Myanmar's central government has yet to acknowledge the military's use of rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women, but it has to do so if there is to be real peace in the country, argues Christine Leah and Nan Paw Gay in this analysis. ...

Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretary-general from 2008 to 2012, ranks as among his toughest challenges the Thai-Cambodian border conflict in 2011. In this talk with Sarakadee magazine’s Sujane Kanparit, Surin recalls, “Both Thailand and Cambodia were belligerent. By siding with either of them, I would be doomed. I had to take behind-the-scene moves on almost everythin ...

ASEAN was never really meant as a dispute settlement organisation. But even then and despite its record of tiptoeing around sensitive 'internal' issues, it took on the role of a mediator in 2011 as Thailand and Cambodia engaged in border clashes over the Preah Vihear temple. Sarakadee magazine's Sujane Kanparit reviews how ASEAN fared in its experiment in settling or managing conflicts. ...

VIENTIANE, Dec 17 (IPS Asia-Pacific) — Every day, Nguyen Van Hoan returns to a silent home after work. There is neither a hug from his three-year-old daughter nor a kiss from his wife. ...

MANILA, Dec 12 (IPS Asia-Pacific) - When Myo Thant, many years ago, forwarded a proposal that asked the government of Myanmar to help temper the rapid increase of HIV transmission and occurrence of AIDS in the population, his request was rejected. “Only Elizabeth Taylor works on HIV and AIDS,” he recalled one state official’s response written on his proposal paper, referring to the late American actress’ ad ...

JAKARTA, Dec 3 (IPS Asia-Pacific) – At the age of 82 years, former political detainee Mudjayin wonders if he will ever see justice served. ...

Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, loses some 30 trillion rupiah (slightly over 3 billion U.S. dollars) a year because of illegal fishers, most of whom are from South-east Asian countries. How is Indonesia coping, and what is ASEAN's role in solving the problem of illegal fishing? This set of four stories by Heriyanto looks into these issues. ...

SUNGAI KAKAP, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, Nov 26 (IPS Asia-Pacific) – Morning, approximately three o’clock. Dozens of boats are docked at Sungai Kakap, Kubu Raya District, West Kalimantan province. The dock is beginning to buzz with activity. A boat is unloading its catch. One by one, large fish are removed from the storage in the vessel’s hull and hauled into a shed close to the boat. ...

SUNGAI RENGAS, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, Nov 26 (IPS Asia-Pacific) – On the dock of the Pontianak Monitoring Station of the Marine Resources and Fisheries (PSDKP) here on Kapuas River in Kubu Raya District sits yet another illegal fishing vessel that Indonesian authorities had caught and confiscated recently. ...

JAKARTA, Nov 26 (IPS Asia-Pacific) – Faced with a continuing stream of foreign vessels that harvest its marine resources illegally, Indonesia has stepped up efforts to have the problem resolved at the regional level. But it is not finding it easy to push for action within ASEAN, despite all the discussions about illegal fishing among the members of the regional organisation. ...