Southeast Asia News

Aung San Suu Kyi Detained by Burmese Authorities 30-06-2003
The Burmese authorities returned opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to Rangoon as they extend their crackdown against pro-democracy campaigners. The leader of the National League for Democracy was detained at a government house in the capital, while security forces surrounded the homes of other figures in her party, effectively placing them under house arrest. The military authorities also ordered universities and colleges to remain closed indefinitely, cancelling a new term that was due to start on June 2, 2003. Initial reports suggested Aung San Suu Kyi herself had suffered a serious head injury in the violent clashes between her supporters and a government-run organisation in a northern Burmese province over the May 31-June 1. The military said four people were killed and 50 injured in the clashes in the town of Yaway Oo, about 560 kilometres from Rangoon. But separate reports estimated that up to 70 people died, including several monks who had joined Aung San Suu Kyi's entourage, but were unconnected with the NLD. The US State Department said the clash appears had been planned by "government-affiliated thugs. However, the United Nations special envoy to Burma visited Suu Kyi and said she was "well and in good spirits". And a member of Burma's military government said the junta "bears no grudge" towards Suu Kyi. The Burmese foreign minister, however, ruled out any immediate release for the detained opposition leader. Suu Kyi was being held in a notorious jail on the outskirts of Rangoon, according to the UK Government. MORE . . .

Foreign Journalists Held in Laos 30-06-2003
The authorities in Laos said they had arrested two foreign journalists for supposedly being involved in the death of a Lao villager. The two reporters--from France and Belgium--were apparently returning from a trip in the central mountains of Laos when they were arrested along with a US citizen of Lao origin, who was apparently acting as a guide. They had been covering a little-known conflict between the Communist Government and ethnic Hmong rebels, who backed the Americans against Communist forces in Laos during the Vietnam War. Laos would try the two European journalists and an American man for their involvement in a murder case, rather than for illegal reporting on Hmong rebels, its Foreign Minister Somsavat Lengsavad said. A court in Laos sentenced the two European journalists and an American pastor to 15 years in jail each in connection with the killing of a village security guard.

Japan Freezes Aid to Burma 25-06-2003
Japan announced it was freezing financial aid to Burma in response to the junta's detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The move, by Burma's biggest aid donor, intensified pressure on the military government to address the international community's concerns over the pro-democracy leader. Tokyo's decision came after Japan's Senior Vice Foreign Minister Tetsuro Yano failed in his efforts at dialogue with the junta on June 23, 2003. Sanctions against the junta had already been stepped up by the European Union, and the United States also started the process of toughening sanctions.

Hardliners Winning Burma Democracy Debate 21-06-2003
Since around the start of 2003, Burma's dialogue process between the Generals and Aung San Suu Kyi had begun to degenerate into a war of words. Both sides accused each other, though press conferences and statements, of intransigence and not being sincere. But as of the beginning of June the regime took the war a step further with a massive crackdown on the opposition National League for Democracy. The latest moves highlighted a broader split inside the ruling military over what do with Aung San Suu Kyi. The crackdown seemed to be an orchestrated campaign by hardliners in the army, like the country's top leader General Than Shwe, who were convinced that there was no need to talk to the opposition leader.

Cambodian Police Fire on Protest Killing Protestors 21-06-2003
At least two people were killed, one of whom was a policeman, and 26 others injured after Cambodian police opened fire on hundreds of protesting garment workers in the capital, Phnom Penh. Riot police fired shots into the air to disperse the crowd of protesters, after the demonstration became violent. Security in Phnom Penh had been tightened in preparation for a meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations the following week [see Related Article], when foreign ministers from more than 20 countries convened in the capital. The demonstration, outside the Terratex Knitting and Garment Factory, had reportedly been going on for several days before the June 13, 2003 incident. The workers were demanding more pay and the removal of a senior manager. The following day police fired into the air to break up another day of protests by the striking garment-factory workers mourning one of their killed.

UN and Cambodia Sign Khmer Rouge Trial Court Deal 21-06-2003
The United Nations and Cambodia signed an agreement which paved the way for a genocide tribunal to try former leaders of the Khmer Rouge. The agreement was signed in Phnom Penh by UN legal counsel Hans Corell and his Cambodian counterpart, Sok An. Mr Corell warned on June 5, 2003 that it was still "far too early" to say when the trials would actually begin.

Bomb Plot Against APEC Summit 20-06-2003
The prime minister of Thailand said Muslim militants had been planning bomb attacks in Bangkok to coincide with a meeting of Asia Pacific heads of state in October. US President George W Bush was among the world leaders expected to attend. Western embassies and tourist centres in the Thai capital were the targets of the plot, Thaksin Shinawatra said in his weekly radio address to the nation. He said a Singaporean man arrested in May 2003 and handed over to the authorities in Singapore had admitted to planning the attacks, although he gave no further details. Three Thai Muslims were also arrested during the second week of June on suspicion of involvement in the plot.

ASEAN Chides Burma Over Handling of Suu Kyi 19-06-2003
ASEAN opened its 36^th Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 16, 2003.Senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to boost a six-year plan to narrow the economic gap between its original six members and newer members. Pola Singh, assistant director for the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Unit (IAI), told a news conference on June 13 that one of the greatest challenges for ASEAN was the regional economic integration and balanced development of all of its members. To this end, ASEAN leaders in November 2000 launched the IAI programme, which now covered 64 projects to help the newer members, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam, catch up with the other six members. The IAI work plan would focus on four areas: infrastructure development, human resource development, information and communications technology and regional economic integration. At the end of ther summit the South East Asian regional forum asked member state Burma to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whom they had been keeping detained since the end of May. The statement was an unusual departure from ASEAN's policy of non-interference in member-states' internal affairs.

Burma Jails Pro-Democracy Activists 31-05-2003
The Burmese military authorities sentenced 10 members of the pro-democracy movement to stiff jail terms for organising public protests and being involved in so-called clandestine activities. The political activists were all members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy and included a member of parliament. The sentences, ranging from two to 28 years, come just as the military government appeared to be trying to meet the opposition leader on her return from travelling to the north of Burma.

UN Approves Khmer Rouge Genocide Court 31-05-2003
The United Nations general assembly approved a plan to set up a special court for Cambodia's former Khmer Rouge leaders accused of genocide. The proposal, put forward in March 2003 after protracted negotiations between Cambodian and UN officials, suggested a "mixed tribunal" made up of both Cambodian and international judges and prosecutors. Its role would be to try ageing Khmer Rouge leaders held responsible for the deaths of nearly 2 million Cambodians from 1975 to 1979. The accord now had to be ratified by Cambodia's parliament.

Burma Marks Year of Little Change 11-05-2003
One year after the release from house arrest of Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, there is widespread concern about the slow pace of change inside the country. Aung San Suu Kyi was released on 6 May 2002, a move which was warmly welcomed by the international community as a sign that Burma's military rulers were ready for political reform. But western governments and Aung San Suu Kyi herself were now critical of the junta's refusal to engage in dialogue since her release.

Burma Releases Political Prisoners 11-05-2003
Members of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy and the academic Dr Salai Tun Than were released by Burma's authorities. The move came on the eve of the anniversary of the freeing of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. The Burmese authorities freed 21 political prisoners in the first few days of May 2003. They had all been released on health and humanitarian grounds, according to the government spokesman. The most notable detainee to be freed was Dr Salai Tun Than, an elderly retired science professor.

ASEAN Sets Out Bid to Halt Spread of SARS 30-4-2003
ASEAN health ministers on April 26, 2003 pledged to impose similar SARS screening procedures against foreign travellers, strengthen cooperation and share information in order to contain the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Malaysian Health Minister Dato Jui Meng told a press conference after the closed-door meeting that the nine ASEAN countries (except Vietnam which did not attend and which seems to have eradicated and stopped SARS) and health ministers of Japan, China, Hong Kong and South Korea that a contact point for exchange of information will be established among the member countries. This was followed by a summit on SARS attended by all the leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries and China, Japan, and Korea to come up with a strategy to reduce the threat of the disease and, more importantly, to revitalise economies badly hit by the SARS-induced panics.

Attack on Lao Bus Leaves 12 Dead 27-4-2003
At least 12 people, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed and more than 30 wounded when gunmen ambushed a bus near the northern Lao town of Gaxi. The attack on the morning of April 20, 2003 was believed to be by anti-government members of the Hmong ethnic minority, police said. The bus packed with Laotian passengers was travelling on Highway No 13 from Phong Saly to the capital city of Vientiane when it was ambushed at about 7am about 5 kilometres from Gaxi, the Vientiane provincial police said.

Suu Kyi Attacks Burma's Junta 25-4-2003
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi severely criticised the country's military junta for refusing to start serious political talks. She was also critical of the government's recent statements that it was committed to the dialogue process, and challenged the military leaders to match their words with deeds. This was the opposition leader's strongest attack on the military regime since she was released from house arrest in May 2002. Diplomats believed it reflected the fact that the dialogue process was in real trouble.

United Kingdom Warns Burmese Regime 19-4-2003
A senior British minister urged the Burmese regime to immediately start substantive political talks with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The appeal came in a statement issued by the Foreign Office minister, Mike O'Brien, a day after the European Union foreign ministers had agreed to increase EU sanctions against Rangoon because of the failure of the military government to demonstrate its commitment to the dialogue process in the past six months. The EU, though, told the generals that they were going to delay their implementation for six months to allow Rangoon time to take some significant steps towards national reconciliation.

Burma Breaks Up Anti-Government Protest 19-4-2003
A small and peaceful anti-government demonstration took place in the Burmese capital Rangoon, near the British embassy. The protest was immediately broken up by the security police who were on guard at the embassy as part of the increased security measures because of the war in Iraq. According to an eye-witness, the authorities detained one demonstrator, but the rest escaped.

Philippines War: President Sets Deadline to Crush Separatists as Fighting Rages 31-3-2003
Philippines President Gloria Arroyo set a 90-day deadline on February 28, 2003 for the military to crush the Abu Sayyaf Muslim separatist group in the southern Philippines, as opposition grew to further deployment of US troops as Filipinos perceived this as the increasing Vietnamification of the long-running civil war. The deadline was announced as more US troops prepared to deploy with the support of the USS Essex carrier battle group even as Mrs Arroyo on appeared to rule out an active combat role for US troops in the fight against the country's separatists, one day after a bomb killed 21 people and injured over 160 others. An army battalion commander survived an ambush in which five were killed. In the meantime, the CPP admitted to having killed another 21 government troopers in a series of tactical offensives. The Philippines' two biggest separatist groups agreed to help each other fight the government but had not combined their forces for joint attacks even as the army managed to repulse an attack by over 1,000 separatists. Well over 300 were killed in March as the government deployed over 40 percent of its total national military into the fighting. During the last week of March Philippine government officials and the Muslim separatists resumed peace talks aimed at ending the rebellion with an agreement to resume formal peace talks.

