Category Archives: Vietnam
The Farce of Vietnam’s Communist Party
Seattle, WA The music’s stopped, but they’re still dancing. You can still hear them singing the same revolutionary-nationalist songs, though the words are hollow, and their ideology no longer applies. The shell of international communism has been chipped, but … Continue reading
Posted in Vietnam
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A Vietnamese Folk Tale: The Origin of Rice Agriculture
Seattle, WA A week away from Burma’s first elections in twenty years, the world awaits to see how events play out. Most say the elections won’t be free and fair, the junta-backed USDP (Union Solidarity and Development Party) largely tipped … Continue reading
Posted in Southeast Asia, Vietnam
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Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand Comes Under Pressure
Brookline, MA In an unusually stifling move to quiet an admittedly rather sensitive discussion, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) not hold an event scheduled in Bangkok for September 13, 2010: … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Thailand, Vietnam
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Buffalo Stories: How He Lost His Upper Teeth
Bangkok, THAILAND 15 August, 2010 Have you ever seen how the water buffalo (Thai, kwai; Vietnamese, con trâu) has no upper teeth? They only have a row of bottom teeth but lack a matching set on the top. Well, I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Burma/Myanmar, Vietnam
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Civil Society and State Policy in Southeast Asian Countries: Examples of Authoritarian Control and Civil Society’s Responses
We receive conflicting reports on Burma regarding state policies toward civil society. The military government seems to allow certain privileges to some established non-governmental organizations (often those with close ties to the junta). But the regime’s policies toward independent organizations … Continue reading
Posted in Burma/Myanmar, Civil Society, Southeast Asia, Vietnam
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“Fence-Breaking” in Vietnam: An Example for Latent Civil Society to Follow?
Chiang Mai, THAILAND Last week, BBC correspondent Bill Hayton shared an excellent article in Forbes about Vietnam’s recent string of trials convicting pro-democracy lawyers, bloggers, and human rights activists.¹ He simultaneously observes the nation’s economic liberalization, astonishing legal dynamism, and … Continue reading
Posted in Burma/Myanmar, Civil Society, Vietnam
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Masters of Propaganda
Yangon, MYANMAR 2 JULY, 2010 Would it be naïve to say we don’t have propaganda in the US? Well, yes, I suppose we could admit our media, art, marketing campaigns, and advertisements, all heavily influence the way we think. However, … Continue reading
Posted in Burma/Myanmar, Vietnam
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Beyond Chinglish
Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM If I may, I’d like to begin this blog on a somewhat superficial note. This entry has been in part inspired by the recent NY Times Op-Ed piece written by Andrew Jacobs, titled “Shanghai Is … Continue reading
Posted in Southeast Asia, Vietnam
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Where the Buffalo Roam 