In Asia: Weekly Insight and Features from Asia

The Australian federal election on November 24 ended more than 11 years of rule by the conservative coalition of Liberal and National parties led by John Howard. The new Labor party government is headed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, a former diplomat and senior state government official with an intimate understanding of both domestic and [...]

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On the evening of Thursday, November 15, the cyclone in the Bay of Bengal that weather monitors had been tracking nervously for two days as it increased in intensity reached the coast of Bangladesh with a fury. Cyclone Sidr battered the coast with 150-mile per hour winds and a tidal surge that lifted waters ten [...]

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On Tuesday, November 20th, the leaders of the 10 Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) countries attending the 13th ASEAN Summit in Singapore signed the first-ever ASEAN Charter. Article 14 addresses human rights: ARTICLE 14: ASEAN HUMAN RIGHTS BODY 1. In conformity with the purposes and principles of the ASEAN Charter relating to the promotion and [...]

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Worldwide, thousands of tons of mercury are discharged into the environment every year. In many countries, including Mongolia, human and environmental health are in peril. In September 2007, a Communities and Small Scale Mining (CASM) conference was held in Ulaanbaatar, which united international scientists in expressing their concerns for Mongolia’s environment. Dr. Peter Appel, Senior [...]

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November 25th was International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and an opportunity to take inventory of achievements made on behalf of women’s security as well as what remains to be done. 2007 saw an increase in the response to fight human trafficking by the Cambodian government and to reduce the vulnerability of [...]

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Every year, a substantial portion of Bangladesh is submerged by monsoon floodwaters. Bangladeshis have adapted to this recurrent cycle of seasonal flooding with extraordinary resilience. But then there is extreme, severe flooding. This occurs every few years here, posing a great threat to public health and placing a tremendous strain on social service delivery. This [...]

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Since its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2006, Vietnam has continued to improve its regulatory environment for business. The 2007 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) report, which measures economic governance for private sector development, was released last week. This survey – the third annual edition – is the largest and most comprehensive assessment ever [...]

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Mongolia will soon have a new Prime Minister. The implications are profound and could signal a changing political climate — one that is more stable and secure. This would bode well for trade, and for investment, particularly in the largely-untapped minerals sector where tens of billions of dollars in gold, copper, coal and other resources [...]

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In 1999, the Indonesian National Police separated from the military structure to become an independent entity. This single change has been a crucial element in Indonesia’s transition to democracy because it created an accountable, civilian police force. For over four years, The Asia Foundation has supported the development of Community-Oriented Policing (COP) programs that help [...]

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Two San Francisco-based organizations are leading the effort to provide Chinese migrant women workers with social services, education and legal aid. The Levi Strauss Foundation entered its ninth year of partnership with The Asia Foundation – San Francisco’s largest international charity – with a $200,000 grant. The grant will help continue work protecting migrant women’s [...]

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