Never-married Women in Southeast Asia
Memo #96 – In Southeast Asia the proportion of women who remain single past their childbearing years has been increasing. The figure tends to be higher among women who have tertiary education. There are significant implications when the number of never-married women becomes large: in Southeast Asia, women who do not marry tend not to have children and this will affect fertility levels. Also, what social identity will these women take in the absence of the wife-mother role?
Thai-Cambodian Border Clashes – What is Fuelling them?
Memo #80 – Since the end of April 2011, fighting between the Thai and Cambodian armies along their disputed border killed 18 people, injured over 120, and displaced nearly 100,000 villagers. Since hostilities began in July 2008, border clashes have now left at least 28 dead and some 150 injured. The conflict is centred around three ancient temples built by Khmer kings nearly a thousand years ago. But most analysts contend that territory is not the driving concern, rather it is fuelled by domestic politics in both countries.
Fully Ordained Nuns in Theravada Buddhism
Memo #62 – There are no fully ordained nuns, or Bhikkhunis, in Theravada Buddhism. Last year, after 35 years in the West, the Theravadin Thai Forest Tradition found that the ordination of nuns had become a flashpoint. The Western monks are willing to adapt, but require consensus with senior conservative monks in Thailand. In the end, the issue of nuns’ ordination may be decided by senior Canadian monks.
Thailand’s Red-Shirts: One Year Later
Memo #60 – March 12, 2011 will mark the first anniversary of Thailand’s red-shirt protesters’ massive street campaign in Bangkok that ended in some of the worst political violence in modern Thai history. 91 people were killed and over 1,800 were injured in a military crackdown that resembled more of a civil war than a restoration of order. This was mainly due to the appearance of mysterious black-clad men on the side of the protesters who engaged the Thai army with automatic rifles and grenade launchers.
Cooperative Management of Mekong River is Crucial for 70 Million People
Memo #32 – Cooperation is crucial to manage rivers that flow across national borders. States along the Mekong River – and their 70 million inhabitants – depend on the cooperation of their upstream neighbour, China.
Nelson Rand, a Canadian journalist wounded in Bangkok analyzes the Thailand conflict
Memo #14 – Nelson Rand is a Canadian journalist based in Bangkok who has been covering insurgencies and political protests in Thailand for the past 6 years. He was wounded while covering the protests earlier in the summer. He is a graduate of the Master of Arts – Asia Pacific Policy Studies (MAPPS) program at UBC.
What’s Next for Thailand? A Post-Crackdown Commentary
Memo #8 – The bomb blast in Bangkok last month underscores that few are smiling in the “Land of Smiles.” The street protests have been suppressed but recent polls indicated that at least three-quarters of Thai think the political crisis is far from over.
Threads, Robes, and Alms-Rounds: Thai Buddhist Monks in the Recent Yellow Shirt vs. Red Shirt Conflict
Memo #5 – Reports disseminated by Buddhist news aggregators suggest instances when Buddhist monks act along political “lines” while claiming political neutrality. The recent conflict in Thailand is no exception.
Thai Academics Are As Polarized And Dispirited As Their Nation
Memo #1 – The recent images of the G20 protests in Toronto were disturbing. But they pale in comparison to the scale and implications of the street protests in Bangkok earlier in the summer.