In The News

Bangladesh’s Challenge

Philip Bowring February 20, 2009
Bangladesh has an array of economic, diplomatic and cultural challenges awaiting its newly elected democratic government, explains Philip Bowring for the Asia Sentinel. Bowring cautions that the world’s seventh most populated country cannot afford to depend on foreign aid: “Make the right moves now and Bangladesh will not only survive the global economic downturn relatively unscathed but could...

At Last, Justice Comes to Cambodia

Benny Widyono February 13, 2009
Cambodia suffered years of hurt, from French and Japanese occupation to American invasion and massive bombing. The end of the US war in 1975 opened an even grislier chapter in Cambodia’s history. The rise of the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot brought unprecedented misery as the regime emptied cities, torturing and executing the educated, imposing extreme policies that led to starvation, disease and...

India's Diamonds Lose Their Luster

Neeta Lal February 5, 2009
Hit by gloomy news of global recession, consumers sharply curtailed purchases of luxury goods, putting millions of jobs in jeopardy. It took India four decades to position itself as a world leader in processing diamonds, reports Neeta Lal for the Asia Sentinel, but recession in the US reduced demand by 60 percent."The industry had been witnessing exponential growth for over two decades,...

Slumdog Paradox

Sadanand Dhume February 4, 2009
“Slumdog Millionaire” is a rag-to-riches love story that has captured the world’s imagination. An orphan growing up in the squalor of Mumbai’s poorest neighborhoods overcomes overwhelming odds that life throws at him, learning in the process much that prepares him to compete in a popular game show and reunite with childhood sweetheart. Even as international audiences cheer the orphan’s goal – not...

Politically Incorrect

Nayan Chanda January 23, 2009
Battles rage to save some products ill-suited in a world worried about energy shortages: In the US, CEOs of auto companies who long depended on oversized vehicles for profits now lobby politicians for financial aid, while protesters in Kolkata aim to protect noisy, polluting auto-rickshaws by burning buses and disrupting traffic. “Allowing the city’s 60,000-odd auto-rickshaws to carry on...

The Dilemma of Dealing With Terror Central

Ramesh Thakur January 19, 2009
Ample evidence suggests that elements in Pakistan were behind November’s brutal terrorist assaults in Mumbai claiming more than 160 lives. As the clamor for retribution rises in India, the international community has urged restraint. International relations expert Ramesh Thakur argues that shrugging off the anger about these attacks, suggesting that they are merely an Indian problem, could be a...

Regional Fallout from Thai Turmoil

Bertil Lintner January 15, 2009
Bitter political division in Thailand against the backdrop of the failing health of the constitutional monarch and the resultant instability has been affecting trade and tourism for neighboring nations that rely on the country as a regional hub, explains journalist and author Bertil Lintner. After years of irregularities and a military coup in 2006, the former ruling People’s Power Party was...