Thailand : Thailand orders 1.2 million tablet computers for pupils

Thailand : Thailand orders 1.2 million tablet computers 

for pupils

Thailand will pay US$110 million (HK$853 million) to two firms to supply 1.2 million tablet computers to schools across the country, the Education Ministry announced on Friday, awarding the tender for the next phase of a controversial schools policy.

The “One Tablet Per Child” scheme, part of the government’s election campaign in 2011, has been criticised as an expensive gimmick designed to boost the popularity of the ruling party among parents -- and the next generation of voters.

But to its supporters, the ambitious scheme will bridge the gap between rich and poor pupils by using technology to boost education standards in a country which measures up poorly compared to the rest of Asia.

China’s Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control and Thai firm Supreme Distribution will provide the tablets, the Education Ministry said in a statement, as the government rolls out its plan to equip 13 million pupils with the handheld devices by the end of next year.

“Each tablet costs between US$63 and US$93,” it said adding the Chinese firm will supply 800,000 tablets to grade 1 (seven to eight-years-old), while the local company will provide more than 425,000 of the devices to seventh graders (13-years-olds).

About 850,000 Chinese-made devices have already been distributed, in what the government describes as the world’s largest handout of the devices for education.

While other Asian nations fared well in the most recent global education survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2009, Thailand came around 50th out of 65 countries in the rankings for reading, maths and science.

Experts say rote learning and a lack of encouragement for critical thinking compound a massive divide between rich private schools and poorly funded state-run institutions.

Resource from:

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1271726/thailand-orders-12-million-tablet-computers-pupils

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Vietnam : Relationship with Indonesia raised to the level of strategic partnership

Vietnam : Relationship with Indonesia raised to 

the level of strategic partnership 

Vietnam and Indonesia have issued a joint statement during President Truong Tan Sang's official visit to Indonesia on June 27-28, agreeing to elevate the long-standing bilateral relationship to a new height.

Following is the full text of the joint statement:

"At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E. Truong Tan Sang and his wife paid a State visit to the Republic of Indonesia on June 27 – 28, 2013.

During the visit, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Truong Tan Sang held talks in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. The two leaders exchanged views and highly valued the traditional relations of friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Indonesia that have been well maintained and developed with remarkable achievements, serving the well-being of the two nations, especially since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1955.

The two leaders were committed to elevating the long-standing bilateral relationship to a new height and decided to establish the Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia built upon the basis of the Declaration between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Indonesia on the Framework of Friendly and Comprehensive Partnership entering the 21 st century (2003) and the Indonesia - Vietnam Plan of Action in the period of 2012 - 2015 (2011).

The Strategic Partnership shall also conform to the principles of the UN and ASEAN Charters, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and other universally recognised norms of international law.

In light of the Strategic Partnership, the two leaders agreed to intensify the exchange of high-level visits and to further enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields. Both leaders tasked the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with relevant Ministries, to formulate Plans of Action for the Strategic Partnership that provides ways and means to ensure the concrete and effective implementation of the Strategic Partnership. The two leaders also stressed the importance for both countries to periodically review the implementation of the Strategic Partnership through bilateral cooperation mechanisms, namely the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation and the Joint Commission on Economics, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

On defense and security cooperation, the two leaders supported further effective implementation of the MOU on Promotion of Cooperation of Defence Officials and Related Activities (2010), the Agreement on Cooperation of Criminal Combating and Prevention (2005) and the Terms of Reference on Navy to Navy Talks (2012), particularly in promoting capacity building and exchange personnel. The two leaders also encouraged the enhancement of cooperation in national defense industry and non-traditional security fields.

On trade, the two leaders appreciated the steadily growing two-way trade and were committed to pushing forward the progressive, balanced and sustainable two-way trade cooperation. The two leaders were optimistic that the target of 5 billion USD in trade volume could be surpassed before 2015 and agreed to set a new target of 10 billion USD in trade volume by 2018.