Philippines Cardinal Sin Taken Ill 31-3-2003
One of the most influential figures in the Philippines, Cardinal Jaime Sin, was rushed to hospital after suffering convulsions following Sunday Mass on March 30, 2003. The 74-year-old Roman Catholic archbishop of Manila was in a stable condition and underwent a series of tests, which showed he had suffered a stroke some 48 to 72 hours earlier. Cardinal Sin wielded considerable influence in the Philippines, where about 80% of the population is Roman Catholic. He played a crucial role in a popular revolt that deposed the country's dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, in 1986.

UN Human Rights Envoy Back in Burma but Leaves Early After Finding Bug 29-3-2003
The United Nations special human rights envoy for Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, returned to Burma during the latter half of March 2003 and started a week-long visit to the country. Mr Pinheiro met officials from the Burmese military government for discussions on the human rights situation. He is also visited prisons, but decided to leave Burma early after finding a hidden microphone in a room where he was meeting political prisoners. He also raised the issue of abuses such as systematic gang rape against ethnic minorities. Mr Pinheiro said he was 'very frustrated' by the country's handling of political prisoners.

Bomb Blast in Burma 29-3-2003
A bomb blast in the Burmese capital Rangoon killed one person and injured at least three others. The blast happened in front of the Telecommunications Office, and witnesses said it had been caused by a bomb. The incident occurred as several thousand troops were in the city to commemorate Armed Forces Day, a national holiday in Burma.

US and Americans Unwelcome in Southern Philippines 25-3-2003
Philippines President Gloria Arroyo said she was rethinking plans to hold joint US military operations in Jolo, the restive island in the Southern Philippines, and use American military assistance. If American troops were to go to Jolo, it would not be for the first time. In the early 1900s, US soldiers charged onto Jolo's beaches, fighting Muslim warriors armed with nothing but swords and old muskets. Yet it took US troops 13 years and countless of their lives before the island's sultanate was smashed and it was forced to become part of the Philippines.

President Arroyo Wary of US Role in Philippines 25-3-2003
Philippines President Gloria Arroyo appeared to have ruled out the deployment of more American troops to help in combat operations in the sensitive southern Sulu islands. United States special forces are already involved in operations on the nearby island of Mindanao, and the US had been pushing for the programme to be extended to Sulu and its main island of Jolo, a stronghold of separatist groups. Mrs Arroyo described her decision as "pretty final" and said the operations would still go ahead, but in other provinces. She was concerned about the growing popular hostility towards the United States and American people.

UN and Cambodia Agree on Khmer Rouge Trial Court 25-3-2003
The United Nations and Cambodia agreed to set up an international genocide court to bring former leaders of the Khmer Rouge to justice. An estimated 1.7 million people died at the hands of the brutal Maoist regime in the 1970s but despite evidence of their atrocities, no Khmer Rouge leader had ever been charged. Negotiations on the proposed genocide court had been taking place for more than five years.

Philippines Civil War: 21 Killed in Davao Blasts 16-3-2003
Philippines police arrested several men in connection with a bomb attack on an international airport in the Philippines which killed at least 21 people and injured more than 160. President Gloria Arroyo was told by the national police that they had "several men in custody being interrogated for committing these murders," her spokesman Ignacio Bunye said. The explosion ripped through a packed waiting area in Davao City international airport on the Philippine island of Mindanao on March 6, 2003.

Amnesty International Report Slates Burma's Legal System 16-3-2003
A ground-breaking trip to Burma by Amnesty International found the judicial system there well below international standards. During its 10-day trip, the delegation met government ministers and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. For Amnesty, this was an initial visit to Burma which it hopes will lead to greater contact in the future as well as the start of more extensive fact-finding missions. The delegation visited prisons during its stay in Rangoon and had private and confidential meetings with seven political prisoners. Members of the delegation also met recently freed prisoners. Even from this short trip to Burma the delegation was able to see clearly that, under the current judicial system, there was little chance of a fair trial or access to defence lawyers. They were also critical of the police which, they said, were well below accepted international standards and in effect were nothing more than uniformed thugs.

Cambodia's King Offers to Abdicate 16-3-2003
Cambodia's King Sihanouk issued a surprise offer to abdicate, amid rising political tensions ahead of general elections in July 2003. The 80-year-old king issued a statement on March 7 saying he was ready to stand aside if the National Assembly authorised his departure. It was not immediately clear what had prompted the sometimes erratic monarch to issue the threat. But he was thought to have been angered by a row with Prime Minister Hun Sen over January's anti-Thai riots, when the king suggested that some of the students accused of taking part in the violence had been wrongly arrested.

Vietnam, Philippines to Boost Co-operative Ties 16-3-2003
Vietnam and the Philippines agreed to boost co-operation in trade, investment, agriculture, fisheries, science and technology, education and training, finance and banking and sports. The agreement was reached at the third session of the Vietnam-Philippines Joint Committee for Bilateral Co-operation held in Manila on February 27 and 28, 2003 under the chairmanship of Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien and his Philippine counterpart, Blas F Ople.

Army Launches Huge Attack as Fighting Rages in Philippines Civil War 28-2-2003
The Philippines army massed to attack a stronghold of Muslim separatists in the country, in spite of a ceasefire agreement. The armed forces said thousands of troops had been deployed to pursue armed kidnappers who had taken refuge in an area frequented by separatists of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Military officers said some 53,997 civilians fled the area because of the renewed fighting, which also saw the arrival of more American troops and "military advisors". Some 2,500 soldiers moved in with tanks, artillery and planes against the stronghold of the MILF near the town of Pikit on February 11, 2003, in spite of a ceasefire agreement. Philippines President Gloria Arroyo then ordered a halt to the military assault on the stronghold, strongly suggesting that she no longer had control of the military. There were over 200 casualties from both sides during the fierce fighting. A massive retaliation by the separatists resulted in large casualties among the government troops. The Cotabato airport was bombed, a market hit by a suicide bomber and 14 more killed in a Zambo raid. Western embassies called for their foreigners to leave the country as the battles escalated, with fears the violence would move north to Metro Manila, as in the past. Defence officials, including Colonel Davis, in Washington said that at least 1,700 more of US troops were to join national forces on combat missions against separatists in the Philippines and the US aircraft carrier battle group, headed by the USS Essex, sailed to the Sulu Sea to support the combat operations. MORE . . .

Non-Aligned Movement Holds Annual Summit in Malaysia 27-2-2003
The summit of the Non-Aligned Movement opened in Malaysia on February 24, 2003 with a warning over a possible war against Iraq. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, chairman of the summit, said that war solved nothing and that the aim of the so-called war on terror is simply American world domination. Even for a man known for his outspoken views his was an astonishing performance when he compared the world's great powers unflatteringly with suicide terrorists. And while the terrorists died as they attacked he said: "the great warriors who press the buttons see nothing of the women's and children's mangled bodies, the heads and limbs which are torn from disembowled bodies, the blood and stinking gore of the innocent people. And because they do not see, the overweight button-pressing warriors and the people who commanded them go back to enjoy a hearty meal, watch TV shows or morale-boosting troop entertainers, and then retire to their cozy beds for a good sleep." The 116-nation grouping accused Western leaders, primarily of the United States and Britain, of being callous killers using the war on terrorism as a pretext to dominate the world, in the face of opposition from the majority of ordinary people around the world, even in their own countries. It seems that, in fact, there is no longer any true democracy as these leaders are implementing policies that are not endorsed even by the very same people who elected them.

Gun Attack on Laos Bus 24-2-2003
At least 10 people, including two foreign tourists, were killed by heavily armed gunmen who attacked a bus in Laos. The attack happened near the town of Vang Vieng, a well-known beauty spot about 170 kilometres north of the capital Vientiane. As many as 20 gunmen sprayed the bus with bullets, killing at least eight Laotian passengers. Two foreigners--believed to be French tourists or aid workers--were also killed as they cycled past the bus at the time of the attack. It was not clear who was behind the shooting, but a government spokesperson said an investigation had been launched. Dozens of others were injured, many seriously. Within a week the authorities in Laos made several arrests in connection with the bus attack.

Cambodian Governor Sacked Following Anti-Thai Riots 20-2-2003
The governor of Phnom Penh was sacked by the Cambodian prime minister, two weeks after the country's capital was ransacked by anti-Thai rioters. Chea Sophara, a senior member of Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party, had been widely seen as a potential successor to the Cambodian leader. Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith gave no direct reason for the dismissal, but he said that Thai intelligence had accused some government officials of being behind the riots. Cambodia was still trying to repair damaged relations with Thailand following the violence, which destroyed the Thai embassy and several Thai-owned businesses.

Amnesty International Report Slates Burma's Legal System 18-2-2003
A ground-breaking trip to Burma by Amnesty International found the judicial system there well below international standards. During its 10-day trip, the delegation met government ministers and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. For Amnesty, this was an initial visit to Burma which it hopes will lead to greater contact in the future as well as the start of more extensive fact-finding missions. The delegation visited prisons during its stay in Rangoon and had private and confidential meetings with seven political prisoners. Members of the delegation also met recently freed prisoners. Even from this short trip to Burma the delegation was able to see clearly that, under the current judicial system, there was little chance of a fair trial or access to defence lawyers. They were also critical of the police which, they said, were well below accepted international standards and in effect were nothing more than uniformed thugs.

Burma's Suu Kyi Awarded $1 Million 18-2-2003
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded $1 million by a US group in recognition of her democracy struggle. The US-based Freedom Forum foundation said the money was a "personal gift" which "she is free to use... as she sees fit and in any way she wants to". Charles Overby, chairman of the foundation, said it was the first time the full $1 million annual prize had been awarded to just one person.

Philippines President Arroyo Takes on Armed Gunslinger Society 6-2-2003
Filipino civilians are no longer allowed to carry firearms in public
It was by all accounts a typical situation in one of Manila's congested main arteries: a sedan and a motorbike jostled over a narrow break in the traffic, the bigger piece of metal got there first, and the biker got sideswiped in the bargain. What followed next was a sharp verbal exchange and a burst of gunfire that left the other motorist, a top-notch law school honours student who was awaiting the results of the bar licensure examinations, bloodied and dead on the road. Road rage had claimed another victim in what is a normal nearly, everyday occurrence in the increasingly barbaric and uncivilised Philippines--do not get into accidents. If the accident does not kill you, there is a good chance the other driver will.

Burma's Suu Kyi Meets Rights Group 31-1-2003
Two representatives from the human rights group Amnesty International made a landmark visit to Burma and met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. It was the first official visit by the group, which had consistently criticised Burma's military government for its human rights record. Burma invited Amnesty to visit as part of the government's efforts to convince the international community it was serious about improving its human rights record. However, correspondents warned the invitation could have been nothing more than a cosmetic gesture, pointing out that the two Amnesty representatives did not have enough time to make a thorough assessment. There was mounting concern that reconciliation talks between the government and opposition had stalled.

