Malaysia: The NY Times has an article concerning ANOTHER Anwar Ibrahim trial. Over the last 30 years, Mr. Anwar has not been a stranger to Malaysian jails, nor to the charge of sodomy, but his latest running-a foul with the political elite may have some serious repercussions in Malaysia, as well as to the nation’s image abroad. The entire situation appears to be less about sexual improprieties and more about the epic battle between the opposition and the ruling government coalition which has been in power since Malaysia’s independence from Great Britain. Anwar is the leader of the main opposition coalition, which he is holding together by sheer force of will, so he is once again in the bulls-eye.
In Malaysia, sodomy, or “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” as described by the penal code, is illegal for both heterosexual and homosexual couples and is punishable by 20 years in prison.
Any sentence over one year will result in Anwar being banned from politics for 5 years. Despite the political viability of both his wife and daughter, his absence will be a major setback for his politically and ethnically diverse coalition.
Vietnam: As first mentioned on this blog last year, Vietnam continues to crack down on political dissidents. For example, the U.S. educated human rights lawyer, Le Cong Dinh, with 3 others, was charged and convicted, in a one day trial, of “attempting to overthrow the government”, which amounted to supporting human rights and a multi-party political system. In reality, that mean probably mean the eventual “overthrow” of the government as single party rule would end, which in itself is a violation of the Vietnamese constitution, which is simply an affirmation of party hegemony.
Despite the crackdowns, Vietnamese bloggers, critical of the government, are still posting regularly, even if under pseudonyms.
In closed-door discussions in Ho Chi Minh City, many said the charges against political activists like Dinh and Trung reflect the communist leaders’ fears of “peaceful evolution,” a concern periodically repeated in the official press to refer to the destabilizing influence of contacts with the West.
War veteran and former communist member Tran Le, 67, has his own, though not entirely, different take on the issue. “They (the communist leadership) just want investments from the West, not their ideology,” he said.
It is likely that returning expats will just learn to keep their mouths shut, but there will be more Mr. Le’s coming back to Vietnam with “Western ideas”, it will be interesting to see how Vietnam continues to deal with this situation.
Indonesia: When U.S. President Obama travels to Indonesia in March, he is likely to spend more time in the nation than any other previously sitting U.S. president. In keeping with the Obama Doctrine for Southeast Asia, Indonesia is expected to firm up America’s partnership with the nation to help make it a counterweight to growing Chinese power in the region. It is also a key cog in Mr. Obama’s rapprochement with the Muslim world, being the most populous majority Islamic nation, which is democratic and moderate. Of course, the ethnocentric Arab and Persian nations of the Middle East could care less about what people so far from the “core” of Islam are doing or saying.
What is not clear is what political points the Indonesian president will score:
Yudhoyono, who was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second five-year term last year, has received much of the credit for the democratic progress. However, high-profile corruption scandals, a controversial bank bailout and public discontent that manifested in citywide protests in January have tainted the first few months of Yudhoyono’s second term.
With domestic politics in disarray, some analysts believe Obama’s visit may not be a boost for the embattled Yudhoyono administration.
This will be especially difficult as the initial enthusiasm for Obama has started to decline in Indonesia, after he skipped a planned trip to the nation during last November’s APEC Summit in Singapore. Indonesians are starting to ask what benefit they have received from Obama’s boyhood connection to the nation, and what benefit the recently re-elected Yudhoyono can actually deliver on.
Cambodia: Asia Times has an article which discusses the Cambodian PM, Hun Sen’s, political history and speculates where this trend might lead Cambodia into the future. Despite the economic growth of recent years, this highly intelligent and adaptable former Khmer Rouge leader, turned Vietnamese stooge, and then pseudo-democratic authoritarian power monger will likely reach a ceiling on economic development as his primary concerns are maintaining political power through intimidation and patronage (corruption). This blog has previously discussed some of Hun Sen’s soft authoritarian tactics. Then again, some might ask, what other type of person could take such a warn torn nation with a depressingly low education rate to economic growth and political stability? A pessimist might say that Hun Sen is just the type of person needed for the job. In the end I suppose, the readers will have to decide.
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