DPRK (Dangerous Pouring Rain in Korea)

It appears that

... can't seem to digest

... but needs a whole lot more
..but less

* * *

Dealing with North Korea for the past 10 years has been like a

The Remedy: North Koreans need more F-U-N!!!

Empty North Korea

Let's empty North Korea of people. One by one. You may call it reverse abduction to freedom - or just a silly idea ... Let's think about it....

The CIA world fact book estimates there are: 23,113,019 people in North Korea.

Scenario 1: We help one person flee North Korea every hour.
>2643 years later, North Korea is empty. Tada!!
(assuming nobody has any children and no immigration).

Scenario 2: We help one person flee North Korea every minute.
>44 years later, North Korea is empty. Yahoo!!
(same assumptions as in Scenario 1).

Scenario 3: We help one person flee North Korea every second.
>Just under 9 months later, North Korea is empty. Yipeee!!
(same assumptions).

Scenario 4: The United States and Japan starts to positively engage North Korea every second.
Just 8-10 years later, North Korea looks more and more like China in 1981.
(plenty'o'assumptoins).

We don't have a choice!!!!

Sending Radios to North Korea

How about that?

Let's send thousands of transistor radios by balloons to North Korea (just as they did in Afghanistan) so they can listen to South Korean broadcasts.

It has been estimated that each radio would only coast USD 20. This could probably be brought down if supported by a Japanese hi-tech manufacturer.

Why? This could help bring "modernity" to North Korea.

To foster discussion (which this blog has been horrible at), how do you rate this method to helping develop a civil society in North Korea?

There are many complications involved, including opposition from the Chinese and ROK governments (who wish to keep the status quo), cost and logistics (who should carry this out?).

Tell me that I'm crazy (but don't forget to come up with a better solution).

BBC article on 2003 radio attempt

The Prince of Wales and the "appalling waxworks"

A British High Court ruled on March 18 that The Mail's (a British Newspaper) publication of remarks made by Prince Charles, were an invasion of his privacy.

The newspaper published the remarks, which including the of naming Chinese leaders "appalling old waxworks", in connection with the 1997 Hong Kong handover.

However, many people who follow Charles, probably wonder who really is an appalling old waxwork.


Link to UPI article
Link to daily telegraph article

Pandaplomacy - Robert Zoellick and the Chinese Pandas

Isn't it cute? US-China friendship symbolized by Robert Zoellick hugging a panda cub in Chengdu, Sichuan province (like to picture). Interestingly enough, according to the Washington Post, Zoellick was previously on the advisory council of the World Wildlife Fund -- you know, the organization with the Panda logo. So perhaps Zoellick is using this picture to reveal his peaceful intentions?

I don't want to put too much importance into this photo-op, but let's think about the development of Panda-diplomacy - or Pandaplomacy -- which started with Nixon's trip to China in 1972, and has seen ups and downs, most recently with the recent Chen-PRC spat. If China can continue to convince other countries that true economic (and animal) benefits are more important than the human-rights and judicial problems abound in China, we will probably see many more Panda-ops.

Overall, Zoellick is demonstrating a sincere US effort to negotiate terms of trade with China (despite all the saber-rattling), and this also underlines the fact that China currency/trade deficit issue the Bush administration cannot run away from (as in the Burma, North Korea, and Iran issues). American Business is on the line, and trading is something China is really, really good at…

Washington Post article

China and Taiwan Resume Spring Festival Flights

The first "Spring Festival" flight of the year betwixt Taiwan to Mainland China has just disembarked to help celebrate the continuation of last year's goodwill gesture between the two sides of the straits. The flight, a China Airlines jet, landed in Shanghai at 10:30am on Jan. 20, having arrived from Taipei. This year will only see a limited 72 flights cross the straits to save travelers from much hassle in connecting flights in Hong Kong--the usual method for traveling between Taiwan and China.

Putting this in the light of Chen Shui-bian's harsh rhetoric against the Mainland as of late, the flights of this year will likely cause less international attention than yesteryear's. It does, however, generate a continued sense of optimism among Taiwanese people and may help foster a peaceful status quo, which so far worked quite well for peace in the straits--albeit, with the US navy behind Taiwan's back. Following the theme of engagement and diplomatic resolution to our problems, these 'Flights of Peace' may be remembered in history as carriers of hope and harbingers of stability in what Michael Mandelbaum has dubbed "The Most Dangerous Place in the World"

The on-going impeachment process against President Chen is also likely to overshadow these stupendous flights that attempt to re-unite the Chinese people. If Chen is pushed in a corner to produce even more negative anti-PRC speeches, the flights may have helped the passengers of 72 flights, but to undermine an engagement process between Taiwan and the Middle Kingdom.