Philippines War: Army Kills Dozens of Separatists in Clashes 31-1-2003
Philippine troops killed about 20 Muslim separatists and wounded more than a dozen others when they occupied separatist positions in three days of fighting on southern Mindanao island, according to the Philippine military. The clashes, which ended on January 11, 2003 occurred in Sultan Kudarat province, 940 km south of Manila. Army division commander Major-General Generoso Senga said that the Phillipine troops had overrun the separatist positions and were pursuing the them wherever they went. As the fighting raged so Philippine troops killed and wounded, and American military "advisors" forced to run for their lives under hot enemy fire.

21 Hurt in Philippines Bomb Blast 31-1-2003
A bomb exploded in the southern Philippines, injuring at least 21 people. Police in Kidapawan city, a largely Christian town on the island of Mindanao, said the bomb was placed in front of a three-storey commercial complex. Several of those hurt were caught in a huge fire that the bomb sparked in the office block. The incident was the latest in a series of bomb attacks related to the on-going civil war in the country.

Former Philippines President Estrada Testifies Over 'Bribe Attempt' 31-1-2003
Former Philippines President Joseph Estrada testified on January 14, 2003 that he was offered a bribe in 2000 but turned it down. Mr Estrada said the offer appeared to come on behalf of an Argentine company bidding for a government contract. Mr Estrada, who was brought down by popular protests engineered by the United States white house administration in the CIA in January 2001, was himself being tried on charges of plunder. This testimony was unrelated to his case. He told the Senate that a businessman approached him in 1999 in connection with a bid for a government contract by Argentina's Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona SA (Impsa).

Philippines Leader Wants Gun Crackdown 30-1-2003
Philippines President Gloria Arroyo called for a crackdown on civilians carrying guns in public places. In a speech at police headquarters in Quezon City, she ordered police to suspend the issuance of permits to carry firearms in public places. It was unclear how effective the order would be in a country which is wracked by gun violence, corruption and overly pompous and self-important politicians and political and economic elite who carried guns to use to force their way on almost everything going down. There are more than 800,000 licensed gun owners in the Philippines, but millions more firearms are owned illegally.

Burma Junta Blames Protest on NLD 22-1-2003
The authorities in Burma said the opposition National League for Democracy was behind an anti-government protest held on January 16, 2003 in the capital, Rangoon. Witnesses said that two Buddhist nuns were detained but a government spokesman, Brigadier-General Than Tun, described them instead as 'pseudo-nuns', and accused the NLD of using religion to deliberately incite unrest. He said NLD members living in exile were returning to Burma to organise such protests.

Surprise Cabinet Reshuffle in Laos 18-1-2003
Lao President Khamtay Sip-handone carried out a surprise cabinet reshuffle with changes to his economic team in a bid to improve the fragile economy. The National Assembly approved his proposal on January 15, 2003 to promote Chansy Phosikham, formerly the governor of the state bank, as the new finance minister replacing Soukan Mahalath, who was reassigned as the governor of northern Xieng Khuang province. During Soukan's tenure as finance minister, a post he had held since April 2002, the country's currency - the kip - fluctuated, depreciating from 215 per baht to 250 per baht, before stabilising at 250. He told the Penguin Star that during that difficult time anti-government groups had manipulated the currency to discredit his government.

Singapore Details Terror Network 17-1-2003
Singapore said that it discovered close ties between Jemaah Islamiah - widely blamed for the Bali bombing - and other Islamic militants in South East Asia. A White Paper published by Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said the training of JI militants was carried out at the base of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a Philippines group. The 50-page report also revealed more details of alleged plots by JI to attack Western interests in Singapore in 2001 or 2002. It said that JI was planning to import Arab suicide bombers to carry out the attacks on US naval facilities, the Israeli embassy and the Australian and British high commissions.

Philippines Justice Minister Resigns 17-1-2003
The Philippines Justice Minister, Hernando Perez, resigned in early January 2003, after repeating that the corruption charges levied against him were false. Mr Perez had been on leave since November 2000 when the accusations were made by another legislator, Congressman Mark Jimenez.

Four Dead in Naval Collision 14-1-2003
Singapore said that four of its sailors died after their anti-submarine vessel was hit by a merchant ship. The RSS Courageous, a 500-ton patrol boat, was badly damaged in the incident involving a Dutch-owned cargo ship off Malaysia's southern coast late on January 3, 2003. Rescue workers recovered the body of a third Singaporean naval seawoman following what has been described as the worst naval incident in modern Singapore's history. The fourth sailor was still missing, after the collision between a patrol boat and the container ship. Her body was never found and authorities eventually called off the search.

Loan for Lao Hydropower Dam 13-1-2003
Local energy and services provider, Tractebel Electricity and Gas International Co Ltd, has completed the financing of its Lao hydroelectric power project, Houay Ho Power Co Ltd, its CEO Dirk Beeuwsaert said on January 12, 2002. It said it would now begin to solicit international engineering consulting firms with expertise in hydropower projects, particularly in Laos and Thailand because of the need for language and cultural understanding for this project.

Philippines' President Arroyo Fails to Capitalise on Crises 11-1-2003
Gloria Arroyo's presidency might well be remembered for the missed opportunities. The two years of her rule to date had not been easy times, but there is a compelling argument that she could have chartered a very different, more profitable course for the country--one with much less instability, corruption, increased poverty and being domineered by the White House Administration.
In his classic Political Order in Changing Societies, the controversial Harvard professor Samuel Huntington stated that while successful revolutionaries are rare, successful reformers are even rarer. Serving as one more confirmation of this dismal thesis is the presidential career of Gloria Arroyo, who stunned the Philippines with her announcement on December 30, 2002 that she would not run for president in the 2004 elections. President Arroyo saw herself as a reformer. She, however, displayed none of the three qualities essential to an effective reformer: political will, political imagination and political competence. After all, she was nothing more than a puppet of the United States government in its attempts to wrest geopolitical control of the region, and like many American plots of control, this did nothing to bring the Philippines out of its political and socio-economic mire. If anything it sank deeper. And that led to the dangerous impasse that the Philippines was in now.

Tricycle Protest Gridlocks Manila 10-1-2003
Thousands of motorcycle taxis clogged up the centre of the Philippines capital, Manila, in protest at a new law designed to reduce pollution. Traffic was slowed to a crawl as angry taxi drivers drove their three-wheeled vehicles through the city centre before converging outside the presidential palace. The new legislation, which came into effect on January 1, 2003 would require drivers to convert to engines with cleaner emmissions. However, the government said it would set up a committee to discuss the issue and allow the taxi drivers more time to comply.

Singaporean Ong Keng Yong Named as a New ASEAN Secretary General 6-1-2003
Singaporean Ong Keng Yong replaced Rodolfo C. Severino of the Philippines as ASEAN secretary general on January 6, 2003. Ong would serve as ASEAN secretary general for a five-year term of office. He was the former deputy of Singapore's Information, Communications and Arts Ministry. During his inauguration Ong said that Southeast Asian nations must work together and hone their competitiveness to meet an increasingly strong business challenge from Northeast and South Asia.

Philippines President to Bow Out 31-12-2002
After increasing pressure from the United States, the country whose agents engineered the ouster of former President Joseph Estrada and who engineered for her to take over as president, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said that she would not be standing for re-election in 2004. In her surprise announcement, she said that she was stepping aside because of the high level of political infighting in the country, increasing corruption, collapsing economy, and increasing social disorder bordering on anarchy. She said she would spend the rest of her term in office trying to strengthen the economy and create new jobs.

Communists Reject Philippines Civil War Ceasefire as Troops Clash with Separatists 31-12-2002
Communist guerrillas in the Philippines decades-old civil war rejected the government's unilateral Christmas and New Year ceasefire. The government declared the ceasefire in spite of its close alliance with the United States in its so-called 'war on terrorism'. The United States regards the Philippine Communists as terrorists, as it is their new mantra since the collapse of the Soviet Union. But in 2002 the guerrillas rejected the offer of a few days of peace. A statement issued by the communists dismissed the offer as a publicity gimmick, although a spokesman said the guerrillas would not go on the offensive during the holiday season. President Gloria Arroyo had earlier announced a suspension of offensive military operations for two days. The fighting during 2002 saw an average of 10 people per day killed between government troops, communist troops, American troops and civilians. More soldiers died during December in clashes and 12 people and least nine were wounded after the separatists ambushed and attacked trucks owned by a Canadian mining company seen by the local populace as being abusive to the local environment and the people.

Philippines Blast Kills 16 31-12-2002
As the civil war in the Philippines continued unabated, at least 16 people were killed by a bomb blast in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Another 15 were injured. The army said that Islamic separatists had carried out the attack, in which a mortar was detonated by remote control as Mayor Saudie Ampatuan walked past. Only the Moro Islamic Liberation Front "is capable of making powerful home-made bombs", army spokesman Major Julieto Ando said.

Philippine MP Faces Multiple Charges in US 28-12-2002
In another example of how corrupt, dishonest and selfish the Philippines' leaders are, Mario Crespo, a.k.a Mark Jimenez was wanted in the United States for questioning on a whole array of crimes, including money laundering and being a narcotics trafficker. He officially made his huge fortune in computers but not everybody is convinced that he is telling the whole truth, especially when it turned out he was in the pockets of Colombia drug cartels and made his fortune by laundering the money of the drug lords.

Burma to Build Southeast Asia's Largest Hydropower Plant 24-12-2002
Burma will build a 4,600MW hydro-power plant, the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia, on the Than Lwin river in southern Shan state. The government is currently looking to solicit suitable international-level engineering firms with the expertise to design and construct large dams and power projects.

69 Groups Oppose Thailand-Burma Salween Dam Plan 23-12-2002
A group of 69 non-governmental organisations and Burmese dissidents on December 18, 2002 voiced opposition to the proposed US$5.5 billion hydro-electric dam on the Salween River, saying the project was socially and environmentally damaging. Energy Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana had recently commissioned the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to conduct a feasibility study into the Salween dam. The project's opponents submitted an open letter to Thailand's Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs urging it to scrutinise the project, saying the dam offered little benefit for Thailand but would harm the environment and ethnic minorities in the region.

Life Sentence for Khmer Rouge Commander 23-12-2002
Pol Pot's chief ideologue testified in defence of a former Khmer Rouge commander on trial in Cambodia for his role in the killing of three Western backpackers. Nuon Chea--once known as "Brother Number Two" and the most senior surviving Khmer Rouge leader--told a court on December 13, 2002 that the defendant had been transferred out of the region where the killings took place shortly before they occurred. Sam Bith, 69, was the most senior of three Khmer Rouge commanders charged with abducting the tourists after an attack on a train in southern Cambodia in 1994. The backpackers, a Briton, a Frenchman and an Australian, were later executed and buried in the jungle, several weeks after ransom negotiations failed. However, in the end, the court sentenced the former Khmer Rouge general to life imprisonment for his part in the killing of the three Western backpackers.

