Milnet MainIntell

MILNET Brief:  Eastern Asia Update, Spring 2002

New Events since May 3, 2002

MILNET presents both an update on recent events in key Asian nations as well as a brief background on the history that has shaped the modern nations in the region.  The area of focus is defined by a circle beginning just east of India covering  Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, as well as encompassing Southern China, the Koreas, Japan,  Philippines (an arc which includes Taiwan, Hong Kong between Japan and the Philippines), Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, Sri Lanka and then back up to Burma.  In the past, this area has been called the Far East, or South East Asia (SEA).  It is bordered by Central Asia, China (which we include) and the Asian Pacific (countries we do not include such as Australia, Guinea, New Zealand), Tahiti, etc.)

India,  Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal will be considered part of Central Asia and will not be covered by this report.

In general the Far Eastern Asian countries went through major changes beginning during a particularly virulent Chinese expansionist period, with Korea first falling to pressure from expansionist Communist fomenting revolution in the region.  The split between North and South Korea would be followed almost ten years to the date by a similar split between North and South Vietnam.  In fact the two countries development toward the split are remarkably similar, probably by design -- the Chinese Communists intent upon creating revolutions where their particular brand of communism could flourish.  The fact that the U.S. considered some of these nations as strategic increased their importance to the Chinese, who felt that anything they did to counter American imperialism was not only justified but a duty.

The largest exception to the expansionist Chinese movement was Japan, who had become a stalwart ally of the U.S. post occupation of World War II.  While many in Japan hated McArthur, most had to admit that his program of making the Japanese people self reliant and productive would soon lead to their emergence as a huge economic power despite their small area.

Following the Japanese example, South Korea, after a devastating war between North and South, began to repair  their half of the country and democracy took a very strong hold.  Soon Korea too began to emerge as an economic power.  However, the split continued to force South Korea to spend an inordinate amount on self defense forces arrayed to prevent a North Korean force from invading.

In contrast, Vietnam has never developed any strength as an economic contributor, and today remains a fledgling communist nation with no clear growth potential under its current government.  Recent years have been marked by requests for normalization and an emergence of an (all too typical in third world countries)  textile industry.

In this report, our nation-by-nation focus will move around the circle and then into the center as described above.

Burma | Thailand | Laos | Vietnam | Cambodia | China/Hong Kong/Taiwan | South/North Korea
Japan | Philippines | Indonesia | Singapore | Malaysia | Sri Lanka


 


Burma (Myanmar)   (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

Perched on the eastern border of India's remote eastern province that sandwiches in Bangladesh, Burma is a former British protectorate.  The site may English battles with indigenous nomads and desert tribes, the country was finally granted independence in 1974.  However, military juntas have marked the history since then and the new constitution remains unfinished.  Presently the military holds power while the elected government is held incommunicado including nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.   Burma also goes by the name Myanmar.
The country labor force focuses agriculture 65%, industry 10%, services 25%, with exports of pulses and beans, prawns, fish, rice;  teak, and opiates. Imports are typical western manufactured goods such as machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, and of course food products.

The Burmese Army, Navy, Air Force is manned by men and woman above the age of 18, however current figures for the actual manpower on active duty is not available, with 10s of millions of men and women of an age appropriate for service.

Burma's national focus is occasionally interrupted by minor border disputes with Thailand, however the major problem is that Burma is the world's second largest opium producer (after Afghanistan whose production has dropped recently for obvious reasons).  Like other drug producing nations, Burma lacks the governmental strength (intestinal fortitude) to make the tough decisions to end the very prolific trade.  Money laundering and production of meth amphetamines are major drug trade byproducts.

Another major problem is tensions in Burma between Hindus and Muslims.  As one might expect given radical Muslim activities worldwide, the relatively peaceful Hindu population has reacted to Muslim intolerance to another religion in their midst.  Organized Islamic terrorist groups receive funds for outside sources including many believe Al-Qaida.

World pressure on Burma to release Aung San Suu Kyi have led to some small amount of freedom for her,  however the military rule has continued and her followers are harassed and occasionally are subject to beatings.  The number of followers is small enough that the military, so far has kept a fairly stable government, albeit cruel and oppressive.

Recent Events In Burma

According to a recent Reuters article on the Burma situation,

"Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won Myanmar's last election in 1990 by a landslide,  but the military government refused to hand over power. Myanmar has faced international isolation and economic sanctions over its human rights record and its treatment of Suu Kyi and the NLD. "1
Here is a brief list of recent events in Burma:


Terrorist Groups Active in Burma

The terrorist groups active in Burma are:


 


Thailand  (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism


 

Thailand's modern history begins just before  World War II.  Thailand had never been conquered by a European nation -- the only Asian nation with distinction).  In 1932 a bloodless coup overturned the King of Siam (Thailand was called Siam until 1939) and a new constitutional monarchy was established.  During World War II, Thailand was an ally of Japan.  After the War, Thailand became an ally of the U.S. and has remained one since then.

The long vertical strip of land that is southern Thailand meets with Malaysia at the southern border, and shares a half of the long peninsula in the middle with Burma (west and north).  Laos also borders Thailand in the north and east,  as well as has a border along the southeast corner with Cambodia.

Thailand's  involvement in Eastern Asia includes its role as a base for U.S. activities during the ill fated war with Vietnam.  U.S. aircraft were based in Thailand and flew raids into South Vietnam, as well as featured clandestine raids against North Vietnamese using Laos as a path to move around ARVN (Army of Republic Vietnam regulars) on their way home from raids into the South.  Also, reconnaissance flights of U-2 and SR-71 aircraft originated from Thailand.

More recently, Thailand's economy went through rapid growth until mid 1995 when it had financial sector problems.  By 2000, the economy was in excellent recovery and a growth of 4%.  Thailand's economy is based on agriculture 54%, industry 15%, and services 31%. It's chief exports are computers and parts, textiles, and rice.  Thailand is a member of ASEAN, a trade organization in eastern Asia.

The Thai military consists of Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force, Paramilitary Forces with some 580,000 men.

Sporadically, Thailand has disputes over borders with Burma, Cambodia and Laos, as parts are as of yet still undefined.  Drug manufacturing and narcotics agricultural cultivation remains a huge problem, with Thailand being a major Asian producer of the worst of the drugs such as heroin, opium, and meth amphetamines.  Drug use is also a domestic problem, as are sexual slave and human organ trafficking.  Another problem that Thailand has had to deal with are Sri Lankian refugees who continue to pour in as conditions in war torn Sri Lanka continue to deteriorate.
 

Recent Events In Thailand

The economy, drug trafficking and the refugee situation are the major events that continues to plague Thailand.  Recent news stories are all on these topics.  Negotiations on ASEAN are one of the chief economic issues as well as remaining IMF requirements for improving the economic infrastructure.


