Southeast Asia News 9

Blue Pill or Red? 

The Bangkok elections for a new governor are over and the latest winner has promised the standard blue-sky: relief from traffic woes, pollution, noise, and corruption. The poor citizens of Bangkok have been hearing this tired dirge for decades, but at least they elected a Democrat to put something of a crimp in the political/industrial juggernaut that is Shinawatra. Indonesian goes to the polls in two weeks to elect a new president and the two current favorites are Megawati Sukarno Putri and Susilo who is expected to run away with the race. Neither are expected to gain a majority, so run offs will be scheduled in early 2005.

Richard Ehrlich on the Olympics and Women in Thai Society

Thais traditionally do not view their country's females as capable of winning awards through sheer muscle power and physical skill. Women hold high government posts and run businesses in Thailand, but are barred from holding the same lofty rank as men within Thai Buddhism's clergy. Women also suffer unequal treatment when marrying foreign men and are liable to lose their right to own real estate in Thailand. Thai men who marry foreign women have no such misfortune.

Richard has been writing about Thailand and Southeast Asia for many years, and always provides some fresh insight into local issues, plus he's not afraid to bang a few heads together.

Richard Ehrlich Article

Thai Telephone Shafts Olympic Medal Winner

Surat Thani
Thaweep Petchkoom, father of the Olympics boxing finalist, now knows what a difference there is between winning a silver and gold medal. The TOT Corp telephone line installed for him to make international calls to his son, Worapoj, was shut off just after his son was outpointed by Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz on Sunday and he had to settle for the silver medal. This forced Mr Thaweep to drive 13km from his home at Baan Sakhli to Phanom district town to dial Athens to comfort his son, he complained.

TOT Proves Themselves Cheap Ass Nitwits

Some Free Advice for Indonesian Porn Producers

Don't Mention Your Name in the Film, and Don't Videotape the License Plate of Your Car

Philippines Communists Resent Blacklist

Rebel Attacks Kill 91 and Destroy Property

MANILA -- Communist guerrillas committed "terrorist" actions that killed 91 civilians and destroyed private property worth 1.17 million dollars in the Philippines this year, the military said Tuesday. These actions are consistent with the rebels' designation as a "foreign terrorist organization" by the United States, the European Union, Australia and Canada, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Lucero said in a statement.

"Statistics show that the CPP/NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines and its 8,600-member New People's Army) has been aggressive in using terrorism as a tool to air its political message," Lucero said. The rebels indefinitely postponed planned peace talks with the Philippine government in Norway last week. They are trying to pressure Manila to prevail on Washington and its allies to remove the CPP-NPA from the blacklist.

Filipino Communists Just Want Some Love

Philippines On Brink of Economic Collapse

International Herald Tribune

Singapore and Gay Magazines

Playboy is banned and Sex in the City is censored, so who would have imagined that Singapore would have a gay lifestyle magazine? Oh, and it's against the law to have oral sex unless it is then followed by regular intercourse, and homosexuality is against the law. How, exactly, do gays have sex in Singapore, and is the low birth rate for straights due to the prohibition of oral sex from the females? And wouldn't the legalization of porn for married couples help spice up sex life in the City, and perhaps reverse their declining birth rate?

Sex? In Singapore? Inquiring Minds Want to Know