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Phar Kim Beng
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 6, 2003
Suu Kyi's hunger strike raises the ante
MEDFORD, Massachusetts -- If news coming out from Myanmar is to be believed, Aung Sang Suu Kyi is now on a water-only hunger strike.
COMMENTARY / World
May 24, 2003
Political Islam is not global
MEDFORD, Massachusetts -- In light of the recent terrorist bombings in Riyadh and Casablanca, travel advisories were quickly issued for Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. The October Kuta bombings in Bali served as a crucial reminder of the vulnerability of Southeast Asia to terrorism. Will Middle Eastern-style...
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 25, 2003
SARS may lift Japan's leadership role
MEDFORD, Massachusetts -- At the height of the Asian financial crisis in 1997, two stories surrounded the role of China. One attested to China's positive role as a stabilizer; the other pointed to China's unsavory economic practice. According to the latter, China had intentionally devalued its currency...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 30, 2001
Economic might of overseas Chinese does not necessarily translate into political power
Numbering slightly less than 60 million people, the overseas Chinese form a far-flung network that extends from San Francisco to Singapore. With an estimated wealth of more than $1.5 trillion, this group constitutes what could arguably be the third largest economy in the world, following the United States...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 30, 2001
Young Asian forum already has impressive pedigree
The recently concluded Boao Asian Forum on Hainan Island had all the appearance of a simple nongovernmental conference.

Longform

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?