Terrorist Groups Active in Thailand

As a result of years of Communist China's expansion and the tactic of fomenting revolution, as well as outside terrorist groups attacking other nations embassy's, there is a long history of unrest in Thailand.  However in most cases, recent terrorist activity comes from inside Thailand.  Recent events are simply more of the same.  The East Asia section of the 2000  Patterns of Global Terrorism report released annually cites one of these events:

"In January 2000, 10 armed Burmese dissidents linked to the takeover in 1999 of the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok -- took over the Ratchaburi provincial hospital. Thai security forces stormed the hospital and freed the victims. Although no hostages were injured during the assault, all the hostage takers were killed. Separately, Burma sentenced to death one terrorist involved in the 1999 Embassy takeover."
The terrorist elements active in Thailand are:
 


Laos   (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

For centuries, Laos was ruled by a Monarch.  After World War II, the French became stewards  of the country, with the monarchy still existing until 1946 when it gained its independence.

During the Vietnam war, U.S. and allied troops were restricted from entering Laos, despite North Vietnamese using the Laos route to make end runs around troops that had cut off their escape into North Vietnam.  Laos jungle tribes were recruited to help and covert operators worked with these tribal groups to harass North Vietnamese.  Eventually, U.S. aircraft operating out of Thailand began covert strafing missions near the end of the war and U.S. pullout.

After the U.S. pullout, Communist forces began moves to consolidate all of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.  In 1975, the Communists took over the government of Laos.  An easing of foreign investment laws and encouragement of private investment began in the late 1990s and the country has joined ASEAN, an economic and trade organization.

The Laos economy, which has slowed since the regional financial problems in the mid 1990s,  is based upon wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin and its labor force is 80% agricultural with products consisting of sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, and poultry.  Manufactured products such as machinery and other modern goods make up chief imports.

Laos chief problems lie in illicit drug crops, with Laos being the world's third largest opium grower.  On April 18, 300 appliance smugglers attacked a customs checkpoint on the border between Laos and Vietnam when they were stopped in their attempt to smuggle electric fans, rice cookers, freezers and TV sets across the border.

From time to time anti communist forces will attack military or government infrastructure, however, in order keep indigenous support, are careful to not target citizens and in fact on occasion have given warnings to ensure people have time to evacuate.  The government has deemed these anti-government forces as terrorists, but so far there is no world support for that assessment.
 

Terrorist Groups Thought to be Active in Laos


Cambodia  (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

Harkening back to the relatively easy early days of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, set on the throne of Cambodia by the French after World War Two, Cambodia became an independent country in 1953.  Living in relative harmony for at least a few years since their independence, Cambodia became the target of Communists and by 1960 Pol Pot (aka  Soloth Sar) began a struggle to take over the country.  By 1968 this became an armed struggle as his Khmer Rouge began to terrorize the countryside,  followed immediately by involvement in the Vietnam War next door.  Lon Nol pushed out Prince Sihanouk, and forced the population of Cambodia into agricultural communes, totally redefining the social structure of the country.  All private property was seized and practically anyone with an education or willing to speak out were killed.  The Vietnamese war spilling into Cambodia didn't help and finally in 1979, the communist government of Vietnam took Phnom Penh, the capital. Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge fled into the jungles.  Armed with weapons from China, a familiar tale in Asia unfolded as the communist guerillas began to flail away at the countries underpinnings, already weak and near collapse. As desperate as things looked, bidding his time was Sihanouk, as he watched his country in turmoil from abroad.

Finally, Prince Sihanouk, with help from the  Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) in 1982, who feared the spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia, established a new government which was later recognized by the United Nations as a peace accord was signed in October of 1991.  And in 1993, Sihanouk resumed the throne as king.  Eventually Pol Pot made his final mistake, and his Khmer Rouge split, eventually resulting in his death in April of 2000.  But not so his organization.  Sihanouk's son Prince Ranariddh was killed in a coup d'etat in 1997, led by Hun Sen, causing the U.S. to stop aid to Cambodia.

Today, tribunals are convening to prosecute remaining leaders of the Khmer Rouge, with some 1.7 million Cambodians thought to have been murdered by the organization's ministrations from 1975 to 1979 alone.  Many of these were city workers, bankers, and administrators dumped without training and resources into the countryside only to perish as they could not quickly adapt to becoming farmers, most dying from starvation.

Opposition party leader Sam Rainsey said on the 25th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge takeover, "The only way to exorcise the ghost of Pol Pot and to allow Cambodia to start developing on a new and sound basis is to establish an international and independent tribunal to prosecute the main Khmer Rouge leaders and  expose the truth..."

Recent Events


A terrorist group said to be active (as reported by the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen)  in the country today is the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, which consists of a few Cambodian Americans.  A well established and funded pro-communist faction retains a large influence in Cambodia and the pro government Democratic Front of Khmer Students and  Intellectuals provide the student demonstrations typical in today's Cambodia.  The President of Cambodia, Chia Sim, was a former sub commander in Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge but later become an anti-Pol Pot leader.  Some of the resistance leaders that overthrew Pol Pot and welcomed the Vietnamese Communist caretaker government are still in power, including the current Prime Minister, Hun Sen.


Terrorist Groups Thought to Be Active in Cambodia

The list of terrorist organizations thought to be active in Cambodia are:


 
 


Vietnam   (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

n the late 1800s, France had occupied much of what is now Vietnam.  As a French protectorate and colony, the people of Vietnam, already used to being conquered by several of their neighbors and influenced by China for centuries quickly adapted.  By the 1900s few Vietnamese did not speak French.  French culture mixed with Asian culture produced a remarkably interesting blend especially considering Thai spices and French cooking.

A mix of Buddhist religious tenets and Christian missionaries also created a unique sub-culture, with clashing French morality and Christian Puritanism.  In the end, a raging wild side of Vietnam continued to clash with the secular side.  The result was government  graft and a large chasm between city life and the rural, with modern western ways clashing with the ox and cart lifestyles in the fields outside the cities.

Chinese communist influences created a wave of change moving from the North toward the South, and communist guerillas soon became a major threat to the French overseers and after a number of years of battling the insurgents the French government tired of the effort.  Ho Chi Minh, a stern communist task master established a government in the North and in 1954 the French were on the run.

At the same time, the U.S., having recovered sufficiently from a near disaster in Korea, began efforts to shore up governments all over South East Asia, in the fear that Communist culture would sweep through Asia and threaten allies in the region.

By the early 1960s as the French were moving out of South Vietnam, the U.S. was moving in advisors.  By the mid 1960s, the U.S. was fully involved in war and the considerable American military machine was drafting American boys and sending them to Vietnam at a prodigious rate.  The conflict, balancing political forces dead in the middle of the Cold War, turned even more political as Russian and Chinese advisors helped the North Vietnamese irregulars (Viet Cong) and regular forces.  The Viet Cong, a virulent guerilla force blended into the local villages North and South, becoming "part of the landscape" so to speak.  Using tunnels and buried weapons caches, the guerillas could pop up just about anywhere ready to conduct effective fire fights.  Even large cities such as the capital of the south, Saigon, were not immune.  Infiltrators working with local children killed and maimed soldiers and civilians alike with bombs and other typical insurgent activities.

