UMNO has stubborn staying power
The days of Malaysia's ruling United Malays National Organization may not be numbered, despite its loss of electoral ground to the Anwar Ibrahim-led opposition in the March general election, and a history of race-based politics and repression of dissent. Much depends on the performance of incoming UMNO leader Najib Razak, and whether the opposition can translate its gains into meaningful action. - Ioannis Gatsiounis (Nov 20,'08)



Bangladesh and Myanmar in fuel spat
A border dispute between Myanmar and Bangladesh, heightened by the search for offshore energy resources, threatens to complicate China's plans to pump fuel from the region to its landlocked Yunnan province. - Andrew Symon (Nov 19,'08)

Battle lines drawn for Indonesian polls
It's early days ahead of Indonesia's presidential polls next year, but already the myriad parties and candidates are involved in a dazzling, complex web of horse-trading and political intrigue. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyon and former president Megawati Sukarnoputri are the frontrunners, but much can change, especially given the volatile situation of the global economy. - Tom McCawley (Nov 18,'08)

Hell and high water for Filipino seamen
Filipino sailors, who make up roughly one-third of the world's shipping personnel, have increasingly become the victims of pirate attacks, with at least 110 Filipinos taken captive since July. The seafarers' roughly US$2.2 billion in annual foreign remittances may explain Manila's controversial no-ransom policy towards the abductees. - Cher S Jimenez (Nov 17,'08)

Media-savvy ending for Bali bombers
The media circus which surrounded the Bali bombers following their 2002 attack intensified in the days before the execution of three of them, fanning public sympathy and support and their cause, even turning them into "media-darling" martyrs. (Nov 17,'08)

The end of an NGO era in Cambodia
Cambodia is to place much tighter controls on the more than 2,000 non-governmental organizations and associations that operate in the country. Prime Minister Hun Sen has long complained of their constant criticism, and increased aid from China and South Korea has made the country less dependant on the Western-led aid community. The move could speed up private-sector development, but it will also allow a hoped-for energy bonanza to avoid scrutiny. - Craig Guthrie (Nov 13,'08)

Myanmar's roadmap to undemocratic polls
The Myanmar junta's "roadmap to democracy" looks increasingly paved with bad intentions, going by the harsh sentencing of activists, bloggers, journalists and poets in recent weeks for dissent. The crackdown is a clear attempt to stifle subversive elements ahead of an election planned for 2010, and proof the polls will be little more than a sham. - Larry Jagan (Nov 13,'08)

Singapore, Sands stand by their bets
Lady Luck is running against Singapore and Las Vegas Sands, developer of the city-state's first casino resort. The problems are global, but the impact is local. - Muhammad Cohen (Nov 12,'08)

Hide and seek for Thailand's Thaksin
Fugitive former premier of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra is currently holed up in Beijing, where he's friendly with the government and rumored to be building a US$30 million mansion. Not exactly dire straits, but with the UK revoking his visa to visit Britain, the free world is shrinking for Thaksin as he tries to stay one step ahead of a two-year jail sentence in his homeland. - Larry Jagan (Nov 11,'08)

ASIA HAND
What Obama means to Bangkok It is with traditional allies like Thailand that United States president-elect Barack Obama will need to repair frayed relationships and restore Washington's reputation as a force for democratic good, both to boost America's flagging credibility and to forestall China's recent gains, which in Southeast Asia have come mostly at the US's expense. - Shawn W Crispin (Nov 6,'08)

A dent in Singapore's financial hub dream
Singapore's open economy is emerging as one of Southeast Asia's biggest losers in the worldwide financial crisis, and if calls for stronger financial regulation are unheeded the island state's ambitions as a global financial hub may need to be rethought. - Megawati Wijaya (Nov 5,'08)

Philippines' remittance lifeline frays
The global turndown could hit the Philippines particularly hard as the jobs of overseas workers come under threat and with them the remitted wages that play a vital role in the country's economy. Nor will workers be particularly welcome should they return home, as factories feel the pinch from faltering exports. - Joel D Adriano (Nov 4,'08)

CAMPAIGN OUTSIDER
Vote for Than Shwe
You don't like Republican Senator John McCain or Democratic Senator Barack Obama as the next president of the United States? Then go to the polls to prove a point to the leader of Myanmar's ruling junta and dictators all around the world. Oppressed people everywhere will thank you. - Muhammad Cohen (Nov 3,'08)

Myanmar's farmers pay for China's oil thirst
Residents of Myanmar's largest western island are paying the price for China's need for oil and their government's willingness to accept cash for exploration with little oversight. Destroyed rice fields and polluted waterways are part of the unpaid bill. Oppression backed by Chinese-made guns is another. (Nov 3,'08)

