Regional Roundup for Week of 6.8.14

Vacation time is over.  Time to get back to blogging.

EXSE FOCUS

Tiananmen: How Wrong We Were – ChinaFile Twenty-five years ago to the day I write this, I watched and listened as thousands of Chinese citizens in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square dared to condemn their leaders. Some shouted “Premier Li Peng resign.” Even braver ones cried “Down with Deng Xiaoping and the Communist Party.” Before long, on the night of June 3–4, the People’s Liberation Army crashed into the square, rolling over the tents pitched there by industrial workers who had joined in the protests, and mowing down unarmed demonstrators. Until then, crowds in the square had walked wherever they pleased rather than standing on one of the numbered paving stones in that vast space. For decades, those who went there to see and hear national leaders were instructed to stand on a particular stone and shout prescribed slogans. But in May 1989, students and ordinary people were engaged in something the Communist Party has never been able to tolerate: zifade, “spontaneous” demonstrations.//Entire section below dedicated to Tiananmen at 25

What Has Gone Wrong in Southeast Asia? – Asia Unbound What has gone wrong in Southeast Asia? Between the late 1980s and the late 2000s, many countries in the region were viewed by global democracy analysts and Southeast Asians themselves as leading examples of democratization in the developing world. By the late 2000s, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore all were ranked as “free” or “partly free” by the monitoring organization Freedom House, while Cambodia and, perhaps most surprisingly, Myanmar had both taken sizable steps toward democracy as well. //The political conversation has shifted from democracy to economic development.  China’s rise has a lot but not everything to do with this.  A widening income and social gap is empowering urban elites to take tighter control amid perceptions of resource depletion and narrowing opportunities.  

Hunger Games salute banned by Thai military – Guardian Groups opposing 22 May coup banned from displaying three fingers in the air as Thai junta clamps down on protest.//more below in the Thailand section

A Chinese Monroe Doctrine? Project Syndicate Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s upcoming visit to India is about more than getting acquainted with the country’s new government. The leaders of both countries will be taking one another’s measure, and their conclusions will determine how the relationship between the world’s two most populous countries evolves.//Many Chinese for decades have seen countries to its south as populated by its ‘little brown brothers.’  This perception is part of an ill-informed and historically inaccurate view of a China-centric Asia and also reflects dominant Confucian values.   

Securing the Rule of Law at Sea – Project Syndicate The sources of instability in the Asia-Pacific region include not only the threat of weapons of mass destruction, but also – and more//By Japanese PM Shinzo Abe

The Climate Domino – NYT The E.P.A.’s proposed rules on carbon should start a chain reaction that leads to steps to limit climate change around the world.//Hopefully China dives in headfirst as the second global demonstrating power

Obama’s Foreign Policy Book – NYT Here are a few working titles for the president’s consideration.

Obama Success, or Global Shame? – NYT On this year’s “win-a-trip” journey, one man living under an ignored apartheid sends out a message to the world: We are suffering. Will anyone respond?//Obama continues to ignore the obvious in Myanmar

Dust-up at the Shangri-La – Banyan TEMPERS frayed rather alarmingly at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual forum for Asia’s defence establishments, held in one of the eponymous hotels, in Singapore. First Japan and then America criticised China. Then China reciprocated in furious terms. The 13th dialogue, from May 30th to June 1st, could hardly have been better timed to deal with the region’s security anxieties. Over the past six months the level of concern about China’s aggressive pursuit of disputed territorial claims has been increasing steadily, at least outside China.

China Accuses U.S. and Japan of Incitement – NYT A senior Chinese military official’s remarks followed speeches by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Japan’s prime minister faulting China for maritime disputes with its neighbors

U.S. Sway in Asia Is Imperiled as China Challenges Alliances – NYT As Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited Singapore, the Obama administration’s Asia policy appeared to be turning into a street fight, with the United States playing referee.

Are Cooler Heads Prevailing in the East China Sea? – Diplomat China and Japan appear motivated to find common ground after last weekend’s fireworks.

China and the U.S.: Whose Strategic Mistake? – Diplomat China had best keep in mind that no one has a monopoly on making strategic mistakes.’

