Stiletto: Old Favorites Find Form

Published on May 1, 2011 by Luke Hunt

Ross Dunkley By Max Kolbe It must be said that China, Burma, Vietnam and Cambodia are hardly darlings of the media establishment. In Beijing they’re jumping at their own shadows in response to the protests that have toppled rulers in the Middle East while thugs in Indochina have come out to play. The Chinese government is threatening to expel foreign journalists as the Jasmine Revolution left dear leaders doubting how much their people actually liked them. Bloomberg’s Stephen Engle was beaten while others were detained. Foreign journalists were also read the riot act and harassed by security forces for turning up at small gatherings of people. Warnings were issued that correspondents risked having their visas revoked and the authorities again....

Weekly News Summary – April 29

Published on Apr 29, 2011 by Luke Hunt

A look at the headlines making news this week from around south-east Asia and a little bit beyond. ASIAWATCH — A delicate truce between Thailand and Cambodia was left in tatters this week, after fresh border clashes broke out over two disputed jungle temples. Both sides accused the other of starting the violence, which killed one Thai soldier. It is the bloodiest fighting in decades and has restarted a dispute that had already displaced tens of thousands of people and killed at least 15 troops. Human rights remained at the forefront of the international community’s engagement with China, with a top US diplomat accusing China of “back-sliding” on the issue. The Chinese government hit back, telling the US not to....

Editor’s Note

Published on Apr 24, 2011 by Luke Hunt

Journalist Luke Hunt (left) on assignment. Bomborra journalists and photographers, among them Luke Hunt, recently traveled through Southeast India, predominantly in the state of Tamil Nadu,  on a series of assignments. Along the way he undertook three photo essays; India Beach, Temples & Tamil Nadu and Indian Streets. His work is on display here. .

An Australian Facelift for Anzac Day

Published on Apr 24, 2011 by Luke Hunt

In the East Malaysian state of Sabah, efforts are underway to clean up World War Two memorial sites in time for this year’s Anzac Day. The sites on Borneo island, which was liberated from Japanese occupation by Australian troops towards the end of the war, have become more important to annual commemorations. Read and listen from Radio Australia. .

The Dam Disunited

Published on Apr 24, 2011 by Luke Hunt

Bickering among members of the Mekong River Commission has done nothing to stop the construction of the Xayaburi dam, with the fates of those affected hanging in the balance. Luke Hunt writes. The peace dividend that came with the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s spawned alliances in unlikely places amid a seismic realignment of international politics. Regional deals were done among countries that politicians had previously only dreamed about; among them was the formation of the Mekong River Commission (MRC). .

Indian Streets

Published on Apr 23, 2011 by Luke Hunt

BOMBORRA IMAGES — Bomborra journalists and photographers were recently on assignment in India where they shot these street scenes from Chennai and scenes of everyday life in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu. .

Distant Hope on Forbidding Shores

Published on Apr 23, 2011 by Luke Hunt

For more than a decade people smugglers have sourced their cargo from the wilds of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, and shipped them through Southeast Asian countries, where they are prepared for the trip to Australia and in some cases Canada. Luke Hunt Write for Spectrum. But more recently, their attention has shifted to southeastern India and Tamil Nadu state, where more than 70,000 Tamils who fled decades of civil war in neighbouring Sri Lanka live in refugee camps. The civil war has been over for almost two years after government forces obliterated the Tamil Tiger rebels and their cause, a separate homeland. Now Colombo is urging its citizens to come home, but the likes of G Amarnath are resisting. .

Weekly News Summary – April 22

Published on Apr 22, 2011 by Luke Hunt

Stephen Tucker looks at the headlines making news this week from around south-east Asia and a little bit beyond. On the eve of Good Friday, an Indonesian bomb squad thwarted a terrorist attack by defusing two boxes of explosives hidden near a Jakarta church. Investigators arrested six suspects, who had allegedly posed as toy sellers when planting the 150kg bombs, which had been timed to explode during the religious sermon. More details emerged about China’s plan to double salaries and raise income tax thresholds by 50 percent within the next five years. The tax changes will cost the government USD18 billion per year and will result in an estimated 50 million more people becoming exempt from paying income tax. Lawmakers....

Weekly News Summary – April 15

Published on Apr 15, 2011 by Luke Hunt

Stephen Tucker looks at the headlines making news this week from around south-east Asia and a little bit beyond. The dramatic fallout from last month’s twin natural disasters and the ensuing nuclear crisis continued in Japan this week. The government finally ordered the operator of the nuclear plant damaged by last month’s quake and tsunami pay compensation to 48,000 families affected. Each household will receive 1 million yen (USD12,000), with the total compensation bill estimated to reach a massive USD24 billion. The Japanese government, already suffering from low-approval ratings, had faced intense criticism for not demanding compensation earlier. Residents have been sheltering in temporary evacuation centres for the past month after the nuclear meltdown forced them to flee their homes.....

Temples & Tamil Nadu

Published on Apr 14, 2011 by Luke Hunt

BOMBORRA IMAGES — Temples line the Southeast coast of India in Tamil Nadu, from Chennai to beyond Rameswaram. Hindu, Buddhists, Muslim and Christian dominated the religious landscape of people who largely make their living out of fishing. Photo Feature by Luke Hunt .