Hot Spots #2
Rebecca Justice Team #8 Southeast Asia period 6 11/26/06
INTRODUCTION:
Many things are going on in Southeast Asia right now. Some of these include the many different governments and ways of governing, different ways of carrying out their laws, and very different economic situations. My first issue is on the capabilities of several countries to uphold laws and keep order in each. These are ranged- some countries are amazingly on top of their situations, some countries are just failing miserably, and one of my examples (Thailand) is working out a system to best keep peace and reduce violence. My second issue is about the economic situations of several countries in Southeast Asia. My first example, Vietnam, though faced with some major obstacles, is slowly rising in economic power. I also included Nauru and Thailand among those who are not doing very well.
ISSUE #1:
One of the major issues in Southeast Asia is the upholding of the laws of each of the countries. The most prominent of many examples on this topic is from Indonesia. “Hutomo Mandala Putra, the flamboyant youngest son, better known as Tommy, of Indonesia’s former dictator, Suharto” (Lucky…, November 2, 2006) was arrested about five years ago for “ordering the murder of a judge who had convicted him of graft” (Lucky…, November 2, 2006). His sentence got shorter and shorter over time, and, instead of serving a life sentence, he is already out on parole. The Economist’s article, “Lucky Tommy” complains that regular citizens of Indonesia would never have been considered for a shorter sentence or gotten the same privileges in their sentence, and that the judicial system has many “failings” and is “a work in progress.”
Another complaint about justice is in Fuji- several countries are concerned that there will be a coup there. According to the BBC’s article, “Fears grow of Fiji military coup,” the reason for the dissent is that the present government is “[offering] amnesties to those involved in a racially motivated coup six years ago.” The “target” of that coup, Commodore Bainimarama, is one of those that are firmly opposed to the proposal, and believes that those responsible for the old coup have not been brought sufficiently to justice.
While these countries have not kept order, the Thai junta is attempting to- by retaining martial law in seven provinces (they are removing it from all others) - the seven that they find the most dangerous, as they are still followers of Mr. Thaksin, the former leader of Thailand (Thai…, November 26, 2006).
On the other hand, there are many examples of governments cracking down on all types of crime- such as Australia, Vietnam, and East Timor. First, Australia is now trying to arrest Jayant Patel, an American surgeon in Bundaberg for “three counts of manslaughter and five counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm” (Bonner, November 23, 2006). The government of East Timor is investigating the former Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, to determine whether or not he is responsible for civilian violence in the streets by distributing illegal weapons. Lastly, in Vietnam, the authorities are using the internet to track down activists that are “defying internet repression and using the web to fight for human rights” (Hayton, October 22, 2006) and regulating/censoring the internet.
ISSUE #2:
My second issue is that of the economic situation in Southeast Asia. Some countries are doing well, while others are doing poorly. For example, Vietnam is struggling, but doing well, and is on the rise. The number of citizens living below the poverty line has dropped from 38% to 29% (Hayton, October 26, 2006). Incomes are going up as farmers abandon their villages for towns in search of better paying work. “The country’s annual exports have rocketed- to about $8bnb to the US and $7bn to the EU” (Vietnam faces… November 7, 2006). There are social differences between the rich and the poor, about 1/3 of “rural laborers… are underemployed” (Vietnam faces…, November 7, 2006), and there have been a few protests in Hanol, but on the whole, Vietnam is doing remarkably well. So well, in fact, that their request to join the WTO- World Trade Organization- has been granted. This is viewed as amazingly helpful, because “Vietnam is already changing fast, but WTO membership will speed up the pace” (Vietnam faces…, November 7, 2006).
On the other hand, some countries are not doing well. Nauru, for example, is “facing bankruptcy after a phosphate mining boom ended with disastrous consequences” (Mercer, October 26, 2006). They have been through three different governments in the last eighteen months, and the debt is getting to be such a problem that they have elected Ludwig Scotty again. “Nauru reformist re-elected leader” claims that this was caused by “years… of corruption and alleged mismanagement” (Nauru…, October 26, 2006). He will present a new budget to the parliament sometime soon. Another example of a country not managing its money well is Thailand. According to “Thailand coup leaders draft explanation,” the leaders, despite previous public support, “have lately faced criticism for failing to provide concrete proof of Thaksin’s alleged corruption. In 2004, the “government-run” Exim Bank loaned money to Myanmar “for government construction and telecommunications projects that used Thai suppliers. Critics alleged the deal, worth $97 million, was rigged to benefit Thaksin’s former telecoms empire, Shin Corp.” (Wannabovorn, November 22, 2006). Another complaint along the same lines was that Thaksin’s family sold Shin Corp. to “a Singaporean state-owned company in January” and that it was “ethically questionable and a violation of tax laws” (Wannabovorn, November 22, 2006). This article (“Thailand coup leaders draft explanation”) also claims that one of the causes of the September coup was a $2 billion sale of the “Thaksin family’s Shin Corp. to a Singaporean state-owned company.”
CONCLUSION:
Making sure laws are successfully carried out and that justice is served is no small task. Some countries don’t quite make it, some try their level best, and some (like Australia) try way too hard (Australia arrested Julian Moti, a foreign minister for entering the Solomon Islands illegally- “before he could be extradited to Australia”, and searched the office of the man (Manasseh Sogavare) who appointed him) (Pinch… October 26, 2006). Every country seems to have its failing. Some countries, like Indonesia, need to find some way to keep justice even for everyone, even those with lots of money, and with power. Many people in Fuji are upset that those responsible for the coup were not brought to justice. And everyone wants Australia to keep arrests inside their own country. I think that they could all learn something from one another, whether it is to come up with ways to better serve justice, or to back off and let other countries handle their own affairs.
In some issues, such as economics, once problems arise, they are difficult to manage. Nauru, for example, is facing a huge debt. They are taking the first step to recovery by acknowledging the problem, and electing someone who will attempt to solve it, but it will be a long while before they are as rich as they once were. On the other hand, Vietnam is well on its way to becoming a major economical power. Now that they are permitted to join the WTO, they will grow much faster, as business will be more regulated and other countries will notice them more. I think that such success comes from good money management, as it is obvious that the failure of Nauru comes from the lack of a tight budget when they had a lot of money from their phosphate mining, which caused them to lose it quickly. Such problems must be headed off once they begin, or else it begins to spiral out of control. I think it is very easy to lose all of the money at once, but very hard to gain economic status- it is a slow climb. I hope other countries learn from the successes of the rich countries, and from the mistakes of countries, such as Nauru, that lost money.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
***Bonner, R. (November 23, 2006). Australia seeks doctor's arrest for operations. The New York Times, Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8089692
*** (2006, October 17). E Timor ex-PM accused on unrest. Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6057930.stm
*** (2006, November 1). Fears grow of Fiji military coup. Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6104820.stm
***Hayton, B. (2006, October 26). Challenges for Vietnam's economy. Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6084910.stm
***Hayton, B. (2006, October 22). Vietnam net users fear crackdown. Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6074432.stm
(2006, November 4). Lucky Tommy. The Economist, 51.
***Mercer, P. (2006, October 26). Nauru reformist re-elected leader. Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3954117.stm
(2006, October 26). Pinch that minister!. The Economist, Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8089692
(2006, November 26). Thai junta to keep martial law in 7 provinces. Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1797778.htm
***(2006, November 7). Vietnam faces up to free trade future. Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6125374.stm
Wannabovorn, S. (2006, November 22). Thailand coup leaders draft explanation. Retrieved November 26, 2006, from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061122/ap_on_re_as/thailand_coup
*** = foreign source
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