In The News

The Next Africa?

Nicholas D. Kristof December 10, 2002
Argentina has preceded its South American neighbors in one of the worst financial crises the continent has ever seen. Its once-prosperous inhabitants are scrounging for food and collecting recyclables to make a living, and Argentina is poised to become the next Africa, Nicholas Kristof writes. Tumultuous political situations and falling per capita income are leaving the people Venezuela, Brazil...

Dhaka Arrests Activists After Cinema Deaths

Alastair Lawson-Tancred December 9, 2002
At the end of Ramadan, terrorists bombed four Bangladeshi cinemas, killing 17 people. In response to the bombing, government officials have vigourously denied that the terrorist network Al Qaeda is to blame, even arresting several opposition activists as if to prove the point. The Indian government, however, has long claimed that Al Qaeda cells may be operating out of neighboring Bangladesh....

What a Howler

December 9, 2002
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said recently that he favors preemptive strikes against terrorists in Asian nations, unleashing a flood of criticism from within Australia and without. This commentary in Singapore's Straits Times argues that the notion of preemption must be examined by the international community. The United Nations must be consulted before preemptive strikes occur...

When Chinese Martial Arts Flies Through the Global Box Office

Christina Klein December 9, 2002
Taiwan-born director Ang Lee won accolades for turning a Chinese novel into the fantastical, money-making movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. With undeniably Chinese martial arts action and a romantic story the Brothers Grimm would have praised, Lee's blockbuster appealed to audiences the world over. But with so many different cultural elements in the film, should we think of the movie...

Immigrants Stoke Fears in New Delhi

Nirmal Ghosh December 9, 2002
Porous borders allow useful goods and new ideas to travel the world, but when they're carried by migrants with destructive intent, locals become worried. According to this article in Singapore's Straits Times, Maoist rebels from Nepal are crossing the border into India and causing great concern for Indian authorities. "There is an imminent danger that the Maoist insurgency in...

The War on Terror in Southeast Asia Could Hurt Civil Liberties

Sidney Jones December 6, 2002
The war on terror in Southeast Asia has a quickened tempo in the wake of the discovery of a bombing plot in Singapore and the Bali bomb attacks killing nearly 200 people. These heightened anti-terrorist measures come just as countries like Indonesia and the Philippines are emerging from years of despotic rule. According to some observers, already there are worrisome signals that the new...

Activity at Korean Enclave Grinds to a Halt

December 6, 2002
In the past decade, as China opened its markets to foreign investment, the northeastern city of Dandong developed into a bustling center of economic activity. But its North Korean counterpart city across the border, Sinuiju, is still languishing in bleak poverty. North Korea has made plans to imitate China’s efforts in Dandong, however, by turning Sinuiju into an administrative center. The...