India and ASEAN / East Asia

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 28 Apr 2015 18:55

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ind ... 084612.cms

CHENNAI: In an apparent reference to China, Vietnam today asserted that "nobody" could prevent India's oil exploration efforts in its country, stating it was being undertaken in Hanoi's exclusive territorial waters.

He was responding to a query on China opposing exploration activities in South China Sea.

"We always welcome that (Indian investments). It is there already. The first gas exploration project was started in 1988 by ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation). Now, it is exploring some more blocks in Vietnam," Ambassador of Vietnam to India Ton Sinh Thanh told reporters here.

Stating that the projects were awarded in the territorial waters of Vietnam to India, he said, "India's exploration of oil and gas is in exclusively economic zone of Vietnam. So, nobody can prevent it".

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... aign=cppst

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 29 Apr 2015 01:22

Indonesia Executes 7 Foreign Drug Convicts

Cilacap (Indonesia) (AFP) - Indonesia on Wednesday executed seven foreign drug convicts including two Australians by firing squad despite a storm of international anger, reports said, but a Filipina was spared at the 11th hour.

Eight convicts -- two Australians, one from Brazil and four from Africa, as well as the Indonesian -- were put to death on Nusakambangan Island, MetroTV and the Jakarta Post reported.

However the Filipina, Mary Jane Veloso, was spared after someone suspected of recruiting her and tricking her into carrying drugs to Indonesia turned herself in to authorities in the Philippines.

In contrast, there was shock and anger in Australia over the executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran , ringleaders of the so-called "Bali Nine" heroin-trafficking gang, whose case has severely strained ties between their government and Indonesia's.

In Indonesian executions, convicts are led to clearings just after midnight, tied to posts and then giving the option of kneeling, standing or sitting before being executed by 12-man firing squads.

President Joko Widodo has been a vocal supporter of the death penalty for drug traffickers, claiming Indonesia is facing an emergency due to rising narcotics use.
Australia had mounted a sustained campaign to save its citizens, who have been on death row for almost a decade..
Three of the African traffickers are confirmed as being from Nigeria. However it is not clear whether the fourth holds Ghanaian or Nigerian nationality.

A Frenchman was originally among the group set to be executed but was granted a temporary reprieve after authorities agreed to allow an outstanding legal appeal to run its course.

Jakarta executed six drug convicts, including five foreigners, in January sparking an international outcry as Brazil and the Netherlands -- whose citizens were among those put to death -- recalled their ambassadors.

member_23857 · Post by **member_23857** » 29 Apr 2015 01:38

Myuran Sukumaran sounds either of Sri Lankan or Malaysian origin. Nothing shocking about the execution. Indonesians have made it very clear they will execute drug traffickers.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 29 Apr 2015 21:18

Probably westernized form of 'Mayuran'.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 08 May 2015 16:23

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 758_1.html

The overlapping of trees and man-made structures at Cambodia's Ta Prohm temple made the Archeological Survey of India's restoration work difficult, so they had rope in IIT-Chennai to instruct them in structural engineering.

In a video "India-Cambodia Relations - A Labour of Love" highlighting the role Indian has played in restoration of Ta Prohm, the third most visited site after Angkor Wat and the Bayon temple in the Angkor region, posted online by the external affairs ministry on May 5, Indian archaeologists spoke about the challenges they faced in restoration.

"The restoration work at Ta Prohm temple was quite a challenging task as about 150 huge trees are growing in the complex, and some of them are growing over the structures," ASI director general Rakesh Tewari in the video.

When the ASI took over the restoration charge in 2003, Tewari noted the temple was "all crumbled down" and resettling the monument wasn't an easy job.