Links:
British Broadcasting Corp. Article
Voice of America

It's Been Confirmed: Kim Jong Il in China

So it definitely happened! Mr. Kim did in fact visit China and made an unexpected "economic tour" to cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Economic reforms in North Korea: Here we go.

Or, perhaps not.

Perhaps North Korea is trying to be on China's "good side" and continue to receive food and humanitarian relief from the Middle Kingdom.

Or is Kim really pondering economic reform?

Links:
BBC Article
WP Article

Kim Jong-Il in China and ... Russia ???

Let's hope we'll see more of these....

What in the world is Kim doing in China and Russia? Could it be that he's exerting an effort to gain support of their position in the six-party talks, which is to say that these meetings actually hold water? The ministry of foreign affairs in Russia, however, refuted the claims that Kim was going to Russia. So what is going on? Is Mr. Kim changing his personality to a globe-trotter-jet-setting personality? Probably not…

Now listen to this: According to AFX and the Washington Post (quoted in Forbes), Mr Kim is allegedly in Shanghai overseeing China's economic success, but this is again--it seems--speculation.
But could it be that Mr. Kim indeed is in China to seriously address the six-party issues as well as making a Deng-light-like "southern trip" to illuminate his intentions to introduce capitalism in the hermit state? If anything, is there any hope?

What wondrous future we have ahead if Mr. Kim indeed embraced the Chinese economic development model. Surely a safer and more transparent path towards regional cooperation and security.

North Korea certainly has the natural resources to jump-start their economy, but it is doubtful whether it has the infrastructure, human capital, and technology to reach the growth of its neighbors. But then again, that would not be the goal. Beggars can’t be choosers and a few dollars in the pockets of local North Koreans would be better than eating bark and grass.

Am I getting ahead of myself? Certainly! Mr Kim’s trip will likely fade out of memory as we see future controversial saber-rattling dramas between Kim and Bush. But let’s keep hoping. That’s what us idealists are so good at. Optimism is our "opiate of the masses."

Link to WP Article
Link to Forbes Article

The United States and Burma

Apparently George Bush spent 50 minutes with a Burmese refugee called Charm Tong back in October, according to the Washington Post. What a brilliant follow-up to yesterday's WP article on the 'capital' move from Yangon to Pyinmana. that's a lot of time. He must be taking the issue very seriously then. Right?

Overall, little has changed in the US policy towards Burma (I don't like the name Myanmar, since it doesn't make any sense in its original language). What's new, is that the Bush administration is considering Burma a "test case", for whatever that means. But how can you test something without being involved in the experiment?

In my opinion it just means: "We know it's a problem, but we're stretched too thinly to do anything about it!"

Article Link

Burma's New Capital: Part II

"The government's crazy" ... "This Pyinmana, I wish I could blow this place up". Those are the word of a Burmese deliveryman who appears in an interesting Washington Post article about the "capital" move, in a newspaper that mostly features US domestic reporting.

Burma’s new capital Pyinmana is located approximately 200 miles north of Yangon (Rangoon) in an area with little infrastructure (roads, houses, hospitals, etc.) and is located in a region with one of the highest rates of malaria, according to the Alan Sipress of the Washington Post.

Quite amusingly the article quotes a government official who states "You know there’s no psychiatric hospital…they’ll need one because everyone is going to go crazy". I love this article. I wish the paper would write more of these!

The article raises the interesting question of why the government has decided to move its capital from the well-established city of Yangon to the completely remote Pyinmana. Many theories exists, but this blog must emphasize the defensive maneuver behind it all. Partly, international opposition to the SPDC junta and the detainment of Aung San Suu Kyi. But also due to increasing threats from US foreign policy which has played hardball with other countries, while invading others deemed "undemocratic". Burma would definitely fit that profile.

All in all, this raises the issue of whether playing hardball with Burma is the best way to go. There’s the school of thought that argues that pressing a country against the wall would force it change. This has been partially successful for the US in Afghanistan, but less so in Iraq (and perhaps also North Korea). The other ethos is that of reaching out -- or the more sophisticated term -- engagement. Talking to the "enemy" and casting sunlight (a short homage to Mr. Kim Dae Jung) could also have positive results, but realists keep reminding me of the Munich Agreement (or appeasement) between Nazi Germany and ‘The Allies’. An ill-fated decision by particularly UK PM Neville Chamberlain. Yet, success with keeping Israel and Palestine in continuing negotiations has been through positive and constructive engagement -- not violence or confrontation.

