ASIA & THE PACIFIC ARCHIVE :

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Washington Post, 30 May 09, by Emily Wax
Fresh Reports, Imagery Contradict Sri Lanka on Civilian No-Fire Zone
'... evidence contradicts government assertions that areas of heavy civilian populations were no-fire zones that were deliberately spared during the final weeks of military assault that ended this island nation's quarter-century of civil war.'

Washington Post, 28 May 09, by Blaine Harden
North Korea Threatens to Attack South
'North Korea vowed Wednesday to attack South Korea if ships from the North are searched as part a U.S.-led effort to stop vessels suspected of carrying missiles or weapons of mass destruction. It also declared that the truce that ended the Korean War in 1953 was no longer valid.'

New York Times, 27 May 09, by Choe Sang-Hun
South Korea and U.S. Raise Alert Level
'One day after North Korea warned of a possible attack against the South, the United States and South Korea ordered their forces here to their highest alert for three years, increasing surveillance flights and satellite reconnaissance to counter what officials termed a "grave threat."'

Washington Post, 28 May 09, by Ariana Eunjung Cha and Glenn Kessler
Anger May Help Bring New U.N. Sanctions
'China's leaders have shown their anger over North Korea's nuclear and missile tests this week through unusually critical statements and harsh coverage in China's state media. Now, U.S. officials hope the sharp rhetoric will translate into support in the U.N. Security Council for new sanctions on North Korea.'

Washington Post, 27 May 09, by Blaine Harden
More Repercussions From N. Korean Blast
'Diplomatic aftershocks from North Korea's latest nuclear test are jangling nerves and changing policies across northeast Asia.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 May 09, by Donald Kirk
North Korea lashes out at global effort to contain its nuclear program
'Pyongyang attacked South Korea's decision to join a partnership meant to block shipments of nuclear materiel.'

New York Times, 27 May 09, by Martin Fackler
S. Koreans Express Fatigue With a Recalcitrant North
'After years of hope that relations with the North would thaw if the South tried to coax it into engagement, regional experts and others speak of growing disenchantment.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 May 09, by Donald Kirk
Death of former South Korean leader prompts deeper look at reconciliation with North
'President Lee has reversed the softer approach of his predecessor, Roh Moo Hyun, who committed suicide over the weekend.'

NPR, 22 May 09
Sri Lankan Officials Kill Rebel Leader, End Civil War
[audio] 'Sri Lanka's civil war appears to have ended. Earlier this week the Sri Lankan government announced it had killed the leader of the rebel group the Tamil Tigers. This ended their decades-long pursuit of an independent nation for the country's Tamil population.'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 May 09, by Simon Montlake
Sri Lankan civilians trapped by Tamil Tigers 'last stand'
'As the fighting has shrunk to a three-square mile strip of rebel-held land, Sri Lanka's military has framed its offensive as the world's "largest hostage rescue mission."'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 May 09, by Bikash Sangraula
Nepal's Maoists lose support over Army chief's sacking
'Prime Minister Prachanda resigned Monday after coalition partners and the president opposed the move.'

New York Times, 29 Apr 09, by Choe Sang-Hun
N. Korea Issues Threat on Uranium
'North Korea said Wednesday that it would start a uranium enrichment program, declaring for the first time that it intended to pursue a second project unless the United Nations lifted sanctions.'

Christian Science Monitor, 29 Apr 09, by Simon Montlake
Sri Lanka rejects growing calls for cease-fire
'French and British envoys Wednesday urged a halt to fighting as concerns deepen about 50,000 trapped civilians.'

New York Times, 29 Apr 09, by Thomas Fuller
Europeans Fail to Get Sri Lanka Truce
'One of the highest-level European delegations to visit this war-torn country in years failed Wednesday to persuade the Sri Lankan government to declare a temporary truce with ethnic Tamil rebels.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Apr 09, by Mian Ridge
How will Sri Lanka reconcile after a bitter war?
'The campaign against the Tamil Tigers appears to be ending. But deep ethnic divides behind the conflict remain.'

Asia Times, 30 Apr 09, by Brian McCartan
Insurgents defy Thai military surge
'A new wave of deadly violence has swept through Thailand's restive south, with arson attacks, roadside bombs and ambushes on military patrols killing some 12 soldiers and civilians. A coordinated offensive, the attacks ... come just as the army was claiming a troop surge had "dramatically improved" the situation.'