This is why to understand the complex dynamics the temple threw open, the ASI collaborated with Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai to understand for structural studies and engineering and come up with a calculated move to restore the ruins.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 08 May 2015 17:09

On the Ta Prohm temple complex restoration at Siem Reap. There is, at the entrance to the temple complex, an ASI panel of photographs depicting the 'before' and 'after' images. Quite interesting. It is always a very crowded place, next only to Angkor Wat though. A lot of work still needs to be done and is being carried out.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 10 May 2015 18:23

India-Indonesia ties - untapped potential:
http://thediplomat.com/2015/05/the-unfu ... relations/

Still, Indonesia should be a priority for Modi from an economic, strategic and cultural perspective. One area that needs to be strengthened is connectivity; there are no direct flights between the two countries, despite the strong business links and the tourism potential.

Second, India should set up more centers for India studies in universities in Indonesia. India is in fact hoping to set up an “India corner” at various universities, and Udayana University was presented with works by renowned Indian novelists as well as books on areas like governance and health care by India’s ambassador in 2013. While the Indian government already grants scholarships to Indonesian students, setting up research centers would be an important step in increasing awareness not just about the historical ties, but the significance of strengthening the current relationship.

Third, many state governments have been reaching out to Malaysia and Singapore. States such as Odisha, which share strong historical ties with Indonesia, should contribute to furthering the bilateral relationship.

India has moved from idealism to pragmatism in a number of its relationships. In the case of Indonesia, it has been heavily dependent upon historical ties, and in spite of the numerous synergies the relationship is far from fulfilling its potential. In other important relationships, Modi has sought to balance historical links with current and future interests. He should do the same with Indonesia.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 11 May 2015 06:02

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/c ... -nagaworld

A Chinese-owned firm will pay $40 million to enter exclusive negotiations to set up a gaming area in Phnom Penh casino NagaWorld, according to a statement released on Wednesday by NagaWorld’s publicly-traded owner NagaCorp in Hong Kong.

The company, CMC Phnom Penh Import-Export, “expressed confidence in the investment climate in Cambodia” thanks to potential Chinese gamblers arriving via NagaWorld’s airline and the attractiveness of NagaWorld’s luxury duty free stores, according to the statement.

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 11 May 2015 11:19

A_Gupta wrote:http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 758_1.html

The overlapping of trees and man-made structures at Cambodia's Ta Prohm temple made the Archeological Survey of India's restoration work difficult, so they had rope in IIT-Chennai to instruct them in structural engineering.

In a video "India-Cambodia Relations - A Labour of Love" highlighting the role Indian has played in restoration of Ta Prohm, the third most visited site after Angkor Wat and the Bayon temple in the Angkor region, posted online by the external affairs ministry on May 5, Indian archaeologists spoke about the challenges they faced in restoration.

"The restoration work at Ta Prohm temple was quite a challenging task as about 150 huge trees are growing in the complex, and some of them are growing over the structures," ASI director general Rakesh Tewari in the video.

When the ASI took over the restoration charge in 2003, Tewari noted the temple was "all crumbled down" and resettling the monument wasn't an easy job.

This is why to understand the complex dynamics the temple threw open, the ASI collaborated with Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai to understand for structural studies and engineering and come up with a calculated move to restore the ruins.

The Ta Prohm is a beautiful complex too. Most of their temples are pretty eye catching and a trip to Cambodge is truly enriching and enlightening. Perhaps India circa 1950-60's redux?

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 11 May 2015 18:12

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/mag ... 234884.cms

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday became the first passenger to fly out of the Kazi Nazrul Islam airport in West Bengal's Andal, days before it begins commercial operations.

India's first private greenfield airport located in Durgapur-Andal region has been set up in collaboration with the Changi International Airport, Singapore.

It is likely to begin commercial operations from May 18, according to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

niran · Post by **niran** » 13 May 2015 06:22

Region's Musli country unites to deny Musli Rohingya asylum

We won't let any foreign boats come in," Tan Kok Kwee, first admiral of Malaysia's maritime enforcement agency said Tuesday.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 13 May 2015 15:51

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ind ... 263138.cms

The Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) is in collaboration talks with one of India's leading business school.

"We are in talks with Pankaj Natu, Associate Professor of Thakur Institute of Management Studies and Research (TIMSR), to see how we could collaborate in some of the curriculums and courses," said Jeff Tan, SIM's senior manager, Relationship Management, Enterprise & Professional Development.

