed exile, is seen as a hero for many 'Red Shirts', whose rallies on the streets of Bangkok in April and May descended into clashes between troops and civilians that left over 90 people dead.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_603181.html

Mount Bulusan Shows Activity Followed by Earthquake

Dozens of people fled their homes near a restive Philippine volcano on Wednesday, while authorities advised pilots to avoid flying near clouds of fine ash shooting out from its crater. Soldiers and police would also be posted to keep people out of a six kilometre zone around the crater and has trucks on standy to take evacuees to government-run shelters, it said.

Bulusan showered nearby communities with ash on Tuesday, with its explosions accompanied by booming sounds, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in an advisory, adding that it expects more explosions. Bulusan, 250 kilometres southeast of the capital Manila on the main island of Luzon, is one of the country's 23 active volcanoes. Also, A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the Philippines' northern island of Luzon on Wednesday

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601599.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601623.html

Obama in Indonesia to Mend US-Muslim Relations

Barack Obama said on Wednesday much more needs to be done to repair frayed US relations with the Muslim world in an acknowledgment of the difficulties in eradicating 'years of mistrust.' He promised: 'No matter what setbacks may come, the United States is committed to human progress.” In a speech highlighting a nostalgic visit to Indonesia, where he spent four years as a young boy, Mr Obama spoke fondly of his formative years in the world's most populous Muslim country.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601526.html

Malaysia Accepts Graft Index Findings

MALAYSIA on Wednesday accepted the 'far from flattering' findings by an anti-graft watchdog that showed the country had slipped in its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score. Berlin-based Transparency International's (TI) annual survey released last month showed Malaysia had slipped from 4.5 to 4.4 out of 10 on its index scale where 1.0 is the most corrupt and 10.0 is the least corrupt. Southeast Asian neighbours like Singapore, scored 9.3, and Brunei 5.5. Hisham Nordin, a senior official with the government's anti-corruption commission, says, There is absolutely nothing to hide. But we are not discouraged because we know what we have done and put in place to fight corruption under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).” He continues, “These robust initiatives are still in their early stages of implementation and we are confident they will yield the results we want.”

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_601596.html

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News Updates for Week of November 1st

2010-11-11T17:32:00.005-05:00

Myanmar – Ethnic Groups Join Forces

Six armed ethnic groups in Myanmar have forged an agreement to join forces, fearing they will be attacked by the regime after Sunday's election, an exile news agency said on Thursday.

The 'landmark deal' was struck on Tuesday in the Thai-Myanmar town of Mae Hong Son and included the most powerful ethnic armies. The reported alliance comes amid fears that civil war could break out between the government and several ethnic groups who have denounced the elections as a means to end their decades-long struggle for autonomy under a federal system. 'The Burmese army could wage wars against ethnic groups after the election. Therefore it is essential for the ethnic groups to cooperate and help each other,' the agency quoted David Tharckabaw, vice president of the Karen National Union, as saying. The other members of the alliance include organisations from the Karenni, Chin, Kachin, Mon and Shan minorities. Some, like the Karen, have been fighting the regime for decades, but others had signed cease-fire pacts that now appear in jeopardy.

With increasing tension, the government has cancelled voting in 3,400 villages in ethnic areas and has increased its military presence in the countryside. Several of the cease-fire groups are boycotting the election

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599273.html

China and Cambodia in US$1.6b deal

China will inject US$1.6 billion (S$2.05 billion) into Cambodian infrastructure over five years, officials said on Thursday, just days after the US urged the country not to become too dependent on the Asian giant. 'Within the next five years, Cambodia and China will have 23 co-operation projects,' government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters after a meeting between China's top legislator Wu Bangguo and the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen. China also plans to help Cambodia build a new railway to neighbouring Vietnam, providing one of the last missing links for a pan-Asian network that would connect Singapore with China's Kunming by train, according to the spokesman.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599422.html

Merapi Keeps on Erupting

At least 138 people have died since Mount Merapi started erupting Oct 26. It has not stopped to erupt ever since. Scientists such as Mr Surono, a state volcanologist, says It seems like Indonesia ‘may be entering an even worse stage,' 'We have no idea what's happening now'.The volcano, one of the world's most active, has erupted many times in the last century, often with deadly results. In 1994, 60 people were killed, while in 1930, more than a dozen villages were torched, leaving up to 1,300 dead.

More than 70,000 are now packed in crowded government camps well away from the base and may have to stay for weeks, or possibly months.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599296.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599088.html

Islamic Extremist Sentenced to Jail

An Islamic extremist was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday for his role in anti-Christian bombings and killings in an area of Indonesia with a history of religious violence. Eko Budi Wardoyo, also known as Munsif, took part in a series of attacks on Christians in the province of Central Sulawesi, a West Jakarta district court judge said. 'We sentence him for 10-year in prison. He has inspired fear and spread terror' judge Supeno said. He said Wardoyo had advised bombers who killed 22 people at a busy market in the predominantly Christian town of Tentena in Poso district in May 2005. Also, he appointed the murderers of reverend Ms Tinulele in Palu in 2004, where three members of the congregation were also killed.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599270.html

Thai Court Fired 6 Lawmakers

Six Thai lawmakers have lost their seats after a court found them guilty of violating a conflict of interest law.
Thailand's constitution bans lawmakers from benefiting from ventures linked to state concessions. Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat - through his spouse - and Deputy Transport Minister Kuakul Danchaiwijit held shares in a state enterprise involved with oil exploration and production. The other four lawmakers, some from the opposition, also held shares in privatized state enterprises.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599088.html

2 Quantas Jet Scares

Quantas, Australia's flagship carrier, moved quickly on Saturday to protect its reputation after one of its Boeing 747 jets experienced an engine failure on Friday night and was forced to return to Singapore's Changi Airport. The incident occurred just one day after a Qantas Airbus 380 engine also combusted, raining debris down onto Batam Island in Indonesia. Both flights were travelling from Singapore to Sydney.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Singapore_20101106.html

Singaporean Terrorist Wanted in the Philippines

Singaporean terrorist Manobo, also known as Muawiyah, is one of the top three militants linked to Jemaah Islamiah being hunted in the Philippines, said security expert Rommel Banlaoi on Tuesday. In his address to the National Security Seminar, he said the bombmaker works closely with the more dangerous of the other wanted militants - Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan - and the Abu Sayyaf group. The Philippine government has announced a reward of US$50,000 for Muawiyah's capture, and for Marwan's arrest, the reward is US$5 million.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_601458.html

Malaysia’s National Front Wins Election

Malaysia’s ruling coalition celebrated impressive victories in two special elections on Thursday, signaling an apparent fall in support for the opposition that might embolden Prime Minister Najib Razak to call early national polls.
The results are a major morale boost for the National Front coalition, which has battled to regain public support after clinging on to power despite losing more than one-third of the seats in Parliament in 2008 general elections.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_599296.html

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Updates for Week of October 24th

2010-11-01T21:40:00.006-04:00

Teen Murdered in Pasir Ris, Singapore

Police arrested four men on Monday evening in connection with the brutal murder of a teenager in Downtown East last Saturday.
The four men, aged between 18 and 20, were arrested about 48 hours after Mr Darren Ng Wei Jie was hacked by choppers in cold blood and in front of shocked passers-by at the resort and amusement park in Pasir Ris.
Officers from the Special Investigation Section of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) established the identities of the suspects and, with this lead, were able to swiftly round up the four men. The case has been classified as murder, which carries the death penalty. Investigations are still ongoing.
Mr Ng, 19, a Republic Polytechnic student, was set upon by a group of 10 people at about 6pm. He and two friends were believed to have been involved in a staring incident with the group earlier. The group set upon him with choppers, but he managed to run towards a row of restaurants, where he crashed into a glass panel. Witnesses said members of the group caught up with him and continued hacking him. After the assailants fled, Mr Ng's friends dragged him away, leaving a trail of blood.
For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_597771.html

Merapi Erupts Again

Indonesia’s most active volcano which claimed at least 36 lives last week spewed more searing clouds of gas and ash Sunday, triggering fresh panic among locals. The volcano erupted three times last Tuesday, once last Friday, once last Saturday and again Monday morning.
For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_595772.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/01/indonesia.volcano.erupts/index.html

Thai Floods Kill 57

Heavy downpours that caused rivers to burst around Thailand have killed 57 people in nearly two weeks of flooding. Prime Minister Abhisit said the flooding was the country's worst in 40 or 50 years due to heavy rains that dumped larger-than-normal amounts of water into dams and reservoirs and aggressive housing and business development that has affected natural drainage channels. More than 4 million sandbags were used to erect walls this week in Bangkok along stretches of the Chao Phraya River, resulting in minimal flooding in Bangkok.

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_596064.html

Tsunami Death Toll Reaches 449

On 26th October 2010, a three-metre (10 feet) tsunami pounded on remote islands off the coast of West Sumatera and swept away villages. By Sunday evening, death count has increased to 449 persons.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, meanwhile, cut short a state visit to Vietnam to deal with two major disasters that struck Indonesia in less than 24 hours. The country's most volatile volcano, Mount Merapi, 800 miles to the east, erupted at dusk on Tuesday, sending up searing ash clouds and killing more than two dozen people.

Disaster officials were still trying to reach more than a dozen villages on the Mentawais - a popular surfer's destination that is usually reachable only by a 12-hour boat ride. The 7.7-magnitude quake that struck late Monday just 13 miles beneath the ocean floor was followed by at least 14 aftershocks, the largest measuring 6.2.

Surprisingly, an 18-month-old baby has been found alive in a clump of trees days after the devastating tsunami, an official says. He says a 10-year-old child discovered the baby in a clump of trees on Pagai Selatan island on Wednesday. Both his parents are dead.

For more, http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/31/indonesia.disaster/index.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/baby-found-in-trees-698021.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_595764.html

Malaysia Set on Nuclear Energy

The Cabinet is set to give its green light to build the country's first nuclear power plant by 2021 as stipulated in the recently unveiled Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), but the choice of location remains a secret. Prime Minister Chin Fah Kui explained that the government was deliberately looking at nuclear power as an option not only to meet Malaysia's growing electricity demand post-2020, but also to further diversify the country's energy mix and to ensure future energy security.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_596079.html

Paid for Philippine Massacre

A Philippine police officer on Wednesday testified in court that he was paid about US$350 (S$455) by a powerful Muslim clan scion to help carry out the country's worst political massacre. Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon said he received the money from Andal Ampatuan Jnr to set up the police checkpoint that stopped the convoy of a rival politician in the southern province of Maguindanao last year. The convoy carried relatives of Esmael Mangudadatu who were going to file his candidacy to run against Ampatuan Jnr for provincial governor.

'Do you know who our enemies are? Are you capable of killing them?' Mr Diongon quoted Ampatuan as saying. He recalled answering 'yes', but said he only did so out of fear. He said Ampatuan paid him 15,000 pesos (about S$455 dollars) for the job, adding that he saw at least three other police officials receive pay-offs as well.

When the convoy, carrying Mangudadatu's wife and other relatives, their lawyers and 32 journalists arrived, Mr Diongon said his men stopped their vehicles, allowing Ampatuan and his gunmen to take the passengers away.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_595955.html

Red Shirts Call for Probe

Thailand’s 'Red Shirt' anti-government movement has urged the International Criminal Court to investigate possible crimes against humanity by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government. The petition argues that the country's political and military leadership are 'criminally liable' for actions taken during two months of mass opposition protests in April and May that left more than 90 people dead, mainly civilians. The Red Shirts, many of whom support fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, accuse the government of a 'massive cover-up', according to details posted on the website of Thaksin's Canadian lawyer Robert Amsterdam.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_595876.html

Equal Opportunities at 38,000 Feet

A worldwide shortage of airline pilots has given women in Malaysia a chance to break into a profession that is notoriously male dominated. And it's the world's fastest growing airline that claims to be giving them the opportunities. AirAsia has 17 female pilots -- not that impressive when you realize that they have 700 male counterparts-- but still not a bad record in a country that is deeply conservative.

The International Society of Women Airline Pilots estimates there are about 4,000 female pilots worldwide, out of 80,000 pilots in total -- that's 5 percent, so AirAsia's 2.4 per cent of female pilots might not sound much to boast about.The organization also points out that most of those 4,000 female pilots are in the U.S. There are no figures available for the number of female pilots across Asia, but in a country where Islam is the main religion and society is very traditional, Air Asia's achievement in Malaysia is suddenly seems more impressive.

For more, http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/28/malaysia.female.pilots/index.html

Vietnam targets 12m visitors

Vietnam anticipates earnings of US$8.9 billion (S$11.6 billion) in 2015 as it looks forward to welcoming 12 million foreign visitors and hosting 28 million domestic travellers, according to a tourism development draft for 2010 to 2020.
During this period, the Vietnam tourism sector will promote products rather than images. The country's tourism sector has so far created specific tourism products to attract visitors. The industry will also need to focus on attracting more tourists from the European Union, North America and Australia.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_596081.html

New Updates for Week of October 17th

2010-10-24T18:14:00.007-04:00

Suharto Rejected as National Hero

Human rights activists on Tuesday slammed proposals to honor late Indonesian dictator Suharto as a national hero. The military strongman's authoritarian rule might have brought economic progress and stability but at the expense of democracy, humanrights and the rule of law, they said.

Suharto is among 10 names nominated for the title of National Hero of Indonesia, the country's highest honor. The annual award goes to Indonesians who 'perform acts of heroism and make extraordinary contributions' to the nation.

But anti-graft campaigner Teten Masduki, of Transparency International, said Suharto was unworthy of such an honor because he led a corrupt regime that stole billions of dollars from the country. 'He was extraordinarily corrupt to the point of bankrupting Indonesia. How could such a person be made a national hero?' he told AFP. Many other critiques make the same point.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592693.html

Singaporean Vessel Hijacked

Suspected pirates attacked and hijacked a Singapore-flagged vessel off the Kenyan coast in the pirate-infested waters off east Africa on Saturday evening. The fate of the 17 crews on board the York vessel, said to comprise 14 Filipinos, two Ukrainians and a German, remained unknown last night. It was also unknown as of Sunday night if the suspected pirates have made demands. The tanker had been carrying liquefied petroleum gas.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_594676.html

Bangkok Readies for Floods

Bangkok braced for rising waters encroaching on the fortified city on Sunday as the death toll from two weeks of nationwide flooding rose to 38, emergency officials said. The floods, which began on October 10, have affected millions of people across huge swathes of the country, inundating thousands of homes and leaving authorities struggling to reach people stranded in remote areas. Thailand’s capital has reinforced its flood walls with 200,000 sandbags and will build temporary wooden bridges in 27 communities to help people cross over waterlogged streets. More than 1,000 water pumps are on standby and authorities are preparing schools, monasteries and mosques in 13 districts for evacuation.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_594693.html

Malaysian Dementia Cases to Rise

The number of people suffering from dementia in Malaysia is expected to double in 10 years and more attention is needed to treat the disease. Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said currently, there were 63,000 people with dementia in Malaysia and the figure was expected to increase to 127,000 patients in 2020.