SE Asia Cabinets Hold Historic Session 23-12-2002
The governments of Malaysia and Thailand met on December 22, 2002 in the world's first joint session of two national cabinets. The informal meeting involved discussions on trade and security issues. The leaderships gathered in Hat Yai on the Thai side of their shared border for what was described as a "sofa meeting" followed by a working lunch. The two prime ministers, who were said to have a good personal relationship, also held one-to-one talks.

SE Asia Angry Over Australia's Comments on Pre-Emptive Strikes 20-12-2002
Australia's prime minister stood by comments that he was prepared to launch pre-emptive action against terrorists in neighbouring Asian countries if necessary, despite criticism at home and abroad. The Philippines said Australia's warning was arrogant and that foreign troops would not be welcome without Manila's consent.

New Economics Chief for Philippines 20-12-2002
Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo chose a new head of economic planning, less than 24 hours after demanding the resignation of the last man to hold the post. The new secretary of economic planning and development was Romulo Neri, an economist in charge of the congressional planning and budget office. The departure of his predecessor, Dante Canlas, was a shock, coming less than a month after he--and the rest of the senior economics team--had seen their offer to stand down to make way for a reshuffle refused. The changeover could put pressure on the Philippines currency, the peso, which had been weakening due to slack controls on the public purse despite stable inflation and growing exports. This is because the country's corrupt economic and political elite were spending furiously in order to have budgets from which to steal.

Former Burma Dictator Ne Win Dies 11-12-2002
In early December 2002 Burma's former military dictator, General Ne Win, died while under house arrest. Family members said the 91-year-old died at 0730 local time at his home in the capital Rangoon, where he had been held alongside his daughter since March, after the arrest of other relatives on treason charges. He was cremated within hours, without any military honours, and in the presence of about 25 relatives and friends. No senior members of the military government were present. MORE . . .

Aung San Suu Kyi Urges Patience 11-12-2002
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said she was confident political change in the country was on its way. However, she warned that the process could be slow and urged people to be patient. Aung San Suu Kyi said that discussions between her party and the ruling military junta had made some progress since her release from house arrest in May, but there was "some way to go". She also stressed that it was still too early to encourage foreign tourists to visit Burma. She played down her own role in the fight for democracy in Burma, and the price she had paid.

Rangoon Agrees to Join With Thailand in Salween River Dam Project 7-12-2002
Burma agreed in principle to join Thailand in a US$5.5-billion hydro-power dam on the Salween River, but opinions remained split over the location of the project. Thailand's Energy Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana said he had instructed Sitthiporn Rattanopas, governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, to study the possibility of constructing the power plant on the Thai side and to start a search for international engineering consulting firms with the expertise in such projects and drawing up a short-list of such firms from their expressions of interest.

Philippines Plane Crashes in the Sea in Manila 30-11-2002
A plane carrying 34 people crashed into the waters of Manila Bay in the Philippines, shortly after taking off from the city's airport. The Fokker 27 plane, belonging to a small domestic airline called Laoag Air owned by corrupt Filipino-Chinese, had just left Manila for the northern city of Laoag at 0600 local time on November 11, 2002 when the air crew reported engine trouble. The plane tried to return to the airport but crashed into the sea just one kilometre short of the runway. The death toll was 19 and 15 people survived the crash. Most of those who died were trapped inside the plane. Pilot error was the cause of the crash, the pilot forgetting to switch on the sump tank or the fuel collector tank, very basic operating procedures that pilots must always carry out otherwise a Fokker cannot fly for more than about 10 minutes before the engines quit. Sounds like poor cockpit discipline. The kind of airline it was became clear when it faced charges of plane smuggling and secretly not keeping safety discrepancy books. It also became apparent the airline had switched off the black box. The two top foreign officials of the airline were arrested for working in the country without the required working visa. MORE . . .

Terror Threat Shuts Manila's Canadian, Australian and EU Embassies 30-11-2002
All Australians and Canadians recommended to leave Philippines immediately
Canada and the European Union joined Australia in indefinitely closing their diplomatic missions in the Philippines indefinitely after receiving information about an imminent terror attack. They also recommended their respective citizens leave the country immediately until the situation improved. The move came after Australia said it had received a credible and specific warning of the attack by Islamic militants on one of those embassies in the capital Manila within a few days. By the end of November hundreds of Australian and Canadian expatriates were leaving the country in droves.

Philippines Pledges Corruption Clean-up 30-11-2002
Philippines' President Gloria Arroyo announced a sweeping crackdown on corruption, as accusations mounted throught November 2002 that government officials were lining their own pockets. Corruption in the Philippines had reached levels like that of Indonesia, making the Philippines the fourth worst country in the world, according to a recent survey released by Transparency International. The high level of corruption was quite obvious, as poverty had become rampant among the nation, as the 50 or so families that make the country's economic and political elite became fabulously rich with the wealth they were stealing from the nation.

Philippines War: Abu Sayyaf Bomber Arrested 30-11-2002
Philippine authorities arrested a suspected Muslim militant who planned to attack the Manila stock exchange and the US embassy using electronically-detonated truck bombs, the military announced. The suspect, Abdulmukim Edris, confessed he was trained by two Yemeni nationals. Mr Edris, an alleged explosives expert for the Abu Sayyaf separatist group, was paraded before the television cameras as the military presented him to Philippine President Gloria Arroyo. The suspect, who carried a one million peso ($18,800) reward on his head, admitted masterminding a series of deadly bombings in the south of the country, said military chief of staff General Benjamin Defensor.

Philippines Bus Crash Kills 33 29-11-2002
Philippines Bus Crash Kills 33 by Ma Nguyen Tong 29-11-2002 At least 33 people were killed when a bus plunged into a ravine south of the Philippine capital, Manila. The accident happened in the remote mountain town of Tagkawayan in Quezon province. Survivors had reported a mechanical failure involving both breaks and steering of the bus as it careered out of control after the driver had driven it at very dangerously high speeds. Buses in the Philippines are quite dangerous, are very old and often imported as used from other countries such as Japan, and are colloquially known as rolling coffins because the bus owners do minimal maintenance and the drivers drive at high speeds, often under the influence of methylamphetamines in order to stay awake. After inspection of the wreck, it was found this particular bus had been completely built out of expired used parts from other wrecked buses, hence why brakes and steering failed at a rather inopportune time.

Burmese Dictator's Family Appeals Hangings 24-11-2002
The supreme court in Burma heard an appeal against death sentences imposed on relatives of the former dictator, Ne Win. The four men--Ne Win's son-in-law and three grandsons--were sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of supposedly plotting to overthrow the current military government. The defence called for the men to be acquitted.

UN's Razali Wants Action on Burma Democracy 20-11-2002
United Nations envoy Razali Ismail on November 12, 2002 began another mission to revive a critical dialogue between the Burmese junta and the opposition after warning he could quit if the regime continued to resist democratic reforms. Soon after his arrival Mr Razali met with Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win in the first of a series of meetings scheduled during that week with top junta figures, but he cancelled his visit with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

ASEAN Summit: Agreement to Create World's Biggest Free-Trade Area 9-11-2002
Southeast Asian nations and China signed a landmark agreement at the annual ASEAN summit held in Phnom Penh during November 4-5, 2002, aimed at creating the world's largest free trade area. The agreement, signed by the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji called fore the creation of a free market comprising 1.7 billion people anf feulingtrade worth $1.2 trillion. The free trade area should be completed in 2010 between China and the six original ASEAN nations--Brunei, Indoneisa, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand--and 2015 for the less developed ASEAM members of Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The plan for the free trade area covering goods, services and investment was incorporated in a Framework Agreement on ASEAN-China Comprehensive Economic Cooperation signed by the leaders of the 11 nations. This should see an economic eclipsing of the United States and Europe in world trade unless, of course, this would force the United States to bring about a massive war to bring China down, as it did towards the British empire, thus causing the Second World War.

American Chambers of Commerce Seek End to Corruption in SE Asia 9-11-2002
American Chambers of Commerce in the Southeast Asian region on November 2, 2003 urged ASEAN nations to work toward a binding regional agreement to fight corruption, which was causing an increase in poverty and bringing about economic instability and was one of the root causes of the economic crises that hit the region. In a joint statement released in advance of the ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, opening which opened on November 4, the American Chambers of Commerce said they encouraged the community of 10 Southeast Asian nations to "put in place effective legal and judicial measures and enforcement tools for eliminating corruption". The AmChams noted that a good starting point would be a binding agreement to make it unlawful for anyone doing business in ASEAN countries to bribe government officials or judicial authorities either in their home jurisdiction or in other ASEAN countries. They said such an agreement - which would be the first in Asia - would attract much-needed positive attention from the international investor community.

Deal Reached on Disputed Southeast Asian Islands 9-11-2002
Southeast Asian officials agreed to a nonbinding accord aimed at preventing conflicts in the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea, Cambodia's Foreign Ministry said. The agreement was reached on November 1, 2002 by working groups of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations before the organization's annual summit in Cambodia on November 4 and 5. In a hastily called news conference, Chem Widya, permanent secretary of Cambodia's Foreign Ministry, said consensus had been reached on a "declaration of conduct" designed to avoid conflict in the region. Once signed by ASEAN leaders, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea would be presented to China.

Former Philippines President Estrada's Corruption Trial Continues 30-10-2002
The more of the obfuscation in the Philippine's corrupt judicial system, transactions of the controversial Erap Muslim Youth Foundation bank account that was used as the pretext for the moves leading to the ouster of Philippines President Joseph Estrada, under the command of the US State Department, were legal and its 200 million peso fund did not come jeuteng, the former presidents defense panel said on October 2, 2002.

The 2002 APEC Summit 30-10-2002
Heads of state of Asia Pacific countries emphasised the need to crack down on terrorist groups as a way of ensuring increased trade in the region. The 2002 Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation meeting in Mexico released a declaration on October 27 outlining ways of making it harder for extremist groups to operate internationally. The concern over terror attacks from extremist groups dominated a conference that normally focuses on economic issues, by reducing trade barriers and fighting corruption. However, leaders of the APEC also called for the conclusion of global trade talks by 2005, including progress in contentious areas by the World Trade Organisation's next meeting in 2003. The APEC leaders in a joint statement issued in Los Cabos endorsed the elimination of agricultural export subsidies. WTO members must reach an agreement by March 2003 on the basic framework of negotiations in agriculture, the area of greatest interest for most countries in the talks.

Philippines War: US Troops Targeted in Fatal Attacks 30-10-2002
A powerful bomb exploded outside a restaurant frequented by American troops fighting alongside the Philippines armed forces, killing an American Green Beret commando and two Filipinos and wounding at least 25 other people, including another Green Beret commando. Another explosion rocked the city the following evening, this time near a church. The second blast left a small crater in the pavement. The 260-member US Special Forces unit in the area was put on special high alert. Another hour-long firefight elsewhere left two more dead. The Philippines armed forces vowed to cut off the hand of Abu Sayyaf. Government agents arrested a Jordanian businessman-educator who was linked to the bombing. The US sent 800 more troops as military advisors in the 30-year civil war. Subsequently, fierce clashes between marines and Abu Sayyaf separatists on the southern island of Jolo left eleven servicemen dead and 25 others wounded, military officials said. Firefights continued during the month.

