Thai Rice and Those Rumours

Published on Aug 11, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — It has  not been a happy second anniversary for the government of Yingluck Shinawatra. Thousands of diehard opponents of her elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra, himself a former prime minister, took to the streets of Bangkok on August 7th to protest against a bill that could grant Mr Thaksin an amnesty for past offences and open up the possibility of his return from exile. Probably Ms Yingluck is used by now to these kinds of protests, along with the usual rumours of coups. More worrying, perhaps, is widespread and growing dismay over her government’s economic performance, supposedly its strong suit. Read more from The Economist. .

Does Thai Amnesty Bill Herald Thaksin’s Return?

Published on Aug 10, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Bangkok is on edge this week as parliament debates a proposed bill that would provide amnesty for political offenders involved in bouts of unrest that have occurred in the country since the ouster of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on September 19, 2006. The proppsed bill is intended to promote political reconciliation following Thaksin’s ouster in 2006. Headlines have splashed across the front pages of local newspapers this week surrounding escalating tensions and rumors of a potential clash. On Wednesday some 2,000 opposition Democratic supporters convened outside the gates of the parliament building to protest the proposed legislation. A police cordon surrounded the building, which protesters did not attempt to breach despite earlier threats. Read more....

Armed Units Deployed in Phnom Penh

Published on Aug 9, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Approximately 100 members from each unit of the armed forces, military police and National Police have been deployed to Phnom Penh to “ensure political stability and security” until the new government is formed, a military police official said. Read more from Vong Sokheng, Cheang Sokha and Abby Seiff in The Phnom Penh Post. .

The Great Southeast Asian Land Grab

Published on Aug 8, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Conflict over land tenure in Southeast Asia’s rural areas has emerged as a key issue for the region. To achieve goals such as economic development and poverty reduction in rural areas, governments in the region have pursued policies to attract investment from large corporate entities both domestically and internationally, to undertake projects on “vacant” and “unused” land that promise to bolster the economy and create jobs. Read more from John Cherry in The Diplomat. .

Thailand’s Proposed Amnesty Law Sows Seeds of Discontent

Published on Aug 7, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — The rumor mill in Thailand is working overdrive again. Protestors are taking to the streets ahead of government plans to pass an amnesty law that would protect hundreds from prosecution and perhaps clear a path for the return of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat. .

Sar Kheng also Warns of Conflict

Published on Aug 6, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Monday warned of “trouble” if opposition leader Sam Rainsy does not return to the negotiating table to hammer out a solution to a stalemate between the CPP and the opposition over irregularities during the July 28 national election. Read more from  Hul Reaksmey in The Cambodia Daily. .

Trial by Media in Pol Pot’s Dock

Published on Jul 18, 2013 by Luke Hunt

By Luke Hunt ASIAWATCH — Almost four decades after the Khmer Rouge marched Into Phnom Penh the work of journalists and photographers from that tragic era is finally being laid bare before a war crimes tribunal which prosecutors hope will put away Pol Pot’s remaining henchmen. Importantly, the scope of their evidence and who can testify is limited by the court’s mandate which is consigned to judging crimes and hearing evidence from events that occurred strictly under the Khmer Rouge rule, from April 17, 1975 to January 9, 1979. Among the most prominent was the New York Times correspondent Sydney Schanberg who spoke of the forced evacuations ordered after the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh and how one Khmer woman....

EDIT Free Papua Movement Leader Vows to Fight On

Published on Jul 12, 2013 by Luke Hunt

In a rare interview, the one-legged commander of a Papuan militant group, Danny Kogoya, has vowed to return to the jungle to fight and continue a 50-year struggle against Indonesian rule in the country’s far-east and resource-rich province of Papua.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Vietnam Declared Free of Weapons Grade Uranium

Published on Jul 11, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — After ten years of painstaking planning and meticulous work, Vietnam has been declared free of weapons-grade uranium by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after an international effort at the Dalat national research center, which was powered by nuclear fuel supplied by Russia. Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat. .

Fires Demonstrate Danger of Nuclear Power in Asia

Published on Jul 7, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST ASIA CORRESPONDENT — After forest fires raged across the island of Sumatra for a week, swaddling Singapore and parts of Malaysia in dense, toxic haze, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on June 24 was contrite. “I, as the president, apologize and seek the understanding of our brothers and sisters in Singapore and Malaysia,” Mr. Yudhoyono said. “Indonesia had no intention to cause this.” But Indonesia has long failed to effectively manage this threat. For Indonesians, but also others in the region, the fires should be a wake-up call because their governments want to build nuclear power plants to generate carbon-free electricity their economies will need. Read more from Mark Hibbs in The Diplomat. .