As the Malaysian population ages, diseases associated with old age will become more common,' he said in his speech when opening the 13th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International yesterday. Mr Liow urged the public to bring their family members suffering from dementia to the doctor at an early stage and not wait until patients present psychological and behavioral problems. Early diagnosis is essential to rule out reversible causes of memory loss, as not all are due to Alzheimer's Disease,' he said, adding that educating and preparing patient and care giver in the early stages will prepare them for the future. To improve early detection, cognitive screening programmes were implemented for elderly patients, from age 60, at primary healthcare centres, he said.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_594652.html

Buffalo Slur a Sore Point

JAKARTA - INDONESIAN police have warned protesters not to bring animals into Jakarta as they brace for demonstrations on the first anniversary of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's new government on Wednesday. In an unusual move, police reminded the public that animals had been banned from demonstrations in Jakarta after a protester last year led a buffalo painted with Dr Yudhoyono's initials through the streets of the city. Dr Yudhoyono spoke publicly of being hurt by the suggestion that he was 'big, slow and stupid like a buffalo', and the city government moved quickly to ban similar acts of dissent.

The first Indonesian president to be democratically elected, the ex-general is seen as a weak and indecisive leader who has failed to honour promises to crack down on rampant corruption and improve governance.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592690.html

Myanmar Bars Foreign Media from Covering Election

Foreign journalists will not be allowed into Myanmar to cover the military-ruled country's first election in 20 years, election officials said on Monday, issuing the latest restriction for an election widely criticised as a sham.
The Election Commission said there was no need to grant visas for foreign reporters because there are local reporters in the country who work for foreign media. The commission also reiterated that it was 'not necessary' for foreign observers to monitor the elections.

The ruling military junta has billed the election as a key step toward democracy after five decades of military rule. Critics say that oppressive rules governing campaigning, the repression of the main opposition party and other elements ensure that the army will continue its commanding influence after the polls.
For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592451.html

Southeast Asian Coral Reefs Dying

Coral reefs in South-east Asia and the Indian Ocean are dying from the worst bleaching effect in more than a decade, Australian marine scientists said on Tuesday. The bleaching, triggered by a large pool of warm water which swept into the Indian Ocean in May, has caused corals from Indonesia to the Seychelles to whiten and die, Australia's Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies said. Reefs in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore were also affected by the phenomenon under which sea temperatures rose by several degrees Celsius in Indonesia, researcher Andrew Baird of James Cook University said. He says 'almost certainly a consequence of global warming'.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592538.html

Malaysian Student Tops Cambridge Law

A 23-YEAR-OLD Malaysian has emerged the top student in his final-year law examinations at Cambridge University.
Mr Tan Zhongshan obtained a first-class honours in the Bachelor of Arts (Law) in June this year at Queens' College.
He also received the Slaughter And May prize presented by the university's Law Faculty - an award given to those who achieve the best overall performance in the final-year law examinations. Other coveted prizes he bagged include The Norton Rose Prize For Commercial Law, the Clifford Chance Prize For European Union Law and the Herbert Smith Prize For Conflict Of Laws.
Queens' College dean Dr Martin Dixon said Mr Tan definitely stood out among the students there. 'He is probably the best Malaysian student I have seen in the last 10 years,' said Dr Dixon, adding: 'He is the most able, dedicated and one of the most likeable students I have taught in more than 20 years at Cambridge.'

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592626.html

Megi Destroys Rice and Corn Crops

Crops in the Philippines, officials said on Tuesday, warning the Southeast Asian country could be forced to import more of the foodstuffs. The crops were ready for harvest when Megi, the most powerful typhoon to hit the Philippines in four years, smashed the northern parts of the main island of Luzon on Monday, the officials said.

The Philippines, the world's largest rice importer, may have to buy more from overseas next year if the losses prove great.

For more, check out http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_592513.html

Frenchman Sex Convict Arrested

Cambodian police have arrested a Frenchman convicted of raping a minor in France, who fled his home country six years ago to escape arrest, officials said on Sunday.
Francis Leroun, 54, was detained in custody after his arrest on Saturday in a rented house in southern Cambodia at the request of a French court, according to provincial prosecutor Bou Bun Hang.
Cambodia launched an anti-paedophilia push in 2003 to try to shake off its reputation as a sex predators' haven. Dozens of foreigners have since been jailed for child sex crimes or deported to face trial in their home countries.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_594696.html

MUAY THAI IS HERE!

2010-10-17T14:02:00.002-04:00

SEASA will be holding Muay Thai event this Wednesday, October 20th @ O'Connell House Grand Hall. Come join us and learn this Thai martial art/kickboxing with professionals!! You definitely don't want to miss thiss!!

New Updates for Week of October 10th

2010-10-17T13:43:00.010-04:00

14 Dead in Vietnam Floods

Flooding on the 17th October has killed at least 14 people and forced a total of 78,000 people to be evacuated from their homes. Nghe An province where most deaths occured (8) up to 31 inches (800 millimeters) of rain fell. In the Ha Tinh province, more than 84,000 houses and thousands of hectares (acres) of crops have been inundated by floods, while over 68,000 people have been evacuated, the report by local authorities said. About 5,000 tonnes or rice are needed for local people together with medicines and clean water.

For more, look up
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_591896.html

Top Indonesian Judge "Backs Death Penalty"

Constitutional Chief Muhammad Mahfud advocates the use of death sentences on people found guilty on charges of corruption. He looks into China's use of capital punishment, and claims that the Chinese "people are satisfied" with it. Mahfud claims further that in Indonesia those convicted of corruption is only given a jail sentence of three to four years, "lighter than sentences given to petty criminals." He claims this will reduce the number of corruption cases. Transparency International currently ranks Indonesia 111 of 180 countries in a corruption survey.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_591851.html

Thai PM to Face Court

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is facing a five-year ban from politics, and the ruling Democratic Party could be dissolved if he is found guilty of corruption. The party faces accusations that it paid 23 million baht to advertising firms, despite only having permission to spend 19 million on billboard marketing from the Election Commission. This can further damage Thailand's currently fragile political landscape.

The Democrats, Thailand's oldest party, came to power two years ago after controversial court decisions ousted allies of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was dislodged in a 2006 military coup.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_591818.html

BRIC-Beating Nation Soars 313% in 18 Months

"Emerging Market Investing -- Consider These Statistics: See if you can guess which emerging market investment I'm talking about. Take a look at these statistics.

1. It's a member of the global economic leaders club -- better known as the G-20.
2. With 240 million people, it boasts the world's fourth-largest population.
3. Its land mass is three times the size of Texas.
4. Its 10-year government bond interest rate is less than Spain's.
5. And, most importantly, it was the best-performing stock market in 2009 and continues to chug forward in 2010.

The answer is: Indonesia."

While most publicity is about the 4 BRIC nations Brazil, Russia, India and China, Indonesia is quietly going strong. Indonesia withstood the 2008-9 economic downturn with constant GDP level of 4%, and in 2010 is projected to top 6%. That puts Indonesia in the same league as Brazil and China.
The reason for this is consumption kicked 5% higher during the second quarter, while investments jumped by 8%. The country has attracted billions of dollars in foreign capital into stocks and bonds, especially with the news of good economic performance. Regarding the stock market condition, having hit rock bottom in March 2009, the Market Vectors Indonesia Index ETF(IDX_) has catapulted 313% higher. The Indonesian Rupiah has also strengthened by 24% against the U.S. dollar.

Korea and Japan are establishing many trading ties with Indonesia. For instance with Japan, Indonesia imports a lot of Japanese technology, but exports a lot of coal, resulting in healthy import-export balance. Korea is going to invest in energy in Indonesia.

For more, http://www.thestreet.com/story/10875353/bric-beating-nation-soars-313-in-18-months.html

Singaporean Tycoon lost S$100 Million in the Casino

A Singaporean businessman who is on the Forbes Top 40 Richest list of Singpore lost S$100 million in the two casinos of Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands. Players and industry insiders say it is not uncommon to see wagers of $300,000 or more a hand. Also, Mr Henry Quek, managing director of Far Ocean Sea Products, who lost $26 million at RWS in three days in June. Another tycoon, from Malaysia, is said to have lost $50 million here.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_590081.html

Qatar Captain Dies on Flight

The captain of Qatar Airways departing from Manila, Philippines for Qatar passed away while the plane was in the air. The flight was diverted to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The airline declines to elaborate on the name of the pilot and the cause for death.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_590257.html

Indomie Noodles Safe

Singapore's Agri-food and Veterinary Authority has declared the Indomie safe after Taiwan's reports of Parahydroxy Benzoates in Indomie. Para-hyroxy Benzoates is a chemical preservative that is not allowed in instantnoodles under Singapore's food regulations. Indomie is produced by Indofood Sukses Makmur, the largest instant noodle manufacturing company in the world.

For more, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_590153.html

Cambodia's Opposition Leader Loses Jail-Term Appeal

Cambodia's fugitive opposition leader on Wednesday lost an appeal against a two-year jail term imposed in absentia for uprooting border markings. The appeals court in the capital Phnom Penh upheld Sam Rainsy's January conviction for inciting racial discrimination and intentionally damaging wooden posts denoting Cambodia's boundary with Vietnam.

Suu Kyi: I won't vote in coming Myanmar election

Since National League for Democracy (NLD) is not participating in the election, Suu Kyi refuses to vote. This is Myanmar's first election in two decades. The party had refused to register for the November 7th election under the country's new constitution, which automatically made the NLD illegal.

The country, also is known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962. Critics say the coming election aims to create a facade of democracy. Suu Kyi's party won a landslide election victory in 1990, but the military junta rejected the results. Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. She has spent most of the past 20 years under house arrest. An estimated 2,000 political prisoners remain behind bars in Myanmar.

For more, http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/14/myanmar.suu.kyi.vote/index.html

3 soldiers killed in clash with NPA in Davao City

2010-04-11T21:25:00.001-04:00

GMANews.TV - Monday, April 12

Three soldiers were killed in an encounter with communist rebels in Davao City on Sunday, a military spokesman said.

The soldiers, whose identities were withheld pending notification of their relatives, were earlier wounded in the clash but later died, according to Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Eastern Mindanao Command.

Cabangbang said the troops were on security patrol when they caught up with a team of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels under Leoncio Pitao alias Kumander Parago in Lumiad village at about 7:10 a.m.

The military dispatched MG-520 attack helicopters to provide close air support during the encounter, but the rebels were able to flee toward the hilly portion of the village.

It was the third setback suffered by the military in two months from the hands of NPA rebels, which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants crushed before her term ends on June 30, 2010.

Last month, an NPA attack in Oriental Mindoro left 11 soldiers dead. An Army investigation discovered that there was a lapse on the part of the operating troops. Six soldiers, including two officers, were sanctioned for it.

Also last month, NPA rebels attacked and burned detachment in North Cotabato, killing a militiaman and carting away dozens of firearms. - KBK, GMANews.TV

ASEAN summit tackles Myanmar polls

2010-04-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

by Sarah Stewart Sarah Stewart – Fri Apr 9, 6:42 am ET

HANOI (AFP) – Southeast Asian leaders on Friday pressed troublesome member Myanmar to ensure its elections this year are fair and inclusive, at a summit focused on binding together the sprawling region.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Vietnam's capital Hanoi has been overshadowed by the Myanmar issue, as well as political drama in Thailand which forced its premier to stay at home.

"The main message that's coming out from the summit is the importance of the elections that are coming up in 2010, and not any type of elections," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa

"But instead an election that is free, that is fair, that is democratic, that is credible. These are qualities that Myanmar itself has said they want to fulfil. So I think the clarion call... is the importance for Myanmar to live up to the commitments."

The United States has led international condemnation of laws Myanmar has enacted for the ballot, the first in the military-run country in two decades, which effectively bar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from participating.

ASEAN members are divided on how to handle Myanmar, which has always escaped formal censure from the 10-nation group as it adheres to a principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

But as Myanmar's poor record -- including allegations of massive human rights abuses as well as a failure to shift to democracy -- again threatens to discredit the region, its neighbours reminded it of its obligations.

"The elections should be fair, democratic, with the participation of all parties," the summit's host, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, said in unusually candid terms at a closing news conference.

"This will help... stabilise the country and focus resources on development," he said, adding that he had "forwarded ASEAN's message" to the ruling generals during his visit to Myanmar last week.

The main order of business for the two-day summit was efforts to propel ASEAN towards a 2015 goal to establish a community of nations encompassing 600 million people with economic, security and social ties.

"While important progress has been made... much remains to be done," Dung said as he opened the talks.

Although the meeting's slogan is "from vision to action", analysts say ASEAN is hampered by wide development gaps within the region, entrenched domestic interests and the shortcomings and instability of some members.

Its diverse membership ranges from Laos, one of Asia's poorest nations, to the Westernised city-state of Singapore, the absolute monarchy of Brunei and the vibrant democracy of Indonesia.

The group this week took another step towards tackling long-neglected human rights concerns with the inauguration of a commission to address the rights of women and children.

Ministers also fleshed out their vision of a rules-based regional community by signing a protocol to help member nations resolve conflicts.

In a joint statement, the leaders called on regional governments to prepare to wind down economic stimulus measures brought in during the global financial crisis.

They also said they want vital road, sea and air links completed more quickly to complement efforts to integrate regional economies.

And in a separate document, the leaders called for a legally binding global pact on climate change and urged richer nations to provide them with "scaled-up" financial help to combat its effects.

ASEAN also discussed expanding relations with Russia and the United States. The 43-year-old bloc is trying to ensure it is not pushed aside by proposals for new regional groupings.

"It's very important that we stay in the driver's seat," Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said.

The group invited US President Barack Obama to attend its next summit in Vietnam later this year, to deepen ties with the region on which he has placed a renewed focus.

Indonesia said it would chair ASEAN in 2011, swapping with Brunei as the venue of the group's summits and meetings, because of a scheduling clash with its APEC host duties in 2013.

Thai "red shirts" defiant after 21 die in clashes

2010-04-11T21:23:00.001-04:00

By Ambika Ahuja Ambika Ahuja – Sun Apr 11, 11:49 am ET

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai "red shirt" protesters ruled out negotiations with the government on Sunday and said they would not give up their fight for early elections a day after clashes with security forces killed 21 people.

Bangkok was quiet, but with no resolution in sight and the prospect of more violence, the stock market, one of Asia's most buoyant, is likely to be hit when trading starts on Monday.

"The time for negotiation is up. We don't negotiate with murderers," red shirt leader Weng Tojirakarn said.

The red shirts, mostly rural and working-class supporters of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a coup in 2006, want Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament and leave the country, the scene of 18 coups since 1932.

Saturday's fighting, the worst political violence in the country since 1992 with some of it taking place in well-known tourist areas, ended after security forces pulled back late in the night.

The red shirts, still numbering in the thousands, have occupied two main areas of the capital, a city of 15 million that has been under a state of emergency since Wednesday. They made no attempt to come out of their bases on Sunday and troops did not make any move toward them.

Thaksin, writing on his Twitter account (http://twitter.com/Thaksinlive), accused the government of "bringing troops from all over the country" to crush the protests.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thausuban vowed to return order to the streets, although he conceded that troops would not be able to take control immediately after the damage suffered in Saturday's clashes.

"The government will continue the operation to take back the roads from the protesters because their occupation is unlawful," Suthep told reporters on Sunday.

Thai political historian Charnvit Kasertsiri said the lack of an outright winner in Saturday's clashes meant the chance of more fighting was high.

"The public didn't take it lying down and were responding in kind," he said. "When the government is no longer the only user of force, then it spirals into anarchy."

