Mong Palatino · January, 2009

Latest posts by Mong Palatino from January, 2009

Indonesia: Fatwa against smoking, yoga, vasectomies….

  30 January 2009

Indonesian bloggers are reacting to the Fatwa issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council which included, among others, a ban on yoga that contain Hindu elements, a ban on vote abstention, a ban on smoking in public places, and a ban on vasectomy.

Rohingya Muslims facing cultural genocide

  30 January 2009

Prof. Marranci writes that Rohingya Muslims are “victims of their lack of strategic value, both for their native Southeast Asia and the wider international community.” The Rohingyas are also “facing a slow, silent cultural genocide.”

Protest Video: Dancing Filipina Maids In Hong Kong

  29 January 2009

There are videos of dancing Filipinos which were conceptualized as a component of protest campaigns. Last month Juana Change videos became popular in the Philippines. These videos were used to express opposition to the administration-sponsored legislative bill that would amend the 1987 Constitution. Another video which entertained the public was the protest dance of Filipina migrant workers in Hong Kong

The plight of the Rohingya

  28 January 2009

The Rohingya have been called “trafficked victims”, “refugees”, “forced migrants” and “illegal migrants”. The Irrawaddy provides a comprehensive background to the situation of the Rohingya. This issue has involved Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh and even the United States.

Two-party system inappropriate for Singapore?

  28 January 2009

groundnotes criticizes Singapore's Prime Minister for saying that political change cannot come from the opposition but from within the ruling party and that a two-party system is not suitable for Singapore because it doesn't have enough talent.

Fiji: Internet and BPO industry

  28 January 2009

According to The Coconut Wireless, Fiji needs to expand its internet infrastructure if it wants to attract investors in the Business Process Offshoring industry.

Is New Zealand bullying Fiji?

  28 January 2009

Kiwipolitico accuses New Zealand of being hypocritical and neo-imperialist for criticizing Fiji's military leadership yet it maintains trade and diplomatic relations with countries with “less than stellar human rights records.”

Myanmar: Kachin Conflict

  26 January 2009

Writing for The Pulitzer Center, Tim Patterson and Ryan Libre explain the backround of the Kachin Conflict in Myanmar. The struggle in Kachin is separate from the campaign of the political opposition of the ethnic Burmese majority.

Cambodia: Demolition of Dey Krahorm Community

  26 January 2009

A community in Phnom Penh was demolished last Saturday. Aside from the violence, the demolition attracted attention because it was “one of the biggest urban redevelopment stories in the capital over the last decade.” But city officials denied the action was an eviction.

Thailand: Kissing in public

  24 January 2009

Kissing in Public is an ongoing project in Thailand which invites residents in Thailand to perform the act of, well, kissing in public. According to organizers, this is an exercise in socio-cultural politics. “At the time where all the eyes in Thailand and the media focus on national politics, we’d...

Brunei: Better pay for doctors

  24 January 2009

Brunei doctors are asking for higher salaries: “Doctors deserve a high salary. After all those long demanding years of study and training; and the demanding long hours of work day and night.”

Thailand: Economic conditions last November 2008

  21 January 2009

The Bank of Thailand released a report on the country's economic and monetary conditions during the month of November 2008. According to the report, “the overall economy notably decelerated. Despite the acceleration in crop production, crop prices continued to decelerate. The number of tourists declined markedly due to the political...

Myanmar: Extreme cold weather

  21 January 2009

Myanmar’s mountainous eastern and western border areas are experiencing an unusual freezing weather. The Karen State was declared a disaster area because of the cold temperatures. The province is home to a large refugee population. In Rangoon, the winter is coldest in 30 years.

Malaysia: Lessons from the flooding disaster

  19 January 2009

Last week, flooding hit several areas in the Sarawak State of Malaysia. Bloggers recount their experience and the lessons to be culled from the flood disaster. The flooding was the worst in years in Malaysia.