Communism and Capitalism

40 years later, Vietnam still deeply divided over war

"Divisions over a war that cost 3 million Vietnamese lives still haven't been addressed."

It's interesting to read that Vietnam is still divided 40 years after the war ended. The north believed that they were liberating the south from the Americans while the south believed that the north was invading and indoctrinating Communism. But the most interesting thing about this article is the younger generation are not that concerned about the war, they're all about the the current state of Vietnam. Vietnam's economy is growing and the younger generation want to keep that momentum going.

Here's a similar article from a different news site:
The fall of Saigon: How Vietnam ended up in the US orbit

Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Singapore?

Singapore Urban Farm Design Looks to Engage Active Seniors

Spark Architects is proposing to develop a sustainable senior living facility, called Homefarm, that helps seniors stay mobile and social, have an income, while stabilizing the food supply.

Japan's Nuclear Power Plants

4 years after Fukushima, Japan considers restarting nuclear facilities

Japan is considering restarting some of the nuclear power plants that were shut down after the March 2011 tsunami and earthquake. Naturally, a good chuck of the population are opposed to restarting the nuclear facilities. It's a complicated issue but it's good that Japan is talking more openly about their issues.

This quote shows that there is a need for nuclear power but there's a much deeper issue that is on everyone's mind: "Japan is the only nation to have nuclear bombs dropped on it, and emotions about radiation here are deep and complex. But mounting concern about higher electricity costs, greater dependence on imported fossil fuels and rising carbon emissions are also figuring into Japan's calculus. After an initial summer of brownouts, the country replaced lost nuclear power by revving up plants fueled by natural gas and coal."

This is an interesting quote because it comes from a former nuclear power plant board member who is skeptical about restarting the nuclear power plants: "I am one of the people responsible for this accident. I need to help the reconstruction of this area," he said. "I don't think we should even be talking about nuclear now — not until we do a much better job of raising awareness about renewable energy." - Eiju Hangai, a former Tepco board member.

Protesters arrested as per usual

Myanmar students and activists charged over protest clashes

Two weeks ago a protest in Myanmar lead by students and activists protesting a new education bill erupted in violence. This protest is part of a protest march from  Mandalay to Yangon (Rangoon).

As of today sixty-five people have been charged with insulting civil servants and failure to disperse.  

The uproar about this leg of the protest is police brutality. Which shows that not much has changed even though military rule has ended and unauthorized protests are still illegal. 

HK v. Mainlanders

Shopping in Hong Kong

People from mainland China are buying goods in Hong Kong, because there's no sales tax, and selling them in the mainland. There are organized groups that facilitate this mass shopping practice and resale of goods. Powered milk is the most desired product from HK.

Prior to reading this article I knew that there were some tensions between Hong Kongers and mainland Chinese so it wasn't surprising that HKers look down on the mainlanders. But I was surprised to read that droves of mainland Chinese were crossing the border into HK just to go shopping.

Irreconcilable Differences

North Koreans Pony Up Bribes for Quickie Divorces

Divorce was once looked down upon in North Korea but today $100 can bribe a judge to grant the unhappy couple a divorce. This is becoming more common and even though the government is promarriage, they recognize the economic advantages of the bribes so they just look the other way. More women are filing for divorce because they are being more assertive and are involved in the markets.

China and Argentina

China emerges as Latin America's lender of last resort

China and Argentina strengthened their relationship by collaborating on infrastructure, farming, and various projects throughout Argentina. China will be financing these projects and will lend money to Argentina. Sure China is a last resort lender but without their help Latin America would not get the help that they need.

This is a big deal because China is now viewed as a legit superpower. In the past China was a closed country and was highly selective of who they allied with. Even though this may seem like the United States is loosing it's influence, China's growing role in Latin America is a good thing because it will help the global economy.

Return Migration: Thailand and Cambodia

Khmer workers wait for passports

Cambodia is in a scramble to print passports for Khmer citizens who cross the border into Thailand for work. There has been a steady stream of return migration of Khmer migrant workers in Thailand. Thailand has set a March 31 deadline for undocumented workers to obtain passports from their country of origin and proper paperwork if they want to continue working in Thailand.

I was surprised to read that there is a huge influx of Khmer workers in Thailand. It's cool that there is a Thai "one-step service centre" that helps the Khmer workers receive their passports once they are printed.

Nepalese Child Grooms

Nepal Child Grooms

Arrange marriages are commonly associated with young girls and women being married off to a young boys or men, respectively, but there is also a practice of arranging marriages for child grooms in Nepal. This has probably been going around for a while but has not been reported on as much as child brides so this practice was somewhat surprising to me. 

Arrange marriages for young children, as young as nine years old are becoming more common even though marriage before 18 years old is illegal is Nepal. Since this is a common practice for the poor population the government looks the other way. The benefits for arranging child grooms are a way for poor families to "get rid of responsibilities" of taking care of their children because once you are married you are responsible for yourself and future family, also the younger the groom the "cheaper" the dowery the brides' family has to offer. 

Some young grooms struggle with being a young husband while being a "dutiful" son. The emotional struggles are real and have a powerful effect on the young couple, especially the husband. Where do their loyalties lie and how can they balance being a young husband and being a "son".

Prison Labour in Thailand

Thailand urged to stop sending prisoners out to sea

Thai Prisoners May Soon Be Catching the Fish on Your Dinner Plate

I found two articles about the Thai fishing industry using/"employing" prisoners because allegedly there is a labor shortage. It's unclear whether or not these prisoners are consenting "employees" or if they are forced to work in the fishing industry but the international community is now on high alert for any human rights violations. This situation in Thailand seems like modern day slavery and indentured servitude, sure these men are prisoners but they should not be forced to work in sketchy conditions. Sure working conditions in countries such as Thailand aren't the best but they should employ the unemployed rather than the prisoners. This article caught you attention because it's a human rights issue, it affects the global community, specially countries that get their fish from Thailand.