"TOURISM TO BE HIT"

Foreign investors have been plowing money into Thai stocks this year, boosting the market by 7.5 percent, but the outbreak of violence since the middle of last week caused them to pause. The stock market is open on Monday but closed from Tuesday to Thursday for the Thai New Year.

"Tourism will be the very first sector to be hit and the Thai stock market should react negatively on Monday. The heavy foreign buying we have seen in the past month will hold back until the political situation is clearer," said Kasem Prunratanamala, head of research at CIMB Securities (Thailand).

There was tension outside Bangkok as well.

Thai media said around 500 red shirts again forced their way into the grounds of a Thaicom satellite earth station north of Bangkok, a flashpoint on Friday when the authorities blocked an opposition TV station.

Other reports said an M79 grenade was fired at the headquarters of the army-owned Channel 5 TV station in the northern province of Phayao early on Sunday.

On Saturday, hundreds of protesters forced their way into government offices in two northern cities, raising the risk of a wider uprising against the 16-month-old, army-backed government.

"There is no precedent for something so massive, prolonged and disruptive on the part of the underclasses," said Federico Ferrara, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore.

THAKSIN ALLIES

The protesters say Abhisit lacks a popular mandate after coming to power in a 2008 parliamentary vote following a court ruling that dissolved a pro-Thaksin ruling party. Thaksin's allies would be well-placed to win fresh elections.

Thaksin, who was elected twice but has been in self-imposed exile since 2008 when he was sentenced to jail for graft, was despised by many of the Bangkok elite but remains popular with the poor for policies like cheap health care and microcredit grants to villages.

More than 870 people were wounded on Saturday as troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of demonstrators, who fought back with guns, grenades and petrol bombs near the Phan Fah bridge and Rajdumnoen Road in Bangkok's old quarter, one of the two bases for the month-old protest.

Four soldiers were among those killed.

Abhisit expressed regret to the families of the victims and said the army was only allowed to use live bullets when "firing into the air and in self-defense."

Among those killed was Reuters TV cameraman Hiro Muramoto, a 43-year-old Japanese national. Japan's Foreign Ministry urged the Thai government to investigate Muramoto's death.

(Additional reporting by Damir Sagolj, Warapan Worasart, Viparat Jantraprap and Jason Szep in Bangkok, Kevin Krolicki in Tokyo; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by David Chance and Michael Roddy)

Malaysia detains 93 Rohingya men at sea for month

2010-03-21T17:57:00.001-04:00

AP - Saturday, March 13

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysian authorities have picked up 93 Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar who said they spent 30 days at sea in a crowded wooden boat, an official said Friday.

The Rohingya men, an ethnic group not recognized by Myanmar's military regime, had apparently been chased out of Thai waters before they were detained Wednesday off Malaysia's northern resort island of Langkawi, said Zainuddin Mohamad Suki, an officer with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

The Thais denied they chased the boat away.

A fishing boat had earlier reported to the agency that the men were asking for food and water from passing vessels after their open boat experienced engine failure, he said.

Initial investigations showed they had been at sea for 30 days after fleeing their homeland, he said.

"Some of the men said they were chased out of Thai waters earlier before they made their way to Langkawi. They said they were sailing aimlessly in the hope of finding a country that will accept them," Zainuddin told The Associated Press.

Vimon Kidchob, spokeswoman for the Thai Foreign Ministry, however, said troops gave the men food and water, suggesting the men left Thai waters of their own accord.

"The Rohingyas were not chased out of the Thai waters. Thai troops on the Andaman Coast found a group of non-Thai people in boats, so they gave the people food and water and let them continue their journey," she said.

Thailand has acknowledged in the past towing away boats of Rohingyas, hoping they will land in other countries.

The Muslim Rohingyas number about 800,000 in Myanmar where they are denied full citizenship and face widespread abuses including forced labor, land seizures and rape, rights groups say.

Hundreds of thousands have fled to Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Middle East, and rights groups have expressed concern they will be tortured or killed if forced to return to Myanmar.

Zainuddin said some of the men detained suffered minor injuries and have been given medical treatment.

All 93 have been handed over to the immigration department in northern Kedah state and are likely to be sent to a detention center, he added.

Kedah immigration officers could not be immediately reached for comment.

Malaysia has the biggest number of Rohingya refugees in the region, more than 14,000, many of whom have stayed for years in the country, working illegally in plantations or factories, officials said.

Thai activists reject peace talks offer

2010-03-21T17:56:00.000-04:00

Reuters - Monday, March 22

By Boontiwa Wichakul

BANGKOK - Opposition activists in Thailand rejected a government offer for dialogue on Sunday after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ruled out dissolving parliament and assigned a junior minister to attend the talks.

Red-shirted supporters of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who rallied for an eighth day on Sunday, insisted they had not closed the door but would talk only with Abhisit and on the condition that house dissolution was on the agenda.

Abhisit earlier said Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat would represent the government at Monday's talks, which irked the opposition, who have vowed to protest in Bangkok for at least two more weeks, with reinforcements coming in from the provinces.

"We will talk with the prime minister only," one of the protest leaders, Jatuporn Prompan told reporters. "No one will meet with Chinnaworn."

The protests have so far been peaceful, which helped lift Thai stocks to a 20-month high last week, with foreigners continuing to pour money into the bourse, attracted by some of the cheapest valuations and best dividend yields in Asia.

About 30,000 "red shirts" remained at their encampment in Bangkok's historic heart, a day after at least twice that number fanned out across the city on motorcycles and pickup trucks to drum up support for their campaign.

Abhisit has refused to bow to pressure to dissolve parliament, insisting the country is too divided to face an election. Analysts said the talks would be futile because neither side had anything to bring to the table. Abhisit said the government was willing to listen to the "red shirts'" grievances but immediate house dissolution was not an option.

"Everyone from the coalition parties agree that the government will not dissolve the house," Abhisit said in a televised news conference.

"We should not go into too much detail, but we will probably discuss broad principles such as the right timing for house dissolution, and how," he said in an earlier address.

But analysts said the stakes were too high for both sides and talks were unlikely to produce any compromise.

"There's nothing to talk about," said Somjai Phagaphasvivat, a political scientist at Bangkok's Thammasat University.

"The minimum the 'red shirts' will accept is house dissolution and the government will not yield to that. The root cause of the problem will not be addressed and talks will just pave the way for more protests and upheaval in future."

GOVT SEEN UNLIKELY TO FALL

Investors and most analysts believe Abhisit's government is unlikely to fall as it has the backing of the military and wealthy establishment elites, accused by the "red shirts" of meddling in politics and undermining democracy.

Somjai said the premier's likely tactic was to wait for the protesters, many of whom are from rural areas, to become tired, frustrated and disheartened, and run out of steam.

"Abhisit is holding all the cards," he added. "He knows this can't go on for months."

The lack of violence and stability of a government that has put Southeast Asia's second largest economy on course for recovery has reduced short-term risk concerns. But investors remain hesitant about long-term expansion in a country beset by deep social rifts.

Much of the divisiveness centres on Thaksin, the assumed leader and financier of the movement, who is loved by Thais as much as he is loathed.

Overthrown in a 2006 coup and sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for graft, the twice-elected Thaksin is fighting to return from self-imposed exile and wrestle back de facto political power through his allies in the opposition party.

Security was stepped up late on Saturday after two attacks on what the authorities said were symbolic targets. It was not known who was behind the attacks and protesters denied responsibility.

A grenade exploded in the compound of the Defence Ministry, close to the protest site, slightly wounding two people, while an explosive device was hurled at the headquarters of the National Anti-Corruption Commission in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok.

Protest leaders were planning to raise the intensity of their rally on Monday and Tuesday. They might seek to make Abhisit's job impossible by following him and blocking his every move.

The premier is avoiding his office, parliament and his home for security reasons and has based himself at a heavily fortified military compound, travelling around the city by helicopter.

Cambodia: Ban on Marriages to South Korean Men

2010-03-21T17:55:00.000-04:00

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 19, 2010

Cambodia has temporarily barred its citizens from marrying South Korean men, after two dozen women were sold into marriage by matchmakers, an official said Friday. Koy Kuong, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the ban would remain in place while the government worked to ensure that South Korean men hoping to marry Cambodian women were able to first prove that they were single and did not have a prison record. “We want to make sure that their marriages are real marriages, not fake, and not involved with human trafficking,” Mr. Koy Kuong said. It was the second time the government had imposed such a ban.

American released from Myanmar returns to US soil

2010-03-21T17:54:00.001-04:00

By BRETT ZONGKER, Associated Press Writer Brett Zongker, Associated Press Writer – Fri Mar 19, 6:48 pm ET

CHANTILLY, Va. – A pro-democracy activist jailed for months in Myanmar after trying to visit his sick mother in prison arrived home in the United States on Friday, capping weeks of discussions between the ruling military junta and the U.S. State Department.

Nyi Nyi Aung (nee nee ong) was reunited with his fiance at Washington Dulles International Airport. He gave Wa Wa Kyaw (wah wah chaw) a long hug and said he was thankful to be home.

Still, the homecoming was bittersweet, he said.

"My freedom is not really the point. We want to try to reach freedom for Burma," Nyi Nyi Aung said, using the other name for Myanmar. "My family and friends all stay in prison, so I feel not really happy."

The 40-year-old has worked full-time in recent years from his Maryland home, funded by grants, to promote democracy in Myanmar. A political refugee, he became a U.S. citizen in 2002 after seeking asylum but has traveled back to his homeland many times without incident.

This time Nyi Nyi Aung, also known as Kyaw Zaw Lwin (chaw zow loo-ehn), was arrested in Yangon's international airport upon arrival Sept. 3, accused of plotting to stir political unrest.

Authorities took him to an interrogation center where he said he was beaten and denied food and water for a week. The Washington-based advocacy group Freedom Now said he was held in solitary confinement and later placed in a military dog kennel with no light, bathroom or bed.

Nyi Nyi Aung was convicted in February of forging a national identity card, possessing undeclared foreign currency and failing to renounce his Myanmar citizenship when becoming an American citizen. He denied the charges.

Conditions improved somewhat when Nyi Nyi Aung was sent to prison, he said.

"The prison was physically fine, but mentally, they torture you," he said.

He had lost 20 pounds by the time he returned home, said his fiance Wa Wa Kyaw.

"He looks tired, exhausted," she said. "He's very strong in spirit."

The couple lives in Montgomery Village, Md., and Nyi Nyi Aung last returned to Myanmar in 2008. Last year, he desperately wanted to return, knowing the health of his mother, who has cancer, is failing.

"He was having nightmares about his mother," said Wa Wa Kyaw.

He was the only known U.S. political prisoner in Myanmar, though at least 2,100 other political dissidents are detained there, according to the group Freedom Now.

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper, a mouthpiece for the junta, said the government pardoned and deported Nyi Nyi Aung after giving "special consideration to bilateral friendship" after the U.S. State Department requested his release.

A U.S. consular official escorted him out of Myanmar, and the State Department in Washington welcomed Nyi Nyi Aung's return Friday.

"His release is not something that happened just because the Burmese decided to be nice," said State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid. "It happened because U.S. officials over several weeks made a determined effort to engage Burmese contacts that they have developed over the past year to make it clear how important his release is to the United States.

"That quiet diplomacy has paid off with his arrival here today."

Ties between the two countries are strained.

The United States recently modified its strict policy of isolating the junta with hopes that increased engagement would encourage change. But the Obama administration has said it will not lift sanctions on Myanmar unless it sees concrete progress toward democratic reform. Most notably, U.S. officials seek the release of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and freedom for her party to participate in elections expected later this year.

As a teenager in Myanmar, Nyi Nyi Aung helped organize students during the country's 1988 pro-democracy uprising, which was violently suppressed by the military, and later fled to the United States.

Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen said in a statement that the imprisonment was an affront to the rule of law.

"While I am pleased Nyi Nyi Aung has been set free, we must continue to press for the release of all political prisoners held by the Burmese junta," Van Hollen said.

___

Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Southeast Asian Leaders Agree to Form Free-Trade Zone by 2015

2010-01-24T11:10:00.002-05:00

By CARLOS H. CONDE
Published: January 14, 2007

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations made progress toward its goal of economic and political integration at a summit meeting here on Saturday, but it was sidetracked by tensions over how to deal with Myanmar, which has come under fire for its poor human rights record.

Leaders of the 10 members of the organization, known as Asean, agreed to establish a free-trade zone by 2015, intensify their fight against terrorism, protect the region's migrant workers and improve their campaign against H.I.V./AIDS. They also agreed to draft a new charter with broad enforcement powers -- a break from the 40-year-old group's tradition of consensus and noninterference.

''We want to advance the sense of community in our shared interest to look after each other in terms of justice, economic development and common security,'' President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines said during her speech at the opening of the meeting.

Mrs. Arroyo emphasized Asean's drive to expand trade, ''to create one of the world's greatest trading blocs.''

But the group failed to find common ground on Myanmar, formerly Burma. On Friday, China and Russia vetoed a United States resolution in the United Nations Security Council that criticized Myanmar's persecution of opposition groups.

''How are we going to help you if you are not making progress?'' Indonesia's president, Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono, told Myanmar's officials late Friday, according to Reuters.

Nitya Pibulsonggram, Thailand's foreign minister, told reporters on Saturday that Asean should redouble its efforts ''to see what we can do to help one another,'' to give the Myanmar issue what he called ''a regional focus'' rather than ''have it internationalized.''

Asean's new charter, which will be drafted this year, is expected to include mechanisms to monitor and enforce agreements among members, along the lines of the European Union's charter.

Two years ago, Asean formed a body called the Eminent Persons Group to create guidelines for the new charter. On Friday, it released a list of 28 recommendations, including the ''strengthening of democratic values, good governance, rejection of unconstitutional and undemocratic changes of government, respect of the rule of law, including international humanitarian law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.''

In a sense, the charter is a bid to remain relevant as the economic power of China and India grows, something the group itself acknowledged. ''While the Asean charter will bring about a long overdue legal framework, Asean must reposition itself,'' it said in a statement. ''It must address the growing challenges and opportunities of regional integration, the major shifts in the Asian landscape brought about by the rise of China and India, and Asia's widening links with the rest of the world.'' China and India are not members of Asean.

Asean leaders also signed a counterterrorism agreement that, among other things, makes it obligatory for each member country to share information about terrorist suspects and possibly allow their extradition. The accord called on members to disrupt terrorist financing and to train counterterrorism forces.

Southeast Asia is home to some of the world's deadliest terrorist groups, among them Jemaah Islamiyah, which has links to Al Qaeda, and Abu Sayyaf, a group in the southern Philippines.

Asean's members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE3D61330F937A25752C0A9619C8B63

Thailand deports thousands of Hmong to Laos

2010-01-24T11:02:00.003-05:00

Thailand has removed about 4,000 ethnic Hmong from a northern refugee camp to deport them back to communist-ruled Laos, despite international criticism.

No violence was used as all of the Hmong were moved out of the camp in Phetchabun province, officials said.

Thailand describes them as economic migrants. The Hmong say they face persecution in Laos because they backed US forces during the Vietnam war.

The United Nations urged Thailand to stop the deportations.

Col Thana Charuvat, who is co-ordinating the repatriation, said about 5,000 soldiers, officials and civilian volunteers had entered the camp in Huay Nam Khao village late on Monday morning.