China's footprint in Myanmar expands
China's commercial embrace of Myanmar is underwritten by a policy of non-interference in the country. This has allowed China to invest heavily in Myanmar's resources and develop alternative supply lines for its own strategic needs. - Brian McCartan (Oct 31,'08)

Malaysia's ostrich economics
The stock exchange is at its lowest point in four years, a string of the country's wealthiest tycoons have reportedly lost billions, and Malaysia's economy is now beset by declining demand in key export markets and sharp drops in crude and palm oil prices. Still, the government insists there's no crisis or recession and says it won't cut back one ringgit in spending. - Anil Netto (Oct 30,'08)

Khmer Rouge stronghold gets market lesson
The former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin emerged from Cambodia's civil war into times of prosperity thanks to a flourishing border trade in gems and timber. Now the trees have gone, the gems have run out and gamblers have found preferable destinations. (Oct 28,'08)

Thai tensions underline regional woes
Inner tensions have forced Thailand to move the venue of a summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations from the capital, Bangkok. The embarrassing shift reflects the political upheavals sweeping through a number of the group's 10 members, something that threatens the credibility of its landmark charter. (Oct 28,'08)

ASIA HAND
Companions in crisis
Notions that Southeast Asian economies had established in the past decade economic paths separate from those of the US and Europe look foolish as the region's markets and currencies tumble in value. Yet lessons learned from the Asia financial crisis may still stand Thailand and others in good stead. - Shawn W Crispin (Oct 24,'08)

An Indonesian example for the US
Indonesia rose phoenix-like from 30 years of Suharto's dictatorship and has resolved major social conflicts, showing that democracy and Islam are not incongruous. As the United States presidential election nears, Indonesia is too important to remain so unknown to so many Americans. (Oct 24,'08)

East Timor tries to buy some time
A tenuous peace is holding on the streets of Dili, but the explosive conflicts of fractious East Timor still bubble behind closed doors. Political infighting, police factionalism, an east-west divide, intra-military animosities and staggering unemployment could erupt into the return of mass riots - a crisis the government is woefully unprepared to tackle. - Matt Crook (Oct 23,'08)

Rock bands - next stop is Vietnam
Rock 'n roll, once banned in Vietnam because it would "destroy the order of society", is back with a bang. Teenagers wearing black pants and Che Guevara prints are rocking to foreign and homegrown acts, which is fine, as long as they make it home before police-enforced curfews. (Oct 23,'08)

COMMENT
Myanmar's failed non-violent opposition
The Myanmar opposition's strict adherence to Aung San Suu Kyi's personality cult and its philosophy of non-violence has given the ruling military junta a monopoly on fear and condemned generations of citizens to life (and in some cases, death) under the regime. Unless the opposition infuses realism into its strategic mix and uses all available tactics, its efforts are unlikely to result in political change. - Norman Robespierre (Oct 22,'08)

Thaksin falls foul of Thai courts
Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in self-imposed exile in Britain, was on Tuesday found guilty on charges of abuse of power and sentenced to two years in jail. The decision gives new momentum to Thailand's trend towards judicial activism, but at the same time raises the possibility that pro-government elements will no longer trust the courts and instead take to the streets. - Shawn W Crispin (Oct 21,'08)

After bombs, Bali booms
Defying predictions of how long the island would take to recover from bombings and other setbacks, Indonesia's paradise island is welcoming the world and attracting a record number of tourists. A strengthening US dollar may deter some, but it is a small cloud on the horizon. - Muhammad Cohen (Oct 21,'08)

Tycoon challenger to Arroyo's crown
The head of the Philippines' Senate, Manuel "Manny" Villar Jr, has already announced plans to ride a populist card all the way to the presidency in 2010 elections, completing his rags-to-riches tale. But announcing his candidacy so early has left him open to attack, including charges he doctored the blueprints of a "road to nowhere" for huge personal benefit. - Joel D Adriano (Oct 20, '08)

Enemies turn allies in temple battle
At the Thai-Cambodia border, where fighting broke out this week, loyalties have blurred as old foes now serve the same cause. Consider Comrade Neak Vong, a former Khmer Rouge commando at the frontlines for the government he fought against for decades. It's all part of national reconciliation, says Phnom Penh, and it helps that ex-cadres "are very familiar with the area". - Stephen Kurczy (Oct 17, '08)

