Mong Palatino · March, 2014

Latest posts by Mong Palatino from March, 2014

Underpaid Indonesian Workers Producing Global Cosmetic Products

  31 March 2014

Michael Eko Hardianto writes about the poor conditions of Indonesian workers in factories that produce false eyelashes, hair extensions and other beauty products: …behind every eyelash flutter in the fashion industry and beyond lie the untold stories of invisible low-paid workers. Their financial remuneration for such monotonous work is about...

Roots of Conflict in Southern Thailand

  31 March 2014

Patrick Jory traces the history of the conflict in southern Thailand and probes the causes and impact of naming it as an Islamic insurgency: The answer can be found in the suppression of official references to the distinct ethnic Malay identity of the population of the border provinces, in favour...

Why Filipinos Became Early Adopters of Western Music

  26 March 2014

Le Minh Khai refers to the book of D. R. M. Irving in explaining the long history of Filipino musicians playing Western music: …there was a rich experience of musical contact and exchange between Spaniards and Filipinos that began not long after the Spaniards established their control over the Philippines...

Laos Landmine Victims Appeal for Help

  25 March 2014

Landmines planted during the Vietnam War era continue to hurt and kill Lao residents today HI's Phongsavath Manithong is challenging the int'l community to support UXO/mine victims in #Laos #Commit2Complete pic.twitter.com/hXI659LRfu — ICBL (@minefreeworld) March 11, 2014

Asylum Seekers Face Uncertainty in East Timor

  25 March 2014

Sharna Jade Bremner probes the situation of asylum seekers in East Timor: Asylum seekers have been arriving in Timor since the early 2000s, however the exact number that are still in the tiny half-island nation remains unclear. Fear and anxiety are rife in the asylum seeker community, and many people...

Malaysia's Water Shortage is a Natural and Man-Made Disaster

  23 March 2014

Water shortage has been reported in Selangor, Johor, Negri Sembilan, and Kedah in Malaysia. The Sin Chew Daily explains the cause of the problem: …the drought and water shortage in the Peninsula are both natural and human-induced disasters. The government as well as the people have an inescapable responsibility. Over-emphasising...

State of Literature in Post-Dictatorship Myanmar

  23 March 2014

Writing for The Dissident Blog, James Byrne reviews the status of Burmese literature in the post-dictatorship era in Myanmar: When I was in the country last year there were poems being read about the Arab Spring. There were others about the harsh treatment of Burmese farmers. There were satires about...

Cambodia Government Accused of Suppressing Public Protests

  23 March 2014

Human rights group Licadho reported that the Cambodian government organized several counter-protests to undermine peaceful protests last year: If 2012 was the most violent year ever documented in terms of authorities using lethal force against individual human rights defenders, 2013 saw the Cambodian authorities turn that force towards public protests....

How Cafe Culture is Destroying Indonesia's Street Food Culture

  17 March 2014

An Ismanto from Yogyakarta in Indonesia observes how new western-style cafes are edging out ‘plastic tent-covered food carts’ known as ‘angkringan': …the angkringan is in decline. Students don’t frequent them anymore, preferring to pay at least twice as much to eat, drink and socialise in the stylish surrounds of the...

Two Historic Saigon Buildings to be Demolished in Vietnam

  17 March 2014

Tim Doling, writing for the Saigoneer, gives a brief history of the Ho Chí Minh City People’s Committee building and an art deco office block which are both scheduled for demolition in Vietnam. A Date with the Wrecking Ball: 2 Historic Saigon Buildings Slated for Demolition http://t.co/M6e9ACY5DB #Vietnam pic.twitter.com/PPjEBJzl7e —...

Barbie Dolls in Thai Traditional Clothes

  11 March 2014

Barbie dolls dressed in traditional Thai clothes pic.twitter.com/8izclnezSS — Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) March 8, 2014 Richard Barrow posted a Twitter photo of Barbie dolls dressed in Thailand's traditional clothes