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Asia Economy: Tamed Asian Tigers, Distressed Chinese Dragon
by Brian P. Klein and Kenneth Neil Cukier
Since the 1960s, Asian economies have focused primarily on exports. It was the key to success in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Much of Southeast Asia and China soon followed suit. Over the past decade, the region's exports have increased from 37 percent to 47 percent of GDP. By hitching their wagons to exports, however, Asian countries left themselves vulnerable to a drop-off in Western consumption
Students die in India bus crash
At least 26 students are killed and dozens hurt when a bus plunges into a river in India's northern state of Rajasthan.
Air strike in Pakistan kills nine
Pakistani fighter jets target suspected Taliban hideouts in the north-western Orakzai tribal area, killing at least nine.
Two held for Mumbai 'attack plot'
Police in the Indian city of Mumbai say they have arrested two men suspected of plotting to attack an oil firm and shops.
Soldier killed in Kashmir blast
Police in Indian-administered Kashmir say an Indian soldier has been killed and five others wounded in a blast in the capital, Srinagar.
Afghan attack 'was warning to US'
Bomb attacks on the Afghan city of Kandahar were a warning to US and Nato forces not to target the region, the Taliban say.
Suicide bomb hits Pakistan's Swat
A suicide bomber in a rickshaw kills at least 10 people in Pakistan, a day after twin blasts leave dozens dead in Lahore.
Alarm over S Lanka 'rights abuse'
A panel of international lawyers expresses alarm over reported intimidation of rights activists in Sri Lanka.
Tamils drop statehood demand
The Sri Lankan political party closest to the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels drops a demand for a separate Tamil homeland.
Karzai U-turn on polling watchdog
The Afghan president agrees to let two foreigners sit on a key election monitoring body, reversing a previous decision.
Indian tribal bamboo dance sets new world record
A bamboo dance performed by tribals in India's northeast is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the "largest and longest bamboo dance".
Number of Indian billionaires 'doubled in 2009'
The number of billionaires in India doubled in 2009, Forbes magazine says.
Quota bill is a historic victory for India's women
Soutik Biswas on life in India
Live - Bangladesh v England
Bangladesh crumble to 125-5 at tea on day four of the first Test, chasing an unlikely 513 to win, as England close in on victory in Chittagong.
Pakistan accept Davis Cup switch
Pakistan give up hope of hosting their Davis Cup tie against New Zealand after Friday's suicide attacks which killed 54 people in Lahore.
'Slave brides'
South Asian women allege abuse by British in-laws
Warzone practice
How US trains civilians for big Afghan surge roles
Paradise lost?
Bulldozers menace remote beauty of Indian state
State of drinkers
Why Kerala has India's biggest alcohol problem
In pictures
Twin suicide blasts hit the Pakistani city of Lahore
Wiring the village
Doctors reach rural Bangladesh via the web
Funeral held for Karachi cleric
Security is tight in the Pakistani city of Karachi as funerals are held for a Sunni Muslim cleric and four others killed on Thursday.
Russia signs India nuclear deal
Russia's state-owned nuclear company says the country will build at least 12 nuclear reactors in India.
Kidnap boy's father helps police
The father of a five-year-old boy kidnapped in Pakistan is helping officers in the search for his son, police have said.
Pakistan navy test fires missiles
Pakistan's navy successfully test-fires missiles and torpedoes from ships, submarines and aircraft in the Arabian sea, officials say.
IPL under way amid security fears
The third season of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament is under way amid heavy security in Mumbai.
Modi faces Gujarat riot questions
The chief minister of India's Gujarat state, Narendra Modi, is summoned to appear before an inquiry into riots in 2002.
India suspends 'obscene' channel
India suspends Fashion TV for 10 days for showing topless models during a show last year.
Afghan plea for 'no proxy wars'
Afghanistan does not want other countries' "proxy wars" fought on its soil, President Hamid Karzai says in Islamabad.
Sri Lanka general trial date set
Defeated Sri Lankan presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka is to be put on military trial next week, officials say.
Pakistan kidnap boy not released
The Foreign Office says a five-year-old boy from Oldham kidnapped in Pakistan has not been released.
Afghan police drug abuse 'rife'
Drug abuse is rife in the Afghan police force with up to 40% of recruits testing positive in some areas, a US report says.
India rebel offensive intensifies
Indian security forces step up their operations against Maoist rebels, security officials say.
Pakistan drone raid 'kills 12'
Two missile strikes by US drone aircraft kill at least 12 suspected militants in north-west Pakistan, security officials say.
India's Essar 'planning UK float'
Indian conglomerate Essar Group is reported to be planning to float on the London Stock Exchange, a move that could raise up to $3bn.
India to review economy stimulus
India's government unveils its annual budget, saying that stimulus measures introduced to boost growth must be reviewed.