China’s Maritime Provocations – ChinaFile Last weekend I attended the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual gathering of Asian, European, and American defense and military officials and strategic experts in Singapore hosted by the London International Institute of Strategic Studies. China sent a large and well-disciplined contingent of People’s Liberation Army officers, government officials, and think tank experts who were instructed what to say in the various sessions.

U.S. Imposes Steep Tariffs on Importers of Chinese Solar Panels – NYT The Commerce Department, ruling in a long-simmering trade dispute, said manufacturers had benefited from unfair subsidies.

China’s Solar Panel Production Comes at a Dirty Cost – NYT A solar panel made in China would have to be in service as much as 30 percent longer than a European model to compensate for the extra energy used in its production, an American study found.

As Ties With China Unravel, U.S. Companies Head to Mexico – NYT With costs rising rapidly in China, American manufacturers are looking to Mexico with an eagerness not seen since the early years of the North American Free Trade Agreement.//Are perceptions of rising oil costs driving US imports closer to home?  Why aren’t Vietnam (TPP?), Cambodia, Bangladesh, etc in the consideration?

China Escalating Attack on Google – NYT The Chinese authorities have blocked global versions of the company’s search engines, and Gmail, Calendar and Translate have been affected.//It’s bad here folks, all google applications now require a VPN for smooth access. 

Global Times Editor Apologizes to Chinese Veterans Over Online Post – NYT Hu Xijin had suggested that some soldiers in China’s 1979 war with Vietnam shirked participation in “dare-to-die” squads that carried out risky, suicidal missions. The official newspaper of the military said that was “nonsense.”

Beijing Seems to Be Warming Toward Aung San Suu Kyi – NYT There are new signs that a long-awaited visit to Beijing by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar opposition leader, may be getting closer.//About time and very necessary.  ASSK has never signalled her China policy and a new Myanmar cannot move forward without a strong connection to China (as well as robust connections to the rest of the world.)  This is not a signal that the US Pivot to Asia is failing.  

China’s Demand Threatens Rare Hardwoods in Mekong – NYT A new report by the Environmental Investigation Agency says that illegal logging and corruption have contributed to the near extinction of Siamese rosewood, a rare tropical hardwood found in the Mekong region.//Kunming and other parts of Yunnan have warehouses full of these timber products.  Few consumers here are aware that theses types of wood are illegal.

Scientists warn against China’s plan to flatten over 700 mountains – Guardian Environmental consequences of removing hills to create more land for cities not considered, academics say in Nature paper. Scientists have criticised China’s bulldozing of hundreds of mountains to provide more building land for cities.  In a paper published in journal Nature this week, three Chinese academics say plan to remove over 700 mountains and shovel debris into valleys to create 250 sq km of flat land has not been sufficiently considered environmentally, technically or economically.//700 nails standing out among all others?

Flying squirrel and eyeless spider discovered in Greater Mekong – Guardian Over 300 new species of animals, fish and plants found in the forests surrounding Mekong river in 2012-13, WWF says. A series of high-flying creatures, including giant flying frogs and squirrels and a parachute gecko, are among the hundreds of exotic new species recently discovered in the greater Mekong region in southeast Asia.//Kudos to WWF, only more reason to back the WWF’s 10 year moratorium on hydropower projects in the Mekong region.  

Energy independence, national security and another reason for sustainability – Guardian Events such as the Ukraine crisis and hostilities between China and Vietnam are driving home the old lesson that fossil fuels and peace don’t mix. Why doesn’t anyone do anything about the situation in Ukraine?//Advocate for structural change; increase energy efficiency; decrease usage and people like Putin won’t get their way – at least when it comes to fossil fuels. 

China to limit carbon emissions for first time, climate adviser claims – Guardian Absolute cap to come into effect, climate adviser says on the day after US announces ambitious carbon plan. China, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, will limit its total emissions for the first time by the end of this decade, according to a top government advisor. He Jiankun, chairman of China’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change, told a conference in Beijing on Tuesday that an absolute cap on carbon emissions will be introduced.//Good move! But can we believe the numbers?  Where are the demonstration zones?

 New wave of drug-resistant malaria threatens millions – Guardian Scientists in south-east Asia call for pre-emptive strike in Burma jungle to contain resistant strain spreading to India and Africa.  When an intense fever overcame 50-year-old Daw Cho Cho last spring, she took the same steps as when she last had malaria.//Urbanization on the rise and fewer wetlands around those urban spaces in Southeast Asia will only exacerbate this problem.