But has the US played hardball? In words, perhaps, but in action? Perhaps there’s simply a lack of sympathy…

This blog called for a new front, or policy, vis-à-vis Burma in a previous post, but nothing has changed since (but I thought Condi was reading my posts?). It’s simply not at the core of any US/EU sphere of interest (the way Iraq and Israel are), at least if you ask Mr. Kissinger. People are in pain all over the world, the skeptic may argue --- why worry about Burma? … Because we can, the Clintonite replied!!!!!

Article Link

WP: China Promises Not To Be A Threat To Other Nations

That's WONDERFUL.
But that's only militarily speaking.
I bet China will cause of lot of economic harm to competitors and friends alike.

A war of cheap toothpaste and t-shirts -- not guns and ammo!!

What do you think?

Washington Post Article

Tea DOES Work In the Fight Against Cancer

Tea may not fight cancer directly (the way antibiotics fights bacteria), but research from Sweden now concludes that by drinking at least 2 cups of tea a day, the risk for women to develop ovarian cancer is cut by 50%. Please note that the research conducted by Karonlinska Institute was on a female population, although the medicinal functions of tea are likely to have a positive impact on men as well. So tea is much healther than other hot beverages. I'm convinced. This is not a TEAse..

Is this the beginning of the coffee wars? If a typical person only will drink a fixed number of warm drinks per day, then it is the beginning of a battle of the hot-drinks. If tea can complement our coffee drinking habits, then the two can live side by side. Overall, tea is much better for you than coffee, and besides having the option of a wider range of caffeine contents (from black to herbal teas), there is also a much greater variety of tastes in tea. It's a bit like comparing wine and beer, where tea is much more like wine.

Many of our habits are constructed by society and the way our neighbors/friends/family behave. If we can somehow kick-start the passion for tea and create a culture for this wonderful drink, we would be much healthier (and with much better teeth and less stinky breaths).

Let's hear your tea story. How much tea do you drink? What are your arguments against drinking tea/coffee? What can we do to promote a healthier intake of hot beverages?

Next time a photo is being taken, try saying "Teaasee"

Another Bird Flu Case in China: Guangxi Sheng

Is this another SARS? Or Worse? Hype?

A young 10-year old girl was diagnosed with the Avian/Bird flu on Tuesday night in the province of Guangxi. This is the fourth case of bird flu in China, with another case marked "suspicious."

Disclaimer Note: This is not a medical blog, and we do not have the knowledge and capability to give advise or warnings about such issues. But make sure to talk to your doctor before going to counties that have been affected by the Flu.

We desire to inform people about the continuing problem of Avian Flu and would like to investigate whether it is a clear and present danger to global health or just a lot of spin. Keeping the information flowing is the best way to keep any governments from 'covering up' any developments in this arena.

LINK to article.

North Korea Demand US Lift Sanctions

In a move to gain bargaining power, North Korea demanded that the US eliminate its financial sanctions against the Hermit Kingdom.

Am I surprised? No.
Are the 6-party talks in peril? Yes.

For more information, click here

Justice in Singapore: Part II

In what has been called "a most unfortunate barbaric act" by Aussie Attorney General Ruddock, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong has refused to grant clemency for a Australian national convicted of drug trafficking. The convicted, Mr. Nguyen Tuong Van, is to be executed by hanging later today (Thursday, Dec. 1), despite petitions and pleas from particularly the Australian Government, according to AP.

This issue again raises the issue of harsh punishments in the southeast Asian island nation. The first question that comes to mind: Is death penalty justified? Secondly, has Singapore handled death penalty cases with transparency and moderation? Thirdly, is hanging a humane form of death penalty (relatively speaking). Lastly, is it helping?

While Governor Mark Warner of Virginia yesterday granted clemency for a death row inmate, the US is still not in the position of criticism since it has more death penalties than any other Industrialized country (not counting China). According to Amnesty International, only China, Iran and Vietnam saw more executions in 2004 than the United States. Other developed countries, however, have banned the use of death penalty including all members of the European Union. Even the UN is against it. So death penalty a sunset endeavor.

Going back to the specific case in Singapore, the issue of death penalty seems to have taken precedence over the issue of the particular crime. Is it fair to completely forget that Mr. Van broke the law in Singapore, and give him all the support in the world just because he has been granted the death penalty? Perhaps the way we do things ( the means ) are more important than what we actually do ( the ends )? This raises the issue of how death penalty, with its strong opposition, is actually helping criminals as sentiments against this type of penalty clears from our mind the issue we all want to solve: crime. So perhaps we could spend more effort on fighting crime if authorities didn't have to spend so many resources on defending the death penalty. Besides, I'm pretty sure that it's more expensive to have a death row inmate for 5-10-15 years, than to have someone imprisoned for life.