Cricket battle for Pakistan
Why Pakistan bans may have come five years too late
Thin red line against Taliban
Lone stand of anti-Taliban militia in Pakistan
'Liberation for Indian women'
Celebrated dancer Mallika Sarabhai explains what reserving parliamentary seats for women in India means to her.
Indian views on women's quotas
BBC News spoke to people in the capital, Delhi, about their views on the women's quota bill
Afghan war-weariness
Kabul residents determined to get on with life
Sri Lanka: 'Fractured democracy'
People in Sri Lanka discuss the latest political developments as they prepare for general elections in April.
BBC News | World | South Asia | UK Edition
Get the latest BBC News from South Asia: breaking news, features, analysis and debate plus audio and video coverage from across the South Asia region.
Where Have All the Fish Gone?
The collapse of America’s West Coast Salmon fishery has an eerily familiar ring to it. Are the oceans dying?
Rice Shortages Could Fuel Unrest
Food shortages in southeast Asia could foreshadow a coming global food crisis.
Selling America for Designer Boots, Top Hats and Thimbles
Like a near-concluded game of Monopoly, America is selling off its last properties to maintain its lavish lifestyle.
Russia Bolstering Its Position Via Strategic Arms Sales
Russian President Vladimir Putin is strengthening his Asian alliances using a potentially dangerous tool.
Australian Stock Market Plunges
Yesterday’s tumble in Australia’s stock market traces back to problems in the U.S. housing market.
China Plays Nice With Neighbors
Beijing continues its policy of courting rather than confronting certain states. It will remember to collect those favors.
Thailand's Royal Anchor
As civil unrest continues in the south of the country, the people of Thailand look to their enduring monarch as a firm anchor in a time of increasing turmoil.
Asia's Economic Integration Continues
Growth in trade between China and ASEAN is laying the groundwork for a free-trade zone throughout Asia. This trend has huge implications worthy of considering.
Bali Blasts: Terror Returns to Southeast Asia
What terrorism in Indonesia means for the Western world, Asia and radical Islam.
Changing of the Guard
The decline of U.S.-British control over the world’s sea gates
Why Indonesia Matters
Now that President Suharto has resigned, everything is back to normal in Indonesia, right? Wrong. Massive forces of anarchy are at work, and the potential for global economic disaster still exists. As much as one-half of world trade is at risk and radical Islam may be stalking Indonesia!
Rescuing the Rich
In Southeast Asia, currency devaluations and other austerity measures imposed by the International Monetary Fund are devastationg common workers while wealthy investors and bankers are being bailed out. Fair? No. Typical? Very!
theTrumpet.com: Southeast Asia
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Nobel Laureates Urge Inquiry into Junta Crimes
Because the Burmese Constitution provides immunity for the junta and its crimes, the only hope for prosecution is through international law.
Japan and Southeast Asia Take Stock of China's Rise
As China's economic and political rise makes itself felt in Asia, Japan and Southeast Asia face serious foreign policy dilemmas in the coming years.
China-U.S. Rivalry Intensifies
Obama is set to meet the Dalai Lama, while the United States and China have already had a number of issues stoking the contention and competition between them recently.
Taiwan's Relief Efforts in Haiti
The people and government of Taiwan are no strangers to natural disaster, and their history has galvanized them to do as much as possible to help bring Haiti to its feet.
Forced Repatriation of Karen Refugees
Despite the risk of land mines and the fact that many refugees don't want to go, the Thai government is set to start moving Karen refugees back to Burma this month.
Announcement of Burmese Election?
Sources close to Burma's junta leader say that an announcement may be coming in February regarding a timetable for an upcoming election.
The Political Role of Nepalese Women
Although women in Nepal have made great strides in recent decades, taking on greater roles in politics, leadership is needed to further their advancement.
Nobel Laureates Urge Inquiry into Junta Crimes
Because the Burmese Constitution provides immunity for the junta and its crimes, the only hope for prosecution is through international law.
Chinese Public Opposes Great Firewall
Not surprisingly, the people of China are not happy with the way their government is monitoring and filtering material on the Internet.
Churches Bear Brunt of Anger in Malaysia
A court ruling to allow the use of the word "Allah" in Christian publications is causing divisions among the diverse people of Malaysia.
The Stolen Generations of Australia
Three decades after a brutal period in their history, indigenous Australians are still struggling for land rights and identity on their native soil.
Karen Refugees Have a White Christmas in Ireland
With the level of destruction in Burma on scale with Darfur, some Karen refugees are resettling in the cold climate of Ireland.
Lament over Democracy in Fiji
Fiji has been battling ethnic, political and military complexities for decades, complexities that tend to be oversimplified when diagnosed by media outlets of neighboring countries.
