Comments

This is a response to Richard Jackson’s comment above. There are two parts, one about how the World Bank (and by extension other IFIs and aid agencies that have funded harmful projects in the country) should make amends and, second, what alternatives there are for generating revenues for the country.

I’ll start with the second issue. I don’t think it is the responsibility of critics of the GOL’s development path to offer alternatives at this time. The issue is that a tiny minority of the elite in Laos make these decisions. A prerequisite for coming up with alternative development paths is to first have a fundamental change in how decision-making is made in the country so that those most affected have a voice. That is not the case at present and those who question things can easily end up in prison. That is not a sound basis to allow for any development alternatives to move forward. The acute issues around people’s participation, human rights and discrimination against Indigenous ethnic minority communities need to first be addressed.

I guess in the case of NT2, the World Bank and ADB, instead of washing their hands of the whole mess, which is basically what they have done, could at the very least keep monitoring the situation (continue the Panel of Experts) and provide additional assistance, especially to the people who have never been compensated for downstream impacts. This should be done with direct payments to affected families rather than pouring more funds into corrupt structures where little if any of the funds reach the people. But overall, until the issues around participation and human rights are addressed, the IFIs and western donors need to stop their support for the current regime. I say this with reluctance as I was involved in development assistance to Laos for many years. But I now see the vast majority of development assistance in the country as doing more harm than good.

Thanks for the heads-up about the projects in Attapeu. I certainly recognize that issues are much more acute with other projects in the country–the Nam Ou cascade is another example. But our reason for examining NT2 was precisely because it was touted as the best, model project in the country. We viewed exposing how disappointing NT2 turned out to be, rather than just examining the “low hanging fruit” of the many projects in the country that are even worse, as a way to demonstrate how problematic the whole hydropower sector is in Laos.

Thailand needs to make constitutional changes fast before a repeat of Hong Kong takes place. The Kings exploits in Germany have not gone unnoticed throughout the world. Running a country in exile hiding behind a military junta whilst in the middle of a worldwide pandemic is quite frankly a joke. Time for change Thailand the people know whats going on and are not afraid to come forward now. The monarchy has estimated wealth of 40 billion baht the people are using food banks to survive and still demanding 1 billion baht a year. Act now or face the consequences.

I commend Somaly Kum on publishing this piece and especially for making arguments for more education about the Khmer Rouge regime and an accompanying more enlightened environment for full and proper sharing of experiences and views. That is the only way for lessons to be learned not only within Cambodia but beyond. There is one point that she dare not mention and that is the over-bearing pressure the current ruling party leaders exert in Cambodia, not only on all aspects of life but also the way this court in particular has operated. Indeed one of its aims, to help incorporate the international standards of justice in to the domestic system, has not happened. It has not been allowed to happen. Similarly true consideration of what really happened and the part some of today’s leaders actually played has not yet been allowed. The fears that the older generation hold about speaking out are still too strong. Those fears will fade over time. Somaly is correct to emphasise that as much evidence as possible must be retained and this chapter in history must be studied by future generations, future leaders, free from such fears.

This article addresses the BN party machine and what it provides for especially Malay B40 voters. But there is another side to the equation, and additionally other classes to weigh on the voter side.

The Malay M40 benefit from racial quotas and real estate bargains, while the T20 can use access to politicians to profit through crooked deals.

The other side of the equation, as I see it, is that many Malaysians have accepted a ‘grand bargain’ of sorts, in which a certain level of corruption/self-dealing is ignored or allowed, in exchange for both 1) the patronage described above; and more importantly; 2) stability and racial harmony (or if not harmony, at least a relative lack of strife). Only when corruption reached a visibly critical level did the electorate respond, and then only to ‘shrug off’ the complicit party, after which party lines rapidly re-solidified.

Thank You Sir , for showing the Truth , that is what currently happening in Indonesia Politics , now The Military have Strong Power and Position, to influencing the Indonesian Politics .

