Random Noise

Anna, Courtney, Avril

I've always been somewhat reluctant to use the term American Indian or Native American in the presence of, uh, those folks who lived in the Americas many millennia before the white guys came over and, uh, basically massacred the tribe and put the remainders on squatter land. So, it was surprising to learn that the indigenous people don't really mind being called American Indians, in fact some 50% think it's just fine.

And talking about Iraq, who in the world are all these nutcases going around murdering everyone in sight, and kidnapping anyone who might bring in a few bucks? It's a confusing scene, but the basic layout is provided by a newspaper in Baghdad, which means the language is Arabic. My Arabic is worse than my Bahasa or Thai, but fortunately, there's a buncha folks who translate Arabic into English and carefully list all the Islamic groups waging war against the Americans in Iraq. Why can't American newspapers get their act together and put out such straightforward information?

Florida has been hit badly by 3 hurricanes in the last month, and it looks like several more are churning up the waves offshore from west Africa and slowly swirling their way to Tampa and Key West. Florida, of course, elected Bush with the generous help of our Supreme Court, and some think God (a Democrat) is pissed off at Florida. And this map of hurricane trajectory through Florida makes the case. Floridians...screw up again and all the alligators will destroy your cities.

That ridiculous flash program about Bush. It's good enough for a second view.

Several months ago, when I was on an architectural fixation, I mentioned an amazing bridge under construction between Paris and the south. 2Bangkok.com also has an arch fetish, so they posted another link to this rather unbelievable bridge here.

Oprah gave away over 200 cars to her audience last week. It was a shakedown. She didn't spend a penny, but demanded that the car company kick in all the cars for free.

Che was a Communist who lied, cheated and stealed to make his way to the top. And so why are we still wearing his t-shirts? Here's the truth about Che. Guess it's time to grow up.

Metafilter is just amazing. Yesterday was the discussion about the wonders and perils of never having kids, and today it's pedophilia.

A lost episode of the Honeymooners has been discovered. Could this possibly be real? Next up, the missing performance of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show? Something smells really fishy about this story.

I have ridden motorcycles since I got my drivers license at age 16, and once raced by Yamaha Seca 900 up Highway 390 between Death Valley and Bishop at well over 100 mph, but never even got close to 200 mph. Is this possible? Probably not.

You've probably all seen the hilarious dust-up of George and John as donated to the world at Jib Jab but if you haven't, drop on over and download the hilarious flash movie. I hear the two guys who created the short film were sued by the executors of the Woody Guthrie estate, but the whole shameful affair was dropped after Arlo proclaimed the flash flick a work of art that his Dad would have loved. Not to mention that the copyright to "This Land is Your Land" had expired after the regulatory 50 years.

Another rather funny flash film is now showing up on the net that pokes fun of George in a good natured way. Gentle ribbing, not the kind of mean barbs I normally post on this blog.

Metafilter is a place where people go to ask questions, while others just read the answers. Seems like a harmless place and a wonderful opportunity to avoid working on your next novel, plus a rare place to discuss whether or not you regret not having children. As a single, straight male in San Francisco, once married, now single, no kids, this has always been a topic of conversation among my friends and family - and this Metafilter thread provides some good ways to look at the question. Afterwards, go to the home page of Metafilter and drop it in your Favorites. It's worth a look and probably just as worthwhile as that Great American Novel you are still working on.

There are great inventions, and there are inventions so ridiculous that the mind boggles. Why would science ever create a painkiller derived from the opium poppy, but didn't provide a high? The non-addictive idea is fine, but a pleasurable buzz after your tooth surgery seems like the ice cream cone after you skinned your knee. Blame it on the Kiwis.

Baghdad Burning: Riverbend Reports from Her Home

Riverbend Returns

The best blogger to emerge from war-torn Iraq finally updates her journal on life in hellish Baghdad.


Baghdad Burning

... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend...

August was a hellish month. The heat was incredible. No one remembers Baghdad ever being quite this hot- I think we broke a new record somewhere in mid-August.

The last few days, Baghdad has been echoing with explosions. We woke up to several loud blasts a few days ago. The sound has become all too common. It’s like the heat, the flies, the carcasses of buildings, the broken streets and the haphazard walls coming up out of nowhere all over the city… it has become a part of life. We were sleeping on the roof around three days ago, but I had stumbled back indoors at around 5 am when the electricity returned and was asleep under the cool air of an air-conditioner when the first explosions rang out.

I tried futilely to cling to the last fragments of a fading dream and go back to sleep when several more explosions followed. Upon getting downstairs, I found E. flipping through the news channels, trying to find out what was going on. “They aren’t nearly fast enough,” he shook his head with disgust. “We’re not going to know what’s happening until noon.”

But the news began coming in much sooner. There were clashes between armed Iraqis and the Americans on Haifa Street- a burned out hummer, some celebrating crowds, missiles from helicopters, a journalist dead, dozens of Iraqis wounded, and several others dead. The road leading to the airport has seen some action these last few days- more attacks on troops and also some attacks on Iraqi guard. The people in the areas surrounding the airport claim that no one got any sleep the whole night.

The areas outside of Baghdad aren’t much better off. The south is still seeing clashes between the Sadir militia and troops. Areas to the north of Baghdad are being bombed and attacked daily. Ramadi was very recently under attack and they say that they aren’t allowing the wounded out of the city. Tel Affar in the north of the country is under siege and Falloojeh is still being bombed.

Everyone is simply tired in Baghdad. We’ve become one of those places you read about in the news and shake your head thinking, “What’s this world coming to?” Kidnappings. Bombings. Armed militias. Extremists. Drugs. Gangs. Robberies. You name it, and we can probably tell you several interesting stories.

Read the rest

Southeast Asia News 26

National Geographic Thailand in Polish


U.S. May Punish Troops Seeing Prostitutes
By PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops stationed overseas could face courts-martial for patronizing prostitutes under a new regulation drafted by the Pentagon. Troops May Face Court-Martial for Soliciting Sex.

The move is part of a Defense Department effort to lessen the possibility that troops will contribute to human trafficking in areas near their overseas bases by seeking the services of women forced into prostitution. Defense officials have drafted an amendment to the manual on courts-martial that would make it an offense for U.S. troops to use the services of prostitutes, said Charles Abell, a Pentagon undersecretary for personnel and readiness.

Bad News for Pattaya and Patong


Whoremongers, pimps beware!
Marmot's Hole

Starting Wednesday night, beefed-up anti-prostitution laws will take affect in the Republic of Korea. By just about any standard, the current anti-prostitution law – the 1961 Prostitution Prevention Law (Korean: Yullak haengwi deung bangji-beop) – has abysmally failed to do what it was ostensibly intended to do, namely, stop prostitution. Accordingly, two new laws – the Sex Trade Middleman Punishment Law and Sex Trade Victim Protection Law – were enacted. The Joongang Ilbo (Korean) outlined some of the changes that are expected (?) to take place:

Marmot's Hole Looks at Prostitution in Korea


Taichung Police Orders Fleshy 'Betel Nut Beauties' to Cover Up

TAIPEI (AFP) - Taichung police has ordered the city's scantily-clad betel nut saleswomen to dress more conservatively to help reduce car accidents, it was reported. Under the new dress code, women peddling spicy chewing betel nuts at roadside stands are barred from revealing their bodies in sexy transparent clothes or soliciting business on the streets, the local TVBS station reported.

"Don't put on any dissipated poses such as dancing outside the sales booths," a policeman said while promoting the new dress code. Instead, he suggested several young saleswomen to don white navy tops, tight short pants and the same type of hats worn by singer Feng Fei-fei, a local diva in the 1980s.

Taichung police consider the so-called "betel nut beauties" a likely cause of traffic accidents in the central city as drivers are often diverted by saleswomen in flashy revealing clothes, the report said. A young sales girl told reporters the tighter dress code sounded reasonable. "But it's really not my business, it's my boss's problem," she shrugged.

Betel nut beauties thrive in central and southern Taiwan. A Health Department study two years ago reported one-tenth of Taiwan's population regularly chew the indigenous nut, the seed of a palm tree, as a stimulant.

The Great Asian Sex Crackdown Continues


China to Europe Via a New Burma Road
Asia Times Online
By David Fullbrook

KUNMING, China - Pipe dreams of a cheaper, shorter and safer trade route between China and Europe through Myanmar to the Bay of Bengal are once again edging onto official agendas. High oil prices, competitive advantages and strategic imperatives are set to midwife this route that might have painful implications for Southeast Asia's ports and shipping.

Driving a modern transport network through Myanmar from Yunnan province following an age-old trade route to the sea should cut shipping bills significantly by saving a week or more on shipping time from China to key European markets. Yunnan, situated in the southwest corner of China, borders Tibet, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

A New Burma Road? Where is Gen. Stilwell When You Really Need Him?


How Do You Make Big Money from the Google Adsense Program?

I have been asked this question so many times in the past few weeks that I thought I should write something on the topic. It seems increasingly bloggers want to try to cover their hosting and ISP costs with some revenue from their blog - and perhaps even make a few dollars on the side. Many are turning to Google's Adsense program.

Making Millions with Your Blog


What's the Biggest Rip-Off in Travel?

Message: Just wondering... we just paid $160 for our family of four to just "walk around" the Polynesian Cultural Center... seemed pretty steep for what we saw... anybody experience a similar rip-off on any of their travels? PS Please don't try to defend the PCC... i was there.

Author: Ryan
Date: 09/20/2004, 08:23 am
Message: With a volunteer organization here in NYC, I took a group of kids on the NBC studio tour a few years ago. It was expensive and about the only thing visually interesting was a short film on NBC. But, for what they charged it really was underwhelming.

The other was the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The home of the Singapore Sling now sells them premade in souvenier glasses.

Author: Jayne1973
Date: 09/20/2004, 09:01 am
Message: Meteor Crater, Arizona

Spent about $60 for our family to go stare at the big hole for a few minutes. We are intersted in that type of thing, but for us it was just an overpriced pit stop.

Author: DonnaD44
Date: 09/20/2004, 12:24 pm
Message: Disneyworld! Sorry fans, but I just loathe the place.

Fodor's Forum on the Biggest Rip-Offs in Tourism


Misc Stuff:

Bad Architecture in China

Southeast Asia News 25

Dayaks Malaysia


Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Profile

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was born in the town of Pacitan, in eastern Java Island, on September 9, 1949. The son of an army lieutenant, he graduated from Indonesia's military academy in 1973. He received advanced military training in the United States and Europe. He rose through the ranks to become Chief Military Observer of the United Nations Peacekeeping forces in Bosnia and Chief of Territorial Affairs of the Indonesian military before retiring in 2000. Mr. Yudhoyono was sometimes criticized as indecisive and too willing to compromise.

However, because of these traits he avoided being identified with the abuses leveled at some senior commanders during the military-backed rule of authoritarian former President Suharto. And his charisma and speaking ability endeared him to many Indonesian citizens.

Profile of the new President of Indonesia


New York Times on the Reading Habits of the New Indonesian President

By all accounts, the general is an avid reader and book buyer. Mr. Heffernan recounts that on a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the presidential candidate divided a lunch hour into 15 minutes of eating and 45 minutes at the Kinokuniya bookstore. "He walked out with a big bag of books," Mr. Heffernan said.

From his bookshelves, it is clear that the general prefers serious reading peppered with a splash of light fare. "Debt of Honor" by Tom Clancy and Robert Young Pelton's "The World's Most Dangerous Places" are among the books in his library. "On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War" by Harry G. Summers, and "Napoleon: How He Did It: The Memoirs of Baron Fain, First Secretary of the Emperor's Cabinet," by Agathon-Jean François, are also there.

New York Times on Susilo


Muslim South on the Brink of Chaos
The Nation
Published on Sep 23, 2004

Terrorists have upped the ante with the assassination of a judge in Pattani; it is time for the government to act

The perpetrators of the assassination of Judge Rapin Ruenkaew in central Pattani in broad daylight last Friday wanted to send the unambiguous signal to the Thaksin administration and to peace-loving Thai people everywhere that terrorism in the Muslim-majority southern provinces is set to escalate. As part of their sinister design, the terrorist assassins apparently wanted to intimidate local Muslim moderates and provoke public outrage in the rest of Thailand and perhaps even a strong military response from the government.

So far they appear to have succeeded in what they set out to do, with the exception, for now at least, of a violent crackdown by the military.

Time and again, the Thai Muslim population in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have chosen to stay conspicuously quiet about the unbroken string of terrorist attacks that have taken so many lives since the beginning of this year and have made a mockery of law and order in their communities.

The Nation Editorial on Chaos in the South


Man Shoots Wife, Mistakes Her for Monkey
Wed Sep 22

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian man shot and killed his wife after he mistook her for a monkey picking fruit in a tree behind their house, the New Straits Times said on Wednesday. The man, 70, is being held by police for causing death through recklessness after he fired a shotgun at what he thought was a monkey in a mangosteen tree on Monday, the newspaper said.

His wife, 68, had used a ladder to climb into the tree and was picking the tropical fruit when she was shot. She was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital, the paper said. The couple lived in central Malaysia and had raised 13 children.

Sick of Anwar? Tired of Badawi? Here's the Really Important Malaysia News


Wife was Plucking Fruits when Shot Dead

BENTONG: A 68-year-old woman, who was on a tree plucking mangosteens, died after she was accidentally shot by her husband who had mistaken her for a monkey. Bentong OCPD Superintendent Mohamad Yusof Mahmood said the 5pm incident occurred when Meah Hamid was picking the fruits on a tree in her husband’s palm oil estate in Kampung Jawi Jawi in Pelangai near here.

Supt Mohamad Yusof said Meah’s 70-year-old husband was taking a breather on a bench at the back of the house after spending the day at the estate. “Suddenly, he saw the mangosteen tree, which was some 30m from the house, shaking,” Supt Mohamad Yusof said in his office here yesterday.

Rositah showing how her father shot at the mangosteen tree where her mother Meah was plucking fruits. The man then took his gun, aimed it at the tree which was some 15m high and fired once. He then ran into the house and asked his granddaughter where Meah was, said Supt Mohamad Yusof.

The Inside Scoop from The Star

Southeast Asia News 24

Wat Phra Keo


Interpol-Style Effort Needed Against 'Wildlife Mafia'
Tue Sep 21, 2004
By Darren Schuettler
BANGKOK (Reuters)

Asia needs a new network akin to Interpol to fight a "wildlife mafia" and the illegal multi-billion dollar trade in animals and plants, environmentalists said on Tuesday. They argue traffickers are running circles around a 30-year-old global treaty to protect endangered species because it has no teeth to stop the trade in tiger skins worth up to $15,000 or aloewood with a Bangkok street value of $1,000 per kg.

"After drugs and arms, the illegal wildlife trade is the next most profitable form of black market business in the world. But most governments still treat it as a low priority," said Steve Galster, director of WildAid Thailand. CITES -- the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species -- has 166 member nations in a treaty that covers about 30,000 plants and animals. It is best known for reducing poaching of African elephants by banning ivory sales in 1989 and has a virtual ban on trade in some other animals and plants.

But the illegal trade is booming because each nation is responsible for enforcement and there is no international body to ensure CITES is being implemented, Galster said.

Thailand's Illegal Wildlife Trade


Thailand's Dirty Little Secret: Phuket's Coral Reefs are Dead
CYBER DIVER News Network

Could 12 million tourists a year possibly be wrong? Overdevelopment, tourism and scuba divers have all but destroyed Phuket's coral reefs. Will the Andamans be next? Two-thirds of spectacular coral reefs ringing Thailand's top holiday island have been destroyed because of overzealous development.

Officials said Monday that large sections of the 14.4 square kilometres (5.6 sq miles) of colourful reefs off the tropical resort of Phuket in the Andaman Sea have been killed and less than one fifth remain in acceptable condition.

Sludge and debris washed into the sea from building work across the island was the main factor responsible for the reef destruction, according to Nipon Pongsuwan of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre.

Three episodes of coral bleaching in the 1990s -- an environmental phenomenon blamed on rising water temperature and pollution -- was also responsible for the reef's demise, he said. "Sludge from construction and coral bleaching are the main reasons which have destroyed coral reef along the island," he said. Nets from fishing boats and tourists who sign up with the host of diving schools on the island were also blamed for a less significant part of the damage.

Phuket's Environmental Destruction Blamed on Unbridled Development, Not Tourism


Wildlife Protection
International Body Lacks Teeth
Thailand in Need of Help from Neighbours
RANJANA WANGVIPULA

Thailand needs help from its Southeast Asian neighbours to suppress illegal transnational trade in wildlife as the global wildlife trade body ''lacks the teeth'' to protect endangered species, a wildlife protection group said yesterday.

The 166-member Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (Cites) has put several thousand rare species under protection from international trade. However, WildAid Thailand director Steven Galster said Cites ''lacks the teeth'' to effectively curb all illegal trades in Thailand and neighbouring countries.

Cites regulations, requiring member countries to control imports and exports of wild species, have been in force for 31 years. Yet, according to a WildAid report, illegal transboundary wildlife smuggling is still prevalent. Thailand, with good roads and shipping routes, is often used as a transit country for rare animals destined for neighbouring countries including China, the report said.

Thailand Needs Help with Illegal Wildlife Trade


Thai Campaign Targets Animal Lovers
By Simon Montlake
Bangkok

WildAid advertisements are designed to shock

A US conservation group has launched an advertising campaign to persuade Thais to report traders in protected wildlife. In a series of television commercials, famous models, actors and other celebrities warn of the dangers facing Thailand's endangered animals and fish.

One commercial features a police hotline for viewers, encouraging them to report anyone selling animals or by-products such as ivory or tiger skins. "When the buying stops, the killing can too," the advertisement says.

The campaign, organised by the group WildAid, also includes posters of orang-utans in suitcases, with airline baggage tags, to draw attention to cross-border smuggling. Experts say Thailand is a crossroads for South East Asia's illegal wildlife trade, which is said to be worth more than $8bn a year.

New WildAid Ads Target Thai Consumers


Confessions of an Elephant Polo Groupie
Slate
Cynthia Barnes

Like most mad schemes, elephant polo originated over too many drinks. "I was in St. Moritz with Jim Edwards," recounts James Manclark. "And he had elephants in Nepal. One thing led to another." A Scottish industrialist and former Olympian, Manclark has mounted archaeological expeditions in Peru and attempted to circle the globe by hot air balloon. Today he's limping and bruised, having survived a horse polo accident earlier in the week only to run afoul of an elephant in Thailand and find himself lifted into the air, hurled to the ground, and trampled. "Well," he admits. "They are wild animals."

Transvestites on Elephants Again


Mangosteen Poker: The Sexy Bet You Can’t Lose

Thai bar girls will gamble on almost anything so, to win a few sexual favours, you could lure them into a game of Mangosteen Poker. It’s more fun than Strip Poker because, unlike playing cards, mangosteens are delicious and, more importantly, you can’t lose.

Like oranges, mangosteens contain a number of segments beneath a thick outer skin. They are perfect for gambling because this number always varies. In Mangosteen Poker, your bar girl adversary has to guess the number of segments before you break open the fruit but you have the distinct advantage of knowing the correct number beforehand.

If she guesses right and you guess wrong (which only happens when you want it to), your girl wins 20 baht but, if she loses, she has to perform a forfeit – like flashing her tits, for example. If you both guess right or both guess wrong, no one wins and you just eat the fruit together.

Mango Sauce Tip for Expats and Tourists


CityLife Tips for Expats on Living in Thailand

However, the realities of living in a foreign country legally (I must stress this point, because there are enough loopholes to elongate an entire Karen village's necks for those who wish to live a hassle and bureaucratic-free existence in Thailand…until it all goes wrong) are quite frightening: work permits, retirement visas, car registrations, marriage certificates, company set-ups and driving licenses are just not easy to get right. Unscrupulous lawyers rub their hands with glee as they charge anything up to 100,000 baht to do a task which most foreigners are quite capable of doing themselves if they just knew what was required. With a few exceptions.

So Citylife has decided to dedicate this month's edition of our magazine to the nuts and bolts of living the life of Riley in Chiang Mai. We hope that some of the following information will be useful to you. Please note that all of this information is for non-Thai nationals:

CityLife Chiang Mai Tips

Saturday Cat 5

Kibble Overload for this Kitty

Ok, OK, Cat Fans. I know it's Monday and I'm two days late with this posting. But, as a bonus, I'll give you the world's largest mountain lion, instead of just another cute kitty cat.

Travel Quotes 3

Southeast Asia Handbook by Carl Parkes


Travel Quotes from Southeast Asia Handbook by Carl Parkes

There are only three things which make life worth living: to be writing a tolerably good book, to be in a dinner party for six, and to be traveling south with someone whom your conscience permits you to love.
--Cyril Connolly, A Romantic Friendship

I believe if I were to one day accept a religion, it would be of Buddhism. No other faith seems to offer such an eloquent expression of hope and beauty with its array of imagery, fashioned seemingly by devoted geniuses of a fantasy world.
--Joseph Conrad, The Shadow Line

Some men go skimming over the years of existence to sink gently into a placid grave, ignorant of life to the last, without ever having been made to see all it may contain of perfidy, of violence, and of terror.
--Joseph Conrad (TH1 page 400)

Everybody in the world is a little mad.
--Joseph Conrad, The Shadow Line

One of the chief delights and benefits of travel is that one is perpetually meeting men of great abilities, of original mind, and rare acquirements, who will converse without reserve.
--Disraeli, Coningsby

I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
--Dorothy, Wizard of Oz

It seems to me that the reader of a good travel book is entitled not only to an exterior voyage, to descriptions of scenery and so forth, but to an interior, a sentimental or temperamental voyage, which takes place side by side with the outer one.
--Henry Douglas (TH1 page 148)

Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.
--Elizabeth Drew

Journeys, like artists, are born and not made. A thousand differing circumstances contribute to them, few of them willed or determined by the will--whatever we may think.
--Lawrence Durrell, Bitter Lemons (TH1 page 470)

Let the tourist be cushioned against misadventure. Your true traveler will not feel that he has had his money's worth unless he brings back a few scars.
--Lawrence Durrell, Spirit of Place

Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection.
--Lawrence Durell, Bitter Lemons

The first condition of right thought is right sensation--the first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.
--T.S. Eliot

The end of all our travels is to come back to the place we began and to know it for the first time.
--T.S. Eliot

Between the Idea and the Reality...Falls the Shadow.
--T.S. Eliot

There are three wants which can never be satisfied: that of the rich who want something more, that of the sick who want something different, and that of the traveller who says "anywhere but here."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you go only once around the room, you are wiser than he who stands still.
--Estonian proverb

Tourism is that gregarious passion which destroys the object of its love.
--Patrick Leigh Fermor, A Time of Gifts

I have always had a fanatic belief that travel enriched individual lives, increased the community's prosperity, raised a nation's living standards, opened political barriers, and most important, functioned as the most effective eye-opener between different cultures. We in the travel business are a lucky lot to be in such a useful, joyful, and peaceful endeavor.
--Eugene Fodor (TH1 page 269)

Throughout history it has been man who worships and polishes the vehicle, and the women who packs the suitcases.
--John Fowles

Fish & Visitors stink in 3 days.
--Benjamin Franklin

A great part of the pleasure of travel lies in the fulfillment of early wishes to escape the family and especially the father.
--Sigmund Freud

Travel, for too long, has been trivialized in the popular press and by the promoters of popular tours; it deserves better. It is an enduring subject of human concern, the essential requisite for a civilized life, perhaps the most effective tool for reducing foolish national pride and promoting a world view.
--Arthur Frommer, New World of Travel

I travel light; as light, That is, as a man can travel who will Still carry his body around because of its sentimental value.
--Christopher Fry, The Lady's Not for Burning

Etymologically a traveler is one who suffers travail, a word deriving in its turn from Latin tripalium, a torture instrument consisting of three stakes designed to rack the body.
--Paul Fussell, Abroad

Homesickness is one of the traveler's ailments, and so is loneliness. Fear--of strangers, of being embarrassed, of threats to personal safety--is the traveler's usual, if often unadmitted, companion. The sensitive traveler will also feel a degree of guilt at his alienation from ordinary people.
--Paul Fussell, The Norton Book of Travel

He who travels fastest travels alone, but he who travels best travels with a companion, if not always a lover.
--Paul Fussell, Abroad

One who has hotel reservations and speaks no French is a tourist.
--Paul Fussell, Abroad

Southeast Asia News 23

Burmese with Wackin' Great Cheroot


3 Foreigners Found Dead, Two Were Shot
Bodies Dumped in Khao Yai Park

The bodies of three foreigners have been found in two different places, two of them suspected murder victims. Two decayed and tattooed bodies of a foreign man and a woman were found in Khao Yai National Park by villagers on Friday night.

The naked bodies were laid one metre apart on a dirt road about 200 metres from kilometre 80 on highway 304 (Nadi-Nakhon Ratchasima) in tambon Bu Phram, Nadi district.

The body of a female, about 160cm tall, was lying face down. She was shot once in the back. The body of a heavily built man, about 180cm tall, was also lying face down. He was shot in the back of the head.

There were no traces of fighting. Police believe they were killed elsewhere and dumped in Khao Yai. Dr Anyamas Nantatraidej of Nadi hospital said the two died about three weeks ago. The bodies would be sent to the Forensic Medicine Institute at the Police Hospital for examination.

Violence Continues Against Westerners in Thailand.


Phuket's Reef 'Two-Thirds Gone'
Divers contribute to the reef's destruction, officials say

Two-thirds of the coral reef at the Thai resort of Phuket has been destroyed as a result of the tourist trade, according to Thai officials. Debris from building works accounted for most the reef's damage, said spokesman for Phuket Marine Biological Center, Nipon Pongsuwanthe. Diving and fishing also contributed to the reef's demise, he added.

More than four million people visited Phuket island last year - an increase of 2% from 2002. Three episodes of coral bleaching during the 1990s - an environmental occurrence attributed to rising water temperature and pollution - had also destroyed the reef, Mr Pongsuwanthe said.

Official tourism groups are aggressively promoting the Andaman Triangle, which includes Phuket and resorts in the Krabi and Phang Nga, as a prime marine tourism attraction. The government wants to double the number of tourists to the country by 2008. Tourism currently accounts for 6% of Thailand's economy.

Thai Govenment Incompetence and Corruption Has Killed the Environment in Thailand, Not Tourism.


Bangkok Buried Under Growing Mountain of Waste
By Michael Mathes
Agence France-Presse

BANGKOK—The booming city of Bangkok comes with lots of full bins. After years of battling pollution, congestion and other big-city evils, the teeming Thai capital is threatened with being swamped by its own garbage. Bangkok has the highest per capita trash production of any Southeast Asian metropolis, bar Singapore, with 1.3 kilograms of solid waste each person everyday, according to the World Bank.