By late afternoon, the last of the Hmong had been driven from the camp in army trucks to buses that were waiting to take them to the border with Laos.

"There was no resistance from the repatriated Hmong because we used psychological tactics to talk with them, to assure them that they will have a better life in Laos as the Lao government has confirmed," Col Thana said.

Possible threats

No journalists were allowed into the camp during the operation, which went ahead despite calls from the UN, the US and several European nations to halt the deportations.

"We also urge the Lao People's Democratic Republic to treat humanely any Lao Hmong who are involuntarily returned, to provide access for international monitors, and facilitate resettlement opportunities for any eligible returnee," said the US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly.
Map

He noted that both the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Royal Thai Government have deemed many of the Hmong in need of protection because of the threats they might face in Laos.

Thai government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn told the BBC that officials had concerns for about 100 of those being deported.

But Thailand had been assured that those people would be pardoned on their return to Laos, he added.

Hundreds of thousands of Hmong fled Laos after the communist Pathet Movement took power in 1975.

Many have settled in the United States, Australia and other countries, but a sizeable population remains in Laos and complains of persecution from the authorities.

Some Hmong have been fighting a low-level insurgency against the government since 1975.

Khmer and Thai troops clash at border near temple

2010-01-24T11:00:00.002-05:00

Phnom Penh - Cambodian and Thai soldiers exchanged fire early Sunday 20 kilometres from a disputed ancient temple site on Cambodia's northern border, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

General Chhum Socheat told the German Press Agency dpa that the clash occurred on the morning that Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong was visiting the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple.

Chhum Socheat said Thai soldiers had crossed 200 metres into Cambodian territory near an abandoned village 20 kilometres from the temple when they encountered Cambodian soldiers.

"When they saw our soldiers they shot at them, and after (our soldiers) shot back there was no more fighting," he said, adding that the Thai troops subsequently withdrew.

Chhum Socheat said none of the Cambodian soldiers were injured or killed, but he had no information on whether Thai troops had suffered casualties.

He said he did not expect further fighting since senior officers on both sides had since spoken with each other.

"Now it's quiet, they solved the problem by telephone," he said.

Late Sunday the Foreign Ministry said Hor Namhong was unaware during his visit that the clash had taken place, and had since returned to Phnom Penh.

The relationship between the two nations has been tense for more than a year with sporadic clashes between troops near the disputed area surrounding the temple. Much of the border between the two countries has yet to be demarcated.

Diplomatic relations worsened markedly in October when Cambodia appointed Thailand's fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra as a government adviser.

Philippines General Election Coming Up

2010-01-24T10:56:00.002-05:00

Presidential elections, legislative elections and local elections in the Philippines are scheduled to be held on May 10, 2010. The elected president will become the 15th President of the Philippines, succeeding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is barred from seeking re-election due to term restrictions. If current Vice-President Noli de Castro should not retake office, his successor will be the 15th Vice President of the Philippines. The legislators elected in the 2010 elections will join the senators of the 2007 elections and will comprise the 15th Congress of the Philippines.

The 2010 election will be administered by the Commission on Elections in compliance with the Republic Act No. 9369, also known as Amended Computerization Act of 2007. It will be the first national computerized election in the history of the Philippines.

Local elections are also to be held in all provinces, cities and municipalities.

http://english.sina.com/world/2009/1124/288129.html

SEA Games Starts on the 9th

2009-11-28T21:30:00.002-05:00

History of SEA Games

The Southeast Asian Games owes its origins to the Southeast Asian
Peninsular Games or SEAP Games. On May 22, 1958, delegates from the
countries in Southeast Asian peninsula attending the 3rd Asian Games in Tokyo,
Japan had a meeting and agreed to establish a sport organization. The SEAP Games
was conceptualized by Laung Sukhumnaipradit, then Vice-President of the Thailand
Olympic Committee. The proposed rationale was that a regional sports event will
help promote cooperation, understanding and relations among countries in the
Southeast Asian region.

Thailand, Burma (now Myanmar), Malaya (now Malaysia), Laos, South
Vietnam and Cambodia (with Singapore included thereafter) were the founding
members. These countries agreed to hold the Games biannually. The SEAP Games
Federation Committee was formed.

The first SEAP Games were held in Bangkok from 12-17 December, 1959
comprising more than 527 athletes and officials from Thailand, Burma, Malaysia,
Singapore, South Vietnam and Laos participating in 12 sports.

At the 8th SEAP Games in 1975, the SEAP Federation considered the
inclusion of Indonesia and the Philippines. The two countries were formally
admitted in 1977, the same year when SEAP Federation changed their name to
Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), and the games were known as the
Southeast Asian Games. Brunei was admitted at the 10th SEA Games in Jakarta,
Indonesia, and East Timor at the 22nd SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The 23rd SEA Games held in the Philippines, which started from 27
November and ended on 5 December 2005, hosting the biennial event for the third
time

East Timor aid "where did billions go?"

2009-11-28T21:24:00.000-05:00

By ANTHONY DEUTSCH
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
September 27, 2009 12:00 AM
Dartmouth judge evaluating justice system

Massachusetts Appeals Court Chief Justice Phillip Rapoza of Dartmouth was appointed by the United Nations to lead an international team of experts to evaluate East Timor's justice system over the summer.

Rapoza was in the country last week because the team was presenting its report to U.N., international and national officials, said Joan Kenney, spokeswoman for the state courts.

From 2003 to 2005, Rapoza, then an associate justice of the Appeals Court, took an unpaid leave of absence to work for the U.N. as chief international judge of the Special Panels for Serious Crimes in East Timor, according to his biography on the state's Web site.
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DILI, East Timor — A decade after tiny East Timor broke from Indonesia and prompted one of the most expensive U.N.-led nation-building projects in history, there is little to show for the billions spent.

The world has given more than $8.8 billion in assistance to East Timor since the vote for independence in 1999, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press from the U.N. and 46 donor countries and agencies. That works out to $8,000 for each of East Timor's 1.1 million people, one of the highest per person rates of international aid.

But little of the money, perhaps no more than a dollar of every 10, appears to have made it into East Timor's economy. Instead, it goes toward foreign security forces, consultants and administration, among other things.

In the meantime, data from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Food Program, U.N. Development Program and others show the money has done little to help the poor. In fact, poverty has increased. Roads are in disrepair, there is little access to clean water or health services, and the capital is littered with abandoned, burned-out buildings where the homeless squat.

"The international intervention has preserved the peace, which was always its primary objective," said James Dobbins, director of the RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center. "Its success in promoting political reform and economic development has been more limited."

East Timor was once seen as the poster child for U.N. nation-building.

After a bloody 24-year occupation by Indonesia that left 174,000 dead, the people of this predominantly Catholic former Portuguese colony voted overwhelmingly in a U.N.-managed referendum on Aug. 30, 1999, to separate. The vote triggered a rampage by Indonesian soldiers and proxy militias who killed more than 1,000 people and destroyed much of the infrastructure.

A provisional U.N. administration restored basic services, repaired buildings and resettled hundreds of thousands of people who had lost their homes. With greater powers than any previous mission, the U.N. was supposed to help create the pillars of a new country, virtually from scratch.

The vastness and complexity of the job became apparent in early 2006, just as the U.N. was pulling out its last staff members. Fighting broke out between rival police and army factions, killing dozens and toppling the government. Then, last February, President Jose Ramos-Horta was nearly killed by rebel gunmen in an ambush.

Timor still faces grave challenges:

* Between 2001 and 2007, the number of Timorese living in poverty jumped nearly 14 percent to about 522,000, or roughly half the population, according to the World Bank.
* Children make up half of the poor, and 60 percent of those under 5 suffer malnutrition, the World Bank and World Food Program found.
* The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation concluded in a 2007 report that very little aid was channeled into "productive activities, including private sector development."
* The unemployment rate for 15- to 29-year-olds in the capital, who make up the vast majority of the national work force, was more than 40 percent in 2007, according to the IMF and the state.

Atul Khare, who has headed the U.N. operation in East Timor since mid-2006, dismissed the World Bank and IMF figures as "absolutely incorrect" and not representative. He said the country has made "considerable progress" since 1999, and the U.N. East Timor mission has been effective and successful.

"All these figures are a cause of concern, but they are extrapolations, they are not the real figures, and I would not rely on those figures for making assessments," he said. "In the last 10 years, with their own efforts ... assisted by the international community, this country has largely, yes, been a success."

"Were you here in 1999? If you were not here, you cannot gauge."

Khare cited increased fertility rates, among the highest in the world, new buildings and fewer potholes in Dili as positive signs. He said accurate numbers will emerge after 2010, when the next national census is held.

But groups that study East Timor have concluded that a mere fraction of aid money is trickling into the economy — just 10 percent of about $5.2 billion, estimates La'o Hamutuk, a respected Dili-based research institute. Its figure excludes more than $3 billion in military spending by Australia and New Zealand.

The rest went to international salaries, overseas procurement, imported supplies, foreign consultants and overseas administration, the institute said. About 20 percent of pledged aid was never delivered, it said.

Another group, the Peace Dividend Trust, concluded that as little as 5 percent of the U.N. mission budget trickled into East Timor's economy between 2004 and 2007.

The U.N. spent $2.2 billion on missions in East Timor between 1999 and 2009. Roughly $3 billion in donor aid — the bulk of it from Australia, Japan, the European Union, the U.S. and Portugal — was channeled through 500 nonprofit groups and institutions like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

The World Bank has expressed concern that too much is being spent on consultants, but could not provide a comprehensive figure. High-level Timorese government officials told the AP that millions of dollars have been wasted on projects that overlapped or were not completed, donor rivalry, mismanagement and corruption. They asked not to be named for fear of a backlash from donors.

President Ramos-Horta, a Nobel peace laureate, said the world needs to rethink its aid model.

"Where has this money been invested? That is the question the donor community needs to ask itself," he said. "If that money were to have been spent mostly in Timor, it would have transformed this country, economically and socially."

Much of the money has gone toward security, for which the impact is difficult to measure. An AP tally shows that $3.6 billion was spent in the past 10 years on troops from Australia and New Zealand, who make up the bulk of a foreign intervention force.

Timor's leaders and most experts agree that without outside help East Timor would have been at risk of becoming a failed state. Thousands of foreign soldiers, U.N. police officers and staff remain across the country, but will start departing early next year.

Today, East Timor's streets are calm. The economy is starting to grow under a new government that took over in 2007 after peaceful elections and is tapping into a $5 billion petroleum fund from oil and gas fields. The fund will be exhausted by 2023, and analysts say if the non-oil economy is not stable by then, people will starve.

Under the current government, compensation has also been paid to a third of the armed forces who deserted in 2006. Pension payments have also started for the generation of guerrilla fighters who battled Indonesian troops in the mountains for more than two decades.

In the meantime, the people are still waiting for help.

Domingos Pereira, a 40-year-old street vendor, lost his father, siblings and other family members in the fight for independence, and his house was destroyed in riots in 2006. He now supports his wife and six children by selling sodas, cigarettes and candy.

"My expectation was that when East Timor became an independent country, small people like me would see an improvement in our lives," he said. "But after 10 years of our independence, I don't have it yet."

Duarte Beremau sleeps in a two-room, dirt-floor shack with eight family members, including four unemployed adult children. The shelter is cobbled together from rusting sheet metal and has no water, electricity or sanitation.

Beremau, who is illiterate and doesn't know his age, earns $10 a week from a coffee factory, part of which he bets on a Sunday afternoon cockfight in the dusty back streets of the capital, Dili.

"Nothing has changed my suffering," he said. "My life is still like it was."
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090927/NEWS/909270316/-1/rss01

Jakarta-KL controversy

2009-11-28T21:22:00.002-05:00

By Lynn Lee, Indonesia Correspondent
JAKARTA - A BROUHAHA in Indonesia over Malaysia's usage of the Balinese pendet dance in a tourism commercial has now shifted to another controversy involving the Malaysian national anthem.

Indonesians see Malaysia as appropriating their cultural assets, while Malaysians say these have been part of their culture for as long as anyone can remember.
... more
Indonesians were up in arms after seeing the commercial on Malaysia that featured the pendet dance.

Kuala Lumpur had apologised for the use of the Balinese dance but said the mistake was made by a third party who was paid by Malaysia's Tourism Ministry to produce the commercial.

The Malaysian embassy in Jakarta said in a statement earlier this week: 'Nobody in Malaysia claimed that the pendet dance originated in Malaysia.'

But that is not the end of the story.

A report in yesterday's Jakarta Globe newspaper quoted an executive from a state-owned recording company as asking why Malaysia's national anthem 'Negaraku' (My Country) sounded like the Indonesian song 'Terang Bulan' (Moon Shine).

Mr Ruktiningsih, the head of recording company Lokananta, urged the Indonesian government to act on the 'violation of intellectual property rights'.

'We have to unite against Malaysia, as they keep stealing Indonesia's assets,' he added.

An Internet search found that both songs do indeed share the same roots. Malaysia acknowledges as much on a government website detailing its monarchy system.

The song Terang Bulan comes from a popular French melody in the Seychelles, that spread to the Malay archipelago in the early 20th century.

It was adopted as Perak's state anthem in 1901. And in 1957, it became the national anthem for Malaysia with the lyrics changed.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_423219.html

Philippines Politician 'to b e charged' over Massacre

2009-11-26T10:58:00.002-05:00

Philippine politician 'to be charged' over massacre

A member of a powerful clan suspected of involvement in the killing in the Philippines of 57 people faces multiple murder charges, prosecutors say.

Andal Ampatuan Jr, a local mayor, surrendered to the authorities but denied organising the killings.

Troops and police swooped on towns run by the Ampatuan clan, arresting 20 men suspected of links with the killings.

The massacre happened on Monday, when a convoy of vehicles used by a rival politician was ambushed.

The passengers were taken to a remote hill region, shot at close range and their bodies dumped in shallow graves.

Militia disarmed

Mr Ampatuan Jr - mayor of Datu Unsay town - was taken by helicopter from his hometown in the restive Maguindanao province on Thursday morning to the nearby airport at General Santos City. From there he was flown to the capital Manila for questioning.

"It's not true," Mr Ampatuan Jr said when asked by reporters at General Santos City airport whether he had been involved in the massacre.

Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuno said he would file murder charges against Mr Ampatuan Jr on Friday, Associated Press news agency reported.

The military said the Ampatuan family had voluntarily handed over Mr Ampatuan Jr to officials, including Jesus Dureza, an adviser to the president.
Map

About 20 other suspects, including senior members of the Maguindanao's provincial police force and officers of Ampatuan township's force, are in custody and being investigated.

Police also rounded up and disarmed a 350-member militia force under the control of the Ampatuan clan, on Thursday.

Other members of the militia allegedly involved in the killings had fled and are being hunted in the hills of Maguindanao province.

The Philippines authorities have been coming under increasing pressure to bring the perpetrators of Monday's attack to justice, according to the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey.

The Ampatuan clan have been loyal supporters of the president - but since the killings, Mr Ampatuan Jr, his father and his brother Zalday have been expelled from her party.

President Arroyo, who earlier declared a national day of mourning, has promised that the gunmen would not escape justice.

Clan tensions

Philippine politician Ismael Mangudadatu has claimed it was gunmen loyal to the Ampatuans who ambushed his supporters as they were travelling to register his name for the polls.

