It’s been a tense week in southwest China and Southeast Asia. On Saturday January 11 residents and storekeepers in Yunnan’s Zhongdian prefecture, also known as Shangri-la were awakened by a major fire that ripped through its old town. More than 1/3 of the old town’s structures were destroyed including several popular restaurants like the Compass and the Arro Khampa Bistro along with the town’s popular dancing square and surrounding structures. What’s worse many of the buildings were more than 200 years old. Rumor has it that a local guesthouse owner Tang Ying is being arraigned on charges of negligence which led to the fire. Sources are conflicted on whether a faulty electrical socket or a unattended heating device started the fire. No one is pointing fingers in the right direction on this issue however – the town’s fire hydrants were frozen shut and unusable and city planners (much of the old town is actually new circa 2004) failed to build roads wide enough to allow fire trucks to enter the old town. Despite the best efforts of more than 1000 locals in putting out the fire, damage is still quite extensive and the old town will never return to its pre-fire state.
In Bangkok, the opposition is trying to shut down the city. Colleagues of EXSE are participating in the opposition’s protests despite our own protests to them to go home and allow democratic processes to take their course. Our colleagues’ response is to bring about reform before the elections in February and stem corruption. But how can a caretaker government bring about reform especially when the opposition party required for democratic policy making won’t go back to work?
EXSE FOCUS
Blast at Antigovernment March Raises Tensions in Bangkok | NYT — An attack on antigovernment protesters in Bangkok on Friday, most likely with a grenade, killed one person and injured more than 30, intensifying tensions in the city as a dwindling but dedicated core of protesters continues to block access to a number of government buildings and major intersections. The explosion occurred in broad daylight in central Bangkok as the protesters were marching down a street, leaving people dazed and bleeding.
Seven Injured in Thai Protest Shooting, Capital Beefs Up Security | NYT — Seven people were wounded after gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on anti-government protesters in Bangkok, heightening fears of worsening violence when protesters attempt to “shut down” the capital next week in a bid to overthrow the government.
Thai anti-corruption agency to investigate PM’s rice subsidy | Guardian — A Thai anti-corruption agency said on Thursday it would investigate a rice subsidy programme that has fuelled opposition to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, as protesters marched through the capital demanding she resign.
Coastal Province’s Fishing Rules Alarm US | NYT — New fishing regulations issued by a Chinese province along the South China Sea have once again focused international attention on a complex territorial dispute and raised the question of what kind of power China will become.
Fire Ravages China District Said to Inspire Shangri-La | NYT — Fire blazed through an ancient Tibetan neighborhood in southwest China on Saturday, destroying hundreds of wooden homes and shops that have drawn tourists to an area casting itself as the inspiration for mythic Shangri-La.
Slowly, Asia’s Factories Begin to Turn Green | NYT — Western multinationals — and in some cases, their Asian suppliers — have in the last five years started to build more environmentally sound factories in developing countries, green-building experts say.
China surpasses US as world’s largest trading nation | Guardian — China became the world’s largest trading nation in 2013, overtaking the US in what Beijing described as “a landmark milestone” for the country. China’s annual trade in goods passed the $4tn (£2.4tn) mark for the first time last year according to official data, after exports from the world’s second largest economy rose 7.9% to $2.21tn and imports rose 7.3% to $1.95tn.
CHINA
China’s status as world’s largest trader built on dense cobweb of links | Guardian — Soya beans from Brazil are the fuel that Chinese workers need to see them through the day making the flatscreen TVs watched in the favelas of São Paulo. It’s one element of China‘s dense cobweb of trade links that has propelled the world’s second largest economy to be crowned the world’s biggest trading nation.
Even as Wages Rise, China Exports Grow | NYT — China’s export machine has continued to run even as blue-collar wages have soared between fivefold and ninefold in dollar terms in the last decade. China’s exports, while growing more slowly than a few years ago, are still far from stalling despite the disappearance of its advantage in labor costs. Chinese exporters say they have been able to keep prices low and retain overseas customers because factories are becoming more productive.
14 Killed in Stampede in Northwest China | NYT — Fourteen people were trampled to death in northwest China on Sunday as a crowd rushed to take offerings of traditional fried flat bread, the official news agency Xinhua reported Monday. The stampede occurred outside the Beida Mosque in Xiji County in the Ningxia region, a part of northwest China dominated by members of the Hui ethnic group, a Muslim people who share some traits and cultural links with the country’s Han Chinese majority. Residents of the area were commemorating a religious figure associated with the mosque, Xinhua said.
Beijing brushes off US criticism of its tough new fishing rules | Guardian — The Chinese are demanding foreign crews get permits before fishing the South China Sea, upsetting neighbouring countries. China has hit back after the US, Philippines and Vietnam criticised new fishing rules that require foreign crews to request Chinese permission to work in much of the South China Sea, bolstering Beijing’s claims over disputed waters. The US said the regulations are provocative and potentially dangerous.