Burma Threatens Thailand's Stability
According to Bangkok's governor, the Myanmar army in neighboring Burma is a force of regional instability and fueling an arms race.
India and Pakistan Post-26/11
Since the attacks on Mumbai, India has taken steps to prevent another atrocity. Their Pakistani neighbors, however, are another story.
Looking Beyond the U.S.-Asean Summit
Although Obama may have met with leaders of Southeast Asia as a way to counter China, the economic interests of the United States, China and the rest of Southeast Asia are very much tied up with one another.
Hun Sen Upsets Thailand's Apple Cart
The Cambodian prime minister is rattling the cage of neighboring Thailand by offering its ousted ex-premier a position as an economics advisor.
The Yuan Underrated, China Overrated
Despite the appreciation that China's currency has seen, and despite the American debt it holds, China still had a long way to go if it is to step to the forefront of innovation.
Taiwan's Vision for International Climate Change Cooperation
Taiwan intends to share its environmental protection initiatives with the international community, working in multilateral collaboration to safeguard both environmental and human health.
China: Media Summit Participants Should Push for Press Freedom
Although the Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, both Chinese journalists and foreign correspondents are regularly harassed, detained, and intimidated by government officials.
All in on Climate Change
Australian Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull is willing to put his leadership on the line over carbon emissions.
Nepali Students in New York Call for Government Accountability
Demonstrators aimed to remind Nepalis everywhere that they have to take an active role in holding their government accountable for its promises.
Short-Stay Trips to China
Even in a limited timeframe, a visit to Beijing and Xian can offer a remarkable package of destinations, from Tiananmen Square to the Great Wall.
Indian Festivals Celebrate Communal Harmony
Despite terrorist attacks in the country, Indian festivals continue to set examples of religious brotherhood and encourage unity in diversity.
Ten-Year Anniversary in East Timor
After 10 years of independence, which were preceded by 24 brutal years of occupation, East Timor continues its long, steady climb out of devastation.
Ghosts from Past Continue To Haunt India's B.J.P. Party
Internal struggles continue to stall India's political development, while a younger, more progressive generation tries to push toward modernity.
Encomium for the Life of Sardar Patel
India's influential statesman had a massive effect on India in terms of civil disobedience, the national liberation movement and diplomatic relations throughout his life.
Asian News from World Press Review
World News Review
Top UN official for Afghanistan arrives in Kabul to begin work
The experienced international diplomat Staffan de Mistura arrived on Saturday in Kabul to take up his post as the top United Nations official in Afghanistan, saying he was starting work at a “very critical period in Afghan history.”
Pakistan: Ban speaks out against string of deadly attacks
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned a wave of attacks in Pakistan in recent days which have claimed dozens of lives, including those of aid workers helping the country's most vulnerable.
Nepal's leaders must move peace process forward, says UN political chief
Now is the time for Nepal's leaders to move the stalled peace process, which ended a bloody decade-long civil war, forward, the top United Nations political official said today, voicing optimism that a solution will be reached.
Tajikistan: UN helping to boost resilience to natural disasters
The United Nations is helping Tajikistan, a mountainous country prone to natural disasters, enhance its capacity to withstand catastrophes such as floods, avalanches and earthquakes which often destroy homes in the Central Asian nation.
Safety of aid workers crucial, UN officials say after murders in Pakistan
United Nations officials today condemned the murder of six aid workers in north-west Pakistan, the latest in a series of attacks against the humanitarian community in the South Asian nation.
Restoring trust vital to spurring on Nepal's peace process - UN political chief
All parties involved in Nepal's peace process must demonstrate their commitment to peace and the democratic process and not get bogged down in short-term political maneuvering, the top United Nations political official said today.
UN and Timor-Leste will work together closely on remaining tasks, says envoy
The United Nations and the Government of Timor-Leste will be consulting closely on how the world body can best support the country's efforts to secure a stable and prosperous future between now and 2012, when it is expected that the UN mission will close its operations there, said a senior official.
UN political chief arrives in Nepal as appeal for aid is launched
The top United Nations political official arrived in Nepal today for a three-day visit to assess the state of the peace process which ended 10 years of fighting between the Government and Maoists.
General Assembly President travels to Asia for two-nation tour
The President of the General Assembly is on his way to the Republic of Korea and the Philippines for talks with senior officials from both countries that will focus on interfaith dialogue, economic development and other issues.
Myanmar: Secretary-General voices concern at new electoral laws
New electoral laws unveiled by authorities in Myanmar do not meet international expectations of what is required for an inclusive political process in the Asian country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today.
UN News Centre - Asia Pacific
A world of news from the world organization.