Among the dead were Mr Mangudadatu's wife, his two sisters and several key supporters, as well as at least 18 journalists who were travelling with them to witness his registration as an election candidate.

Bodies buried after Philippines massacre

Between 10 and 15 motorists who witnessed the ambush were also among the victims, news agencies said.

The Ampatuans have effectively been in charge of Maguindanao for decades, analysts say.

Andal Ampatuan Sr has served in the Philippines Congress and won the governorship of Maguindanao unopposed for several terms.

His son was reportedly planning a similarly unopposed run to replace his father when Mr Mangudadatu decided to contest the office.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8379990.stm

Malaysian Prince Wins Defamation Suit Against Wife

2009-11-26T10:54:00.002-05:00

Malaysia prince wins defamation suit against wife
AP
By SEAN YOONG,Associated Press Writer - Thursday, November 5

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A Malaysian prince won a defamation suit Thursday against his teenage wife who accused him of sexual and physical abuse after she fled back home to Indonesia.

The High Court ruled in favor of Tengku Fakhry Ismail Petra, a prince in Malaysia's northern Kelantan state, because his wife had no lawyers to represent her, said the prince's lawyer, Mohamad Haaziq Pillay.

The prince had sought 105 million ringgit ($30 million) from Manohara Odelia Pinot and her mother for making false allegations against him, but the court would decide later how much they should pay him, Mohamad Haaziq said. The prince's lawyer said they would look into what legal measures can be taken later to obtain payment from Pinot. However, he stressed that Tengku Fakhry was more concerned about simply clearing his name.

"My client feels vindicated," Mohamad Haaziq told The Associated Press. "They made him look like a monster, they tarnished his reputation internationally, but it has all been lies. This was their opportunity to come back to prove their case against him, but they failed to do so."

Pinot's lawyer in Jakarta could not immediately be reached for comment.

Malaysian lawyers hired by Pinot in the defamation case quit in September, saying she had not cooperated with them, gave them no clear instructions and refused to return to Malaysia for discussions. The High Court then said it would automatically rule in favor of the prince if Pinot failed to appoint new lawyers.

Pinot, a well-known socialite in neighboring Indonesia, married the prince last year after she turned 16. She left him in what she claimed was a dramatic escape from a hotel in May while accompanying the royal family on a trip to Singapore.

She and her mother subsequently told the media that Fakhry, 31, had held her captive and treated her as a sex slave. She also made graphic allegations of physical torture during their marriage.

Tengku Fakhry filed a demand in the Islamic Shariah Court in July calling on Pinot to return to him and fulfill her responsibilities as his wife. The court is expected to hear the case within weeks, and Tengku Fakhry's lawyer indicated he would launch divorce proceedings if Pinot refuses his demand.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20091105/tap-as-malaysia-runaway-royal-b3c65ae.html

Flash Flood in Malasia

2009-11-26T10:53:00.000-05:00

2 dead, 5,000 evacuated in Malaysia flash floods
AP
AP - Monday, November 9

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Heavy rains triggered flash floods that killed two people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes in northern Malaysia, officials said Monday.

The downpours mark the start of an annual monsoon season between November and February that often leads to widespread flooding in low-lying towns and villages in peninsular Malaysia's northern states.

A 9-year-old girl drowned Sunday after she fell into a rain-swollen river while playing with her friends, said Mohammad Abdul Aziz, a flood relief effort coordinator.

Separately, authorities recovered the body of a man who was swept away while swimming in a river, said Ismail Saat, a police officer in northern Kelantan state.

Officials in three separate states said about 5,000 people have taken shelter at schools and community centers since the downpours began late last week.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20091109/tap-as-malaysia-floods-b3c65ae.html

Landslide Killed 13 in Vietnam

2009-11-26T10:50:00.002-05:00

Storm-triggered landslide kills 13 in Vietnam
AFP
AFP - Saturday, November 7

Storm-triggered landslide kills 13 in Vietnam

HANOI (AFP) - – At least 13 people have been killed in a landslide in central Vietnam following storms and flooding that have now left almost 130 people dead, according to officials.

The 13 were killed and another person was seriously injured in the early hours of Friday in the coastal province of Quang Nam, local emergency official Vo Xuan Quang told AFP.

The landslide, triggered by rains that have lashed the country since Tropical Storm Mirinae hit on Monday, dumped thousands of tonnes of earth and mud on a group of gold miners, who were sleeping at the time, Quang said.

The storm and flooding that followed have left another 116 people dead, most of them in the country's easternmost province of Phu Yen.

Mirinae also killed two people in Vietnam's neighbour Cambodia and left 27 people dead in the Philippines, where thousands are still living in evacuation centres after a series of deadly storms this typhoon season.

Obama Urges to Free Suu Kyi

2009-11-26T10:48:00.002-05:00

US President Barack Obama has urged Burma's prime minister to release the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr Obama delivered the message as he met leaders of the Asean grouping of south-east Asian nations in Singapore.

White House press secretary said Mr Obama raised the issue "directly" with General Thein Sein.

Ms Suu Kyi's house arrest was extended in August beyond the elections planned for next year. She has spent 14 years in detention in the past two decades.

Lawyers for Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace prize laureate, have lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court against her extended house arrest.

The Apec summit brings together leaders of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), which includes Burma.

Cautious engagement

Before the closed talks in a hotel room, Mr Obama and the Asean leaders stood in a line on a stage, crossing their arms to shake hands with the leader on either side.

Gen Thein Sein was not close to Mr Obama - a direct meeting would have marked the first time in 43 years a US president had met a Burmese leader.

But the fact that a US president has sat down at the same table with a member of the Burmese military government is a clear sign that America is serious about wanting to re-engage with the region, says the BBC's Rachel Harvey in Singapore.

US presidents have previously refused to hold meetings with Asean when Burmese leaders were present.

Mr Obama linking hands with Asean leaders
The US has previously boycotted Asean meetings because of Burma

"The president was just - as you know - in the scheduled meeting with the 10 Asean nations, and brought up in the meeting the... release of Aung San Suu Kyi by Burma. So, he brought that up directly with that government," Mr Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs said.

A joint statement released after the US-Asean talks, welcomed Mr Obama's policy of engagement with Burma and "underscored the importance of national reconciliation" there, but did not mention Aung San Suu Kyi.

"The general elections to be held in Myanmar in 2010 must be conducted in a free, fair, inclusive and transparent manner in order to be credible to the international community," the statement said.

Aung San Suu Kyi's party won Burma's last elections in 1990 but the military never allowed her to take power.

Observers believe Burma's authorities want to keep the pro-democracy leader in detention until after polls scheduled for next year.

The Obama administration has said it favours cautious diplomatic engagement, with sanctions against the regime remaining in place until real progress on democratic change is made.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8361081.stm

Yellow-shirt Rally: Five Injured in Blast at Rally

2009-11-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

By The Nation
Published on November 16, 2009

A man was arrested after at least five people were injured when a bomb exploded at a rally held by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) at Sanam Luang yesterday evening.

The rally went on after the explosion. A man captured by PAD guards for allegedly throwing the bomb near the back of the stage, was taken under police custody. One of the injured was a woman and another was a boy who was badly wounded in the leg, witnesses said.

Thousands of people joined the rally, the first since the PAD set up its New Politics party. The explosion occurred when PAD and New Politics leader Sondhi Limthongkul was addressing his supporters and lambasting arch-rival Thaksin Shinawatra over the Thai-Cambodia row.

A plan was also mooted yesterday to give a Bt10-million award for Thaksin's arrest, with funds to be mobilised primarily from PAD supporters.

Thaksin's "betrayal" - his activities leading to the worsening Thai-Cambodian row - was the focus of the rally, which was peaceful until the explosion. The PAD reiterated its ultimate objective of protecting the monarchy and in a statement called on Cambodia to end the Thaksin-driven hostility and join efforts to restore

friendly relations between the two countries. The bomb attack took place despite hundreds of policemen being deployed and bomb experts searching for explosives around the rally site.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday said the Thai-Cambodian situation was not a cause for concern regarding safety of Thai expatriates there. He also vowed that the Thai citizen charged with spying and held in a Phnom Penh prison would receive due justice as guaranteed by international law.

"If necessary, the government stands ready to provide confirmation that the flight plan is not classified information and that the flight in question was known before the arrest of the Thai air-traffic controller," he said.

The Foreign Ministry and the Thai company operating air-traffic control services at Phnom Penh International Airport will provide legal assistance to Siwarak Chothipong, accused of leaking the flight plan of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

"Even though the government is in no position to meddle with the Cambodian judicial process, the charge will likely be dropped in light of the evidence," he said.

Talks with Cambodia to mend fences at this juncture were unlikely to resolve any differences, he said.

The Cambodian government should take the welfare and benefits of the peoples of the two countries into consideration instead of acting on a whim to vent its displeasure at the Thai administration, he said.

The rumour of the arrest of another Thai spy, reportedly working in Siem Reap under Thailand's Armed Forces Security Centre, was unfounded, he said.

Thai citizens should remain calm and not act hastily, he said, adding that the future of Thai-Cambodian ties hinges on whether Cambodia would adjust its stance toward Thaksin, he said.The Foreign Ministry plans to lodge its strongest protest if Cambodian authorities file false and trumped-up charges against Siwarak, said Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the foreign minister.

Cambodian authorities dismissed the consular request from Thai charge d'affaires Chalothorn Phaovibul to visit Siwarak in his prison cell on grounds that it was the weekend, he said.

In a telephone interview from Phnom Penh, Chalothorn said Siwarak was detained at a Phnom Penh prison.

SEASA Presents 'Taste of Thailand'!!

2009-11-02T22:03:00.003-05:00

Join us to an Authentic Thai meal at Bangkok Bistro this weekend!
We will take you to explore the taste of Thailand.

Date: Sunday, November 8th
Time: 12:00pm
Location: Bangkok Bistro (Cleveland Circle)
Fee: TBA

Loy Kratong Festival in Thailand - Monday Nov 2nd

2009-11-02T00:23:00.002-05:00

"Loi" means "to float". "Krathong" is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk (although modern-day versions use specially made bread 'flowers' and may use styrofoam), decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc. During the night of the full moon, many people will release a small raft like this on a river. Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations also build much bigger and more elaborate rafts, and these are often judged in contests. In addition, fireworks and beauty contests take place during the festival.

In Chiang Mai Loi Kratong is also known as "Yi Peng". Every year thousands of people assemble to float the banana-leaf krathong onto the waterways of the city, honouring the Goddess of Water. A multitude of Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom fai) are also launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the skies. These are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets.

--Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loy_Krathong

SEASA Next Event!! : Scalpels, Straighteners & Skin Bleachers featuring Bobby Pins Up Your Nose

2009-11-02T00:21:00.002-05:00

“Scalpels, Straighteners, & Skin Bleachers” will take place during this coming “Love Your Body Week”, in an effort to promote a positive attitude towards body image and to elaborate on individual beauty. This event will feature a gallery of different images depicting the extreme measures Asian and Asian American women takes to obtain the “ideal” essence of beauty.
“Bobby Pins Up Your Nose” is a short theatrical performance featuring two women, Christina Chan and Judy Tso. It is a humorous rendition of the real life stories of Asian American women who try to manipulate their bodies to fit western culture’s idea of beauty. Wrestling with nose shape, breast size and their short stature, performers Chan and Tso take you on their adventures with body image in this funny and poignant performance piece. Their performance two years ago was well received, and BC SEASA would like to have them perform once more for a new student body.

Share this on: Mixx Facebook Twitter Digg delicious reddit MySpace StumbleUpon Fourth typhoon in month hits Philippines

2009-11-02T00:18:00.002-05:00

(CNN) -- The fourth typhoon to hit the Philippines in a month came ashore east of the capital, Manila, on Saturday morning, bringing heavy rain, flooding, and washing away shanty houses near the coast.

Typhoon Mirinae quickly moved west into the South China Sea and became a tropical storm. It was forecast to continue due west and then take a slight turn south, hitting Vietnam in about 48 hours, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

There were power flashes across Manila, as the storm hit Saturday and cut the electricity supply, videographer James Reynolds said. The storm was weaker than expected, he said, but it still brought fierce winds and lots of rain.

"The wind and the rain and the floods have still caused quite a considerable amount of damage, certainly in the southeastern portion of the city, which is where we were," Reynolds told CNN by phone from Manila. "We saw many shanty-type houses that had been washed away and residents frantically try to get hold of their household material."

The storm dropped at least 85 millimeters (3.3 inches) of rain on Manila. The city of Daet, on the eastern coast, received 149 millimeters (5.8 inches) of rain, and Virac, which sits on an island that juts into the Pacific, received 72 millimeters (2.8 inches) of rain.

The first of the four typhoons to batter the Philippines happened in late September, when Ketsana drenched the island nation with its heaviest rainfall in 40 years. Eighty percent of Manila flooded and more than 420 people died.

Flooding from Ketsana has lasted well into October, and tens of thousands of people are still in evacuation centers, according to the disaster coordinating council.

On October 3, Typhoon Parma made landfall in a rural region of fishermen and farmers in Luzon, the largest of the Philippine islands. It destroyed 55,000 houses and killed more than 430 people.

Last week a third typhoon, Lupit, narrowly missed making landfall but still brought lots of rain to the Philippines.

Bibles Seized As Malaysia Minorities Fear Fundamentalism

2009-11-02T00:14:00.003-05:00

By Saeed Ahmed, CNN
October 29, 2009 8:54 a.m. EDT
Non-Muslims in Malaysia fear that Islamism is seeping into the moderate nation's fabric.

Authorities in Malaysia have seized more than 20,000 Bibles in recent months because they refer to God as "Allah," Christian leaders said Thursday.

The seizures have fed fears among minority groups, which see signs of encroaching Islamic fundamentalism in the predominantly Muslim but multi-racial country.

"There is a growing sense of Islamic assertion, yes," said the Rev. Hermen Shastri, general-secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia. "There is some concern."

The Bibles were written in the country's official language, Malay -- in which the word for God is "Allah," as it is in Arabic.

However, Malaysia's government says the word is exclusive to Islam.

Its use in Christian publications is likely to confuse Muslims and draw them to Christianity, the government says. So it has banned use of the word in Christian literature.

"Malay has borrowed from Arabic, just as it has from Sanskrit and Portuguese," Shastri said. "We have maintained the community has the right to use the word.

"But I think this has ignited a cause in the Muslim communities, who are interpreting it as a siege on Islamic beliefs."

A Home Ministry official directed requests for comment to the ministry's Publications and Quran Text Control Department, which enforces the ban. An employee there redirected calls to a spokeswoman, who in turn asked CNN to call the Home Ministry back. Calls to other departments were similarly redirected.

A Roman Catholic weekly newspaper, The Herald, is challenging the ban in court after the government threatened to revoke its license for using the word in its Malay edition. Hearings on the case have gone on for two years.

"We quote it as it is. We cannot change the text of the Scripture," Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew told CNN last year. "I cannot be the editor of the Bible."

Among the Bibles confiscated were Malay-language ones that the Bible Society of Malaysia said it had imported from Indonesia. About 10,000 others also were confiscated from Gideons International, which places free copies in hotel rooms and other places.

The Malaysian constitution provides for freedom of religion. The country has a dual-track justice system, in which Islamic courts operate alongside civil ones.

