In Asia: Weekly Insight and Features from Asia

Fairly or unfairly, the trial of former East Timorese Minister of Interior, Rogerio Lobato, is a litmus test for East Timor’s beleaguered judicial system. Indicted for misappropriation of public property, murder — and the unauthorized importation or use of firearms to disrupt public order — Mr. Lobato is the first senior government official to be tried in the aftermath of the violence in May 2006. This violence led to the government’s request for intervention by more than 3,000 security forces from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Portugal and subsequently to an expanded United Nations mission including 1,600 UN Police.

After much anticipation, the three-judge panel delivered the verdict to a packed courtroom on March 7, 2007. Mr. Lobato received a sentence of 7.5 years for arming civilian hit squads and for exceeding his authority. Due to heavy presence of UN Police outside the courthouse, pro- and anti-Lobato demonstrators remained calm, thus alleviating concern that the verdict would spark greater violence.

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For someone who was involved in direct negotiations with North Korea in the late 1990′s and who has viewed the events of  the past several years from the sidelines, I look at the recent Six Party agreement among the DPRK, the U.S., South Korea, China, Japan and Russia, with both skepticism and hope — skepticism because many in the U.S. and North Korea still fail to comprehend how threatened each feels by the other, making a lasting solution virtually impossible to attain; hope because many in Washington and elsewhere are beginning to see this disconnect, as I did a few years back, and the need to address it.   

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In 2002, the American public was made acutely aware of the global injustices women face through the courage of Mukhtar Mai”a young woman sentenced by tribal leaders in southern Pakistan to be gang raped for an indiscretion allegedly committed by her brother. After being brutally raped by four men and then forced to walk naked through her village to further shame her, Mukhtar Mai, with the encouragement of the Iman from the village mosque, publicly denounced her abusers and drew massive attention to the injustice of customary practices condoning violence against women. Glamour named her “Woman Of The Year” Time Asia heralded her a symbol of strength.

So it’s saddening, particularly on International Women’s Day”a day meant to recognize the accomplishments of women all over the world”to consider for a moment that in the United States and elsewhere, the single most dangerous place for a woman is in her own home.

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This week, DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan made his first visit to the United States in almost two years. The visit occurred as part of a series of concrete actions foreshadowed in a February 13th “Initial Actions” Agreement as part of the Six Party Talks. That agreement decided specific actions that the United States and North Korea would take in a deal that ultimately promises to trade North Korea’s denuclearization for normalization of relations with the United States, economic benefits, and the establishment of a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula as outlined in a prior Joint Statement of Principles agreed among the six parties on September 19th, 2005.

If both sides are able to achieve this objective, North Korea would be the first state to have tested a nuclear device and subsequently reversed its program. This would be a true breakthrough if it can be achieved. But mutual distrust remains high and the February 13th agreement gives only the initial steps toward this goal. There are many points along the way where the implementing agreement could break down.

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To address the vulnerability of Indonesian women and girls to human trafficking at its roots, The Asia Foundation has forged alliances with Muslim organizations and local Islamic boarding schools. This program has been recognized as a highly effective initiative to engage religious leaders and Muslim organizations as anti-trafficking partners. The Foundation has supported the Fahmina Institute’s work in West Java and Aceh to help local preachers educate their communities about the dangers of trafficking. In addition to general information about trafficking issues, Fahmina also provides them with a conceptual framework rooted in Islamic teachings through which they can address trafficking issues, protect victims, and combat the stigmatization of victims returning to their communities.

Mohna Ansari, Nepal’s only female Muslim attorney, grew up in one of the poorest areas of the country in a minority Muslim community. Surrounded by a traditional culture where women rarely pursue higher education, Mohna was inspired by a high school legal rights education program to propel herself into college. She not only became the first person in her family to graduate from college, but the first Muslim woman to become an attorney in Nepal. Even during the Maoist conflict, her days were spent advocating for the rights of Nepali women and making them aware that they were entitled to the same rights as men under the country’s constitution. Now there is an opportunity for a new constitution, and a more inclusive, representative, and accountable system of government in Nepal.

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According to the Thai media, one reason given for the decline in popularity of the Council for National Security (CNS) ” led by coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and the interim government of General Surayud Chulanont — has been their failure after five months in office to bring Thaksin Shinawatra and members of his cabinet to justice for corruption and abuse of power, one of the stated objectives of the coup.

Thaksin has repeatedly taunted the government through the international media by asserting that the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) — established by the CNS to investigate allegations — has failed to find any solid evidence against him and will be unable to file any charges against his administration or extended family members. CNS Chairman General Sonthi has countered in a recent interview with Time Magazine that charges will indeed eventually be brought against Thaksin.

What are the causes of the delay in prosecuting Thaksin and his associates? Counter-intuitive to governance after a military coup, the CNS is sincerely attempting to adhere to the rule of law and follow proper legal procedures.

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Last week, U.S. Vice President Cheney warned of tougher legislation against Pakistan from a Democrat-controlled Congress and the withdrawal of aid to ensure its compliance with U.S. policy in the War on Terror. Here in Pakistan, where news coverage of these comments have been repeatedly broadcasted and published this past week, the public perceives this approach as somewhat stale, ignoring decades of Pakistani-Afghan history, Pakistan’s own culture and traditions, and unlikely to yield substantial results to benefit Afghanistan, Pakistan or the United States.Most Pakistanis believe that America pressures Pakistan to follow U.S. policy, even if it is detrimental to Pakistan’s national security, and this is simply unacceptable to most of Pakistani society.

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