SIM had hosted 80 full time post graduate students and 4 faculty memb ..

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... aign=cppst

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 13 May 2015 16:12

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015 ... ndia-unit/

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.D05.SG +0.34% said Tuesday that it has applied to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in India, a move that will allow the Singapore lender to expand its network of branches and better reach its target audience of small and medium enterprises, Chief Executive Piyush Gupta said.

DBS’s move underscores international lenders’ interest in increasing their presence in India, one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies. It is the first major international bank to announce plans to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in India.

In 2013, India’s central bank issued guidelines for foreign banks to open subsidiaries in the country, in a bid to get greater regulatory oversight of how they do business. In return for agreeing to abide by Indian rules, Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan offered the banks what he called “near national treatment,” including the ability to open more branches than allowed now.

But foreign banks weren’t eager to take the deal, partly because of the costs of meeting certain regulatory requirements, particularly for so-called priority sector lending. The RBI requires that a sizeable chunk of credit by banks in India be given to farmers, small-scale businesses and other low-income groups. Foreign banks say this target audience is difficult and costly to reach.

Mr. Gupta said Tuesday that in recent months the RBI has issued some new guidelines to tweak the priority sector lending requirements, which make it easier for banks like his to operate in India. “They’ve created a lot more flexibility which recognizes the limitations that banks like us might have,” he said. ‪For instance, the new proposed norms reduce the percentage of total direct lending to farmers, and allow banks to lend indirectly to them.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 17 May 2015 19:26

http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/mal ... 96799.html
Malaysia calls for talks with Myanmar on migrant crisis

Malaysia`s foreign minister urged Myanmar on Sunday to hold talks on stemming a flood of boat-people to Southeast Asia, warning it may otherwise call for an emergency meeting on the crisis.

"If necessary, we will call for an emergency meeting," Foreign Minister Anifah Aman was quoted as saying by the state-run Bernama news agency.

Anifah said Malaysia "hopes Myanmar can sit together to find a solution before it is brought to the international level".

Malaysia had earlier announced that Anifah would meet his Indonesian and Thai counterparts in the coming week about the crisis.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 21 May 2015 22:30

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/ ... 826094.ece

NEW DELHI: Members of the India-Singapore Strategic Dialogue called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here yesterday.

The visiting team was led by their co-chairman Professor Tommy Koh.

Interacting with the delegation, the Prime Minister said India would like to benefit from Singapore's expertise in the fields of urban management, development and administration.

Prime Minister Modi also sought Singapore's support in capacity-building in human resources for urban management and administration.

Meanwhile, the members appreciated the Central Government's Smart Cities initiative.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 23 May 2015 18:56

http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/ind ... 00078.html
"Indian Naval vessel to participate in ASEAN exercise"

The Indian Navy`s indigenous offshore patrol vessel, INS Saryu, will participate in a week-long ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Disaster Relief Exercise (DiREx), an official statement said on Saturday.

The vessel is commanded by Cdr Sreekumar Pillai and operates under the the Andaman and Nicobar Command.

Co-hosted by Malaysia and China, the exercise will kick-off on Sunday in Malaysia and see the participation of Thailand, apart from India. The exercise is being conducted in Penang, northern Malaysia, from May 24 to 28.

"The aim of the exercise is sharing of information and networking among national agencies of this region towards providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) during natural calamities like earthquakes and tsunami etc as well as Search and Rescue (SAR) for ships and aircraft lost at sea," the official statement added.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 24 May 2015 04:42

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 401065.cms
"India sends four warships to the East, kicks off exercise with Singapore"

India has dispatched four warships, including a frontline destroyer and a stealth frigate, on a long overseas deployment to the South Indian Ocean and South China Sea in consonance with the country's "Act East" policy.

As part of the endeavor, two of the warships -- stealth frigate INS Satpura and anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kamorta - also kicked off the four-day SIMBEX exercise with the Singaporean Navy on Saturday.