The two leaders shared a positive assessment on the growing investment cooperation and were committed to continue promoting a more attractive and favourable environment for greater investment and trade. The President of Indonesia expressed his hope for the continued support and assistance of the Vietnamese Government for the increasing economic presence of Indonesia in Vietnam.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation aiming at achieving sustainable food and energy security through trade, investment and joint research and development. On food security, the two leaders welcomed the extension of the MoU on Rice Trade to 2017 and agreed to strengthen cooperation in food production and quality control as well as stock management. On energy security, the two leaders encouraged business community of the two countries to actively explore energy and mineral resources cooperation, including on developing eco-friendly mining industry, coal and minerals trade, electricity generation as well as new and renewable energy.

The two leaders observed the progress in the fisheries and aquaculture cooperation and emphasized the need for both countries to further implement the MoU on Marine and Fisheries Cooperation (2010) to further tap the high potentials of cooperation in this area and to address illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, including on the arrangement for returning fishermen caught or arrested due to (IUU) fishing.

The two leaders directed the technical team to expedite their discussion for the early conclusion on delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and, without prejudice to the final settlement of maritime boundary delimitation, encouraged both sides to find a temporary solution to facilitate cooperation in marine and fisheries affairs.

The two leaders were determined to continue to strengthen people to people links by enhancing cooperation in the fields of education, culture and tourism. In this regard, the two leaders agreed to revitalize the MoU on Education Cooperation (2005), promote closer cooperation in developing eco-tourism and MICE industry as well as to strengthen cultural cooperation, including within the framework of Trail of Civilization.

The two leaders agreed to further intensify the work of ASEAN in realising an ASEAN community 2015 that is politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible to take advantage of current and future opportunity and effectively respond to regional and international challenges.

President of Truong Tan Sang reiterated his commitment to provide continuous active support during Indonesia's Chairmanship of APEC in 2013. While President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono assured Indonesia's full support to Vietnam in the latter's Chairmanship of APEC in 2017. President Yudhoyono also invited President Truong Tan Sang for the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Bali in October 2013.

On the East Sea, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, maritime security in the region and reaffirmed the collective commitments under the DOC to ensuring the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The two leaders expressed their full support for the ASEAN's six-point Principles on the East Sea and welcomed the commencement of the discussion on the COC between ASEAN and China and looked forward to the continuation of discussions on the COC towards to the early conclusion of a Regional Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Upon conclusion of the bilateral meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of the agreements, namely the Agreement on Extradition, Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal, and the Memorandum of Understanding on Agricultural Commodities Cooperation. On the sidelines of the State visit, the Memorandum of Understanding on Energy and Mineral Resources Cooperation, the Memorandum of Understanding on Financial Cooperation, and the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Vietnam and Indonesia were also signed. The two leaders instructed the relevant Ministries of the two countries to actively implement these documents.

President Truong Tan Sang and his wife expressed their gratitude for the warm hospitality extended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife accepted the kind invitation by President Truong Tan Sang to visit Vietnam at a mutually convenient time."

Resource from:

http://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/241401/vn-indonesia-joint-statement-stresses-ties-increase.html

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Cambodia : Competition could hurt SME future

Cambodia : Competition could hurt SME future

Due to a lack of awareness and human resources, small and medium enterprise owners could suffer from competition as ASEAN moves toward economic integration, industry insiders say. 

Chan Virath, an organiser of a career forum over the weekend, said that most small and medium enterprises, or SMEs, in Cambodia still lack business strategies.  

“Even though we have tried to call and invite them to join the event, nobody was interested in the program,” Virath said. “Most of them are family operated and do not understand the advantage of an enhanced brand or recruiting quality human resource.”

SMEs are playing increasingly important role in Cambodia as engines of economic growth. Nguon Meng Tech, director general of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, said that SMEs also provide job opportunities for low-cost workers.

SMEs operate almost entirely in the unregistered, informal sector, according to the Federation of Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of Cambodia.

