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South East Asia
Aung San Suu Kyi for President?
Recent signs point to Aung San Suu Kyi being able to vie for president in the 2015 elections. First, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has formally proposed amending a proviso in the constitution that bars her from being a candidate for the top leadership post. Clause 59(f)…
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South East Asia
Lessons from ASEAN engagement with Myanmar
In the mass media, Korea is mentioned more often than not as a wholesome personality. It is when the headlines turn to “Tension in the Korean Peninsula” that its split personality becomes evident. Then we begin to see Korea described in diverse terms such as North and South as well…
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East Asia
Press freedom struggles symbolise ‘Gwangju Spirit’
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the wily general Tsao Tsao, noted for his one-upmanship, often claims credit for himself whenever his lieutenant comes up with battle plans by declaring, “What you have just said is already in my mind.” I do not see myself doing a Tsao Tsao…
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South East Asia
Clash of values over Bukit Brown, Singapore’s ‘Angkor’
In 1860, the jungles of Cambodia yielded a hidden secret when French naturalist Henri Mouhot stumbled upon the ruins of Angkor Thom. Intriguing wall figures and building architecture had led him to the long-lost Bagon at Kampong Thom in the deep forests of the Tonle Sap Lake, of whose grandeur…
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East Asia
‘Uncrowned king’ throws book back at China’s judicial system
He might be hailed an “uncrowned king” in media circles but the Chinese authorities had him by their book. Hong Kong correspondent Ching Cheong, whose perspectives are greatly influenced by the Chinese traditional portrayal of a journalist, found himself labeled a spy by the Communist government in Beijing. He was…
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South East Asia
Which comes first – democracy or economic development?
Myanmar’s momentous make-over efforts have raised a partisan poser: which comes first – democracy or economic development? The complementary yet competitive approaches to change-making adopted by President Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi have called into question their different priorities. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party…
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East Asia
Common Sense Approach to Conflicts in East Asia
Joint Project between the Northeast Asian History Foundation and The AsiaN *Editor’s Note: Security in East Asia is swaying in a rough sea. North Korea’s nuclear crisis has been highly elated amid existing territorial disputes and deep-rooted conflicts between nations in the region. South Korea, China and Japan, the countries…
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South East Asia
Press Freedom in Digital Era – Promises & Perils
*Editor’s Note: Ivan Lim, President of Asia Journalist Association, gave keynote speech at the 13th ICT Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal on February 9. The conference was hosted by the Computer Association of Nepal and the Internet Society of Nepal in an attempt to promote “E-democracy in Nepal.” Participants include experts from Nepali parliaments,…
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South East Asia
A Rightful Place for the Indigenous People in the Heart of Borneo
IT could well have been a plot from Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness. Except that, instead of the African Congo, the clashes between the aboriginal inhabitants and timber tycoons were taking place in the Borneo jungles of South-east Asia. And what an unequal clash of cultures that was breaking…
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The AsiaN in Arabic: A timely & win-win news service to meet needs of Asia and Arab world
“Instead of reading only Shakespeare, Arabs should also read Chinese and Indian literature and poetry in Arabic,” a speaker at the Arab Look East symposium told me. Then paraphrasing a Mahatma Gandhi he added: “Open the windows so you get air and light from all directions. Only don’t let it…
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