Mong Palatino · July, 2012

Latest posts by Mong Palatino from July, 2012

Thailand: Doughnuts for National Reconciliation

  29 July 2012

Supporters of Thailand’s ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is currently in exile, celebrated his 64th birthday by distributing 64,000 doughnuts to underprivileged children. The campaign is also said to be a 'gesture of national reconciliation.' But netizens have questioned the wisdom of distributing doughnuts instead of spending on the more essential needs of the poor

Laos: Participation in 2012 Olympics

  29 July 2012

Laos sent three athletes to the 2012 London Olympics. An employee of the United Nations World Food Programme in Laos also represented the country when she was invited to become an Olympic torchbearer early this month

Cambodia: Primer on Preah Vihear

  29 July 2012

Cambodia publishes a primer of Preah Vihear Temple which was listed as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO in 2008. The location of the temple became controversial in recent years because it's being claimed by Thailand.

Vietnam: Bad Politics and the Economy

  17 July 2012

Geoffrey Cain thinks that the economic woes faced by Vietnam can be partly attributed to the “rotten politics and in-fighting within the Communist Party.” The author also looks into the dynamics of decentralization and ‘recentralization’ of state power in the country

Brunei: ‘Heart of Borneo’ Project

  17 July 2012

The ‘Heart of Borneo’ Project “aims to protect the ecological and cultural richness of the rainforests of Borneo.” The island, shared by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, is the third largest in the world

United States Eases Sanctions on Myanmar

  14 July 2012

The United States Treasury and State Department have issued a joint fact sheet about the government's decision to ease financial and investment sanctions on Myanmar in response to the recent political and economic reforms implemented by the Myanmar government

Laos: Prison or Drug Detention Center?

  14 July 2012

The Human Rights Watch is asking the United States to stop the funding of the Somsanga Drug Detention Centre in Vientiane, Laos until the Laos government has investigated the reported human rights abuses in the facility

Few Surprises in East Timor Parliamentary Elections

  8 July 2012

East Timor conducted its parliamentary elections on July 7, 2012. There was a lower voter turn out this year but at least there were no alarming cases of violence and poll fraud. Netizens used the hashtags #eleisaun2012 and #timorelections to cover the elections.

Koumintang Army in Thailand

  6 July 2012

Ian Manley interviews a veteran of Kuomintang’s 93rd Division which left China in 1950 to settle in Burma and then finally in Thailand. The interview sheds light to the history of China's ‘forgotten army’ which continued to fight in other countries for several decades.

Chinese Investment: Boon or Bane for Southeast Asia?

  3 July 2012

The emergence of China as a global economic powerhouse is bringing tremendous benefits to its cash-strapped neighbors in Southeast Asia. But some of its investments have been mired in various controversies involving land disputes, village displacements, environment destruction, and corruption.

Southeast Asia: Home to the World's Longest Ongoing Civil Wars

  2 July 2012

Southeast Asia is more than just white sand beaches, temples and resorts: it’s not often mentioned that the region is actually home to the world's longest ongoing civil wars, the most heavily bombed countries in the world, and the world’s longest communist insurgency.