Resource from:

By Hor Kimsay

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013062566452/Business/competition-could-hurt-sme-future.html

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Indonesia : Bali named national tourism pilot project

Indonesia : Bali named national tourism pilot project

The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has designated Bali as a pilot project for the development of national strategic tourism planning (KSPN), which started early in June.

KSPN will cover a tourist area in which all elements and components of tourism have certain characteristics, including natural and cultural conditions.

The central government has named 88 KSPNs across the country to be developed until 2025.

Sixteen of the 88 KSPN have been named top priorities, including three destinations in Bali; Kintamani resort and Lake Batur in Bangli regency; Pemuteran and Menjangan Island in Buleleng regency; and Kuta Sanur Nusa Dua, which lie in Badung regency and Denpasar mayoralty. 

The remaining 13 destinations are Seribu Islands in Jakarta; Old Town and Sunda Kelapa, Lake Toba in North Sumatra; Borobudur Temple and surroundings in Central Java; Bromo-Tengger and Semeru in East Java; Mount Rinjani in West Nusa Tenggara; Komodo Island in East Nusa Tenggara; Ende-Kelimutu in East Nusa Tenggara; Tanjung Puting in Central Kalimantan; Bunaken in North Sulawesi; Wakatobi in Central Sulawesi; Toraja in South Sulawesi and Raja Ampat in West Papua.

According to the ministry’s director of tourist destinations and investment, Lokot Ahmad Enda, the plan should have been implemented last year.

But it was postponed until June this year, Enda said. It will be initially implemented in the Kuta-Sanur-Nusa Dua area, which are already lucrative tourist destinations.

“Kuta-Sanur-Nusa Dua will become an exemplary tourism designated area for other sites in Indonesia,” he explained.

Enda further said that the designation of Bali as a pilot project was based on several considerations.

First, Bali was already an international tourist destination with adequate facilities and supporting regulations to oversee tourism on the island.

“In Bali, we want to show an integrated tourist industry that involves all community members, administrations, the private sector and other parties. The pilot project is expected to become a collaboration of all stake holders in developing and managing a tourist site,” he explained.

KSPN, Enda added, is part of the bigger plan of the National Tourism Development Plan, which covers the development of tourist destinations, tourist attractions, accessibility, public facilities, basic infrastructure and community involvement.

Meanwhile, Bali Tourism office head Ida Bagus Kade Subhiksu said the KSPN was implemented by the central government through the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry.

Bali has 16 main official tourist destinations, namely Nuda Dua, Kuta, Tuban, Sanur, Ubud, Lebih, Soka, Kalibukbuk, Batuampar, Candikusuma, Perancak, Nusa Penida, Candi Dasa, Ujung, Tulamben and Air Sanih.

The provincial administration has also named five other specific tourist sites: Gilimanuk and Palasari village in Jembrana, Tanah Lot in Tabanan, Pancasari in Buleleng and Kintamani in Bangli.

“In short, KSPN is an effort to unite several tourist spots into one larger area. KSPN is meant to create a blue print for a tourism development plan at a particular tourist site,” Subhiksu said.

University of Udayana’s Consortium of Tourism Research and Study chairman Agung Suryawan Wiranatha said the university was included in the implementation of KSPN in Bali.

The university is currently collecting data and information and analyzing each area’s potential and challenges.

Resource from:

by  WASTI ATMODJO ON 2013-06-28

http://www.thejakartapost.com/bali-daily/2013-06-28/bali-named-national-tourism-pilot-project.html

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Kevin Rudd returns as Australian PM

Kevin Rudd  returns as Australian PM

Kevin Rudd has been sworn in as prime minister of Australia, a day after he ousted Julia Gillard as leader of the Labor Party.

Mr Rudd took the oath at Government House in front of Governor-General Quentin Bryce.

He then addressed parliament briefly, paying tribute to Ms Gillard, who is stepping down from politics.

The leadership change comes ahead of an election scheduled for 14 September, which polls suggest Labor will lose.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott called on Mr Rudd to clarify whether the election would be brought forward.