 Saving Asia’s Farm Lands from Climate Change with Salt-resilient Rice-ADB The first harvest of salt-tolerant rice variety in Taytay, in the Philippine island of Palawan, may pave the way for local farmers to reclaim lands lost to saltwater intrusion and protect the livelihood of coastal communities.//What about the nutritional value of this new rice strain?  

6/4 TIANANMEN AT 25

 A Time-Lapse Map of Protests Sweeping China in 1989-ChinaFile Twenty-five years ago in the southern Chinese province of Hunan, a group of small-town high school students listening to shortwave radio heard news of a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators nearly 1,000 miles away in the capital of Beijing. Although it was late at night and pouring rain, they grabbed metal washbasins and took to the streets, clanging the pots and shouting, “There’s been a massacre!” For the next two days, they demonstrated, with factory workers joining their ranks. They handed out fliers and hung a banner in front of the town cinema showing the official government tally (later revised downwards): “300 dead, 7,000 wounded.”

 Why Tiananmen Doesn’t Disappear – Asia Unbound There are few dates in contemporary history that are as universally acknowledged as June 4, 1989, the day of the Chinese military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square. Yet what is the significance of this date twenty-five years later? Certainly there is no consensus: from the Global Times to the New York Times, Tiananmen elicits vastly different understandings of what transpired then and what it means today. Yet there is value in acknowledging these different understandings of history and hopes for the future, in large part because they so clearly inform the present. Moreover, the story of Tiananmen continues to evolve. New voices are emerging that want to be heard.

 A ‘Modern-Day Knight’ Who Helped Fleeing Tiananmen Activists – NYT Chan Tat Ching, 70, is a small-business man in Hong Kong. But 25 years ago, he created a lifeline for fugitives escaping the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

 Exiled Rally Leader Says He Slipped Into China – NYT The return of Zhou Fengsuo, who helped lead the 1989 protests, came despite China’s intensified security measures on the anniversary of the crackdown.

Q. and A.: Wu’er Kaixi on Tiananmen’s Hopes and Taiwan’s Achievements – NYT The 1989 student leader discusses why he chose to live in Taiwan, how he sees its system surpassing older democracies in the West and the future of relations with Beijing.

 25 Years Later, Student Leaders Witness Freedoms Fought for in Tiananmen – NYT In Taiwan, comrades from the 1989 pro-democracy movement in China see the kind of democratic transformation they had hoped to launch at home.

Tiananmen Square, the Turning Point That Wasn’t: A Q. & A. With Nicholas Kristof – NYT  Nicholas Kristof looks back on the site of pro-Democracy protests in China 25 years ago, and on his own career.

On Tiananmen Anniversary, China’s Military Touts Its Strength – NYT As thousands elsewhere mark the 25th anniversary of the killings at Tiananmen Square, the the People’s Liberation Army Daily, the Chinese military newspaper, published an editorial calling for a stronger, more robust military posture.

 Resigned to Dreary Fate, Students Awoke as Word Spread From Beijing – NYT In the Yangtze River city of Wuhan, students cowed by repression boldly took to the streets in support of the uprising at Tiananmen Square.

 Smuggling Remembrance Into Tiananmen Square – NYT The virtual silence around the crackdown in Beijing on June 4, 1989, was pierced again this year by imaginative Chinese Internet activists.

 With Choice at Tiananmen, Student Took Road to Riches – NYT Xiao Jianhua, the leader of the official student union at Peking University in 1989, sided with the government and found wealth and favor.

Tiananmen, Forgotten – NYT My generation of young Chinese can’t afford to look back or consider the larger issues that bedevil our society.

 Q. and A.: Louisa Lim on the Pivot Point for China’s Contemporary History – NYT The author of a new book on the Tiananmen massacre argues that it was crucial to understanding today’s China.//We need to see Contemporary China as having a few pivot points – Deng Xiaoping ascendance was more critical for China today than 6/4/89 but we cannot deny the impact of the CCP buckling down and corporatizing (Red Inc.) post 1989.  Much of China’s modern security state can be derived from the 6/4/89 moment.  

 China to deport Tiananmen Square artist Guo Jian for visa fraud – Guardian Australian national arrested during clampdown on 25th anniversary of protests to be expelled after 15 days in custody. An Australian artist among scores detained by Chinese authorities around the 25th anniversary this week of the deadly suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests is to be deported for visa fraud, it was announced on Friday.