Rulings by the Islamic, or sharia, courts are directed toward the country's Muslim, who make up 60 percent of the population. But they worry non-Muslims who see them as Islamism seeping into the moderate nation's fabric.

In November, the National Fatwa Council -- the country's top Islamic body -- banned Muslims from practicing yoga. It said elements of Hinduism in yoga can corrupt Muslims.

The council also bans short hair and boyish behavior for girls, saying they encourage homosexuality.

In northern Malaysia's Kelantan state, authorities have forbidden bright lipstick and high-heeled shoes, saying the bans will safeguard Muslim women's morals and dignity, as well as thwart rape.

And last month, an Islamic court judge in the eastern state of Pahang upheld a verdict to cane a Muslim woman for drinking beer in public.

The country has been mired in inter-faith disputes as well in recent months. In those cases, many non-Muslims complain that the civil courts generally cede control to Islamic courts.

Muslims cannot convert to other religions without the permission of the Islamic courts, which rarely approve such requests.

In relationships in which a Muslim parent has converted children to Islam over the objection of a non-Muslim parent, the sharia courts usually have upheld the conversions.

And earlier this year, a Sikh family lost a court battle to cremate a relative after officials said the man had converted to Islam years before his death, though the family said he hadn't.

Thailand's Southern Crisis - More Discussion with Malaysia

2009-11-02T00:12:00.000-05:00

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Tuesday cautiously acknowledged the suggestion by his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Raza, that the Malay-speaking region in the deep South be granted some form of autonomy as part of a strategy to bring an end to the ongoing violence.

Speaking to reporters after the Tuesday weekly Cabinet meeting, Abhisit said the policy of the Thai government was more or less in line with the need to acknowledge the special needs of the Malay-speaking region where nearly 4,000 people have been killed since January 2004.

Abhisit said he will discuss the issue about the conflict in the deep South with Najib during his upcoming visit to the restive region in December.

In an interview with Nation Channel over the weekend, Najib said Thailand should offer "some form" of autonomy to the region".

"You may not want to call it autonomy but there could at least be some form of involvement. It is Thailand's decision to consider how far such autonomy in the deep south should go, and Malaysia, as a neighbour, would not intervene in the matter," Najib was reported as saying.

Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the Malaysian leader understands that the problem is Thailand's domestic affairs and vowed to cooperate with the country to solve the problem.

"Thailand is supporting this approach but it's not an independent region. It does not contradict the constitution, but instead allows more publi

--The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/10/27/regional/regional_30115348.php

Indonesian President Re-elected

2009-10-26T20:49:00.001-04:00

President Yudhoyono sworn in for second term

Article published on the 2009-10-20 Latest update 2009-10-20 10:30 TU
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is greeted by parliament members as he prepares to be sworn in(Photo: Reuters)

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is greeted by parliament members as he prepares to be sworn in
(Photo: Reuters)
Liberal ex-general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was sworn in for the second time on Tuesday as Indonesia's president, after winning another five-year term with promises of economic growth and political reform.

Yudhoyono swore on the Koran to uphold the constitution during a ceremony in the national assembly in Jakarta, which was broadcast around the archipelago of 234 million people.

About 20,000 police backed by armoured vehicles were on hand to secure the inauguration, attended by the leaders of Australia, Brunei, East Timor, Malaysia and Singapore.

The nationwide poll saw Yudhoyono win 60.8 percent of the vote, compared to 26.8 percent for ex-president Megawati Sukarnoputri and 12.4 percent for outgoing Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

Yudhoyono, 60, trounced Sukarnoputri in 2004 to become the Muslim country's first directly elected head of state since the fall of late military strongman Suharto in 1998.

He has promised to crack down on corruption, boost infrastructure spending and advance bureaucratic reform.

Philippines still in bad Condition after Typhoon

2009-10-26T20:46:00.001-04:00

Post-Storm Conditions In Philippines Continue To Threaten Health
guardian.co.uk

Monday, October 26, 2009

Filipinos are "struggling to live in flooded suburbs or crowded shelters one month after devastating rains began pounding the Philippines, and officials warn no quick fix is in sight," Agence France-Presse reports. According to the WHO, 1.43 million people, "mostly in and around Manila, continue to endure a dangerous existence living in flooded districts" (Morella, 10/26).

Diseases are rampant in flooded areas and evacuation centers, according to health officials who are especially concerned about the bacterial infection leptospirosis. "[D]engue fever, malaria, diarrhea, skin rashes and other illnesses are [also] common. Of the 35,000 people in evacuation centers, more than half suffer from some disease, most commonly acute respiratory illness, according to the Department of Health," the New York Times reports. "Efforts to relocate survivors have had limited impact because of the refusal of some affected residents – many of them slum dwellers whose shanties were destroyed – to be uprooted from their communities. According to the government, more than 1.2 million residents still live in damaged villages in greater Manila, some of them with waist-high floodwater."

Diwa Gacosta, a local representative of World Vision, said crowded and unsanitary conditions were fueling the spread of disease. "The impact of the flood to children’s health is really a problem," Gacosta said. "'Children in these storm-affected areas face a host of dangers that pose a threat to their very survival,' said Latha Caleb, the director of Save the Children in the Philippines. 'It is critical now to address the lack of sanitation systems and clean water that are resulting in widespread illness and disease,'" the newspaper writes (Conde, 10/25).

According to TIME, the WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network is sending medical assistance teams to Manila "to evaluate the government's response in tackling the disease, and draw up recommendations for future large-scale leptospirosis outbreaks, said Eric Tayag, head of the Department of Health's National Epidemiology Center." The country's "overstretched and underfunded public health system is poorly equipped to deal with large-scale disease outbreaks, even for diseases like leptospirosis that are seasonally common across the archipelago," the magazine writes. "Several large government hospitals were damaged in the flooding, and have struggled to cope with the influx of patients. A week after [Tropical Storm] Ketsana, much of Pasig General Hospital was under water, including its laboratory" (McIndoe, 10/26).

On Friday, Josette Sheeran, executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), said the Philippines is facing its most challenging humanitarian crisis in recent history, IRIN reports. "The agency is providing 'critical' food support to more than one million of the eight million people hit ..." by the storms. The article includes comment from another WFP official and examines how the country was preparing for Typhoon Lupit (10/23). By Saturday, Typhoon Lupit had been downgraded to a tropical storm and veered away from the Philippines, AFP reports (10/24).

U.S. Pledges $8.5M In Food Aid To Philippines

On Monday, the U.S. announced it would provide food $8.5 million of food aid to the Philippines, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/Monsters and Critics reports. "U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who was in Manila on a four-day trade mission, said the donation (.pdf) would provide food to 438,000 people for 60 days" (10/26).

"Philippine Press Undersecretary Anthony Golez said in a news briefing that the U.S. agriculture department, through its Food for Progress Program, will be donating 7,000 metric tons of rice and 680 metric tons of nonfat dry milk to the victims of typhoons Ketsana and Parma," Xinhua writes (10/26).

The Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report is published by the Kaiser Family Foundation. © 2009 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

UN official: Tribunal needed for Timor crimes

2009-10-26T20:44:00.000-04:00

UN official: Tribunal needed for Timor crimes
By Deutsche Presse Agentur

Dili - The international community should consider setting up a tribunal for serious crimes in East Timor if former occupier Indonesia and East Timor were unwilling to prosecute suspects, a United Nations official said Tuesday.

The United Nations has criticised East Timor's government for the release from jail last month of Martenus Bere, a former pro-Indonesia militia leader accused of taking part in a 1999 massacre at a church in Suai district, in which up to 200 people died.

"If the two countries ... are not willing and are not intending to prosecute people who committed crimes against humanity, there is the principle of universal jurisdiction for these crimes," said Louis Gentile, the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in East Timor.

Gentile said it was the responsibility of the international community to find a way to bring those who committed crimes against humanity to justice.

Gentile said the release of Bere was political because it did not follow legal procedures.

East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, was annexed by Indonesia in 1976. The territory voted for independence in a UN-sponsored ballot in 1999, which was marred by violence blamed on pro-Jakarta militiamen and Indonesian troops.

According to a report by a UN-sponsored truth commission, the Indonesian occupation led to about 100,000 deaths from killings, starvation and disease.

The territory became formally independent in 2002.

Indonesia and East Timor have agreed to put reconciliation and friendship ahead of prosecution of those who committed crimes during the occupation.

Thailand-Cambodia in Conflict

2009-10-26T19:52:00.005-04:00

Ball is in Cambodia's court, PM says
By The Nation
Published on October 27, 2009

Good relations with Cambodia are up on Phnom Penh, according to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who said yesterday that the "ball is now in Cambodia's court".

His remark suggests it's up to Prime Minister Hun Sen to strengthen bilateral ties or allow them to suffer after the verbal spat between him and Abhiisit over the weekend.

Thaksin Shinawatra

Speaking to Nation Multimedia Group's editor-in-chief Suthichai Yoon on the World Pulse TV show - being aired nationwide this evening, Abhisit said there would be no diplomatic protest or recalling of Thai ambassadors at this point in time.

Diplomatic relations went into a tailspin last week after Hun Sen said his "old friend" Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai PM, would be welcome to live in Cambodia.

Hun Sen said he would not extradite Thaksin to face prison terms in Thailand because he considered his crimes were political in nature. He later said he would make the fugitive premier an economic adviser.

Hun Sen made the statement shortly after arriving in Thailand to attend the 15th Asean Summit in Cha-am over the weekend.

Abhisit said Hun Sen needed to hear all the facts before any conclusion could be reached. The Cambodian needed to know what laws Thaksin had violated and then decide as to whether the former PM should be sent back to Thailand, if and when he arrives in

Cambodia.

Abhisit dismissed suggestion that Hun Sen's remarks spoiled the Asean Summit, hosted by Thailand in Hua Hin and Cha-am over the past weekend. The PM said he was satisfied with the outcome of the summit.

No other leaders at the summit asked about Hun Sen's statement, Abhisit said.

When asked about Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's trip to Phnom Penh, which sparked Hun Sen's remarks, Abhisit suggested the Pheu Thai politician needed to re-evaluate whether his actions had hurt or helped relations with Cambodia.

Abhisit said he was willing to talk to Thaksin about national reconciliation provided the fugitive premier returned to the country and accepted findings from the country's justice system, which had convicted him of fraud and corruption.

Hun Sen

"If he is not willing to abide by our law then what's the use of talking to him?" he asked.

Modern conflict near ancient ruins

2009-09-21T14:53:00.003-04:00

A long-running border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has just escalated, with soldiers exchanging gunfire. The BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head looks at what caused tensions to erupt.

Both historic rivalries and recent frictions are driving this confrontation
At the end of a day when two Cambodian soldiers were killed, several wounded on both sides, and 10 Thai soldiers reportedly taken prisoner, the language cooled down.
Instead of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's threat of all-out war, to turn the area around the disputed Preah Vihear temple into a "zone of death", there was a statement from Foreign Minister Hor Namhong describing the shootout as "an incident between soldiers, not an invasion", a problem that could be solved.
And from the Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat: "Cambodia is a good neighbour. We will use peaceful means".
So perhaps a war over a tiny sliver of scrubby hillside can be avoided after all.
It would surely be in no-one's interests to let the conflict get out of hand.
Thailand and Cambodia share a common culture, an 800km (500 mile) border, trade and investment worth billions of dollars and membership of Asean, the Association of South East Asian Nations that prides itself on harmonious relations among its member states.
Cliff-top temple
But why have relations fallen this far?

Both Thailand and Cambodia claim territory that surrounds the temple
The spark was Cambodia's successful bid to have Preah Vihear listed as a World Heritage site in July.
The 900-year-old Hindu temple had been judged to be on the Cambodian side of the border in 1962 by the International Court of Justice, a decision that has always rankled with Thailand.
It sits at the top of a cliff, and is still only easily accessible from the Thai side.
But the decades of conflict in Cambodia delayed any practical decisions on the temple, which for years was a stronghold of Khmer Rouge guerrillas and littered with landmines.
As peace returned to Cambodia in the 1990s, the government in Phnom Penh started to focus on restoring the country's rich Hindu-Buddhist heritage, and its potential to attract tourists.
The magnificent temple complex of Angkor Wat won World Heritage status in 1992.

TEMPLE DISPUTE TIMELINE

1962: International court awards temple to Cambodia, but surrounding land remains undesignated
1970s-1990s: Khmer Rouge guerrillas occupy site
2001-2002: Thai troops block access over water row
July 2008: Unesco lists temple as a World Heritage Site
July 2008: Thai FM quits after court rules he violated constitution for backing Cambodia's Unesco bid
July 2008: Both sides move troops to temple area
Oct 2008: Troops exchange fire, leaving two Cambodian soldiers dead
But repeated attempts to get the same status for Preah Vihear were blocked, apparently by Thailand.
The Thais argued that while the ICJ had awarded the temple to Cambodia, it had not ruled on the surrounding land, which also contains a number of important archaeological sites connected to the temple.
Only a joint Thai-Cambodian World Heritage site made sense, it argued.
Thailand dropped its objection this year, a decision that enraged Thai nationalists.
They accused the government of changing its stance to accommodate the extensive Cambodian business interests of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose party dominated the cabinet.
The foreign minister who negotiated a joint agreement with Cambodia, Noppadol Pattama, had once been Mr Thaksin's lawyer. He was forced to resign in July.
But the damage had been done. A hard-line anti-government movement, the People's Alliance for Democracy, used the issue to mobilise mass demonstrations, contributing to the political upheavals that are still shaking Thailand today.
Khmer legacy
But what about Cambodia? Why is it so strident on the issue?
In part it is driven by historic rivalry between the two countries, in part by more recent friction.
The ancient Khmer civilisation that built Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear dominated this region for five centuries.

Thais used the issue in anti-government protests
It profoundly influenced Thai culture - there are many famous Khmer-style temples in Thailand. And it is a source of immense pride to modern-day Cambodia, which is recovering from decades of national trauma.
Nationalism is an easily inflamed emotion, in a country which has little to be proud of in its recent history.
Thais are often surprisingly ignorant of the role they have played in wounding Cambodia's national pride.
In the Cambodian view, successive Thai invasions helped destroy the once mighty Khmer empires, and rendered the country defenceless against French colonial conquest in the 19th Century.
Thailand then took advantage of the chaos during World War II to occupy large chunks of western Cambodia, including the ruins of Angkor Wat - it was forced to hand them back when the war ended.
The Thai military often treated Cambodian refugees who fled the civil wars of the 1970s and 80s very harshly - and Thailand backed the remnants of the Khmer Rouge in their struggle against the Vietnamese occupation, so helping prolong the civil war.
Storm of condemnation
There is of course a very different Thai perspective on these events. But they have left a deep pool of resentment in its smaller and much poorer neighbour that is easily exploited by its leaders.
And Hun Sen has proved very ready to do just that. Five years ago anti-Thai riots broke out in Phnom Penh after a Thai actress was misquoted as saying Angkor Wat should rightly belong to Thailand.
Hun Sen was widely blamed for stirring up nationalist sentiments then. He seems to be doing the same now.
On the Thai side, whatever the current government's real inclinations, it cannot afford to be seen to back down.
Somchai Wongsawat is already battling a storm of condemnation over the way the police dealt with anti-government protests earlier this month.
As Thaksin Shinawatra's brother-in-law, any concessions he makes to Cambodia will arouse suspicions that he is serving the interests of his family before those of the country.
It is hard to see this conflict being settled quickly.