New York Times, 23 Apr 09, by Somini Sengupta and Mark McDonald
Sri Lanka Says Rebels Continue to Fight
'Sri Lanka said Thursday that its soldiers were running into "dwindling but constant resistance" from Tamil Tiger rebels, one day after the United States accused the government of causing "untold suffering" among civilians in its final push to win a 25-year-old conflict with Tamil separatists.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Apr 09, by Tom A. Peter
Sri Lanka: Is this the 'endgame' for the conflict with Tamil Tigers?
'The government says the war is in its last stages, as thousands of civilians remain trapped in the conflict zone.'

New York Times, 21 Apr 09, by Edward Wong
Naval Show to Feature Submarines From China
'A senior Chinese naval officer said that China would unveil its nuclear submarines to the public on Thursday as part of an international review of the country's naval fleet "aimed at promoting understanding about China's military development," according to a report by Xinhua, the state news agency.'

Reuters, 15 Apr 09, by Chris Buckley
Analysis: China plays guarded hand against North Korea threats
'China's muted response to North Korea's nuclear brinkmanship reflects the dilemmas dogging Beijing as it seeks to coax Pyongyang back to disarmament talks while fearing for the health of Kim Jong-il and his regime.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Apr 09, by Simon Montlake
Thai turmoil escalates as troops hit streets
'Security forces were mobilized for the first time since 2006 and a state of emergency declared in Bangkok after protesters disrupted a weekend Asian summit.'

Washington Post, 15 Apr 09, by Blaine Harden
N. Korea's Defiant Tone Masks Problems Restarting Nuclear Program
'Despite its defiant vow to restart a plant that makes plutonium, North Korea's capacity to add to its small nuclear arsenal is limited by aging technology and by machinery that was disabled as part of a disarmament deal.'

Asia Times, 16 Apr 09, by Jian Junbo
China wary of US-Myanmar 'detente'
'Attempts by the United States to regain influence in Myanmar will inevitably pose a threat to China, which has taken advantage of past US hostility to the isolationist state to cultivate deep economic and political ties. The power balance in Southeast Asia could also be upset, leading to conflict reminiscent of darker days.'

Asia Times, 15 Apr 09, by Donald Kirk
Seoul strikes back at Pyongyang
'South Korea has responded to the North's provocative decision to resume fabricating nuclear weapons by joining the international initiative to stop nations from dealing in weapons of mass destruction. This gives Seoul the right to interdict North Korean vessels on the high seas - a move that would inevitably provoke a flare-up.'

Asia Times, 14 Apr 09, by Shawn W Crispin
A battle won in Thailand's 'war'
'The red-shirted supporters of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship have been driven from the streets of Bangkok after several days of chaos in which they brought the capital to a standstill. The threat remains, though, of their "final showdown" with the forces of the aristocracy and the establishment, with serious implications for Thailand's battered and bruised democracy.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 Apr 09, by Donald Kirk
North Korea used dummy satellite, South Korean experts say
'Their assertion boosts US view that Pyongyang used Sunday's launch to develop long-range missile technology, not to explore space.'

Wall Street Journal, 05 Apr 09, by John Murphy and Yumiko Ono
Japanese Pacifism Is Put to the Test
'The threat posed by North Korea's advances in rocket technology, as demonstrated by its missile launch Sunday, could strengthen the case for Japan to increase its military capabilities.'

New York Times, 05 Apr 09, by William J. Broad
North Korean Missile Launch Was a Failure, Experts Say
'North Korea failed in its highly vaunted effort to fire a satellite into orbit, military and private experts said Sunday after reviewing detailed tracking data that showed the missile and payload fell into the sea. Some said the failure undercut the North Korean campaign to come across as a fearsome adversary able to hurl deadly warheads halfway around the globe.'

New York Times, 06 Apr 09, by Choe Sang-Hun, Helene Cooper and David E. Sanger
North Korea Seeks Political Gain from Rocket Launch
'Officials and analysts in Seoul said the North's rocket, identified by American officials as a Taepodong-2, flew at least 2,000 miles, doubling the range of an earlier rocket it tested in 1998 and boosting its potential to fire a long-range missile.'

