Showing 1 - 10 of 18
Green rush
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 20/01/2020
» Attitudes toward marijuana are starting to change in Southeast Asia. In some countries there is increasing social acceptance, growing research interest, easing of regulations and even modest legalisation, with Thailand leading the way.
Meth menace
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 18/11/2019
» Boshe, a community of 14,000 in Guangdong province in southern China, was once known as the "Breaking Bad Village" because it supplied one-third of the methamphetamine consumed in the country.
The scourge of human trafficking
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 28/10/2019
» The case of 39 people, most Vietnamese, found dead in a refrigerated trailer in Britain highlighted the fact that human trafficking and modern slavery are still a huge problem for Asia, and the entire world for that matter.
Denial spells irrelevance for Asean
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 24/06/2019
» One big reason why members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) get along so splendidly is that they avoid talking about uncomfortable subjects, such as stunted democratic development or human rights abuses.
End game for malaria
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 17/06/2019
» Malaria is one of the deadliest infectious diseases known to humankind, killing around 400,000 people every year. And while great strides have been made in recent years in prevention and treatment, especially in Asia, eliminating the disease entirely remains a major challenge.
Next-level noodles
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 03/06/2019
» A staple for millions of Asian workers, students and many others living abroad, instant noodles are the region's favourite comfort food. In the cupboards of shacks and mansions alike, you'll find cups and pouches ready to be mixed with water and served. And competition in the market is fierce.
Duterte can run but he can't hide
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 25/03/2019
» Last week the Philippines became the second country in the world to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after Burundi, which left in 2017. Many observers, myself included, see this as an attempt to evade an investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs, but it is not going to work.
People from Nowhere
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 18/03/2019
» A person can be born or made stateless, but either way the limitations such a status places on one's rights are severe. The issue has come into sharp focus with the case of Shamima Begum, a 19-year-old Islamic State supporter who was stripped of her British nationality for her decision to joined the self-declared caliphate in 2015.
Making musical waves
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 25/02/2019
» Many people associate a cruise holiday with being in a floating hotel, with buffet lines and various forms of entertainment and recreation, plus the obligatory port calls for shopping. As for the passengers … well, grey is the dominant hair colour.
Perilous journeys
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 11/02/2019
» On Jan 12, a fishing boat carrying more than 100 Indian migrants -- the precise number is not known -- left the Munambam harbour in Kerala. Its destination was New Zealand, more than 11,000 kilometres away.