Meanwhile, in the outlying areas, the Viet Cong began getting supplies, then arms down the "Ho Chi Minh" trail, a network of routes leading from North Vietnam down into South Vietnam.  U.S. ignored the trail for far too long and by the Tet Offensive in 1967, the amount of supplies and arms, as well as North Vietnam regular soldiers had become a critical mass, and led to decisive U.S. loses on the battlefield  by a fairly well organized and overpowering force.

While the U.S. might not feel they lost this battle -- it by no means removed U.S. effectiveness on the field -- it was a political disaster of huge proportion and it spelled the end.  The U.S. began an influx of troops and equipment to fight this newly armed foe and also began bombing across the border in an effort to bring the North Vietnamese to the bargaining table.  However, political pressure at home became a larger enemy and when President Nixon took office, it was clear that the U.S. government had lost its stomach for the war.

A cease fire agreement in 1973 allowed the U.S. to fully withdraw, and in 1975, the North overran the South, bringing Vietnam together under one communist regime.  For the next 10 years, Vietnam and its neighbors fell behind the Chinese section of the Iron Curtain or succumbed to insurgents and deadly political regimes.  Finally in 1985, the curtain opened a little as Vietnam began to stabilize under its slightly softer communist regime.

Today Vietnam is slowly opening the door to western markets, in classic third world efforts beginning with textiles.  Normalization of relations with the outside world has also begun, Vietnam's communist government softening even further in the light of the collapse of the Soviet Union.  Vietnam's agricultural products include paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas; poultry, pigs; and fish.  The major exports are crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee,       rubber, tea, garments, and shoes.  The labor force is focused agriculture 67%, industry and services 33% and imports match typical third world nations, especially those under a communist regime, importing modern world items such as  machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, and (anyone whose been to Vietnam will nod in vigorous agreement), motorcycles.  However the major mode of transportation in Vietnam is a one speed bicycle, manufactured locally.

While a sensitive relationship exists between Vietnam and non-communist countries, it appears to be desirous of emerging onto the world's stage.  Accordingly, non-communist overtures to improve relations continues with the hope of change.

Vietnam has complained of some terrorist activities in the last five years.  However, none of the groups seem to be well organized and none have made it onto the U.S. terrorist lists.

Recent Events

Vietnam has begun to participate in negotiations to join ASEAN, a trade and economic aid organization.  They have also just recently offered to help find more evidence of the last days of MIAs from the Vietnam war.
 

Terrorist Groups Thought to be Active in Vietnam


 


China/Hong Kong/Taiwan  (map)

Recent Events in China | Recent Events in Taiwan | Recent Events in Hong Kong  | Chinese Nuclear Weapons

Everyone knows that mainland China and the small island offshore called Taiwan are a powder keg.  Unlike most of the countries profiled so far, this conflict is not at all about terrorists.  Staring at each other across the straight of Formosa, it is clear that Taiwan separatists have achieved what many thought impossible -- created a separatist movement, accomplished the separation and now are recognized as a major force in the world's economics.  With aid and support from the western world, primarily the U.S. (Taiwan's largest source of exports), Taiwan's place in the world would be secure if it weren't for the fact that the Chinese across the straight lust for the success and chafe at the thought of the little island nation's success.  Combined with China's penchant for continuing to modernize its military and push harder and harder at their successful and exceedingly more modern nuclear capability, only the India-Pakistan, or Israel-Arab situations are so fraught with danger.

From the perspective of the western world, the problem, of course, is with China's long history of a ruling elite that cares little about human rights or freedom for the common people. Many Chinese leaders have expressed their disdain for Taiwanese, calling them traitors. How dare common people attempt to rule themselves and even worse, how dare they establish a democracy? Unforgiveable.  Never a country with anything approaching democratic ideals, China is the strongest communist government left in the world.  With a large enough economy and land space to survive on its own with little trade, China has never-the-less realized they cannot be 100% isolationists.  And as much as it pains their socialist minds, this means adding profit centers and westernizing key trading areas.  With the lapse of the 100 year lease and return of Hong Kong, China gained an important port for that purpose.  Clearly the rest of the world may be able to use China's desire to become part of the trading party a motivation for reforms in human rights. Hopefully time will temper China's nasty tendencies which can accurately be characterized as arrogantly expansion-istic and attempting to foster socialist revolution in every nation around them.  Nations who have suffered from Chinese "help" in this respect are Korea and Vietname. Chinese support to Pakistan, Iraq, and Iran have fueled nuclear status for one (Iran), and possibly a second (Iraq). Clearly, China has been helping Iraq improve their radar systems, increasing performance against both conventional and stealth aircraft.

Remarkably, terrorist activity in China is not centered on the China/Taiwan issue, but more on the religious rights and resettlement of the Chinese Tibetan tribes and those supporting the Dali Lama.  China brooks no religious opposition, with the outlawing of the Fun Lung party the most recent of centuries of Chinese religious persecution.  As a fully totalitarian government news of terrorism does not escape, yet there are indications Tibetans continue to fight the Chinese using violent means.

China's human rights policies are dismal even for the 19th century, let alone the 20th or 21st.  Slave labor exists in vast numbers with western nations unfortunately not listening to those calling for a boycott of China's relatively inexpensive goods.  Militant U.S. citizens anxious to procure assault weapons in an outpouring of constitutional lust for home weaponry turned a blind eye to ammunition and weapons manufactured by slave labor.  Staunch humans rights activists still bought baby carriages or toys made in China with little western clamor over the trade goods peppered with slave produced products. Baby sales and perhaps human breeding body parts or rare human chemicals is an emerging market centered with "production" facilities in China.

And of course, the arrogant Chinese government with its "we do what we want" attitude in world politics defies the best hopes of liberal politicians who say engagement through economical means will help bring the Chinese into the civilized world.  All you have to do is wait long enough.

In the meantime, China's military budget as a percentage far exceeds any countries percentage today, and we are not talking small numbers.  China's military projects include the license of modern Russian MIG fighter production on the mainland, and use of state-of-the-art fiber optic links between sophisticated computer technologies.

Development of ballistic missiles continues at an alarming rate. Ballistic missiles threaten both in the conventional weapons manner as well as the nuclear.  Thus as China builds better, longer range, and more accurate delivery systems, it hardly bodes well for Taiwan.  If rumors of Chinese cruise missiles are true, then Taiwan is even more danger.  Chinese nuclear armed submarines already have the capability to take nuclear aggression to any spot on the globe.  Converting land launched cruise missiles to conventional, sub launched land attack weapons is almost trivial to a country able in developing military weapons systems as China.  In fact a cruise missile is probably more destabilizing than any further nuclear developments.  Additional missile deployment could be viewed as only significant in their ability to strike more targets at one time and before retaliation could take place.  Many of the cold war precepts still exist for western nations and their military defenders.  A recent cooperation pact with Russia does little to provide hope for leaders contemplating China's aggressive tendencies.