Hong Kong commemorates Tiananmen Square anniversary – in pictures – Guardian  Hong Kong is the only place on Chinese soil where large scale events to commemorate the 047 June crackdown are held – an annual evening vigil was held in Victoria Park with various commemorations and protest happening during the day. It is 25 years since the infamous military repression of the fledgling pro-democracy movement in China

Tiananmen Square: 25 years since protesters massacred by Chinese troops video report – Guardian The Tiananmen Square massacre is remembered 25 years on with commemorations in Hong Kong on Tuesday. Hundreds are believed to have died when troops opened fire on student-led protests on 3 June 1989.

 Tiananmen square protests and crackdown: 25 years on – Guardian As Beijing seeks to quell discussion of 1989, three protesters and an expert on Chinese politics discuss how the massacre has shaped today’s China, the alternative courses that the country might have taken and the prospects for political reform. Twenty-five years after the bloody military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, China is seeking to quell all discussion of the massacre by locking up, charging or harassing artists, scholars, lawyers, bloggers and relatives of victims.

 Stuart Franklin: how I photographed Tiananmen Square and ‘tank man’ – Guardian The Magnum photographer tells his story of the 1989 protests, from peaceful demonstration to bloody crackdown, the iconic ‘tank man’ and how hamburgers gave him his big break. At the start, Tiananmen Square had the atmosphere of a festival. Most people couldn’t see the hunger strikers they saw the crowds marching with banners and music being played. Lots of things were surprising about the events in Tiananamen Square, even the demonstration itself. It’s pretty rare in Chinese history for people to get together at the centre of a government square and defy the leadership.

CHINA

China Trade Figures Point to Weaker Domestic Demand – NYT China’s exports gained steam in May, data showed on Sunday, but an unexpected fall in imports signaled weaker domestic demand that could hurt the world’s second-largest economy.

World Bank Says China’s Growth Is on Track – NYT The country is expected to reach its target of 7.5 percent this year, but its government was urged to keep up overhauls to fix debt problems. //what looks like expansionary fiscal policy and currency weakening continue to prevail.  Looks more like the Hu/Wen government 

Rise in Chinese Factory Activity Helps Lift Asian Stocks – NYT China continues to show signs of an economic revival, raising hopes that Beijing’s measures to bolster growth are having an impact.

 China Sentences Scores in Xinjiang for Acts of Terror – NYT The accused were convicted on charges including intentional murder, arson and participating in terrorist activities, with nine people sentenced to death. Three others received

 Xinjiang Hospital Asks Staff Not to Fast During Ramadan – NYT A health department in Yinin, in far western Xinjiang, says a local hospital has asked its Muslim workers, including members of the region’s ethnic Uighur and other groups, not to skip meals during Ramadan, to prevent work accidents.//This has been happening for decades.  

Tibetan leader calls on China to end ‘repressive policies’ – Guardian Lobsang Sangay, elected leader of Tibetan ‘government in exile’, urges China to return to talks on autonomy. The elected leader of the Tibetan “government in exile”, based in India, has called on China to end “repressive policies” he blames for pushing 130 Tibetans to burn themselves alive in protests.

Twenty-nine more arrests in China amid crackdown after deadly attacks – AP Attacks since October have been blamed on extremists who are inspired by jihadi ideology and seek to overthrow Chinese rule. Chinese authorities have announced 29 more arrests in a massive crackdown in the north-western region of Xinjiang following a series of deadly attacks blamed on Islamist extremists.

 The Chinese technology companies poised to dominate the world – Guardian From PCs to smartphones, Chinese firms are outgrowing their home market and making their mark internationally. As we walked into Huawei’s offices in Shenzhen, southern China, our English guide paused for a moment. “When the FT came here, they wrote a story about how there were beds under the desks, and this meant that everyone must be working incredibly long hours,” he said. “Quite wrong.”

Ukraine Seeks Stronger China Ties – Diplomat Ukraine’s incoming government has already begun a charm offensive towards China.

To Defeat America, China Must Respect Human Rights – Diplomat China’s best path to facing its domestic and foreign challenges is to grant its people greater freedom.

