ASEAN’s Year in Review

Published on Jan 1, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — 2012 has etched itself into the history books. During the last twelve months Southeast Asia regularly made global headlines largely due to competing territorial claims between China and various neighboring states. Certainly, the result was not what China hoped for. Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea and claims over the Spratly and Parcel Islands elevated the status of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the global diplomatic stage. Read more in The Diplomat. .

The Latest Drug Route

Published on Dec 29, 2012 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Long-standing concerns that drug syndicates would exploit traditional people smuggling routes are now being realized. Indonesian authorities in particular are concerned that Iranian asylum seekers are being recruited into the drug trade. Read more in The Diplomat. .

Chea Vichea Accused Back in Jail

Published on Dec 27, 2012 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — In a startling about-face, the Court of Appeal this morning upheld the convictions of two men widely believed to have been wrongfully accused of the 2004 slaying of unionist Chea Vichea, and sent them back to prison to serve out the remainder of their 20-year sentences. Read more from Abby Seiff and Kim Sarom in The Phnom Penh Post. .

Tension in Border Camps

Published on Dec 24, 2012 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — News about the construction of an alleged “resettlement” site in Karen State and claims that a dozen other sites have been earmarked for refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have led to heightened tension in the nine border camps. The increase in anxiety among the 140,000-plus refugees was the subject of an 18-minute video report shown recently at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Bangkok. More from Jim Pollard in The Nation. .

Thailand’s Mr Condom Fights Indifference

Published on Dec 22, 2012 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Thailand’s ”Mr Condom”, Mechai Viravaidya, who has saved millions of lives by raising awareness of HIV/AIDS, says his country is facing a new crisis from the infection. ”I innocently thought I had done the job … but the government has fallen asleep at the wheel. There is a total indifference to a war we have to fight,” says the Australian-educated former politician whose 20-year campaign popularised condoms and led to a revolution in family planning and AIDS awareness in many developing countries. Read more from Lindsay Murdoch  in the Sydney Morning  Herald. .