Another aspect to the China problem is the ferocious appetite the Chinese have for theft of trade and national level secrets. In fact, the U.S. FBI has profiled the Chinese methodology for getting information. MILNET covers this area in the Espionage Overview.

In 2001, a serious conflict between the U.S. and China occurred, when a U.S. Navy EP-3A surveillance aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision with a Chinese fighter aircraft.  The Chinese aircraft went into the sea, and the EP-3A, a four engine aircraft designed on the Lockheed Electra chassis (same as Navy P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft) crash landed on a Chinese controlled Island.  This led to detainment of the U.S. personnel and tense months while the U.S. tried to diplomatically secure the release of the aircraft and crew.

Eventually the crew was brought home, but the aircraft had to be dismantled in large pieces and shipped home because the Chinese would not allow it to be flown home for domestic political reasons.


Below we list the Chinese nuclear military arsenal, most capable of delivering conventional, chemical or biological weapons as well:
 
 

 
 
    
Name  Description  Count  Yield 
Strategic Nuclear Forces Controlled directly by the General Staff 100K
Dongfire 3A (Dong Feng) CSS-2 nuclear capable IRBM 50-100 3.3 MT
Dongfire 4  CSS-3 nuclear capable MRBM 10-20 3.3 MT
Dongfire 5A CSS-4 nuclear capable ICBM, deployed 1980 7-10 4-5 MT
Dong Feng 21A CSS-6 IRBM 36 2-300 KT
Dong Feng 31 ICBM ? 1-200 KT
Dong Feng 41 ICBM with MIRV ? MIRV
Xia-Class Submarine SSBN deployed 1981 4
Julang-1/CSS-N-3 1986 SLBM (1700 mi range) 12 300 KT
Julang-1/CSS-N-4 1990s SLBM (8000 mi range)  ? 200 KT
Hong-6 (B-6) long range bomber (3100 mi) 12 1-300 KT
Qian-5 (A-5) short range bomber (400 mi) 30 1 kt to 1 MT
Artillery/ADM/rockets Tactical nuclear weapons 120 1- 20 KT
Silos Armed and hardened Missile Silos intended to survive first strike ? -

There are rumors of Chinese terrorist activities on Mainland China, however, as China is a closed society there is no evidence publicly available to verify.

Recent Events in China


Taiwan

From the introduction on the Republic of Taiwan web site:
 

"The Republic of China (ROC) is a sovereign state and a constitutional democracy that was founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in 1912.

During the first two decades of its existence, the ROC suffered from internal turmoil as warlords struggled for power against each other and the central government. In 1928, the nation was unified, after Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in the Northern Expedition defeated the warlords. In 1931, however, the Japanese invaded the Chinese territory of Manchuria, and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in Peking set off the Eighty ear War of Resistance against Japan in 1937.

Although Japan was defeated in 1945 by the Allied nations, the Republic of China was again threatened by the growing power of the Chinese Communists, who initiated a civil war. With the support of the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communists ultimately gained control of the Chinese mainland, forcing the ROC government to relocate to Taiwan in 1949."
Taiwan's constitution was created in January of 1947 and ratified on December 25, 1947.

As of June 1, 2001, Taiwan (ROC) maintained formal diplomatic relations with 28 nations and had 95 representative offices in 61 other countries. Taiwan is an active member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.  On January 31, 1995, Taiwan was admitted as an observer to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and will become member after domestic ratification procedures sometime in 2002.

Taiwan's economy is focused 2.06% Agriculture, 32.37% Industry, and 65.57% service industry (19% of which is commerce).  Agricultural crops are: rice, sugarcane, vegetables, corn, fruits, flowers, and tea, with livestock of hogs, poultry and dairy cattle.
 

Recent Events in Taiwan

Taiwan's impending purchase of ships and aircraft clearly is causing consternation in China.  However, since China continues to arm western adversaries such as Iraq and Iran, the U.S. nor other western Arms suppliers do not appear likely to take China's concerns to heart.  There will be little that will get in the way of further Taiwanese arms purchases other than certain commitments made which the U.S. Congress is watching before it approves of the sales.

There are no terrorist activities in Taiwan, but some political but non-violent unrest with loyalists to Mainland China presenting challenges during each election.
 

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a large economic and westernized center of commerce on and island off the coast of China.  For many years it was a protectorate and trading colony of Britain, but on a 100 year lease from China.  When the lease expired in the 1990s, it reverted to Chinese rule.  China has tried not to interfere in the booming Hong Kong profit center.

Hong Kong people speak British accented English or one of the Chinese dialects.  Business in Hong Kong is in the billions of dollars, U.S. equivalent.  The city houses all types of businesses from home and business electronics to textiles and food products.

The economy has a very low unemployment rate of 2.54% up from 1.94% in 2001.

Recent Events In Hong Kong


 


South Korea   (map)  /  North Korea   (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

The conflict between South and North Korea is probably familiar to most reading this report.  With a war in the mid 1950s that at times threatened to engulf the world in a new World War, with China and Russia facing off the U.S. and the United Nations who were doing there best to keep Communist expansion from over-running the small nation of South Korea.

Today a tense no-man's land lies between the divided country, with a rabid communist regime in the North fighting their internal struggles including famine, and a frankly frightened government in the South facing their own domestic economic strife.

North Korea

North Korea has hinted at the nuclear card, implying they are only a few years (if not months) away from having the components to producing nuclear weapons.  This and their purchases of components and nuclear power facilities that have dual use, have forced the non-proliferation treaty signees, led by the U.S. to put pressure on the North to cease and desist. While fiction writers have predicted and spelled out in great details various schemes for a Northern attack on the South, since the war ended, there has been no major attack in either direction across the DMZ.

Decades of nationalistic rhetoric have provided a war of words as well as anxious allies since the two countries agreed to the demilitarized zone between North and South, but have provided few opportunities to resolve the differences.

North Korea today remains one of the last holdout communist nations, practicing a socialist agenda with a very Soviet like government.  It is one of the few cases where we can't find a reason for the conflict based upon culture, language or borders.  Pure politics are at play here with a democratic nation in the South and a socialist-commnist country in the North.

As a closed nation, little is known about popular dissent or terrorism that takes place in Korea, since anything negative reported by the state run media is immediately attributed to illegal South Korean dissident criminals and murders.

The current North Korean regime is facing food shortages admits rising costs to keep the military functional, and conditions in the country appear to be mirroring those of the last days of the Soviet Union.  Indeed, as South Korea keeps up the pressure, it appears North Korea is headed for popular revolt as basic living requirements for the people will eventually force the government to collapse.

