Oceania
Oceania
Fair Observer provides insightful and informed analysis of the important issues, events and trends in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific nations.
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China / desertification / DMZ / DPRK / ecosystem / Emanuel Pastreich / Environment / FPIF / North Korea / obama / Pyongyang / South Korea / Focus Article / Asia Pacific / EnvironmentIn North Korea, the threat of desertification should be raised to the same level as nuclear nonproliferation. By Emanuel Pastreich There is a terrible danger lurking just over the DMZ that threatens the Republic of Korea and Northeast Asia. This threat demands an immediate response that is focused and forceful, as well as a long-term strategy that will bring together all members of the international community for a campaign dedicated to the permanent containment of this threat. It is not North Korea’s Taepodong ICBM systems, nor its Musudan or Nodong missiles that I have in mind. Nor do I refer to the nuclear weapons that were recently tested as part of Pyongyang’s high-...
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Anthony Gokianluy / Asia Pacific / Benigno Aquino III / Noynoy / Philippines / PNoy / Politics / SONA / Economics / Focus Article / Asia PacificAquino is under pressure to improve socioeconomic conditions in the Philippines. As President Benigno Aquino III, also known as “Noynoy” and “PNoy,” approaches the midpoint of his presidency, many question his domestic and foreign policy. Has Aquino, the son of progressive and renowned political figures, lived up to expectations? A Bright Start Benigno Aquino III was born with the pedigree for a memorable political run, at least as far as Philippine political dynasties go. As the son of political dissident Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino and his wife, Corazon “Cory” Aquino, the figurehead of the People Power Revolution, PNoy was...
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360° Analysis / forced labor in Asia / Human Trafficking / malaysia / Sophia Akram / Trafficking / US State Department on Trafficking in Persons / victim-sentric approaches to trafficking / Culture / Asia PacificBy Sophia AkramIn Malaysia, victims of trafficking are often treated like criminals. Analysts claim human trafficking is rife on every continent on the globe; present in almost every country and, according to the recent annual report of the US State Department on Trafficking in Persons (TIP), the situation in Malaysia paints a grim picture. Malaysia is mainly a destination country of trafficking for the purposes of prostitution and labor — manual or domestic — from countries in South and Southeast Asia. Victims may be held forcefully by their “employers” or have been compelled to stay in their situations through duress — methods such as threats of reporting them to the...
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anti-corruption strategies / Arab Spring / Brazil Protests / bribery / corruption / Egypt / Global corruption / John T. Noonan / malaysia / North America / Qatar / Robert Klitgaard / Singapore / Taksim Square / Europe / Focus Article / Middle East & North Africa / Global Change / Latin America / Africa / Central & South Asia / Asia PacificOne day, corruption will be as unthinkable as slavery. Corruption is the misuse of a trusted position for illicit private ends. Corruption ranges across phenomena, including bribery, extortion, fraud, nepotism, and outright theft. Corruption is difficult to measure, of course. In perceptions of people around the world, corruption is closely related to administrative efficiency, rule of law, and ethics in the private sector. We can spend days or even academic lifetimes debating definitions and the deeper causes of corruption and weak governance. Let’s instead focus on a separable, practical question: What can be done to reduce corruption? Here there is good news. Even in...
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China / Dalai Lama / John Bragg / Lhasa / Panchen Lama / Politics / Politics / Tibet / Focus Article / Asia PacificBy John BraggWhat does the future hold for Tibet? [Note: View the photo feature here.] Before I went to Tibet, I watched two movies. The first, Seven Years in Tibet, provided a good basic introduction to the modern political history of Tibet, specifically during the last years of independence before the Chinese Communist Party’s takeover in 1950. The second was a two hour YouTube film called, "Tibet Situation: Critical," which outlined in great detail the current political climate. A Han Viewpoint It was also interesting to hear the opinions of my two Chinese friends, Wei and Li, on Tibet and China's relations. They both felt strongly that the Chinese government had bettered Tibet...
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Aquino / Bangsa Moro / MILF / Mindanao / Mindanao conflict / Misuari / MNLF / Philippines / Politics / Religion / Valentine Anthony / Zamboanga / Focus Article / Asia PacificThe Mindanao conflict continues to simmer with no end in sight. The Philippines has an estimated population of 96 million, the majority of whom are Catholics. The Muslim minority in the country stands at about 5-10 million, who live mostly in Mindanao — a region which consists of approximately 25 million in total. Unfortunately, the quest of these Muslims, or “Moro,” for Mindanao’s secession from the rest of the country has been a “thorn in the flesh” of the Philippines for decades. As the recurring issue is Mindanao’s Muslim Bangsa Moro, let me first define who the “Bangsa Moro” are. The Bangsa Moro are a homogenously Muslim...
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360° Analysis / Chiang Mai / forced labor / Loi Kroh road / Male sex trafficking / Thailand sex tourism / Culture / Asia PacificAn often overlooked component of the sex industry in Asia is the male sex trade. Two weeks ago, “M” walked through Urban Light’s drop-in center doors after being introduced to the organization the prior evening. Urban Light conducts weekly outreach efforts in bars throughout Chiang Mai to let male sex workers know about the services and opportunities we provide, such as healthcare, education, meals, transitional housing, and individual care. At the age of 16, M’s mother sent him to the city to find work and help provide for his family, including his two younger brothers. However, M is Thai Yai, one of the more than ten hill tribes of northern Thailand. His darker...
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al-Shabab / Fair Observer / Golden Dawn / Human Trafficking / Iran / Kenya Attacks / Nairobi / North America / Obama UN General Assembly / Obama-Rouhani / Politics / Rachel Lloyd / Rouhani / Syria / Tariq Ramadan / United States / Europe / Focus Article / Middle East & North Africa / Latin America / Africa / Central & South Asia / Asia PacificPledge $1 to keep us going. Back in 1939, September was the month when World War II broke out. So in 2013, it is reassuring to see that the US and Iran might be beginning their first tentative steps to rest the ghosts of 1953 and 1979. The former scarred Iran because the CIA was influenced by the British to conduct a coup against a democratically elected Iranian government. The latter scarred the US because Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in a revolution and caused a hostage crisis that led to the fall of Jimmy Carter. After the saber rattling of the last few years, perhaps Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani might give diplomacy a better shot to resolve their difference, leading...
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360° Analysis / Brinksmanship / Charm Offensive / Cultural Diplomacy / DPRK / Kim Jong-Un / Michael Bassett / North Korea / obama / Politics / Pyongyang / South Korea / The Marshall / United States / US-North Korea Relations / Washington / Asia PacificNorth Korea's "charm offensive" is further evidence of an evolving regime. On January 2, 2013, the Rodong Shimun — North Korea’s state-run newspaper — published Kim Jung-Un’s New Year's “guidance,” which laid out details of his vision for the country. He spoke of a progressive national ideological shift in thinking that must be pursued by every North Korean while on their way to work, at work, and after work. The speech called for mutual development of the economy and the military, with priority placed on economic innovation. The “guidance” spelled out the facets of capitalism: innovation, entrepreneurship, market...