New York Times, 06 Apr 09, by Mark McDonald
Fighting Intensifies in Sri Lanka
'The government of Sri Lanka and ethnic Tamil fighters ignored a call by the secretary general of the United Nations for a cease-fire in their ongoing war Monday as soldiers battled guerrillas in hand-to-hand fighting inside a so-called safety zone that had been set up as a haven for civilians.'

New York Times, 08 Apr 09, by Somini Sengupta
In India, U.S. Envoy Cites 'Common Threat'
'A senior American envoy sought Wednesday to forge common cause among India, Pakistan and the United States — three countries with a long legacy of ambivalence and animosity among them — saying that their national security interests were endangered by the intensifying threat of the Taliban and other extremist groups.'

New York Times, 08 Apr 09, by Peter Gelling
Democracy in Indonesia: The Next Test
'... in the northernmost province of Aceh, ... attacks on supporters of the leading local party and mutual suspicion between former independence fighters and the military are threatening a still fragile peace.'

BBC News, 02 Apr 09
N Korea warned over rocket launch
'US President Barack Obama and his South Korean counterpart have agreed a "stern, united response" must follow any rocket launch by North Korea.'

New York Times, 01 Apr 09, by Choe Sang-Hun
North Korea Threatens to Down U.S. Surveillance Planes
'Escalating its anti-foreign vitriol, North Korea threatened on Wednesday to shoot down American military planes it said were spying on the site of its impending rocket launching.'

New York Times, 27 Mar 09, by Hiroko Tabuchi
Japan Readies Missile Interceptors
'Japan, South Korea and the United States suspect the [North Korean] launching is a cover for a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Taepodong-2. In response, Japan will deploy missile interceptors and dispatch two warships to the waters between it and the Korean Peninsula, said the Japanese defense minister, Yasukazu Hamada.'

Washington Post, 02 Apr 09, by Tim Johnston
Thai Administration Reaches Out to Foe
'Protesters Force Government's Hand'

New York Times, 30 Mar 09, by Thom Shanker and Choe Sang-Hun
No U.S. Plans to Stop Korea on Missile Test
'The United States has no plans for military action to pre-empt the launching of a long-range missile by North Korea and would act only if the missile or its parts appeared to be headed toward American territory, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Sunday.'

Washington Post/AP, 26 Mar 09, by Tini Tran, AP
China criticizes new US report on its military
'A U.S. Defense Department report released in Washington - the first under the Obama administration - said Beijing's rapidly growing military strength is shifting the military balance in the region and could be used to enforce its claim in disputed territories.'

International Herald Tribune, 26 Mar 09, by Thom Shanker
U.S. sees Chinese military rise, and a need for more contact
'China is seeking technology and weapons to disrupt the traditional advantages of American forces, and secrecy surrounding its military creates the potential for miscalculation on both sides, according to a Pentagon study released Wednesday.'

International Herald Tribune, 25 Mar 09, by Peter Gelling
Unease in Papua over leader's return
'Tensions in Indonesia's last remaining flash point of separatist politics have been stoked by the return of Nicolas Jouwe, the founder of the resource-rich area's independence movement.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Mar 09, by Choe SangHun
Pyongyang warns U.S. against sanctions for launch
'North Korea said Tuesday that if the United States pushed for U.N. sanctions in response to its planned rocket launch, it would quit the stalled six-nation talks on ending its nuclear weapons program.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Mar 09, by Eric Talmadge, AP
Cautiously, Japanese military extends its reach
'The political leadership and military planners — with the blessing of the United States, their nation's closest ally — are cautiously moving the military away from its longtime role as a stay-at-home force, thanks largely to a pacifist Constitution written by U.S. occupiers to keep Japan from rearming after World War II. The new stance, while still centered on national defense, allows troops to be sent all over the world for a broad range of operations.'

International Herald Tribune, 19 Mar 09, by Seth Mydans
Fate of Tamil chief at center as Sri Lanka seeks victory
'Will his soldiers continue to fight with the same savage determination, and will the insurgency regroup and revert to hit-and-run terrorism once its main force is destroyed? Without Prabhakaran, some analysts say, his rebellion may collapse. Or perhaps he might be seen as a martyr and rallying cry for further insurgency.'