Philippines Civil War: NPA Insurgents Girding for All-Out War 30-10-2002
Despite the assistance of United States combat troops and military advisors, the Philippine government's war against the New People's Army insurgents was slowly, inexhorably and quietly (as far as mainstream world news media is concerned) being lost, not unlike the South Vietnamese army's efforts against the North Vietnamese. NPA soldiers continued their campaign of attacks on police stations, military posts and other government buildings, staging massive firefights that left many officials dead and wounded. In late September, the NPA began to slowly close in on the capital of the Philippines, staging a daring raid against the Quezon Police Station, killing the police chief and other policemen. NPA spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal told the local media that the insurgents' attacks in Quezon, as well as in Lopez, San Rafael, Bulacan and other military, police and government installations and offices were rehearsals for a much bigger offensive. A powerful bomb exploded outside a restaurant frequented by troops, killing an American soldier and a Filipino, and injuring at least 21 other people, including American soldiers.

UN Envoy Meets Aung San Suu Kyi 30-10-2002
The United Nations human rights envoy to Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, wrapped up an 11-day mission to the military-ruled country by holding talks with the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. It was Mr Pinheiro's second meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi during his October 2002 visit, which had included meetings with political prisoners, judicial officials, state security chiefs, diplomats and ethnic parties. Mr Pinheiro spent more than an hour with the Nobel peace laureate and other leaders of her National League for Democracy at the party's Rangoon headquarters.

Philippines Civil War: Manila Targeted in Series of Bomb Blasts 29-10-2002
With the Philippines civil war coming to a head and involving hundreds of American troops, separatists in the middle of October 2002 began to concentrate their campaign on Metro Manila in a series of bomb blasts, and bomb threats hitting the country's capital city. Fear gripped the city on October 18 as explosions rocked the city and people died or were ripped apart. Bomb threats flooded the metropolitan area and the Philippine government warned people against going to public places in the following 72 hours. The heightened state of alert remained in place for the rest of October.

Zambo Blasts in Philippines Kill Many, Wound Over 100 29-10-2002
Fighting in the Philippines civil war intensified with separatists continuing to plant explosives throughout the country in October 2002, causing a horrific rate of casualties. Death jarred Zamboanga City just before noon on October 18 as two bombs ripped through two adjacent stores in the city's busy commerical district, killing at least seven people and wounding 150 others. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, for which authorities blamed separatists. Up to 16 people were detained for questioning, but 13 Filipinos were released when it was obvious they had nothing to do with the incident. A Malaysian and two Turks off a visiting ship also had nothing ot do with the bombing, but they were deported becaused they had stepped off their ship without appropriate documentation. In the middle of October the country, including its capital, took on an atmosphere of being under seige with the government recommending everyone stay away from large crowds, shopping centres, markets, particularly for the 72 hours starting at midnight October 19, as it was expected Metro Manila would be attacked during that period. (see other related stories this issue) Bombs continued to be planted and exploded in and around Zamboanga and other part of the Philippines, including Manila, during October.

Philippines Bomb Kills Eight 29-10-2002
A powerful bomb on October 10, 2002 exploded in a crowded bus station in the southern Philippines, killing at least eight people and wounding 26 others. Three died of multiple shrapnel wounds. The others died in the hospital. The explosion happened in Kidapawan city, in North Cotabato province at about 1500 local time. The bomb was placed by unidentified men under a concrete bench in the terminal, said local police chief Superintendent Casimiro Medez. One woman and a child were killed at the scene, and the others died in hospital, police said. However, both communist guerrillas and a Muslim separatist group denied planting the bomb. The military named both the New People's Army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as key suspects in the blast.

Filipino Farmers Angry at Terms of ADB Grains Sector Development Project Loan 20-10-2002
Farmers' groups in the Philippines became angry at the terms set by the Asian Development Bank for its $175 million Grains Sector Development Program (GSDP) loan and they want the government to weed out loan provisions that would have a negative impact on small farmers. They said the project is actually designed to further impoverish grains farmers as well as forcing ordinary Filipino taxpayers to have to pay huge amounts to the First World countries financing the loan because terms call for farmers to provide up to 30 percent equity in the project, an amount farmers cannot afford as they barely live above subsistence level. Most people in the Philippines are poverty-stricken and about half live in abject poverty.

Australian Foreign Minister Meets Burma's Suu Kyi 14-10-2002
Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in October 2002 held talks with visiting Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer at her home in the capital Rangoon. Few details were made available about their discussion although they were thought to have focused on progress in reconciliation talks between the opposition leader and the ruling military government.

Kidnappings Become Rampant as Law and Order Collapses in Philippines 30-9-2002
The Philippines increasingly is becoming completely lawless, with the country's president, Gloria Macagapal Arroyo blindly struggling to restore some modicum of law and order with nearly daily kidnappings of wealthy ethnic Chinese people and Westerners, assassinations of Westerners and the country's economic and political elite, and extra-judicial executions. Under this backdrop armed men in the Philippine capital Manila in the middle of September 2002 kidnapped the son and daughter of a congressman as they were being taken to school. This was just one of numerous brutal kidnappings that occur at the rate of about one a day, sometimes more often. The victims are usually Westerners or members of families of rich Chinese tycoons. The government took to ordering suspects to be extrajudicially executed, with the president often shown in newspaper photographs standing proudly over their machine-gunned bodies. Investors and Westerners have increasingly become alarmed, with many fleeing the country since August as the situation became more dangerous, particularly at night. A former finance secretary admitted that the kidnapping spree in the Philippines 'had become a cottage industry because there was no other manner in which ordinary people could otherwise elevate themselves from the rampant poverty in the country and the corrupt ways of government officers and politicians'.MORE

Ex-Burma Dictator Ne Win's Kin Get Death for Treason
Observers were divided as to whether there truly had been an attempt to oust Burma's ruling junta. However, death sentences were handed to former Burma dictator Ne Win's relatives for supposedly plotting to overthrow the military regime. This was a dramatic confirmation that the era of Ne Win's domination was at an end. A military tribunal in Burma also sentenced 83 soldiers to 15 years in jail for plotting to overthrow the military government. The four alleged ring-leaders of the plot, General Ne Win's son-in-law Aye Zaw Win and his threen grandsons, were tried separately in open court on high treason charges arising from the alleged coup plot. One grandson was sentenced to jail for the economic crimes and the four men were all sentenced to death on the treason charges.

Burmese Villagers Face Unocal in US Court Over Human Rights Abuses
The energy giant Unocal, was complicit in human rights abuses by the Rangoon regime. Thus, human rights campaigners in the United States and Thailand were jubilant over a US court's decision on September 18, 2002, in a landmark human rights case. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals in California, set a remarkable precedent with its recent decision to give a go-ahead to the Doe vs Unocal case, in which the energy giant was complicit in human rights abuses by the Rangoon regime. The case, which revolves around events during the construction of the Yadana natural gas pipeline in southern Burma and the security arrangements for that pipeline, was remarkable for several reasons.

EU Delegates Meet Burma's Suu Kyi 12-9-2002
A delegation from the European Union met opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the final day of a mission aimed at promoting political reconciliation within Burma. The EUurged Burma to speed up political progress, saying the EU would respond positively to any development. The statement followed a three-day visit by an EU delegation to Rangoon, which ended on September 10, 2002. The mission was designed to encourage political dialogue between the ruling junta and the opposition, and to push for the release of political prisoners. It was the first EU visit since Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in May 2002, and it provided the senior European diplomats with an opportunity to assess what political progress, if any, had been made in Burma.

Khmer Rouge Guerrilla Leader Gets Life 12-9-2002
A Cambodian court sentenced a former Khmer Rouge leader, Chhouk Rin, to life in prison over the abduction and murder of three Western backpackers. The ruling followed an appeal by families of the victims against an amnesty that allowed Chhouk Rin to walk free after being found guilty of the charges in 2000. Chhouk Rin was not present at the hearing, and his lawyer said that he would appeal to the Cambodia's Supreme Court, his last possible legal avenue. Given that the country and its judiciary are extremely corrupt, the outcome would be hard to predict.

Plane Crash Lands at Manila Airport 12-9-2002
A commercial plane carrying 45 passengers crash-landed at Manila airport. The plane, operated by Asian Spirit airline sustained "major damage" in the incident, Air Transportation Office (ATO) chief Adelberto Yap said. But there were no injuries among the passengers and crew, Mr Yap added. The four-engine turboprop plane was on a domestic flight and most of the passengers were South Korean tourists.

Philippines Civil War: Abu Sayyaf Linked to Kidnap 30-8-2002
Suspected Muslim separatists kidnapped a group of door-to-door salespeople on the Philippine island of Jolo. The group of three men and five women were working for a cosmetics company when they were abducted in the town of Patikul. The Philippine military said later that two of the men had been freed. Military operations against the separatists continued, and correspondents said the workers might have been taken as human shields. The kidnapping was the first on the island since US troops began working with the Philippine military to hunt down the Abu Sayyaf group. The separatists beheaded two Jehovah's Witnesses they took hostage on August 20, 2002. This kidnapping was believed to have been led by a nephew of Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron. The Philippines military subsequently launched an offensive to find and free the remaining four Jehovah's Witnesses being held hostage.

Court Freezes Philippines President Estrada's Assets in Farcical Trial 30-8-2002
In classic Philippines style, the case against former President Estrada's for corruption and plundering of the state continued with with a farcical air as a Philippine court ordered a freeze on $4 illionm worth of assets suspected to be held by the deposed president, Joseph Estrada, who is being tried on charges of plunder. Prosecutors allege the former president stole nearly $80 million during his time in office. Mr Estrada denied the charges and says he was illegally ousted from office in January 2001 in what was nothing more than a United States orchestrated coup because of his anti-American stance when it came to the Bush administration ordering the United States accept the presence of U.S. troops in the southern Philippines to establish a base for further military operations into neighbouring Indonesia.

Protests Over Filipino Illegal Migrant Deaths During Malaysia's Deportations 29-8-2002
There were protests in the Philippines against neighbouring Malaysia's crackdown on illegal workers after 13 Filipino children died during the deportations. About 50 demonstrators gathered outside the Malaysian embassy in Manila and criticised the punitive labour policy, which allows for the barbaric, uncivilised and backward caning and jailing of illegal workers. The Philippines foreign ministry confirmed that three infants died either in Malaysia or during the journey back to the Philippines over the last week of August 2002. Philippines President Gloria Arroyo, who became extremely concerned over the migrants' conditions, flew to the Tawi Tawi islands near Malaysia, to meet the latest batch of fleeing immigrants.

