By Scott Snyder

Scott Snyder directs The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy. He recently presented a paper at a conference called “Nuclear Politics, North Korea and the Political Economy of Northeast Asia in the Wake of the World Economic Crisis” at the University of Washington. Download the paper here. Also, an English-language version of Scott’s blog piece “Is North Korea Playing a New Game?” first posted on Chosun Ilbo, is featured on GlobalSecurity. He can be reached at ssnyder@asiafound.org.

North Korea’s nuclear aspirations have served as the driving force for the development of ad hoc security multilateralism in Northeast Asia. This development has occurred in stages, with each successive phase in responding to the North Korean crisis resulting in strengthened regional cooperation, despite persisting underlying strategic mistrust among the parties. This presentation will briefly evaluate the significance and contributions of three stages in the development of ad hoc security multilateralism in Northeast Asia: KEDO, the Four-Party Talks/establishment of the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG), and the Six Party Talks. Then, the author will offer a critical evaluation of prospects for Six Party Talks and analyze whether the six party process might develop into a permanent feature of the security architecture in Northeast Asia or whether a fourth stage might be necessary to achieve a lasting security framework for the region. The author will also evaluate the extent to which the North Korean nuclear issue and the U.S.-led bilateral alliance system, respectively, may be both a catalyst and an obstacle to the establishment of an effective Northeast Asian regional security framework.

Read the full paper.

By Silas Everett and Butch Ragragio

Silas Everett is The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Timor-Leste and Butch Ragragio is Chief of Party for the USAID-funded local governance, elections, and civil society project. They can be reached at severett@asiafound.org and bragragio@asiafound.org, respectively.

It’s a sunny day and the wind is blowing in off the sea from the port in Dili. Behind the government palace, the white, octagon-shaped parliament building shines in the hot, tropical sun. Outside the parliament – a few pick-up trucks, then a taxi, drives by some sauntering pedestrians.

In front of the Parliament stands Senor Jose Barreto amid a group of university students smoking cigarettes, one of whom is text messages on his phone. Senor Barreto is Chief of Lauhata Suco. Suco is a term that describes a traditional administrative unit of governance and is often translated into English as “village.” In practice, however, Suco means more than that: it is an administrative unit that has been the main local governing structure for the majority of East Timorese for at least five centuries.

While Timor-Leste, newly-independent, rebuilds itself, state services are still far from the reach of many.
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By Herizal Hazri

Herizal Hazri is The Asia Foundation’s Program Director in Malaysia. He can be reached at Herizal@asiafound.org.

I was on my way to University Teknologi Petronas in Malaysia’s Perak state the other day when a colleague of mine, better known as Ali, whilst driving, posed a question to the four passengers: “Why doesn’t the government just shut down PROTON (the Malaysian national automobile manufacturer)? It’s a failure by any international standards and it is an inefficient company. Why must we support an inefficient company?” He then went on to suggest a solution, which is to sell the manufacturing component to multinational car manufacturers like Mazda or Honda, but to retain the sales and delivery units. So, in fact, stick to the downstream selling and after-sales service activities and let the more efficient car companies manage and build the cars. This move, he continued, will also make the account books “cleaner” because you are selling your liability, which in this case is a non-profit making car industry. I interjected at this juncture, “but what will happen to the thousands of workers and their families working in the production plants?” The reply was not unexpected, “Well, the new owners will retain some employees and the rest will just have to find other jobs; I do sympathize with their fates but we have to concentrate on the bigger picture here. In time things will be better, that is the way the market sort itself out, it will find a new equilibrium.”
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By Nilan Fernando

Nilan Fernando is The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Sri Lanka. He can be reached at nfernando@asiafound.org.

Situated at Sri Lanka’s highest point, the Nuwara Eliya District is one of the county’s most popular tourist destinations with refreshingly cool breezes that offer a respite from the sultry tropics of the lowlands. The hillsides shimmer a vibrant green from the tea bushes that produce the famous Ceylon tea enjoyed throughout the world. The residents of this mountain retreat, however, have a far different story to tell.