The western world, however, is concerned that the government of North Korea, never known for its maturity and better known for ruthless disregard for life, may choose to go out in a blaze of glory.  With the possibility they may have a  few nuclear weapons or at least the capability to deliver dirty weapons, the concern is for the welfare of South Korea in that eventuality.

South Korea

In the Korea before the Korean War, the deliberate use of violence, including occasional assassination, to express or advance political goals was common among both the right and the left in  Korea after liberation in 1945 and up to the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950.

Subsequent political violence up to the 1980s, apart from exchanges between police and participants in political demonstrations or rallies, was largely limited to the illegal government use of violence or the threat of violence to suppress dissent and intimidate political opponents. During the presidency of Syngman Rhee (1948-60), for example, the government mobilized the anti-Communist Youth League and members of street gangs to smash facilities of critical newspapers and intimidate opposition candidates for election (see The Syngman Rhee Era, 1946-60 , ch. 1).

The Park government continued illegal police practices, including torture of some dissidents, intellectuals, and even members of the National Assembly, and was often indirectly involved in violence. The Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) also used various means, including physical threats, to intimidate South Korean journalists in the United States. Such methods continued under Chun, occasionally resulting in the deaths of political defendants under police torture. Police were passively present while hired thugs broke up dissident religious services or union meetings. Under Roh Tae Woo, police handling of political suspects retained some of the illegal violence of earlier times, although improved media freedom also meant greater scrutiny of police misconduct. In contrast with earlier regimes, however, the Roh government permitted prosecution and conviction of police officers and even of military personnel in several cases involving violence during its first year in office.

Public violence against government institutions was rare from the 1950s through the early 1980s. When students overthrew the Syngman Rhee government in April 1960, mobs destroyed the headquarters of Rhee's anti-Communist Youth League. More spontaneous forms of violence often occurred during student protest rallies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, when small numbers of rock throwing students at the edges of large rallies clashed with club wielding riot police, or security forces dispatched martial arts experts and plainclothes officers to beat or arrest demonstrators. Students also occasionally beat up police informants or plainclothes officers. This pattern changed following the killings of students and other demonstrators in Kwangju in May 1980.

The Kwangju incident permanently stained the legitimacy of the Chun government for subsequent generations of student activists, many of whom also blamed the United States for what they believed to be its supportive role. The use of Molotov cocktails by some elements among student demonstrators, both as a counter to increasingly effective police use of tear gas and as a reflection of increased militancy, became a feature of student demonstrations during the 1980s.

In 1988, under the general guidance of the National Association of University Student Councils (Chondaehyop) or the Seoul Area Federation of Student Councils (Soch'ongnyon), small groups of students armed with Molotov cocktails, metal pipes, and occasionally tear gas grenades or improvised incendiary or explosive devices, staged more than two dozen raids on United States diplomatic and military facilities. Students also conducted a similar number of attacks against offices of the government and ruling party and the suburban Seoul residence of former President Chun.

Recent Events

The South continues to expend huge sums on their military budget, hoping to keep up the pressure on North Korea.  The strategy appears to be working as North Korea, paranoid as ever continues to chew up resources needed to keep the government and people functional.  When President George Bush added North Korea to his list of nations part of the "Axis of Evil" many countries complained and the media went berserk with cat calls.  However, within a month, North Korea began making preparations for talks and announced their willingness to discuss the future of the two nations.

South Korea is in negotiations to buy several new ships and aircraft for its military, and this, as usual has brought on harsh criticism from the North.

The following are other recent events:
 


Terrorist Groups Active in South Korea

Terrorist groups active in South Korea are mainly student activists such as:

While groups are still active, by the early 1990s, the violence backers fell into disfavor, with students opting to less martial means to attempt to change the government.
 
 
 


Japan   (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

The Japanese nation is perhaps the best known Asian nation in the West.  It has represented both power, infamy, and guilt throughout modern history.  It is important to understand a little of its ancient history to also understand its modern situation.

Like China, Japan is an ancient culture, primarily warrior based.  Known for its Samurai, an ancient elite fighting art, the Japanese created a civilization that was remarkably self sufficient, healthy and some would say in tune with the Earth.  Following Zen Buddhism, the Japanese culture of the warrior dominated much of its political life until the 20th century.  Indeed, early explorers from Spain and Portugal found the Japanese a frightening mixture of ancient, less modern times, yet with a discipline and culture that sometimes made the explorers feel uncivilized.  And the culture class was more than perception, many a explorer or tradesman losing their head over what must have seemed a minor mistake in protocol.

As western civilization and technology made its way into the Orient, the Japanese culture resisted as much as possible.  However, in the years just before the close of 19th century, Japan went through a westernization that was stunningly breathtaking.  Within 30 years, Japan, while maintaining its warrior culture, never-the-less accepted the requirement to modernize its society in many ways.  Technology was the driver as Japanese leaders realized that their survival depended upon accepting technology.  The choices left were remaining a backward nation who, by continuing to resist technology, would never be a world power.  And being a world power met the requirements of the Emperor quite well, and in fact, dominated the Japanese political power, albeit secretly for the early half of the 20th century.  Some would say that in the middle of the 20th century, Japan transferred its desire to be a military dominant world power to an economic world power, but the goal remained the same -- to be a very important world power.  Thus, in the long run, they were successful.

Modern Japanese history found the Japanese building ships, aircraft and vehicles at a prodigious rate.  Industrialized Japan moved quickly, becoming a large industrial power in half the time the rest of the world had taken.  And given their late start, it was exceedingly necessary.  By the late 1930s, Japan was well on the way to becoming a military power to be reckoned with.

As a small island nation, Japan had already begun spreading its sphere of influence via trade off the island and throughout Asia.  As Japanese military forces followed, it soon became apparent that the Japanese had more on their mind than trade.  When Germany began its march across Europe in the late 30s, Japan began a similar, albeit more quiet approach in the Pacific, wrapping up trade colonies of Britain, Spain and the U.S. without firing a shot.  They simply placed military manpower where it would be needed.  As the European war rambled on, Japan began to move from covert to overt, snapping up vast sections of the Asian Continent, and then once it was ready to begin to focus on the island nations South and East, Japan assaulted the biggest remaining protectorate of Asia, the United States.

On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack, much like its culture was famous for, if anyone had cared to study the art of Bushido and the history of the Samurai.  The attack left the port of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in ruins, the U.S.S. Arizona, a prize battleship, at the bottom of the harbor.  Other ships in ruin, the only ships not butchered were those presently out at sea, and fortunately for the U.S. its carriers.

This military action, understandably, brought the U.S. into the War dramatically, and as Pacific islands fell to the Japanese, the U.S. began a scale up almost as unprecedented as the Japanese build up in the early 20th century.

At the close of World War II, the U.S. moved from island nation to island nation, stalking Japanese forces, pushing them back to Tokyo.  Douglas McArthur, routed from the Philippines returned in a methodical and at times brilliant campaign that not only recaptured territory, but insured the territory would be hold -- never again would McArthur allow land to be taken in a military campaign.

