Mong Palatino · July, 2012

Latest posts by Mong Palatino from July, 2012

Thailand: Doughnuts for National Reconciliation

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

29 July 2012

Laos: Participation in 2012 Olympics

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...

29 July 2012

Cambodia: Primer on Preah Vihear

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...

29 July 2012

Vietnam: Bad Politics and the Economy

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...

17 July 2012

Brunei: ‘Heart of Borneo’ Project

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...

17 July 2012

United States Eases Sanctions on Myanmar

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...

14 July 2012

Laos: Prison or Drug Detention Center?

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...

14 July 2012

Few Surprises in East Timor Parliamentary Elections

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.

8 July 2012

Koumintang Army in Thailand

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...

6 July 2012

Chinese Investment: Boon or Bane for Southeast Asia?

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.

3 July 2012