The Eastern Fleet's deployment led by Rear Admiral A B Singh will see the warships, which also include destroyer INS Ranvir and fleet tanker INS Shakti, make port calls at Jakarta (Indonesia), Freemantle (Australia), Kuantan (Malaysia), Sattahip (Thailand) and Sihanoukville (Cambodia).

"The visits are aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing interoperability between navies as well as showing the Indian flag in this region of strategic importance. After each port call, passage exercises are also planned with the different host navies," said a senior officer.

As for the SIMBEX exercise, it will include all facets of naval operations ranging from air defence and surface firing to maritime security and search and rescue operations with Singaporean warship RSN Supreme and submarine RSN Archer along with fighters, patrol aircraft and helicopters.

"Operational interaction between the Indian and Singaporean navies began with anti-submarine warfare training exercises in 1994. The exercises have steadily grown in tactical and operational complexity over the last 20 years," he said.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 24 May 2015 06:05

http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/Video_ ... yanmar.htm

Laos-Myanmar friendship bridge opens.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 25 May 2015 05:26

http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/99039 ... -community
"India reaches out to Indonesian Buddhist Community"

India reached out to the large Indonesian Buddhist Community today when the exhibition “Buddha Carika – In the footsteps of Shakyamuni Buddha” was inaugurated in the Gedung Prasadha Jinarakkhita, Sunday morning (May 24).

The famous Prasadha Jinarakkhita has been built by the efforts of Mahabhiksu Ashin Jinarakkhita Mahasthavira who was instrumental in spreading Buddhism in Indonesia and uniting all the sects of Buddhism under one organization.

Mahasthavira Nyanamaitri who represents all the three sects of Buddhism in Indonesia – Mahayana, Theravada and Budayan; H.E. Mr Gurjit Singh, Ambassador of India to Indonesian and Timor Leste; Mr. Piandi, Chairman, Indonesia Buddhist Council; Mr. Bhante Kheminda, Chairman Panditikan Jinarakkhita Buddhist Institute; Dr. Ravindra Panth, Director, Nav Nalanda Mahavihara; and Mr. Simon, who represented Directorate General of Buddhist Affairs were among those present at the inaugural of the exhibtion.

The exhibition, which is based on the teachings and life of Lord Buddha, was blessed by holy monks by the chanting of religious hymns.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 25 May 2015 08:25

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 410113.cms
"ISRO moots ground station in Vietnam"

BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) has mooted a proposal for a ground station in Vietnam. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is also keen on the project.

The organization already has a network of ground stations within the country, one in Mauritius and two in Indonesia.

The proposal is going to help India receive, process and use data from Indian satellites for a variety of applications including disaster management support, a senior scientist told TOI.

It can also be used to provide training in space science, technology and applications which will benefit other members of Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) too —Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

ISRO seems to have already convinced Prime Minister Narendra Modi who discussed the topic at the India-Asean meet at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar in November.

"Modi has broken the ice on the matter and it assumes importance as this is a diplomatic project which will need another country's co-operation," the scientist said.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 26 May 2015 01:33

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/HKqx4w ... rship.html
"India assures Vietnam commitment to strategic partnership".

India on Monday assured Vietnam of its full commitment to the strategic partnership between the two countries during a meeting in New Delhi between Vietnamese defence minister Phùng Quang Thanh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

niran · Post by **niran** » 27 May 2015 10:34

migrant burden must be shared

migrant crisis may be abating

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 27 May 2015 10:44

niran wrote:migrant burden must be shared

migrant crisis may be abating

Strictly speaking this post is unrelated to this thread, but very much related to migrants and sharing their burden, so I am posting it. Cant understand why dharmic nation like Thailand share burden of Muslim immigrants.

Why should world be so sorry for Rohingyas who themselves have exterminated Sukmas and Buddhist in Chittagong area. These Rohingyas are not mere migrants, but agents of a certain ideology, once they get their stomachs fulfilled, they will show their true colors.