Finally, as the U.S. began to make the final efforts at the Japanese homeland, the Japanese were told to surrender their island nation before it was overwhelmed by surrounding forces.  Refusing the Japanese invoked their Samurai heritage once again and prepared to fight to the death.

However, the U.S. had a horrendous surprise up their sleeve, having developed the weapon that would change the face of international rivalry forever, the atomic bomb. After repeated offers to the Japanese to surrender, and after analyzing the number of U.S. and allied deaths that would be required to bring Japan to its knees, U.S. planners presented U.S. President Truman with attack scenarios that 1) would maximize the industrial damage to the war making infrastructure, and 2) preserve as much of Japanese cultural landmarks.  The second requirement eliminated Tokyo, Nakamura, and Akaido, since these cities housed relics older than the United States, including the giant Buddha figure in Nakamura.  The cities chosen were industrial and easily recognizable from the air.

The first weapon was dropped over Hiroshima, detonating in the air with approximately 2 kilotons of blast power.  This weapon leveled the city of Hiroshima and set fires all that was not blown down.  It killed in total, after several weeks of dehabilitating radiation sickness just under 100,000 people.

However, Japan still refused to surrender after repeated offers from the U.S.  The second and final atomic bomb targeting people was dropped over Nagasaki, with a slightly smaller yield but with the same approximate effects.  U.S. leadership warned Japan that Nakamura, Akaido and Tokyo were next.  Finally the Emperor, seeing his nation turning to total rubble, surrendered.

Since then, no nuclear bomb has been used in war nor targeted humans.  The threat of the mass destruction of a "war's full" of people and the environmental damage caused by  one use has made these weapons politically impossible.

Post World War II Japan

Today, Japan is a constitutional monarchy, the emperor being mostly a ceremonial post with certain powers all of which can be overridden.  The laws and organization are American-English based. The country has grown from its days as a sad and shamed nation occupied by the U.S. military to one of the most powerful economies in the world.

The Japanese economy went through a huge expansion in the 1970s making it one of the most powerful nations, economically, in the world.  According to Yahoo's Background on Japanese economy, Japan has 400,000 plus robotics machines of the worlds total of 720,000.  A turn round in economy began in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis devastated the region.  However, Asian financial straights have wasted huge capital and while still emerging as the industrial leader in Asia, Japan's economy and  political strength is still quite fragile.

Domestic labor focuses on trade and services 65%, industry 30%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5%.  The exports tell the tale of an industrial giant, however, with motor vehicles, semiconductors, office machinery (computers, office electronics and personal electronics), and chemicals supplied to just about every nation on the planet.  And the Japanese middle and upper class consume home and office electronics at a rate higher than all but the U.S., Singapore and China.  Imports reflect a typical island industrial nation, purchasing fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, office machinery and minerals required to produce finished products such as metal as well as wood, both which are not available in quantity without further taxing the already threatened environment.

The Japanese military, post World War II was, by constitution, a defensive only military called the Japan Defense Force.  Of late, however, the U.S. who has been the major protector of Japan as the occupier after the War and granting Japanese autonomy in the late 1950s, has requested Japan to take more of the region's defense on their own shoulders.  To meet this request, Japan has begun to request more offensive equipment for patrol such as AEGIS cruisers, and beefing up their defensive aircraft inventories with the latest in U.S. technology permitted.  The three forces, Army, Navy, and Air Force have a pool of 21 year olds each year of some 770,000 plus men, with a total pool 15 to 49 of better than 30 million.

Today, Japan's military problems are its neighbors and the security arrangements that the U.S. is turning over to Japan to take care of on their own.  Japan has a minor domestic drug use problem, an aggressive number of terrorist groups in the past but which have been for the most part quelled.  Japan has had a long standing disagreement with Russia over the tiny Islands to the Northeast of the giant island of Hokkaido.  It is an earmark of the political and economic power as one of the U.S.' staunchest allies that this disagreement has not been settled forcibly by Russia.  However, Russian occupied these tiny islands in 1945 and continues to administer them.  Japan, Korea, and China still maintain ancient distrust.  However, the recent agreement to host the Soccer World Cup by Japan and Korea simultaneously, is a remarkable opportunity to sow economic trust between the two nations.

However, as a highly industrialized island nation, the environment and dissatisfaction over daily life are growing issues.  Some analysts predict organized crime combined with harsh employment schedules and minimum rewards will lead to a worker's revolt in the next decade.  However, at least for now, the incredibly strong Japanese work ethic and desire to sacrifice in favor of improvement and maintaining their economic dominance of Asia, prevents the Japanese people from boiling over.  The fact that the majority of the population is quite well westernized and woman's suffrage is the legal norm if not the domestic equivalent of western nations as of yet, offer hope for the next decade.

Recent Events In Japan


Terrorist Groups Active in Japan


Philippines  (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

The Philippines, a long time participant in U.S. Foreign Policy, has emerged as a World trouble spot, much as each of the English colonies did as they too gained their Independence.  Not remarkably, the Philippine's modern problems began right after the conclusion of World War II when in 1946 they received their independence.

What is remarkable about the nation is that it is composed of some 1000 islands and many diverse cultures that, for the most part live well together and where inter island migrations rarely produce violence. 90 percent of the islands' occupants are Christian Filipinos, but countered by large Muslim cultures on Mindanao and northern Luzon.

The Philippines became a U.S. protectorate when it was ceded to the U.S. after the Spanish American War in 1898.  As a protectorate, the U.S. kept an economic and small military presence on the island.  After Pearl Harbor, the U.S. military force projection could not maintain as long a reach as needed into the Pacific.

Having been seized by the Japanese during World War II, the island's people had essentially fled into the hills or suffered the fate of most of the peoples taken by the Japanese during the war -- death or cruel subservience.  The government officials knuckled under to Japanese invasion and attempted to help shield the common Philippine citizen from the Japanese.  A U.S. Major left behind as U.S. troops were finally thrown off the island, pinned on stars and led a guerilla effort that frustrated the Japanese and kept valuable resources tied up throughout the remainder of the war.  The Filipinos, being an Asian race with a long history of conflict, were survivors, however and when McArthur returned to win back the Island from the Japanese, they came out fighting.

The Philippine Islands were a U.S. protectorate for only a short time  following the war, with some thinking it would become a U.S. territory like Guam.  In 1945 the country won its independence despite a weary people and U.S. concerns about security and trade.  Predictably, the country quickly became home to both separatists and a particularly virulent socialist wing.  The largest problem stemmed from resentment for those in the government during the war who were thought of as collaborators with Japanese.  One of these was an economic minister responsible for rice production, who became the first elected President of the independent Philippines on July 1946.

