Singapore eco-tourism zone not so eco-friendly? →
sea-globe.com — Singapore is creating a vast eco-tourism zone in a bid to bring in more visitors, but environmentalists fear the development will damage natural habitatsWhile it may be best known as a financial hub with scores of high-rise buildings, tropical Singapore is still home to patches of rainforest and an array of wildlife, from monkeys to pangolins – also known as scaly anteaters.
In one green corner of the city sits a zoo and two sister attractions – a night safari and river safari – that have long been big draws for foreign and local visitors.
Now jungle is being cleared in the same area to make way for a bird park, a rainforest park and a 400-room resort, to create a green tourism hub it is hoped will eventually attract millions of visitors a year.
But the project in the Mandai district has ruffled the feathers of environmentalists.
They believe that rather than promote biodiversity, it is too imposing for the area, will destroy forest habitats and they say insufficient safeguards were put in place before work began – leading to animals being killed on roads.
The row has highlighted concerns about rapid development in space-starved Singapore, and worries that some of the country’s more wild and green corners are being lost only to be replaced with something more artificial.
“I think you are getting your priorities wrong if you are replacing natural heritage with captive breeding,” Subaraj Rajathurai, a veteran wildlife consultant, told AFP.
With the new development, it appears that “making money was more of a priority than finding the balance and preserving biodiversity”, he added.
Roadkill Worries
Singapore Southeast Asia Nature conservation biodiversity eco-tourism zone Environmentalism
Taiwan and the Pacific: One Big, Happy Austronesian Family →
thediplomat.com — In focusing efforts to promote its indigenous peoples and culture, Taiwan is making a political gambit in the Pacific as well.Last week Taiwan’s Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) signed an agreement with the Pacific Island state of the Marshall Islands aimed at increasing bilateral exchanges in order to promote Austronesian culture. The agreement hopes to facilitate increased cooperation between Taiwan’s indigenous community and the ethnically and linguistically related people of the Marshall Islands, particularly in the fields of language, sports, and preservation of traditional wisdom and skills. The agreement coincides with the United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages, which seeks to draw attention to the critical state of many indigenous languages, and will be attempting to promote their protection and continued use, both at national and international levels.
The Austronesian language family encompasses over 2,000 languages that include Taiwan’s indigenous languages, as well as the languages of the Micronesian, Melanesian, and Polynesian islands of the Pacific, many of the major languages of Southeast Asia, and a geographic outlier in Madagascar. The island of Taiwan is generally considered the origin point for the distribution of the Austronesian languages (although this has been challenged). However, the relationship between Taiwan’s indigenous languages and those of the south Pacific regions is undisputed, providing an important historical link to facilitate greater cultural exchange.
Taiwan’s indigenous population has inhabited the island for at least 5,500 years, gradually becoming a minority as Han Chinese migration began in the 17th century. The various indigenous groups currently number around 530,000 people, or 2.3 percent of the population. While these indigenous groups suffer discrimination and lower economic status there seems to be movement within Taiwan toward improving their standards of living and recognition in the society. The establishment of the cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples in 2002 not only included the improvement of the quality of life for indigenous communities in its remit, but is also tasked with the strengthening of relations between Taiwan’s indigenous groups and those in other countries. That comes with a particular focus on the related Austronesian cultures of the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Austronesian languages Austronesia Taiwan Southeast Asia Marshall Islands
Whatever happened to: Vietnam's forgotten veterans →
sea-globe.comOn Christmas Day 40 years ago, 150,000 Vietnamese troops crossed the border into Cambodia and launched a bloody campaign to drive the murderous Khmer Rouge regime from power. Decades later, the men who fought against Pol Pot’s forces remain haunted by their memories, forgotten by their nation and distrusted by many of the Cambodians they freed
Cambodia Democratic Kampuchea Kampuchea Khmer Rouge Third Indochina War Vietnam Military History 1979
Doi Tung is a mountain located on one of the northernmost sections of the Thai/Myanmar border. At the top of a very steep climb lies a fortified hilltop viewpoint used by the Thai Royal Army to keep an eye on suspicious activities on the Myanmar side.
War-like as this outpost looks, its purpose is not so much to deter military attacks from Myanmar forces, but to prevent drug smuggling. Nowadays, these illegal activities are rare, but in the 1990s they were a contentious issue between the two countries.
From the Doi Tung outpost, you can see the deep trenches dug by the Thai Army along this section of the border. They are well kept and regularly used for drills. At the fort, there are barracks that house a small contingent of soldiers, who will carry on with their daily duties but will be glad to answer any questions visitors may have. There are also turrets and a memorial.
There are good reasons for this place to be a smuggling hotspot. First, on both sides, it is far from any major settlements, and it is sparsely populated. Second, it has no morphological barrier; the slopes of the mountains simply meet at the top, but apart from manmade fences, there are no natural obstacles between Thailand and Myanmar.
Due to the elevation, weather can be unpredictable. On a clear day, you can see an expansive view of the Myanmar countryside from the viewpoint, including a couple of mud huts at a distance. On a rainy day, the site acquires a ghostly atmosphere.