Then again- what about deterrence? Would crime explode in Singapore and the United States if they were to overturn the death penalty overnight? Who thinks Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City Bomber) deserves better than death penalty? Vengeance is one of the oldest feelings, which have prevailed all throughout human history. But does that justify it?

I hope this entry raises more questions than it answers. I hope the debate will live on. And personally, I hope it one day will limit the number of death penalties. As theclichehé goes: an eye for an eye leaves all blind.

More info on Amnesty Intl's website. : http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-index-eng
AP Article

With Expensive Speech in Singapore, Is Discounted Speech Possible?

According to Asia Times, two bloggers have been sentenced under the Sedition (definition: incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority) Act last month in Singapore. The ethnically Chinese individuals made remarks about the minority Muslim-Malay community on their websites. Although they may have committed an immoral act, this raises the question of justice, ethics, and freedoms of speech in Singapore and the broader East Asian region.

On the one hand, we all desire the freedom to say whatever we want and live free (or die). On the other hand, the saying "freedom isn't free" does carry some water, and in some cases we depend on people to be quiet for "the good life". It is essential to national security to have military and intelligence secrets, industrial secrets are important, and most of us can agree that it isn't right to call people names or ugly adjectives. But should laws or ethics govern these principles?

In the case of Singapore, an island-nation famous for its harsh penalties and unforgiving legal system, we are now faced with the clash between the IT-proliferation of bloggers, websites, rumors, and lots of crap being spread all over the world-wide-web at the speed of a mouse click. In Singapore the issue seems to be an even more hot-button issue in the US, where the Patriot Act has caused much pain to civil rights' groups. Singapore has to maintain a sensitive balance between its minorities, while at the same time sustain economic growth and prosperity--essentials for the legitimacy of the regime. A bit like China.

To complement, the article writes: "...some activist groups feel that Singaporeans have lost their right to freedom of information in exchange for social harmony and economic prosperity. "
Singapore again reminds us of PR China where the internet is even more censored and where the legal system is extremely severe. At the end of the day, however, free speech wins and those who sacrifice their freedoms to publish "the truth" will not have perished or lost their battles in vain. Most developed countries have eventually reformed their legal codes to adapt for freedoms of speech, and in the case of Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, we can see how Asian values do not make 'freedoms' an exclusively Western ideology.

While Singaporeans will continue to go to jail and pay hefty fines for speaking their hearts on the web, more and more bloggers will resist their inevitable desire for responsible freedom of speech.

Perhaps they will not have free speech in the near future - but can they instead have discounted speech?
Those are just some thoughts ....

What do you think?

What's up 'Stan?

Although this is the boundary of the scope of East Asia Blog, BBC has a cool segment/feature on the 'stans. How much do you know about them?

How about some cool facts, such as the fact that desert covers 80 percent of Turkmenistan. Tough.

Link to the feature

Another Mine Explosion in China: Does anyone care?

Although these tragedies happen quite frequently, I still think it is worth stopping whatever we are doing and send our thoughts to those who lost loved ones in Chinese mining accidents.

An explosion on Sunday night in northeastern China has killed 134 people, according to Associated Press (AP). Coal dust caught on fire in a mine deep underground the city of Qitaihe, Heilongjiang province.

Consider this, One, mining accidents have occurred often in china, and second, accidents in general have covered the headlines in China.

Now, why should we care? Well, that's up to us as individuals, but I think we should start to understand the importance of these mines to our own lives, and thank those who undertake such dangerous livelihoods.

Here's my logic: most manufactured goods and textiles that I have seen recently have all been either partially or fully "Made in China." How are they made? Without electricity they will definitely not end up in our shopping baskets. That's for sure! So what is the most used form of energy in China? ..... Coal, kemosabe!

Thus, these mining operations have an indirect effect on our lives and in addition to our sympathy from learning about awful things that happen to our fellow humans, we now have a business-economic reason for caring as well.

Let's all care!!

Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi's Detention Extended

"Why not", thought the Generals. "She's a pest to our system", said their cohorts. "Let's keep her in house arrest for another 12 months to make sure she learns her lesson", they agreed. That's at least how I imagine the process behind this decision...

I'm not surprised by these developments. Are you?
The SPDC military junta is still in charge and the international community has done little, despite Ms. Suu's resilience.
Do you think anything will change in the near future?
Has Aung San Suu Kyi's methods worked? Will they?

Let's hear your say!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING