In The News

Global Automotive Players Raise Their Profile in Singapore

Ven Sreenivasan June 9, 2003
As the implementation date of the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) approaches, the automotive industry in Southeast Asia has started adjusting to new policies and regulations, in anticipation of the changes to come once AFTA is in place. Due to its position as a transportation hub and a strong supplier base, plus its excellent service infrastructure and good intellectual property protection,...

Thailand Tiptoes in Step With American Antiterror Effort

Raymond Bonner June 8, 2003
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been keeping his assistance to the US anti-terrorist effort private, fearing retaliation from terrorists and the impact of a public avowal on a tourist industry already suffering because of SARS and a bombing in Bali last year. Nevertheless, Thailand has been instrumental to the US anti-terrorism effort, providing interrogation facilities, the use of...

Japan Adopts Laws Strengthening Military Powers

Howard W. French June 7, 2003
As tensions mount in North Korea, the Japanese Parliament has passed a series of war contingency bills that increase the power of the government to use military force in a time of emergency. These bills represent the first major expansion of Japanese military power; the treaty ending WWII had reduced its military to a self-defense force that often facilitates US efforts. The laws have sparked a...

Senators Demand Ban on Imports from Burma

Anwar Iqbal June 5, 2003
In the wake of the detainment of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the opposition party in Myanmar, two US senators are proposing a legislation to ban all imports from the country until it improves its record on human rights and democracy. If the bill passes, the US will join business and labor groups that have already united in support of sanctions. Already, many major...

US Makes New Plans for War on Pyongyang

Shane Green June 4, 2003
This article in the Sydney Morning Herald reports that the US is developing a new plan to consolidate American and South Korean forces in areas away from the demilitarized zone in the Korean Peninsula. A US official told reporters that the U.S. military would be able to line up around the demilitarized zone if war broke out, and this would be "Kim Jong-Il's worst nightmare." Deputy...

Asean Needs New Tools for New Threats

Amitav Acharya June 4, 2003
Though the interdependency inherent in globalization renders all member nations of ASEAN increasingly vulnerable to external threats, this same inter-dependency must be drawn upon if these challenges are to be met effectively, says this article in The Singapore Times. The author, deputy director of Singapore's Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, states that financial volatility,...

Mid-air Hijack Bid Conjures Up Scary Security Scenario

Ross Peake June 3, 2003
Though not terrorist related, the attempted aircraft hijacking in Australia was doubtless inspired by the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States this article in The Khaleej Times says. Since the attacks, Australia has heightened airport security, indicating the nation’s understanding that the United States is not the only target for terrorist animosity. The fact that the 2000...