Huk guerilla fighters, having learned their stealthy trade to perfection during the war, vowed to take out the collaborators, especially in central Luzon a pleasant island based on an agrarian life. Several administrations tried to cultivate the Huks over the years, but to no avail.  Finally, with some 11,000 to 15,000 armed Huks impatient with the status quo, their rebellion spreading from Central Luzon to southern Tagalog, through northern Luzon, the Visayan Islands, and finally  in Mindanao.  This so called popular revolution withered in 1951, as Huk atrocities soon angered the general population and the Huks eventually dissolved into bandits, murdering and stealing becoming their way of life.  By 1954, with the aid of U.S. advisors, the Huk's were finally marginalized to be ineffective, and the Huk rebellion squeaked to an end.

However, the contention over a territory called Sabah on the island of Borneo with Malaysia and Indonesia led to danger on the northeastern border. Anti Malayasian sentiment helped elect Ferdinand Marcos to office as President.  After his re-election Marcos' popularity began to waiver and eventually in order to retain his position of power, he declared martial law.  One of his chief rivals was Benigno Aquino, who was arrested and detained under the auspices of the Martial Law.  Serving decades in Marcos' jails, he eventually was allowed to leave the Philippines to seek medical treatment in the U.S.  Leading an opposition party from exile, Aquino continued to be a very popular figure and eventually decided he needed to return.  He was assassinated by government troops as he was being escorted off the plane, marking the last days of Marco's regime.  This eventually led to elections in which Aquino's wife Corazon was elected as President, and the Marcos induced dictatorship was ended.

Today the Philippines continues to be a hot bed of anti-American dissent fostered by the communist party as well as several groups intent upon turning the country upside down.  Anti American sentiment has been stirred up by the communist separatists and several unfortunate U.S. military men's activities and today the U.S. presence is all but gone from the islands.  Communist and terrorist activity have plagued the country in the last two decades as well as volcano that continues to bury the former site of Clark AFB in feet of soot and ash.

The Philippines economy, slowed in 1998 as a result of the Asian financial crisis, however recorved niecly in 1999.  The current high tech dropoff had major effects in the Philippines, but it is whethering the tough conditions better than its neighbors.    The labor force concentrates on agriculture 39.8%, government and social services 19.4%, services 17.7%, manufacturing 9.8%, construction 5.8%, and other at 7.5%.  Its agricultral products are rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; and fish almost entirely for domestic consumption.  Exports include electronic equipment, machinery and transport equipment, garments, coconut products.  Like most third world nations, as well as pretty common for island nations, Philippine's imports include raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, consumer goods, and fuels.

The Philippine military, rmy, Navy (includes Coast Guard and Marine Corps), Air Force draws from a pool of some 20 million males age 15-49, and nearly 900,000 reaching military age of 21 annually.

Late in 2001, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, on the heels of U.S. attacks in Afghanistan, began a quiet lobbying campaign to get U.S. troops to help her rid the islands of the separatists and communists as well as some pretty lethal Islamic extremists.  Early in 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush agreed and special forces teams moved in to begin training the Philippine Army in counter terrorist techniques.  Their immediate goal beyond training was the pursuit of Abu Sayaff terrorists holding missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and nurse Ediborah Yap who by April of 2002, had been held hostage for 11 months.

Other national problems include dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; claim to Malaysia's Sabah State has not been fully revoked

Recent Events in Philippines

On April 28, 2002, a Abu Sayaff representative claimed that the terrorists holding two missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and nurse Ediborah Yap, would be willing to enter into "last deal" negotiations.  However, the Army appears to be taking the hard line, claiming the only negotiation they will consider is unconditional surrennder and release of the hostages.  President Arroyo may choose to intervene however. 

The Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have agreed to share information on terrorists as part of a new Anti-Terrorist Trilateral Agreement. The agreement was signed on May 8, 2002 in Putrajaya, the new Malaysian capital.

The following are other events:

Terrorist Groups Active in Philippines

The following terrorist groups are active in the Philippines and provide a majority of the tension:


 


Indonesia   (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

Indonesia lies in the heart of Southeast Asia and consists of a group of islands grouped off the Malaysian-Singapore southern coasts.  The islands have always been an odd mix of cultures,  religions, languages, and political intrigue.  Its modern history includes emergence as a nation able to compete in world markets from textiles to electronics making it one of the more successful emerging Asian nations.

However long history of infighting between island cultures and indeed struggles between cultures on any one particular island have culminated in a frightening scenario for the future for its citizens.  To understand the difficulties, you need to look at characteristics of the people and cultures on each of the islands.

Indonesia, like its neighbors suffered harsh economical conditions from 1995 through 1998.  By 1999, tight monetary procedures and guidance by the IMF has brought on a solid recovery.  However new funding remains difficult to find, especially after a scandal involving IMF payments being diverted.  Growth in 2001 was 3.3%.

The Indonesian labor force is focused on agriculture 45%, trade, restaurant, and hotel 19%, manufacturing 11%, transport and communications 5%, and construction 4%, with exports of oil and gas, plywood, textiles, and rubber.  Like most emerging economies Indonesia imports machinery and equipment; chemicals, fuels, and foodstuffs.   Indonesia has a rapidly growing semiconductor and electronics business which has slowed due to worldwide tech markets.

Indonesia's military forces  Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police have a pool of some 38 million, and spends about a billion dollars per year.

Indonesia and Malaysia have minor disputes from time to time over islands along their border areas, but the major problem for Indonesia, besides its economy is a thriving domestic drug trade.  It is also a major transshipment for heroin throughout SEA.

Since the resignation of autocrat Suharto in 1998, the islands of Indonesia have yet to stabilize with many skirmishes between ethnic groups.

The Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have agreed to share information on terrorists as part of a new Anti-Terrorist Trilateral Agreement. The agreement was signed on May 8, 2002 in Putrajaya, the new Malaysian capital.


 

Recent Events in Indonesia

In the last decade the ruling family in Indonesia has come under increased pressure and of late has been under charges of vast graft.  As a result, the government's stability has been under question for the last few years.  In order to hold onto the reigns of power, the government has grown repressive.

Terrorist Groups in Indonesia

To analyze the terrorist group population in Indonesia, one need only look at the groups in neighboring island countries, from Malaysia to Philippines as well as Burma on the Asian mainland.



Singapore   (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

The modern Singapore history actually begins in 1819 when it became a British trading colony, one of the most successful Asian ports for clipper ships, and a port of call that flashed images of the mysterious Orient for nearly a century.  While providing an excellent trade station for all of Asia to ships plying the Arabian Seas, Singapore was also a home for pretty wild and seedy denizens, at times offering trade in "shang-haied" sailors and sales of female sex slaves.

In the early 1900s, changes in government also swept much of the crime and corruption aside, only to face a threat to themselves to be swept aside at the onset of World War II.  During World War II, Singapore, like most of Asia tried to keep a neutral port position, not entirely successfully.  After the War, Singapore resumed its strict interpretation of its laws.