The figure is set to rise as Thailand recovers from the Asian financial crisis of 1997 to 1998 and promotes consumerism in an economy kicking into high gear. But it lags desperately behind model recycling cities like Seoul or New York with authorities reclaiming just 3.5 percent of Bangkok’s household waste.

“If [Thailand’s] current trends hold and recycling rates remain low, it is likely that by the end of the decade, municipal waste generation would grow 25 percent and industrial hazardous waste would grow 35 percent,” the World Bank said in its Thailand Environment Monitor 2003.

Bangkok’s trash, a quarter of the entire kingdom’s, has tripled since 1985, to 9,500 tons a day last year, Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) says. The figure will double again by 2015. Some 2.5 million cubic meters of mainly household effluent is discharged every day into the city’s canals and the Chao Phraya River, which runs through the city with infectious and hazardous waste increasing.

“In Southeast Asia Bangkok is at the top,” said Tara Buakamsri, toxics campaigner at Greenpeace’s regional headquarters in Bangkok. “It’s a crisis,” he told AFP. “The government could be setting up plastic recycling centers and small-scale composting facilities in Bangkok, but these are not happening. Right now it is not their priority or political will.”

More Frightening Environmental News for Thailand.


The Cousin Did It
Eddie Chua
19 September 2004

ONE of the two suspected suicide bombers said to be responsible for the bombing outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta recently is the cousin of a top Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) bomb-maker killed by the Philippines army last year.

The bomber, Jabir @ Cabir @ Nanang @ Gempur Budi Angkoro, is the cousin of Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, a self-confessed Indonesian JI operative and mastermind of the December 2000 bombing of the Manila LRT station and four other stations that killed 22 people and injured 100 others.

Details of his family link to al-Ghozi emerged when Indonesian police put up Jabir’s profile, based on interrogations and interviews with detained JI suspects. “This revelation is alarming,” a source told the Sunday Mail. The source said the family link between Jabir and al-Ghozi shocked Indonesian investigators.

“We don’t know who else, who may have blood ties with other JI leaders and members, that Azahari (Hussin) and Noordin (Mohd Top) could have roped into their ‘bomb’ squad.”

Indonesian Terrorism Runs in the Family.


Miss Indonesia Held Back by Bathing Suit Flap
September 19, 2004
BY MICHAEL CASEY

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Artika Sari Devi looks the part of a beauty queen with her million-dollar smile and hourglass figure. And she dreams of becoming Indonesia's first Miss Universe. There is only one thing holding her back -- a swimsuit.

Like most international beauty competitions, Miss Universe requires participants to appear in a swimsuit -- either a one-piece model or a bikini. But here in the world's most populous Muslim nation, the 24-year-old Miss Indonesia faces condemnation from religious leaders and government officials who say women in swimsuits violate religious tenets requiring them to dress modestly.

''Every country can join the competition, so why not Indonesia?'' asks Artika, who won the Miss Indonesia pageant in August, an event that does not require contestants to parade in swimwear. ''I don't see a problem with the swimsuit. It's only to show my proportions. ... So many Muslims wear swimsuits. I wear one swimming,'' she says.

Battles over bathing suits would seem out of place in Indonesia, where newsstands are filled with magazines featuring scantily clad models and miniskirts. Prostitution rings operate openly in all major cities. But Islamic conservatives -- some of whom want to replace Indonesia's secular system with one bound by Islamic law -- have been emboldened since the fall of ex-dictator Suharto in 1998. Beauty contests have long been a target of Islamic conservatives.

What's Next? Beauty Pageants in Burkas?


The Final Unravelling?
Teodoro Begnino
The Philippine Star

The truth is finally beginning to emerge. Facts, figures and statistics that were conveniently concealed before by the leadership are now emerging. They had to emerge by force of circumstances and a republic beginning to flake and come apart. . The May 10 elections proved a fiasco. It tore big holes into our democratic façade. The cheating was massive. There was so much government loot spent on the elections, so much fraud. The face of evil, the wages of evil, could not be hidden anymore. The economy began to bleed.

Now we are told the Philippine government has incurred a national public debt of P4.5 trillion. Dammitohell! P4.5 trillion! How can we ever pay that back? Boo Chanco in his column Wednesday said in three months a bunch of loans would mature. And so? And so we would need no less than P678 billiion just in "debt service requirements" to stay afloat. And this debt could balloon to P8.4 trillion by 2007. God Almighty!

World Bank records show the public debt of the SSS amounts to P1.4 trillion, the GSIS at P.04 trillion for a combined P1.8 trillion contingent liability. We are also told the Napocor is in hock for P114 billion. In scorching bato-bato sa langit asides, we are also told Ma. Livia "Honeygirl" de Leon, PCSO chair, received P9.9 million in salaries and allowances in the year 2000, or more than P800,000 a month. Ye gods!

This was and is, in any language, grand larceny sanctioned if not promoted by our leadership.

One of the Philippines' Great Journalists on the State of His Country.


Edward Hasbrouck on The Amazing Race in the Philippines

Judging from the volume of comments in my blog -- in English, Tagalog, and (mostly) Taglish -- there is no country where the televised visit of The Amazing Race (the real visit, of course, having been more than 6 months ago) has been as eagerly anticipated and enthusiatically welcomed as the Philippines, where the racers stopped for the first of two Philippine "pit stops" at the end of tonight's episode:

Edward Hasbrouck's Blog -- The Practical Nomad.

Thailand Paduang Dilemna

Thai Paduang Women

The following is from my Thailand Handbook (Moon Publications), 3rd Edition:

SMILE FOR THE TOURISTS

The most famous--and exploited--people of the Mae Hong Son region are the so-called "long-necked women" of the tiny Padaung tribe from Myanmar. The Padaung are one of many ethnic minorities of Myanmar, and one of the smallest groups, numbering under 7,000 members who originated primarily in Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State. Yet due to the exceptional ornament favored by their women, the Padaung have achieved fame far greater than their numbers would suggest.

Their eponymous name describes their fate: women lengthen their necks by adding brass rings from about seven years of age to the day of their marriage. The initiation, commonly held at the auspicious time of a full moon, begins a cycle in which the adolescent adds another new ring every two years until her neck is elongated into a giraffesque shape. Once fastened around the neck, the adornment must remain for life; to remove a full stack would cause the collapse of the head and instant suffocation.

In recent times, Padaung women refused to subject themselves to the tortuous tradition. Few modern Padaung were willing to wear 10 kg of brass coils to enhance their beauty or uphold some old legend of questionable origin. In Myanmar, the practice was outlawed as barbaric many years ago and women rejected the coils for over two decades.

But more recently, the tradition, as disfiguring as bound feet, was revived for the sake of tourism. Padaung women are once again donning neck coils, not for cultural tradition or social heritage, but to make money and fuel the tourist organizations that profit from such bizarre traditions.

The Padaung practice began several years ago after thousands of the ethnic tribe fled their homeland to escape the Burmese army’s program of forced labor, slavery designed to help the army defeat the various separatist armies along Myanmar’s borders. The Padaung traveled along the Pei River and crossed the border into Thailand where Thai entrepreneurs offered them a relatively lucrative deal. In exchange for living in a subsidized community, wearing neck coils, and being displayed to tourists seven days a week, each Padaung woman would receive a monthly salary and allotment of rice.

Thai tour operators created a village for the women and advertised their sensational attraction to international tour companies around the world, charging US$12 per person to see the women and additional fees for photography and videos. They also invented a cheerful dose of propaganda: the village is typical of Padaung lifestyles, and the long-necks, another of Thailand’s endangered minorities, are political refugees supported by the Thai government, not some freak show.

None of this is true. Padaung villages in Thailand are bizarre worlds created by Thai tour operators, and the women receive no official support or legal endorsement from the Thai government. In fact, Padaung are not allowed to farm Thai land, work in Mae Hong Son, or send their children to Thai schools. And they certainly don't represent some sort of altruistic movement motivated by enlightened political goals.

The women themselves take a pragmatic approach to their role in the local tourist industry. Most accept their fate as showcases for the machinery of tourism and quietly sit on their steps while a steady stream of tourists snap photographs--an ethnic minority caught in a web of political intrigue, wretched poverty, powerlessness, and ruthless economic exploitation.


ABC News Magazine

"The Giraffe Women"
Tradition of Neck Stretching Is Centuries Old, But Is It a Cruel Custom?

Sept. 3, 2004 — Far from the glitz of Bangkok, in Thailand's remote northeastern region, tourists are lured by a spellbinding image — women and girls who've undergone a bizarre body enhancement.

They have been called Giraffe Women, because as young girls they have heavy collars of brass wound around their necks. The effect is surreal. Their heads appear as tiny dots above a golden stalk. And once they're adults, the collar never comes off: — not when they bathe, not when they sleep, and for many, not even when they die.

They call themselves the Kayan, and they lived in Karenni state in Burma, also called Myanmar. Then a 20-year civil war and the Burmese military dictatorship forced some 100,000 refugees to flee across the border to Thailand.

But while most have landed in primitive camps, the long-necked women — 200 or so — live in more comfortable villages. That's because they attract paying tourists — up to 200,000 a year — and support themselves from their share of the entrance fees — a monthly salary just for wearing the rings. They also earn money from the sale of dolls, weavings, postcards and from posing for photos with tourists.

Tourists Pay Big Bucks to See Them

Nante, 47, earns her income through the rings on her neck. "She is supporting our whole family, and also my youngest brothers study in high school because of her," said her daughter Mubi. Ma Da, 23, is the village star. She has been wearing the rings since she was 5. She says it gets hot wearing the rings, but she doesn't mind. It may be just a matter of getting used to them. Teen girls in the village seemed comfortable with their collars, even played volleyball.

One of the women, Ma Na, said she has some back and shoulder pain, but nothing serious. She boasted that she made a five-day trek when she fled Burma, and was not at all slowed down by the 10 pounds of metal wrapped around her neck, not to mention the brass ornaments she wears on her legs.

ABC 20/20 News Magazine.

Southeast Asia News 22

Burmese Boy with Tattoo


I've got a folder in my Favorites where I place links to odd little places that don't exactly fit into the Southeast Asia category, such as links to other countries in Asia and stuff such as clues on running your blog and funny stuff picked up from Boing Boing, plus other curious links located just over to your right in my Sidebar. So here goes:


Taiwan Opens World's Fifth-Longest Tunnel

With a blast of dynamite, Taiwan has opened the world's fifth-longest highway tunnel after 13 years of difficult construction that cost 11 lives. In the opening ceremony, President Chen Shui-bian pushed a button to blast through the final portion of the 13-kilometre Snow Mountain, tunnel in the northeastern county of Ilan.

Construction of the tunnel, one of the world's most challenging, was delayed for years as engineers encountered various complex fault lines and numerous collapses. The tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in Southeast Asia, is part of the 55-kilometre Taipei-Ilan Expressway project that is scheduled for completion next year.

This year I visited Taiwan on a press trip and spent a few days wandering around Taroko Gorge, which convinced me that the Taiwanese have a talent for creative engineering projects.


Twelve Follows of Cao Dai Church Arrested in Cambodia

Twelve Vietnamese followers of the Cao Dai church have been arrested in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. According to authorities, they were trying to deliver a protest letter to a regional meeting of lawmakers.

The group attempted to give a statement in Vietnamese, alleging government repression of their indigenous religion. They also asked for help from the conference delegates. Police say the 12, included two children.

The Cao Dai church, with about five million followers mainly in southern Vietnam, was only recognized officially by the communist government in 1997, ending more than 70 years of mutual suspicion and hostility.

The syncretic Cao Dai have long been Discriminated Against in Vietnam, but this was the First Report I've Read about their Persecution in Cambodia.


Give Hope to Those Who Need It Most

No one deserves to experience the hell of one day, let alone 30+ years, in a foreign prison being routinely chained, tortured, overcrowded, starved and deprived daily of their basic human rights. Find it in your heart to take action.

* Contact a prisoner (often their only link to sanity & the outside world)
* Speak out about inhumanities
* Petition foreign governments for reform for foreign prisoners
* Email your government regarding prisoner exchange treaties.

Information on Foreign Prisoners and Foreign Prisons Around the World, including Southeast Asia.


Sherpa Guide Gets to Keep Everest Record
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 16, 2004

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- A Sherpa guide who sprinted up Mount Everest in eight hours and 10 minutes will keep the record for the fastest climb up the world's highest peak, Nepalese mountaineering officials said Thursday.

Rival mountaineers had challenged 26-year-old Pemba Dorjee's claim that he beat the previous record by more than 2 1/2 hours, saying the weather was poor the day Dorjee scaled the peak. The allegations prompted Nepalese officials to review Dorjee's climb. On Thursday, Tourism Ministry official Shanker Pandey said a government committee reviewing the dispute concluded that Dorjee had produced enough evidence to back his claim.

New York Times Reports Good News from Nepal.


Blogs No Web of Wealth

There's a very tiny percentage of people who are making anywhere close to a living from blogs," said Sreenath Sreenivasan, professor of new media at Columbia University.

Andrew Sullivan, former editor of The New Republic, has a high-profile blog that takes American Express and PayPal payments and posts an address for checks or money orders. Bloggers point to Sullivan as the blogger most likely to be succeeding.

But Sullivan said in an e-mail he makes his living through freelance writing and speaking. "I've managed to pay all my expenses and an intern and give myself a minuscule salary, thanks to the generosity of my readers," he wrote. "I couldn't live off the blog alone, and I see no prospect of that happening in the near future, despite having one of the biggest audiences."

The money that is in blogland goes to only a few.

Bloggers Do It for the Love.


Bloggers Declare War on Comment Spam, but Can They Win?

Spammers find a way to game Google search results by posting links in comments sections of popular blogs. Now the makers of Movable Type and bloggers are banding together to try to keep real-time interactivity alive in the blogosphere. Here's a look at the battle so far.

Blogger Jeremy Zawodny wrote about "Guerrilla Tactics Against Blog Comment Spammers." Blogdex honcho Cameron Marlow called it the "Comment Spam Arms Race." And blogger/consultant Adam Kalsey said with resolve, "We now intend to fight back."

Just what the heck is "comment spam" and how did it get so many prominent bloggers up in arms? Basically, spammers have been using blogs to help boost their standings in Google searches by posting massive numbers of comments that include links to their pornography sites, scams and get-rich-quick sites. If your site is linked by a top-ranked site or blog, then Google will often raise your site's ranking -- at least that's the thinking of spammers.

In fall of 2003, spammers flooded blog comments, using automated schemes to infiltrate comments on high-ranked blogs such as Dan Gillmor's eJournal, David Weinberger's Joho the Blog and Rafat Ali's PaidContent.org, among others. What followed were a series of measures, counter-measures, tactical warfare and the usual gnashing of rhetorical teeth in the blogosphere. All three of these bloggers had to turn off comments for a period of time and are only tentatively trying out new solutions to keep the comments alive.

Now, Google's Blogger {Note: That Includes BlogSpot] software puts links in comments through a redirected URL, taking away any PageRank boost. And Six Apart's latest TypePad service and Movable Type software include multiple ways to stem comment spam, including Jay Allen's MT-Blacklist and the TypeKey registration system.

Online Journalism Review Article about Bloggers' Spam Problem.


How to ByPass Internet Censorship.


1000 Album Covers from Blue Note Records.

Southeast Asia News 21

See Malaya Poster


Court Refuses to Clear Anwar
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 15, 2004

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia's highest court refused to clear former deputy leader Anwar Ibrahim's criminal record Wednesday, leaving a longshot royal pardon as his last hope to return to electoral politics before 2008 despite his recent release from prison.

Anwar suggested during a short news conference at a clinic in Germany, where he is recovering from back surgery, that the decision was influenced by politics after the ruling party denounced him this week. ``I don't believe the judges are in a position to decide independently,'' Anwar said.

The three-judge Federal Court panel unanimously upheld Anwar's conviction for corruption, his second setback in two days after the ruling party ruled out taking him back into the organization, the path to power in this Southeast Asian country.

The twin blows mark another shift in fortune, two weeks after the court unexpectedly threw out a conviction for sodomy and freed Anwar from at least five more years in prison, raising speculation that the popular politician could again be a contender for prime minister. Anwar said he was undecided whether to seek a royal pardon, which could imply an admission of corruption.

New York Times on Anwar's Continuing Legal Struggles

Chris Myrick in Singapore has More on Anwar's Problems


40 cows in Pagoh Killed by a Single Bolt of Lightning

A SINGLE bolt of lightning killed 40 cows which were grazing under two trees at a farm in Pagoh, Johor, reported China Press. The daily said that the incident on Friday cost losses of more than RM40,000.

The 59-year-old farm owner said he started his business three years ago with only 10 cows and had 54 cows before the incident. He said he found the dead cows, after checking on his animals at about 6pm after the heavy rain stopped.

“I initially thought the cows were poisoned. But I saw that most of them had no external injuries and they also did not look like they had been poisoned,” he told the daily. He said an investigation by the Veterinary Department showed that the cows were killed by lightning.

And Just When You Were Getting Hopelessly Bored with News about Anwar, A Really Incredible Story from Malaysia.


Controversial Movie "Saved!" to be Rated M18

SINGAPORE : The controversial movie "Saved!" will be screened at Singapore theatres soon, but under a M18 (or Mature 18) rating. The movie had been criticised for its approach towards Christianity and was withdrawn earlier this week after the Media Development Authority (MDA) received public feedback on the religious sensitivity of the film.

However, majority of the members of the Films Consultative Panel (FCP) found that the film does not denigrate Christianity. Nonetheless, it was of the view that younger viewers could be misled by the film's light-hearted handling of social issues like pre-marital sex, adultery and homosexual relationships and has re-classified it under a M18 rating.

The Panel's Chairman David Wong said that "while we are mindful of the sensitivities to the Christian community, some members felt that there could be educational lessons that can be drawn from the film. As a key theme in the film is hypocrisy, it may also serve as a reality check for some."

"Saved!" stars Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin and Patrick Fugit and is a tale of teenage hypocrisy set in a Christian High school. - CNA

A Movie With Mandy Moore Rated as Adults Only in Singapore? Just When I Was Starting to Hold Out Hope for the Government Censors, They Shoot Themselves in the Foot. Come on, Guys. Loosen Up.


The SDP: Destination Unknown?

Three years after a poor showing in the 2001 polls, the Singapore Democratic Party is back in the news after secretary-general Chee Soon Juan stayed away from a court hearing on a defamation suit sparked by his comments during the campaigning. AZRIN ASMANI and SUE-ANN CHIA look at the party's fortunes

MR ERNEST Chee, a relatively new face at the Singapore Democratic Party, likens the opposition party to a faulty Ferrari. The youth wing member thinks the 'prancing horse' logo of the Italian marque represents aptly the unbridled energy of SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan.

But Mr Ernest Chee, no relation to the SDP leader, also believes the 24-year-old party is sputtering and in need of a major overhaul. 'The engine oil has to change, the tyres, the brakes...all need changing,' the 27-year-old insurance agent tells Insight. More importantly, the party needs a driver who spends more of his time here than overseas, he says.

Anti Singapore Democratic Party Diatribe Published in The Straits Times as an "Insight." Shouldn't this Article be Listed Under "Opinion?" Or At Least "Commentary?" But Then Guess Who Controls the Publishing Permits for Singapore?


Bacteria in Soil Kill 24 in Singapore
Thu Sep 16,11:27 PM ET

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A soil-borne bacterial infection called melioidosis has killed 24 people in Singapore this year, making it more deadly than SARS (news - web sites) or bird flu, the health ministry said on Friday. The illness, also known as Whitmore's Disease, is listed by the U.S. government as a potential biological weapon but Singapore government officials said there was no sign it had been spread intentionally.

The bacteria enter the body when bruised skin comes into direct contact with contaminated soil or water, leading to abscesses and blood poisoning. Victims experience fever, coughing and shortness of breath. In some cases they develop pneumonia. The death rate hit 40 percent between January and July this year, up from 10 percent last year, the ministry said. Up to early September, 79 people have been diagnosed with the disease.

Killer Soil in Singapore? What's Next? Dengue Fever? Adult-Only Movies with Mandy Moore?

Southeast Asia News 20

The Endangered Rice Terraces of Banaue


Philippines claims to have largely cut Jemaah Islamiyah's terror links with local militants

The Philippines said Tuesday its anti-terror assaults have cut most links between al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah and local militants, and claimed it has purged terror cells from a raging Muslim rebellion in the south.

Officials have bolstered security nationwide and given such assurances to ease terror attack fears following last Thursday's deadly bombing outside the Australian Embassy in Indonesia.

"The past links of the Jemaah Islamiyah in the country are well known and accepted, but these have been largely dismantled through a continuous string of arrests and raids on JI lairs," presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement.

"Mindanao is no longer a safe refuge of terrorist cells," he said, referring to the southern area where government forces have waged a campaign to dismantle jungle training camps reportedly used by Jemaah Islamiyah. Jemaah Islamiyah remnants were on the run from government forces, Bunye said.

I Guess It's Now Safe for that Exotic Vacation to Basilan, Zamboanga, and Tawi Tawi You've Been Putting Off for Several Years. After All, the Philippine Government Now Claims to have Defeated Jemaah Islamiyah.


"The Amazing Race" comes to the Philippines; officials hope to draw tourists

The Philippines on Tuesday promoted a pair of episodes of "The Amazing Race" that were shot in the country, hoping the American reality TV program will spark tourist interest. The episodes, shot in Manila and the western island of Palawan in February, will be shown locally on the next two Wednesdays.

Energy Secretary Vince Perez, the Cabinet official who is also in charge of development of Palawan, said the government made a marketing effort last year to attract the race.

"We hope this will bring increased tourism interest in the Philippines, and while none of us has seen the actual episodes, we will ... definitely be glued on TV to watch what parts of Manila and Palawan they will be visiting," Perez said.

Did the Defeated Terrorists Get the Press Release on This Event? They Could Have Easily Guaranteed an "Amazing Race," from Puerto Princessa Down to Tawi Tawi in Speedboats.


Philippine Police Round Up Scantily Clad Singing Group

Police rounded up nine scantily clad members of a new singing group known as the D'Bodies after their racy photo shoot on Thursday near a Manila church sparked a traffic jam. The women, most of them topless except for pasties under see-through raincoats, posed for cameramen on the ledge of a fountain in front of the centuries-old Malate Church as scores of onlookers jostled for viewing spots.

They then crossed Roxas Boulevard for more photos on the seawall of Manila Bay followed by the large crowd, halting traffic on one of Manila's busiest streets.

Following in the footsteps of performers like the Viva Hot Babes and Sex Bomb Girls, the group said they were promoting their first album, a collection of songs with such titles as "Kiliti" (Tickle), "Giling, Kendeng, Kembot" (Grind, Gyrate and Sway), and "Talong" (Eggplant).

Police Lt. Vicente Belaro and his men ordered the women off the street and led them to a bus that took them to the traffic bureau. The women were later transferred to police headquarters. "We have to do this. The mayor will get mad if we don't," he said, referring to conservative Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

Did the Terrorists Hear About this Event? What About the Producers of "The Amazing Race?" And Where Was the Tourist Office?

Southeast Asia News 19

Circus Time in Surabaya!

Bali Bomber Book Exposes Mind of Terrorist
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 17, 2004

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Imam Samudra was 16 when he rejected his secular upbringing, beginning a journey into militant Islam that would ultimately claim 202 lives at a nightclub in Bali. In a newly published autobiography written on death row, the 35-year-old attributes his conversion to the disgust he felt at seeing friends skip prayers and girls fail to cover their heads as the Islamic holy book demands.

``I became an introvert, and stopped watching TV and listening to music. My best friends were the Quran and other religious books,'' he writes in the book, titled ``I Fight Terrorists.'' The ``terrorists'' referred to in the title are Americans, Samudra explains in the book.

The 280-page paperback offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a militant in the world's most populous Islamic nation as its secular government struggles against religious fundamentalism.

Written in Indonesian, the book is the first release of Jazeera, a small, new publishing house in Jakarta. It has an initial print run of 5,000, said Bambang Sukirno, who heads Jazeera and edited the book. Sukirno said there were no plans to translate the work and market it overseas. He said it was ``selling really well'' but that exact figures were not available.

Indonesia's struggle against terror was highlighted last week, when suicide bombers struck the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, killing nine people, including two bombers. It was the third major attack in the country in two years.

Samudra argues that the Oct. 12, 2002, Bali nightclub attack was justified, and calls for more suicide operations in Indonesia and elsewhere to avenge America's support for Israel and its attacks on Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq.

New York Times on Terrorist Biography Published in Jakarta.


Paul Wolfowitz on Press Freedoms in Indonesia
New York Times
Sept. 16 2004

While holding two fair presidential elections in a row is a hallmark of democratic progress, the real test of a democracy is how it protects the rights of its citizens. Our own Declaration of Independence doesn't speak of elections but rather about the rights of all human beings to certain "inalienable rights," in particular "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." And it is a fundamental principle of our Constitution that citizens cannot be deprived of those rights except by due process of law. Elections are properly viewed as a mechanism to hold government accountable, particularly in its most fundamental responsibility of protecting the rights of its individual citizens.

Accordingly, the rule of law is one of the essential pillars of a democratic society. There are few powers that a democratic state possesses that are as awesome as the power to prosecute its own citizens lawfully. And few things are more threatening to a true democracy than the abuse of that prosecutorial power.

One of the worst possible ways that power can be abused is to take away the freedom of the press and thereby remove one of the most important mechanisms for ensuring that government respects the rights of its citizens. As Mr. Bambang pointed out in his eloquent pleading before the court in August, the collapse of Indonesia's first brief experience with democracy in the 1950's began with "an attempt to undermine freedom of the domestic press through the criminalization of journalists."

Under President Sukarno, 60 press cases were brought before the Special State Court in September 1957 alone. As Mr. Bambang said: "The world's train has long raced away from the station where journalistic works are still criminalized. We ought to be included in the carriage of the world community's progress, and not left behind at the station of backwardness, one that is more fitting to be displayed in a museum and not as a destination."

Both of the candidates in next Monday's presidential runoff election have expressed concern over this case. One hopes that beyond acquitting Mr. Bambang and his colleagues of any of the criminal charges pressed against them, Indonesia will take steps to ensure that this intimidation of a free press should cease.

Paul Wolfowitz, Former American Ambassador to Indonesia, Decries the Press Crackdown and Criminal Persecution of Editors at Tempo Magazine.