Temple tiff teeters towards war
The latest gunfire and two deaths over a 900-year-old Hindu temple on the Thai-Cambodian border threaten to escalate into open warfare, pitting Thailand's well-equipped, United States-trained military against jungle-hardened Cambodian troops, many of whom are ex-Khmer Rouge. The uneasy neighbors are now talking, but the sacred mountain remains shrouded in a fog of war. - Richard S Ehrlich (Oct 16, '08)

Thailand and Cambodia open fire
The months-long simmering war of words between Thailand and Cambodia over an 11th-century temple on their disputed border on Wednesday once again erupted into fighting, with the sides exchanging "heavy gunfire" and rockets. At least one Cambodian soldier has been reported killed and several Thais injured. More fighting is expected. - Brian McCartan (Oct 15, '08)

Hanoi's path to property crosses Catholics
The harshest crackdowns on Vietnam's Catholics in decades signal Hanoi's hardline approach to demonstrators demanding the return of church property. Conservatives in the government believe if the Catholics are successful in challenging the state's control, it could unleash an unmanageable spate of similar demands across the country. - Andrew Symon (Oct 15, '08)

ASIA HAND
The bounce of a ping-pong bomb
The Thai government has appointed two panels to investigate who was responsible for the grisly violence that killed two people, maimed many and injured hundreds of protesters on the streets of Bangkok on October 7. If blame is pinned on the police, the military may have impetus enough to take power. No matter what comes out, the findings will alter the course of Thai democracy. - Shawn W Crispin   (Oct 14, '08)

OBITUARY
A revisionist death in Singapore 
The death of Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam marks the passing of arguably Singapore's most outspoken opposition politician. Tributes to JBJ's tenacity and courage omit the details of why such attributes were necessary. There is at least dignity in the silence of the city state's guiding hand since independence, Lee Kuan Yew. (Oct 10, '08)

Lame duck Abdullah still peddles reform
When Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi announced Wednesday he won't be defending the premiership he gamely pledged to carry through with his reform program for the rest of his premiership. Few are betting on it: if Abdullah couldn't enact reforms at the height of his popularity, it's doubtful he'll do it from the political doghouse. (Oct 10, '08)

China lost in SE Asian space
Although ahead in the Asian space race, China's satellite communications industry is lagging far behind the US and Europe in key market Southeast Asia. China's satellites are cheap but unproven and the industry remains too close to the government, leaving Southeast Asian nations loathe to rely on such a powerful neighbor for the sensitive technology. - Peter J Brown(Oct 9, '08)

Cambodia's Muslims as geopolitical pawns
An influx of free-spending foreign Islamic groups is revitalizing the culture and identity of Cambodia's Cham Muslims - a minority decimated in the 1970s under the Khmer Rouge regime. But cultural resurgence has come with certain political costs, and has hardly gone unnoticed by the United States security apparatus. - Geoffrey Cain (Oct 8, '08)

New role for an old Indian road
India believes the reconstruction of the World War II-era Stilwell Road, which links its northeast regions to China and Southeast Asia, will create a land of economic opportunity in its troubled Assam region - if only militants in Myanmar's lawless Kachin province and Indian insurgents would play along. (Oct 8, '08)

Thai government takes a tougher tack
Thai police fired teargas at anti-government protestors on Tuesday, injuring dozens who had moved to occupy parliament and lock out lawmakers. The violent crackdown has led to the resignation of the deputy prime minister and public concern from the Thai queen. A royally endorsed government may be the only way out of the escalating crisis. - Shawn W Crispin (Oct 7, '08)

Nuclear bond for North Korea and Myanmar
A recent flurry of high-level contacts between North Korea and military officials from Myanmar raises the possibility that Myanmar is seeking nuclear weapons procurements. Whether the visits are related to arms deals or just military industrial development and tunneling technology, they set off security alarm bells in Southeast Asia. - Norman Robespierre (Oct 3, '08)


ASIA HAND
SE Asian memo to Wall Street
Southeast Asia is no disinterested bystander as US politicians and bankers slug out details of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's rescue bill. Strong and bitter memories remain of the bailout terms imposed from the West during the Asian financial crisis a decade ago, terms now mocked by actions in Wall Street and Washington. - Shawn W Crispin (Oct 2, '08)

Sinophobia smolders in Malaysia
A ruling party official in Malaysia has been suspended after an anti-Chinese tirade in which he described ethnic Chinese Malaysians as devious "squatters" undeserving of equal rights. Such racism has a long and tragic history in Southeast Asia, but Malaysia's punitive reaction to the remarks may signal a new era of multiculturalism. - Hui Yew-Foong (Oct 1, '08)