'Red shirt' protesters march to Thai military base
Thousands of anti-government protesters started to move towards a military base in Bangkok where Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has his crisis headquarters, putting pressure on him to call fresh elections
SE Asia arms purchases fuel fears of clashes
Military analysts are warning that China's increased regional power has caused its south-east Asian neighbours to step up their own defence purchases
Bangkok faces mass protests
Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have descended on Bangkok for six days of protests designed to force the government to resign and call elections
China hits at currency 'protectionism'
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao warns other countries that pressuring China over its currency policy was equivalent to protectionism
Wen hits back on exchange rate
Wen Jiabao, Chinese premier, has warned other countries that pressing China on currency policy amounted to protectionism and insisted that the renminbi was not...
Google '99% certain' to shut China engine
The US company has drawn up plans for the closure of its Chinese search engine and is now '99.9% certain' to go ahead as talks over censorship with the authorities have reached impasse
Funding squeeze spurs student backlash
After a 40-year absence, revolution is again in the air in California, with university students taking to the streets to mount noisy and increasingly angry protests...
Obama delays Asia trip after healthcare reform troubles
In a new sign of the difficulties facing healthcare reform legislation, Barack Obama, the president, yesterday delayed his trip to Asia by three days to try to push...
Tensions grow over Beijing's currency policy
China and the US traded barbs yesterday over the economy and human rights, raising the temperature ahead of a possible showdown over currency policy next month. Su...
Games prey on your mind
Video games are increasingly sophisticated and subtle. Designing machines to be pleasurable or useful is one thing – designing them to be addictive is quite another, writes Christopher Caldwell
Fears of Chinese bubble reverberates
Conspiracy theories about the Chinese currency, which has been kept fixed against the dollar for almost two years now, and about Chinese foreign reserves are omnipresent
India tells Putin of Afghan fears
India is calling on Russia to reach out to Afghanistan's neighbours to start preparing a strategy for when Nato forces pull out to prevent extremist forces destabilising central Asia and southern Russia
Tensions escalate over China's currency
China and the US traded barbs over the economy and human rights, raising the temperature ahead of a possible showdown over currency policy next month
US takes risks with ties to Afghan strongman
A meeting between Stanley McChrystal, the top Nato general in Afghanistan, and Colonel Abdul Raziq, a suspected drug baron, illustrates a central dilemma: relying on local strongmen to preserve stability risks undermining the broader goal of promoting good governance
Former Kazakh nuclear chief handed jail term
A closed court in Kazakhstan handed a harsh prison sentence on Friday to Mukhtar Dzhakishev, the former president of Kazatomprom, the national atomic power company, for stealing uranium assets
FT.com - World, Asia Pacific
FT.com - World, Asia Pacific
SE Asia arms purchases fuel fears of clashes
Military analysts are warning that China's increased regional power has caused its south-east Asian neighbours to step up their own defence purchases
China hits at currency 'protectionism'
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao warns other countries that pressuring China over its currency policy was equivalent to protectionism
Drive to tap into China demand spurs partnerships
CNOOC's tie-up with Bridas of Argentina has an intriguing side-effect – it makes the Chinese group a partner of BP of the UK
The return of Chinese inflation
Beijing needs to let interest rates and the currency rise. It should do so to further its own stated goals of boosting consumption and the domestic economy
Wen links inflation to Communist party future
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao put tackling inflation at the top of the policy agenda by linking rapid price rises with the survival of Communist Party rule
Wen links inflation to Communist party future
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao put tackling inflation at the top of the policy agenda by linking rapid price rises with the survival of Communist Party rule
Tensions escalate over China's currency
China and the US traded barbs over the economy and human rights, raising the temperature ahead of a possible showdown over currency policy next month
Chinese officials' children in corruption claim
The former state auditor has identified the business dealings of Communist officials' children as the main source of public 'dissatisfaction'
Beijing's light touch policies under strain
A raft of mixed economic signals has raised the pressure for more blunt interventions in the wake of the financial crisis
China data spur talk of further tightening
Pressure on Beijing to begin raising interest rates and to allow the renminbi to appreciate against the US dollar is set to mount as inflation jumped 2.7 per cent last month from a year before
Google '99% certain' to shut China engine
The US company has drawn up plans for the closure of its Chinese search engine and is now '99.9% certain' to go ahead as talks over censorship with the authorities have reached impasse
Fears of Chinese bubble reverberates
Conspiracy theories about the Chinese currency, which has been kept fixed against the dollar for almost two years now, and about Chinese foreign reserves are omnipresent
Fears of China property bubble grow
Chinese real estate prices accelerated last month, rising by their fastest pace in two years despite government efforts to cool the market amid fears of a looming property bubble
Mismanaging China's rural exodus
The system of urban licenses has left 200m city-dwellers without services, but change is in the air, writes David Pilling
DE Shaw broadens Asian reach
