While the North African revolutions of the past year and a half swept away several long-serving dictators, sadly rulers with an ironclad hold on power remain in various parts of the world. In Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen has ruled the country since 1985 and shows no signs of relinquishing power. He is the longest-serving […]
Indonesia: As an update to the growing backlash in SE Asia over the China-ASEAN FTA, the Berita Jakarta is already blaming the FTA on a decline in exports from Jakarta: It can be seen from the decline in the city’s export value by 4.80 percent or US$ 2.828 billion in January this year, from that […]
Malaysia: The NY Times has an article concerning ANOTHER Anwar Ibrahim trial. Over the last 30 years, Mr. Anwar has not been a stranger to Malaysian jails, nor to the charge of sodomy, but his latest running-a foul with the political elite may have some serious repercussions in Malaysia, as well as to the nation’s […]
*Attention: Readers, I will be taking a two week break from posting. Posting will restart December 20th* Cambodia: More on the battle between soft authoritarian leader, Prime Minister Hun Sen and Cambodian opposition leader, Sam Rainsy. Rainsy’s theatrics concerning a territorial dispute between Vietnam and Cambodia resulted in Hun Sen stripping Rainsy of his parliamentary […]
Cambodia and Thailand – Thailand recalled its ambassador from Cambodia on November 5th over former Thai PM and wanted fugitive, Thaksin Shinawatra’s appointment as economic adviser to Cambodian PM Hun Sen. A few weeks back there were rumors that Shinawatra would be allowed to move to Cambodia, but the Cambodian government denied this after […]
Philippines – As many as 140 people are believed dead and, approximately 300,000 more are displaced in the Greater Manila region in the wake of Typhoon Ketsana. The area is home to 12 million people, and an amazing 80% of the capital has been flooded. Various international aid agencies and the U.S. Navy are helping […]
It seems Cambodia’s ruling party, the People’s Party (KPK), might be learning the art of soft authoritarianism – by legal manipulation from Singapore’s PAP (People’s Action Party). Despite the fact, the KPK won 90 of 123 seats in the last election, the party still feel vulnerable to the press and opposition, because their criticism centers on […]