Malaysia's Migrant Treatment Attacked 27-8-2002
The Philippines Government filed a formal complaint to the Malaysian authorities over reports that its neighbour was mistreating thousands of Filipino illegal immigrants. The protest followed an angry demonstration in Indonesia on August 26, 2002 against Malaysia's treatment of Indonesian immigrants. Malaysian courts had already ordered seven illegal immigrants to be jailed and caned in the first cases to be tried under the country's tough new immigration laws which came into effect at the end of July. Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines, Mohamad Taufik, was summoned to the country's Department of Foreign Affairs and handed the complaint, said Philippines Foreign Secretary Blas Ople. There were popular protests in the Philippines against neighbouring Malaysia's crackdown on illegal workers after 13 Filipino children died during the deportations.

Philippines Minister in Graft Probe Quits 26-8-2002
A front-runner for the Philippines 2004 presidential elections resigned from the government over a corruption inquiry. Raul Roco, Education Secretary, said the probe was humiliating and criticised President Gloria Arroyo for endorsing it. But since everyone in Philippine politics, including the president, is corrupt (no other way to get up there), the probe obviously was intended as a means to get rid of one contender in a below-the-waist blow.

Burma Warns Malaysia's Mahathir Against 'Hasty' Change 26-8-2002
A senior leader in Burma's military junta insisted it would not be hurried in moving towards more open government. The junta had been pressed by the US and Europe to speed up a reconciliation process underway with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt told visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad that Burma would move towards "democracy" at its own speed.

Deadly Storms Hit Philippines 26-8-2002
Heavy rains and floods in August 2002 killed at least 20 people in the Philippines and forced thousands to flee their homes. The Office of Civil Defence said most of the deaths happened on the island of Negros, in the central Philippines, where eight people were killed in landslides. It said at least another seven people died from electrocution in the province of Rizal, east of the capital, Manila, after a power line fell on a flooded street. Another person died in Manila's suburb, and four people were reported as being missing and presumed killed.

Burma 'Must Free Political Prisoners' 16-8-2002
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi issued a new plea for international pressure on Burma's military rulers to release more than 1,000 dissidents still held in jail. Aung San Suu Kyi was herself freed from 19 months of house arrest in May 2002 and was now using the detention of political prisoners as a measure for Burma's progress. The Nobel peace laureate issued a video statement insisting that the military rulers of Burma release all dissidents quickly or the country would fail to bring about democracy. Furthermore, Razali Ismail, special envoy of the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, on August 6 ended his five-day trip to Burma during which he met with Foreign Minister Win Aung and other government officials as well as National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Burma Frees 14 Political Prisoners 16-8-2002
Burma's military junta freed 14 political prisoners just days after opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for the release of all dissidents as a precondition for national reconciliation. Around 1,000 prisoners of conscience were estimated to remain behind bars in Burma. But hopes kept rising that the two sides would be moving closer to holding substantive talks. The UN envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, said during the second week of August 2002 that he believed Aung San Suu Kyi and the ruling generals could progress to discussing political issues from their previous, confidence-building talks. Aung San Suu Kyi said she was willing to talk to the military rulers of Burma - also known as Myanmar. But she also demanded freedom for all dissidents in the country. Another six political prisoners were released in the middle of August.

Philippines Civil War: Filipinos Flee to Malaysian Territory After Major Offensive 31-7-2002
Filipinos fled to Malaysia following a stepped-up offensive by US-backed forces against Abu Sayyaf separatists in the southern Philippines, Malaysia's defence minister said. Defence Minister Najib Razak said late on July 2, 2002 that Malaysian armed forces detained 150 Filipinos who had tried to sneak into the eastern state of Sabah, on Borneo island, over the past two weeks. At least five people were injured in the southern city of Zamboanga when residents threw rocks at a convoy of anti-US protesters from other provinces. The opponents of the US military action in the Philippines claimed it threatened a return to colonialism.

Vietnam and East Timor Establish Diplomatic Ties 29-7-2002
Vietnam and East Timor established diplomatic ties in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on July 28, 2002. Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Duy Nien and East Timorese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Jose Ramos-Horta signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level.

Burma Drums up Border Tension Against Thailand 27-7-2002
A row between Burma and Thailand had been on the verge of erupting for several months. There had been heavy fighting along the border since May 2002, with hundreds of casualties and thousands of civilians fleeing into Thailand for safety. On the surface, the Burmese capital Rangoon was awash with nationalist sentiment. Cars, taxis and bicycles all have the Burmese flag prominently displayed. Newspapers were full of anti-Thai rhetoric. But the reality is that most people in fact do not share the military government's renewed nationalist fervour.

Philippines Foreign Minister Named 27-7-2002
Labour activists in the Philippines criticised President Gloria Arroyo's choice of new foreign minister, saying that he gave the world the "Filipino slave", particularly the United States, which is seen by most ordinary Filipinos as busy neo-colonising the country through economic and military means. Opposition to the Americans' manoeuvres and to the military operation led the U.S. State Department to order Mrs Arroyo to force the previous foreign minister to resign. Opposition leader Blas Ople, 75, was appointed by Mrs Arroyo late on July 24, 2002 to replace Teofisto Guingona, who in June resigned in a high profile row over US troops operating on Philippine territory.

Laos Routinely Tortures Prisoners 27-7-2002
Prisoners in Laos routinely face torture and are denied medical care in a system that "lacks transparency, clarity or reason", according to a new report by human rights group Amnesty International. Suspects are often detained arbitrarily and beaten without court proceedings while access to lawyers depends on having enough money, the London-based group said. The damning report said abuse occurs regardless of nationality.

Burmese Democracy Leader Cheered 22-7-2002
Thousands of cheering supporters greeted the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who ventured outside the capital for the second time since being released from house arrest in May 2002. As she opened new offices of her party, the National League for Democracy, in Moulmein, south-east of Rangoon, once-forbidden songs played. About 3,000 clapping people jammed Moulmein's main street as she arrived. Aung San Suu Kyi, 57, told supporters only the people had the right to decide the nation's fate and her party would persevere in the building of a democratic system.

Philippines Elections Sparks Violence 22-7-2002
Voting got under way in the Philippines on July 15, 2002 in local elections which had already provoked widespread violence. Polling took place for hundreds of thousands of local government positions after a campaign in which dozens of people died in violence that clearly demonstrated that Filipinos obviously had no understand of the true meaning of democracy. The latest apparent victim was a local council candidate who was found beheaded in the southern province of South Cotabato on the night before the polls opened. Despite the bloodshed, the death toll was reported to be lower than during previous elections. Polls closed the same afternoon. Turnout was lower than anticipated due to the floods which had washed out the Philippines over the previous week.

Burma Terrorising Ethnic Minorities 17-7-2002
Burma's military junta is carrying out a reign of terror against the country's ethnic minorities, a human rights group reported. The London-based watchdog, Amnesty International, said in a report that although human rights have improved in the capital, Rangoon, civilians in eastern Burma were battling to survive. The group interviewed about 100 migrants who had left their homes because they said their subsistence lifestyles were threatened by the military regime. Burma's army subjects the Shan, Mon and Karen ethnic groups to forced labour, extortion and land confiscation, Amnesty said. And civilians accused of collaborating with ethnic separatists continue to be killed and tortured in the country.

50 Killed in Floods and Landslides in the Philippines 13-7-2002
The authorities in the Philippines said at least 50 people died in rain and floods brought by a succession of typhoons and tropical storms over the the second week of July 2002. Monsoon winds and rains lashed the Philippines over the July 6-7 weekend, flooding streets in the capital and killing at least 15 people. including 11 in landslides and drownings. Typhoon Chata'an dumped heavy rains in and around Manila on that weekend. Although the rains eased the following day, flooding continued in several areas of the Philippine capital, in one case reaching as high as 14 metres, the disaster-monitoring agency said.

Philippines Jails Terror Suspect Over Bombings 13-7-2002
An Indonesian man implicated in a string of deadly bombings in Manila at the end of 2000 was sentenced to up to 17 years in jail. Agus Dwirkana was found guilty in the Philippines on July 12, 2002 of the illegal possession of explosives. He was arrested during a visit to the Philippines capital in March, when he was said to have met now-jailed Indonesian Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, who had admitted his involvement in the Manila attacks. Indonesia expressed concern over a 10-year jail sentence handed down by the Philippine court to the Indonesian citizen found guilty of possessing explosives and violating immigration laws.

Philippine Foreign Minister Forced to Resign 12-7-2002
Philippine Vice-President Teofisto Guingona was forced resign as foreign minister, after a political farce during the last week of June 2002 when it was announced he was stepping down after the United States had told Philippine President Gloria Arroyo that Mr Guingona's holding that position was deemed to be not conducive to furthering American interests in the region, and then reinstated later the same day after he angrily stormed to see her to demand an explanation. The final decision was made public in a joint statement with President Gloria Arroyo, which whom he had publicly argued over the US military presence and combat operations in the south of the country. Mr Guingona would remain vice-president. President Gloria Arroyo has announced she is taking over the post of foreign secretary in order to build closer ties with the US, in accordance with instructions issued by the US State Department. However, Vice-President Teofisto Guingona vowed not to "fade away" after he left office over policy differences with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Burmese Opposition Leader Tests Freedom 30-6-2002
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi made her first political trip outside the capital Rangoon since her release from house arrest in May 2002. She visited the city of Mandalay, where she met officials from her political party, the National League for Democracy. Her low-key but unhindered departure early on June 22 showed signs that the military government could be keeping a promise made at her release to allow her full political freedom. Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest after breaking travel restrictions placed on her by the government. Observers had previously said that a politically-motivated trip outside the capital would be the first true test of the regime's commitment to keep their promise. Aung San Suu Kyi was greeted by a crowd of several thousand people after she arrived in Mandalay.

Intense Fighting Continues in Thailand-Burma Border War 30-6-2002
In June 2002, in a major, long-term war also involving Thailand and that for some reason is not mentioned in the Western media, dozens of people were killed in heavy fighting in Burma near the Thai border. The Burmese army had been attacking positions captured recently by the rival ethnic Shan group, the Shan State Army, opposite Thailand's Chiang Mai province. Military sources say about 150 Burmese soldiers have been killed or injured, but this has not been confirmed officially. It was also unclear how many Shan separatists died or had been wounded. Hundreds of villagers were evacuated from the Thai side of the border after several shells landed inside Thailand. Sources said about 100 government soldiers were killed and around 150 others injured during attacks during the first week of June aimed at recapturing border bases, while some 50 SSA combatants were reported dead or wounded. Thai-Burmese fighting, which started in April, reheated ancient rivalry between Thailand and Burma, and exposed a rift between the Thai army and government. Towards the end of June the Burmese Government said it had retaken all the army bases which were captured by ethnic Shan rebels in May during fighting near the Thai border. The Thais also killed scores of invaders entering Thai territory.

