In The News

Sars-Free Asia Goes All Out to Woo Tourists Back

Paul Zach June 26, 2003
Jubilation is filling Sars-free Asian streets now that the WHO has issued the affected countries a clean bill of health and lifted travel warnings. City governments from Beijing to Taipei are sparing no expense on mass celebrations, encouraging people to go out and spend. Locals and even foreign businessmen have responded en masse, eager to join the colorful celebrations. However, amidst this...

EU Agrees Radical Farming Reforms

Tobias Buck June 26, 2003
The European Union (EU) has ended year-long negotiations on its common agricultural policy but the world has yet to see its implications. Although the original proposal, drafted by the pro-reform EU farm commissioner Franz Fischler was heavily diluted, he did achieve part of its goal to overhaul Europe's stronghold on billions of Euros in subsidies. France, the biggest beneficiary of the...

Triumph of Pragmatism

June 25, 2003
Settling boundary disputes between China and India will draw the two countries closer together, this editorial in the Hindu maintains. Indeed, the Beijing Declaration produced at the recent India-China summit talks aims to settle long-disputed territorial claims and constitutes a mutual effort to repair strained relations between the two giants. By resolving these border issues, an agreement...

Asia Throws a New Challenge to Washington

Michael Richardson June 25, 2003
Burma's repression of democracy advocates like Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has won the country infamy in the international human rights community. Even after allowing a free election a decade ago, the military junta that runs Burma ignored the results and refused to give up power. Another brutal crackdown on opposition just weeks ago has brought the country back into the international...

Hundreds Rally in Aceh Gasfield to Demand Extension of Contracts

June 25, 2003
Residents of Indonesia's Aceh province now fear unemployment in the midst of war and military rule. Oil giant ExxonMobil, which employs about 3000 people in the rebel province, announced that it will not be renewing contracts with up to 1200 workers "due to declining gas production and substantially reduced activities." Amidst the instability of military activity and martial law...

Jury Still Out on Kuala Lumpur's Drive to Free Manufacturing Sector

Eddie Toh June 24, 2003
As China rises up to become the most attractive location for foreign direct investment (FDI), many countries in the Asia-Pacific region are seeing declines in FDI. In response to the sharp fall, Malaysia has decided to fully liberalize its manufacturing sector by allowing foreigners to own 100% of their new operations. Through this new policy, Kuala Lumpur hopes to prevent some multinational...

Mistakes Aplenty Over Gas Pipeline

June 24, 2003
The construction of a Thai-Malaysian gas pipeline has caused numerous clashes between Thai police and protestors. The protestors, many from Muslim villages affected by the construction, claim that the pipeline is unnecessary because demand for natural gas will not be high enough unless new heavy industries are developed in the region. But any such development, they say, would place a heavy burden...