More Commentary on the Tempo Tragedy from Laksamana.


THE PARADISE PARADOX
Romantic Westerners once sold Balinese culture to the globe. Now locals wonder if their island is becoming a giant theme park
© By Keith Loveard

BIG MACS IN THE macrobiotic hills of Ubud? West Bali National Park handed over to a timber magnate for eco-tourism? Similar rumors of development doom have been flying on Indonesia's fabled island ever since the 1930s, when it was first marketed to the world as paradise on earth. True or not, the latest whispers making the rounds point to an increasingly gnawing worry. More and more Balinese are asking: Is our home being turned into a giant theme park?

Former AsiaWeek Editor in Jakarta Calls Alarm Over Uncontrolled Development in Bali.

Southeast Asia News 18

Bangkok Klong

The Bangkok Post puts out a hardhitting Commentary about Thaksin and a series of biographies about the Prime Minister of Thailand.

More People are Seeing through Thaksin
Wasant Techawongtham

Senator Chirmsak Pinthong didn't know he was creating a social phenomenon when he launched the book Roo Than Thaksin (Seeing Through Thaksin), a collection of articles critiquing the Thaksin policies. Among the writers are well-known academics, economists, former diplomats and political activists. They are, in Thaksinese, ``the regulars'' who are often critical of policies initiated by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The book became an instant best seller. The first edition sold out as soon as it hit the bookstands. Second and subsequent editions followed and were quickly snapped up. Altogether 70,000 copies were sold, unprecedented in the book world for a non-fiction, rather academic book.

Sensing he was on to an undercurrent of discontent, Sen Chirmsak put out a second book in the series. The public reception was just as enthusiastic. It sold 20,000 copies within a few months. Now he is planning a third in the series.

The book title itself has become a catch phrase. One group has already adopted it as the name of a movement that sets out to expose the motives and alleged conflicts of interest behind the Thaksin policies. What makes the books such a successful venture?

To answer this question, we need to look at how Mr Thaksin has tried to ``manage'' the news media. Mr Thaksin apparently believes the media play a major part in influencing public opinion. His family-owned Shin Corp's acquisition of a major stake in iTV is likely more than a simple business venture. Rather it is to be a vehicle for his ambitious plan to rule the country with an iron fist.

Under his style of leadership, harsh punishment is the rule for any non-conformer. It began with iTV where, right after Shin Corp's takeover, more than 20 journalists who refused to toe the management line either resigned under pressure or were fired.

After he came to power, Mr Thaksin's sparring with journalists became a regular feature of the government-media relationship. All television stations quickly learned to stay away from negative news about the government. The last bastion of media freedom, the press, also came under heavy pressure to toe the line.

Despite the government's denial of interference in the news media, it soon became clear to the public, particularly the educated classes, that they have been denied information that they are constitutionally entitled to receive.

The news media have been pushed back into the dark ages from which they recently emerged. An air of oppression dominates the public sphere as Mr Thaksin exerts his iron-fisted leadership to dominate all public affairs to a point where all officials must look for some kind of signal from him before launching any action for fear of contradicting him.

While the media industry has lost a degree of independence as operators must look to protect their business interests, the Thai people, post-Oct 14, 1973, can no longer be so easily cowed.

Bangkok Post Commentary


Bangkok Post
Locals to Put Curse on 4th Army Chief
Muslims Enraged by Ponoh School Raids

WASSANA NANUAM
Pattani

More than 30,000 Muslim religious teachers and owners of Islamic schools in the deep South are planning a ritual to put a curse on Fourth Army commander Lt-Gen Pisarn Wattanawongkeeree after soldiers raided two ponoh schools on Sunday.

``I think this Fourth Army commander is no longer the right man for the job of solving problems in the South. I think this person will only add insult to injury,'' said Nideh Wabah, president of the Association of Private Islamic Schools in Five Southern Border Provinces, yesterday.

Well, the Magical Protection Against Bullets Didn't Work, so Why Not Try a Curse?


Thursday September 16, 6:29 PM
Thai TV Station Cancels Government Critic's Talk Show

A television station has abruptly canceled a planned talk show featuring a sex tycoon-turned-politician famous for his anti-establishment views, raising fresh charges of unfair government influence over the media.

The weekly program to be hosted by Chuwit Kamolvisit was to have begun airing Saturday on TV Channel 7, which is owned by the Thai army. The station held a news conference Monday to promote the show, "Kui Pao Khon" or "Speaking Bluntly."

But Chuwit told reporters Thursday that he had received a call from a station executive telling him the show has been canceled. Chuwit, who came third in the Bangkok governor elections last month, said the executive didn't give a reason but implied the station was pressured by the government.

Chuwit owns a string of massage parlors, which are thinly disguised fronts for prostitution. He captured the public's imagination last year when he revealed details of alleged police corruption, citing large bribes he reportedly paid to keep operating.

"The ban clearly shows that there are questions about media and press freedom in this country," Chuwit said Thursday. "The politician who is in power put pressure on the television station to ban me from the air because he fears that my popularity will rise and be a danger for his political career," he said.

Chuwit didn't name anyone, but the reference apparently was to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a former policeman whose government has frequently been accused of trying to intimidate the media or influence it with money.

Poor Chuwit Just Can't Get No Respect


"Morality Campaign" Leads to Earlier Closing Times at Thai Nightlife Venues

Reduced operating hours went into effect Friday for many of Bangkok's famous nightlife establishments as part of a morality campaign initiated by the Thai government. Bars, discos and other establishments operating outside three designated nightlife zones will now be forced to close by midnight instead of 1 a.m. Most bars within those zones, however, will continue to close at 1 a.m., while discos there will be able to continue to operate until 2 a.m.

Early this year, the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra sought major new restrictions in the operating hours of bars, discos and other entertainment venues. The proposal was part of a social order campaign initiated several years ago by the government designed to keep young people away from the temptations of drugs, sex and alcohol.

Shinawatra Just Hates Tourists


Thai Police Arrest Prison Warden for Alleged Drug Trafficking

A senior warden at Thailand's biggest prison was arrested Friday for allegedly dealing in drugs in collusion with jailed drug lords in his charge, officials said. "The operation was part of our measures to sweep out the drug gangs from operating in the prisons," said Nathee Chitsawang, director-general of the Corrections Department.

The warden at maximum security Bang Khwang prison, Narongsak Insawang, had 2,000 methamphetamine tablets when he was arrested, Nathee said. Police suspect Narongsak was buying drugs from dealers he contacted through jailed drug lords. Narongsak would then sell the drugs to people outside the prison, police said. "The drug gangs outside, they trust only these big-name traffickers. That's why they operate from the prisons," Nathee said.

Senior Warden Deals Speed. Will He Go to Prison?


Thai Authorities Seize Large Shipment of Smuggled Ivory

A shipment of smuggled ivory weighing 870 kilograms (1,920 pounds) has been intercepted on its way into Thailand from Singapore, officials said Friday. The ivory, worth an estimated US$97,000 (euro 79,000), was seized Thursday at Bangkok International Airport after arriving on a Thai Airways flight from Singapore, the Customs Department said.

No arrests were reported in connection with the seizure, and the department did not disclose its origin. The ivory seizure _ one of Thai authorities' biggest in years _ came just before Thailand hosts a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, on Oct. 2-14. Representatives of 166 CITES member governments meet every two years to make and review policies to keep wildlife trade from threatening species' survival.

No Arrests Were Reported? The Customs Department Doesn't Know Where the Ivory Came From? Something Smells Fishy about this Story.


CONSERVATION-THAILAND:
Illegal Ivory Trade Still Flourishes
Sonny Inbaraj

BANGKOK, Sep 17 (IPS) - Gleaming white Chinese statuettes, carved from ivory, and whole elephant tusks - intricately hollowed and displaying on the surface carvings of village life in rural China - greet shoppers along one of the city's main thoroughfares in busy Sukhumvit Road. These curios are among the more than 88,000 products for sale in the capital and other Thai tourist destinations that conservationists say have been made from illegal African ivory.

They are also concerned that loopholes in Thailand's legislation allow the ivory trade to flourish in the country, now dubbed as the largest documented retail ivory market in the world. Without doubt, this issue will be brought up as Thailand plays host to the 13th Meeting of Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife and Fauna (CITES) between Oct 2 to 14.

Since 1993, Thailand has been a signatory to CITES. But there is an important loophole.

Note to Customs Department: Please Talk to the Good Folks at World Wildlife Fund. They Have Some Important Clues about the Illegal Ivory Trade in Thailand.


Herd of Elephants Kicks, Damages Cars

Three people driving through a Thai national park got too close for comfort to a herd of wild elephants who kicked and damaged their vehicles, authorities said Thursday.

The two men and one woman, driving in two pickup trucks through the Khao Yai National Park Wednesday evening, encountered a herd of more than 10 wild elephants, looking for food on the side of the road, said a national park official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The drivers stopped and waited for the herd to pass, but the agitated elephants surrounded them and used their legs to attack the vehicles, the official said. He said the elephant damaged the hood and door of one truck and smashed the window and dented the back of the other truck. No one was injured.

Even the Elephants in Khao Yai are Pissed Off About the Illegal Ivory Trade in Thailand.


Police Arrest Four Thai Youths for Alleged Gang Rape of Canadian, Briton

Police have arrested four teenagers for allegedly gang raping two Western women in southwestern Thailand, an official said Tuesday. The Thai youths were arrested late Monday after a 19-year-old Canadian woman and a 22-year-old British woman alleged they had been raped on a beach in Petchaburi province, said police Maj. Gen. Panya Mamen, chief of the tourist police.

Police did not release the names of the suspects, and their exact ages were not immediately known so it was unclear if they would be tried as minors.

Violence Continues Against Western Visitors in Thailand.


Sin City Revisited: Pattaya Today
Pattaya became known for its seedy nightlife around the time for the Vietnam War. Today, it's more sophisticated, but the sleaze is still there
By Bradley Winterton
CONTRIBUTING REPORTER
Thursday, Sep 09, 2004

Pot-bellied German pederasts mincing around in flowery shirts, Dutch dropouts, Austrian dykes with piercings, French ex-colonial heavies, Russian teenage girls squirming as they listen to their ghetto-blasters -- it's hard to forget Michel Houellebecq's portrait of Thailand's premier east coast resort at the end of his sensational 2001 novel Platform.

And this has constituted Pattaya's reputation ever since it was first developed as an R&R resort for American troops during the Vietnam War. The whole of the coarse West's exploitation and despoliation of the exquisite East seemed to be summed up in that one word -- Pattaya.

But what's it like today? What's changed? There's been much publicity promoting a reformed, cleaned-up Pattaya. Has the grisly old leopard, redolent of musk and stale beer mats, really managed to change its suppurating spots?

Taipei Times on Pattaya


THAILAND WANTS SWEDISH FIGHTER JETS FOR POULTRY
14/09-2004

Thailand is offering chicken in exchange for the Swedish fighter Gripen, and Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to discuss the mater with his Swedish counterpart Göran Persson next week, Reuters reports. The Swedish response has, however, so far been lukewarm.


Breaking The Waves in Kata
Bali isn't the only famous island in Asia that offers surfing. Despite being a low-key activity, surfing is becoming popular at many of Phuket's beaches
Story and photos by GEOFF LONG

My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to head down to Phuket to cover the fourth annual surfing competition on Kata beach. Hang ten though, since when did Phuket have decent surf, never mind an annual surfing competition?

It seems surfing is one of the island province's best kept secrets. It's not mentioned in any of the tourist literature and even the bible, Lonely Planet's Thailand guidebook, seems unaware that there's actually a fledgling surf community down south and a growing number of shops selling and renting boards and teaching newcomers how to catch a wave.

Surfing in Phuket? You're Better Off in Hikkadua (Sri Lanka), Bali, Southeast Java, Baler (Philippines), Surigao (Philippines). Even Surin Has Better Surf than Kata.

Josh Marshall on the Bush War in Iraq

Josh Marshall 

Josh Marshall Comments on the Bush War in Iraq

We're helping the Iraqi people build a new democracy. Pessimists can say what they want. But that's what they said about the occupation of Germany and Japan. We're safer with Saddam in prison; America is safer. The critics are pessimists.

These aren't quotations. But phrases like these are the stock phrases of the president and the rest of his campaign. They filled the recent Republican convention in New York. Actually, on Thursday President Bush was speaking in exactly this vein: "Freedom is on the march."

But as yesterday's piece in the Times made clear, that's exactly the opposite of what the government -- or rather the people in the government paid to analyze these things --- actually believes. A new and still highly classified National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq says that the best case scenario for the country over the next eighteen months is drift, along more or less the lines that it's at right now. The worst case scenario is all-out civil war. The middle ground is spiralling extremism and fragmentation -- basically a continuation of the evolution, or rather devolution, we've seen over the last year.

There have been a raft of new findings over the last week or so which dramatize or confirm this finding. But the truth is we don't really need anyone to tell us this.

It's always possible to posit 'optimism' up until the point when the whole place actually erupts spontaneously into hellfire. But to any thinking individual it's clear and it's been clear for some time that our whole enterprise in Iraq is going extremely poorly, by pretty much every concievable measure.

And yet the president just says none of this is true. Things are going well. Yes, things are difficult, he says. But we're on the right track and things keep getting better. Dan Bartlett today said that Democrats are just showing their pessimism: "President Bush gets his briefings from commanders on the ground. He has reason for his optimism because of the enormous amount of progress we have made."

The president is simply in denial. Or he's willing to keep burning through the US Army and the Marine Corps to avoid admitting the failure of his policies or even the obvious fact that the situation in Iraq is deteriorating terribly.

Today another suicide bomber just exploded himself in Baghdad killing at least a dozen people. The country is continuing the slide into chaos and violence. President Bush says we're on the the right track. Freedom is on the march.

Words and excuses meet incompetence, chaos and death. That's what this election is about.

-- Josh Marshall

Josh Marshall Post

Thailand Deaths on Road

Thailand Deaths on Road

More than 6,400 killed in disasters
Road accidents rank top with 6,300 lives

Disasters claimed more than 6,400 lives and caused damage totalling about 1.8 billion baht in the kingdom in the first eight months of this year. Road accidents ranked top with about 6,300 deaths, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said.

Department chief Pongpayome Wasaphuti said 11 kinds of disasters left 6,457 dead and 39,242 others injured nationwide, and caused damage worth 1.818 billion baht during January and August this year. He was speaking on Monday at a meeting of the national civil defence committee, the city administration, and the Meteorological, Irrigation, Water Resources, and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation departments.

Road accidents resulted in the largest death toll, followed by sabotage attacks, fire accidents, storms, floods, chemical accidents, earthquakes, building collapses, drought, cold weather, hailstorms, and forest fires.

In the first half of this year, 6,316 people were killed and 39,122 others injured in 35,030 road accidents throughout the country except Bangkok.

Sabotage attacks in eight provinces left 54 people dead and 91 others injured and caused around 1.18 million baht in damage, while fire accidents in 67 provinces including Bangkok killed 37 people, affected 10,389 others and caused damage totalling 560.48 million baht.

Storms killed 26 people and affected 138,868 others throughout the country, while floods in 41 provinces claimed 19 lives, affected about 1.42 million others and caused 357.6 million baht in damage.

Chemical accidents in 16 provinces including Bangkok left 3 people dead and 18 others injured, while earthquakes and building collapses in Samut Sakhon and Satun provinces killed two people and injured 11 others, and caused damage to a department store and two other commercial buildings.

The four other types of disasters affected millions of people but caused no human casualties. Drought affected more than 8.3 million people in 64 provinces and damaged about 1.48 million rai of farmland.

Cold weather affected about 1.24 million people in 32 provinces. Hailstorms affected 16,447 people in 7 provinces and caused 12.82 million baht in property damage, while forest fires affected 49 people and damaged 860 rai of farmland in five provinces.

James Wolcott Starts a Blog

James Wolcott of Vanity Fair 

There are two great magazines in America: The New Yorker and Vanity Fair.

James Wolcott Writes for Vanity Fair. He started a wonderfully written blog a few weeks ago. FriskoDude says Check it out.

The Bush War in Iraq

Bush Just Wants to Go To War 

Chris Allibritton Reports from Iraq

TIME Weighs in on the FUBAR Situation in Iraq, and It Ain’t Pretty.

Important parts of the country, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers said, are controlled by rebels. Principal cities and major roads west and north of the capital are ruled by Sunni insurgents. Al-Sadr’s men launch uprisings at will across the wide Shi’ite belt, and even parts of Baghdad are no-go zones for U.S. troops and the frail forces of the interim Iraqi government.

All this has helped make the peace much bloodier than the war: last month anti-U.S. attacks climbed to 87 a day, more than double the rate in 2003 and the first half of 2004. The U.S. death toll since sovereignty was returned to Iraq on June 28 has eclipsed the number killed in the invasion, and the total tally just passed 1,000. The wounded number more than 7,000. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld estimates that coalition forces killed up to 2,500 suspected insurgents in August, but the will of the rebels shows few signs of cracking. Attacks on U.S. troops increasingly come in the form of direct fire from small arms and suicide bombs, the tactics of a more sophisticated and in-your-face foe.

I don’t know if I can really put into words just how bad it is here some days. Yesterday was horrible — just horrible. While most reports show Fallujah, Ramadi and Samarra as “no-go” areas, practically the entire Western part of the country is controlled by insurgents, with pockets of U.S. power formed by the garrisons outside the towns. Insurgents move freely throughout the country and the violence continues to grow.

I wish I could point to a solution, but I don’t see one. People continue to email me, telling me to report the “truth” of all the good things that are going on in Iraq. I’m not seeing a one. A buddy of mine is stationed here and they’re fixing up a park on a major street. Gen. Chiarelli was very proud of this accomplishment, and he stressed this to me when I interviewed him for the TIME story. But Baghdadis couldn’t care less. They don’t want city beautification projects; they want electricity, clean water and, most of all, an end to the violence.

And in the midst of all this violence, most of the Iraqi Interim Government is out of town. Security Advisors, heads of important ministries and the chief of the new Mukhabarat are all mysteriously absent. The Iraqi security forces are a joke, with the much talked about Fallujah Brigade disbanded for being feckless and — worse — riddled with insurgents who were being paid and trained by the U.S. Marines.

Thousands of Iraqis are desperate to get a new passport and flee the country. These are often the most educated Iraqis — the have the money to get new passports and travel — so the brain-drain will accelerate.

The poor and the disenfranchised are finding their leaders in the populist and fundamentalist Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr or in the radical Islam of the jihadis, who are casting a long shadow on this formerly secular country. Iraq has its own home-grown Wahhabists now, something it didn’t have 18 months ago.

In the context of all this, reporting on a half-assed refurbished school or two seems a bit childish and naive, the equivalent of telling a happy story to comfort a scared child. Anyone who asks me to tell the “real” story of Iraq — implying all the bad things are just media hype — should refer to this post. I just told you the real story: What was once a hell wrought by Saddam is now one of America’s making.

Posted by Christopher at September 14, 2004 01:03 AM

Chris Allibritton Reports from Iraq


Another View from Angry Finger

Think the "investors" in the Iraq war are starting to get a little pissed that they're not seeing that huge payoff as soon as they expected?

Faced with mounting violence in Iraq, the Bush administration plans on Tuesday to propose shifting $3.46 billion from Iraqi water, power and other reconstruction projects to improve security, boost oil output and prepare for elections scheduled for January.

So the Iraqi's have to go without water, power or a place to live, at least they'll be able to brag about they're country's oil output. I guess I still don't have the hang of how this "compassionate conservatism" Bush keeps talking about is supposed to work.

Angry Finger and the Bush War in Iraq


George W. Bush and the Importance of Ownership

Colin Powell told President Bush, "if you break it, you own it." And now president Bush is going around talking about having an "ownership society." That's a huge opening for Kerry:

"Mr. president, Colin Powell told you about this war that 'if you break it, you own it.' And now you're going around talking about an 'ownership society.' Well, Mr. President, let me tell you what you own. A million jobs lost. You own that. A thousand soldiers lost. You own that. 1.4 million new people living below the poverty line. You own that. 1.2 million less people covered by health insurance. You own that. A seventeen percent medicare increase. You own that. Health care costs skyrocketing. You own that. The tax burden increasing amongst the middle class. You own that. Mr. President, if you want to talk about an ownership society, let's talk about what you own."

Zackpundit on Daily Kos


The ever great Juan Cole hits one way out of the park with this analysis on Al Qaida's progress in its war against the West.

Al-Qaeda wanted to build enthusiasm for the Islamic superstate among the Muslim populace, to convince ordinary Muslims that the US could be defeated and they did not have to accept the small, largely secular, and powerless Middle Eastern states erected in the wake of colonialism. Jordan's population, e.g. is 5.6 million. Tunisia, a former French colony, is 10 million, less than Michigan. Most Muslims have been convinced of the naturalness of the nation-state model and are proud of their new nations, however small and weak. Bin Laden had to do a big demonstration project to convince them that another model is possible.

Bin Laden hoped the US would timidly withdraw from the Middle East. But he appears to have been aware that an aggressive US response to 9/11 was entirely possible. In that case, he had a Plan B: al-Qaeda hoped to draw the US into a debilitating guerrilla war in Afghanistan and do to the US military what they had earlier done to the Soviets. Al-Zawahiri's recent message shows that he still has faith in that strategy.

The US cleverly outfoxed al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, using air power and local Afghan allies (the Northern Alliance) to destroy the Taliban without many American boots on the ground.

Ironically, however, the Bush administration then went on to invade Iraq for no good reason, where Americans faced the kind of wearing guerrilla war they had avoided in Afghanistan.

Al-Qaeda has succeeded in several of its main goals. It had been trying to convince Muslims that the United States wanted to invade Muslim lands, humiliate Muslim men, and rape Muslim women. Most Muslims found this charge hard to accept. The Bush administration's Iraq invasion, along with the Abu Ghuraib prison torture scandal, was perceived by many Muslims to validate Bin Laden's wisdom and foresightedness.

After the Iraq War, Bin Laden is more popular than George W. Bush even in a significantly secular Muslim country such as Turkey. This is a bizarre finding, a weird turn of events. Turks didn't start out with such an attitude. It grew up in reaction against US policies.

It remains to be seen whether the US will be forced out of Iraq the way it was forced out of Iran in 1979. If so, as al-Zawahiri says, that will be a huge victory. A recent opinion poll did find that over 80 percent of Iraqis want an Islamic state. If Iraq goes Islamist, that will be the biggest victory the movement has had since the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. An Islamist Iraq might well be able ultimately to form a joint state with Syria, starting the process of the formation of the Islamic superstate of which Bin Laden dreams.

Juan Cole on the Bush War in Iraq

Southeast Asia News 17

Old Sign at Saxophone Bar Singapore 


Thai Transvestites Go Down Fighting in Elephant Polo Match

An elephant polo team made up of transvestites has competed in a prestigious tournament in Thailand. The Screwless Tuskers put up a brave show before going down 2-0 to the DBS Bank Ladies. The played on the final day of the 14-team round-robin tournament in the annual event.

Ananova Story with Photos of the Elephant Riding Katoeys


Soldiers Flock to Temple for Protective Tattoos

Throngs hope sacred motifs keep them safe
By Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

Soldiers and police in the troubled deep South have rushed to receive sacred tattoos from a guru monk at Wat Sathit Chonlatan in Nong Chik district in the belief it will protect them from harm. The number of visitors has swelled since an attack in Narathiwat on CWO Ah-duenan Singha, 49, of the 43rd Ranger Regiment.

The soldier was said to have been shot several times two months ago but reportedly emerged unscathed. CWO Ah-duenan wears sacred tattoos blessed by the temple abbot, Phra Chaiya Opaso. Phra Chaiya, or Luang Daeng, has lost count of the number of police and soldiers who have visited the temple for sacred tattoos.

''Thousands of them, I guess. Every day since January there are people asking for tattoos,'' he said. On Thursdays, up to 100 officers are seen lining up at the temple, waiting patiently for their turn to get sacred tattoos. They can get sacred tattoos on any day, but Thursday is an auspicious day according to superstition.

Tatoos and Magic Bullets in Narathiwat


Problems of Western Women in Thailand

I don't link to Mango Sauce very often, since the site is mainly geared to single Western men who are fascinated with the women of Thailand, but this link provides an intelligent but ultimately sad look at the plight of Western women in the land of smiles.

Mango Sauce with an Article from the Wall Street Journal


Thailand’s English Speaking Dilemma

The Nation
Published on Sep 14, 2004

Considering that Thailand has been getting 11 million foreign tourists every year, and the service sector is so strong and well run, it is difficult to understand why very few Thais speak English. Agreed that the tourists who visit the country are from different parts of the world, including Europe, Japan and South Korea, but on the whole most travellers speak some English, as it has become the universal language.

Another puzzling fact is that even though young Thais listen to Western music and love Western fashions, they don’t feel the need to be able to communicate in English. A friend of mine, Deepak, who has lived here for nine years, describes a scene that took place at a Bangkok department store some years ago. She had a guest from Singapore, and they went shopping at the store.

Her guest needed help finding something, but the salesgirls could not understand her, so, much to Deepak’s embarrassment, her guest started asking the girls a little heatedly, “How come you don’t speak English?” The polite salesgirls looked at each other, giggled a bit and then one of them said, “No need.” Deepak was delighted with the reply, as it shut her guest up.

The Nation on Why Thais Don't Bother to Learn English


Thai Government to Ban Culturally Insensitive Foreigners

Sun Sep 12

BANGKOK (AFP) - The Thai government will ban foreigners from the kingdom who break serious cultural rules as laid out in an official etiquette book it plans to produce. The ban and booklet were a result of a row caused by recent controversies such as the movie "Hollywood Buddha" which depicted the film's director sitting on top of a Buddha head, according to the Nation newspaper Sunday.

The movie poster caused a furor in Thailand last week, where the population of about 62 million is overwhelmingly Buddhist and where showing disrespect to a Buddha image is taken seriously. Thailand's foreign affairs ministry agreed to blacklist foreigners from entering the country as a punishment for previous indiscretions after attending a meeting on the booklet being prepared by the ministry of culture, reported the Nation.

"If some foreigners still behave with malicious intentions, Thai Buddhists should denounce these people or not allow them to enter the country," Ministry of Culture Deputy Permanent Secretary Kla Somtrakool was quoted as saying by the daily.

Thailand to Ban Culturally Insensitive Tourists. Are You on the Blacklist?


Pathbreaking Magazine Again in Peril in Indonesia
By JANE PERLEZ
Published: September 13, 2004

JAKARTA, Indonesia Sept. 11 - At the height of his powers here in 1994, General Suharto ordered Tempo, a Time lookalike magazine of wide readership and great authority, closed.