"I congratulate the prime minister on his restoration to high office," he said. "May he elevate that office... by telling the Australian people when will they get the chance to decide who the prime minister of this country should be and who should form the government of this country?"

'Energy and purpose'

Mr Rudd returned to lead Australia's government three years and three days after he was toppled in a similar Labor leadership contest by Ms Gillard, then his deputy.

He secured 57 votes to Ms Gillard's 45 in Wednesday's vote, which followed months of speculation and bitter infighting over who should lead Labor into the forthcoming election.

Opinion polls have suggested Labor will suffer a crushing defeat. But Mr Rudd is more popular with voters than Ms Gillard and many believe the party will perform better under him.

Speaking after his win on Wednesday, Mr Rudd said he resumed the role of prime minister with "an important sense of energy and purpose".

"Why am I taking on this challenge? For me it's pretty basic, it's pretty clear. I simply do not have it in my nature to stand idly by and to allow an Abbott government to come to power in this country by default," he said.

Ms Gillard resigned as prime minister on Wednesday and said she would leave politics, as she and Mr Rudd had agreed the loser would before the vote.

Despite their bitter rivalry, Mr Rudd praised his predecessor when he addressed parliament shortly after being sworn in.

"Through the difficult years of minority government the former prime minister has achieved major reforms for our nation that will shape our country's future," he said.

"On top of all that, I acknowledge her great work as a standard bearer for women in our country."

Describing politics as a "very hard life", he also called on fellow lawmakers "to be a little kinder and gentler with each other".

He made no comment on the election date and said further information on his ministerial line-up would come later.

Anthony Albanese has been sworn in as deputy prime minister and Chris Bowen replaces Wayne Swan as treasurer.

Six of Ms Gillard's ministers resigned after the party vote and further shake-ups are expected.

Ms Gillard's government depended on the support of independents for its majority - reports suggest that enough of them have swung behind Mr Rudd to give him control of parliament.

The BBC's Nick Bryant, in Sydney, says it is an astonishing return for a politician who has long been popular with the public at large but despised by senior colleagues within his party.

It is a measure of his unpopularity that a third of Julia Gillard's ministry resigned rather than serve under him, our correspondent adds.

Resource from:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23076517

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Venezuela offers Edward Snowden hope of asylum :

 but for now whistleblower is still at Moscow airport as Vladimir Putin refuses extradition

Edward Snowden was given another option of a possible safe haven today as the Venezuelan President said he would consider an asylum request for the former NSA contractor. However, there were reports this morning that Mr Snowden's annulled US passport meant he was stuck at Moscow's Sheremetevo Airport, unable to enter Russia proper or buy a ticket out.

"If they proposed it, and it seems that it has been requested of Ecuador … we would also consider it," said Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's President, of a possible asylum bid today. He said that the "information on the violation of civil liberties" leaked by Snowden could "change the world".

Ecuador's foreign minister has said that Mr Snowden has indeed applied for asylum in the country, and that the application is being considered. Ecuador has also granted asylum to Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, who has been stuck in the country's London Embassy for a year. The question now is whether Mr Snowden might end up being stuck in a similar kind of limbo, or whether he will be able to continue on to Venezuela or Ecuador. On Monday he was booked on a scheduled Aeroflot flight to Havana but did not take it, and the Cuba route still seems the most logical way to get from Moscow to Latin America without passing countries that might extradite him to the US. However, the Aeroflot plane does ordinarily fly through US airspace.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Mr Snowden was a "free man" and that the sooner he buys a ticket to leave to a destination of his choice, "the better for him, and for us". However, Russian agency Interfax quoted a source close to Mr Snowden this morning saying that his annulled passport meant he could not travel. He was apparently provided refugee documents by Ecuador which enabled him to leave Hong Kong for Moscow, but it is unclear whether these are still valid. Interfax has previously published false information about Mr Snowden's case attributed to unnamed sources.

The US has asked Russia to extradite Mr Snowden, but Mr Putin appeared to rule that out yesterday, saying that pursuing such a course was like "shaving a piglet - there are lots of squeals, but little wool."

Resource from:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/venezuela-offers-edward-snowden-hope-of-asylum--but-for-now-whistleblower-is-still-at-moscow-airport-as-vladimir-putin-refuses-extradition-8674216.html

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Malaysia: Worst of haze shifts from Singapore to Malaysia

Worst of haze shifts from Singapore to Malaysia

Malaysian authorities declared a state of emergency Sunday in a southern district where a smoky haze blamed on Indonesian forest fires has triggered one of the country's worst pollution levels in years.

The worst of the smog has shifted from Singapore to southernmost Malaysia, where noxious fumes have drifted across the sea this past week from Indonesia's Sumatra island.

The Malaysian government's index for air pollution reached a measurement of 746 early Sunday in the southern district of Muar. It was far above the threshold of 300 for hazardous air quality.

Authorities were issuing instructions for Muar's residents to remain indoors and for schools to close, Environment Minister G. Palanivel said in a statement on his Facebook page. The district has about 250,000 people, several of whom posted photographs on Twitter showing bridges and buildings enveloped in smog that slashed visibility to barely hundreds of meters (feet).

Air quality reached unhealthy levels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's main city further north, where landmarks like the Petronas Twin Towers were obscured amid hot, humid conditions.

Malaysia's highest recording for the pollution index was 860 in 1997, one of the region's worst years for smog sparked by Indonesian blazes. Palanivel said officials might soon have to implement "cloud-seeding" operations meant to try to chemically induce rain.

Singapore reported pollution readings that fluctuated between "moderate" and "unhealthy" classifications Sunday, far below peak measurements recorded Friday. However, the city-state's officials have warned the respite, which has brought clear, blue skies to Singapore for the first time in nearly a week, might be only temporary because of current wind conditions.

This year's haze has been the worst in Singapore's history, forcing the military to suspend outdoor training, causing the cancellation of sports events and prompting the environment minister to travel to Indonesia to press for stronger action.

Jakarta has sent planes to help douse the fires in Sumatran peat swamp forests and sought to deflect criticism over its response to the environmental crisis. Some officials say Malaysian and Singaporean firms should also be held responsible because they have stakes in plantation land where the fires are raging.

Several of the companies have denied knowledge of fires in their official operating areas in Indonesia. In past years, similar blazes have been illegally set as a cheap method to clear land. Indonesian authorities say they are investigating whether anyone can be prosecuted for the current fires.

Resource from:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/06/24/worst-haze-shifts-singapore-malaysia.html

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A semester abroad does not qualify as “going global”

“Go global” may be the rallying cry for international business, but it has yet to fully penetrate academia. Universities can produce lists of exchange programs they have forged with academic institutions around the world, but these are not deep relationships. Going global has been more academic tourism than a powerful commitment to creating a global academic village.

Today the mere mention of academic globalization, beyond exchange and study abroad programs, sends some university administrators and faculty running for cover. Around the globe, institutions of higher education are wary of internationalizing their campuses and programs for fear of losing control over quality and academic freedom. These are legitimate concerns, especially when trying to operate in a country that is far from your home campus and embodies a culture that may conflict with your own.

Yet the same virtuous cycle that exists in the global marketplace can be adapted to serve the academic community. Globalization brings opportunities and efficiencies in higher education. It creates complex networks and builds international bridges. It allows for knowledge sharing on a grand scale and for deeper connection. It also permits universities to transform themselves from the narrow confines of their own communities to compete globally. In short, it ups their game.

I have seen this happen with my own institution, the George Washington University (GW). As we anchor deep into China—far beyond simple exchange agreements—we have had to challenge university protocols, set up new international organizations with which the university had no experience, figure out the complexities of hiring locally, and deal with the nuances of high-level governmental relationships. The process has changed the university.

A handful of universities are pioneering this internationalizing strategy. A system where students can start a degree on one campus and finish it on a distant campus in another country is an appealing future for higher education—a future imagined by New York University (NYU) with its vision of a global network university. Such a university would not be tied to a single location but, rather, would have a physical presence on multiple continents and the ability to move personnel and programs seamlessly among campuses.

This vision hasn’t been widely adopted yet, due, in part, to academia’s reputation for being stodgy and parochial. But the provincial approach to learning must change in the 21^st century. Higher education is fighting for its very life today, and most people inside academic institutions don’t even know it. The marketplace is challenging its business model. Technology is making its boundaries obsolete, and students are no longer wed to its traditions. Smart administrators are embracing change to stay relevant and to stay viable.

Branch campuses make far more sense today than at any point in academia’s history. Students are mobile. Knowledge is fungible. And, thanks to technology, the free movement of ideas doesn’t recognize political borders. By leveraging technology and a commitment to educational innovation, universities can participate in a global academic village that expands their reach and resources while serving students around the world who are desperately seeking an education.

Seeing the opportunity, a number of universities are opening campuses in far-flung places. A December 2012 report from the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, a United Kingdom research group, identified some 200 international branch campuses in operation. Another 37 campuses are scheduled to open by 2014. While half of the home institutions were in the United States, other prominent home bases included the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada.

In addition to the powerful learning opportunities, overseas campuses bring a benefit that while of less importance to educators is persuasive for administrators. Globalization of learning can be self-supporting after an early investment. Foreign students bring enormous wealth to universities and countries. An analysis by the International Institute of Education showed that international students and their dependents contributed some $21.8 billion to the US economy alone during the 2011/12 academic year. By creating a series of respected and fully functioning branch campuses, following the students rather than making them come to traditional locations, the resources are likely to follow.

The growth in branch campuses is remarkable, but it comes with risk. Globalization’s defects have troubled the business world for decades and these defects likely will transfer to academia. Intensified competition from other universities, swings in academic costs, and the constraints of another culture’s rules and regulations promise to complicate the drive to globalize higher education.

Another critical factor that threatens the expansion of branch campuses is the lack of support from faculty members at home institutions. At times, the faculty has been asked to fulfill the promise of branch campuses without contributing input into their creation. Even the forerunners of this new breed of global academy such as NYU have tripped at this necessary but complicating stage.

NYU has a new campus in Abu Dhabi, a campus being constructed in Shanghai and 16 others locations (including the 57-acre estate, La Pietra, in Florence) on six continents. NYU President John Sexton has run into problems from a significant body of critical faculty at his home campus in New York City. Critics say he has not empowered faculty members to make key decisions about these new campuses, andthe faculty delivered a no-confidence vote on Sexton, in part, because of his aggressive global vision for NYU.

I face similar complaints from some of my faculty members as I push for an assertive approach to developing a permanent campus for GW in China. These efforts are never easy, and the paperwork alone often threatens to derail them, but I am certain that the work we do today to secure a GW branch in China will benefit our students, here and in China, for decades to come.

What is lost on critics of academic globalization is the sad reality of the university enterprise today. Under fire from all sides and desperately seeking to remake itself, universities are being held back by 20^th century thinking, turf battles and fear. Some believe that predictions about higher education’s future are hyperbole, the ranting of a few academic crusaders. I believe the institutions that fail to take advantage of global expansion will see their competitors stumble occasionally, but they will also watch them grow significantly. I do not discount some of the complaints about the failure to seek faculty buy-in, but that approach over the long term is akin to fighting over deck chairs on the Titanic.

The answer to the risk of globalization is not to avoid or ignore it. Such tactics show a shockingly narrow view of the world and a failure to understand history. Universities benefit from globalization because it forces them to press their limits, to transform in the face of new expectations and to look for better ways of securing and delivering knowledge to students. Globalization strengthens universities and emboldens their students for a new age.

Universities that fail to understand this reality will fail. That is not hyperbole. That is fact.

