Red shirts. Yellow shirts. Blue Shirts. Pink Shirts. White Shirts. Orange Shirts. Purple Shirts. Black Shirts. Be careful what you wear in Thailand today because your politics are determined by the color of your shirt. One writer suggests that tourists should wear floral shirts in Thailand in order not to be identified with any of [...]
Floods, virus scares, moderate quakes, a refugee scandal and job losses – these were the major disasters to hit Southeast Asia in the last two months. A superstitious person might say these were ominous signs for the future. Things may get worse once the full impact of the global economic crisis is felt in the [...]
February 10, 2009 – 4:54 am
There is a disturbing trend of legal repression in many Asian countries. Human rights abuses are on the rise, the legal profession is under attack and the independence of courts is compromised. Human rights lawyer and UPI-Asia columnist Basil Fernando has written several articles about the creeping repression in Sri Lanka. State and non-state elements [...]
January 12, 2009 – 3:28 am
Malaysia: Praise for the mysterious masked man, Philippines: Phenomenal video protests, and Malaysia: Campaign to boycott US goods – posts written for Global Voices. The year 2008 will be remembered in the future for two world-changing events: U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s electoral victory and the Wall Street crash. The year was also memorable because many [...]
January 1, 2009 – 2:16 pm
Myanmar: Nine activists arrested during peaceful march; and Thailand: Revenge of the reds – posts written for Global Voices. In the previous post (Southeast Asia: Newsmakers of 2008), I wrote about the major events that took place in Southeast Asia. In this article, I will highlight other less popular stories which became controversial as well. [...]
December 31, 2008 – 4:19 pm
The big story of the year in Southeast Asia was the global economic downturn. A rice and food price crisis hit the region last summer, compounded by the dramatic rise of oil and gas prices. When prices of these commodities began to stabilize, Wall Street announced the crash of several banks and major financial institutions [...]
December 11, 2008 – 5:12 am
Links: Examples of health-related projects in Brunei. The importance of not losing face in Thai society. The largest Facebook group in Singapore. The bindabaat practice in Laos. Two posts for Global Voices: Thailand political crisis: Reactions from the region and Thailand: Foreigner who stayed in the airport blockade. It was the judiciary that ordered Thailand’s [...]
December 4, 2008 – 6:14 am
Global Voices has created a special coverage page about the airport chaos in Bangkok. I wrote these roundups: – Thailand: Airports reopen but crisis not yet over – Thailand: Airport crisis hurting ordinary persons. The New York Times links to the post. – Thailand: How will the airport chaos end? Read the French translation. – [...]
November 21, 2008 – 3:02 am
Links: Rats invading the fields in west Myanmar. Thailand bans websites that insult the monarchy. Press freedom index in Malaysia. Indonesia’s anti-porn law. There are numerous border disputes in Southeast Asia. The most well-known case today involves the historic Preah Vihear temple and the four square kilometers of territory around it, which are claimed by [...]
October 16, 2008 – 4:47 am
Links: Literacy education among Vietnam’s ethnic population. Avril Lavigne is too sexy for some Malaysian politicians. Singapore is harassing Burmese activists. Laos is pronounced as Lao (silent ‘s’). Indonesia: Views on the U.S. Financial Crisis, a post written for Global Voices. Read the Bangla translation. Check out my profile in Voices Without Votes. Blog Action Day [...]