Even in the repressive atmosphere then, Tempo had done pathbreaking reporting. One of its stellar articles was about corruption in the state-run energy monopoly, Pertamina. The article included scintillating details of bribe money being used to finance an oil boss's second marriage. But daring to criticize the government's purchase of a fleet of rusted old navy ships from East Germany proved too much, and the magazine was shut.

Ten years later in a young democracy, the magazine flourishes, except in the eyes of Indonesia's antiquated press laws. A prominent businessman with interests in real estate and gambling has brought a criminal defamation case against the chief editor, Bambang Harymurti.

New York Times Article on More Problems with Tempo Magazine in Jakarta


Time Asia Looks at Terrorism in Indonesia

Time Asia on Indonesia Terrorism


Media Piracy in Malaysia Ranks Third in the World

With crime syndicates muscling into the pirated DVD and VCD market, Malaysia is ranked as one of the top three countries in the Asia-Pacific region for the illegal trade. The others are China and Hong Kong as reported by Motion Picture Association (MPA), followed by Australia and South Korea.

China, Hong Kong and Malaysia have emerged as the top three countries where most of the 11.8 million pirated DVDs and VCDs were seized in the region by MPA, since January this year. Eighty per cent of the illegal trade in the region is handled by crime syndicates in the five countries.

Thailand Didn't Make the Ranking Because of a Technical Glitch


Vijay Singh Applied for Malaysian Permanent Residence Status 20 Years Ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia could have gained international recognition if the world number one golfer Vijay Singh’s application for permanent resident status 20 years ago had been granted. The 41-year-old Fijian was then based at the Morib Golf and Country Club in Banting. He used to train on the beach, hitting about 1,000 balls a day.

Datuk Mohamed Aini Taib, who was then the president of the club, said Vijay deserved all the accolades that he had received – for his fighting spirit, determination and focus. “He had the passion and determination to excel. He was prepared to go the extra mile to improve his game. “We can be proud that Vijay, who was based in Malaysia, is now the world number one. It was unfortunate that his application for PR was rejected. Otherwise a Malaysian could have been the world number one today,” said Mohamed Aini.

Why Would Malaysia Reject Fijian-Indian VJ?


Singapore May Loosen Rules on Legitimate Massage

SINGAPORE: A whole host of changes have just been suggested for spas and massage parlours in Singapore. An advisory panel has taken a closer look at the licensing of spas, and suggested ways to give patrons more choice and to allow bona fide operators to compete more freely with regional rivals.

Why can't men and women enjoy their spa treatments or even their massages in the same room? And why can't a woman be massaged by a man? These are just some of the changes that the advisory panel has recommended.

Cosmopolitan. Dancing on Tables. All Night Bars. Gay Festivals. What's Next?


Plenty of Cinderellas Still Live in Singapore

Absurd demands imposed on foreign maids by their employers include killing a cockroach before going to bed at night and hiding in the kitchen when the husband returns from work, a check of maid agencies in Singapore found.

Expectations to carry the baby and cook at the same time, bans from using the toilet and orders to sit on the floor when receiving instruction were among demands to maids listed by The Straits Times.

Maid abuse resulting in serious injuries and even death has long been a problem in the city-state, where young women come from Indonesia, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries to find domestic work.

Some Singaporeans Actually Go Through More Than Five Maids Per Year


Philippines Scandal: Over 50 Journalists Murdered and Not One Conviction

In a country where newspaper reporters and radio broadcasters have long risked harm to tackle sensitive issues, 55 members of the media have been murdered since the reintroduction of democracy and press freedom following the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

Not a single case involving the murder of journalists since 1986 has yielded a conviction. Media advocates attribute this to the power of those who order the killings and their ability to hide hired killers in other parts of the country. This track record, in turn, explains the increasing frequency of these murders, advocates say.

The Washington Post on Murdered Journalists in the Philippines

Philippine Star on Murdered Journalists


Imelda Marcos Musical?

MANILA (AFP) - Already the subject of an award-winning film documentary, the life of the Philippines former first lady Imelda Marcos is now to be turned into a musical, according to a report. The Los Angeles production will be staged by the Asian-American theater troupe, East West Players, the Philippine Daily Inquirer said.

The musical, set to open next May, will cover Imelda Marcos' rise to fame as a beauty queen, her marriage to Ferdinand Marcos, and the "people power" revolution which ended his dictatorship in 1986 and chased the couple into exile in Hawaii. It will have "the tone of Evita, with more light and funny parts.

I, Personally, Think This is a Great Idea for a Musical


New Video From Laos Shows Murdered, Starved Hmong Children in Laos

The Nation
Don Pathan
Published on Sep 14, 2004

Newly released video footage of critically wounded Hmong rebels and their family members seems poised to set off another diplomatic storm between the Vientiane government and the international community on the issue of humanrights violations.

The hourlong videotape, seen by The Nation, reveals graphic and disturbing footage of armed troops and dying children. The bodies of four girls and one boy, all said to be between the ages of 12 and 16, are covered with gunshot wounds and knife cuts, allegedly incurred during an ambush by the Laotian military in an ongoing war that the government continues to deny.

Some of the victims appeared to have been shot at pointblank range, while the girls were visibly mutilated and shaken – allegedly after being raped by their captors. The footage also showed scenes of parents and relatives weeping as they inspect victims’ bodies.

The film is believed to have been taken from a restricted area in northern Laos, in the region of Xaysomboune, in May. It shows a group of 200 ethnic Hmong, some of them armed, wandering through remote jungles and living out of makeshift camps with virtually no form of contact with the outside world

London based Amnesty International has expressed concern over the possibility that the Laotian government may be using starvation as a weapon of war, a claim that the Vientiane government vigorously denies. But footage filmed in late June 2003 goes some way to undermining this by clearly showing emaciated Hmong children in advanced stages of starvation.

Another Probably Expired and Now Useless Link from The Nation


Simon At SimonWorld and Asia By Blog

Plenty of great links to the blogosphere in Asia
Here. Be sure to check out Rajan and Chris Myrick, plus Korea Notes from Marmot's Hole, and Jodi's Observations from good ole' Pusan (now Busan).

Mysterious Explosion in North Korea

Boom Goes London, Boom Paree, More Room For You, More Room for Me 

Atomic Activity in North Korea Raises Concerns
By DAVID E. SANGER and WILLIAM J. BROAD
Published: September 12, 2004

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 - President Bush and his top advisers have received intelligence reports in recent days describing a confusing series of actions by North Korea that some experts believe could indicate the country is preparing to conduct its first test explosion of a nuclear weapon, according to senior officials with access to the intelligence.

While the indications were viewed as serious enough to warrant a warning to the White House, American intelligence agencies appear divided about the significance of the new North Korean actions, much as they were about the evidence concerning Iraq's alleged weapons stockpiles.

New York Times on Alarm at North Korea's Nuclear Ambitions

The North Koreans now claim that they were just blowing up an entire mountain in the middle of the night to create a dam. Sure, guys. Most likely, this was just an enormous ammunition dump and some idiot tossed his cigarette butt into the mess. The Marmot's Hole Has the Latest News on Blowing Up Mountains to Make Dams in the Middle of the Night More news on the unconventional hydro-electric dam building techniques of those wacky North Koreans Here

Test for Expats in Thailand

Darkie Toothpaste 

You Know You’ve Been in Thailand Too Long When:

1. You look four ways before crossing a one way street.
2. You’ve bought a house for a Thai bar girl, or at least a motorcycle.
3. You begin to enjoy Thai TV programs.
4. You think it’s normal to have a beer at 9:00 a.m.
5. You realize that ALL your problems are caused by Thai girls or cranky ATMs.
6. You know all the bars and people mentioned in Trink’s weekly website.
7. A Thai cop stops you for a minor infraction and you automatically reach for your wallet.
8. You think that a Honda Civic is a prestigious car.
9. All your tee-shirts are emblazoned with the name of a bar.
10. You can’t remember the last time you wore a suit and tie. You think a safari jacket and jeans are formal attire.
11. Your Thai girlfriend has more gold than you.
12. Someone asks you what Thailand is famous for and you reply, "hookers, spicy food and corruption."
13. Someone tells you that watching Thai politics is like watching two chameleons making love and you understand the analogy.
14. The most important event of your day is the announcement of the exchange rate.
15. You aren’t upset when the Isaan bar girl next to you eats beetles as a snack.
16. Later the same night, you actually kiss the Isaan bar girl who earlier dined on the beetles.
17. You haven’t had a solid stool for five years.
18. Your most prized possessions are your passport and credit cards.
19. You wake up in the morning and realize that you have nowhere to go and all day to get there.
20. You think white wine goes well with Som Tam.
21. You understand when your Thai wife says, "My friend you" or "Same, same, but different."
22. You need money quickly, so you realize that there certainly is no point in going inside a Thai bank.
23. A Thai bar girl you’ve just met tells you that her mother is deathly ill and you just laugh and walk away.
24. A newly arrived tourist asks how long it takes for a Thai girl to reach orgasm and you respond, "Who cares?’
25. You don’t mind when a Thai cuts in front of you in line. Instead, you just stand on his foot and pretend ignorance.
26. You aren’t surprised when your Thai girlfriend covers her mouth when picking her teeth then openly picks her nose.
27. You realize that your Thai wife’s loyalties belong to 1. Her parents. 2. Her brats from a previous marriage to a Thai scoundrel who deserted her. 3. Any remaining blood relatives. 4. The family buffalo. 5. The family’s goldfish. 6. You. (This pecking order is inviolate.)
28. The Thai Navy buys a new submarine and you’re not surprised when the first thing they do is remove the mufflers and hang a garland from the rear view mirror.
29. Your Thai girlfriend gets angry when you tell her "No money, no honey, no funny."
30. You consider your mobile phone a fashion accessory.
31. You no longer enjoy Songkran in Pattaya. Instead, you stay home with a stack of videotapes.
32. It’s two days before payday, so you only go to bars with balloons strung outside.
33. You realize that all the important words in Thai begin with the letter ‘S’. Sanuk (Fun), Saduak (convenient), Sabai (comfortable), Suay (pretty).
34. You believe that buying a gold chain is an acceptable courtship ritual, or at least a form of foreplay.
35. You think a calendar more useful than a watch.
36. You realize that the only way to become millionaire in Thailand is to start off as a billionaire.
37. You’re discussing Thai girls with a farang buddy and you say, "Yeah, I’ve got her exactly where she wants me."
38. You go to a Thai Boxing match and a soccer game breaks out.
39. You stand in the shadow of a telephone pole while waiting for a bus.

Scoring

0-10: You’re fresh off the boat, but there may be hope for you yet. Concentrate on living like a Thai, keeping in mind that it is not a race but a culture.

11-20: You’ve been here a while, but still a bit green. You probably have too many farang friends. Hang in there; perversion is its own reward.

Over 20: An old Thai hand. If you live to be 100, you still won’t be able to understand these people. How long since you’ve visited your poor old mom or had a meal in which you could identify all the ingredients? Seriously though, don’t tell your friends back home how good it is here, lest we get deluged with a bunch of yahoos in the 0-10 range.

Southeast Asia News 16

Golden Triangle Ticket 


Thailand. Safe for Travelers?

Tragic Toll of Thailand Travellers
Sep 10 2004

Mark Lemetti was the last in a growing list of Britons to meet a tragic end in Thailand. Inverness-born Mark was found in a rubber plantation near Sungai Kolok on August 20. The 24-year-old, left, had been repeatedly beaten around the head and a snooker cue lay nearby. His injuries were so bad police had trouble identifying him.

In November last year, robbers raided the home of retired York-shire engineer James Arthur Green, 63, before stabbing and shooting him and dumping him in a river. The previous month, businessman Robert Henry, 42 , of Coventry, had been shot in the head and back and left in a canal near Pattaya.

In December 2001, arts graduate Penny Cunningham, of New Mills near Stockport,was hit by a train. Her father Peter paid a private investigator to look into the 26 year-old's death after being told she mysteriously stepped on to tracks in Surathani. But three years later baffled coroners recorded an open verdict.

In August 2000, Welsh student Kirsty Jones, 23, was raped and strangled in her £1-a-night room at a guesthouse in Chiang Mai.

Kenneth Alexander, 62, a former air defence expert from London, was stabbed in a seedy hostel in Bangkok in September 1998.

Wealthy architect Andrew Palmer, 36, from Peterborough, was found dead in the beach resort of Pattaya in June 1996. It was believed he had links to the child-sex trade in Cambodia.

Cheshire solicitor Jo Masheder, 23, was found dead at a Buddhist temple outside Kanchanaburi in January 1996. Monk and convicted rapist Yodchart Suephoo, 21, confessed to killing her for her camera and £12.

Daily Record


Thai General Conducts "Goodwill" Visit to Myanmar

A "Goodwill" Mission to the Country that Supplies Most of Thailand's Speed and Heroin?


Bang Rajan Review

The Founding Myth of Modern Thailand
By Dave Kehr
September 10, 2004

With his proud handlebar mustache, Chan (Jaran Ngamdee), the hero of the Thai historical epic "Bang Rajan," looks as if he should be crooning in a barbershop quartet rather than leading an improvised army of villagers against invading Burmese troops.

The film, which opens today in Manhattan, is set in 1765, when the Burmese king sent 200,000 troops into the Siamese capital, Ayudhaya, to put down a challenge to his regional authority. In what has since become a founding myth of modern Thailand, a few hundred fighters from the tiny village of Bang Rajan held off the invading army in eight pitched battles, heroically staving off the inevitable collapse of the capital city.

Released in Thailand in 2000 but only now reaching commercial theaters in the United States, "Bang Rajan" obviously has its roots in tensions in the area. (Burma, now Myanmar, is a repressive police state that is a constant threat to the more benignly authoritarian Thai government.) Much of "Bang Rajan" has a bluntly propagandistic purpose.

The Burmese are thoroughly demonized as bloodthirsty savages. "What kind of man could do this?" one character asks, surveying a scene of hideous carnage. And the Burmese are led by a tubby, decadent general who seems to have stepped out of "Quo Vadis." The Siamese men are lean, mean fighting machines with the bodies of Calvin Klein models. They, too, enjoy hacking off arms and heads, but only in the ennobling context of battle.

Bang Rajan Fails to Make "Goodwill" Visit to Myanmar


Home Beer Brewing Now Legal in Singapore

Next Thing You Know, They are Going to Legalize Cosmopolitan and Permit Table Dancing


Singapore Kiasu Too Tired To...

Singapore's birthrate has sunk to an all-time low of 1.25 babies per woman. Raising it has become a national cause, as significant as the fight against terrorism. If the birthrate continues to wane, officials warn, the workforce will shrink. There will be fewer people to support a growing elderly population and to sustain the military that protects this 400-square-mile island sandwiched between Indonesia and Malaysia. Singapore's vaunted tiger economy will whimper.

The government is loosening immigration rules, too. But a premium will always be placed on native-born Singaporean citizens, officials said.

Not Tonight Honey, I Have a Headache


SE Asia Cops Rank Terrorism as Lower Threat than Drugs, Mutual Assistance on Criminal Matters, and Progress of the Aseanopol Database System

September 07, 2004
Asean Cops Put Illegal Drugs Before Terrorism
By Anthony Vargas, Reporter

ILLEGAL drug trafficking has dislodged terrorism as the top concern of law-enforcement agencies in Southeast Asia, a document from the Philippine National Police disclosed Monday.

A joint communique issued after the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Police (Aseanapol) conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on August 16-20 listed illicit drug trafficking as the top concern.

Terrorism, the primary concern in the 23rd Aseanapol Conference in Manila last year, was relegated to fourth priority after mutual assistance on criminal matters and progress of the Aseanapol database system.

A senior official of the PNP said no major terrorist attack has been recorded since August last year, which explained the lower priority. The official said terrorists have toned down their activities after the August 7, 2003, bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, where more than 200 people were killed and dozens were injured.

Cops Just Can't Make a Nickle from those Tightwad Terrorists


Malaysian Media Sees Improved Climate

In small but steady doses, the Malaysian media, cowed into slavish submission during the lengthy, autocratic rule of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, is once again beginning to ask the hard questions, connect with the people and put a human face to pressing social issues.

The best example occurred last week when newspapers that had ignored jailed former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim on official orders, went to town with the story of his unexpected release.

The catalyst for the change, many analysts say, is the more liberal attitude of the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who took over from Dr Mahathir last October. In March Mr Abdullah won a landslide mandate of his own after promising more democracy, less corruption, greater transparency and a shake-up of the corrupt and inefficient police force.

Asia Pacific Media Network with SCMP Article on Better Days for Malaysian Media


Indonesian Media Accepts Failures

The Indonesian media express shock at the Australian embassy attack with some papers pointing at the police and government for failing to take security threats seriously. "We are ashamed because our national police are incapable of preventing continued bombings," Media Indonesia newspaper says in an editorial beside a front-page headline: "Terror 9/9". "We are ashamed because our nation has been seen as a den for terrorists.... Yesterday's bombing has utterly ruined our credibility."

"The bombing has crushed trust in Indonesia and public trust in the government." The Jakarta Post says it appears that, after "good work" following the 2002 Bali bombing, "our police officers and intelligence agencies have somehow allowed their vigilance to slacken".

The sense of shame about how unsafe Indonesia appears to be is echoed in an editorial in Jakarta's Kompas. "It is easy to foresee the impact of the bombing in front of the Australian embassy. The foreign governments which issued travel warnings have proven themselves to be right."

BBC News on The Shame of Indonesia's Media

Laksamana Chronology of Recent Bomb Attacks in Indonesia

New York Times Report on Jakarta Bombing


Legalize Opium in Laos for the Pharmaceutical Industry?

Up to the late 1990s, the Laos government, mindful that more than 40% of its population were hilltribes and that opium was an important cash crop and medicine, displayed a sensible reluctance to ban opium poppy cultivation until the international community could guarantee alternative crops and livelihoods were in place. However, Pino Arlacchi, former director of Undoc, and the US DEA pushed zealously for UN member states to accept deadlines adopted in 1998 for ridding the world of narcotics supplies..Laos was pressed to fall into line and drop all its caveats with clearly disastrous results.

But some opium-growing nations are exempt from narcotics repression. Australia, France, India, Spain and Turkey are all members of a licit opium growing club of nations based on pharmaceutical demand. A number of Lao government officials have queried why no consideration has ever been given to providing their poor poppy farmers with the same deal as Tasmanian farmers in Australia.

A Vientiane-based international consultant thought it ridiculous that Tasmanians should benefit from growing opium while Laos was penalised. ''Why has no one carried out a feasibility study on the legalisation of opium for pharmaceutical purposes in Laos?'' he asked.

Bangkok Post on the Opium Problem in Laos


Fascinating Story from Iran

Iranian Expat Looks at Modern Tehran

Saturday Cat 4

Fat Cat 1

Fat Cat 2

Fat Cat 3 

As a bonus for my thousands of loyal readers and those of you have sent in thousands of dollars to support this blog, here's a gripping series of photos of what happens when you share too much love with your little kitty.

On another note, my jazz station favorite (KCSM, College of San Mateo, Commercial-Free Jazz 24 Hours, www.kcsm.org, Streaming Audio if You're Broadband) just started their fall pledge/begging session, so I'm off wandering the dial to find another commercial free station with decent music. And, today, it's some rap station. What a surprise, it's actually fun.

Travel Quotes 2

Four Kinds of Farangs 


Every man carries within himself a world made up of all that he has seen and loved; and it is to this world that he returns incessantly, though he may pass through, and seem to inhabit, a world quite foreign to it.
--Chateaubriand, Voyage en Italie

For some ill-defined reason, lovers have a particular penchant for travelling, perhaps in the hope that by exchanging backdrops for that of the unknown, those fleeting dreams will be retained a little longer.
--Carole Chester

I shall always be glad to have seen it--for the same reason Papa gave for being glad to have seen Lisbon--namely, that it will be unnecessary ever to see it again.
--Winston Churchill

The glamour of the East had cast its spell upon him; the mystery of lands in which no white man had set foot since the beginning of things had fired his imagination; the itch of travel was upon him, goading him to restlessness.
--Hugh Clifford, The Story of Exploration

I prefer mythology to history because history starts from the truth and goes towards lies and mythology starts from lies--fantasy--and goes toward truth.
--Jean Cocteau

There are only three things which make life worth living: to be writing a tolerably good book, to be in a dinner party for six, and to be traveling south with someone whom your conscience permits you to love.
--Cyril Connolly, A Romantic Friendship

I believe if I were to one day accept a religion, it would be of Buddhism. No other faith seems to offer such an eloquent expression of hope and beauty with its array of imagery, fashioned seemingly by devoted geniuses of a fantasy world.
--Joseph Conrad, The Shadow Line

Some men go skimming over the years of existence to sink gently into a placid grave, ignorant of life to the last, without ever having been made to see all it may contain of perfidy, of violence, and of terror.
--Joseph Conrad

Everybody in the world is a little mad.
--Joseph Conrad, The Shadow Line

One of the chief delights and benefits of travel is that one is perpetually meeting men of great abilities, of original mind, and rare acquirements, who will converse without reserve.
--Disraeli, Coningsby

I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
--Dorothy, Wizard of Oz

It seems to me that the reader of a good travel book is entitled not only to an exterior voyage, to descriptions of scenery and so forth, but to an interior, a sentimental or temperamental voyage, which takes place side by side with the outer one.
--Henry Douglas

Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.
--Elizabeth Drew

Journeys, like artists, are born and not made. A thousand differing circumstances contribute to them, few of them willed or determined by the will--whatever we may think.
--Lawrence Durrell, Bitter Lemons

Let the tourist be cushioned against misadventure. Your true traveler will not feel that he has had his money's worth unless he brings back a few scars.
--Lawrence Durrell, Spirit of Place

Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection.
--Lawrence Durell, Bitter Lemons

The first condition of right thought is right sensation--the first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.
--T.S. Eliot

The end of all our travels is to come back to the place we began and to know it for the first time.
--T.S. Eliot

Between the Idea and the Reality...Falls the Shadow.
--T.S. Eliot

The Bush War in Iraq

Bush Portrait of Dead Soldiers in Iraq 

New York Times
How Many Deaths Will It Take?
By BOB HERBERT
September 10, 2004

It was Vietnam all over again - the heartbreaking head shots captioned with good old American names: Jose Casanova, Donald J. Cline Jr., Sheldon R. Hawk Eagle, Alyssa R. Peterson. Eventually there'll be a fine memorial to honor the young Americans whose lives were sacrificed for no good reason in Iraq. Yesterday, under the headline "The Roster of the Dead," The New York Times ran photos of the first thousand or so who were killed.

They were sent off by a president who ran and hid when he was a young man and his country was at war. They fought bravely and died honorably. But as in Vietnam, no amount of valor or heroism can conceal the fact that they were sent off under false pretenses to fight a war that is unwinnable. How many thousands more will have to die before we acknowledge that President Bush's obsession with Iraq and Saddam Hussein has been a catastrophe for the United States?

Joshua T. Byers, Matthew G. Milczark, Harvey E. Parkerson 3rd, Ivory L. Phipps.

Fewer and fewer Americans believe the war in Iraq is worth the human treasure we are losing and the staggering amounts of money it is costing. But no one can find a way out of this tragic mess, which is why that dreaded word from the Vietnam era - quagmire - has been resurrected. Most Washington insiders agree with Senator John McCain, who said he believes the U.S. will be involved militarily in Iraq for 10 or 20 more years.

To what end? You can wave goodbye to the naïve idea that democracy would take root in Iraq and then spread like the flowers of spring throughout the Middle East. That was never going to happen. So what are we there for, other than to establish a permanent military stronghold in the region and control the flow of Iraqi oil?

The insurgency in Iraq will never end as long as the U.S. is occupying the country. And our Iraqi "allies" will never fight their Iraqi brethren with the kind of intensity the U.S. would like, any more than the South Vietnamese would fight their fellow Vietnamese with the fury and effectiveness demanded by the hawks in the Johnson administration.

The Iraqi insurgents - whether one agrees with them or not - believe they are fighting for their homeland, their religion and their families. The Americans are not at all clear what they're fighting for. Saddam is gone. There were no weapons of mass destruction. The link between Saddam and the atrocities of Sept. 11 was always specious and has been proven so.

At some point, as in Vietnam, the American public will balk at the continued carnage, and this tragic misadventure will become politically unsustainable. Meanwhile, the death toll mounts.

Elia P. Fontecchio, Raheen Tyson Heighter, Sharon T. Swartworth, Ruben Valdez Jr.

One of the reasons the American effort in Iraq is unsustainable is that the American people know very little about the Iraqi people and their culture, and in most cases couldn't care less. The war in Iraq was sold as a response to Sept. 11. As it slowly dawns on a majority of Americans that the link was bogus, and that there is no benefit to the U.S. from this war, only endless grief, the political support will all but vanish.

(This could take awhile. In a poll done for Newsweek magazine this week, 42 percent of the respondents continue to believe that Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the Sept. 11 attacks.)

We've put our troops in Iraq in an impossible situation. If you are not permitted to win a war, eventually you will lose it. In Vietnam, for a variety of reasons, the U.S. never waged total war, although the enemy did. After several years and more than 58,000 deaths, we quit.

We won't - and shouldn't - wage total war in Iraq, either. But to the insurgents, the Americans epitomize evil. We're the crazed foreigners who invaded their country and killed innocent Iraqi civilians, including women and children, by the thousands. We call that collateral damage. They call it murder. For them, this is total war.

President Bush never prepared the nation for the prolonged violence of this war. He still hasn't spoken candidly about it. If he has an idea for hauling us out of this quagmire, he hasn't bothered to reveal it.

The troops who are fighting and dying deserve better.

American Soldier Blogger Censored in Iraq

Colby Buzzell Blogger from Iraq 

Last month I mentioned and recommended an American soldier in Mosul who was writing some very powerful reports on his experiences in live battle, most notably his Men in Black post which reminded me of Michael Herr's award-winning book on the Vietnam War, Dispatches. Last week, his blog posts were suddenly erased and he went quiet for a few days, then reemerged without his previous posts. Something sinister had happened, and today the world found out, thanks to articles in The Los Angeles Times and the free section of the Wall Street Journal.

Army Blogger's Tales
Attract Censors' Eyes

By CHRISTOPHER COOPER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
September 9, 2004; Page B1

Army specialist Colby Buzzell figured he'd cap his yearlong deployment to Iraq by mustering out of the service this winter and easing into a new career. "I was thinking about maybe driving a cab," he says.

