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. .

In Myanmar It’s Free Beer But No TIME

Published on Jul 6, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — As Myanmar continues its reform process, the politics is throwing-up a bevy of contrasts – some welcomed and others not. One tour company is offering free beer while the government has banned the recent issue of TIME Magazine, featuring a cover of a Buddhist monk blamed for the recent carnage against Muslims in the country’s north. Read more from Luke Hunt at The Diplomat. .

The Internet in Burma

Published on Jul 5, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — “You’re going to an Internet freedom forum in Burma?” a friend of mine asked me. “Is that even legal?” The question didn’t surprise me. Many still imagine Burma as a place where activists and writers meet covertly in doughnut shops, trailed by secret police, and where bloggers and monks alike are thrown into prison for dissent. Read more from Faine Greenwood in TechPresident. .

Xayaburi Dam Threatens Mekong River’s Giant Catfish

Published on Jul 3, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — The giant catfish is a singular creature. Found swimming in the Mekong River, the beast can weigh as much as 650 pounds and grow up to ten feet long, dwarfing a grown man. A member of the shark catfish family, found throughout Asia, it is not surprising to learn that it is the largest, scale-less freshwater fish in the world. Read more from Jonathan DeHart at The Diplomat. .

Trouble on the Mekong

Published on Jul 3, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Europe’s Pöyry Energy and its controversial role as Xayaburi dam consultant have been challenged under new OECD CSR rules. Its turbulent currents snake their way through the tropical heart of Southeast Asia. The 4,880-kilometer Mekong river hosts the iconic giant catfish, the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin and the largest inland fisheries in the world. Its vast biodiversity – second only to the Amazon – offers myriad opportunities for ecotourism development. Read more from Tom Fawthrop in The Diplomat. .