Myanmar on the cyber-offensive
As opposition activists and underground journalists have become more tech savvy, the Myanmar junta has become more determined to counter the outflow of information and silence its critics abroad. The regime's cyber warfare specialists are receiving plenty of foreign assistance in upgrading their dissent-quashing capabilities. - Brian McCartan (Sep 30, '08)

Gas pains in the Philippines
The Philippines has plenty of natural gas it can tap and consumers and transport operators keen to take advantage of its benefits (not least lower pollution). Yet only one outlet can supply potential users, and that is running at a mere 10% of capacity. - Joel D Adriano (Sep 29, '08)

False dawn in Myanmar
A year after its bloody suppression of the Saffron Revolution, Myanmar's ruling junta this week released more than 9,000 prisoners, including several key political activists. It is the start of a new political era, says the leadership. Others see it as part of a cynical game plan to control the outcome of proposed elections. - Larry Jagan (Sep 26, '08)

Anwar plays a waiting game in Malaysia
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has missed two self-imposed deadlines to topple the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi. Now he has taken a different approach, waiting for the disunited ruling party to do the "dirty" business for him. - Anil Netto (Sep 25, '08)

Gulf states covet Asian farms
Rising food prices, a shortage of agricultural land and fast-growing populations are encouraging Gulf nations to use their petrodollars to buy food security through investment in land overseas, particularly in Southeast Asia. - Brian McCartan (Sep 25, '08)

The lonely death of Cycle Maung Maung
Being an ardent supporter of Myanmar's military regime brought its perks - and a nickname - for Cycle Maung Maung; a mobile phone, permission to drive a motorcycle in Yangon, things beyond the reach of his neighbors. It also put him in the front lines when the junta and its supporters bloodily suppressed the monk-led uprising of one year ago, and earned him a lot of bad karma. Those who knew Maung Maung say it was karma that killed him. - Norman Robespierre (Sep 24, '08)

Indonesia's anti-corruption heroes
Led by the fiercely independent Antasari Azhar, Indonesia's anti-corruption drive has become aggressive in recent months, with unprecedented numbers of top officials arrested by his toothy Corruption Eradication Commission. But as more politicians come under the commission's scrutiny, lawmakers plan to rein in its powers. - Megawati Wijaya (Sep 22, '08)

Anwar throws down the gauntlet
Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is demanding that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's administration subject itself to a confidence vote in parliament by Tuesday, claiming he has enough reformist lawmakers to topple the government. Abdullah has dismissed the challenge, and a major crackdown could follow. (Sep 19, '08)

Vietnam weaves between US and China
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's visit to the United States was a signal that Vietnam now considers its old enemy to be a crucial partner on its path to development. By focusing on economic priorities, and forestalling the US's strategic advances, Hanoi has avoided provoking another former foe - China. - Anh Tran (Sep 18, '08)

ASIA HAND
Low expectation premier for Thailand
The elevation of Somchai Wongsawat, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's brother-in-law, to the premiership points to the growing weakness of the ruling People's Power Party and intra-party splits. With little political experience or influence, Somchai's tenure may be short-lived and Thailand's political troubles far from over. - Shawn W Crispin (Sep 17, '08)

Jackie Chan takes on Timor's karate kids
Troubled East Timor has gained a nasty reputation for its martial arts gangs and graphic images of its young, drug-crazed kung fu masters are not easily forgotten. But when the gangs began to be linked to political riots and mass violence, something had to be done. The answer: bring in the legendary Jackie Chan for a face-off. (Sep 17, '08)

Borneo hinge to Anwar's ambition
The culturally distinct and energy-rich Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak are key to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's drive to form a reformist government. Should their lawmakers defect from the ruling coalition, it would be decisive for Anwar's bid to seize power. Meanwhile, political and economic promises have them salivating. - Andrew Symon (Sep 16, '08)

Asia's pickle with people's power
Many of Asia's democracies were brought to life by people's-power struggles, but in recent weeks street demonstrations have become the norm. The rise of more representative "third force" parties presents a better route towards stability away from dynastic politics and feudal patronage. - Chietigj Bajpaee (Sep 16, '08)

Korean investors reach for Cambodian skies
South Korean investors are pouring into the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, with plans for towering glass and steel skyscrapers. But whispers of a property bubble in Cambodia and fears of a financial meltdown at home put some of the more ambitious South Korean plans in danger. -  Geoffrey Cain (Sep 15, '08)

CAMPAIGN OUTSIDER
Electoral serve and volley in Bali
Swiss tennis star Patty Schnyder for president? The opening debate of the United States presidential campaign's home stretch takes place at Southeast Asia's richest women's tennis tournament. – Muhammad Cohen (Sep 15, '08)