But that was before he launched My War, an Internet-based chronicle of his life as an infantry soldier in Mosul, where he mans a gun in a Stryker brigade. Written under the nom de guerre of CBFTW (Colby Buzzell F -- This War), the blog is a mixture of gripping accounts of caffeine-driven battle maneuvers and amusing vignettes from the dusty grind of life in Iraq's third-largest city.

CBFTW's writings are a hit in the blogosphere, with his Web page logging 10,000 hits on a recent day.

But Spc. Buzzell's writing aspirations may prove his undoing as a professional soldier. Recently, shortly after his commanders discovered My War on the Web, Spc. Buzzell found himself banned from patrols and confined to base. His commanders say Spc. Buzzell may have breached operational security with his writings. "My War" went idle as he pondered the consequences of pursuing his craft while slogging through five nights of radio guard duty, a listless detail for an infantryman. More recently, the pages again went blank, as he chafed under a prepublication vetting regime imposed by his command.

WSJ on Censored Blogs in Iraq

Thailand News

See Thailand Poster 

Thai Prime Minister Sues Newspaper Journalists

It's impossible to link to The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong unless you have a subscription, but some of their articles are posted in the very useful Asia Pacific Media Network, making the business of frustrated bloggers a little less onerous.

THAILAND: David and Goliath do battle in premier's libel suit
The Prime Minister brings a libel case against writer and editors
South China Morning Post
Monday, September 6, 2004

Freedom of expression will be at stake when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's family firm brings a libel case today against Supinya Klangnarong, according to the media campaigner. When Supinya appears in criminal court with her co-defendants - two editors from a local newspaper that printed her article last year alleging the Shin Corp company founded by Mr Thaksin had benefited from his policies - she will be embarking on the fight of her life.

"This has become a symbolic confrontation and it's getting bigger and bigger," said Supinya, a feisty activist who heads the Campaign for Popular Media Reform. "I'm tired and frustrated, but even though I want to give up, I can't," she said. "We have to fight, even if we are going to lose."

SCMP on Freedom of the Press in Thailand

The Bangkok Post can be viewed daily but they often let their links expire, just like their kissing cousins over at The Nation. Here's a thoughtful editorial about the threat to freedom of the press in both Thailand and Indonesia, and why defamation should not be considered a crime in these countries.

To defame is not a criminal act

The courts convened in two high-profile cases of a similar nature in Bangkok and Jakarta on Monday. In each case, the defendants faced defamation charges in circumstances seen as a threat to free expression. The cases received wide media coverage and caught the attention of those who champion the right to voice opinions.

In Bangkok, Supinya Klangnarong, a media reform activist, and three senior journalists with the Thai Post newspaper appeared before the Criminal Court on charges brought against them by Shin Corporation, the telecom giant owned by the family of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The company has accused Ms Supinya and the Thai-language paper of damaging its reputation in a way that could hurt its business through an article in the paper which reported Ms Supinya as saying Shin Corp might have benefited from the government's telecom policies. The activist says her comments were made in good faith.

In Jakarta, state prosecutors are seeking the imprisonment of Bambang Harymurti, editor-in-chief of Tempo, an influential weekly magazine, for defaming Tomy Winata, a businessmen said to have close links with the police and prosecutors. The magazine implied in an article that Mr Tomy might have benefited from a fire which razed a marketplace in the Indonesian capital. A ruling on the case was to be brought down on Monday but, in the face of the wide media coverage and international interest in the case, the central Jakarta district court put this off until Sept 16.

The criminal cases against Ms Supinya and Mr Bambang demonstrate the risks faced by journalists and others who take on powerful forces _ in these two cases, an influential businessman known for his generosity to police and state prosecutors and a well-connected business giant.

Bangkok Post Editorial on Freedom of the Press and the Issue of Slander in Southeast Asia

The China Post also goes after the architect of press harassment in Thailand by looking at a recent book about his background and disingenuous claims of childhood poverty.

Authors, academics, monks try to expose Thailand's popular prime minister?
2004/9/8
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP)

Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's powerful, multimillionaire prime minister, likes to portray himself as a self-made man from the backwoods, a future-looking CEO-type with great concern for the welfare of the people. Not so, says a recent chorus of respected critics trying to expose "the real Thaksin" to a still largely admiring public through best-selling books, seminars and even the preaching of Buddhist monks.

"Thaksin's economic vision may be fixed on the future and the first world, but his social vision is medieval," says one of the books. "Thaksin has rolled back a quarter-century of democratic development." The extract comes from "Thaksin, The Business of Politics in Thailand," which one newspaper columnist described as "Thailand's literary `Fahrenheit 9/11"' _ but minus the partisan thrust of the American documentary film about U.S. President George Bush.

Enjoying brisk local sales and slated for worldwide distribution, the book was authored by Thai economist Pasuk Phongpaichit and British historian Chris Baker. The husband-wife team at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University are known for their groundbreaking research into the dark, sometimes criminal, underpinnings of Thailand's economic and political world. The book gives Thaksin his due for dynamism, achieving short-term economic recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis and being the first Thai leader to appeal directly to the rural masses with a policy platform. Noted is the innovative campaign which swept him and his Thai Rak Thai, or Thai Love Thai, party into power in 2001.

But the book also charts the rampant, old-fashioned cronyism and corrupt dealings beneath Thaksin's modern managerial surface, and the systematic construction of a political structure in which power is centralized in a single party, and Thaksin's own persona, while opposing voices are silenced.

China Post on Thaksin and a Recent Book on His Life

A Twist on an Old Story from Thailand

Thursday September 9, 2004
German jailed for sending e-mail threats from Thailand
STUTTGART

A German doctor's assistant on Thursday was jailed for three and a half years for trying to extort money from banks, hotels and airports with e-mail threats sent from Internet cafés in Thailand. The court in this southern city ruled that the 44-year-old had sent dozens of e-mail messages threatening to kill people or blow up buildings if he was not paid because he needed money for a flight home from Asia.

The man also said he was facing a heavy fine because he had overstayed his visa for Thailand after falling in love with a Thai woman, but that his girlfriend had left him when he ran out of money.

Overstayed his Visa? Fell in Love with a Thai Girl? She Left Him as He Went Broke? What Else Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Movie Producer in Hollywood Looks at His Karma

And Finds Out that He Was Going to be Reborn as a Dog in Thonburi

The Perils of Drinking and Fighting with Cops in Kanchanaburi

Two British tourists killed in Thailand, policeman suspected

A police sergeant is suspected of having fatally shot two British tourists after a quarrel early Thursday in western Thailand, police said. The 25-year-old man and 24-year-old woman were killed in Kanchanaburi province, a popular tourist destination, police Col. Vej Somboon said. An arrest warrant has been issued for Sgt. Somchai Visetsingha, whose private car was found with bloodstains and pieces of human flesh sticking to its exterior, Vej said.

He said witnesses saw the victims arguing with Somchai at a riverside restaurant around 2 a.m. He later approached the two in a car and fired at the man, ran down the woman when she tried to run away, and then shot her at close range, Vej quoted the witnesses as saying. Both victims died from multiple gunshot wounds. Somchai has been missing since the shooting, Vej said.

Two Backpackers Murdered in Kanchanaburi

Magazines and websites about entertainment in Thailand often seem to specialize in the sleeze, and few of the more straight shooters seem to survive for very long, so let's hope this promising website makes a long and healthy run.

Bangkok Recorder

Southeast Asia News 15

The Orient Line to Southeast Asia 

World Wildlife Fund Decries Destruction of Tioman

Tioman Island, a few hours from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, has long been known for its splendid rainforest, decent beaches, offshore coral reefs, ridiculous 9-hole golf course, surly guesthouse owners, and rickety old pier where the shuttles arrive from the mainland at Kuantan. Also, the island was never used for the filming of South Pacific, though that myth is always promoted by the locals, who don't seem to appreciate that the film was lensed on Kauai. But they certainly don't need the coming travesty promoted by the Malaysian government.

Controversial Marina Project Threatens Malaysia's Pulau Tioman Marine Park
Petaling Jaya
Malaysia

Concerned about irreversible damage to the marine ecosystem, WWF-Malaysia is urging the Pahang State government to reverse its decision to build a marina near Pulau Tioman's Marine Park. The marine park is home to some 200 endangered giant clams, coral reefs, and other marine life. "It would be an absolute travesty to destroy the very corals that the government has pledged to protect," said WWF-Malaysia's Executive Director Dato' Dr Mikaail Kavanagh. "It would wipe out the natural treasures that are of huge value to Tioman's tourism industry and would be bad for conservation and the local economy.

WWF-Malaysia fears that if the marina project goes ahead, it would not only defy Tioman's status as a nationally protected marine park, but would also be taken as a sign that marine park protection in Malaysia is not to be taken seriously.

Proposed Marina Threatens to Destroy Coral Reefs at Pulau Tioman


Indonesia's Minister for Political and Security Affairs Says Don't Worry, Be Happy

US TRAVEL WARNING TOO EXAGGERATED: MINISTER SAYS

Jakarta, Sept 8 (ANTARA) - Ad Interim Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Hari Sabarno, said the conduct of the second-round presidential election on September 20 is expected to proceed peacefully as the legislative and first round polls, so that US travel advisory for American citizens suggesting them not to visit or postpone their travel to Indonesia was exaggerating.

"The warning is exaggerating, although the US has the right to warn its nationals. Is it true that there is a terrorist threat ahead of the election ? Let`s see whether this is true what the US had been worrying about," the minister said here after a coordination meeting on political and security matters here on Wednesday night.

He further said that before the legislative and first round presidential election, some parties thought the election would be a bloody one. In fact the elections lasted peacefully, but they never withdrew their statement or said that their analysis had been inaccurate.

Jakarta Was Bombed One Minute Later


Message to Indonesian Minister Mentioned Above: Indonesia Still at Risk

Bali 'Bomb-Makers' Still at Large
The 2003 Marriott Bomb was Linked by Police to the Bali Attack

Thursday's bomb blast in Jakarta is likely to again highlight the fact that the two men thought to have built the 2002 Bali bombs are still on the run. Indonesia has had some notable successes tracking down the men who carried out the Bali attacks, and several of the plotters have been sentenced to death or prison. It has also jailed those who carried out the 2003 bombing on the Marriott hotel, which killed 12 people including the suicide bomber.

But the two men believed to have built the bombs - Dr Azahari Husin, a 45-year-old Malaysian university lecturer, and Dulmatin, a 32-year-old electronics expert - have managed to evade the police hunt.

Bali Bombers Still Run Reckless in Indonesia


Another Message to the Indonesian Minister of Political and Security Affairs

Recent Terrorist Attacks in Indonesia
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 9, 2004

Here is a list of terrorist attacks in Indonesia dating back to 1999:

-- Sept. 9, 2004: A bomb explodes close to the Australian Embassy in the capital, Jakarta. At least seven people are killed and about 100 wounded. No group claims responsibility, but police suspect the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror group.

-- Jan. 10, 2004: Four people are killed by a bomb in a karaoke cafe in Palopo on central Sulawesi island. Perpetrators unknown.

-- Aug. 5, 2003: A car bomb in front of the J.W. Marriott Hotel in central Jakarta kills 12 people and wounds 150. Fifteen alleged members of Jemaah Islamiyah are convicted for the blast.

-- Dec. 5, 2002: Bomb explodes outside a McDonald's on Sulawesi, killing three people and injured 11. Jemaah Islamiyah-linked militants blamed.

-- Oct. 12, 2002: Two near simultaneous bombs explode in a night club district on the tourist island of Bali, killing 202 people, most of them foreign tourists. Thirty-three alleged Jemaah Islamiyah operatives have been convicted so far. Three have been sentenced to death.

-- Dec. 25, 2000: Bombs explode at 11 churches across Indonesia on Christmas Eve, killing 19 people and injuring around 100. Attacks blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah.

-- Sept. 13, 2000: A car bomb explodes inside the garage of the Jakarta Stock Exchange building, killing 10 people and injuring 16. Police claim Acehnese separatist rebels behind the explosion. Rebels deny the charge.

-- Aug. 1, 2000: Bomb kills two people and seriously injures the Philippine ambassador to Indonesia. Police say the attack was to avenge an assault that ousted a Muslim separatist group from their camp on the Philippine island of Mindanao in 1999.

-- April 19, 1999: The ground floor of Jakarta's main Istiqlal mosque is damaged by a bomb allegedly set off by Jemaah Islamiyah. No one was injured.

NY Times AP Report on Recent Terrorism in Indonesia


Guess Which European Country Refuses to Censor the Murderous Burmese Regime?

No Prizes for Getting This One


Tips for Bloggers from Blogger/BlogSpot

Blogger Advise on How to Promote Your Blog, Win Friends, and Make Tons of Money Before Heading Off to Thailand and Blowing the Whole Thing


Asia by Blog from Simon. Warning: Spoiler

Most Bloggers Wish They Could Trade Places with that Mormon Nerd on Jeopardy, Even Though Ken Lost Yesterday After Winning 2.1M

North Korea Mystery Hotel

Pyongyang North Korea Hotel

The Mad Folly of North Korea 

Among the architectural curiosities of Asia, the winner of the modern age must surely be this extraordinary, failed hotel in North Korea, which I briefly discussed a few months ago, and has returned to notice from a few bloggers and websites.

The Ryugyong Hotel is, in my opinion, the single most unsettling structure ever erected by the hand of man. It's 1,082 feet tall, has 105 floors, and encloses 3.9 million square meters of floor space. And it is completely empty. It doesn't even have windows.

The North Korean government began construction of the building in 1987 at an estimated cost of $750 million, or 2% of the country's GDP. For comparison, 2% of the US GDP would be about $220 billion. Ryugyong was a massive undertaking for such a poor country.

Work was halted in 1992, and nobody knows exactly why. Some say that it was for financial reasons; the DPRK economy was a disaster even then, and 1992 was about the time that widespread famine and electricity shortages began to kick in. Others say that the building isn't structurally sound due to the use of poor-quality concrete, and that it literally cannot be completed. At one point it was rumored that the North Korean government was trying to raise foreign capital to pay for major structural renovations, so the truth might lie somewhere in between.

The Ryugyong Hotel looms over Pyongyang like some kind of slumbering bat. Something deep inside my brain tells me that the 75° angle of the hotel's outer walls is exactly the wrong angle; it says sinister, it says creepy, it says get away.

Okay, so tastes differ. I think it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up; maybe the North Koreans think it's sweet as punkin' pie. That still begs the question of why. The DPRK maintains strict control over tourists and other visitors. The Ryugyong was designed to have 3,000 rooms, but at the time it was built only a few thousand people were allowed into the country per year, and almost none of them were destined for Pyongyang. Even today, after the establishment of the Kŭmgang-san tourist region, the DPRK only sees about 130,000 tourists per year. Every single one of them could book a week-long stay in the Ryugyong and the hotel would still be significantly under capacity.

The same sense of pride that drove them to build the Ryugyong has driven the North Koreans to an almost pathological level of denial about the building. It's no longer on the city's maps. Guides claim not to know where it is. No one speaks of it. This state of affairs is made all the more surreal by the fact that the almost incomprehensibly massive Ryugyong is visible from every part of Pyongyang. It hangs over the horizon, never far out of sight. The ultimate expression of the idea of the elephant in the corner.

Shape of Days on North Korean Black Elephant

Some more commentary is provided by Cecil Adams over at this Straight Dope website, where he also talks briefly about the mad race for tall buildings in Asia and the lies told by the Malaysian government to claim their Petronas Towers as the tallest in the world - despite all the evidence that the Sears Towers were long the winners.

The North Koreans began constructing he pyramid-shaped Ryugyong in 1987, reportedly aiming for 105 stories to beat out a structure the South Koreans were building in Singapore (not Kuala Lumpur). With 3,000 rooms and an estimated cost of $750 million, the thing was strictly an ego trip for North Korea's rulers--Pyongyang's few existing hotels were, and are, virtually empty. In 1991, some time after the Ryugyong had been topped out, work halted for unknown reasons, though "out of money" would be a good guess. The 3.9-million-square-foot concrete structure is lit up at night, at least in propaganda pictures, but is thought to be crumbling.

Cecil Adams on the Ryugyong Hotel

Brunei Crown Prince Marries a Young One

Royal Marriage in Brunei 

The crown prince of Brunei recently married a 17-year old girl, recent high school graduate, a distant relative, and daughter of an Swiss women who once worked as an au pair in London. A Swiss au pair, who would have imagined? A grand time was had by all at the ceremonies, which was attended by many heads of state in Asia -- Goh, Gloria, Mega, the standard assortment of VIPs who always appreciate a good party.

...Gossips who track the world's most eligible bluebloods note that Brunei's Crown Prince has only recently become attached to young Sarah, who is a distant royal relative. A Bruneian student commented in the anonymity of an internet chatroom: "His Highness had to split up with his ex-girlfriend. She was viewed as too common and is out of the picture. She left the country in a huff." Also in a huff was this contributor, who added: "People say that the Prince took his pick from a roomful of virgins at his 30th birthday party in February. But nobody in my crowd was invited."

Even if this wedding happens to be a family affair, there will be scant risk of any potential heirs to the throne suffering from inbreeding. Brunei's monarchy has been compared to the American television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies because of the preponderance of marriage between "kissing cousins" and their rather unsophisticated approach to their vast oil wealth. But in this case, a fresh European bloodline comes through Sarah's Swiss mother, the former Suzanne Aeby. While working in London as an au pair in the Eighties, she was swept off her feet by a minor Bruneian royal, Yang Mulia Pengiran Salleh binti Ab Rahaman. Sarah and her elder brothers Irwan and Adrian have since lived a comparatively sheltered existence in Brunei.

...Long before "bling" became a byword for street cred, the Brunei royals set the standard for big spending on tacky baubles. The Sultan, known as The Big One - despite his small stature - and his younger brother Jefri were heavily into retail therapy, blowing huge sums on hotels, jumbo jets, yachts, race cars and bizarre erotic jewellery. Where they went, servants, confidants, playmates and camp followers tagged along. "Even the entourages have entourages," sighed one harassed source.

Brunei, roughly the size of Norfolk, perches atop hefty reserves of oil and natural gas. Petro-dollars still keep the royal treasury topped up and maintain per-capita annual income at $25,000 (£14,000), and no one pays income tax. The Sultan has no urgent plans to introduce democracy, although he has convened parliament for the first time in 20 years. But the popular ruler dispenses free healthcare, education and housing for his 230,000 subjects.

A further dent in the coffers came when Prince Jefri's holding company Amedeo collapsed in 1999 - a result of his involvement with the Asprey & Garrard jewellery company (onlookers quipped that he spent so much money there, he might as well buy it). The mess even threatened to bring down BIA, the Brunei investment agency. These losses mortified the Sultan, who had offered loans to keep afloat struggling neighbours Thailand and Indonesia, only to discover that Brunei could ill afford them.

One of the biggest quandaries for the newlyweds may be selecting which family sedan will make the most impressive going-away car. Earlier this year, the Sultan went right to the source, the Rolls-Royce factory in Chichester, to pick up a dozen Phantoms for a cool £5m. All have bullet-proof windscreens and armour-plated bodywork. But, with the kingdom's recent emphasis on traditional Islamic rites and royal heraldry, the bride and groom might end up riding in a golden palanquin, hefted along by 40 strong men. The Sultan was carried through the streets in one to celebrate his silver jubilee.

The royal lifestyle in Brunei remains impossibly extravagant. The main family home is an art deco schlock palace, whose style is reminiscent of Liberace or Elvis Presley. Bigger than Versailles, it boasts 1,788 rooms, 200 bathrooms, more than 500 chandeliers, at least 2,000 telephones and a monstrous banquet hall where 4,000 can be seated for dinner. Pride of place is given to a Renoir painting, bought for $70m in the 1980s. When told by his friends that this dream house might be a bit over the top, the Sultan simply built a less ostentatious one, where he entertains those with more minimal tastes.

Like all gatherings, there will be an unavoidable cringe factor at the Brunei royal wedding. In order to get along with the in-laws, Princess Sarah will soon learn that the names of certain relations are best not mentioned. The Sultan's ex-wife, for example, is Mariam Bell, a former flight-attendant whom he divorced last year after 21 years of marriage. Already stripped of her title, she is not expected to attend her stepson's big day, although her four royal offspring may take part in the ceremony. Her settlement of $3.5bn presumably put a big dent in the wedding budget.

Crown Prince Weds Teenager in Brunei

Thai Buddhists Upset at Hollywood

Sita Tara 

Thais Seeth at Hollywood Film Poster

Thai Buddhists have long complained about the lack of respect accorded Buddhist images from the Western world, and that lead many years ago to the almost total prohibition of Buddha images from Thailand without advance permission from the National Art Commission. The earliest fury I can recall was back in the 1970s, when a pair of tourists (see below) climbed on the head of a large Buddha statue in Sukothai and had their photo taken, then developed in Bangkok. The photo developers turned the offending picture over to the authorities, who had the farangs deported from the country. And now, some idiotic Hollywood film producer has published a poster with exactly the same scene.

Buddhist Thais Seethe at Hollywood Film Poster

BANGKOK
Reuters

Thai Buddhist leaders are urging their government to protest against a poster advertising the U.S. indie film "Hollywood Buddha," which features its writer and director sitting on the head of a Buddha image.

"What Philippe Caland, the writer and director of the film, has done is inappropriate to Buddhism and has offended Buddhists worldwide," Chularat Bunyakorn, chief of the secretariat of the Buddhist monks council, told Reuters. "Buddha statues are objects which deserve respect and the Foreign Ministry must take action immediately," she said in a country where the head is the holiest part of the body and is not touched by anyone else. The council had written to the Foreign Ministry urging it to protest formally to the producer of the movie, due to open in Los Angeles on September 24.

Yahoo News Report on Offending Hollywood Movie Poster

Hollywood Buddha Movie Poster Here

And here's what I wrote in my Thailand Handbook:

Thais are a deeply religious people who consider all Buddhist images extremely sacred--no matter what their age or condition. Sacrilegious acts are punishable by imprisonment--even when committed by foreign visitors. Many years ago, two Mormon missionaries posed for photographs on top of a Buddha image in Sukothai. The developing lab in Bangkok turned the negatives over to a Bangkok newspaper, which published the offending photographs on the front page. Public outrage was so strong the foreigners were arrested and jailed.

Sports Illustrated was refused permission in 1988 to use religious shrines as backdrops for its annual swimsuit issue. On the island of Phuket in 1989, Kara Young, an international model, was arrested with photographer Sante d'Razzion of the French Vogue magazine for posing beside a religious monument. Kara and Sante were charged with desecration of a religious monument, even though the two had been invited to Thailand by the TAT and assured fashion photography was allowed at the monument. Both were booked in Phuket and briefly confined to their hotels before being allowed to leave the country.

And in 1995, deputy minister Pramote Sukhum lodged a government complaint against the French firm Le Clerc for its portrayal of Buddha on the label of a liquor bottle.

Southeast Asia News 14

Laughing Squid Looks at Asia 

Wild Aid Campaign to Save Sharks Seeing Success in Thailand

I've covered Wild Aid in the past and am happy to report that their campaign to save endangered sharks in Asia seems to be making an impact.

Thai Animal Activists Try Shame

New ads targeting animal products aired last week ahead of a UN convention on protected species.
By Simon Montlake
Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
BANGKOK, THAILAND

The advertisement shows a soup tureen on a dimly lit table, its contents hidden by a ceramic lid painted in the style of a Chinese tombstone. Its message? Shark's-fin soup, a pricey Asian delicacy, is not only threatening endangered sharks, it can also be bad for your health. Launched in Thailand by WildAid, a US-based conservation group, the 2001 ad campaign quickly hit the target. A survey in Bangkok found a 32 percent drop in consumption of shark's-fin soup. Angry Chinese restaurant owners retorted with a $2.7 million lawsuit - just dismissed last month - against the group for claiming that shark fins contain high levels of mercury.

Emboldened by the legal victory, WildAid debuted a new series of TV spots last week modeled on the shark-fin campaign. The ads come as Thailand prepares to host the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in October, a biennial UN review of protected species under threat from poaching and loss of habitat.

Ahead of the convention, Thai police have cracked down on zoos that are suspected of animal smuggling and abuses such as training orangutans to kickbox. But the new ad campaign represents an increasing focus on curbing consumer demand for wildlife products - the driving force behind the rampant poaching in Asia's forests and jungles.

"You must try to reach people in the urban areas who see endangered animals for sale and appeal to them not to buy wildlife," says Anthony Lynam, regional adviser to the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, which trains park rangers and border police to fight poachers.

WildAid enlisted local celebrities for the latest TV spots, which highlight the plight of 11 endangered species. "What we're trying to do is make Thailand a model for Southeast Asia and drive consumption down further," explains Steve Galster, a founder of WildAid. "If Thais know how animals get to them and how they suffer, it really turns them off."

Targeting young consumers seen as more receptive to environmental issues, the spots urge viewers not to buy rare animals as cute pets, or buy skins and trinkets. It includes a police hotline to report illegal sellers, under the tagline: "When the buying stops, the killing can too."

Wild Aid Works to Save Sharks in Asia

Indonesian Government Allows Convicted Bali Bomber to Write Autobiography

It's bad enough that the Jakarta police and the Indonesia government see nothing wrong with taking convicted murders out to coffee at Starbucks before a visit to the local Hard Rock Cafe, but they now permit convicted mass murderers to publish their autobiographies which defend their madness, murder, and mayhem. What the hell is going on with Megawati, the Indonesian government, the Jakarta Police, and the independent press in that country? Oh, I forgot, Imam Samudra has a nice pleasant smile and the tradition of gotong royong goes a long way in this country.

Bali Bomber Writes Autobiography
Imam Samudra has Shown No Signs of Remorse

A man sentenced to death for the Bali bombings has published an autobiography justifying his role in the attacks. Imam Samudra wrote the book after being found guilty of taking part in the 2002 bombings, according to his publisher. Only a few copies of the book, entitled I Fight Terrorists, are now available, but more are to be released soon.

The book explains "Samudra's reasoning behind the Bali bomb operations [and] why he deemed such actions necessary," his publisher, Bambang Sukarno, said. It is also said to contain a description of Samudra's time as a 20-year-old Islamic militant fighting in Afghanistan, as well as details of how he met his wife.

Bali Bomber Publishes His Autobiography

Macam Macam Gets Out the Big Guns for Suharto and Murdani

Macam2 is once again tearing it up with some insightful analysis of Indonesia, ala The Year of Living Dangerously and the recent death of military disgrace, Benny Murdani.