Hedge fund to open offices in Chinese mainland and Tokyo as rivals seek to bulk up presence in the region
FT.com - China
FT.com - China
Kandahar Governor Appeals for More Troops
Suicide bombings rocked the southern city of Kandahar Saturday, killing at least 33 people
Pakistani Jets Attack Taliban Positions, Killing 17
Pakistani officials say fighter jets bombed militant positions near Afghan border Sunday targeting safe houses in Orakzai tribal area
Thai Demonstrators Demand New Elections, Give 24 Hour 'Ultimatum'
Tens of thousands of protesters wearing red gather in Bangkok, demanding parliament dissolve and government step down
Chinese PM Dismisses Claims Beijing Keeping Currency Artificially Low
Chinese leader warned the world economy could face a double-dip recession because of high unemployment and unstable currencies
Afghan President Considers Allowing Foreigners on Election Commission
Presidential spokesman says Afghan government has declared 'readiness' to accept two non-Afghans on Electoral Complaints Commission
Afghan Officials: Four Suicide Blasts Kill 30 in Kandahar City
Authorities say they now have the situation under control
New UN Envoy to Afghanistan Takes Over Troubled Mission
Italian-Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura promises to help improve the lives of the Afghan people
Sweden's FM Denounces Parliament Vote on Armenian Genocide
Carl Bildt tells reporters vote was 'regrettable' and 'serves no useful purpose'
Malaysia Detains 93 Burmese Refugees
Officials say they seized boat containing ethnic Rohingya Muslims earlier this week
Anti-government Rally Set for Sunday in Thailand
Many are backers of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2006 military coup
13 People Dead in Another Suicide Bombing in Pakistan
Latest suicide blast happened in northwestern district of Swat, where Pakistani military claims to have largely quelled Taliban uprising
Bombings Strike Lahore Killing More than 45
Attack is Pakistan's deadliest this year and authorities suspect it is work of Taliban extremists
US Reports Steady Progress in Afghanistan
Obama and his team praise Afghan and international forces' military achievements in Marja
India, Russia Sign Energy, Defense Deals worth Billions of Dollars
Russia's PM is hoping to finalize sale of $10 billion in weapons and technology
Number of Super Rich in India Doubled Last Year
Two of Indian billionaires are among five richest men in world, but country is also home to millions of poor people
VOA News: Asia
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Banyan : Not whaling but drowning
In a sea of international opprobrium. But a compromise may be at hand IF YOU’RE tempted by a slab of meat gristle which surrenders little but an ooze of grease when chewed, then you’ll love whale. Add to the sensory experience the accumulated mercury to be found in whale meat. Consider the suffering caused by the hunt to these intelligent mammals; and a military-industrial approach to their extermination. Japan going a-whaling is, to borrow from Oscar Wilde, the unspeakable in pursuit of the almost uneatable. As with foxhunting in Britain, views seem irreconcilable. Since 1986 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling. Yet every Antarctic summer, Japan sends a whaling fleet south to catch hundreds of whales for “research”. And every year at the IWC’s meeting, pro- and anti-whaling camps gather in sullen deadlock. On the whaling grounds the Japanese fleet encounters the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The ocean warriors hurl rancid butter on Japanese decks, use warps to foul propellers and attempt citizen’s arrests of the whaling captains. Early this year a Sea Shepherd boat sank after a collision. Now an American film has turned a spotlight on Japan’s coastal hunt for cetaceans. “The Cove”, shot largely in secret, shows the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, a village on Japan’s main island. This week it won an Oscar. ...
Rigging Myanmar's election: Belt, braces and army boots
The generals leave nothing to chance THE junta ruling Myanmar has had 20 years to digest the lessons from the country’s most recent election. It was trounced by the National League for Democracy, even though the opposition’s charismatic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was already under house arrest. This year on an unnamed date (perhaps its astrologers cannot agree) the junta will hold another election. It will not lose this one. Election laws published this week do not quite spell out the result. But a “political-parties registration law” bars Miss Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, of whom there are more than 2,000, from belonging to a party because of their criminal convictions. Cut off from politics by her house arrest, Miss Suu Kyi is anyway barred from office as the widow of a foreigner. Her party now has to expel her and other detainees. The law also bans civil servants from joining parties, along with monks, who led anti-government protests in 2007. ...
China mulls a property tax: An odd sort of tax
That some liberals want and local governments fear A GRANDMOTHER killed trying to stop developers flattening her home; university graduates forced to live in crowded slums: China’s ebullient property market has generated many tales of woe, and a promise from the prime minister, Wen Jiabao, to “rein in” the speculators. But calls for this to be achieved with a new property tax have put the government in a bind. In the past year property prices have surged to new highs in some places, helped by a torrent of carefree lending from state-run banks. Mr Wen made his pledge on March 5th, in a speech to China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC), launching its annual ten-day session. The NPC is filled with party loyalists. But some have fretted openly about property bubbles. The government says house prices in 70 cities rose 10.7% in February compared with a year earlier, the fastest rise in 20 months. There are early signs that this is denting sales. In both January and February the volume of housing sales fell sharply from the previous month. ...