This is a good review. It is rare for Vietnamese movies to be reported on or screened in Australia. Will this film be screened in Australia? Or is it available to see online?

I hope NU will continue to be a pillar for Muslims in Indonesia

Tsaqafah

Hi everyone,

By sheer coincidence, a friend of mine shared a news flash video clip of the talk on 28 and 29 December 1955 at Baling, Kedah 1955.

As we all know, most written reports, documentation of events including news archives are subjected to the writer’s or journalist’s perspective as well as the direction given for the job to be done.

Thought I should share this news footage with you so that we can have a glimpse of a particular time in history.

Here is the link to the Pathe news flash footage on the two days “peace talks” at Baling in December 1955: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGNxYtjAd7c

I found the discourse of this news footage quite consistent with the time of Malaya being a colony of the British empire.

What was interesting was that the “peace talk” was referred to as “amnesty” – which means an official pardon.

Yet the requests of Chin Peng to form a political party were turned down and so was the request for the Malaysian Communist members to enjoy the ability to return to their lives as Malayan subjects of the British Empire.

Personally, I think it is a really poor decision to deny the rights of one’s subject who are members of the Malayan Communist Party back into their own community. The reasons for my views are as follows:

1. Chin Peng actually helped the British by working with Colonel John Davies, referred to in Pathe’s news as the famous Force 136 Guerilla Leader during the Japanese Occupation.
My question is – why is it acceptable for Chin Peng to work with Colonel John Davies to carry out guerilla activities on the Japanese colonial master and yet described similar actions on the British Colonial master as an act of felony?
Why wasn’t Chin Peng’s guerilla warfare carried out for the British Colonial master recognised with a bravery award?

2. IF we want to have a civil society then, the only way to achieve this is to look back in history and learn from the past that violence and war are destructive forces that do not build civil society.

An excellent example of co-operation, kindness and fairness is the manner in which the the United Nations World Health Organisation has co-ordinated the response to Covid-19 and Covax, the development of the vaccine.

Any organisation, be it government or non-government should always uphold the values of civil society by NOT taking away the sense of Human Dignity, Fairness, Respect, Co-operation, and Kindness which are essential for building a kinder, integrated and respful community. These values are infact in the United Nations ” Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (UDHR) proclaimed and endorse on the 10 December 1948. Incidentally, the UDHR contain a provision that ” as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppressio…”

3. Regardless of whether it’s a person, a nation, or a community, where we are today is linked to past events and decisions made back then.

We can disagree, debate, argue and we can have our own opinion. However, I think we can all agree that it is crucial to let the “FACTS” speak for themselves.

In order to uphold the doctrine of validity and veracity, it would be proper to analyse and listen to every word strictly within the context . The usual challenge each of us face is our human tendency to “colour” the facts through our own perceptions.

Thank you all for all your contributions which motivated me to do what Elie Wiesel has put forward to speak up : ” When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivites become irrelevent. Wherever men and women are persecuted becuse of their race, religion or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe”

Covid-19 has shown us that each of our actions affect others – we are connected. We can decide to:
1. nurture and grow the connections with respect, fairness, kindness and human dignity or
2. continue to use the power framework, be it financial, market or government to get what we want by disempowering the weaker party.

History has taught us that market economy without the check and balance of the rule of law does not work and neither has the communist and social frameworrk.

I hope we vote to adopt the values of civil society.

I am from Indonesia and I don’t think this article is true. all the people’s behavior towards the regulation has not any connection towards the religious view (or religious polarization) instead, many people respond to the government regulation based on the information they get and might be based on the level of education they have. . Please don’t make the believers look deficient. All of the citizen trying their best to encounter the virus. not all the occurrence in Indonesia are related to religious view. Most of the people respect each other religion in Indonesia

Malaysia is clearly less tolerant than other Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia or Iran and as the population becomes more radicalised and less capable of critical thinking, it is only getting worse.