The Gaokao Exam: A Tough Test for China – Diplomat Debates over the grueling pre-college exam highlight fundamental issues facing Chinese society.

Chinese Grads Shunning Government Careers? – Diplomat Apparently a career in public service has become less enticing from Xi Jinping’s corruption crackdown.

A glimpse into the life of a Kunming fruit seller – GoKunming For a fruit seller in China, it’s impossible to deny that the hours and work are demanding. And yet you can judge by the smile on her face that Zheng Hui (郑慧), a fruit vendor at my favorite Guandu wet market, is a woman who loves her occupation.

Interview: Environmentalist Li Yuan – GoKunming First and foremost, Kunming native Li Yuan (李元) is a newspaper journalist. She has worked for The Spring City Evening News for 15 years as a reporter, editor and project manager. She is currently involved with the paper’s New Media Department. In addition to her formal work, Li has been engaged in a bewildering number of cultural and social issues for the last decade.

Hiking from Daju to Lugu Lake, part 1 – GoKunming Editor’s note: Adam Kritzer is a longtime Dali resident and founder of ClimbDali, a company offering guided outdoor trips and adventures in Dali and greater Yunnan. I set off with Yang Xiao of Red Rock Adventures for Lijiang, with plans to hike from Daju Town (大具) to Lugu Lake. The trip was part of a larger project to create the longest continuous hiking route in China. Thus far, a route from Xizhou to Lugu Lake — via Shaxi, Shuhe, and Tiger Leaping Gorge — has already been completed.Hiking from Daju to Lugu Lake, part 2 – GoKunming//Thankfully more than a few entrepreneurial eco-tourism providers are creating world-class trekking routes in Yunnan.  I returned last week from a fabulous trekking trip to Nepal wishing for Yunnan to develop trails like in the Nepali Himalaya.  In many way treks through Yunnan’s highlands are the same if not better than Nepals and there are many low hanging fruit for the right tourism developers.  Look for a new section on ExSE focusing on ecotourism in Yunnan and all of mainland Southeast Asia in the coming weeks.

REGION

Philippines Reports Chinese Ship Movement Around Disputed Reefs – NYT Philippine officials said Chinese ships were photographed near two areas in the South China Sea that could be used to reclaim land and build structures.

Vietnam Says Video Shows Chinese Ship Intentionally Sinking Boat – NYT Vietnam has released video of a clash at sea last month that it says shows a Chinese vessel in disputed waters intentionally ramming and sinking a smaller Vietnamese fishing boat.

What India Gets Wrong About China – Diplomat India’s misinformed attitudes about the 1962 Sino-Indian war have hampered India-China relations for decades.

Free Speech Under Attack in Southeast Asia – Diplomat Mainstream and social media are increasingly the target of state censorship in the region.

China May Build ‘Artificial Island’ in South China Sea – Diplomat The island would be used as a military base to enforce a South China Sea air-defense identification zone.

CAMBODIA

‘Indiana Jane’ and the Looted Temples of Koh Ker – Diplomat Cambodia has begun to see the return of national treasures looted during its Civil War.

Detained Factory Workers in Cambodia Are Released – AP A Cambodian court on Friday convicted almost two dozen factory workers and human rights activists for instigating violence during protests early this year but then released them under suspended sentences.

Released, but hardly free – Banyan THE government of Cambodia’s eternal prime minister, Hun Sen, has been waging an assault on public dissent since January 3rd. That was the day Cambodian security forces in the capital shot dead four garment workers who had been striking over the minimum wage. Mr Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has placed bans on public gatherings, driven opposition supporters from the (unfortunately named) Freedom Park, and deployed baton-wielding thugs to beat protesters and detain union leaders.

Activist Resigns Amid Charges of Fabrication – NYT The activist, Somaly Mam, left the foundation bearing her name after Newsweek and others questioned her accounts about her past as a victim of the sex trade.

Giant Development in Cambodia Hinges on Chinese Buyers – NYT  Builders of more than 1,000 condominiums in a 250-acre development underway in Phnom Penh hope to attract foreign investors, especially cash-rich Chinese.//Written by former long-time Kunminger Chris Horton.  