Vietnam and Venezuela in oily embrace
Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, seeking to lessen his country's dependence on oil trade with the US, is drawing Vietnam into his embrace with plans for a series of joint oil exploration and production projects. Vietnam's goals are less hostile, with pragmatism the order of the day. - Andrew Symon (Sep 11, '08)

Spicy twist to Thai political stew
In the latest farcical twist in the political drama unfolding on Bangkok's streets, ex-prime minister Samak Sundaravej was forced to resign on Tuesday for serving as a television chef. The surreal incident threatens to make Thailand a regional laughing stock, but it's unlikely to be the end of Samak. (Sep 10,'08)

The problem with Indonesian democracy
During Indonesia's 32 years of iron-fisted rule under Suharto, parliament rarely, if ever, disagreed with the president. After his 1998 ouster, the legislature was empowered, but now many believe the pendulum has swung too far, with parliament holding the balance of power. - Jacqueline Hicks (Sep 10,'08)

Thailand's Samak out, for now
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has been disqualified from the premiership on conflict of interest charges related to his role in hosting two television cooking programs while in office. But Samak, target of bitter anti-government protests, has not been barred from being re-elected. - Shawn W Crispin (Sep 9,'08)

Uncomfortable anniversary in Vietnam
Toward the end of the Vietnam War, China took advantage of South Vietnam's weakening military position to attack the Paracel Islands, a move that was hailed by the Hanoi leadership of the time. Today, a fair assessment of history reveals an inconvenient and possibly explosive truth for Vietnam's communist leaders. - Duy Hoang (Sep 9,'08)

ASIA HAND
What Sondhi really wants for Thailand
Thailand's anti-government protest leader, Sondhi Limthongkul, has already changed the course of his country's history. Now he is trying to redefine the way Thailand's fragile and flawed democracy works. Taking time off from the swelling crowds of protesters around Bangkok's Government House, he tells ATol about his envisaged "new politics" and points out that 56 years of Western-style democracy in Thailand have been 56 years of turmoil. - Shawn W Crispin (Sep 8,'08)

US plays both sides in the Philippines
The Philippine government has junked a peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and both sides now totter on the precipice of full-scale fighting. Between the two has stood the United States - will the US abandon a traditional ally in Manila to support the Moro movement? - Herbert Docena (Sep 5, '08)

Free media amplifies Thai protests
Behind the ongoing political crisis in Bangkok is a fierce media battle between an upstart anti-government television station and Thailand's state-controlled media. Through its free-wheeling, controversial content, the new station has won praise for expanding freedom of expression, but others say it is creating a "culture of hate". (Sep 5, '08)

A lurch to censorship in Malaysia
The Malaysian government's closure of a popular and controversial website has led to fears of a new era of intolerance towards democratic dissent as the government fights to stay afloat against an Anwar Ibrahim-led opposition bent on political change. (Sep 4, '08)

East Timor: Who shot J R Horta?
Turbulent East Timor may going through its own Watergate, or at least a watershed political moment depending on which version of the events of February 11 finally emerges as the truth. Conflicting accounts, questionable evidence and reversed recollections continue to cloud an alleged assassination attempt on the president and prime minister that sent a popular rebel leader to an early grave. - Simon Roughneen (Sep 3, '08)

Thai markets maintain retreat
The Thai stock market continues to be open for trading even as a state of emergency exists in the capital Bangkok. With falling share values and currency declines, it is almost business as usual. - R M Cutler (Sep 3, '08)

Thailand teeters on the brink
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's declaration of a state of emergency for the capital Bangkok effectively places Thailand under military rule. The escalating conflict is driven partially by intra-military competition, pitting hardliners against moderates. The dissolution of parliament and new democratic elections are unlikely to resolve anything. A government of national unity could be the only way forward. - Shawn W Crispin (Sep 2, '08)

China and Vietnam square off in Laos
China's growing influence in Laos impacts its longstanding ties with Vietnam, with both countries eyeing Laos' vast and largely untapped natural resources and hydropower. So far, Vientiane has benefited from balancing the advances of the two neighbors. - Brian McCartan (Aug 29, '08)

The last act for Thailand's PAD
The People's Alliance for Democracy's ongoing violent standoff with Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is a last desperate act to push its anti-government agenda. That it is being rebuffed by Samak's restraint will go down as an irony in Thai history. The PAD's apparent demise, it seems, will most likely be Samak's political victory. - Shawn W Crispin (Aug 28, '08)