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar 09, by Simon Montlake
Sri Lanka: dispute over how to help civilians in war zone
'Caution is guiding the international response as fighting intensifies between the government and the rebels.'

Federation of American Scientists, 10 Mar 09, by Hans M. Kristensen
US-Chinese Anti-Submarine Cat and Mouse Game in South China Sea
'The incident that unfolded in the South China Sea Sunday, where the U.S. Navy says five Chinese ships harassed the U.S. submarine surveillance vessel USNS Impeccable, appears to be part of a wider and dangerous cat and mouse game between U.S. and Chinese submarines and their hunters.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Mar 09, by Mark Mcdonald
U.S. navy provoked South China Sea incident, China says
'China lashed out Tuesday at the United States, accusing a U.S. Navy ship of violating international law during a tense confrontation near a secret Chinese submarine base. The Pentagon said five Chinese vessels blocked and surrounded a U.S. surveillance ship, the Impeccable, in international waters on Sunday.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Mar 09, by Thom Shanker
China harassed U.S. ship, Pentagon says
'The United States has lodged a formal protest with the government in Beijing. saying five Chinese ships harassed an American surveillance vessel in international waters, in actions the Pentagon described as illegal, unprofessional and dangerous.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Mar 09, by Choe Sang-Hun
As war games begin, North Korea issues threat
'As thousands of U.S. Marines poured into South Korea on Monday to open an annual joint military exercise, North Korea warned that it would attack the United States, Japan and South Korea if they tried to shoot down a satellite it says it plans to launch.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Mar 09, by Choe Sang-Hun
North Korea indicates April satellite launch
'North Korea told international aviation authorities that it would launch a satellite in early April, firing a rocket that can also be used to deliver a warhead as far as the American mainland, according to the North's official media.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Mar 09, by Edward Wong
Dalai Lama assails China one year after uprising
'The Chinese government, fearing civil unrest among six million Tibetans, has locked down the vast area, which encompasses up to a quarter of China, by sending in thousands of troops over the last few weeks and cutting off cellphone and Internet services in some locations. An unofficial state of martial law now exists, with soldiers and police officers operating checkpoints, marching through streets and checking people for identification cards.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Mar 09, by Simon Montlake
How US 'war on terror' emboldened Sri Lanka's
'After a massive buildup of troops and equipment, Sri Lanka appears on the verge of victory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. If successful, It will have succeeded where others in the region, such as India and Pakistan, have failed in putting down an armed rebellion by force.'

International Herald Tribune/Reuters, 05 Mar 09, by Ben Blanchard
China says ready to talk peace with Taiwan
'China Premier Wen Jiabao made a new overture to Taiwan on Thursday, saying Beijing was ready to create the conditions needed to reach a peace agreement with the neighbouring self-ruled island China claims as its own. China was also willing to hold talks with Taiwan on military issues, Wen said in the text of a speech given to parliament.'

BBC News, 05 Mar 09
N Korea threatens civilian planes
'North Korea has said it cannot ensure the safety of South Korean civilian flights passing near its airspace over the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The comment comes ahead of a joint South Korean-US military exercise, which Pyongyang says is preparation for an invasion of the communist state. Washington and Seoul say the annual drill is for purely defence purposes.'

International Herald Tribune, 05 Mar 09, by Edward Wong
50 years after revolt, clampdown on Tibetans
'... the authorities have imposed an unofficial state of martial law on the vast highlands where ethnic Tibetans live, with thousands of troops occupying areas they fear could erupt in renewed rioting on a momentous anniversary next week. And Beijing is determined to keep foreigners from seeing the mass deployment.'

Christian Science Monitor, 05 Mar 09, by Simon Montlake
Sri Lanka: If war ends, can a divided nation heal?
'Many see the Army's all-out fight as the only way to defeat Tamil rebels. But ending a cycle of ethnic conflict in the country may prove harder than a military victory.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Mar 09, by David Montero
Bangladesh: mutiny dealt serious blow to country's security
'Prime Minister Hasina revoked an amnesty for rebel soldiers as the Army announced Sunday that it was deploying across the country to apprehend fugitives.'

International Herald Tribune, 26 Feb 09, by Julfikar Ali Manik and Somini Sengupta
Mutiny spreads across Bangladesh
'A mutiny by paramilitary guards spread from the heart of this congested capital to towns across Bangladesh on Thursday as the prime minister pleaded for citizens to remain calm.'

