http://www.inthesetimes.com/archives/tags/southeast+asia/ In These Times features award-winning investigative reporting about corporate malfeasance and government wrongdoing, insightful analysis of national and international affairs, and sharp cultural criticism about events and ideas that matter. en-us Expression Engine jessica@inthesetimes.com seamus@inthesetimes.com Mon, 01 Oct 2001 13:52:00 -0500 http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/1621/burma_inc/ There may be no country with a worse record on labor rights than Burma, where the military regime regularly forces workers to toil on government and private projects for no pay. If the new global order can't act against such an extreme case, then there is little hope of effective protection of labor rights anywhere. The campaign to support the democratic opposition in Burma nevertheless has exerted significant pressure on the ruling junta, mainly by attacking corporate investment in Burma and sales of Burmese products. The drive for strong economic sanctions has the support of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. In the '90s, U.S. supporters of Burmese democracy attacked companies that operated in Burma… southeast asia Joel Bleifuss Fri, 15 Mar 2002 13:25:00 -0600 http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/1438/dust_and_bones/ As a boy, Phann Ana found the bodies of his uncle and father where the Khmer Rouge had left them: under a compost pile near his family’s home. “The bodies were badly decomposed—just bones, really,” says Phann Ana, a 32-year-old writer. “But my mother recognized my father by his pants, and my aunt recognized my uncle by his lighter.” The family scooped up the mounds of splintered bones and tattered rags and cremated them. In their Buddhist faith, the ceremony, long delayed, brought spiritual peace. But it did not bring justice. Phann Ana—and millions of Cambodians—are still waiting for that. “It will not happen,” he says of efforts to bring the Khmer Rouge leadership to trial. “I don’t think so.”… southeast asia Joel Bleifuss Tue, 17 Feb 2004 15:10:00 -0600 http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/398/unocal_off_the_hook/ For now, California energy giant Unocal Corp. is not liable for the rape, murder, torture and forced labor that occurred during construction of the $1.2 billion, 40-mile Yadana natural gas pipeline in Burma, now Myanmar. On January 23, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Victoria Chaney concluded that Unocal could not be held accountable for the actions of its subsidiaries—but ruled that the case could move forward if plaintiff attorneys used other means to prove libability. The court found that victims’ testimony was well documented and that “the evidence does suggest that Unocal knew that forced labor was being utilized and that they benefited from the practice.” The notoriously brutal Burmese military was contracted to act as security on the… civil liberties corporations economy southeast asia Joel Bleifuss Mon, 05 Dec 2005 04:01:00 -0600 http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/2420/cult_of_ideology/ The illusion of success on which this secretive nation's leaders thrive was on full display in early October as the Korean Workers Party celebrated the 60th anniversary of its ascent to power. Parks and skyscrapers in the country's showcase city were newly spruced up to valiantly demonstrate how the might and success of the unique brand of Communism practiced by the "hermit kingdom" is still intact. A song-and-dance extravaganza called "Arirang" was the centerpiece of the festivities. A cast of 100,000 acrobats, dancers, singers, soldiers, musicians and children who made giant designs using colored cards enthralled the audience as they told a love story with predictable ingredients--boy meets girl and, separated by political turmoil, they fight for their country, defeat… international affairs southeast asia Joel Bleifuss