In June of 1959, a new constitution was put in place and a Prime Minister was elected along with an 83 seat Parliament.

Singapore briefly joined Malaysia in 1963, but quickly returned to its independent statehood.

Singapore's economy is one of the most high tech in Asia, with some 75% based on the tech services, and nearly 25% in the  manufacturing sector.  All others make up under 1% of the GNP.  It's chief commercial revenue sources are financial, business, and other services 38%, manufacturing 21.6%, commerce 21.4%,  construction 7%, other 12% .Chief exports are machinery and equipment (including electronics) 63%, chemicals, mineral fuels.  Its imports are similar, trading one type for another being quite common.  Growth in its economy was just over 5% in 1999.

Singapore military services Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, and Police Force have nearly 1,000,000 military capable.  Singapore, like most Asian SEA nations faces a continued drug grower and producer problem despite extreme laws with extreme punishment.  Singapore's financial sectors have been lucrative for money laundering and other clandestine movements of currency.

Recent Events in Singapore


Terrorist Groups Active in Singapore


Malaysia   (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

Malaysia's modern history begins as a British trading colony, part of the Malay peninsula port vying with Singapore as a gateway to Asia.  It won its independence in 1957, however centuries old disputes over borders eventually led, in 1963,  to a mutual protection move to combine Singapore and Malay (West Malaysia) and Sabah and Sarawak in north Borneo (East Malaysia).  However the next three years were marred by disputes with Indonesia, and in  1965, Singapore, rather dramatically successfully, ceded to become its own city-state island.

The government is a "paramount ruler", with a King and Parliament.  Syed Sirajuddin is Malaysia's 12th king under a rotational system  created after independence from Britain in 1957.  The system was designed to spread the power  across the sultans and rajas who had ruled over fiefdoms for hundreds of years.  The mostly ceremonial post of King is not inherited, rather every five years the nations 13 states sends representatives who elect a successor by secret ballot.  However, the political power resides in the current Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad. It should be noted that the King may veto a proposed law, however, if the vetoed is overturned by the parliament by a second vote, it becomes law.

The military forces; Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Malaysian Police Force, Marine Police, Sarawak Border Scouts have a pool of some 3.5 million men of age 21 to 49 to pull from.

The Malaysian economy, like its neighbors went through the 1995 to 1998 sinkhole, but unlike many of its neighbors came out smelling like a rose.  Its export sector is rising at 10% since 1999 and GDP tracks at 5%.  It boasts a billion dollars of financial reserves.  Its labor force focus on manufacturing 27%, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries 16%, local trade and tourism 17%, services 15%, government 10%, construction 9%.  The manufacturing side is focused mostly in the area of semiconductor and semiconductor support with the total industry picture being:

Exports include electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, chemicals, palm oil, wood and wood products,   rubber, and textiles.

Malaysia's long history of border disputes continue today, for instance, it is involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei, two islands in dispute with Singapore; Sipadan and Ligitan Islands in dispute with Indonesia, and finally, the Philippines has not fully revoked claim to Sabah State.

The other major problem for the government, besides its economy, would be the illicit drug trade like most SEA countries provides a large portion of the local income, but which does not contribute to the GNP or taxes. Malaysia severely enforces its anti drug laws, but despite horrendously stiff penalties, the trade continues -- perhaps because of years of tradition and well armed and organized smuggling operations.

The Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have agreed to share information on terrorists as part of a new Anti-Terrorist Trilateral Agreement. The agreement was signed on May 8, 2002 in Putrajaya, the new Malaysian capital.

Recent Events in Malaysia

Terrorist Groups Active in Malaysia
 
 

Sri Lanka   ( map )

Recent Events | Terrorism


Once again, the conflict is ethnic in origination, with both separatist and dogma producing an area ripe with plenty of historical background leading to 20th century conflict including the terrorist preying upon the innocent. Given its history, the small country combines some of the dynamics of the India-Pakistan struggle, thankfully without the nuclear option, as well as separatists problems like Spain which will be discussed later in this report.

The U.S. Department of State site illustrates modern history for Sri Lanka with the following:
 

"Sri Lanka has benefited from the traditions of the rule of law and constitutional government that emerged during 150 years of British colonial rule. At least until the early 1970s, these traditions fostered the development of a political system characterized by broad popular participation in the political process, generally strict observance of legal guarantees of human and civil rights, and an orderly succession of elected governments without the intervention, as has occurred in several neighboring states, of the military. By the early 1980s, however, many observers feared for the future of Sri Lanka's democratic institutions. Some observers contended that constitutional government, rather than curbing the arbitrary use of political power, seemed itself to be shaped by aggressively narrow sectarian interests whose manipulation of the constitutional amendment process excluded large numbers of persons from politics and contributed to ethnic polarization and violence. "
To put it bluntly, Sri Lanka is facing a crisis, a crisis of perhaps their own making.  And quite familiar to the reader by now, the seeds of the problem lie in ethnic groups found throughout the country:  the Sinhalese, the Tamils, the Muslims, and the Burghers.  Language, Culture, and Borders create the dissent in Sri Lanka, less so than race or religion however integrated those two have become with the cultures over the years. Recent Events in Sri Lanka

The most recent Sri Lankian internal strife has sent hundreds of thousands fleeing, a difficult task since the nation is an island many miles from the mainland of India and 10 times that distance from other island nations such as Indonesia  or Malaysai or the mainland coastlines of Burma or  Thailand.  Despite the long distance, Thailand and Burma seem to be the countries where most of the refugees are fleeing.  The chaos of course has crushed the economy and it is not clear what the survival mechanism will be for the government or the people.  Some believe In International peacekeeping force from the U.N.  However, past U.N. experiences make it hard to find volunteers amongst those nations capable.  For security reasons, India may opt to take on the job alone, however this too is fraught with problems - the Muslim portion of the population will undoubtedly not look upon India's intervention as innocent.  Sri Lanka is rated by MILNET as one of the nations that could explode at any minute, listing it in the August, 2001 Flash points as well as the more recent update.

Here is a list of a recent weeks headlines, plus a key few headlines since the New Year, indicating the fast moving pace of news worthy events in Sri Lanka:



Terrorist Groups Active in Sri Lanka

As you would expect, the mix of cultures and divisions between different ways of living have produced violence.  There are a number of terrorist groups active in Sri Lanka -- some with India or Pakistani influence or other simply religious based such as Hindus or Muslims -- note too that the Hindu caste system adopted in the country makes for additional friction.

As in the other countries profiled, Sir Lanka provides a frightening vision into diverse cultures unable to live together.  While not a danger to world peace, certainly Sri Lanka will provide plenty of violent news for years to come.
 

Footnotes::

1  Myanmar junta says major progress in Suu Kyi talks, April 28, 2002, Reuters (as published in the Yahoo!
    background pages on Burma
2  ASEAN is the acronym for Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an economic trade union. ASEAN member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the  Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Sources:


 
 

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