In The News

Australia Plays Down Pacific Union

August 14, 2003
A recent report by the Australian Senate suggested that Pacific micro states should move towards political and economic integration, similar to the European Union. Australian Prime Minister John Howard acknowledged that the report made many important points but denies that the Pacific region is ready or willing to relinquish much national sovereignty. "Let's crawl before we walk,...

Why the Jemaah Islamiah is Still Alive in Indonesia

Derwin Pereira August 13, 2003
The Indonesian government cannot directly attack Jemaah Islamiah, the infamous terrorist network responsible for the bombing of Jakarta's Marriot Hotel last week. Though the country supported the UN's blacklisting of the group and knows that members were responsible for the two bloodiest terror attacks in Indonesian history, officials remain reluctant to target the group as a whole....

MTV Goes to Asia

Kenny Santana August 12, 2003
MTV and American pop music have invaded Asia. Still, local music is flourishing. Though Britney Spears and the show "Punk'd" regularly appear on Asian television screens, locally themed shows currently comprise up to 80 percent of MTV Asia's programming. MTV's strategy has always been to tailor its programming to local tastes, says Jakarta-based writer Kenny Santana....

Jakarta Blast May Deter New Investors

John Burton August 7, 2003
Before this week's bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia's economy had been steadily recovering from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and foreign investors have been arriving in droves. Singaporean companies in particular have been attracted to the country because of increased political stability and a lack of ties to the US economy. The Indonesian government has courted...

6-Way Nuclear Talks Might Be Upgraded

Sim Sung-tae August 7, 2003
North Korea finally agreed to multilateral talks last week, raising hopes that the ongoing nuclear crisis in Northeast Asia may soon be resolved. In recognition of the meeting's importance, the six participating countries – including the United States and several of North Korea's neighbors – are planning to send representatives at the vice-ministerial level rather than the bureau...

Thailand Seeks Taiwanese Investors

Joyce Huang August 6, 2003
Proud of its economic recovery from 1997's Asian financial crisis and an impressive growth rate, Thailand is trying to attract Taiwanese investors. Taiwan is already the third largest foreign investor in Thailand, following only Japan and the US, but the kingdom hopes to increase the island's foreign direct investment by as much as 15 to 20 percent in a variety of sectors, ranging from...

Warning to Megawati, message to U.S.

Derwin Pereira August 6, 2003
The terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiah, targeted the Jakarta branch of the American owned Marriot Hotel in their attack yesterday as a joint warning to the United States and Indonesia, says this article in Singapore's Straits Times. By targeting American interests on Indonesian soil, the group sent a powerful message to both countries that the network remained strong and that there would be...