This could be the year we start to save, not slaughter the shark | Guardian — The gruesome practice of shark finning – sawing the fins off live sharks in order to make a gourmet soup – appears to be declining following growing western revulsion and a Chinese government crackdown on corruption and extravagant consumption. Six months after China banned the soup from all official banquets, the price of fins has fallen by 20-30% in Hong Kong, Macau and other major fishing markets.
The internet: From Weibo to WeChat | Economist — WeChat, or Weixin in Chinese, is known mostly for private chatting and innocuous photo-sharing among small circles of friends. With more than 270m active users, it has become the star product from Tencent, an internet conglomerate. Some have compared it to WhatsApp, an American messaging service. More quietly, it has become the preferred medium for provocative online discussion—the latest move in China’s cat-and-mouse game of internet expression and censorship.
C. T. Hsia, Who Brought Chinese Literature to the West, Dies at 92 | NYT — C. T. Hsia, a scholar who helped introduce modern Chinese literature to the West in the 1960s, providing close analysis and the first English translations of writers who are now widely recognized, died on Dec. 29 in Manhattan, where he taught at Columbia University for three decades. He was 92.
Run Run Shaw, Chinese-Movie Giant of the Kung Fu Genre, Dies at 106 | NYT — Run Run Shaw, the colorful Hong Kong media mogul whose name was synonymous with low-budget Chinese action and horror films — and especially with the wildly successful kung fu genre, which he is largely credited with inventing — died on Tuesday at his home in Hong Kong. He was 106.
Chinese woman takes out ad promising not to pressure son into marriage | Guardian — A Chinese mother has taken out a front-page advertisement in a Melbourne newspaper imploring her son to return home for the new year holiday with a very public promise not to strong-arm him into finding a wife.
REGION
Power to the people | SEA Globe Editorial — Asean states must invest in their energy infrastructure if they are to ensure strong economic growth. Energy demand in Asean’s ten member states is projected to jump by more than 80% in the period to 2035 – a rise equivalent to current demand in Japan. “Southeast Asia is, along with China and India, shifting the centre of gravity of the global energy system to Asia,” International Energy Agency executive director Maria van der Hoeven said.
Between China and Japan, a Tug-of-War Over Africa | NYT — Diplomatic tensions between China and Japan showed no signs of abating this past week as the two countries traded barbs over Africa. On Thursday, Lu Shaye, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s African affairs department, defended China’s engagement in the continent. China is “sincere,” Mr. Lu said, “unlike some countries” that he said are driven by self-interest and politics.
China’s Bold $10 Billion Investment in Nigerian Hydrocarbons | The Diplomat — While Western energy firms are reluctant, China is investing big in Nigeria. Will it pay off?
Mint condition: countries tapped as the next economic powerhouses | Guardian — First it was the Brics. For a while the Civets were in vogue. Now the Mints are the ones to watch. Confused? Well, once you know your acronyms it all becomes clear. The Brics are Brazil, Russia, India and China – four emerging economies lumped together in 2001 by Jim O’Neill, then at Goldman Sachs, to show that western investors needed to take notice of what was happening in the post-cold war global economy. Now O’Neill is championing the Mints, a name first coined by the fund managers Fidelity, for what he thinks will be the second generation of emerging market pace-setters: Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria andTurkey.
White House declines to back petition to boot Jimmy Kimmel off TV | Guardian — The White House has responded to a petition calling for an apology and the removal of Jimmy Kimmel’s television show by saying the comedian cannot be forced off the air. In its response, the White House noted that ABC and Kimmel have apologised, and that the network has removed the segment from future broadcasts and its online platforms. The White House also noted that the US constitution protects free speech, even when it is offensive.
CAMBODIA
Cambodia: Garment Workers End Strike | NYT — Tens of thousands of garment employees returned to work after a two-week pay dispute, after he authorities used deadly force to quell a strike and thwart a protest seeking a redo of a July election.
Cambodia Steps Up Crackdown on Dissent With Ban on Assembly | NYT — Officials have banned all public gatherings and summoned two opposition leaders for police questioning following a deadly clash in the capital.
Crackdown in Cambodia | NYT — Prime Minister Hun Sen would sooner draw blood than enact reform.
Topping up the rice bowl | SEA Globe — Jaan Bai, a new training restaurant in Cambodia’s Battambang province, enlists international heavyweights to elevate the country’s foodie scene,
INDONESIA
Indonesia indigenous groups fight climate change with GPS mapping | Guardian — Indigenous communities in Indonesia are using GPS technology to demarcate the boundaries of their ancestral lands, a move many believe could also help mitigate the negative effects of climate change.
Indonesia landslides and flash floods death toll rises | Guardian — The number of people killed in landslides and flash floods on Sulawesi island, Indonesia, has climbed to 17. The operational chief of the country’s search and rescue agency, Tatang Zainuddin, said on Friday that rescuers were still looking for about 15 people believed to be buried under a landslide outside Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province.
LAOS
Traditional Laotian Homes Get a Second Life | NYT — Three rosewood structures were used to create a new house along the Mekong.