Philippines Civil War: Army Hunts Down Separatists After Hostages Killed 30-6-2002
The Philippine army said it was confident it would crush the Abu Sayyaf separatist movement after a jungle shoot-out with the group in which two hostages died. Reinforcements were sent to hunt down about 40 separatists on the run after troops raided the separatists' base in an attempt to free the captives, Philippine military Chief of Staff General Roy Cimatu said. National Security Advisor Roilo Golez told a local radio station that President Gloria Arroyo had given clear orders and that the military were now carrying out search and destroy operations against Abu Sayyaf. The two who died in the rescue attempt were American missionary Martin Burnham and Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap, while Mr Burnham's wife, Gracia, 43, was shot in the leg but evacuated to safety. US troops on Basilan operating with the Philippine army to crush the Abu Sayyaf came under fire for the first time and they returned fire. A senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf was shot and possibly killed. An informant who led the Philippines military to the Muslim separatist leader believed to have been killed was given a $100,000 reward. Towards the end of the month separatist camps were being overrun.

Disorganised Philippines Government U-turn Over Foreign Minister's Non-Resignation 30-6-2002
In what seemd as a classic disorganised Philippines government mess, confusion surrounded the Philippines government on June 27, 2002 as it was announced that Vice-President Teofisto Guingona would stay on as foreign minister, despite an earlier announcement that he had resigned, as requested by the United States' State Department. The new announcement came after Mr Guingona had a one-to-one meeting with President Gloria Arroyo hours after a letter was released saying she accepted his resignation. Mr Guingona had insisted all along that he had not resigned from the foreign office, fuelling rumours of a rift with the president, and that this was a classic Asian-style manoeuvre to remove him. The vice-president had openly objected to the presence of US troops in the country, who were in operations with Philippines troops to supposedly combat Islamic separatists in the country's south. He, like most Filippinos, see the presence of American troops on Philippine soil as a form of neo-colonial strongarming by the United States. The following day Philippine government moved to limit the political damage after Vice-President Teofisto Guingona was apparently sacked as foreign minister and then re-instated hours later.

Cambodia Supposedly Cracks Down on Illicit Timber 30-6-2002
The Cambodian Government withdrew a licence from a logging company for the first time. The decision to revoke the licence - held by the Malaysian GAT corporation - followed the annual meeting of Cambodia's international donors and the World Bank, who have put pressure on the government to act. The loss of Cambodia's rainforests has been highlighted by the environmental group Global Witness who have a unique legal responsibility to monitor the state of logging in Cambodia. However, given that Malaysia had in June 2002 decided to curb the milling of imported timber acquired through illegal logging in other countries, this is probably more a show for foreign consumption than anything. Especially as most logging operations in Cambodia are run by members of the country's extremely corrupt and often brutal economic and political elite.

Burma Renews Suu Kyi Isolation 26-6-2002
Burma's military rulers renewed their efforts to isolate the democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi just weeks after releasing her from house arrest. The National League for Democracy (NLD) leader had not met any senior military officials since her release on May 6, 2002, and the generals made no attempt to resume talks with her. The two sides had started secretive talks in October 2000, and Aung San Suu Kyi's release had seemed to signal the start of more substantive negotiations. Shortly after Aung San Suu Kyi was freed, Burma's deputy intelligence chief, Brigadier General Kyaw Win told journalists that both sides trusted each other and a new stage in the dialogue process would start soon - but that was back in April. As a test of her freedom, Suu Ky ileft the capital, Rangoon, for the first time since her release from house arrest.

Indonesian Sailors Seized by Armed Men in Philippines 26-6-2002
Gunmen abducted four Indonesian crew-members of a tugboat in the southern Philippines. It was unclear who the gunmen were, but the incident took place in the area where the Muslim separatist group, the Abu Sayyaf, was active. On June 7, 2002 two hostages - including an American missionary - were killed during a rescue mission, and a third freed from the Abu Sayyaf after a year in captivity. Philippines officials speculated that the Abu Sayyaf might now be looking for more hostages. One of four missing Indonesian seamen was quickly found after apparently escaping the armed kidnappers.

Philippines Shoot-out Leaves 17 Dead 26-6-2002
Seventeen people were killed in a gun battle between security forces and members of a Christian cult in the southern Philippines, according to police. The violence erupted on the island of Dinagat late on June 18, 2002, when the authorities tried to arrest the group's leader, Ruben Ecleo. Mr Ecleo, who headed the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA), was accused of murdering his wife. He gave himself up the following morning.

Freed Philippines Missionary Calls for Justice 14-6-2002
American missionary Gracia Burnham called for the Muslim separatists who held her captive and killed her husband to be brought to justice. She was speaking before leaving the Philippines to return home to the United States. Her husband, Martin, and a Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap died on June 7, 2002, during an army operation to free them from the Abu Sayyaf, who had held them for over a year. Philippines President Gloria Arroyo defended the operation against Abu Sayyaf separatists to rescue three hostages, which left two of them dead. Speaking during a visit to the south of the country, where the military were still pursuing the separatists, she insisted that her troops had exercised good judgment. US troops served as pallbearers as the Philippines mourned the nurse who was shot dead with the American hostage during the attempt to free them.

US Firm Sued Over Burma Abuse 13-6-2002
A US energy company was set to stand trial over claims of human rights abuses in Burma.

Thai Justice System 2^nd Worst in Asia After Indonesia 10-6-2002
Failure to raise the performance and ethics of Thailand's police force has made it a national scandal. Corruption and political interference are rife throughout police and justice systems in Asia, according to a regional survey that rated Thailand among the worst in the region. Indonesia was put at the bottom of the heap and its "whole legal system is in desperate need of an overhaul", according to the survey of expatriates by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy. Thailand's legal system had deteriorated to the second worst in the region, according to PERC.

Philippines Civil War: US Offers $5 Million for Abu Sayyaf 31-5-2002
The United States Government offered a reward of up to $5 million for the capture in the Philippines of leaders of the Abu Sayyaf, the Muslim militant group holding an American missionary couple and a Filipina nurse hostage. The US ambassador to Manila, Francis Ricciardone, said the reward would be offered for any or all of five leaders of the group, including its leader Abu Sabaya. He appealed for those with information to phone the US embassy in the Philippines. Any reward will be decided by a US committee. Two helicopters belonging to US troops helping the Philippines army to search for the separatists had come under enemy fire. The Philippine Muslim separatist leader on the United States' most-wanted list welcomed a US move to put the $5 million bounty on his head. Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya said the US announcement of a reward on him and four other top separatist commanders gave the group more stature.

Philippines Separatists Threaten to Kill US Hostages 31-5-2002
The Philippines separatist group the Abu Sayyaf said it was no longer prepared to hold negotiations over the release of its two US hostages. The leader of the group, Abu Sabaya, made the statement in a local radio interview, after the Philippine Government said it was standing by its policy of not entering into talks. He also indicated that the separatists might kill the hostages, missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, who were captured from a holiday in May 2001. More than 1,000 US troops were currently in the southern Philippines helping in operations against the separatists. The American missionary couple held hostage in the southern Philippines began their second year in captivity with no sign of being freed soon. The two were both ill and could have been separated by their captors who were on the run from local troops backed by American forces.

Philippine Muslim Separatist Leader Defiant 31-5-2002
Detained Philippine separatist leader Nur Misuari said he was innocent of rebellion charges and vowed Muslims in the southern Philippines would one day get their own homeland. Mr Misuari, the former governor of a Muslim self-rule area in the south, was speaking to reporters after a court hearing at which he had been due to be formally charged over a failed uprising in 2001. The judge postponed the hearing until May 30 pending a defence petition for the case to be dropped. Mr Misuari had led the Moro National Liberation Front in a 24-year revolt for an Islamic state in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines.

Thousands of Filipinos Rally for Estrada 31-5-200231-5-2002
Former Philippines Mr Estrada faced charges of corruption and economic plunder, which carry a possible death sentence, but he said judges had already made up their mind to convict him and that this was nothing more than a kangaroo court. Thousands of Filipinos rallied to call for the reinstatement of former President Estrada who was ousted from power in January 2001. The protests marked the first anniversary of a violent protest march by Estrada supporters outside the presidential palace. Although those protests ended in bloodshed, there was no violence reported during the May 1, 2002 march. But the Philippine security forces took no chances, with hundreds of armed soldiers and five fire trucks backing up 5,000 riot police who kept the protesters from the palace gates.

Burma Treason Trial Opens 31-5-2002
The treason trial of four relatives of Burma's former military dictator, General Ne Win, opened in a court near the capital Rangoon. The general's son-in-law, Aye Zaw Win, and his three grandsons were arrested in March 2002 and were accused of plotting to overthrow the current military government. If found guilty they could face the death penalty. Observers still remained sceptical that Ne Win's family members were really plotting a coup, and suspect edthat the allegations had more to do with internal conflicts within the military leadership.

Amnesty International Reports on Asia-Pacific Abuses 30-5-2002
The 2002 annual review by the international human rights group Amnesty International highlighted increased abuses in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The group criticised the enactment of harsh security legislation in Singapore and Malaysia and accused the Chinese Government of using the war against terrorism to justify action against ethnic Uighur separatists, claiming they are linked to the al-Qaeda network when in fact they were not. Amnesty also highlighted human rights abuses in the Indonesian provinces of Aceh and Papua, where it said hundreds of civilians disappeared and houses were destroyed as a punishment for separatist attacks against government forces.

Burma's Opposition Lays Claim to Power 30-5-2002
Burma's opposition National League for Democracy renewed its call for the military government to recognise the results of the 1990 general election, in which the NLD scored an overwhelming victory. The NLD restated its demand as the party's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, addressed more than 1,000 members and several foreign diplomats on the 12^th anniversary of the NLD's triumph in the polls. At the largest political NLD gathering since Aung San Suu Kyi was released from 19 months of house arrest early in May 2002, the opposition leader told a cheering crowd to be unified and to prepare to face hardships in their struggle for democracy.

Burma Releases Political Prisoners 30-5-2002
Burma's ruling military junta freed nine jailed members of the National League of Democracy - the first political prisoners to be released since their leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, emerged from house arrest in early May 2002.

Khmer Rouge Commander Charged 25-5-2002
A former Khmer Rouge commander was arrested in Cambodia in connection with the murders of three Western backpackers in 1994, military officials said. Sam Bith, who was made a general in the Cambodian army after defecting from the Khmer Rouge in 1996, was arrested in the north-western province of Battambang.

Philippines Suffers Major Power Cut 22-5-2002
A power cut on May 21, 2002 hit more than half the population of the Philippines, leaving thousands of passengers stranded on the light railway system in Manila and halting trading on the Philippine Stock Exchange. More than 40 million people were left without electricity in the capital, Manila, and the rest of the main island, Luzon.

ASEAN Reticent Over East Timor 21-5-2002
The Association of South East Asian Nations reacted cautiously to calls for the newly independent state of East Timor to join the organisation. ASEAN's Secretary General, Rodolfo Severino, said that East Timor would be able to argue its case at a regional forum in July 2002 - where the new nation had been invited as a guest. But he said certain conditions would have to be met first - for example an East Timorese embassy would have to open in all of ASEAN's 10 member states.

Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi Tests Freedom 20-5-2002
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, released from house arrest by the military government on May 6, 2002, visited a suburban party office in the first real test of her new-found freedom. Aung San Suu Kyi drove from Rangoon to Shwepyitha, a suburb less than 30 kilometres away, to meet activists and officials at her National League for Democracy's party office. Aung San Suu Kyi said all restrictions on her had now been lifted, but analysts watched this trip carefully to see how much the military government would tolerate her expanding political influence.

Hopes Were High for Burma Breakthrough 18-5-2002
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was freed after she met one of the country's top generals on May 1, 2002 to discuss the conditions for her release and the possible mass release of other political prisoners. The talks with the country's military intelligence chief, Lieutenant Khin Nyunt, were the latest signal that the two sides were close to an agreement. Opposition sources had said the military government still attached conditions - and unless it were to make a significant concession freeing her unconditionally, Aung San Suu Kyi would not accept the government's offer. In the end, the promise of hard foreign currency through aid programs convinced the generals to release Aung San Suu Kyi, but not before the UN envoy to Burma had to appear one last time.

Burma Frees Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi 15-5-2002
The Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, rallied her followers after the military government released her on May 6, 2002 from nearly 20 months of house arrest. Thousands of cheering supporters mobbed her as she arrived at the headquarters of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), after being driven from her lakeside villa in Rangoon. In her first public statement, the Nobel Peace Prize winner said her release was unconditional and she was free to go anywhere she wanted. World leaders welcomed the development that could lead to a resumption of the process of bringing democracy to Burma. MORE . . .

UN Envoy Razali in Business Deal with Burmese Junta 9-5-2002
The United Nations special envoy serving as a mediator between Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the military government was linked to a business deal that some said could undermine his work in the country. A company headed and partly owned by Ismail Razali, who had received widespread praise for his patient negotiating tactics that resulted in the May 2002 release of the pro-democracy leader, signed a business deal during the last week of April with the Rangoon junta, thus demonstrating that much of what went on behind the scenes was not as clean as it seemed.

South-East Asia Acts on Terror 9-5-2002
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines signed an anti-terrorism pact as part of South-East Asia's battle against regional militant groups. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the May 7, 2002 agreement would enable the neighbours to swap intelligence and launch joint police operations. All three countries had made a series of arrests over the previous six months as the spotlight turned on Asian Muslim militants in the wake of 11 September.

Philippines Civil War: US Military Operation to Diversify into Infrastructure Development 30-4-2002
They can run, but there is nowhere to hide. Two months after the United States military began a controversial operation in the southern Philippines, the ground as of April 2002 had become considerably less hospitable for the Abu Sayyaf, a group of Muslim guerrilla separatists said by both governments to supposedly be local proxies of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network in order that the US could have a pretext to place combat troops in the Philippines. After all the separatist civil war in the southern Philippines has been going on since Osama bin Laden was about 12 years old. But who is counting or noticing the inconsistencies in the claims made by George W. Bush and his administration? There continued to be frequent protest rallies over the US presence, which critics said infringes national sovereignty even as Philippine President Gloria Arroyo sanctioned the deployment of hundreds more American troops for the country's troubled south to try to help end the Philippine civil war. Thousands more US soldiers were also in the Philippines for the joint military operations. A number of the separatists surrendered during April.

Negotiations for US Hostages Held in Philippines 30-4-2002
US officials said Washington was helping to broker a ransom settlement for a missionary couple being held in the southern Philippines. Negotiations were started in March 2002 for the release of two American hostages who had been held in the southern Philippines for nearly a year, according to US officials. An official in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed US news reports that Washington had helped to arrange an abortive payment to the Abu Sayyaf separatists late in March, and said activity to free the couple was continuing. Provincial officials on Basilan island, where Martin and Gracia Burnham had been held since May 27, 2001, confirmed the ransom reports, but said they did not know why the couple had not been released. The family of the abducted American missionary couple also confirmed it made a deal with the Abu Sayyaf separatists who were holding them.

Burma Tries Key UN Talks 27-4-2002
The United Nations envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, in late April 2002 arrived in Rangoon to try to revive talks between the country's ruling generals and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. After more than 12 months of talks, UN officials said Mr Razali's visit was really a make-or-break trip because the international community was growing increasingly impatient at the lack of concrete results. The UN special envoy also met pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as he tried to break the country's political deadlock. This was Mr Razali's seventh visit to Burma since he initiated secret talks in October 2000. The United Nations' special envoy said he was hopeful of progress, although he acknowledged it would not necessarily come soon. And even as the envoy worked to bring about reforms, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights accused the military government in Burma of gross human rights violations and stalling on political progress.

Blasts Kill 15 in Southern Philippines 27-4-2002
At least 15 people were killed in two explosions in the southern Philippines city of General Santos. Over 69 more were injured by the blasts, which occured within minutes of each other. The police linked the blasts to an obscure group called the Indigenous People's Federal Army, which campaign for a federal state for tribal groups. But a man linked to the Abu Sayyaf Muslim separatist group telephoned a radio station and said: "We did it". Subsequently, a small bomb exploded the following day on a fishing boat outside General Santos as the president met with the mayor of the city that was rocked by the series of deadly blasts. A 'state of emergency' was then declared in General Santos after the wave of bombings. Police in the Philippines charged a number of people over the bombings. Later, another bomb exploded in a residential area of Cagayan de Oro City.

Former Philippines President Estrada's Trial Continues as a Farce 27-4-2002
In classic Philippines style, the farcical case against former President Estrada's for corruption and plundering of the state continued to be on hold. Supporters of deposed Philippines President Joseph Estrada staged a large rally to mark his 65^th birthday. Up to 5,000 supporters marched or were bussed into the capital Manila, many carrying placards saying "Happy birthday President Joseph Estrada." Police arrested a key supporter of former Philippines President Joseph Estrada, days before the controversial first anniversary of his arrest.

Mayor Shot Dead in Northern Philippines 24-4-2002
Armed men assassinated a town mayor in the northern Philippines, just minutes after he had led flag-raising ceremonies at the municipal hall. Four unidentified attackers shot dead Jesus Sebastian, the mayor of Jones town in Isabela province 230 kilometres north of the capital Manila. A faction of the Communist New People's Army (NPA) was reported to have sent a statement to a radio station, taking responsibility for the attack. The separatists claimed the mayor owed "blood deaths" for pushing military operations against the NPA, which has fought an armed campaign against the government for more than 30 years. They also said farmers had been displaced from their homes by the development of projects to produce coffee and cement and projects that enriched the country's political and economic elite and further impoverished poor farmers through displacement from their lands for these projects.

Philippines Ferry Fire Kills 28 19-4-2002
At least 28 people were killed in the Philippines following a fire on a passenger ferry in the seas southeast of Manila. Some 244 passengers and crew were rescued but at least 11 others remain unaccounted for. The ferry, the MV Maria Carmella, had set sail from the island of Masbate but was abandoned due to the fire just an hour from its destination of Lucena in Quezon province, about 110km from Manila. Montenegro Shipping Lines, which owns the Carmela, said a total of 244 people had been rescued from the burning vessel. Coast guard officials said many of those killed drowned when they jumped off the ship. Official investigators in the Philippines looked into the possibility that a burning cigarette end started the fire.

East Timor Holds First Presidential Election - Xanana Gusmao Declared President of New Country 18-4-2002
Counting of ballots cast in East Timor's historic presidential election began the day after polls closed. About 380,000 people - 86% of registered electors - voted for the man they wanted to become president of East Timor when it would become a country on May 20. Independence leader and former guerilla commander Xanana Gusmao was officially declared the winner of East Timor's first presidential election. The election paved the way for East Timor to become the world's newest country. The official electoral commission announced Mr Gusmao won 83% of votes cast in the April 14, 2002 election, compared to just 17% for his only challenger, Francisco Xavier do Amaral. But the new president warned of challenge ahead for the new country.

Burma Treason Trial Announced 18-4-2002
Four relatives of Burma's former military dictator, General Ne Win, were to be put on trial in the near future. The general's son-in-law, Aye Zaw Win, and his three grandsons were arrested in early March 2002 and accused of plotting to overthrow the current military government. The deputy intelligence chief, Major General Kyaw Win, told journalists in Rangoon that the four would be tried for high treason in an open trial. More than 200 soldiers, police and civilians had already been questioned, Kyaw Win said.

Cambodia Attacked Over its Unjust Refugee Plans 18-4-2002
A prominent human rights group expressed strong concern over Cambodia's plan to close two refugee camps and stop offering asylum to ethnic minorities fleeing from Vietnam. The group, the American-based Human Rights Watch, said that while it welcomed the March 2002 decision by the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, to allow nearly 1,000 refugees to re-settle in the United States, his plans to deport future asylum seekers were against international law.

Four Human Rights Workers Killed by Philippines Army Troops 11-4-2002
Four human rights workers, including two women, were killed by government troops in southern Philippines. The victims were conducting research in the village of Kinawayan in Arakan town in North Cotabato province, 975km south of Manila, when their house was indiscriminately strafed by army soldiers on April 5, 2002.

US and ASEAN Agree on Economic Cooperation 11-4-2002
The United States and the Association of Southeast Asia Nations on April 5 agreed to expand economic cooperation, agreeing to set up their first work programme to cover a wide range of economic and social issues. The two sides had never had a working team to alleviate and monitor impediments to trade and investment, said Thailand's Commerce Ministry permanent secretary Karun Kittisataporn. The decision to form a work programme was endorsed at the ASEAN Economic Ministers and United States Trade Representative consultation in Bangkok.

Lao National Assembly Elects New Leaders 11-4-2002
As expected in what was nothing more than a rubber-stamping exercise, the fifth National Assembly of Laos re-selected Samane Viynaketh, Politburo member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, as NA Chairman, and selected Ms. Pany Dathotu as NA Vice Chairman. The NA leaders were among the 109 deputies who were elected during the February 24, 2002 "elections". Laos' newly elected parliament voted on April 9 to keep the country's ageing communist president and prime minister in place, quashing rumours they would be replaced.

UN Halts Vietnam Refugee Programme 31-3-2002
The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR pulled out of its programme to repatriate around a thousand Vietnamese tribal people who fled to Cambodia in 2001. The decision follows an incident on March 21, 2002 when UNHCR staff working at a refugee camp in Cambodia were attacked after trying to prevent Montagnard refugees from being forcibly returned home. In a letter to the governments of Vietnam and Cambodia, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, said the organisation can no longer be associated with the repatriation agreement, which is exactly what the two governments wanted, so that they continue to do what they wanted unimpeded by human rights concerns. More than 400 Vietnamese officials arrived at the Cambodian refugee camp in Mondulkiri on March 21. They threatened and manhandled refugees and the UNHCR staff trying to protect them. The United States said it was prepared to give asylum to about 1,000 of ethnic minority people who had fled Vietnam for Cambodia. The Cambodian Government said it would allow more than 900 Vietnamese hill tribe people to be moved from border refugee camps to the United States.

Civil War: Some Philippines Separatists Start to Surrender 31-3-2002
Forty-four Muslim separatists surrendered in the southern Philippines, complaining of hardships in their life in the mountains,