Cant Malaysia and Indonesia lend a hand to their Ummah brothers, cant they respect Quran? If they have mouths to comment upon Palestine to every Muslim issue, cant they have hands to welcome them when they landed at those shores?

EU threatens May over migrant quota: Brussels threatens retaliation for refusal to accept asylum seekers

- The EU has insisted Britain should take an extra 60,000 asylum seekers
- But Theresa May said UK would not help relocate thousands of migrants
- Comes after thousands make perilous journeys across Mediterranean to reach Europe
.........
The Home Secretary also insisted there should be no bar on forcibly sending failed asylum claimants home – pointing out many of them were ‘economic migrants’.

niran · Post by **niran** » 27 May 2015 11:03

^^^^ it is ASEAN thread, yes? and the NEWS is about ASEAN.

not long ago Oirope in their infinite wisdom handed a decree

thou shalt not use slave in thy fishing boat else grave consequence visit thee

results in Thailand cracking down and guess what them BDs are the the top most slaves as opposed to Burmese as was thought, these people in place of returning to their homeland began playing victim, oiropean NGOs (who else) went weepy crawely touchy feely and complained to EU (what an irony) before EU could open their mouths got a reply "go suck yer thumbs in some dark corner" (diplomatically of course) EU went crying to their daddy amirkhan, amirkhan got a reply on the lines "we are poor onree, why does not the most powerful and mighty do something themselves"

the current status of the ASEAN is

we will provide help but no shelter

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 29 May 2015 19:54

"India can play major role in Asia: Singapore Prime Minister"
http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-in ... er-2090413

"The (Narendra) Modi government has set a new tone in India, and the (East Asian) region looks forward to deepening our partnership with India," Lee told defence chiefs from 26 nations at the meet organised by the International Institute for Security Studies (IISS) here.

Lee said he expects the US, China and Japan to remain key powers in Asia but added India will play an important role.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 29 May 2015 20:03

"Thailand hosts regional meeting on immigration crisis"
http://www.laprensasa.com/309_america-i ... risis.html

Representatives from 17 countries and international organizations will meet in Bangkok on Friday to discuss Southeast Asia's illegal immigrant crisis, as thousands remain stranded in boats in the Bay of Bengal....
...
Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Thailand will participate in the meeting, which will also include observers from Switzerland and the United States and delegates from U.N. agencies for refugees, migration and crime prevention.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 29 May 2015 20:05

"14th Shangri-La Dialogue kicks off in Singapore"
http://www.globalpost.com/article/65649 ... -singapore

SINGAPORE, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The 14th Shangri-La Dialogue, widely recognized as Asia-Pacific's foremost defense and security summit, kicked off here on Friday with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivering the keynote speech focusing on balance of power, regional cooperation and terrorism.

PM Lee Hsien Loong said China has become the second biggest economy in the world and the largest or second largest trading partner of nearly every country in the Asia-Pacific region.

"So far China's rise has been peaceful within the established international order. The key to this continuing is the U.S.-China relationship," said PM Lee.

He believed Sino-U.S. relationship is not a zero-sum game, there are elements of competition as well as many interdependencies and opportunities for mutual benefit.

Lee said that other countries in Asia-Pacific region also play a role in the regional power balance, for instance, India is emerging as a major player in Asia.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 Jun 2015 16:37

From Malaysia:
"PM Witnesses MoU On Wastewater Treatment Technology, AMBBR"
http://www.malaysiandigest.com/news/556 ... ambbr.html

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on wastewater treatment technology known as the Advance Moving Bed Bio-Reactor (AMBBR) from China today.

The MoU is between AMBBR creator Professor Wang Qing Zhong, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and KytoWater Sdn Bhd. Wang expressed his hope that his technology would put Malaysia on the map as a water hub using the AMBBR technology that could benefit the country and its people.
...
...
He also said other countries had shown interest to use the AMBBR technology from Malaysia including India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Brazil.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 02 Jun 2015 18:36

sappunni wrote:Myuran Sukumaran sounds either of Sri Lankan or Malaysian origin. Nothing shocking about the execution. Indonesians have made it very clear they will execute drug traffickers.

