Myanmar, Burma, Living in La La Land

Published on May 31, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Burmese authorities, including President Thein Sein, are living with their collective heads in the clouds. The idea that a government can single out one ethnic minority and restrict their breeding to two children is as obscene as it is illegal, a form of ethnic cleansing that should warrant the attention of prosecutors at the international Criminal Court (ICC). Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat. .

Afghanistan Braces for Withdrawal of Coalition Forces

Published on May 25, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — After the U.S. and its allies pull their combat troops out of Afghanistan next year, one of two unpleasant things will happen: civil war or the once unthinkable return of the Taliban to a role in the government. Or both. Read more from Terry Friel in the May 24 – 30 edition of The Edge Review.   .

Unions ‘Key to Reform’ in Garment Industry

Published on May 25, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Dave Welsh was running slightly late for his appointment with the Review’s Luke Hunt in Phnom Penh after a walkway into a garment factory collapsed injuring 23 people. This followed a roof collapse in a Cambodian shoe factory which left three dead and a further six injured and last month’s horrendous disaster in Bangladesh when an entire building caved-in killing 1,127 people, the worst accident in the history of the garment industry. Read more: Pages 66 & 67 in the May 24 -30 edition of The Edge Review. .

Outrage as Sharia Court Allows Rapist to Marry 13 yo Victim

Published on May 24, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Complications arising from overlapping state laws with religion are never-ending, particularly with Islam. Much of Borneo and the former British colonies on the island were Christian before what is now the state of Sabah and Sarawak (aka East Malaysia) entered a federation with Muslim Malaysia. As Malaysia evolved so did internal migration and cross-culture absurdities inevitably came about. This reality was highlighted this week by a case involving a Muslim man who raped a 12-year-old girl and was able to obtain permission to marry her under Sharia law – avoiding prosecution in the process. Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat. .

Water, the Great Regional Threat

Published on May 23, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — For decades, long-range forecasters have been predicting that water – and a lack of it – loomed as the biggest threat to regional security. Booming populations, food security, the occasional drought and competition among neighboring countries for dwindling resources made for a pessimistic outlook. Much of this was pushed down the policy totem pole over the last decade as religion and long standing territorial disputes remerged to challenge Asian diplomats. However, the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand attempted to put water firmly back on the agenda. Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat. .