INDONESIA

The consummate diplomat: Marty Natalegawa – SEA Globe As national elections loom, Indonesia’s foreign minister talks regional diplomacy and the need for sensitivity in negotiation.Standing out from the grey-suited pack in his natty pinstripes and trademark thick-rimmed glasses, Marty Natalegawa is not your regular Southeast Asian official. Contrary to type, he has been quietly shaping the region without resorting to megaphone diplomacy.

MYANMAR/BURMA

The People vs. The Monks – NYT Never before have so many lay Buddhists in Myanmar pushed back against the monks.

There’s a Kind of Hush – NYT The Myanmar government has doubled down on its repression of Muslims and some scholars think it approaches genocide.

THAILAND

In Thailand, Growing Intolerance for Dissent Drives Many to More Authoritarian Nations – NYT Since the military coup last month, academics and activists have been driven to flee a nation once considered a liberal haven in Asia.

Critics of Thai junta warned by police over potentially divisive online posts – AP Warning comes after police tracked the IP address of an activist after he posted on Facebook calls for anti-coup protests. Thai police warned online critics of the military junta on Friday that they will be tracked down if they post political views that could incite divisiveness, the latest reminder about surveillance of social media in post-coup Thailand.

Thai junta ‘brings happiness to the people’ with parties and selfies – Guardian Government seeks to solidify its position in the face of protests following May coup. Are you in need of a pick-me-up? How about a free haircut or hot meal? A dance show by women in PVC miniskirts? Perhaps a chance to pet a pony?

Mockingjay movement: Thai protests meet the Hunger Games – in pictures – Guardian Anti-coup demonstrators are using the Mockingjay hand gesture made famous by the film The Hunger Games as a sign of resistance against the military coup in Thailand

The Thai protesters’ Hunger Games salute shows a lack of political thought | Jonathan Jones – Guardian Most films are mass entertainment, not a manual for changing the world. At least the clenched fist of Marxist revolutionaries meant something. The crowd have their arms held out in unison, each hand forming a three-finger salute. The concrete and steel architecture of power surrounds them but they are as one in their arcane gesture of freedom.

Understanding Thailand’s Coup: Past, Present and Future – Diplomat U.S.-based editors Ankit Panda and Zachary Keck speak with Serhat Ünaldi about the Thai political crisis.

Tense Times in Thailand – Diplomat Hoping to destroy the pro-Thaksin forces once and for all, the military is taking a much tougher line this time around.

Come on, get happy – Banyan A FEW days after the country’s return to despotism, a reporter asked Thailand’s new military dictator about a timetable for elections. General Prayuth Chan-ocha snapped at him, and stormed off the stage. The junta later summoned two journalists for asking “inappropriate” questions.

Thailand’s military sets out emergency measures to put its stamp on economy – Reuters Price caps on fuel, cheap loans and insurance scheme for rice farmers among urgent actions put to coup leader. The military junta running Thailand has drawn up a list of emergency measures such as price caps on fuel and loan guarantees for small firms to kick-start an economy threatened by recession after months of political turmoil.

Thai junta chief declares 15 months of ‘reforms’ before general elections – AFP General Prayuth Chan-ocha says coup necessary to restore stability to kingdom after a decade of political turmoil. Thailand’s junta chief on Friday ruled out an election in the country for at least a year to allow time for political “reforms”. He also defended the military coup after growing international alarm.

VIETNAM

Back to business – Banyan QUIET industry has returned to industrial parks in southern Vietnam where foreign-owned factories were looted and set alight on May 13thand the small hours of May 14th. On a June 3rd visit to several industrial parks in Binh Duong province, an epicentre of the May mayhem, machines hummed and workers could be seen peaceably zipping about on motorbikes. Lorries rolled through factory gates en route to seaports in and around nearby Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s business capital.

For One Woman, ‘Uighur-Vietnamese Days’ in China – NYT Subjected to verbal harassment after anti-Chinese rioting in Vietnam in May, Thanhtu Dao wrote that she can understand how Uighurs feel when they are blamed by Han Chinese for the violent acts of individuals from their ethnicity.

In Vietnam, Paying Communities to Preserve the Forests – NYT The country is the first in Southeast Asia to make ecosystem payments a national policy through a 2010 law that established an incentive program.//Another opportunity for Vietnam to lead the way as a regional environmental champion.  However, Vietnam still continues to exploit as much as it preserves – a major difference from China however is that Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party has seemed to have tied its political future to the quality of Vietnam’s natural environment.