hotspots #4 paper - TJHSST Academics

Rebecca Justice Team #8 Southeast Asia 3/7/07 Hot Spots #4

INTRODUCTION:

Many things are happening in Southeast Asia- some not new at all, and some are just coming to light.

My first issue relates to civil rights issues in several countries in Southeast Asia, including Burma and the

Philippines. Other countries are remembering past incidences of oppression, among which I have included

Cambodia and Taiwan. My second issue is a newer one, and discusses the arising difficulties of public transportation in many places all over Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Vietnam, East Timor, and

Thailand. There are many causes, including the ages of the transportation systems, weather, nature, and the distrust of other countries.

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ISSUE #1:

There have been many problems with civil rights recently in Southeast Asia. The Burmese government continues to press the Karen. "The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) is increasingly alone… [but] is gradually driven with further and further back into the Thai border” (Fighting…, March 1, 2007). Two years ago, the KNU (Karen National Union) “reached an informal truce with the military” (Rebel…, February 11,

2007). The Burmese ended it, though, because they never signed a formal agreement. The Burmese government has driven out an estimated 200,000 Karen over the many years of war (Rebel…, February 11,

2007). Thailand, just across the border, harbors many thousands of Karen refugees (Rebel…, February 11,

2007). Very much of the rest of the world sides with the Karen. One author, Phil Thornton, as he was researching for his book, wrote, "The Karen are fighting for something they passionately believe in. The

Burmese just want to squash people.” (Fighting…, March 1, 2007). One article claims that another reason for the Karen suppression is so the Burmese can exploit the land gained for natural resources (Corben, February

20, 2007). The Burmese government suppression also extends to their own people, whose freedom of expression is limited -public demonstrations are tightly controlled. One man was arrested in a recent protest, and the journalists who were "covering the event were briefly detained for questioning" (Corben, February 23,

2007). But Burma is not the only country to deal with past or present oppression issues, however. When

"about 25 attackers... attacked the jail in Kidapawan city [in the Philippines],” Emmanuel Pinot, "governor of the Mindanao region," said of the escaped prisoners, "I have ordered police to shoot these very dangerous people if they resist arrest. They are better dead than a menace to our communities." In Cambodia, a

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"former interrogation and torture centre" acts "as a genocide museum," to be a "prime attraction in the country's booming tourist industry" (Back…, February 22, 2007). On February 28, Taiwan remembered a 60 year old violent government quelling of an uprising, and Chiang Kai-shek was found to be the most prominent decision maker in the killing of thousands (Gluck, February 27, 2007). Another, separate article accuses the

Taiwanese government of slowly removing traces of Chiang Kai-shek’s rule from Taiwan's public in an effort to "cut off Taiwan's Chinese heritage" (Taiwan statue…, February 6, 2007). This article also notes the outcry of the public to removal of an important part of history just because of its connection to their ancestry (Taiwan statue…, February 6, 2007).

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ISSUE #2:

Many factors in Southeast Asia interfere with public transportation. In Indonesia, there have been many accidents involving transportations such as airplanes, ferries, and trains due to the age of much of the equipment (Williamson, January 18, 2007). Indonesia has placed a "10-year age limit on airliners" to try to keep them safe” (Indonesia plans…, February 28, 2007). Ferries are badly maintained (for example, officials are still searching for missing passengers from the fire on board a Bangka ferry) (Hunt…, February 26, 2007).

A train fell off a bridge on January 16 - the entire system is "accused of running poorly maintained stock or routinely carrying too many passengers” (Williamson, February 28, 2007). Vietnam is planning a major railway link between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, "[cutting] the journey time between the two cities from nearly 2 days to less than 10 hours," though they are worried about the cost and availability of resources to finish by the deadline of six years (Hayton, February 6, 2007). Another major block to transportation could be landslides in Indonesia. There has been one major one in each of January, February, and March of this year

(Deadly…, January 12, 2007), (Nine…, February 19, 2007), (Indonesia landslip…, March 4, 2007). An official from the first of these three landslides noted that the weather was too bad to send supplies to the affected area- the bad weather is the main cause of the landslides (Deadly…, January 12, 2007).

