Asia

The idea of holding the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea seemed destined to fail. The interests of three key actors – the United States, South Korea, and North Korea – were so different that it seemed impossible to find working compromises between them. And yet it was an unexpected relative success. Diplomacy won out.

Although the genocide of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar has gathered greater media attention in recent months, there is no indication that the international community is prepared to act in any meaningful way, thus leaving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees stranded in border camps between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The International Federation of Journalists reported that the Philippines is the most dangerous country in Southeast Asia for journalists. President Duterte is a vocal critic of the press. Before taking office, he told journalists at a press conference, “Free speech won’t save you, my dear.”

Disasters, man made and natural, are increasingly forcing agriculture-based income earners, especially small farmers, out of their villages and into cities looking for work. “What am I to do? There is no work in our village, all the fields have dried up, everyone is moving out looking for work,” said Sri Lankan farmer Newton Gunathileka.

On December 5th, the U.N. Human Rights Council held a Special Session devoted to the conditions of the Rohingya of Myanmar fleeing to Bangladesh. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein highlighted that the Myanmar security forces "deliberately and massively targeted civilians." He added "Can anyone, can anyone, rule out that elements of genocide may be present?"

In Laos, the lush forests are alive with the whines of drills that pierce the air. On the Mekong, a giant concrete wall rises slowly above the trees. The Don Sahong dam is a strong symbol, not only for a power-hungry Asia but also for what critics fear is a disaster in the making.