Obituary: Noordin Mohamed Top

2009-09-21T14:49:00.002-04:00

Indonesia's most-wanted militant Noordin Mohamed Top, who was linked by investigators to the 2005 Bali bombings, has been killed, say police.

Noordin narrowly escaped capture several times
Officials believe the Malaysian-born former accountant orchestrated a series of attacks across Indonesia.
Noordin was thought to be a key recruiter and financier for the regional Islamist militant group, Jemaah Islamiah, but analysts say he formed his own more hard-line splinter group.
The Indonesian government has managed to stifle militant strikes since September 2005 - the second major attack on Bali, which left 23 dead.

Noordin is not thought to have been involved in the Bali bombings of 2002, according to analysts.
The man thought to have been Noordin's closest ally, Malaysian bomb-maker Azahari Husin, was killed in 2005.
Two self-proclaimed JI leaders were then jailed in April 2008 and three Bali bombers were executed in November that year.
However, the suicide attacks on two hotels in Jakarta in July 2009, which killed nine people including two suspected bombers, raised concerns that Noordin's militant activities had resumed.
The country's anti-terror chief said there were "strong indications" Noordin's group was to blame.
Assumed name
Noordin had fled to Indonesia with Azahari Husin after the Malaysian government cracked down on Islamists following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US.

Former academic Azahari was an expert bomb-maker
Once in Indonesia, he married using an assumed name, Abdurrachman Aufi.
His wife, Munfiatun, was jailed in June 2005 for concealing information about his whereabouts.
The two men are thought to have acted together to plan attacks, with Noordin as the financier and Azahari as the bomb-maker. Newspapers dubbed them the "Money Man" and the "Demolition Man".
In addition to the two Bali bombings, both men were named as suspects in two other major attacks - one in 2003 on Jakarta's JW Marriott hotel which killed 12 people, and one on the Australian embassy in 2004 which killed 11 people.
Indonesian troops finally cornered Azahari, a trained engineer and former university lecturer who in 1990 gained a doctorate from the UK's University of Reading, at a house in East Java in November 2005.
The father of two was killed, either by a police bullet or by a bomb triggered by an accomplice.
But Noordin continued to evade capture.
In January 2006, police said he was claiming to lead a previously unknown group called Tanzim Qaedat al-Jihad, which translates as Organisation for the Base of Jihad.

Analysts speculated that he had drifted away from the main Jemaah Islamiah structure due to a disagreement about attacks on "soft targets", which often kill civilians.
In April 2006 police raided a house in the village of Binangun in central Java after reports that he had been staying there.
Two alleged Jemaah Islamiah militants were killed and another two arrested in an early-morning gun fight. Explosives were later found near the site. But Noordin was not.
In August 2009, security forces thought they had killed Noordin in a raid at a remote farmhouse in central Java, but DNA tests later confirmed it was not him.
The security forces say they finally got their man a month later during a raid at a house on the outskirts of Solo city in central Java. Noordin was identified from fingerprints, said police.
Three suspected militants were also killed during the siege at the rented property, where explosives and grenades were found.

CSA/SEASA Night Market

2009-04-28T13:51:00.004-04:00

TODAY!!!!

Pie-A-E-Board Member. $2 per pie. $5 for one President. $20 for one E-board

Win a Fish!!

FREE Food

Great Prizes!

Somali Pirates in the Philippines

2009-04-20T12:58:00.003-04:00

Associated Press
updated 6:32 p.m. ET, Wed., April 15, 2009

MANILA, Philippines - Ruel de Guzman seemed destined for a life at sea.

Several relatives have served in the U.S. Navy, and growing up in the Philippines, he envied the nice houses neighbors were able to buy on a seafarer's salary, much more than he could make on land.

For 20 years, the sea was good as de Guzman married, then started a family. He had risen to second mate on the MT Stolt Strength, a chemical tanker, sending home nearly $2,000 a month to support his wife Vilma, their four children and his 81-year-old mother.

"In the province, people flaunt their wealth, and so he wanted a nice house, too. His father was a tailor and his mother was a teacher. He was the first to finish school," Vilma de Guzman said. "He became a seaman to help his family."

Then on Nov. 10, Somali pirates swarmed aboard as the tanker sailed through the Gulf of Aden while hauling a cargo of phosphoric acid destined for Japan. Since then, the 46-year-old de Guzman and 22 other Filipino crew members have languished for months with scant rations, little water and constant threats as negotiations for their release drag on.

For them, a military rescue like the one that freed American Capt. Richard Phillips is unlikely because the Stolt Strength is anchored in a pirate stronghold. Their only hope is that a ransom will eventually be paid.

Can't afford ransom
While sailors from richer countries get freed relatively quickly in exchange for multimillion-dollar ransoms, those from poorer countries like the Philippines, Bangladesh and Indonesia often wait for months, stuck in the middle because the companies they work for can't afford to make a big payoff.

Almost half of the nearly 300 seamen currently held by Somali pirates are Filipinos — a Greek-owned ship was snatched Tuesday with 22 Filipinos on board, starting a fresh ordeal for a new group of families.

Vilma de Guzman was at the shipping company with other hostages' wives when her husband called last Friday for only the second time since the pirate takeover and talked with their three daughters, ages 15, 10 and 7, and their 9-year-old son.

"He told them, `Take care of mommy, take care of your siblings, love each other,'" Vilma de Guzman told The Associated Press. "He was saying goodbye to his kids just in case he does not come out of this ordeal alive."

"I know when you are a seaman, it's really a high risk. But to say that you'd be taken hostage by pirates, we never imagined that would happen to him. We continue to receive his salary. He gets a big salary, but what will we do ... if we lose my husband?"

In a sign that the on-again, off-again negotiations between the pirates and the Stolt Strength's owner, Sagana Shipping Inc., might be picking up again, de Guzman called again last Saturday, trying to track down the phone number of the Philippine company's general manager.

"He said the pirates asked them to call to put pressure on the company to pay ransom," Vilma de Guzman said, adding that her efforts to get more details were met with a chilling reply: "Don't ask too many questions because we can be heard on the speaker.'"

Getting down to business
Relatives of the hostages say that during the five months their loved ones have been held, the pirates have lowered their ransom demand from $5 million to $2.2 million. But there's no sign any payoff will come, despite the pirates' threat to haul the tanker further out to sea and use it as a mother ship to seize other foreign vessels.

Relatives blame Sagana Shipping, saying they have been misled about efforts to free the captives, and their complaints have spurred a Philippine government inquiry into the handling of the case, according to a report last month on the Web site of the maritime industry journal, Lloyd's List.

Capt. Dexter Custodio, the spokesman for Sagana Shipping, denied suggestions the company hasn't been doing enough to free the hostages, saying it has tried to negotiate with the pirates but that has proven difficult.

"They don't want to talk to us. They would just slam the phone...The main thought is it's a business and discussions will go to that — how much ransom do they want?" Custodio said.

Hostage conditions
A spokesman for the ship's London-based charter company, Stolt-Nielsen, said arguments between different factions of pirates holding the vessel has hampered efforts to free it. "These disputes have made communication with those holding the ship and crew more difficult," spokesman Martin Baxendale said Wednesday.

And while the manpower companies that contract the seamen have to pay double-pay for hazardous duty in pirate zones and carry insurance for payouts to their families in case of injury or death, it's unclear whether that is enough for a multimillion-dollar ransom, said Nelson Ramirez, president of the United Filipino Seafarers union.

As the months drag on, the crew has been kept confined on the ship's bridge with little to eat or drink and wearing only the clothes they were seized in, according to relatives.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Anything of value — including clothing, her husband's wedding ring and all the money he had saved to send home — were grabbed by the pirates, Vilma de Guzman said.

"They take a bath but can't change their clothes," she said. "He said they eat very little. My husband holds the medicines and takes care of the other crew because he has some medical training. He said, `Many of us are getting sick.'"

Mental torture
Among the ailing is 36-year-old Rodell Boretta, who was shot in the leg by a stray bullet during an argument between two of the pirates, according to his wife, Catherine, who said she feared the wound was now infected.

She and other relatives described mock executions and other psychological abuse when ransom negotiations break down.

"When the pirates and the office have a disagreement during negotiations, the hostages are asked to line up and the pirates scare them by firing their guns near their heads," Catherine Boretta said.

Catherine Boretta says her husband was shot in the leg by a stray bullet during an argument between two pirates.

The wife of the ship's 62-year-old captain, Abelardo Pacheco, said that during the brief phone conversations she has been allowed with her husband, she hears pirate voices in the background, dictating what to say.

"The crew has been there for a long time now and are mentally tortured," Asuncion Pacheco said.

For the wife of Carlo Deseo, the ship's 31-year-old third mate and a father of 4-year-old and 5-year-old daughters, the hardest part has been the distress she hears in her husband's voice.

"We talked only twice, on Nov. 26 and last Friday," Doris Deseo said.

On Friday, "Carlo was sobbing. He asked me not to cry and wanted me to be strong. He told me that their homecoming is in the hands of their office," she said.

"The office people told us that all the hostages' accounts could be scripted and could be part of a psych war. I asked them: 'Is the crying part of the script? I know my husband, and he is not an actor.'"

LETTER OF INTENT DUE TONIGHT @ 11:59 PM!

2009-04-16T15:35:00.003-04:00

LETTER OF INTENT DUE TONIGHT @ 11:59PM
please email wesley huynh to huynhwe@bc.edu with name, year, interested position, and preferred interview time.

OPEN POSITIONS:

director of social and political affairs:The Director of Social and Political Affairs is responsible for researching news and issues that pertain to the Southeast Asian community, sharing these findings at e-board meetings, and updating the blog with these findings bi-weekly. He/she is also in charge of finding new strategies to educate e-board, SEASA members, and the greater BC community, as well as proposing events that SEASA could hold that may share these social/political issues with the BC community.

ahana caucus rep: The AHANA Caucus Rep is the liaison between SEASA and the AHANA Caucus. The Caucus Rep attends weekly AHANA Caucus meetings, serving as the voice and contact for SEASA at these meetings and promoting any issues/events relevant to the club. Similarly, the Caucus Rep reports any news from the AHANA Caucus and the AHANA Leadership Council back to the e-board. Additionally, the Caucus Rep will represent this organization by attending the events of other cultural groups to show support. The Caucus Rep should also work to promote solidarity within the AHANA community and the entire BC community through co-sponsorships and other collaborative programs.

culture show coordinator: The Culture Show Coordinator is responsible for coordinating, organizing, and overseeing SEASA's annual culture show in the spring semester. In addition to brainstorming themes and ideas, the Culture Show Coordinator is the main resource for researching different dances and performances. He/she also plans out practices and is the main contact for the performers in the show.

webmaster: The Webmaster is responsible for the maintenance of the SEASA website, keeping consistent updates and accessibility for its visitors. The Webmaster may also serve as a resource for publicity needs, such as designing flyers and other promotional tools.

interview info:
interviews will be held this FRIDAY april 17th from 2-4 PM. please pick a time within the 2:00-4:00 time frame when sending in your letter of intent.

please contact christine chung (chungcd@bc.edu ) or wesley huynh (huynhwe@bc.edu ) with any questions.
thank you.

ELECTION TIME!!!!!

2009-04-08T02:24:00.003-04:00

HEY EVERYONE!

SEASA 09-10 elections is Tuesday April 14th 7:00 in Devlin 010.

Eligibility:

- Candidates must have attended 2 SEASA events in 08-09 school year

- Candidates can not study abroad during 09-10 school year

- Candidates can only hold 1 position in a culture club board

- Anyone who has interest in a leadership position for SEASA is eligible to run

If interested: please email Wesley Huynh at huynhwe@bc.edu by Monday April 13th 11:30 PM

Please draft a speech of 3-5 minutes during the election time.

Following is a description of positions:

President: President: The President is responsible for the well-being of its club officers and its members, and is responsible for directing the club towards its goals and mission. The President is responsible for facilitating meetings, delegating tasks and duties to other officers, and overseeing all the events that the club holds. The President is also a member of the Asian Caucus cabinet and attends meetings with the AC cabinet and AHANA Leadership Council.

Vice President: The Vice President assumes the responsibilities of the president in his/her absence. In addition, the Vice President fills that gap left by any other position on the e-board and provides support for these tasks and responsibilities. The Vice President also serves as a directory of freshmen outreach and perspectives students.

Treasurer: The Treasurer is primarily responsible for the Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC) budget proposal for the upcoming academic year, as well as any additional allocations that may follow. The Treasurer also maintains the budget throughout the year, providing account updates and acting as the liaison between SEASA and the ODSD budget office. He/she is also responsible for filing related paperwork and processing payments and reimbursements for the club.

Secretary: The Secretary is responsible for keeping minutes during every e-board meeting and documenting all SEASA events, activities, and programs. The Secretary is also the liaison between the e-board and the SEASA membership, maintaining the listserv and sending updates to the members.

Culture Show Coordinator: The Culture Show Coordinator is responsible for coordinating, organizing, and overseeing SEASA's annual culture show in the spring semester. In addition to brainstorming themes and ideas, the Culture Show Coordinator is the main resource for researching different dances and performances. He/she also plans out practices and is the main contact for the performers in the show.

AHANA Caucus Representative: The AHANA Caucus Rep is the liaison between SEASA and the AHANA Caucus. The Caucus Rep attends weekly AHANA Caucus meetings, serving as the voice and contact for SEASA at these meetings and promoting any issues/events relevant to the club. Similarly, the Caucus Rep reports any news from the AHANA Caucus and the AHANA Leadership Council back to the e-board. Additionally, the Caucus Rep will represent this organization by attending the events of other cultural groups to show support. The Caucus Rep should also work to promote solidarity within the AHANA community and the entire BC community through co-sponsorships and other collaborative programs.

External Representative: The External Rep promotes SEASA outside of the Boston College community. The External Rep is responsible for finding and establishing contact with other Southeast Asian organizations (both student and non-student groups).

Director of Social and Political Affairs: The Director of Social and Political Affairs is responsible for researching news and issues that pertain to the Southeast Asian community, sharing these findings at e-board meetings, and updating the blog with these findings bi-weekly. He/she is also in charge of finding new strategies to educate e-board, SEASA members, and the greater BC community, as well as proposing events that SEASA could hold that may share these social/political issues with the BC community.

Webmaster: The Webmaster is responsible for the maintenance of the
SEASA website, keeping consistent updates and accessibility for its visitors. The Webmaster may also serve as a resource for publicity needs, such as designing flyers and other promotional tools.

THANK YOU!

2009-04-04T22:38:00.003-04:00

THANK YOU everyone for coming to our culture show!!

thank you to: all the participants, VSA, PSBC and the audience!

We could not have done this with out each and one of you!!

Thank you!!!

*highlights from the show coming soon! stay tuned!!

CULTURE SHOW TONIGHT!!!

2009-04-04T02:19:00.003-04:00

SEASA culture show TONIGHT!!!

GASSON 100 @ 6:30!