Washington Post, 26 Feb 09, by Emily Wax
Violence Breaks Out Along Bangladesh's Frontiers
'Gunfire reported a day after border guards mutinied in capital, surrendered in exchange for amnesty.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Feb 09, by Choe Sang-Hun
North Korea says it will put satellite into orbit
'North Korea announced on Tuesday that it was preparing to shoot a satellite into orbit, in a launching that U.S. and South Korean officials have said would be a provocative test of the North's longest-range missile.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Feb 09, by Mark McDonald
Sri Lankan rebels offer conditional truce
'With their guerrilla fighters pinned down by Sri Lankan troops in a small patch of jungle, ethnic Tamil separatists announced Monday that they were willing to accept an internationally brokered cease-fire, although they said they would not surrender their weapons as part of any truce.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Feb 09, by Mark Landler
Clinton warns North Korea on missiles
'Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her first full day on a weeklong tour of Asia, warned North Korea on Tuesday not to undertake a test of a long-range missile, as it has threatened.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Feb 09, by Dune Lawrence, Bloomberg News
China pushes 'soft power'
'Hu's "peaceful development" strategy - the pillar of foreign policy since he took power in 2003 - reflects an attempt to overcome lingering image problems created by the Tiananmen Square crackdown on student demonstrators in 1989. It's also meant to neutralize perceptions of China as a military threat, spurred by territorial aggression in the South China Sea in the 1990s and defense spending that rose an average of 15.9 percent a year between 1998 and 2007, according to the Chinese government.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Feb 09, by Mark Landler
New U.S. approach to China not just economic
'With Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton scheduled to visit Beijing next week as part of her first foreign trip as secretary of state, the administration is said to believe that a broader relationship with the Chinese could create opportunities for collaboration, not only on a response to the global economic crisis, but also on the environment and on security issues like the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs.'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Feb 09, by Choe Sang-Hun
North Korea stirs missile worries
'North Korea has launched missiles in the past to win political or economic concessions. In recent weeks, it has said that its military had assumed an "all-out confrontational posture" and that it had scrapped all nonaggression pacts with South Korea.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 04 Feb 09
New sanctions prolong Bush arms policy
'The United States said it had imposed sanctions on companies in North Korea, China and Iran for violating U.S. law aimed at stopping the spread of missiles and other weapons technology.'

Washington Post, 05 Feb 09, by Emily Wax
Sri Lankan Leader Says Tamil Rebels Nearly Defeated
'Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa proclaimed Wednesday that the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam would be "completely defeated in a few days," potentially signaling an end to a 25-year insurgency that is one of the world's longest ongoing conflicts.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 Jan 09, by Simon Montlake
Sri Lanka nears victory in long war with Tamil Tigers
'The Army has squeezed the rebels into a small patch of jungle since seizing their last major stronghold Sunday. But they could still mount a messy counterinsurgency.'

International Herald Tribune, 20 Jan 09, by Edward Wong
China hardens rhetoric on Tibet, Taiwan and U.S.
'The Chinese government announced Tuesday that the nation faced important threats in the form of independence movements related to Taiwan, Tibet and the western desert region of Xinjiang, and that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan continued to jeopardize stability in Asia.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jan 09, by Simon Montlake
Fighting threatens Sri Lankan civilians
'Humanitarian concerns are mounting as government forces bear down on rebel areas.'

Wall Street Journal, 13 Jan 09, by Krishna Pokharel
Attacks Stir Another India-Pakistan Border Dispute
'In the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, India has canceled talks aimed at solving a long-running border dispute with Pakistan -- not in Kashmir, but in the teeming fishing waters of Sir Creek, which divides the two South Asian nations in the Arabian Sea.'

International Herald Tribune, 15 Jan 09, by Choe Sang-Hun
North Korea maintains its tough stance
'In what appears to be its first official message to the incoming Obama administration, North Korea has demanded that the United States normalize relations with it before the North abandons nuclear weapons.'

BBC News, 08 Jan 09
India-US 'missile shield talks'
'India has been holding initial talks with the US over the possible purchase of a missile defence shield system, the UK's Financial Times has reported.'

2008 Asia and the Pacific archive
2007 Asia and the Pacific archive