Remembering 30th September 1965: Introduction

The last day of September marks the anniversary of the most infamous date in Indonesian history. Events on the evening of 30th September 1965 set off a chain of events that left up to 1 million Indonesians dead, slaughtered, their bodies buried, burnt or cast into the sea. President Sukarno survived the violence but was a political victim, deposed by a military general by the name of Suharto. Suharto, with Western patronage, would rule Indonesia for the next 22 years.

Suharto's iron grip on power ensured that the truth of the events on that fateful night would never be discussed. But since his departure in 1998 and the dawn of Reformasi, there have been murmurings. Mass graves have been uncovered. Survivors have raised their voices and fingers pointed at Suharto, blaming him for the coup and violence that followed. Even talk of an official government inquiry to uncover the truth.

Many Indonesians wish never to speak of the horrific days and months that followed 30th September 1965; others are just plain ignorant, victims of institutional brain-washing; yet others seek to exhume the skeletons, grieve and let justice be done. Only then can Indonesia as a nation move on. The families of those who died deserve nothing less.

So as we count down to the 39th anniversary of that infamous night over the coming weeks, Macam-Macam will bring a series of posts that seeks to retell the mystery-shrouded events of that night and the days that followed as well as touching on the alternate theories that have been put forward over the years to explain what happened and who was pulling the strings.

Macam Macam on The Year of Living Dangerously

Macam Macam on Benny Murdani

International Herald Tribune Interviews Anwar Ibrahim in Munich

Everyone should remember that Anwar is well known for manipulating the press and saying exactly what they want to hear - tolerance and understanding passed out to the Western media, and hateful Muslim screeds given to the Islamic press. I'd give this following article a big dose of healthy skepticism. At the end of the article, Anwar requests three videos he'd like to see after his six years in prison.

Return of a Malaysian
Thomas Fuller
International Herald Tribune

He [Anwar Ibrahim] had harsh criticism for modern Muslim leaders, as well as a plea for more understanding on the part of his many friends in the West. Muslims were hypocritical for staying silent about Saddam Hussein's brutal rule in Iraq, and in complaining about America's influence in the world but ignoring their own troubles, he said.

"This is the single biggest failure of Muslims at present," he said. "You don't have credible leaders, you don't have a real voice of conscience." Muslims never blame themselves for their problems, he said. "It's the Americans and the Jews and the Christians," he said. "We are still in a state of denial."

IHT Interview with Anwar Ibrahim

Dengue Fever? In Singapore?

I had no idea that Singapore records several thousands cases of dengue fever each year. Did you?

A Mosquito's Gift in Singapore: A Bad Case of Breakbone Fever
By WAYNE ARNOLD
New York Times

SINGAPORE

It began with a slight headache across my temples, the sort of feeling you would expect after a long day of meetings. By the time I returned home, I had begun to feel flu-ish. The headache became a migraine, concentrated behind my eyes, as though a pair of imps were squatting under my frontal lobe, kicking at my sockets. I spent the night vomiting, delirious, with a fever that crept close to 104 degrees.

That was only the beginning of a monthlong ordeal. I had contracted dengue (pronounced deng-AY), a mosquito-borne virus for which there is no specific treatment and no vaccine, despite the fact that it afflicts an estimated 50 million people every year. And I had caught it right here in prosperous, squeaky-clean Singapore. Unlike the mosquito that carries malaria, a parasitic disease of the world's tropical backwaters, dengue's courier is a striped urbanite called Aedes aegypti.

New York Times on Dengue Fever in Singapore

Thai Controversy over Sukothai Obelisk

Thai Obelisk in Sukothai 

This controversy over the origins of a stone obelisk has been going on for several decades, but the issue was recently raised again and led to more brickbats being thrown at the respected Siam Society in Bangkok. First, a story from The Daily Telegraph, then my take on the issue published several years ago in my Thailand Handbook.

The Thai Icon, The Curse, the King and I
By Sebastien Berger

A British academic is facing ritual curses, allegations of criminal defamation of two dead kings and demands for his deportation after he cast doubts on the authenticity of one of Thailand's most important cultural artifacts. The 3ft-high stone obelisk, known as 'Inscription One' and engraved on each of its four sides, is said to have been carved on the orders of King Ramkhamkaeng in 1292. It describes an idyllic kingdom based in Sukhothai, the first capital of Siam.

The obelisk 'Inscription One'

The stone is officially recognized as the first ever use of the fiendishly complicated Thai script. Last year it was added to Unesco's Memory of the World register. But Michael Wright, an author who has lived in Thailand for 45 years and lectures at Thammasat University, one of the country's top two educational institutions, believes it is a fake.

The stone was allegedly discovered in Sukhothai in 1833 by Prince Mongkut, who went on to become King Rama IV, the leader portrayed in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I. But Mr Wright accuses Prince Mongkut of having the stone carved to create a historical precedent for his reforming policies. 'Inscription One is national myth number one,' he told The Telegraph yesterday.

Michael Wright

'The national mythology has it that it is the first piece of Thai writing, that the writing system was invented by King Ramkhamkaeng out of thin air, and its content describes an ideal kingdom - a Camelot. The fields are full of rice, the water is full of fish, blah, blah, blah. 'As a piece of literature it's brilliant but to take it as history is woefully ignorant. A modern person reading it with an open mind will find almost nothing that fits the 13th century but it's almost perfect for the mid-19th century.'

The language of the inscription was generally intelligible to a modern reader, unlike genuine 13th century works, he said, and its written form was also consistent with the 19th century. Decades of nationalistic teaching under post-Second World War dictatorships, allied to a culture of deference to authority, have left their mark on the Thai psyche. So the questioning of icons is not always welcome. On top of that, Thais are fiercely protective of their royal family.

When Mr Wright and Piriya Krairiksh, the director of the Centre for Thai Literary Studies at Thammasat University, set out their theory in a Thai-language newspaper it caused outrage.

Telegraph Article on Sukothai Obelisk

And here's my take on the issue published in my Thailand Handbook:

A MYSTERY IN STONE
Thailand Handbook, 3rd Edition, Page 412

Carefully guarded inside the Sukothai National Museum is a four-sided pillar of dark stone covered with ancient inscriptions traditionally attributed to King Ramkamheng. One section relates that "Sukothai is good. There is fish in the water, rice in the fields, and the king does not levy tax on his subjects. Those who wish to trade are free to trade. The faces of the people shine bright."

Identified as Stone Inscription Number 1, the stone also provides information on city planning, Buddhist law and philosophy, and the development of Thai script. Since its discovery in 1833 by King Mongkut during his monkhood, the stone has almost single-handedly created the mythology of Sukothai and the foundation of the Thai nation.

But is it real? Since the early 1990s, Ramkamheng's reputation as the mastermind of Sukothai's cultural development has come under increasing suspicion from both Thai and Western scholars. One skeptic is Dr. Piriya Krairiksh, a history professor from Thammasart University in Bangkok who claims the stone is a fake piece of historical writing created by King Mongkut sometime between 1851 and 1855. Understandably, Thais were very unhappy with the professor's assertion and reluctant to discuss the theory that has rocked the academic world.

Piriya, however, stands by his assertion based on textual analysis: the art and architecture mentioned are not supported by archaeological and historical evidence, the author freely lifted phrases verbatim from writings of later kings, and some inscription phrases are common to late 18th-century Thai literature. On the other hand, Western archaeologists and historians such as Betty Gosling and David Wyatt still feel the puzzling aspects are not sufficient to disprove the authenticity of the inscription. While the controversy remains unresolved, the academic community continues to debate the famous stone, on which rests the fundamental concepts of early Thai history.

The Hatred of Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney Scowls at America 

Halliburton was Cheney's first real chance to get rich; he grabbed it with both hands. His principal action was his acquisition of a subsidiary called Dresser Industries. Dresser struck lucrative deals with Saddam Hussein; Halliburton did business with Muammar el-Qaddafi and the ayatollahs of Iran. By the time Cheney left in 2000, Halliburton's stock was near an all-time high of fifty-four dollars a share. Then it turned out that Dresser had saddled Halliburton with asbestos lawsuits that could cost the company millions, and the stock plummeted to barely ten dollars a share. Even with the bounce Halliburton stock has received from the war, an investor who put $100,000 into the company just before Cheney became vice president would have less than $60,000 today. Cheney, meanwhile, continues to receive $150,000 a year in deferred compensation from Halliburton, even though he is supposed to divest himself of all conflicts of interest. The company has been awarded $8 billion in contracts by the Bush-Cheney administration for its work in Iraq.

Rolling Stone Article on Dick Cheney

Southeast Asia News 13

Angkor Wat 

200 Elephants in Bangkok?

The long running problem of elephants and mahouts haunting the bars and nightclubs on Soi Cowboy may worsen, if authorities let down their guard and fail to notice these incredibly large and intelligent animals from making their annual treks from Surin to Sukumvit. I'd say, let's replace those obnoxious horses on the beach at Hua Hin with something more traditionally Thai, like elephants.

Elephants in Bangkok?

Thai Government to World Airline Industry: Drop Dead

It's bad enough that the Thai government is doing everything in its power to destroy the tourism industry, but now they have gone after international airlines which ferry passengers into the lovely Don Muang Airport. Shinawatra obviously doesn't have enough money, so the government under his control now sees new untapped revenues from foreigners. Why not raid the Q Bar on a weekly basis?

IATA Blasts Thailand for Planned Hike in Airport Fees

The global airline trade body on Monday blasted the Thai government's plan to increase landing charges at Bangkok's airport, warning it will force many airlines to curtail or suspend flights to Thailand. From Oct. 1, the government intends to raise by 20 percent the fee that airlines must pay every time one of their aircraft lands at Bangkok International Airport.

Another 15 percent hike is planned next year, in what the International Air Transport Association fears is to prepare the industry for another fee increase when Bangkok's new international airport opens for business in a few years.

The struggling airline industry, which on average is making annual profit margins of less than 2 percent, will be unable to cope with such hikes since the "user fees" paid to airports constitute 10 percent of an airline's operating costs, said Jeff Poole, IATA's director of industry charges.

"The impact of user fees is tremendous and can make the difference between profits and bankruptcy," said Anthony Council, the chief spokesman of IATA. Both were speaking to reporters after attending a seminar with government officials, tourism industry representatives and other allied industries to review the progress in the construction of Bangkok's new Survarnabhumi airport.

The government had initially set a target of Sept. 29, 2005, for completing the project, but construction delays will push back the opening date by at least two years, said David Inglis, IATA's assistant director in charge of infrastructure. He said a tour of the site in July revealed that construction hasn't even begun on the control tower, which normally takes the longest time to build.

IATA, the trade association of the world's aviation industry with 270 airline members, says Bangkok's existing airport at Don Muang is already one of the most expensive destinations in the region, charging three times more than Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia for the use of its facilities.

Thailand Just Seems to Hate Foreign Tourists

Tips on Building Your Dream Home in Pattaya

Phil over at The Nation gives good notice to a very useful website for any expats contemplating construction of a home in Thailand.

The cool Thai house prototype project is officially complete as of the beginning of August, 2004. See the interesting history of the building of this house. This is a chronology of the building, check it out if you are involved in a similar project. There is all kinds of neat stuff on the cool shots page. The building of the house is shown blow by blow separated into sections. Each section details a particular component involved in building the house, for example, roofing, bathrooms, kitchens, perimeter wall, water systems, concrete pours, etc.

Build Your Dream Home in Pattaya for Just $25K

Jakarta, City of 10 Million, Has Six Public Libraries

Jakarta has six public libraries: one in each of the five municipalities and one provincial library, which is located at the seventh and eighth floors of Nyi Ageng Serang building on Jl. HR Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Jakarta Post Story on Libraries, Probably a Dead Link, but Then Who Reads in Jakarta?

Torn and Frayed in Manila on Malaysian Judicial Independence

Torn and Frayed in Manila has earned a spot as only the second blog listed under my Blogs Philippines, after my first listing for Sassy, and I welcome his thoughtful analysis of political happenings in both the Philippines and other countries in the region. Torn seems to have some prior experience in Malaysia and his take on Anwar and judicial jurisprudence is worth a look.

In 1988 Mahathir first flexed his muscles against the judiciary by removing Lord President Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and replacing him with the more pliant Chief Justice Hamid Omar. I was Managing Editor of the Malayan Law Journal at the time and thought that the doom and gloom of my lawyer friends was rather overdone. Not for the first time, I was proved completely wrong as over the next 15 years the Malaysian judiciary's ndependence crumbled slowly and painfully before our eyes. A nice summary of the executive v judiciary battle in Malaysia can be found here.

Given that the large Barisan majorities in the 1990s allowed Mahathir virtually to ignore the legislature (in his last few years as Prime Minister he almost gave up attending debates in the Parliament) Malaysia became a sort of elective dictatorship. Nothing demonstrated this more than the arrest of Deputy Prime Minister Anwar on trumped-up sodomy charges in 1998. It will be interesting to see whether his release heralds a more balanced distribution of power within the Malaysian political system, or whether Abdullah is merely tidying up some of the loose ends left by his predecessor.

Torn and Frayed in Manila on Malaysian Justice

Sassy is Mad as Hell at Filipino Politicans, Wealthy Cheats, and The Catholic Church

A Sassy Lawyer in Marakina (shoe center of the Philippines) gets riled up about corruption and the perks long enjoyed by the Catholic Church. She's a firebrand of a blogger, but needs to lighten up on those anti-men jokes.

Finally, there's the Catholic Church. Its properties are tax-exempt. Not only the land on which every church stands but all other lands that may be used in relation to its calling. That includes seminaries, community centers, etc. The church is exempt from payment of income taxes too. Donations--regardless of whether they amount to millions or billions--are non-taxable. For all its posturings about concern for the poor, the Catholic Church wants the poor to remain poor by denouncing what it calls "artificial" birth control. It does not even give the poor a chance to educate themselves about birth control and decide for themselves. The church has dictated which methods are against church laws and never mind whether that makes sense or not. Meanwhile, church officials are never wanting. They live in comfortable quarters; they eat well and on time. They have access to information and further education. All these they enjoy because they exact payments to pray for the dead, to perform marriages and baptisms. They ask payment for doing things that the church has vowed is its mission to mankind. Oh, and yes, it might be more than relevant that the Catholic Church accepts donations from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). You know, the operator of casinos and internet gambling, yes, right, the church takes money from PAGCOR with half its face and denounce gambling as immoral with the other half of its face.

Sassy Gets Jiggy with Courts, Politicans, Billionaires, Church

Here's the gentle reminder from Lawyer Sassy:

You are free to link to this page. Quoting this article, or any portions thereof, is subject to the condition that authorship shall be credited to the sassy lawyer and/or the authors and sources of, and/or links to, quoted portions where applicable. In case of breach, user agrees to indemnify the blog author at the rate of PhP 100,000.00 per instance of breach. View my Creative Commons License.

Lucio Tan. The Philippines Biggest Crook?

I always assumed it was Ferdinand Marcos, but looks like the biggest liar and cheat in the Philippines is this crook who has robbed the country blind and refuses to pay his share of taxes.

The nation surely appreciates the P2 million that tycoon Lucio Tan has pledged to De Venecia's Freedom Fund. But it would really be such a big help if he would pay the P7.8 billion in back taxes (from excise taxes, value-added taxes and income taxes) that for some years now has been classified as "immediately collectible" from his business empire, but which remains uncollected. This amount is part of the P25.6 billion in back taxes slapped on Tan during the Ramos era, which he is contesting till now in court. The P7.8 billion is classified as immediately collectible because Tan did not appeal the assessment for 1992 and, by operation of law, it has become final and executory. If Tan were to pay this amount, what a big help it would be in this crisis.

The Philippine Inquirer on Lucio Tan and His Rape of the Philippines

Chee Soon Juan Sued for $500,000 by Lee Kuan Yew

Political dissident Chee Soon Juan has been sued in Singapore by former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong for a cool half million for his allegations that something fishy was going on many years ago about a failed economic deal with Indonesia. And somebody thinks that the Singapore government no longer trys to stifle/kill political opposition?

Lee Kuan Yew and PM Goh Absolutely Hate Chee Soon Juan

Siem Reap and Angkor Wat Target of Major Constructions

Another tired old horror story about unchained commercial development in a third-world country, that is way off base and never addresses the larger issues. Yes, hotels are popping up along the highway which leads from the Siem Reap Airport to the town of Siem Reap. So, who cares? The hotels have to go someplace, and this desolate stretch of dusty road is better than plunking high-rise towers in the miniscule town of Siem Reap. And Siem Reap is about 8 miles from Angkor Wat, so there's absolutely no disturbance to the world famous site. Angkor Wat and all those other famous Khmer temple complexes such as unrestored Ta Phrom are completely safe from commercial development, but you sure wouldn't know it from this article.

The larger and more important issue is the near complete lack of government supervision of commercial development throughout SE Asia. The destruction of Ko Phi Phi in Thailand is not due to the greed and poor sense of aesthetic design by shop owners and bungalow builders, but from the failure of the Thai government to implement and enforce zoning laws, their failure to provide adequate drinking water, their failure to construct waste disposal facilities. Oh, maybe somebody was just looking the other way as Ko Phi Phi, Ko Samet, and now Ko Chang descend into unregulated madness.

Canada Upset at Siem Reap Construction

Chinese Internet Porn Providers Face Life Imprisonment

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has intensified its battle against Internet and mobile phone pornography by threatening distributors with life in prison, Xinhua news agency said. "Depending on the seriousness of the cases, the sentences range from living under compulsory surveillance, detainment, taking into custody by the police, to various terms of imprisonment and life imprisonment," Xinhua said.

Beijing has stepped up its battle against smut in recent weeks, saying it is worried that the easy access to such material on the Internet and elsewhere will have a bad effect on youth and society. Under the latest crackdown, which started in July, authorities have shut down hundreds of Web sites and arrested more than 300 people.

Porn Providers Face Life Imprisonment

Aussie Scientists Battle Malaria

Although I generally point to web articles and blogs that go after political and economic issues in SE Asia, I'm always happy to point out some good news, this time from Australia.

'Oz' kills malaria parasite
By health reporter Sophie Scott

Teams of scientists around the world have been trying to create a drug that can be made cheaply and work effectively to kill the malaria parasite. Australian scientists think they have done it. The findings have been published in the prestigious scientific journal, Nature.

Bill Charman, from the Victorian School of Pharmacy at Melbourne's Monash University, says scientists have developed a three-day cure. "The uniqueness of the compound is its mechanism of action - the way in which it works - and the fact we can get a three-day treatment or cure for malaria," Professor Bill Charman said.

The scientists copied the chemical structure of a Chinese herb. The drug they created, which is known as 'Oz', can be manufactured for less than $1 a day, and has been shown to kill the parasite in animals.

A Cure for Malaria?

Asian Newspapers Let Their Links Expire. Bloggers Cry Foul

Galang in Manila points out an obvious and irritating problem with newspapers not only in SE Asia but also around the globe, which let their news links quickly expire and bring on the dreaded Link Not Found.

News not found

A friend noticed the dearth of links and commentaries to local news items here in my current website, something my old weblog was replete with. I explained I wasn't shying away from writing about local happenings. It's just that I'm having a difficult time selecting links that wouldn't go dead in a day or two. News organizations are duty-bound to keep the permanent links to their news stories in their papers online version alive as long as they can. At least, that's how I believe they should do things.

Recently, the online edition of the Philippine Daily Inquirer changed their policy on archived news items. Which means, links to their stories will only stay live, if you're lucky, to a maximum of seven days. ABS-CBN News links break in a few weeks. Same issue with Today. The Philippine Star used to give online readers access to their news archives dating back to 2000. Not anymore. BusinessWorld never really had true permanent links to their news stories to begin with, and, in this day and age of the Internet, still maintains a preposterous linking policy that states: “site operators may only create a link from their respective Web sites to any Web site within the BusinessWorld Online network, upon prior written approval of BusinessWorld Online. I have only the Manila Times to rely upon if I want to reference news items from the recent past, even if their archives only go back to 2002.

Obviously, I am not keen on putting up links to news that would give "Page not found" errors in a day or two. Philippine news organizations should evaluate how they maintain their presence on the Internet, if they want to be more useful to their publics.

By the way, this little rant of mine reminded me of a post written by Jeffrey Veen on his weblog earlier this month (Newspapers Don't Have To Suck) when he commended the San Francisco Examiner for implementing a usability- and standards-compliant redesign of their website, and, far more importantly, for giving their readers a friendly way to navigate through the archives.

Web designers and managers of local online papers, take a hint.

Galang Takes on Lazy Newspapers

Simon Looks at Asian Blogs

Simon must have time to burn to find so many great links to bloggers in Asia, but then he's a millionaire living on The Peak with maids and servants to do all the heavy lifting. Me, I'm just a poor lonely blogger living a few blocks from the decrepit mansion of Danielle Steel.

Simon on Asia Blogs

Why I Hate The Nation Website

The Nation Webmaster 

I have a great deal of respect for The Nation for their incisive editorials and take-no-prisoners approach to Thai politics. But their website is an absolutely mess. I've emailed the webmaster several times with suggestions, but have never received a response and assume my critical comments were trashed rather than ever revealed to higher ups, who might take actions to improve the website and perhaps roll a few heads down Sukumvit.

1. 65 Items Loading

That's what your horribly overcrowded website screams at visitors when they click the URL in their favorites. What? Do you realize how fucking slow your website loads? Do you really need all those whirly gadgets and flashing advertisements that keep your newspaper website among the slowest loading in the known universe?

2. Incomprehensible Post Descriptions

Hello, The Nation webmaster and editors. Have you ever bothered to read the short descriptions on your website, which should quickly summarize what's the story? In many, many cases cute wins out over clear English, and few readers except for mind readers could possibly guess what the story is all about. And nobody has enough time to willy-nilly click links to figure out what the hell is going on. If you are vague on this concept, I'd suggest looking at the website at The New York Times, where the short summary descriptions always give a good indication of the background of the story.

Guess What the Hell the Following Means:
Catching the Killifish Trend [killer combat fish for sale?]
Fiery "Ball" Out [sun is dying?]
Go Natural [nudist resorts in Thailand?]
Travel Realities [whoa...now there's a big subject!]
Election Day Drawing Near [this was posted on Monday, Sept. 6]

3. Your Letters Page

OK, so there's a Letter link on your homepage, which you can click to read the latest rants and tirades by disgruntled farang, Thais, and embassies offended by a recent story. But your Letters link doesn't lead to letters, it leads to another page where another link is listed that leads you to the Letters section. Look. Time is money. Why in the world have you set up this torture chamber?

4. Your Pages Expire Almost Immediately

You links to stories rarely last more than a few days, and anyone who blogs or posts links to your page will be sorry when readers click your links and head directly to Expired Page. Expired Page is the responsibility of The Nation and it's a crime to throw away your good work. Please post original and unique links, then archive them and keep them active for future historians, bloggers, and webmasters. The Nation will never be remembered if you continue to let your story links expire. Sad.

Also

And do something about that Photo In the News section, which is slow and primitive to say the least. And those flashing ads across the top are old and nobody pays any attention. And get rid of those outdated sections. Today is Monday Sept. 6, and you've still posted Governor Election, Election Day Drawing Near. What? Somebody is asleep at the wheel.

If it make you feel any better, the website for The Bangkok Post is also pretty lousy and I'll burn down their cheery bandwagon shortly.

Why I Hate the FEER Website

Marketing Director at FEER 

The Far Eastern Economic Review is a weekly magazine from Hong Kong which covers the political, economic, and social issues of Asia. It's owned by Dow Jones, which also owns The Wall Street Journal, which charges for access to their website. FEER website was free and open to the public for many years, but then the clueless assholes in Marketing/Sales/Circulation/Higher Authority decided that the grubby public would not be allowed to look at the precious FEER website unless they paid some serious bucks to subscribe to the print edition. That's like $250 per year for an American.

Gee, thanks guys. Do you really think that a travel writer could possibly afford to pay your outrageous subscription fees to get the magazine and then have access to your website? OK, so you will give me a free trial to your site, but only for a limited time, then remind me that I'm just a poor ass travel writer (and probably a Democrat) who isn't worthy of your ground-breaking journalism. Whoops! My trial subscription has expired! And here's the message from the tighties at FEER:

Dear Reader,

Your trial access to the Far Eastern Economic Review online has run out. You may have missed our message informing you about this. [no shit] Stay in-the-know
Asia is back on fire and more than ever having your finger on the pluse of Asian business is critical to your economic prosperity. The good news is, with the REVIEW, you're well-prepared. Thanks to the valuable inside knowledge you receive each week.

To maintain this competitive advantage, and to remain among those who will profit from the rise of Asia, subscribe to the magazine today. Simply click here.
Or call your Service Team at +852 2508 4338. (quoting the code xxxxxxx)

You can re-access your account right after we receive your confirmed subscription order. Take action now !

Best Regards,
Your FEER.com Team

PS: Subscribe now -- you'll save up to 51% and get a free gift!
Don't miss this offer.

Dear FEER.com Team: No thanks. I can't afford your magazine. And the only part I really like is Traveller's Tales. And I really hated the photograph you used when you reviewed my Southeast Asia Handbook many years ago..

Moon Landings Faked! Photographic Evidence!

Moon Landing 1

Heroic images or NASA fraud? At last we have the conclusive proof! The image above clearly shows the supposed 25,000 of thrust generated by the lunar lander to arrest its descent. Yet in the image below, where is the giant crater this would have created? Looks like the complex web of NASA lies is about to unravel!


Moon Landing 2



Moon Landing 3

Another apparently inspirational image from the NASA archive. All seems fine at first but notice the numerous directions in which the shadows are falling (marked with arrows). This indicates that the image is probably composed of several images taken at different times (probably in a top secret studio guarded by specially trained aliens working as government agents) and joined together using advanced technology NASA always denies existed at the time. This is the photographic equivalent of an automotive "cut-and-shut" job. If this image was your car, you wouldn't trust it take you to the end of your road without breaking in half!


Moon Landing 4

Not much wrong with this picture you may think. Yet, by thinking that, you would just become yet another of NASA's conspiracy victims. Firstly, despite the absence of an atmosphere, no stars can be seen in the sky. Secondly, the interior of the shopping basket can clearly be seen when all areas in shadow should be pitch black due to the absence of air molecules. Nice try NASA but we are not fooled that easily!


Moon Landing 5

Just way too many things wrong with this picture! Notice the absence of stars again. The arrows indicate the various directions in which shadows are falling, again showing evidence of inconsistent scene illumination. Yet there is something even more obviously wrong with this picture. If the length of the lower support column of the lunar lander was 4 feet tall, this would indicate that the astronaut was over 8 feet tall, which none of the astronauts were. Another careless mistake from NASA.