A combination of factors, including erosion, heavy rains, and urbanization, have greatly increased the risk of landslides in the area, making residents of Nuwara Eliya vulnerable. In January, 2007 alone, for example, landslides and flooding displaced over 18,000 people from Walapane and Hanguranketha, resulting in a massive need for shelter and aid. While immediate aid is obviously crucial, much of the area’s infrastructure and morale was also badly damaged, making long-term, post-disaster rehabilitation and development essential.

When disasters occur, those affected rely on the local government for immediate relief and short- and long-term rehabilitation. Without comprehensive relief and aid, affected areas are also in danger of experiencing conflict between host communities and the internally displaced.
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Scott Snyder, senior associate, international relations at The Asia Foundation, explores the transformation of the Sino–South Korean relationship since the early 1990s in his new book, China’s Rise and the Two Koreas: Politics, Economics, Security. Snyder considers the strategic significance of recent developments in China’s relationship with both North and South Korea and also assesses the likely consequences of those developments for U.S. and Japanese influence in the region. His meticulous study lends important context to critical debates regarding China’s foreign policy, Northeast Asian security, and international relations more broadly.

Available now from Lynne Rienner Publishers.

On Tuesday, October 28th, the Asia Foundation released findings from its most recent public opinion poll in Afghanistan, which covers the largest population sample ever surveyed at one time in all 34 of Afghanistan’s provinces. “Afghanistan in 2008: A Survey of the Afghan People” is the fourth poll conducted by the Foundation, which released previous polls in 2004, 2006, and 2007. Collectively, the four surveys establish an accurate, long-term barometer of public opinion across Afghanistan to help assess the direction in which the country is moving in the post-Taliban era.

A copy of the 2008 survey is available in its entirety on The Asia Foundation website.
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By Steven Rood

Steven Rood is The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in the Philippines. He can be reached at srood@asiafound.org. The below is adapted from a speech given at the 4th Mindanao Media Summit, “Mindanao 2020: The Vision begins with Us”, from August 7 ” 9, 2008 in Davao.

After living in the Philippines for 27 years, I spend a good deal of my time explaining the country to foreigners. Over the last few weeks, however, I have found myself explaining events that concern one group of Filipinos to other Filipinos. The hot issues at the moment ” the ones everybody is now talking about in this country ” are ones I care deeply about. As I told Carol Arguillas of MindaNews in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week, “I’m worried that an exclusive focus on peace efforts makes it harder to draw in others who are concerned with better elections, better governance, development, etc. Peace can be profitably pursued in the broader context of good governance and development rather than in a narrow focus.”

So, let me talk some about the broader connections among the four words in my title: Peace, Elections, Autonomy, and Development.
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San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Berkeley, CA - March 26, 2008
Palo Alto, CA - March 27, 2008
San Francisco, CA - March 28, 2008
Washington, D.C. - April 1, 2008

The Asia Foundation has pioneered a tool called the local “Economic Governance Index” (EGI) as a way to measure business-friendliness of local governments in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. The EGI highlights the provinces that are most open to private enterprise and least encumbered by red-tape when it comes to business start-up, for example: entry and licensing costs, inspections and registration waiting periods, transparency, and access to training and legal institutions.

The governments of these provinces have embraced the EGI as a tool to help them measure local reforms and government performance, and there has been  increased public attention when index standings are announced, resulting in healthy competition among provinces. As a result, businesses and entrepreneurs have begun to see the index as a useful means of deciding where to put businesses. A team of economic experts are hosting a series of programs this Spring on this important effort to support increased business activity through the use of the Economic Governance Index. We hope you are able to join one of the presentations.