Still, he didn't deserve that fate, and the Indonesia law is brutal. They have to be condemned for it. BTW, there is no doubt that if it were India that was executing a group of foreigners, the media coverage would be more intense, with quite a lot of hard edged commentary, from the usual suspects, the NY Times, the Guardian et al. It's interesting and curious, that despite its huge size, 200 million+, the goings on in Indonesia receive very little coverage and commentary by the international media. For the life of me, I cannot say what Indonesians feel about their history( Dutch colonialism), economy, science and technology, environment, women's rights, minorities etc. We know more or less what many Indians feel on these matters vis-a-vis India, but not what Indonesians, Brazilians, Filipinos, Congolese etc, think about their respective countries.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 Jun 2015 20:49

^^^ reading about Indonesia:
http://indonesiaetc.com/

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 02 Jun 2015 21:09

A.Gupta, pretty good, but not exactly mainstream, publicly visible stuff, the kind that India is subject to. It's also curious that Indonesia's relationship to the Netherlands, and its memories of Dutch colonialism, which must have had its own share of brutalities and injustices, is just about never talked about. Whereas the same for India and Britain is not the case. Indonesians must have a range of emotions on the Dutch, sometimes veering toward extreme anger, other times acceptance of history. We don't hear about it.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 Jun 2015 22:37

Varoon, that is part of our not paying as much attention to Indonesia as we pay to Pakistan.
e.g., this event in 2013:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013 ... sacre.html

The Dutch government has officially apologized for summary executions carried out by its colonial troops in Indonesia between 1945 and 1949.

Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia Tjeerd de Zwaan said on Thursday the apology was primarily addressed to the 10 widows of men who were summarily executed in South Sulawesi during the Westerling tragedy, and was also meant more generally to encompass other tragedies of a similar magnitude.

The Westerling tragedy was a series of mass killings in South Sulawesi between December 1946 and February 1947 during military operations by Dutch troops under Raymond Pierre Paul Westerling while Indonesia was under Dutch occupation.

No data is available on how many people died in the massacre, but most Dutch media outlets have reported that between 3,000 and 5,000 perished.

Amsterdam-based lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld said probably more than 40,000 people were killed during the operation.

Zegveld is the lawyer of the 10 widows.

“The Dutch government is aware it bears a special responsibility in respect of Indonesian widows of victims of summary executions […]. On behalf of the Dutch government, I apologize for these excesses,” Zwaan said during the apology ceremony at the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013 ... lYHRG.dpuf

There must have been commentary about it, and so on.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 03 Jun 2015 00:05

A.Gupta, definitely. But it is also the media in the English speaking world that is guilty of incredible negligence. One of the largest colonies in the world, Indonesia, under the control of the Dutch for 2 centuries, and it is viewed as a non-event. What gives? The average person in the US and Canada doesn't have the slightest clue.

It's nice to see those quotes from Dutch individuals, if for no other reason than it's refreshing. We also need to know of similar remembrances and remonstrances by Belgians vis-a-vis the Congo( which for a time was practically Nazi like), the Portuguese in Angola and Mozambique, the Americans in the Philippines and the French in Vietnam and Laos. The crimes committed in these places were sometimes Nazi like in their scale.The ideology of ethno-supremacy was not all that different. It was a question of degree, not of kind, as the saying goes.

chanakyaa · Post by **chanakyaa** » 04 Jun 2015 06:11

The Philippines to the United States: We Want You Back

Looks like two days ago Philippine President Aquino, received guarantees of next 10 years of supply of Vie-agra. He is wasting no time displaying his manhood, with a full disclosure that he is an amateur student of history.