Moon Landing 6

Oh yes NASA, it's all very well adding stars on this picture just to make us realise how wrong we have been. We are not fooled so easily! If we look a bit more closely, we spot the constellation of Pegasus with the planet Saturn (marked S1) clearly visible in the top left corner. Yet at the time of the mission, although Saturn appeared to be near Pegasus from Earth, from the Moon it would have appeared to be in a completely different position (marked S2). It is almost insulting to think that NASA could get away with this obvious howler!


Moon Landing 7 
Well, with this image where does one begin?!Inconsistent shadows, too much ambient light and incorrect planetary positioning in the sky are all evident here. Also notice how the focal length of the camera lens has changed compared to the pictures above, even though the astronauts' Hasselblad cameras were only fitted with a single type of prime lens.

Note: The final two photos can be found Here

Saturday Cat 3

Kitty With SARS Mask 

Scientists have recently determined that it is possible for SARS to jump from chickens to cats, and so itsy-bitsy, very cute little masks are now all the rage with concerned cat lovers from Hong Kong to Singapore.

Bush and His Hate Mongers

Bush and New York 

On Bush's Speech
By Kos
Fri Sep 3rd, 2004 at 10:25:59 GMT

Andrew Sullivan, whose recent transformation into a Democrat facinates me, and seems just about complete:

I look forward to someone adding it all up, but it's easily in the trillions. And Bush's astonishing achievement is to make the case for all this new spending, at a time of chronic debt (created in large part by his profligate party), while pegging his opponent as the "tax-and-spend" candidate. The chutzpah is amazing. At this point, however, it isn't just chutzpah. It's deception. To propose all this knowing full well that we cannot even begin to afford it is irresponsible in the deepest degree.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the only difference between Republicans and Democrats now is that the Bush Republicans believe in Big Insolvent Government and the Kerry Democrats believe in Big Solvent Government. By any measure, that makes Kerry - especially as he has endorsed the critical pay-as-you-go rule on domestic spending - easily the choice for fiscal conservatives.

He's right. Neither major party agrees with small government anymore, and I'm glad. We liberals won that battle. Norquist's fantasies of drowning the government are nothing more than that -- fantasies. No Republican government would survive the real gutting of the federal government. That's why Bush has abandoned such principles. He wants to get reelected. The question thus becomes, which party is actually willing to pay for big government?

Meanwhile, the AP fact checks Bush's speech and finds its wanting:

President Bush glossed over some complicating realities in Iraq, Afghanistan and the home front in arguing the case Americans are safer and his opponent cannot deliver.

On Iraq, Bush talked of a 30-member alliance standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States, masking the fact that U.S. troops are pulling by far most of the weight. On Afghanistan and its neighbors, he gave an accounting of captured or killed terrorists, but did not address the replenishment of their ranks or the still-missing Osama bin Laden [...]

Nowhere did Bush mention bin Laden, nor did he account for the replacement of killed and captured al al-Qaida leaders by others.

Over at slate, Lord Saletan isn't kind:

For $2.4 trillion, guess what word--other than "a," "and," and "the"--occurs most frequently in the acceptance speech George W. Bush delivered tonight.
The word is "will." It appears 76 times. This was a speech all about what Bush will do, and what will happen, if he becomes president.

Except he already is president. He already ran this campaign. He promised great things. They haven't happened. So, he's trying to go back in time. He wants you to see in him the potential you saw four years ago. He can't show you the things he promised, so he asks you to envision them. He asks you to be "optimistic." He asks you to have faith [...]

Recession. Unemployment. Corporate fraud. A war based on false premises that has cost us $200 billion and nearly a thousand American lives. They're all hills we've "been given to climb." It's as though Bush wasn't president. As though he didn't get the tax cuts he wanted. As though he didn't bring about postwar Iraq and authorize the planning for it. All this was "given," and now Bush can show up, three and a half years into his term, and start solving the problems some other president else left behind.

Nice. Let's not let the public forget that Bush has had carte blanche the last four years, with a friendly Congress for the majority of his presidency.

And everything the president has gotten has turned to shit. The guy is a menace, especially when he gets what he wants.

Markos Isn't Too Pleased With Bush

World Geography Quiz

World Geography Quiz 

This is a fun game, testing your knowledge of countries around the world. I went in as Azerbijan and scored 7 out of 10, but those pesky countries in Africa were my downfall. Guinea? Malawi? At least I scored correctly on Cambodia and Belgium.

World Geography Quiz

Southeast Asia News 12

Cosmo Now Legal in Singapore! 

After being banned in Singapore for 22 years, Cosmopolitan is now legal, so long as the magazine doesn't degrade women or get too sexy for Singapore's conservative society. What would Helen Gurly Brown have to say about this? Wasn't that the point of the magazine all along? The magazine promotes open attitudes about sex, which sometimes leads to babies, and wouldn't that be a good thing in baby-starved Singapore?

More Islamic Teachers Targeted in Terrorism Probe

Malaysia seems to be cooperating with Thailand by turning over information about terrorists/separatists working their magic in southern Thailand, and this can only be a good thing. The most curious sentence in the article states that these Islamic teachers (ustaz) were trained overseas, but no details are given. Where overseas? Saudi Arabia? Indonesia? Basilan?

At least 10 more religious teachers have been accused of orchestrating separatist propaganda and helping to organize the bloody April 28 uprising by militants. Fourth Army commander Pisarn Wattanawongkeeree said religious teachers or ''ustaz'' had been implicated by fellow Isma-il ''Pohsu'' Jaafar, a native of Kalantan in Malaysia, arrested in that country for writing Berjihad Di Pattani, a book condoning violent activities.

Malaysia has handed the list of names to the Fourth Army. Lt-Gen Pisarn said Kuala Lumpur had been helpful in providing information about the insurgents hiding on its soil. The authorities had obtained the names of about 30 middle-level insurgent leaders, teachers still thought to be in Thailand.

The teachers were sent overseas to meet senior radical leaders and map out insurgent strategies. They returned to Thailand to direct the attacks with ponoh Muslim students as their personal army.

Crackdown on Separatists

Phrae Schoolgirl Hookers Fight Over Customers

Phrae _ An increasing number of school students, some as young as 12, are going into the sex business as they have become slaves to materialism, the Phrae Cultural Council says. Council director Manoj Khamsi said uncaring families and an obsession with money and luxury items such as mobile telephones and brandname goods had driven young female students to sell themselves.

Speaking at a meeting to find ways to promote moral rectitude among youth, Mr Manoj said Phrae had two vocational training schools, two commercial colleges and two high schools and a number of students from these institutions were reported to be working as prostitutes. Surveys found students as young as 12 had also entered the sex industry, he said.

The meeting was also told of students fighting over customers at big department stores. A teacher admitted that several of her students had sold themselves for no more than 1,500 baht. The school had caught and expelled several student procurers.

Ekkachai Wongworakul, chairman of the Phrae chamber of commerce, called on police to take tough action against people who bought sex and urged owners of private dormitories not to let their residents use the places to receive customers for sex.

Farang Arrivals in Phrae Suddenly Skyrocket

Megawati Gets Rich the Old Fashioned Indonesian Way

Several bloggers have pointed out that Megawati and the Indonesian government were involved in the U.N. Iraqi oil scandal, where Saddam gave preferential prices for petroleum to those nations that supported his regime, and this may be the source of Meg's financial well being. But she doesn't compare in any way with Suharto and his Chinese-Indonesian friends who raped the country blind.

Megawati's wealth grows during her three years as Indonesia's president Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri's personal wealth has grown significantly during her three-year presidency, the government's corruption watchdog said Thursday.

The Corruption Eradication Commission's announcement could hurt Megawati's bid to remain in office in the Sept. 20 runoff elections, adding to perceptions that she's using her position to enrich herself.

The reported value of Megawati's holdings stood at 75 billion rupiah (US$8.3 million; euro 6.9 million) _ up US$1.5 million (euro 1.3 million) since 2000 _ said Amin Sunaryadi, a member of the commission set up by Parliament earlier this year.

Megawati earns a presidential salary of about 50 million rupiah (US$5,500; euro 4,580) a month. Her husband owns several petrol stations in Jakarta.

Yahoo Asia on Mega's Millions

Drugs in Indonesia. Who Gets Executed? Who Goes Free?

If you don't know the answer to that one, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you. This very informative article covers plenty of bases, such as who's doing what, and what drugs are the favorites of the local population. But nothing about that idiotic Brazilians who keep trying to smuggle coke into the country, hidden inside hollowed-out surfboards. Guys, that doesn't work any more.

Laksama Survey on Drugs in Indonesia

Anwar, Maybe, Wasn't Such a Great Guy

Anwar Ibrahim has only been out of prison a few days, and is probably over in England for some medical attention, but already the backlash/truth is coming out from those familiar with his long, turbulent, conflicted, dishonest, self-serving, two-faced history in Malaysian politics.

Philip Bowring at International Herald Tribune Asks Some Big Questions About Anwar

Blogger Rajan in Malaysia Also Has Questions About Anwar

Arroyo Apparently Failed to Get the Message

Arroyo criticized for taking relatives, nannies to China amid financial crisis Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came under fire Thursday after ordering government spending cuts, then bringing along relatives and her grandchildren's nannies for her visit to China.

Reporters spotted Arroyo's husband, their two sons and their wives, two grandaughters and their nannies and Arroyo's brother-in-law, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo, boarding the president's chartered plane Wednesday.

"What is this, a family vacation?" the Philippine Daily Inquirer asked Thursday.

Popular Manila radio station DZBB poked fun at Arroyo with an impromptu song asking Filipinos to save money while she took her daughters-in-law to China. The Daily Tribune, a regular government critic, said the trip has been turned into "a virtual junket for the first family and its kin."

Yahoo News Asia on Gloria, Her Family, and Nannies on Government Junket to China

Cosmopolitan Now Legal in Singapore

Sometimes I actually post a story that has something to do with the Photo (see above).

Singapore media authorities lifted a long-standing ban on the popular US women's magazine Cosmopolitan. The Media Development Authority (MDA) however warned that the magazine must not contain "exploitative sex and nudity".

Every copy of Cosmopolitan must also be shrink-wrapped and the cover must prominently feature a label warning consumers that its contents are "Unsuitable for the Young," the MDA statement said. "Cosmopolitan will be available from this month... provided they do not contain exploitative sex and nudity," the statement said. "The relaxation on the importation of Cosmopolitan is in line with calls from the public for greater choice in media content."

Cosmopolitan has been banned in Singapore for more than 20 years for allegedly espousing extreme liberal values which local authorities view as offending family and moral norms in the conservative city-state. Singapore earlier lifted a ban on the popular American TV series "Sex And The City".

Despite removing the ban on Cosmopolitan, authorities have indicated that they are not about to take a similar step regarding Playboy and other magazines depicting nudity.

Singapore has been dubbed a "nanny state" because of strict social controls. The government is trying to loosen the apron strings somewhat in an attempt to promote a more cosmopolitan image. Authorities have removed curbs on a number of previously banned activities such as bungee jumping and bar top dancing.

TVNZ on Cosmo in Singapore

Get Rid of Your Reading Glasses

This might be just the ticket for "Medical Tourism" in Singapore, for older tourists who would like to toss the reading glasses. And don't forget about those groovy homestay offers in Singapore, which I mentioned below as an alternative to expensive and soulless high-rise hotels on Orchard Road.

No Surgery and No Lasers to Correct Your Lousy Eyesight

Malaysia News

Southeast Asia Handbook by Carl Parkes 

Anwar Ibrahim was recently released from prison after serving six years, and so attention is now focused, if only briefly, on that Southeast Asian country. The following background was published a few years ago in my guide to Southeast Asia, so is probably somewhat dated, but may be useful for a quick look at a few basic Malaysian issues.

The People of Malaysia

Malaysia is a multiracial country with an estimated population of 18 million people. Eighty-two percent of the people live in Peninsular Malaysia, 10% in Sarawak, and 8% in Sabah. Malays comprise 48% of the population, the Chinese make up 35%, Indians 10%, and various indigenous tribal groups account for the balance.

Although the largest racial group in the country, the Malays' less than 50% is a significant statistic in light of the political and economic equation. These races--Malay, Chinese, Indian, and tribals--have historically kept their distance from each other by following their own religions, doing different kinds of work, and living in separate communities. Incorporating this range of ethnic groups under one national flag has largely shaped Malaysia's political and economic structure, besides remaining an endless source of fascination to specialists on Asia.

Malays

Article 160 of the Malay constitution defines a Malay as a person who follows Islam, speaks Malay as the mother language, and conforms to Malay customs. Malays are of a mixed ethnic background, some having lived in the country for millennia while others are recent immigrants from Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Borneo, and other Indonesian islands. Malays, in fact, come from the same basic racial stock as people of the Philippines and Indonesia. A warm and extremely hospitable group with refined sensibilities and gracious manners, Malays typically live in rural villages and prefer the occupations of farmer and fisherman rather than urban businessman or entrepreneur.

Together with the Ibans, Kadazans, Melanaus, and other tribals living in East Malaysia, Malays constitute the Bumiputras, a government-recognized racial group. Being a "Son of the Soil" has great advantages. Most government positions are given to Bumis, 80% of university openings are reserved for them, job priority is enjoyed even when a Bumi is less qualified than a Chinese, low-cost loans are plentiful for Bumi businesses, and most government licenses are, by law, awarded to them. Statistics show that Malays hold 80% of all government executive jobs, are granted 85% of all college scholarships, and receive 95% of all government land distributed to settlers.

Malays can, at times, be somewhat defensive about their privileges, arguing that they were first in the country and were discriminated against by British colonialists who favored the Chinese and the Indians. Chinese, on the other hand, consider the Malays lazy, uneducated, and, perhaps worst of all, less than shrewd. Both Chinese and Indians resent the Malays' political domination and preferential treatment--especially the educational bias in favor of the Bumiputras--but largely accept these affirmative-action programs as necessary conditions for national peace and reconciliation.

Chinese

Malaysia's other large ethnic group is the Chinese, who arrived in large numbers in the late 19th century to work on the rubber plantations and in the tin mines. Between 1897 and 1927, when the disintegrating Manchu Dynasty could no longer enforce emigration restrictions, some six million Chinese fled the twin scourges of war and famine to find their fortunes in Southeast Asia. Most of Malaysia's Chinese emigrated from Kwangtung and Fukien provinces, from the towns of Amoy, Swatow, and Canton.

Early immigrants settled into various lifestyle groupings: Babas, who descended from mixed Malay-Chinese marriages and developed a unique Sino-Malay culture; Straits Chinese who followed Chinese lifestyles modified by generations of life in Malaysia; and Straits-born Chinese who held to a culture as purely Chinese as possible.

Together they formed microcosms of southern China as reflected in their various dialects, foods, marriage customs, funeral rites, and variety of religious and superstitious beliefs. Hokkiens became prosperous through trading and shopkeeping. Cantonese cleared the jungles, dug for tin, and tapped rubber. Rivalries between their various tongs (secret societies) were often violent and frightfully bloody, but peace was restored, and by the early 20th century the Chinese largely controlled the economy.

Today they drive the Mercedes in Penang, own the stately mansions in Kuala Lumpur, and keep the wheels turning in the gambling casinos at Genting Highlands. While Malays might consider them usurious moneylenders and tight-fisted merchants, most would agree that the economic miracle of Malaysia is largely due to the admirable work ethic of the Chinese.

Race is a thorny and complex issue here in Malaysia, but it boils down to this: the Malays control the political machinery and want more economic power, the Chinese control the economy and want more political power. As mentioned before, racial discrimination against the Chinese has become government policy supported by the New Economic Policy. But not everyone agrees that the Malays are an indigenous race; tribals roamed the peninsula long before the Malays arrived. Therefore, the Chinese claim, everybody's an immigrant--a line of logic that understandably infuriates the Malays.

Pragmatists to the extreme, Chinese generally accept Malay leadership in the political life of the country but deeply resent government meddlings in Chinese culture. The biggest clashes have revolved around the government's Bahasa Malaysia language policy, which seeks to unify the country by encouraging everyone to speak Malay. Tempers flared recently after non-Mandarin-speaking teachers were appointed to Chinese primary schools and the government banned Mandarin language courses from public universities.

Discrimination is typically less obvious: a ban on the use of Chinese characters at a seafood festival in Johor State, university courses taught in Malay only, and the compulsory wearing of traditional Malay headdresses for non-Malay university graduates.

Islam in Malaysia

Islam is the state religion of Malaysia. Nearly all Malays are Sunni Muslims who follow the orthodox Shafie school of interpretation and five fundamental precepts of the Koran: profession of faith, daily prayer, religious alms to support the poor, a fast during Ramadan, and a pilgrimage to Mecca. Islam in Malaysia has important political and economic significance.

Symbolizing Malay supremacy over non-Bumiputras, it now permeates every level of society, culture, and political affiliation. UMNO maintains an image of an Islamic party in response to the nationwide increase of Islamic consciousness. Laws have been passed, an Islamic bank established, and a government-supported Islamic university now teaches traditional law. PAS, the opposition Party of Islam, which seeks to make Malaysia an Islamic state governed by an Islamic constitution and ruled by Islamic law, has made great strides in recent years.

Although a radical party primarily supported by poor rural-based Malays, what began as the extremist Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement in the '70s has now gained respectability with the Malaysian middle class. No longer are dakwah (proselytizing Muslims) limited to nonconformist youth or students disappointed by economic inequality brought on by Western capitalism.

The rise of right-wing Islam is most apparent on the east coast where women wear black robes and remain veiled in purdah, while dakwah of the hard-line Darul Arqam community can be seen with their long black robes, green headgear, and trademark goatees hanging from their chins. And despite many middle-class Malays being disturbed by these developments, few dare speak out for fear of being labeled anti-Islam, infidel, or murtad (deviant within the faith). Travelers should remember that Islam is one of the five sensitive subjects whose special position must not be questioned and which are protected under the Sedition Act.

Under pressures from the ultraconservative PAS and Islamic student organizations, the legal trend in Malaysia has been one of gradual and officially sponsored adherence to the stricter tenets of shariah (Islamic) law. The Non-Islamic Religions Act of 1988--a measure which forbids conversion attempts on behalf of any religion except Islam--was used to arrest Christian missionaries who proselytize among Muslims. A major constitutional amendment the same year ended the rights of the civil bench to overrule a shariah court decision. Legislation has also been proposed to require Malay women to cover all but their hands and faces in public.

Punishment administered by Islamic shariah courts seems extraordinarily harsh by Western standards: whippings for the consumption of alcohol, khalwat (close proximity between the sexes), and zina (illicit sex); the amputation of thieves' hands; the stoning to death of adulterers; the crucifixion of murderers. Worldwide press was given to a 1987 case in which a young man was whipped six times with a cane for drinking liquor and committing khalwat . . . in a Kota Bharu restaurant. Islamic law currently applies to Muslims only, but political pressure to enforce shariah laws uniformly on all people has frightened both the Chinese and Indian communities.

Affirmative Action in Malaysia

Malaysia faces several economic challenges. Most serious is the uneven distribution of income between West and East Malaysia, between urban and rural residents, and most dramatically, between Malays and Chinese. As in nearly all other countries in Southeast Asia, the economy of Malaysia is controlled by the Chinese. UMNO Bharu and the Malay people are determined to change this equation through their New Economic Policy (NEP), an ambitious government program aimed at eradicating poverty and restructuring society through a more equitable distribution of the country's wealth. NEP's major goal is to increase Malay Bumiputra (literally "Sons of the Soil") ownership of shares in public limited companies. In 1971, foreigners owned 62% of the nation's corporate wealth, the Chinese controlled 36%, and the Bumiputra owned less than four percent.

As a result of the NEP, foreigners today have seen their corporate equity slashed to 30%, the Chinese have increased theirs to 50%, and the Malays hold some 20% of Malaysian equity. Although a dramatic improvement over 1970 levels, it remains far short of the 30% promised to Malays by 1990. Even this 20% figure is questionable, since many businesses transferred from Chinese to Malay ownership are only transactions that paper over continued Chinese control.

The NEP has also come under a great deal of criticism from foreign corporations and Chinese entrepreneurs who say it discourages individual enterprise and institutionalizes widespread racial discrimination against the Chinese. Critics also charge that the NEP has primarily benefited well-connected Bumiputra, helping few of the poor Malays who still work in the ricefields.

Despite unending complaints and apparent shortcomings, the NEP has been extended past its 1990 deadline, since many powerful politicians believe it plays an important role as peacemaker between the races.

Media Censorship in Singapore

Singapore Handbook by Carl Parkes 

A few weeks ago, The Economist published an article about the Singapore government's investment fund which implied that family connections were involved in the management of this fund. The Singapore government then threatened to sue The Economist for libel. And a few days later, The Economist issued a formal apology and paid a small fine. Why would The Economist so quickly cave into the demands of the government? The following background was published in my Singapore Handbook several years ago, so it's probably dated, but still provides a possible understanding of the mea culpa by The Economist.

Media in Singapore

Domestic Press

Singapore's press is dominated by a single company, the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), a private corporation which has close ties to the national leadership. Comprised of the Straits Times Press, Singapore News and Publications Ltd. (SNPL), and the Times Publishing Company, SPH publishes the Straits Times, The New Paper, and the Business Times (English), the Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min Daily News, and the Lianhe Zaobao (Chinese), the Berita Harian (Malay), and the Tamil Murasu (Tamil). Daily circulation levels are 500,900 (English-language newspapers), 443,200 (Chinese), 59,000 (Malay), and 5,000 (Tamil).

Press Restrictions

The Singapore constitution permits official restrictions on the freedom of the press and the government restricts the press with both the force of law and by intimidating journalists into practicing self censorship. Government leaders often criticize what they call the "Western model" of journalism in which the media are free to report the news are they see it and argue that the role of the domestic media should be to support the goals of the elected leadership.

The government controls the press with several powerful laws. Under the Internal Security Act (1963), the Sedition Act (1964), the Undesirable Publications Act (1967), and the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (1974), the government can ban publications considered threats to the nation and arrest journalists suspected of subversion. The ISA specifically applies to publications that incite violence, that counsel disobedience to the law, that might arouse tensions among various races and religions, or that might threaten national interests, national security, or public order. The government uses a broad definition of these laws not only to restrict political opposition and criticism but also to dissuade the press from discussing issues of alleged government corruption, nepotism, or compliant judiciaries.

The Newspaper and Printing Presses Act requires all newspapers and chief editors to obtain government licenses each year and submit in advance all stories on sensitive issues such as politics, race, religion, military, and foreign relations. Newspaper licenses can refused without any given reason. Newspapers that publish unapproved stories on sensitive subjects must weigh the risks of offending the government and losing their license.

As a result, Singapore has a docile press which criticizes government policies at great risk and risk closure or having their editors sent to jail. The first newspaper to fall was, believe it or not, the Straits Times in 1959. Apparently, the full and unbiased coverage of the 1959 elections by editor-in-chief Leslie Hoffman angered the young Lee Kuan Yew who insisted after taking office that Singapore needed tighter restrictions on the press. Hoffman disagreed with the need for new laws and argued that existing laws were sufficient. But Hoffman lost the battle and fled Singapore to escape prosecution under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance.

Lee later started what he called his "Black Operations," a government program designed to destroy a communist conspiracy controlled by the local mass media. Two Chinese newspapers, Nanyang Siang Pau and Eastern Sun, were closed in 1971 for "glamorizing the communist way of life," followed by the outspoken English-language Singapore Herald. Shutting down the Herald proved very easy for Lee: he simply ordered the expulsion of three senior foreign staff members and then revoked the press license.

A Kinder and Gentler Nation?

Singapore's climate appeared to loosen up several years ago after Lee Kuan Yew stepped down and turn the position of prime minister over to Goh Chok Tong, who promised a "kinder and gentler nation" blessed with greater personal freedoms of expression. Signs that the government was willing to tolerate more voices was most apparent in the increasing number of critical letters on the opinion pages of the Straits Times.

But old patterns resurfaced in October 1994 after the National University of Singapore Society clamped down on its own journal, Commentary, fearing that, in the words of the Straits Times, would "annoy the government."

Public debate about the nature of Goh's government ensued, including an article published on 20 November in the Straits Times by Catherine Lim that charged Prime Minister Goh with returning to "the authoritarian style of its predecessors." Lim, a part-time lecturer at the university, soon faced heavy attacks from the Prime Minister who warned that snide or mocking comments would merit a "very, very hard blow from the government in return" and suggested that Lim should enter the political arena if she wanted to debate public policy.

Goh's press spokesman said the government would "lose control" if it was "continually criticized, vilified and ridiculed in the media." Lim apologized for her article but many Singaporeans interpreted the incident as a sign of growing government intolerance toward criticism.

International Press

The international press is also tightly monitored in Singapore. Newspapers and magazines which offend the government run the risk of being gagged or banned outright. In 1985 the Asian Wall Street Journal printed an editorial which claimed many Singaporeans felt the government was using the courts to wipe out political opposition. The government filed contempt of court charges against the paper. Apparently unsatisfied with the S$6000 fine, Parliament then passed amendments to the Newspaper and Printing Press Act designed to punish foreign publications which interfered in domestic politics or refused to print in full letters of response from the Singaporean government.

Within two years, Time, Asian Wall Street Journal, Asiaweek, Reuters and Far Eastern Economic Review had fallen on hard times in Singapore. The weekly circulation of Time magazine was slashed from 18,000 to 2,000 copies after it printed an article critical of Lee Kuan Yew and his treatment of political opponents, then refused to print an unedited response from the Singapore government. The Asian Wall Street Journal (owned by Dow Jones) had its weekly circulation cut from 5,100 copies to 400 after it also refused to print a series of unedited letters from the Singapore government. Asiaweek magazine (owned by Time) saw its weekly circulation slashed from 8000 to 500 copies.

Reporters also found themselves in hot water. A Reuters correspondent was given 48 hours to leave the country for what the government claimed was irresponsible reporting...about the collapse of a hotel. Nigel Holloway, bureau chief for the Far Eastern Economic Review, was forced to leave the country after Singapore officials refused to extend his employment pass. The Review was then refused permission to station reporters in Singapore and later sued for defamation by Lee Kuan Yew, who alleged the malice was inspired by the Singapore government's refusal to renew Holloways' employment pass.

The Asian Wall Street Journal then accused the government of using their new press law to claim unlimited access for whatever they choose to allege in an action beneath Singapore's stature in the world. The only organization in Singapore which challenged these press restrictions was the Singapore Law Society. What happened to them? Their president was fired, thrown into jail, and the Law Society condemned for criticizing the government.