Expert Speakers:
Bruce Tolentino, Director of Economic Reform and Development Programs at The Asia Foundation, San Francisco
Edmund Malesky, Asia Foundation partner and Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego
Veronique Salze-Lozac’h, Regional Director of Economic Reform and Development Programs, The Asia Foundation, Cambodia
Neil McCulloch, Director of Economic Programs, The Asia Foundation, Indonesia

RSVP: Please contact info@asiafound-dc.org for more information with your name, affiliation, and contact information.

San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Berkeley, CA - March 26, 2008
Palo Alto, CA - March 27, 2008
San Francisco, CA - March 28, 2008
Washington, D.C. - April 1, 2008

The Asia Foundation has pioneered a tool called the local “Economic Governance Index” (EGI) as a way to measure business-friendliness of local governments in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. The EGI highlights the provinces that are most open to private enterprise and least encumbered by red-tape when it comes to business start-up, for example: entry and licensing costs, inspections and registration waiting periods, transparency, and access to training and legal institutions.

The governments of these provinces have embraced the EGI as a tool to help them measure local reforms and government performance, and there has been  increased public attention when index standings are announced, resulting in healthy competition among provinces. As a result, businesses and entrepreneurs have begun to see the index as a useful means of deciding where to put businesses. A team of economic experts are hosting a series of programs this Spring on this important effort to support increased business activity through the use of the Economic Governance Index. We hope you are able to join one of the presentations.

Expert Speakers:
Bruce Tolentino, Director of Economic Reform and Development Programs at The Asia Foundation, San Francisco
Edmund Malesky, Asia Foundation partner and Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego
Veronique Salze-Lozac’h, Regional Director of Economic Reform and Development Programs, The Asia Foundation, Cambodia
Neil McCulloch, Director of Economic Programs, The Asia Foundation, Indonesia

RSVP: Please reply by March 19, 2008 to rsvp@asiafound.org or 415 743-3347
with your name, affiliation, contact information, and the location/date of the one EGI presentation you would like to attend.

San Francisco - Friday, March 28, 2008: noon”2:00 pm

Lunch included
The Asia Foundation’s Haydn Williams Conference Room
465 California Street, 8th floor, San Francisco
Co-sponsored by Cal-Asia Business Council

San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Berkeley, CA - March 26, 2008
Palo Alto, CA - March 27, 2008
San Francisco, CA - March 28, 2008
Washington, D.C. - April 1, 2008

The Asia Foundation has pioneered a tool called the local “Economic Governance Index” (EGI) as a way to measure business-friendliness of local governments in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. The EGI highlights the provinces that are most open to private enterprise and least encumbered by red-tape when it comes to business start-up, for example: entry and licensing costs, inspections and registration waiting periods, transparency, and access to training and legal institutions.

The governments of these provinces have embraced the EGI as a tool to help them measure local reforms and government performance, and there has been  increased public attention when index standings are announced, resulting in healthy competition among provinces. As a result, businesses and entrepreneurs have begun to see the index as a useful means of deciding where to put businesses. A team of economic experts are hosting a series of programs this Spring on this important effort to support increased business activity through the use of the Economic Governance Index. We hope you are able to join one of the presentations.

Expert Speakers:
Bruce Tolentino, Director of Economic Reform and Development Programs at The Asia Foundation, San Francisco
Edmund Malesky, Asia Foundation partner and Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego
Veronique Salze-Lozac’h, Regional Director of Economic Reform and Development Programs, The Asia Foundation, Cambodia
Neil McCulloch, Director of Economic Programs, The Asia Foundation, Indonesia

RSVP: Please reply by March 19, 2008 to rsvp@asiafound.org or 415 743-3347
with your name, affiliation, contact information, and the location/date of the one EGI presentation you would like to attend.

Palo Alto - Thursday, March 27, 2008: 4:30″6:00pm

Stanford University’s Donald L. Lucas Conference Center
Corner of Galvez and Serra Streets, Stanford University Campus, Palo Alto
Co-sponsored by Stanford’s Center for International Development