Doi Trung Thailand Myanmar Burma Southeast Asia Military History trench
Nation Branding in Post-Coup Thailand: A Strategy for Political Legitimation? →
kyotoreview.org — Since Simon Anholt (1998, 395), an independent policy advisor, first coined the term ‘nation branding’ in the late 1990s and proposed that nations, like products, can be branded and marketed through the use of commercial techniques, nation branding has become a widespread and popular practiceSoutheast Asia Thailand Thaksin Nationalism Identity National Council for Peace and Order NCPO
Ancient temples, survivors of the Khmer Rouge era, to be protected by locals →
phnompenhpost.com — Beneath the surface of a remote hill in Tuol Pongro commune, in Banteay Meanchey’s Malai district, lie two “mysterious” ancient temples that survived the Khmer Rouge years, waiting to be discovered. The local community and authorities are playing their roles in preserving the “treasures”.Prasat Knong and Prasat Krao temples are buried under Prey Praseth hill. Commune chief Sim Morn said the two are believed to have been excavated during the war.
Evidence of the digging can apparently be seen on the ground. He estimated that the former’s structure has been most damaged, while the latter is still in good shape.
“It is not clear when the temples had been excavated. The hill used to be a battleground. After the war ended, people came to live around this area and found proof of excavation,” he said.
Morn alleged that there was a looting attempt for treasures and ancient artefacts at the Prasat Krao temple.
Sixty-five-year-old Neang Thoeun from nearby O’Ampil village shared similar thoughts.
“That is why the villagers and authorities are jointly protecting the area to prevent others from doing the same thing,” he said.
Prey Praseth hill is considered sacred. Many people have come to the site to pray and undertake some rituals, asking for blessings and happiness, said Pech Chantha, 53, who lives in the area.
“Villagers simply call it [the hill] Tuol Prasat Krao because the shape of the temple is visible even though it is covered by soil,” he said.
Malai district police chief Ben Sam Ath said: “Experts had inspected the site, but no archaeological study or excavation has been carried out. The history and age of the temples remain a mystery,” he said.
The temple’s grounds contain iron-rich laterite stones, according to villagers.
They also believe that there used to be many ponds around the temples but they were filled up over decades, with water spinach and grass dominating the filled-up surface nowadays.
The provincial culture and fine arts department chief Yong Tang Kouy told The Post that the Tuol Prasat Krao site has been registered in the department’s “inventory book”.
A sign with a heritage logo has been planted to mark the boundary of the protected area.
Prasat Knong Prasat Krao Cambodia Angkor Southeast Asia Archaeology Heritage Management
How Tattoos Saved These Indonesian Women from Sexual Slavery in World War II →
vice.com — A local marriage tradition in the island of Timor helped these women escape becoming comfort women during Japanese occupation.Mariana Hoar remembers the fear of living under Japanese occupation—and the pain.
“When the Japanese came, we already tattooed ourselves so they would assume we had husbands,” she told me, pointing to the faded, but still ornate lines under her sun-wrinkled skin. “This means we’re married. It was so they would leave us alone… We were afraid.”
Mariana tapped her skin with her fingertips, mimicking the movement of a traditional tattoo needle. “Needle, needle, needle. Blood.”
“Did it hurt?” I asked.
“It hurt so bad,” Mariana said.
Timor Indonesia Southeast Asia Pacific Theater WWII Imperial Japanese Army Umatoos West Malaka Identity Tattoo traditional tattoo jugun lanfu
Indonesian District Wants to Ban Parents from Giving Their Babies 'Foreign Names' →
vice.com — There are a lot of Emmas being born in Indonesia right now.These days, there are more Dylans being born in Java than Darmontos. More Charlottes than Cahyanings. The trend among millennial parents in Indonesia right now is to give their kids Western names—which to some seem “exotic”—over something more traditional.
But those days might be over in Karanganyar, Central Java, where local leaders are mulling a total ban on non-Javanese names (at least for Javanese parents) in a bid to preserve local culture.
“The use of Javanese names has been eroded by foreign names,” Sumanto, the head of the local legislative council who, himself, has a Javanese. “With this regulation, we can understand that, from our ancestors, we have our own unique culture.”
But not everyone is on board with the ban. Ahmad Riza Patria, a lawmaker and deputy chair of the House commission on regional affairs and regional autonomy, called the move a violation of people’s rights as a parent. Basically, parents should be free to name their kids whatever the hell they want.
“If [the child] is of Chinese descent, then it’s normal for them to have a Chinese name,” Ahmad said. “If they’re of Arab descent, then it would make sense to have Arabic names. If they are of foreign descent, it should be completely normal.”
The proposed ban is in the early stages of discussion in Karanganyar and, judging by the response so far, it seems unlikely it ever will get off the ground. Indonesian politicians routinely float ideas in the press to gauge public response and see if an idea will win them any political points.
Karanganyar Java Southeast Asia Identity Names Name Traditional Name
‘They only go to Chinese shops’: mainland tourists causing tensions →
scmp.com — More than 1.27 million Chinese tourists visited the country in the first eight months of 2018, a 72 per cent increase over the same period in 2017 But locals say Chinese-owned businesses are benefiting most from the surgeChanny Murphy, owner of Mad Murphy’s Irish Pub – a one-room bar situated not far from Siem Reap’s famous Pub Street – said she has seen her mostly Western clientele slowly disappear.