In June 1993 the Economist published a story on the 1986 conviction for fraud of Workers Party, J.B. Jeyaretnam. A letter from Singapore's high commissioner in London refuting points made in the article was published by the magazine, but the government claimed that a crucial sentence had been omitted. The Economist then printed the missing sentence but the government continued to hold circulation at 7,500 copies and required the company to post a bond of S$200,000 against future liabilities.

That same year, Wired magazine published a story by William Gibson called "Disneyland with the Death Penalty" which surmised that the success of Singapore would sadly prove that it was possible to flourish through the active repression of free expression. The Sept/Oct issue was banned in Singapore but many residents were able to access the story over the internet.

More Brouhaha

Brickbats started flying again over an article published on 2 August 1994 by the International Herald Tribune which suggested that dynastic politics ruled the country. Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sued the newspaper in the Singapore Supreme Court and won a libel judgment of $678,572. The three plaintiffs, who were not named in the opinion piece, shared the money.

The Tribune found itself in more hot water over an article published 7 October 1994 by Christopher Lingle, an American scholar and visiting economics instructor at the National University of Singapore. Lingle's article, a response to a previous editorial comment in the Tribune, criticized unnamed Asian governments as "intolerant regimes" which relied "upon a compliant judiciary to bankrupt opposition politicians." Several weeks later, Lingle was interrogated by police detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division at his office and home. Soon after the visits, Lingle resigned his job and went back to the United States where he declined the invitation to appear at the lawsuit filed against the author, the Singapore-based editor, the Paris-based newspaper, and the Singapore Press Holdings which prints the local edition.

Although the Tribune published an apology and paid the fines, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew filed a civil libel suit against the paper and Lingle who remained abroad. The Tribune paid Prime Minister Lee $214,285 to settle the defamation suit but Lingle refused to return to Singapore to settle his case. In 1996, Lingle published "Singapore's Authoritarian Capitalism" which, as you might imagine, is banned in Singapore but widely available in Malaysia.

The Lingle saga continued to widen in 1995 when Williams College in the United States offered Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong an honorary doctorate from his Massachusetts alma mater. A counter-award ceremony was organized by political science lecturer George Crane, who invited several controversial panelists including Christopher Lingle and Francis Seow, Singapore's former solicitor general who fled the country to escape legal prosecution.

Within days, New York columnist William Safire weighed in with a column which referred to Goh as a "front man" and Senior Minister Lee as "the dictator" in a country where students are "prohibited from waving political banners." Safire added that "despite oleaginous pretensions about a new Asian culture that transcends human rights," Lee, Goh and the Dauphin represent old-fashioned European totalitarianism.

Goh responded by inviting both Safire and Crane to a televised debate at the National University of Singapore, but Safire agreed to only debate Lee Kuan Yew himself at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. The slanging match finally died down and the debates never took place.

Bush Knows the National Guard

Gnome Time in National Guard 

George W. Bush's Missing Year

The widow of a Bush family confidant says her husband gave the future president an Alabama Senate campaign job as a favor to his worried father. Did they see him do any National Guard service? "Good lord, no."

By Mary Jacoby
Sept. 2, 2004
NEW YORK

Before there was Karl Rove, Lee Atwater or even James Baker, the Bush family's political guru was a gregarious newspaper owner and campaign consultant from Midland, Texas, named Jimmy Allison. In the spring of 1972, George H.W. Bush phoned his friend and asked a favor: Could Allison find a place on the Senate campaign he was managing in Alabama for his troublesome eldest son, the 25-year-old George W. Bush?

"The impression I had was that Georgie was raising a lot of hell in Houston, getting in trouble and embarrassing the family, and they just really wanted to get him out of Houston and under Jimmy's wing," Allison's widow, Linda, told me. "And Jimmy said, 'Sure.' He was so loyal."

Linda Allison's story, never before published, contradicts the Bush campaign's assertion that George W. Bush transferred from the Texas Air National Guard to the Alabama National Guard in 1972 because he received an irresistible offer to gain high-level experience on the campaign of Bush family friend Winton "Red" Blount. In fact, according to what Allison says her late husband told her, the younger Bush had become a political liability for his father, who was then the United States ambassador to the United Nations, and the family wanted him out of Texas. "I think they wanted someone they trusted to keep an eye on him," Linda Allison said.

After more than three decades of silence, Allison spoke with Salon over several days before and during the Republican National Convention this week -- motivated, as she acknowledged, by a complex mixture of emotions. They include pride in her late husband's accomplishments, a desire to see him remembered, and concern about the apparent double standard in Bush surrogates attacking John Kerry's Vietnam War record while ignoring the president's irresponsible conduct during the war. She also admits to bewilderment and hurt over the rupture her husband experienced in his friendship with George and Barbara Bush. To this day, Allison is unsure what caused the break, though she suspects it had something to do with her husband's opposition to the elder Bush becoming chairman of the Republican National Committee under President Nixon.

"Something happened that I don't know about. But I do know that Jimmy didn't expect it, and it broke his heart," she said, describing a ruthless side to the genial Bush clan of which few outsiders are aware.

Personal history aside, Allison's recollections of the young George Bush in Alabama in 1972 are relevant as a contrast to the medals for valor and bravery that Kerry won in Vietnam in the same era. An apparent front group for the Bush campaign, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, has attacked Kerry in television ads as a liar and traitor to veterans for later opposing a war that cost 58,000 American lives. Bush, who has resisted calls from former Vietnam War POW John McCain, R-Ariz., to repudiate the Swift Boat ads, has said he served honorably in the National Guard.

Allison's account corroborates a Washington Post investigation in February that found no credible witnesses to the service in the Alabama National Guard that Bush maintains he performed, despite a lack of documentary evidence. Asked if she'd ever seen Bush in a uniform, Allison said: "Good lord, no. I had no idea that the National Guard was involved in his life in any way." Allison also confirmed previously published accounts that Bush often showed up in the Blount campaign offices around noon, boasting about how much alcohol he had consumed the night before. (Bush has admitted that he was a heavy drinker in those years, but he has refused to say whether he also used drugs).

"After about a month I asked Jimmy what was Georgie's job, because I couldn't figure it out. I never saw him do anything. He told me it basically consisted of him contacting people who were impressed by his name and asking for contributions and support," Allison said.

Salon on Bush Daze in National Guard

John Kerry Speaks

Dick Cheney had FIVE Deferments 

We all saw the anger and distortion of the Republican Convention. For the past week, they attacked my patriotism and my fitness to serve as Commander-in-chief. We'll, here's my answer. I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq.

The Vice President even called me unfit for office last night. I guess I'll leave it up to the voters whether five deferments makes someone more qualified to defend this nation than two tours of duty.

Let me tell you what I think makes someone unfit for duty. Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes you unfit to lead this nation. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting 45 million Americans go without healthcare makes you unfit to lead this nation.

Letting the Saudi Royal Family control our energy costs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Handing out billions of government contracts to Halliburton while you're still on their payroll makes you unfit. That's the record of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

And it's not going to change. I believe it's time to move America in a new direction; I believe it's time to set a new course for America.

Bali Bomber Hangs at Starbucks, Hard Rock Cafe

Bali Bomber Spotted at Starbucks 

Ok, so you're a certified mass murderer currently jailed in Bali, but you'd like to spill the beans about other terrorists to the authorities in Jakarta, but only if you can enjoy a double espresso at Starbucks before heading over to Hard Rock Cafe for the latest reggae tunes.

Bali Bomber 'Let Out for Coffee'
By Rob Taylor in Jakarta
September 2, 2004

INDONESIAN police are today staying tightlipped on why one of the main Bali bombers was let out of prison to have coffee at a plush central Jakarta shopping mall. Ali Imron, the so-called repentant bomber sentenced to life imprisonment for his part in the attacks which claimed more than 200 lives, was spotted last night having coffee at Starbucks with the director of Indonesian narcotics and drugs Gorries Mere.

The pair were spotted shortly after 7pm at a Starbucks store on the second floor of the newly opened Entertainment X'Nter and movie complex beside Plaza Indonesia, which is home to designer stores including Versace, Valentino and Zegna. "What, do you think that going out for a walk is forbidden? Do you think I cannot go here," Brigadier General Gorries, who also plays a major role in bomb investigation, said.

"I walk often with Pak (Mr) Gorries," Ali Imron said with his head ducked.

Coffee and Reggae Helps with Confessions

Victim's Father Expresses Outrage over Bali Bomber's Starbucks Sighting

The father of an Australian killed in the 2002 Bali bombings expressed outrage Thursday after a militant sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the attack was seen sipping coffee with a senior Indonesian police officer at an upmarket shopping mall. A police spokesman in Indonesia said Brig. Gen. Gorries Mere broke no laws by taking convicted terrorist Ali Imron from prison and buying him coffee at a Starbucks in Plaza Indonesia, one of the country's most luxurious shopping centers.

Ah, the Life of a Terrorist in Indonesia

Yahoo Asia Report on Jakarta Coffee Break

Police Berated Over Bomber's Starbucks Trip
September 2, 2004 11:48 PM
Laksamana.Net

Senior legislators have criticized police over their decision to take convicted Bali bomber Ali Imron to a Jakarta branch of the Starbucks coffee chain, warning the move will tarnish Indonesia’s image abroad. "This will damage our image overseas, especially in Australia, which can protest because of many of its citizens were casualties," legislator Djoko Susilo was quoted as saying Thursday (2/8/04) by detikcom online news portal.

Imron was in September 2003 sentenced to life imprisonment for his role the October 12, 2002, Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. Initially jailed at Bali’s Kerobokan prison, he was transferred to Jakarta in April, apparently to help police with their investigations into regional terrorism network Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been blamed for the Bali attacks and numerous other bombings.

Imron, accompanied by National Police narcotics division chief Brigadier General Gorries Mere and several guards, spent three hours on Wednesday evening at the Starbucks cafe in Plaza Indonesia’s swank new Entertainment X’nter on Jalan Thamrin. The group later went to the nearby Hard Rock Cafe, which recently relocated to the entertainment complex.

We Certainly Wouldn't Want to Tarnish Indonesia's Reputation

You can't make this shit up.

Southeast Asia News 11

George Bush Cheers for Anwar 

The release of Anwar Ibrahim has gobbled up headlines around SE Asia, but some other stories are worth noting.

Background on Islamic Schools in Southern Thailand

A very rational and well balanced look at Islamic schools in southern Thailand, as guest authored by a professor in Singapore.

The traditional pondok remains central to Malay-Muslim identity and lifestyle in southern Thailand. Like other such institutions in Southeast Asia, however, the pondok of Thailand are confronted with the challenge of making themselves relevant in the context of social, political and economic changes taking place in their environment. Some have chosen the path of greatest resistance and preach the message of separatism and jihadi violence against the "oppressive" Thai government.

Asia Times Online Looks at Pondoks in Thailand

Muslim Extremist Trained in Malaysia

A Muslim separatist recently captured by the Thai military has admitted that he was trained in Malaysia in Kelantan State, where he co-authored an Islamic tract that promoted the revival of the Pattani Sultanate in southern Thailand. Yet, Malaysia refuses to hand over to Thai authorities other Muslim extremists who will almost certainly return to Thailand somebody to murder more teachers, monks, and innocent civilians. What gives with Malaysia? Why do they protect terrorists? Dual citizenship is a very lame excuse in my opinion.

Muslim Teacher Says He Took Militant Training in Malaysia
Co-wrote Book on Pattani Secession

"I have regrets. It's my mistake. I was lured to undergo self-defense training and we learned how to make ourselves invulnerable to harm, like we were put under a magic spell. I joined because I was curious." - Abdul Wahub Datu, Principal of Malayu Bangkok Ponoh school. An Islamic religious teacher in Yala has confessed he was among Muslim militants trained in Malaysia before they returned to stage the April 28 violence in the deep South, said army interrogators.

Abdul Wahub Datu, 40, alias Babor Wahub, principal of Malayu Bangkok ponoh school in Yala's Muang district, said in recorded questioning yesterday that he travelled to Malaysia's Kelantan state last year to meet leading separatists and discuss separatist strategies, undergo self-defense training and learn how to make himself invulnerable. The training was held at a jungle cave and a cemetery in Malaysia, said the Islamic teacher.

Terror Training in Malaysia

Why Do Buses in Bangkok Have Curtains?

The working girls at Nana, the Pong, and Cowboy must be somewhat upset that Thai schoolgirls are stealing business on buses.

Amorous Students Warned Against Bus Sex
By Associated Press
September 1, 2004, 7:12 PM EDT

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Bangkok transport officials posted notices on some of the city's buses Wednesday urging young passengers not to have sex while riding in the vehicles. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority came under fire from commuters this week after a study by an academic revealed that scores of colleges students were engaging in intercourse, usually in the rear seats of the darkened buses during the evening commute from classes.

"I have interviewed bus conductors and some passengers, and they confirm the study that students are having sex, especially on the air conditioned bus route 12," said Virat Chokkatiwat, a director of the MTA.

Route 12 goes past several evening colleges of Bangkok and terminates at the outskirts of the capital. Cloth curtains on bus windows along that route have been removed because some lovers were using them to cover themselves, Virat said. In an effort to combat the problem, notices on all the Route 12 buses now advise: "Thai women should preserve old culture about sexual behavior."

Although Thailand is well-known for its racy nightlife, it is a predominantly Buddhist, conservative country, where displays of public affection, including kissing in public, are rare. Still, social mores among the younger generation, influenced by Western culture in recent decades, are quickly changing.

The Love Bus Was Once Popular in Manila

Thai Teacher Enforcing Hair Regulations Lops Off Piece of Student's Ear

A teacher enforcing school regulations on haircuts snipped one girl's locks to ear's length Thursday but ended up lopping off a chunk of her ear as well, police said. Weng Yangpakdee, a teacher at Wat Dan Prachakorn school in southern Chumpon province, had been inspecting students after their morning assembly to ensure their hair was regulation length, said police Capt. Kamsingh Sriyapai.

"He was going to cut the hair of this girl who had a haircut that was against school regulations. ... Her hair was against her ear, and he just cut without being careful," Kamsingh said. He did not know how much of 15-year-old Theedarat Pattong's earlobe was cut off. But a report on the Kom Chad Luek newspaper Web site quoted plastic surgeon Dr. Wiboon Thongduang as saying that half of the earlobe was severed, and could not be reattached because the girl did not get proper medical attention quickly enough.

Theeradat's father reported the incident to police, but no charges have been filed against the teacher, who along with the victim was to be questioned Friday, Kamsingh said.

Cup of Urine a Day Keeps Ailments at Bay

BANGKOK (AFP)
Drinking urine can eliminate sinus trouble, turn grey hair black and even cure cancer, a Thai academic said, citing a study of local Buddhists who engage in the unorthodox practice. Ratree Cheepudomwit, of the Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine Development Department, said hundreds of urine drinkers attested that consuming a daily cup worked wonders for their overall health and helped slow the aging process.

She said that in June she queried 250 members of Santi Asoke, a strict indigenous Buddhist movement believed to have thousands of followers, and 204 respondents said they had learned from ancient Buddhist manuscripts that drinking one's urine improved health. "Of the respondents, 87 percent confirmed that it had head-to-toe benefits for them, including for example reduction of dandruff, grey hair, sinus problems and cancer," Ratree told AFP.

The medical elixir was not easy on everyone's system, as about one in 10 urine drinkers suffered diarrhea afterwards, but the practice should not be viewed with disgust, she said. "Other groups of people who drank urine were Buddhist monks who practiced in accordance to scriptures which are more than 2,500 years old," she said.

Tastes Just Like Chang

Sassy Lawyer, Gloria Arroyo, Economic Collapse, and a Government Junket with Family and Friends to China

Let's Party Like It's 1999!

Simon Posts Latest Asia by Blog

Simon puts up his latest Asia blogs and provides some tips on blogger mysteries such as Trackbacks and Pings. A great place to discover new and relatively obscure bloggers in Asia.

SimonWorld Asia by Blog

Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim Again

Anwar Leaves Hospital

Anwar's Nemesis: Mahathir Mohamed

Malaysia Map 

Everyone is blogging today about the release of Anwar and its meaning to the future of politics in Malaysia, but the best notes are found at Myrick in Singapore. A blogger new to me - Rajan in Malaysia - also helps balance the scales with some analysis of what's been right and wrong about Anwar in the past. Rajan will definitely be included on my Blogroll, whenever I get around to updating the sucker. Asia Times Online checks in with the usual fine background notes and some pithy comments. Expect more on this in coming days. Also, some background filler on Anwar and his fall from grace via the BBC and BusinessWeek. Here's the latest on Anwar:

Chris Myrick on Anwar

Rajan in Malaysia on Anwar

The Straits Times Singapore Comments on Anwar

Asia Times Online

BBC Anwar Story from 1998

BusinessWeek Anwar Story from 1998

Malaysia News: Anwar Background and Links

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar and Wife

Anwar and Wife 

Anwar Was Once a Rising Political Star
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 2, 2004

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) -- Once considered a sure bet to become Malaysia's prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim completed a transformation from an Islamic student activist to the country's No. 2 leader before he was fired and imprisoned.

Born in a small village in northern Penang state on Aug. 10, 1947, Anwar, the son of a hospital porter, became known as a radical in the early 1970s before he graduated from Kuala Lumpur's University Malaya with a degree in Malay Studies. He helped found a Muslim youth movement, but was arrested in 1974 and spent 20 months imprisoned without trial after organizing a student protest against rural poverty.

Anwar surprised his associates in 1982 when he decided to join the United Malays National Organization, the moderate ruling party headed by then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who came to power the previous year. Anwar's political fortunes rose swiftly. He was elected as one of UMNO's vice presidents in 1986. Mahathir eventually appointed him to increasingly crucial Cabinet posts, including minister of sports, agriculture, education and finance.

In 1993, he became Mahathir's deputy. But when the Asian financial crisis hit Malaysia in 1997, Anwar -- then married with six children -- differed with Mahathir on the road to recovery.

Mahathir sacked Anwar on Sept. 2, 1998, accusing him of sexual impropriety and deeming him morally unfit to take over the country. Anwar marshaled supporters for huge street protests against what he called a corrupt political system.

He was quickly jailed and charged with corruption and sodomy. Two court trials followed, resulting in prison sentences totaling 15 years that Anwar began serving in April 1999. On Thursday, exactly six years to the day after his removal from office, Anwar, 57, became a free man again after Malaysia's highest court quashed his sodomy conviction and prison sentence.

New York Times/Associated Press Background on Anwar Ibrahim

New York Times Article on Anwar

Malaysia News: Anwar Ibrahim, Free At Last

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim Beaten by Cops

Free Anwar, Finally

Another Anwar Supporter 

Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was finally released from prison after a Malaysian court declared him innocent of charges leveled against him during his political struggles against Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed. Anwar goes back to court next week to seek dismissal of other charges, to allow him to re-enter Malaysian politics. Anwar's release from prison after five years of confinement has been covered today by most of the world's press:

BBC News

CNN International Edition

MSNBC News

Amnesty International UK

Amnesty International Reports on Anwar and Malaysia

Yahoo News India

ABC Radio News Australia

Reuters

San Francisco Chronicle

The Nation Bangkok

Islam Online

Al Jazeera

Southeast Asia News 10

Shinawatra Welcomes New Bangkok Governor 

Nightclubs in New York are open until 4am for the amusement of delegates to the Republican National Convention, while nightclubs in Thailand must close at 1am to protect the morals of drunken farangs in the Land of Smiles. Prostitution is legal in Singapore, but forbidden in Bangkok. I don't care who is the new governor of Bangkok, Chuwit was my man! Bars open all night!

Author of Separatist Call to Arms? Muslim School Teachers

The Thai government has long been aware that the Muslim insurgency in the south has been fueled mainly by Muslim teachers in privately owned and operated Islamic schools, which actively promote an independent Islamic homeland via violent revolution against the government in Bangkok. An Islamic schoolteacher recently admitted his authorship of separatist propaganda which lead directly to the senseless slaughter of over 100 young Muslim students, blinded by his misguided rot.

A ponoh school principal in Yala suspected of writing separatist propaganda encouraging southern Muslims to fight for the independence of Pattani yesterday admitted he was a co-writer of the book. Abdul Wahab Data, 40, alias Babor Wahab, principal of Malayu Bangkok ponoh school in Muang district was yesterday taken to Inkhayutthaboriharn camp in Pattani for interrogation.

He confessed that he was a co-writer of the book Ber Jihad Di Pattani (Fighting for a Pattani State). Copies of the book were found on the bodies of several of the 106 southern militants killed in the April 28 uprising in Yala, Pattani and Songkhla, particularly at Krue Se Mosque in Muang district of Pattani where 32 militants died.

Radical Islamic School Teachers Preach Violence and Hatred

Islamic Radicals Continue to Burn Down Public Schools

This editorial in The Straits Times from Singapore is pretty lame and once again kowtows to those poor, misunderstood Saudi-funded Islamic schools in the south, but does point out that most of the fire-bombed public schools have been torched by Muslims, who would rather see their children brainwashed in Islamic pondoks than be educated in public facilities.

The extremists in southern Thailand have a unique target - schools. The first major attack took place in 1993 when over 30 schools were torched in a single night. The Thaksin government encountered its first school arson in 2002, and in January this year, nearly 20 schools were burnt down. Nearly all were government-run schools.

These regular arson attacks have disrupted the education of students at these schools. Parents are now apprehensive about sending their children to government-run schools and teachers are fearful of working at state schools in southern Thailand, causing the level of education in the area to decline.

The targeting of state schools over the last decade reflects the resistance by Muslims in the south to what they believe to be symbols of national assimilation and the cultural domination of the Buddhist Thais.

Islamic Terrorists Just Feel Neglected, Misunderstood, and Not Loved by Bangkok

Human Rights Watch on Thailand's Freedom of the Press

This very serious issue has been mentioned in previous editions of Southeast Asia News, but today's coverage by Human Rights Watch puts it back into center stage.

When business mixes with politics at the highest level in Thailand, it's impossible to distinguish a libel suit from an attempt to silence the prime minister's critics, said Brad Adams, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division. Thailand's once-vigorous free press is being slowly squeezed to death.

Over the past three years, the Thai Journalists Association and the Thai Broadcasters Association have documented more than 20 cases in which news editors, as well as print and broadcast journalists, have been dismissed or transferred, or have their work tampered with, to appease the government. Journalists and editors have told Human Rights Watch that they are routinely pressured by the government to alter news coverage and rein in overly critical reports. At the same time, corporate and government advertising has been used to reward media outlets that follow the government line and punish those that don't.

Despite the terms of Thailand's 1997 constitution, which calls for the liberalization of radio and television frequencies, a lack of political will by Thaksin’s government and conflicts of interest with his powerful media holdings have allowed the government to influence radio and television news, muzzling criticism and objective reporting by news outlets.

Even international news agencies now face pressure from the Thai government. Since taking office, the Thaksin government has arbitrarily used official approval for work permits and visa renewals as a tool for pressuring foreign journalists working in Thailand.

Human Rights Watch Report on Shinawatra, Libel, and Press Freedoms in Thailand

Phayao Man Proves Himself Serious Coin Collector

Phayao is a very lovely town situated on a beautiful lake a few hours motorcycle ride from Chiang Mai. Folks seem pretty friendly whenever I've passed through their mid-sized town, but apparently there are a few odd characters around. Has anyone ever taken the boat across the lake to a reputedly beautiful Thai temple? I've been hearing good things about that trip for several years.

It was almost like breaking open a piggy bank.

Doctors performing emergency surgery on a man who was rushed to hospital writhing in pain were stunned when more than two kilograms of loose change spilled out of his stomach. Sanguan Pongsawat, 37, who has a history of mental disorders, was operated on Tuesday in the northern town of Phayao, said Dr. Sakchai Athawiboon of the Phayao hospital. Sakchai said that Sanguan, who lived with his mother, had been swallowing the coins for a long time without her knowledge.

"He is in safe condition. But he has to be in the hospital for some time in case of side effects because the metal coins had been in his body for a long time," Sakchai said Wednesday. The coins had turned black from stomach acid.

I'd Rather Just Order "Pok Pok"

Sex on Buses? By Students?

Hey, That's What a Curfew Will Do to Your Town

Sex in Singapore? More News about the Baby Tsar

Singapore has had below replacement levels of baby production for almost 20 years, and during that time the government has come up with a remarkable series of programs to encourage their favored citizens to get serious about reproduction. Nothing has worked and most of their social experimentation has garnered them chuckles from the worldwide press. Even more serious, Muslim Malays and Hindu Indians are still having large families and the delicate balance of races now seems threatened as the Chinese majority seems more focused on the Five C's than More Babies.

Statistics show that Singaporean women produce on average just 1.26 babies in a lifetime, which is too few to keep a population stable. At the present rate, United Nations experts warn, more than a third of the population will be pensioners by mid-century. Elder-care leave is an increasingly common company benefit as the population ages.

Singapore's birthrate has dipped dramatically as its economy has boomed. No longer are there worries about over-population, as in the 1960s when the average woman bore 5.8 babies. Career-building has led to professionals delaying marriage and babies for years, often until fertility is threatened by the biological clock. About 24 per cent of pregnancies are terminated.

Another concern is that the 20 per cent of the island's workers who are immigrants, mainly from Malaysia, will reproduce more quickly and eventually outnumber the locals. For the first time since the 1960s, foreign-born children are to be considered citizens.

Singapore's Five C's: Career, Condominium, Club, Credit Cards, Cars.


Singapore, Gay Rights, and Manazine

Myrick in Singapore puts some serious time into collecting news and background articles about the gay scene in Singapore, and points that perhaps even the openly gay scene in Thailand may feel threatened by the looser environs of the Lion City. After all, gay tourism is a big money spinner in many countries of Southeast Asia.

Singapore's Gay Scene is Coming Out

Marmot's Hole Looks at Hemp Production in North Korea

While I don't generally cover issues about East Asia or China, and anxiously await the return of Jodi at Asia Pages, the acknowledged expert on all things Korea seems to be The Marmot, who I need to add to my modest Blogroll on Japan/Korea. Hemp, of course, can be psychoactive or not, and everyone knows that hemp can be a very inexpensive and efficient way to make a wide variety of products from rope to clothing. But it's still fun to speculate on why North Korea has suddenly gone into massive hemp production. But then the government has long been suspected of illegal drug sales and smuggling to countries in Southeast Asia, so who knows?

Marmot's Hole and Hemp Production in North Korea