Philippine President Compares China to Nazi Germany While Visiting Japan

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 23 Jun 2015 18:28

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 045_1.html
"Daimler India exports trucks to Cambodia from Chennai facility"

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Jun 2015 04:29

http://focusnews.com/world/unveiling-th ... nds/65972/
Malaysian flight MH370 related news:

In a new twist to the incident, the chief of The Republic Maldives civil aviation agency, Ibrahim Faizal, has revealed that the investigation in this sighting incident over the island of Kuda Huvadhoo in the wee hours of March 8,2014 has been conducted. Kuda Huvadhoo lies about 2,000 miles from Kuala Lumpur, in the opposite direction of Beijing.

He says, that the islanders actually saw a smaller 50-seater jet with similar branding, and not the jumbo jet that Malaysia Airlines used.

“To be honest, now I have no reason to believe that it’s the MH370 flight,” Faizal said. “I am more firm in my conviction after speaking to the island council now. This whole issue was confused by other matters like the sighting of a fire extinguisher — we found that this is not from any aircraft, let alone a B777.”

....
“I am convinced now, given all the information and data we have, that it was not the MH370 plane but more likely the Island Aviation Bombardier Dash 8, he said.

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 28 Jun 2015 08:22

Interestingly, Thailand has got into a deal with China to buy 3 submarines. Seems queer. Thailand has a competing claim against China and why / how will they buy a sub from China?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Jun 2015 10:44

vijaykarthik wrote:Interestingly, Thailand has got into a deal with China to buy 3 submarines. Seems queer. Thailand has a competing claim against China and why / how will they buy a sub from China?

Thailand had enjoyed close relationship with China, especially the Thai military. Among the ASEAN countries, Thailand is the closest to China after Cambodia. In fact, that puts China in a spot at times because of the strained Thai-Cambodia relationship [the Preah Vihear temple along the border that has now been awarded to Cambodia]. BTW, what competing claim that you are talking about? The SCS dispute does not involve the Thais and in fact the Chinese relied heavily on Thailand to have their say in the Code of Conduct [in the SCS] that the ASEAN was [and is] preparing.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Jun 2015 11:29

India, Thailand to sign double taxation avoidance treaty - The Hindu

India and Thailand will sign a double taxation treaty and an MoU for setting up an Ayurveda Chair in one of the Thai Universities during the three-day visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj beginning on Saturday.

The Minister will be the guest of honour on Sunday at the inaugural ceremony of the 16th World Sanskrit Conference, where she will deliver her speech in Sanskrit. Over 600 scholars from 60 countries will participate in the five-day conference.

Ms. Swaraj will co-chair India-Thailand Joint Commission meeting during which the two countries will sign a double taxation avoidance treaty and exchange instruments of ratification on the extradition treaty signed between them in 2013.

Ms. Swaraj will also meet Indian business leaders and hold interaction with academicians.

She will have an audience with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, a scholar of Sanskrit and Royal Patron of the World Sanskrit Conference. Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani will attend the concluding ceremony of the conference on July 2.

On Monday, Ms. Swaraj will call on the Thai political leadership.

She will meet Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thai government Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn. — PTI

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 28 Jun 2015 13:47

SSridhar wrote:
vijaykarthik wrote:Interestingly, Thailand has got into a deal with China to buy 3 submarines. Seems queer. Thailand has a competing claim against China and why / how will they buy a sub from China?
Thailand had enjoyed close relationship with China, especially the Thai military. Among the ASEAN countries, Thailand is the closest to China after Cambodia. In fact, that puts China in a spot at times because of the strained Thai-Cambodia relationship [the Preah Vihear temple along the border that has now been awarded to Cambodia]. BTW, what competing claim that you are talking about? The SCS dispute does not involve the Thais and in fact the Chinese relied heavily on Thailand to have their say in the Code of Conduct [in the SCS] that the ASEAN was [and is] preparing.

Correct! My mistake. I somehow took the Gulf of Thailand dispute as part of the bigger SCS too. On a closer look, it sure does look like China doesn't have any claim the gulf of Thailand. Wonder why they (China) left that bit out. Perhaps they want one all-weather friend there too.

PS: I've been to the Preah Vihear and it sure looks more Cambodian than Thai. Its a convoluted story there and the neighbors have no love lost between them.