MALAYSIA
Why the Media are Angry in Malaysia | The Diplomat — Malaysian journalists have recently joined ranks and formed an informal coalition called Gerakan Media Marah (Geramm), or Angry Media Movement, after the government suspended a weekly magazine for allegedly violating its publication permit. Many believe that the magazine was suspended because it made the mistake of publishing a story last November about the spending habits of Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.
Malaysia denies censoring BBC report on prime minister’s water spinach speech | SCMP — Malaysia’s internet regulator on Thursday denied accusations that it was blocking access to a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report about netizens in the Muslim-majority nation lampooning the country’s prime minister. Najib Razak’s administration faces public discontent over hikes in government-controlled fuel and power prices.
Malaysia Plans High-Tech Card for Foreign Workers | Irrawaddy — Malaysia’s government said Thursday it will issue high-tech, security-enhanced identity cards to more than 2 million foreign workers to make it easier to find people who entered the country illegally. Home Minister Zahid Hamidi said the cards will be embedded with chips containing the worker’s employment details and biometric thumbprint, and will be color-coded according to sector of work for easy identification.
MYANMAR/BURMA
Myanmar: Signs of Unrest Raise Alarms | NYT — The United States urged Myanmar to investigate reports that security forces and Buddhist mobs attacked members of the Rohingya Muslim minority, killing as many as 60 people.
Burma: government denies Buddhist mob killed Muslim women and children | Guardian — The Burmese government denied on Friday that a Buddhist mob had ripped through a town in an isolated strife-torn corner of the country this week, attacking Muslim women and children. Villagers and a rights group said more than a dozen people may have been killed and hundreds have fled their homes.
PHILIPPINES
Death toll from Philippines storm rises to 40 | SCMP — The death toll from the first storm to batter the disaster-prone Philippines this year has climbed to 40, officials said on Sunday, as forecasters warned more heavy rain was on its way.
Philippines to defy Beijing’s South China Sea fishing rule, defence chief says | SCMP — Philippine fishermen should ignore a ruling by China requiring foreign fishing vessels to secure permission to enter much of the South China Sea, Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said on Thursday.
Shopping spree is a necessity for typhoon-hit city in Philippines | Guardian — Tacloban, in the Philippines, a city of survivors, is also, by extension, a city of shoppers. People here lost almost everything, and now, they’re in a rush to buy it back. Two months after a typhoon mangled it, its shopping scene is perhaps the most encouraging barometer of recovery. Thousands throng downtown streets each day, where makeshift rows of vendors hawk everything from pizza cutters to pork. For $7, you can buy a T-shirt that says, “Tacloban survivor”.
SINGAPORE
Star Wars creator opens visual effects and animation hub in Singapore | SCMP — Star Wars creator Lucasfilm formally expanded its creative universe yesterday by launching its visual effects and animation hub in Singapore, to work on Hollywood blockbusters and bolster marketing efforts in Asia.
Animal abuse cases spur crackdown in Singapore | SCMP — Singapore will impose stiffer penalties for animal abuse, Law Minister K.Shanmugam said yesterday, following a recent spate of high-profile cases including the poisoning of stray dogs and attacks on cats.
THAILAND
Thai Beer Loses Esteem After Heiress’ Remarks | NYT — Voters in rural Thailand have begun boycotting the popular Singha beer brand because of its affiliation to the leader of antigovernment protests. Chitpas Bhirombhakdi, 28, the beer heiress and a major player in the Bangkok protests, was quoted last month in a widely circulated article saying that many Thais lack a “true understanding” of democracy, “especially in the rural areas.”
IFJ pleads with Thai prime minister: let journalists wear body armour | Guardian — The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on the authorities in Thailand to allow journalists reporting in the country to import and use body armour. Under current Thai law it is illegal for journalists – domestic and foreign – to obtain and possess body armour, such as vests and helmet.
308 Thai Officials Face Anticorruption Inquiry | NYT — The anticorruption authorities in Thailand announced Tuesday that they were opening investigations of 308 lawmakers, most of them from the governing party, on suspicion of “malfeasance in office,” in connection with a constitutional amendment that was later ruled by a court to have been enacted illegally. The investigations, which critics called highly political, could destabilize the governing party, Pheu Thai, because of the number of prominent lawmakers involved.
VIETNAM
Rice farming in Vietnam: Against the grain | Economist — Rice cultivation is deeply rooted in the Vietnamese psyche. In September 1945, a day after declaring Vietnam’s independence from France, Ho Chi Minh told his cabinet that dealing with a widespread failure of the rice crop was its priority. He later collectivised the paddies. In the 1980s his successors promoted hybrid seeds and modern irrigation. Today Vietnam’s $4 billion in rice exports (see chart) accounts for more than a fifth of the global total.Party officials trumpet their “rice first” agricultural policies. Yet, more and more, Vietnam’s rice farmers are being left behind.
Protesters at Vietnam hydropower plant demand compensation for damaging houses | Thanh Nien News — More than 50 people held a protest at a hydropower plant in the south central province of Ninh Thuan Wednesday to demand payment of compensation it had promised for damaging their houses or its closure.
Regional Roundup for the Week of 1.24.14