Elections in the Philippines: Vote before the system crashes
Technology complicates life for vote-riggers and counters alike RIGGED elections and the instability they create have been the bane of the Philippines for much of its democratic history. Filipinos are fervently hoping that the computerisation of the vote-counting in May’s presidential, congressional and local elections will solve the problem. But faith in the technology is less fervent. Many fear it is no solution. In past elections voters had to write down the names of their preferences for up to 32 national or local positions on blank ballot forms. Their votes were tallied by hand at the precinct, municipal, provincial and finally national levels. Definitive results could take weeks to emerge, giving ample opportunity for vote-padding and shaving. Vote-rigging by President Ferdinand Marcos led to his downfall in 1986. The incumbent president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has had a shaky grip on power since she was accused of rigging her election in 2004. ...
Economic reform in Malaysia: Out with the new
Najib wavers over undoing affirmative-action policies WHEN Najib Razak took office last April as Malaysia’s prime minister, the timing could hardly have been worse. The export-led economy was in recession. The ruling coalition was in the dumps after an unprecedented near-defeat in elections in March 2008. Opponents warned that Mr Najib’s government would crack down on political dissent to save its skin. Against the odds, though, Mr Najib, a British-educated economist, has emerged as a more sure-footed, and less scandal-prone, leader than many expected. He has stimulated the economy back to life and liberalised some financial services. Growth is likely to exceed 4% this year—reaching 6%, in his own optimistic forecast. There are ambitious new targets for cutting crime and building roads, among other populist policies. Foreign businesses have been encouraged by Mr Najib’s promises to liberalise the broader economy, spur innovation and raise productivity. Everyone agrees that Malaysia needs to move beyond run-of-the-mill electronics and focus on knowledge-based industries. ...
Koreans in Japan : Taxation without representation
The DPJ stumbles in its efforts to grant foreigners the vote BY RIGHTS, giving long-term South Korean residents in Japan the right to vote in local elections should be uncontroversial. They pay taxes, speak Japanese, and come from families that have lived in Japan for decades. Most were dragged here to work under the colonial cosh before and during the second world war. A limited move to enfranchise them came from the very top of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). It swept to power last September promising to end prejudices built up under the ousted Liberal Democrats. Yukio Hatoyama, the prime minister, backs it. The DPJ’s secretary-general and puppeteer-at-large, Ichiro Ozawa, even assured Lee Myung-bak, South Korea’s president, that he would soon push it through the Diet, or parliament. ...
Indian politics and women: Indian women on the march
An historic change in the offing; but India’s ruling party may be overreaching itself YELLING dementedly, seven lawmakers mobbed the chairman of the Indian parliament’s upper house on March 8th and tore at the document, containing the women’s reservation bill, he was reading from. Yet the bill passed the next day, with the two-thirds majority needed to change India’s constitution. With broad political support, including from the Congress party that leads India’s coalition government and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the bill could soon clear the lower house and win the support it needs in at least 15 out of 28 state assemblies. The president would then sign it into law: imposing a 33% quota for women in India’s federal and state assemblies. This would be momentous, especially for India’s half a billion, badly served women. Today’s Lok Sabha, or House of the People, as India’s lower chamber is known, contains 58 women, a record number, but fewer than 11% of the seats. By greatly boosting women’s membership of India’s legislatures, the proposed amendment, its supporters say, will also begin to make a dent in their more grievous suffering—in a country where female fetuses are often aborted, where wives are battered and women earn on average $1,200 a year, less than a third of the male average. A woman can take credit for this: Sonia Gandhi, Congress’s leader, who has pushed the long-mothballed bill against a furious band of dissenters—of a kind that persuaded previous BJP- and Congress-led governments not to touch it. ...
India's Muslims and job quotas: The call to poll
Politicians vie for poor-Muslim votes FIFTEEN years after he migrated with his family to the bright lights of Delhi, Muhammad Naushad has little to show for it. An illiterate 20-year-old weaver, he earns 2,000 rupees ($43) a month, half of which he sends to his mother in the poor state of Bihar. Amid the evening babble of Nizamuddin, a fly-blown Muslim quarter in the heart of India’s capital, Mr Naushad says his only ambition is to get a better job. It is hard to guess what that might be. He is all too typical of India’s 160m Muslims. Found mostly in its northern and eastern states, poor giants such as Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar and West Bengal, they are among the country’s poorest and least educated people. According to a 2006 government-commissioned report, Muslims are almost as badly off as dalits, Hinduism’s former “untouchables”—a finding made tragic by the dashed hopes it represents: many Indian Muslims once converted from Hinduism to escape that reviled low-caste status. ...