FREE FOOD! FREE ENTRY!!!

come see your amazing friends perform!!

love,

your seasaeboard08-09

Dying, and Alone in Myanmar

2009-04-01T11:35:00.007-04:00

International Herald Tribune
A 49-year-old man in the advanced stages of H.I.V. has not told friends about his situation because of the social stigma attached to the disease. "The worst thing for me is the loneliness," he said. Two weeks after this photograph was taken, he died.

Dying, and Alone, in Myanmar
April 1, 2009
By SETH MYDANS

BANGKOK — The most heartbreaking moment for doctors and nurses treating people with H.I.V./AIDS in Myanmar is the arrival of a new patient. Running short of funds and medications, clinics have started turning dying people away.

“They continue to knock on our doors, even though we can’t take in most of them,” said Joe Belliveau, operations manager of the international aid group Médecins Sans Frontières.

The 23 clinics run by the group, also known as Doctors Without Borders, are the primary dispensers in Myanmar of the antiretroviral drugs that can prolong the lives of those infected with H.I.V., the virus that leads to AIDS. So most of the people it cannot treat are likely to die.

The people of Myanmar, a country that seems to have been marked for suffering, receive little foreign assistance — the country ranks among the lowest per capita for such aid in the world. The same is true for assistance for people with H.I.V./AIDS.

Médecins Sans Frontières estimates that 240,000 people are currently infected with H.I.V. in Myanmar and that 76,000 are in urgent need of antiretroviral drugs. Every year, about 25,000 people with the virus die.

The group’s clinics have been providing 11,000 people with the antiretroviral drugs that keep them alive. The longer they live, the more treatment they need. The group says it is unable to increase its budget there without taking money away from people in need elsewhere.

Last year it made the difficult decision to stop accepting any new patients in order to continue treating the old ones. It has opened its doors a little bit this year, accepting 3,000 new patients, still a fraction of those in need.

“When we stopped last July it was devastating for the staff,“ Belliveau said. “They couldn’t even treat the ones dying on their doorsteps.”

This year, the United Nations-backed Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has applied for government permits to bring antiretroviral drugs into Myanmar, and the number of people receiving treatment is likely to rise.

But that will only be one step. Fewer than 20 percent of those who need the drugs receive them, either from international groups or, in very small amounts, from the government, Médecins Sans Frontières said in a report released in November.

When a photographer visited a clinic a few months ago, he found anguish and fatalism among the people who had not received the drugs.

“I can only live longer if I have ART,” said one 28-year-old woman, referring to the antiretroviral treatment she needs. “Most of the money and possessions I had are already gone. My family sends me food from the village, but they cannot support my treatment. If I get ART I will be able to live, if not, I will die.”

In one room the photographer found a 49-year-old man, gaunt and weak, sitting on the side of a bed. He had no family, and because of the stigma of the disease he was ashamed to tell his friends or co-workers about it.

“The worst thing for me is the loneliness,” he said.

Two weeks after his picture was taken, he was dead.

Betrayal

2009-03-25T15:39:00.002-04:00

Come join us tonight as we give a free showing of The Betrayal.

Fulton 511 @ 7PM FREE FOOD AND DRINKS

During the Vietnam War, the United States government waged its own secret war in the neighboring country of Laos. When the U.S. withdrew, thousands of Laotians who fought alongside American forces were left behind to face imprisonment or execution. One family, the Phrasavaths, made the courageous decision to escape to America. Hoping to find safety, they discovered a different kind of war.

Epic in scope yet devastatingly intimate, The Betrayal is a testament to the resilient bonds of the family and an astonishing tale of survival.

LOUNG UNG TMRW NIGHT!!!!

2009-03-18T20:22:00.004-04:00

LOUNG UNG:

who is she: is a survivor of the killing fields of Cambodia, one of the bloodiest episodes of the 20th century - 2 million Cambodians- out of a population of just 7 million-died at the hands of the infamous Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime.

what does she do: author of her memoir, First They Killed My Father, a featured speaker on Cambodia, child soldiers, women & war, domestic violence and landmines. She worked for the Vietnam Verans' of America Foundation's (VVAF).

where has she been: she has been featured in NYtimes, Washington Post, Boston Globe, The Today Show, ABC news nightline, and many more.

reviews:

Angeline Jolie (United Nations High commission for Refugees)

"I encourage everyone to read this deeply moving and very important book. Equal to the strength of the book is the woman who wrote it. She is a voice for her people and they are lucky to have her."

Breaking news: C bomb exports permanently banned!

2009-03-15T22:48:00.005-04:00

Hey guys! Check out the article below about the banning of landmine and cluster bomb exports in America. This is a cause that SEASA and BC faculty have been advocating for years. Read about this recent breakthrough!

US Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Bombs
Friends Committee on National Legislation, coordinator

U S C B L e - a c t i o n
March 2 0 0 9

Breaking news: President Obama will sign a law today that will make permanent a ban on nearly all cluster bomb exports from the United States. Congress included the export ban in an omnibus budget bill that passed the Senate last night. This provision will move the U.S. one step closer to the position of the nearly 100 nations--including our closest NATO allies--that signed a treaty banning cluster munitions in December.

The legislation states that cluster munitions can only be exported if they leave behind less than one percent of their submunitions as duds, and if the receiving country agrees that cluster munitions "will not be used where civilians are known to be present." Only a very tiny fraction of the cluster munitions in the U.S. arsenal meet the one percent standard. This export ban was first enacted in a similar budget bill in December 2007, but that law mandated it for only one year.

U.S.-exported cluster bombs were most recently used by Israel in Southern Lebanon, where dud rates were reportedly as high as 40 percent; hundreds of civilians and deminers have been killed or maimed since the fighting ended in 2006.

Now Congress needs to take the next step and ban U.S. use of these deadly weapons. Nearly one in four senators have already cosponsored the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S. 416), introduced one month ago, which would stop the military from using virtually all of the cluster bombs in its vast arsenal by applying this same one percent standard to U.S. use. Do your senators support this bill? If not, urge them to co-sponsor today. If it's unacceptable to export high dud-rate cluster bombs, then it's unacceptable to use them. Growing Senate support for S. 416 will show President Obama that the U.S. public stands with the rest of the world in supporting a ban on cluster bombs.

As 17 year old Soraj Ghulam Habib from Herat, Afghanistan, who lost both legs to a U.S. cluster submunition in 2001 observes, "You'd ban them for sure, if you had them here." Click here to see what a cluster bomb would do to your neighborhood.

A live, U.S-made M77 cluster submunition in a citrus orchard in Southern Lebanon--one of an estimated 4 million dropped in 2006.

Up Against Whiteness: Race, School and Immigrant Youth

2009-03-09T14:28:00.004-04:00

Check out this book on Asian American immigrant youth, particularly focusing on Hmong students, and identity formation!

Warm welcome in Phoenix after jungles, wire fences

2009-02-27T16:03:00.005-05:00

Hey guys check this article out it's about a 29 year old Thai who grew up in a Refugee camp and is now settling in Phoenix. Read about his story!

PHOENIX, Arizona (CNN) -- "Always you have to run for your life," says Boo Htoo, who grew up in a refugee camp in Thailand just across the border from Myanmar.
Boo Htoo and his family lived at the Maela Refugee Camp before being resettled in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ethnic minorities still flee the repressive military regime in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Some 111,000 Myanmar refugees live in nine camps in Thailand, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Htoo, now 29, recalls making the long trek with his parents to cross the border when he was about 5.

"[It's] a very long way," he says. "We don't have a car, a plane. We don't have a bicycle to ride. My parents just take what they can carry, and then we started walking across the jungle, sleeping in the jungle."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/25/heroes.manning/index.html

BOLD WORDS LOUD TONGUE IV RECAP!

2009-02-25T00:39:00.007-05:00

HEY EVERYONE! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT TO BOLD WORDS LOUD TONGUE IV, WE WERE SO HAPPY TO SEE SO MANY OF YOU AT THE EVENT. HERE ARE SOME PICTURES FROM THIS YEAR'S BOLD WORDS, FEATURING PAUL DATEH, DJ NEEBOR, DJ JOHNNY JUICE AND VARIOUS OTHER BC ARTISTS. SEND US ANY COMMENTS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE EVENT OR ANY PICTURES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE!

BOLD WORDS TONIGHT!!!!!

2009-02-09T03:09:00.002-05:00

Bold Words Tonight!!!
VANDY CABERET @ 8PM!!!!

Originally, Paul Dateh was only supposed to be a violinist. Beginning his violin studies at the age of four, it seemed that Dateh’s future in the classical industry was set in stone. But, on his first day at The University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, Dateh suddenly dropped his major in Violin Performance and enrolled in the Jazz Studies program instead. The move shocked his colleagues as it was hard to understand why anyone would walk away from fourteen years of classical training to begin learning an entirely new musical discipline. But, Dateh knew that he wanted to be more than just a classical musician; his goal was to become a musician, in every possible way.

Today, as a singer, an award-winning songwriter, and an instrumentalist, it would appear that Dateh is on track to achieving his goal. His work can be heard on releases by various artists within both mainstream and underground hip hop circles, and he can currently be seen performing throughout the United States with his band “The Live Movement”.

politcal spotlight

2009-01-27T15:58:00.007-05:00

Title: Probe questions fate of refugees in Thailand

Short Summary:

As hungry Rohingya refugees (members of a Muslim minority group) arrived at the shores of Thailand, they had thought they were finally free of the hard-line military regime of Myanmar (aka Burma). However, CNN investigation has found that at the hands of Thai authorities, the refugees have been towed out to sea, cut loose and abandoned and set adrift. The Rohingya, a persecuted minority in Myanmar, have been fleeing their country in boats for years, in search of a better life. One of the sources from the Thai military claimed local villagers had become afraid of the hundreds of Rohingya arriving each month, and that they were accusing the refugees of stealing their property and threatening them. CNN asked the government for comment and was told that an investigation was being launched and that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has plans to call an emergency meeting once the country's foreign minister returns from Cambodia.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/25/thailand.refugees/index.html

More tidbits /info about Rohingya people (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4793924.stm )

Burma’s forgotten Rohingya people of wastern Burma’s Arakan State have been called one of the world’s most persecuted people. Some argue they are also one of the most forgotten.

· They are forbidden from marrying or travelling without permission and have no legal right to own land or property
· Not only that but even though groups of them have been living in Burma for hundreds of years, they are also denied citizenship by the country's military government.
· In addition to their almost total lack of legal rights many have been regularly beaten by police, forced to do slave labor and jailed for little or no reason.

New Species in Southeast Asia

2009-01-14T19:02:00.002-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC, December 15, 2008 -- A rat thought extinct for 11 million years and a hot-pink, cyanide-producing dragon millipede are among a thousand new species discovered in the Greater Mekong Region of Southeast Asia in the last decade, according to a new report launched by World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

First Contact in the Greater Mekong reports that 1068 species were discovered or newly identified by science between 1997 and 2007 – which averages two new species a week. This includes the world’s largest huntsman spider, with a foot-long leg span and the Annamite Striped Rabbit, one of several new mammal species found here. New mammal discoveries are a rarity in modern science.

While most species were discovered in the largely unexplored jungles and wetlands, some were first found in the most surprising places. The Laotian rock rat, for example, thought to be extinct 11 million years ago, was first encountered by scientists in a local food market, while the Siamese Peninsula pit viper was found slithering through the rafters of a restaurant in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand.

For the rest of the article, http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2008/WWFPresitem11027.html

Financial Criss Greatly Impacts SEA Countries

2009-01-07T01:08:00.003-05:00

Down and still coupled
By Shawn W Crispin

BANGKOK - With falling exports, declining confidence and tight liquidity squeezed by fleeing foreign capital, Southeast Asia has wholly failed to decouple from the mounting downturns in the United States and Europe. Looking ahead to 2009, the question is not if, but rather how far, the trade-geared economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members will fall in line with the global economy.

As global trade collapses, some of ASEAN's 10 members will be hit harder than others, economists predict. The region's most open economies, namely Singapore and Malaysia, where merchandise exports respectively represent around 200% and 100% of gross domestic product (GDP), will be particularly hard hit. Others including Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, where exports represent a smaller, but still substantial, percentage of GDP will also see declining growth.

Hopes that China - with which ASEAN has a trade surplus driven by exports of raw materials and component electronics and computer parts for re-export to third countries - might buoy the region's economies have faltered with recent softening in China's export figures. Meanwhile, economists say that the stimulus package announced last month by China has been tailored mainly to tide over the domestic economy and Beijing has indicated no plans or extraordinary measures to lift the region's sinking economies.

Link to rest of article: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JL25Ae01.html

MUY THAI RECAP!

2008-12-14T01:30:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for coming out to our Muy Thai event!!!

Here are the recaps to what went on!!

Comment of the photos on if you like them or not we orrrrr

if you liked the event or not... we love to hear from you!

Legacies of War

2008-12-05T15:15:00.003-05:00

Films, Lectures Deal with Laotian Cluster Bomb Issues

A lecture and film series designed to raise awareness of the issue of cluster bombs in Laos begins at Boston College this month and will continue in the spring semester.

By Patricia Delaney | Deputy Director of Public Affairs

A lecture and film series designed to raise awareness of the issue of cluster bombs in Laos begins at Boston College this month and will continue in the spring semester.

The series, "Legacies of War: The Secret War in Laos and the Continuing Tragedy of Cluster Bombs," will kick off this Sunday, Dec. 7, from 2-4 p.m. in Higgins 300 with a screening of "Bombies." This award-winning 2002 film documents the continuing devastation caused by unexploded cluster bombs – called "bombies" in Laotian – tens of millions of which were dropped on Laos between 1966 and 1973.

Prohibited under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was adopted in Dublin in May and is due to be signed by more than 100 nations in Oslo this month, cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a cluster of smaller bombs over a wide area, many of which do not immediately explode and therefore can kill or maim civilians long after a conflict has ended. Widely used during the Vietnam conflict, cluster bombs are continuing to kill Laotians today.

"Legacies of War" is co-sponsored by the Legacies of War Project — created to raise awareness about the history of the Vietnam War-era bombing in Laos — the Lynch School of Education and the University's Southeast Asian Student Association, among other campus groups.

Phitsamay Sychitkokhong Uy,'95, MEd'96, of the Legacies of War Project, and Prof. Walt Haney (LSOE) will offer remarks at the Dec. 7 event.

Future films screened will include "The Most Secret Place on Earth," a 2008 film which documents the CIA headquarters for the "secret war" in Laos. Located in Long Tieng near the Plain of Jars, this site is still off-limits to visitors. "Bomb Harvest," a 2008 film that follows an Australian bomb removal team in Laos as it struggles to clear unexploded ordnance from Lao villages, schoolyards and fields, also is slated for screening.

For more information see www.legaciesofwar.org/

MUAY THAI exhibition!

2008-11-29T00:17:00.003-05:00

had too much to eat during THANKSGIVING??
this is the perfect opportunity to burn off what you had during the holidays...

Professional MUAY THAI boxers is coming to BC to teach us the thai martial arts.
MUAY THAI has been a prominent art form all throughout Thailand!

If you want a NEW and FUN way to exercise, this is the ideal way to do it!!
Check out the MTV's true life episode- "I'm a Muay Thai Fighter" or Check out these photos and youtube links on Muay Thai boxers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yPfukurJdw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQHB575php0

Festival of Southeast Asian Music

2008-11-19T21:26:00.006-05:00

Join SEASA's eboard on Sunday! Trip to 88 at 12pm, then head out to Tufts!