Marwaan Macan-Markar

Marwaan Macan-Markar writes for Inter Press Service.

Cluster Munitions Treaty Leaves US Behind

BANGKOK – A campaign to rid the world of cluster munitions has still to rope in the U.S. government, a major producer and stockpiler of the deadly payload, on the eve of a key global conference in Laos to ban its production and use. The mixed messages that Washington has been sending are expected to … Continue reading “Cluster Munitions Treaty Leaves US Behind”

Laos Takes Center Stage in Cluster Bombs Treaty

BANGKOK – After being relegated to the shadows for decades by its more powerful neighbors, Laos is finally taking the lead role in a global campaign to ban the use of cluster bombs. It is a role that the poverty-stricken South-east Asian nation of 6.3 million people easily qualifies for. After all, it is the … Continue reading “Laos Takes Center Stage in Cluster Bombs Treaty”

Khmer Rouge Trials May Expose US, China

PHNOM PENH – Limits placed on a United Nations-backed war-crimes tribunal in prosecuting surviving leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime may not prevent revelations about international actors linked to Cambodia’s dark period. It ranges from the period of Khmer Rouge history that the court will consider, a geographic limit to account for only atrocities … Continue reading “Khmer Rouge Trials May Expose US, China”

Thailand’s Malay-Muslim Insurgency Gaining Ground

BANGKOK – Their identities may still be a mystery, but suspected Malay-Muslim militants in southern Thailand are removing any doubts about what they have in mind when they come calling. They want to prove that the Thai government is losing control of that troubled region, say analysts. Tuesday night saw the latest of well-coordinated bombing … Continue reading “Thailand’s Malay-Muslim Insurgency Gaining Ground”

Thailand: Abuses Continue Despite Law’s Defeat

BANGKOK – By shooting down a plan to give the country’s police wide powers to go after suspected Muslim insurgents in the south, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has generated an image that he might care about human rights after all. That impression was amplified Saturday, when Deputy Prime Minister Visanu Krua-ngam was quoted in … Continue reading “Thailand: Abuses Continue Despite Law’s Defeat”

Burma Prisoner Release May Be Just a Ploy

BANGKOK – The initial euphoria that greeted the freedom granted to nearly 4,000 prisoners, recently released from jails in military-ruled Burma, seems to be dissipating fast. For all it may be, this amnesty might not necessarily translate into possible political reform. The profile of most prisoners freed, the timing of their release, and the reasons … Continue reading “Burma Prisoner Release May Be Just a Ploy”

Asia Still Dangerous for Journalists

BANGKOK – It may have one of the most vibrant media environments in Asia – with journalists having freedom to write just about anything – yet the Philippines ranks after Iraq as one of the deadliest places for reporters. Eight journalists have been killed in that Southeast Asian archipelago this year, one more than the … Continue reading “Asia Still Dangerous for Journalists”

Thai Muslims Doubt Official Version of Killings

BANGKOK – The Thai government’s credibility among the country’s Muslim minority has taken a nosedive thanks to the cavalier approach Bangkok has adopted in explaining the deaths of 78 men and boys while in military custody following a protest early this week in the southern province of Narathiwat. Outraged Muslim leaders have dismissed the defiant … Continue reading “Thai Muslims Doubt Official Version of Killings”

Deaths in Custody Could Inflame Thailand’s Muslim South

BANGKOK – A clash at the start of this week between hundreds of Muslim protesters and heavily armed Thai troops in the country’s south – which left over 80 dead – has delivered a blow to Bangkok’s view that it has the local communities on its side. The showdown on Monday that initially resulted in … Continue reading “Deaths in Custody Could Inflame Thailand’s Muslim South”

Burmese Democracy Off Radar Screen With Hardliners in Control

BANGKOK – By dismissing the country’s prime minister in an unprecedented manner, Burma‘s military leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe has affirmed that the junta’s hardliners will stop at nothing to retain their grip on power. Few Burma watchers expected Gen. Khin Nyunt’s end as the nominated prime minister of the military regime to come so … Continue reading “Burmese Democracy Off Radar Screen With Hardliners in Control”