Vietnam's economy: The Tet effect
Worries about renewed overheating DURING Tet, the lunar new year holiday, money is everywhere in Vietnam. It is dished out to children, gambled in roadside card-games, and splurged on gifts, feasts, and trips to home villages. This leads to an annual bump in inflation. And this year’s spike in the consumer-price index, which rose by 2% in February, seemed bearable at a time of rapid growth. GDP grew by 5.3% last year. It came, however, among some more worrying signs. On February 10th, just before Tet, the central bank devalued the currency, the dong, by 3.4%, following a devaluation of 5.4% in November. The aim was to entice holders of dollars to buy dong. A dollar shortage has been starving Vietnam’s exporters of the currency they need to purchase imported parts and materials. ...
Thaksin Shinawatra: Divided loyalties
Some scent compromise; more fear a looming showdown IN THAILAND politics has long been about compromise rather than conviction. Political parties run on expediency, not ideology, which makes it possible to cobble together all manner of oddball coalitions. But in recent years pragmatism has given way to more rigid loyalties. Rival camps rally their base with fiery talk of an all-out struggle for the nation’s soul, all the while tugging relentlessly at its seams. Might compromise yet make a comeback? Some scented a whiff of detente on February 26th, when the Supreme Court ruled on the family fortune of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. But that still seems wishful thinking. The nine judges found Mr Thaksin guilty of abusing his powers while in office to favour Shin Corp, his family-owned telecoms group, which was sold in January 2006 to Temasek, a Singaporean sovereign-wealth fund. The court decided to seize $1.4 billion of the $2.3 billion in proceeds from that sale, which had been frozen after the army deposed Mr Thaksin in September 2006. ...
The feud in South Korea's ruling party: Feud for thought
The defining battle of Lee Myung-bak’s presidency nears its climax ODDLY for a politician, South Korea’s president, Lee Myung-bak, has never hidden his loathing of politics. During his successful presidential-election campaign he vowed to “take politics out of Youido”, a reference to the island on the Han river that houses the National Assembly in Seoul. Mr Lee’s hero is the dictator Park Chung-hee, architect of South Korea’s rise from basket-case to industrial powerhouse. Much like him, Mr Lee believes politicians are impediments to his country’s progress. Unlike Park, however, Mr Lee has to operate in a robust democracy. He is making rather a hash of it. In a bitter twist of fate, his nemesis is Park’s daughter, Park Geun-hye. She was the rival Mr Lee defeated in 2007 to become the presidential candidate of the Grand National Party (GNP). The two have never been reconciled. Mr Lee believes his election entitled him to rule without opposition within the GNP. But Miss Park has never accepted her defeat and still commands a group of as many as 40 loyalists in parliament. ...
Indonesia's parliamentary showdown: Unchaining the reformers
After a hard-won battle, President Yudhoyono has a chance to start again FEZ-WEARING members of Indonesia’s parliament called each other transvestites, yelled and scuffled. Outside, the police turned water cannon on protesting students. The climax this week of a parliamentary investigation into a government bail-out of a private bank in 2008 superficially recalled 1998, and the chaos surrounding the fall of the dictator Suharto. But this time the stakes were smaller; the government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was never going to fall. At issue was how well it could govern. The Bank Century scandal had riveted the press for months. But most of Indonesia’s 240m people have preferred chat shows and Hollywood movies, content that the economy has been doing well, growing by 4.5% last year. Inflation last year was just 2.8%, unemployment is down, and consumer confidence booming. That, however, did not deter Mr Yudhoyono’s enemies from plotting to embarrass him and paralyse his government. They managed to do both. Yet he still enjoys an approval rating of about 75%. ...
Banyan: The Chinese are coming
To a sitting room, mobile telephone or supermarket screen near you soon ON MARCH 1st China Daily got its biggest makeover since the newspaper was launched in 1981 as China’s first English-language daily. As well as a new look, the paper is boosting the number of its foreign correspondents. With a new investigative-reporting feature, China Daily said that it was aiming to “set the news agenda instead of just follow it”. So far, this agenda seems unlikely to set foreign pulses racing. Next to this bold new feature China Daily splashed an “exclusive” interview with the foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, under the headline “FM: China is doing all it can in foreign affairs”. Still, the makeover marks a departure for the vapid broadsheet. And China Daily is only the latest Chinese media organ to revamp itself in what President Hu Jintao calls an “increasingly fierce struggle in the domain of news and opinion”. ...