Travel between the Southeast Asian countries is hampered as well. When Indonesia heard about the rate of a police post in East Timor, the government shut down its border with East Timor to keep the weapons from entering their country (Indonesia shuts…, February 26, 2007). "Since the Thai coup, there have been tensions over a security barrier that the Thai generals want to erect along the border (In need…, February 15,

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2007). Indonesia has even banned sand exports on February 6, due to Singapore's sand purchases to fill out coastlines and "increase its puny terrain" (Let’s…, February 8, 2007).

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CONCLUSION:

Much of issue one is old, having continued for generations. The Burmese government has been attacking the Karen for over 60 years, and is continuing to push them back, taking land as they go. Also, I think that the Philippines, though not known specifically for civil rights abuses, may have more of a problem than they think if their first and best reaction to a large jailbreak is to mark the thought of killing resisting escapees very important in the minds of the police workers, rather than the foremost thought being to bring them back alive. Taiwan’s removal of an important figure in history, regardless of actions or ancestry, contrasts with the actions of the Cambodian government, who made a museum to remind people of the oppression in their history. In my opinion, the Cambodian’s actions are a bigger step in the right direction than that of the Taiwanese, who are trying to cover up their past.

Many things have contributed to the recent public transportation problem, including deteriorating systems and equipment. Normally, this problem could be solved with money (buying new equipment, ect.), but it would take a lot, and it seems to me that the governments with these problems don’t have that much money- though the Vietnamese seem to be fairly certain that they can install a new railway system. I think that the Indonesian ruling to keep the airplanes fairly young was a wise decision, because younger planes will tend to be in better condition, and are more likely to be a lot safer. While there is nothing you can do about weather, it is thought that erosion is another cause of the Indonesian landslides (which is why the Indonesian government banned sand exports- it churns up the ecology, making erosion more likely). I think that more orders in place designed to protect watershed areas would be a major long-term help.

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References

***Back from the dead. (2007, February 22). The Economist . Retrieved March 4, 2007, from http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8742931

Corben, R. (2007, February 20). Rights group accuses Burma’s generals of abuses. In

Voice of America . Retrieved March 4, 2007, from http://www.voanews.com/ english/2007-02-20-voa21.cfm

Corben, R. (2007, February 23). Rare protest in Burma brought to quick end. In Voice of

America . Retrieved March 4, 2007, from http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-

02-23-voa12.cfm

***Deadly landslide hits Indonesia. (2007, January 12). BBC News . Retrieved March 6,

2007, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6254469.stm

***The fighting spirit of Burma’s Karen. (2007, March 1). BBC News . Retrieved March

4, 2007, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6407305.stm

***Gluck, C. (2007, February 27). Anniversary of deadly Taiwan riot. In BBC News .

Retrieved March 6, 2007, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/

6400879.stm

***Gunmen storm Philippines prison. (2007, February 2). BBC News . Retrieved March


***Hayton, B. (2007, February 6). Vietnam plans new railway link. In BBC News .


6334117.stm

***Hunt for Indonesia ferry missing. (2007, February 26). BBC News . Retrieved March


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***Indonesia jet debris discovered. (2007, January 11). BBC News . Retrieved March 6,


***Indonesia landslip victims sought. (2007, March 4). BBC News . Retrieved March 6,


Indonesia plans 10-year age limit on airliners. (2007, February 28). International Herald

Tribune . Retrieved March 6, 2007, from http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/28/ business/jet.php

***Indonesia shuts East Timor border. (2007, February 26). BBC News . Retrieved March


***In need of help to douse the flames. (2007, February 15). The Economist . Retrieved

March 6, 2007, from http://www.economist.com/world/asia/ displaystory.cfm?story_id=8706170

***Let’s all bash Singapore. (2007, February 8). The Economist . Retrieved March 6,

2007, from http://www.economist.com/world/asia/ displaystory.cfm?story_id=8680932

***Nine die in Indonesia landslide. (2007, February 19). BBC News . Retrieved March 6,


***Rebel faction in Burma peace deal. (2007, February 11). BBC News . Retrieved March


***Taiwan statue removal feuls spat. (2007, February 6). BBC News . Retrieved March 4,


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***Williamson, L. (2007, January 18). Indonesia’s public transport perils. In BBC News .


6270797.stm

***Williamson, L. (2007, February 28). Indonesia highlights safety need. In BBC News .


6403267.stm

***= foreign source

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