Southeast Asia


	June 29, 2002	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

HEY, JOE
Tour of valor
Where 60 years ago World War II turned a Philippine paradise into hell on Earth, all that remains of the blood and destruction are monuments to the men who fought and died. Today veterans and their families are returning from the United States to remember, to ponder, to rediscover their history, and to pay homage. Some of them shared their thoughts and emotions with Ted Lerner. (Jun 28)
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Indonesia: No insurance against failure
In a case that almost defies the imagination, a profitable and liquid insurance company in Indonesia, the subsidiary of a Canadian giant, has been declared bankrupt. The episode is not only an indictment of Indonesia's judicial system, it is a sorry example of just how quickly an investment there can go horribly wrong, writes Bill Guerin. (Jun 27)
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Mahathir moves on: Malaysia's uncertain future
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has announced plans to end his two-decade rule - but not until late next year. The long transition period raises more questions than it answers and guarantees a politically painful process. One of many problems to be grappled with is the matter of Mahathir's jailed former deputy, Anwar Ibrahim. (Jun 27)
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Mixed feelings over Mahathir move
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Hong Kong, Singapore economies freest
The Economic Freedom of the World Report, an annual project launched with the help of Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, has analyzed the relative economic freedom of 123 countries and areas, and Hong Kong and Singapore top the list. Mainland China came 101st. (Jun 27)
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Kill or cure: Bio-weapons in the war on drugs
A US-led global obsession with wiping out narcotics use at the supply end rather than controlling their consumption has taken a dangerous turn: destroying illicit crops, particularly coca in Latin America and opium in Asia, with toxic fungi. Tom Fawthrop examines the biological war on drugs. (Jun 25)
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Auto tariffs test Vietnam's free-market commitment
Vietnam has several more years to phase in tariff cuts as a member of the Southeast Asian free trade area, but Hanoi officials are already wringing their hands over some aspects of the program. Attention is focused on how the government handles the case of the automotive industry, currently under heavy tariff protection. (Jun 25)
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Singapore telcos unite in payment first
Singapore is set to pave the way for the telecommunications industry by being one of the first in the world to implement a national payment system by uniting several mobile phone firms to offer a standardized mobile commerce solution. Tony Sitathan reports. (Jun 24)
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Under the volcano: Indonesia's electricity woes
International financial wranglings over a long-stalled geothermal power project on the edge of a Javanese volcano threaten to erupt across Indonesia. While the matter is dragged through the courts, and deals between Indonesia's state-owned utilities and private firms languish, the country's increasing hunger for electric power remains unsated. Bill Guerin reports. (Jun 21)
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