Tajikistan's flawed election: Change you can't believe in
A rigged vote keeps the ruling party in power in a failing state TO THE surprise of no one, the governing People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections on February 28th, with almost 72% of the vote. Nor was anybody taken aback by the myriad irregularities on election day. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitored the polling, said it “failed to meet many key OSCE commitments”. It noted a high prevalence of family- and proxy-voting and cases of ballot-box stuffing. Preliminary results give the PDPT, led by Emomali Rakhmon, the president, 53 seats out of 63 in the lower house of parliament. The Islamic Revival Party, Central Asia’s only religiously based party, came second, with 7.7% of the vote and two seats. The party’s leadership, which expected to win around 30% of the vote, has cried foul, and plans to sue the election board. ...
Migrant workers in Thailand: Inhospitality
Life gets harder for Thailand’s guest-workers THEY sew bras, peel shrimps, build blocks of flats and haul fishing-nets. In return, migrant workers in Thailand are paid poorly, if at all, and face exploitation and abuse at the hands of employers and the security forces. Up to 3m migrants, many undocumented and mostly from Myanmar, fall into this category. So a scheme to start registering this workforce and bring it into the legal fold sounds like a step forward. Migrants have been ordered to apply to their home countries for special passports so that they can work legally in Thailand and, in theory, enjoy access to public services, such as health care. But the plan has run into practical and political difficulties, mostly among workers from Myanmar, who rightly fear their awful government and do not want to return home, even temporarily. Many are unaware of the registration drive. So the first applicants have come mostly from migrants from Laos and Cambodia, where the authorities are more willing to help. ...
Western aims in Afghanistan: Played for fools
Hamid Karzai’s shenanigans make the going even harder for NATO EVER since the aftermath of last year’s disastrous presidential election in Afghanistan, Western diplomats have been talking tough about the need for thorough reform of the country’s rotten electoral system. Never again, the envoys said, would foreign governments pour cash into a machine that was controlled by the president, Hamid Karzai (right), oversaw fraud on an epic scale and handed a propaganda coup to the Taliban. They promised that foreign support for the next parliamentary election, due in September, would depend on a cull of dodgy officials from the Independent Election Commission (IEC), the body that organised the voting. Most felt that Mr Karzai should lose the right to appoint its chairman and leadership board. ...
India's Naxalite insurgency: Not a dinner party
India’s Maoist guerrillas carry out two slaughters, then offer a truce SHORTLY before midnight on February 17th residents of Phulwari, a village in India’s northern state of Bihar, were roused by gunfire, explosions and a shrieking mob. It was led by a few of the Maoist guerrillas encamped on a wooded ridge outside the village. Wearing camouflage-green uniforms, they carried assault rifles and explosives. Around 100 rival villagers, of the locals’ own Kora tribe, came with them, with bows and arrows and a few small children. Peeping from his mud hut, Kashi, a middle-aged tribal, considered loosing off a few retaliatory arrows, dipped in poison. “But there were too many,” he recalled this week, standing beside the heap of fine, grey ashes that was his home. His aunt and nephew were incinerated inside it. Kashi’s brother—their husband and father—was shot dead while trying to flee with him. In all, 12 villagers were killed that night and around 30 houses destroyed. ...
Tackling Japan's bureaucracy: Floundering in the foggy fortress
The DPJ is finding that it needs to befriend its bureaucrats, as well as bash them YOSUKE KONDO, 44, is one of those Young Turks in Japan’s five-month-old government who took office eager to rein in Tokyo’s illustriously educated cadre of senior civil servants. What distinguishes Mr Kondo, however, is that he seems poised to succeed in this goal. So far the rest of the government has seemed more inclined to work with the bureaucracy than against it. For Mr Kondo’s first target, he aimed high. He took on a man he refers to as “the Last Samurai”, Kazuhiko Takeshima. Mr Takeshima is the epitome of the well-rounded establishment figure. An economics graduate from the prestigious University of Tokyo, he has headed the tax agency and since 2002 has run Japan’s Fair Trade Commission. Mr Takeshima has made a good name for himself as a trustbuster. But for years he has resisted efforts to allow firms to appeal in court against punishments for antitrust violations. In effect, the commission acts as prosecutor and judge. As Mr Kondo notes wryly: “It’s an antitrust authority, but it keeps all the authority to itself.” ...
Animal welfare in China: Off the menu
The right to eat cats and dogs is under threat AT THE National People’s Congress (see main story), the Communist Party decides what laws to draft and when they get passed. But public pressure is beginning to count, too. An attempt to persuade the Congress to ban the eating of dog- and cat-meat has captivated the Chinese press and caused an uproar. A proposed animal-rights law, circulated in draft last September by Chinese activists and legal experts, would be the first of its kind in a country where animal welfare rarely seems a priority. Pigs destined for slaughter are often seen crammed excruciatingly tightly in cages on the backs of lorries. In safari parks visitors happily pay to dangle live chickens into lions’ dens, or even to have a live calf dragged by its legs behind a jeep past ravenous tigers. But a fast-growing middle class, despite enjoying gory outings, is also fond of pet dogs and cats. ...
The Economist: Asia
Asia