Throughout the early 2000s, Cambodia’s top markets for tourism were dominated by Western countries, with the US, France and the UK ranking near the top. Now, these nationalities have largely been supplanted by visitors from countries like South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and China.
Last year, Cambodia hosted upwards of 5 million tourists and the industry accounted for 32.4 per cent of the country’s GDP. It has plans to increase the number of visitors to 12 million by 2025.
When Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the capital Phnom Penh last January, he and Prime Minister Hun Sen discussed how to get more Chinese tourists to visit Cambodia.
Murphy said that in her experience, Chinese tourists tend to stay in tour groups and rarely stray too far from the beaten path.
“They book from the hotel … everything is organised,” she said, “so they never walk out [from the tours].”
Bill Laurance, an ecologist at James Cook University in Australia who has written extensively about China’s ambitions abroad, agreed that Chinese tourists have a tendency to insulate themselves from local businesses.
China Cambodia Soft Power Tourism angkor archaeological park Southeast Asia Siem Reap phnom penh Hun Sen
'Khon' rises from near extinction in Cambodia →
bangkokpost.com — PHNOM PENH/BANGKOK: Cambodia's centuries-old tradition of masked dance was nearly wiped out by the Khmer Rouge's "Killing Fields" regime, but a handful of artists managed to keep it alive and are now working to pass it along to a new generation.Lakhon Khol was recently listed by Unesco, the United Nations’ cultural agency, as intangible cultural heritage, along with neighbouring Thailand’s version of the dance, known as khon.
There are different variations in Southeast Asia, all featuring dancers wearing elaborate painted masks depicting the Ramayana, a Sanskrit epic poem in which a prince rescues his wife from a demon with help from an army of monkeys.
But in Cambodia, the art form is still struggling to recover from the Khmer Rouge, under whose genocidal 1975-79 rule at least 1.7 million people, including artists, dancers and writers, died, mostly from starvation, overwork, disease, execution or torture.
“In the Khmer Rouge, I was young and they didn’t teach people to dance. Lakhon Khol was destroyed,” said Sun Rithy, who started to learn the dance when he was 14, after
Lakhon Khol Masked Dance Traditional Dance Robam Classical Dance Classical Ballet Khon Thailand Cambodia Southeast Asia
Thailand vows not to deport Saudi woman →
bbc.com — Rahaf al-Qunun, 18, barricaded herself inside a hotel room until the flight she was booked on left.Thailand’s immigration police chief says a Saudi woman who fled her family at the weekend will be given temporary entry to the country.
Thai immigration officials had tried to return Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, to Kuwait, where her family is.
She refused to board a flight to Kuwait City on Monday, and barricaded herself into her hotel room at Bangkok airport.
The teenager said she believed her family would kill her if she went back because she had renounced Islam.
The Thai authorities said her status would be assessed by the UN refugee agency.
“My brothers and family and the Saudi embassy will be waiting for me in Kuwait,” she told Reuters.
“My life is in danger. My family threatens to kill me for the most trivial things.”
From The sea road to the East, Gibraltar to Wei-hai-wei; six lectures by
Sargent, Arthur John (1912)
Sultan Muhammad V steps down as Malaysia's King →
straitstimes.com — Malaysia’s King has abdicated in an unprecedented move, ending weeks of speculation about his future after a recent meeting of the country’s nine monarchs.. Read more at straitstimes.com.KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s King has abdicated in an unprecedented move, ending weeks of speculation about his future that had heightened after a recent meeting of the country’s nine monarchs.
The National Palace said on Sunday (Jan 6) that Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan had resigned as the 15th Agong, or Supreme Ruler of the federation.
“His Majesty has prepared to return to Kelantan Darul Naim to be with the state government and especially the people of Kelantan to safeguard and develop Kelantan for the betterment of the public,” the Comptroller of the Royal Household Wan Ahmad Dahlan Ab Aziz said in a statement issued by Istana Negara.
Malaysia’s nine Malay state rulers elect an Agong among themselves every five years, usually on a rotational basis. But Sultan Muhammad’s resignation comes just two years after he ascended to the post in December 2016. The Palace said the Kelantan monarch had informed the other rulers of his decision.
His reign ended in controversial fashion after he took a two-month break “following treatment” beginning Nov 2. It was reported during this time that the 49-year-old had married Russian beauty queen Oksana Voevodina, 25, in Moscow.
During that time, Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah was Acting King until Dec 31. Just days later, the Council of Rulers held a “rare and unscheduled” meeting, and speculation spread quickly that Sultan Muhammad would step down soon.
That has now come to pass and The Straits Times understands that Sultan Nazrin will continue as Acting King before a new monarch is picked by the Council.
Malaysia sultan muhammad v Sultan of Kelantan Southeast Asia
🌺 OM NAMAH SHIVAYA ॐ
The Mayon volcano spews ash as the sun sets behind Legazpi city on January 25, 2018 in Albay province, Philippines. (Bullit Marquez/AP)
