Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK – The start of Ramadan this Friday, when pious Muslims seek to cleanse their souls and come together in the name of peace, sees mosques in southern Thailand taking center stage in a region racked by recent violence and bloody killings. The holiest month in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is a haram time when … Continue reading “Ramadan in Thailand: Hope, Fear and Brutality”

BANGKOK – One of Asia’s most colorful monarchs, Cambodia‘s King Norodom Sihanouk, has plunged his country into a constitutional crisis following Thursday’s announcement that he is abdicating. The 82-year-old king’s decision was revealed on the day he was due back in the country from China, where he has been in self-imposed exile since the beginning … Continue reading “Sihanouk’s Abdication Catches Nation by Surprise”

BANGKOK – The showdown between Burma‘s military regime and the European Union (EU) at this weekend’s meeting of Asian and European leaders has propelled into one that could damage the EU’s stature if Rangoon does not blink. As it is, the stakes have never been higher. The Europeans are threatening the junta with plans to … Continue reading “EU Threatens Burma With More Sanctions”

BANGKOK – By permitting judges to arm themselves in the southern provinces, Thailand has conceded that it faces a daunting task in trying to control violence in the region, which now seems to have taken a turn for the worse. This week’s decision by the Office of the Judiciary for court officers to be armed … Continue reading “Thai Civilians Urged to Arm Against Muslim Insurgents”

BANGKOK – A United Nations official is blaming the Burmese military government’s restrictive agriculture policies for driving villages in two border regions of the country into further poverty. The government restricts the free movement of agriculture products in these regions and prevents the trade of farm products between ethnic groups, Sheila Sisulu, deputy executive director … Continue reading “UN Official Blames Burma’s Junta for Impoverishing Villagers”

BANGKOK – By throwing his weight behind the legitimacy of Burma’s opposition party, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has deprived Burmese Prime Minister Khin Nyunt of claiming political progress to mark his first anniversary in office. Annan’s statement on Tuesday goes to the heart of what the Burmese military government has been avoiding – to permit … Continue reading “UN Sees Opportunity to Turn Screws on Burma”

Over two years after being freed from torture in a prison in Laos, Kay Danes is still haunted by the physical and psychological pain she endured for 10 months. While this Australian mother of two recalls being regularly pistol whipped, threatened with death, mocked and ridiculed by her jailers in 2000, her husband Kerry was … Continue reading “We Can Torture, but You Better Not”

Southeast Asian regimes known for their human rights violations are receiving a reminder here of how close the US government is to marching in their step, including having the habit of detaining without trial people deemed to be national security threats. On Friday, a senior US official appealed for more global understanding about a this … Continue reading “On Rights, US Government Not Too Far from Asian Regimes”

Asian governments should embrace the global free trade system as a way to lift the region’s millions out of abject poverty, senior development officials told a high-level conference here Monday. Any cooperation between countries across Asia “should pay particular attention to activities that would help achieve the immense potentials for fair trade expansion unleashed by … Continue reading “Asian Officials: Free Trade Will Help Crush Poverty”

Over a decade after the United Nations claimed as a success story the restoration of democracy in war-ravaged Cambodia, the Southeast Asian country is exposing this achievement to be much less than what it has been vaunted to be. Democratic processes like elections are meant to create societies that work for a country’s citizens. But … Continue reading “Cambodia’s Crisis Puts UN ‘Success’ Into Question”