Resource from:

by Doug Guthrie ,Dean of the George Washington University School of Business in Washington, DC.

http://qz.com/70195/a-semester-abroad-does-not-qualify-as-going-global/

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Philippines Financial District Bans Plastic Bags

Philippines Financial District Bans 

Plastic Bags

The Philippines financial capital banned disposable plastic shopping bags and styrofoam food containers Thursday, as part of escalating efforts across the nation’s capital to curb rubbish blamed for deadly flooding.

After a widespread publicity campaign leading up to the ban, Makati city environment protection officers began handing out fines of 5,000 pesos ($115) to shops and supermarkets caught distributing the bags.

Rowena Rosario, who sells hot meals at a sidewalk stall, often packed in plastic bags, said the city ordinance was making life difficult.

“Most of my orders are take-out. Now, I have to use paper bags but what if the food has a lot of sauce? No one is going to bring plates here,” she said glumly.

There is strong resistance to the ban, particularly amongst the poor, said Xenelit Camarce, one of the ban enforcers who spoke to AFP after inspecting a public market.

“A lot of people, especially those sidewalk vendors, they are still using it. But the ones really complaining are the customers, those buying fish and chicken,” she said.

While Makati, one of 17 cities or districts that make up Metro Manila, still allows food to be wrapped in plastic, it has banned the bags that shops and restaurants traditionally issue for free.

Styrofoam food containers and plastic cups are also banned.

Consumers are given the option of paper alternatives or not using any bags, with supermarkets encouraging shoppers to bring their own.

“We have issued a lot of tickets,” Makati environment officer, Danny Villas, told AFP.

Tow-truck crew member John Regalio shrugged with resignation as he bought juice drinks poured into paper cups instead of inside sealed small plastic bags, the preferred local way of serving beverages to customers on the go.

“The plastic bags held more juice. And you didn’t have to worry about spilling anything. But what can you do when it is the law?” he said.

Makati is home to many of the country’s foreign embassies, biggest corporations and banks, swankiest shopping malls and about 2,900 restaurants.

Although its official population is just over 600,000, this swells to about 3.7 million in the daytime when thousands of commuters travel to the area to work, city officials said.

Makati became the ninth out of the 17 areas to issue the plastics ban, meaning 6.7 million of Metro Manila’s population of 13 million people are covered by the restrictions.

Prexy Macana, project officer of Makati’s environmental services department, said cutting down on plastic was vital to stop the clogging of the city’s waterways, which is widely blamed for contributing to floods.

“During our bi-monthly wastewater clean-ups, we found most of the garbage is plastics,” she said.

June is the start of the rainy season in the Philippines, and Metro Manila has already endured heavy flooding, although none of it deadly.

The worst floods to hit the capital in recent years occurred in 2009, when Tropical Storm Ketsana submerged more than 80 percent of the city and claimed about 400 lives.

Another 100 people died in August last year when heavy rains lashed the city for more than a week.

Sonia Mendoza, coordinator of the anti-plastic group Eco-Waste Coalition, said the Makati ban did not go far enough as biodegradable plastic bags were still allowed.

“They still litter and they do not really bio-degrade. They just become small pieces but they are still made of plastic…..We will still have a throw-away mentality with garbage and floods everywhere,” she said.

Resource from:

by Agence France-Presse

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/philippines-financial-district-bans-plastic-bags/

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Singapore - Haze update: PSI falls to 197 at 9pm on Thursday

Singapore - Haze update: 

PSI falls to 197 at 9pm on Thursday  

The PSI has fallen to 197 at 9pm Thursday, from 231, in the last hour.

The PSI fell for the past eight hours after hitting a high of 371 at 1pm Thursday.

Raging fires in Indonesia- some started by companies to clear vegetation on land- have caused the haze situation in Singapore.

Resource from:

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/haze-update-psi-falls-197-9pm-thursday-20130620

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China’s environmental future: The power of the people

China faces a deep and enduring environmental crisis. Less than 1 percent of the country’s 500 largest cities meet World Health Organization clean-air criteria. More than one-quarter of China’s land is either desert or facing desertification. At least ten provinces are below the World Bank’s water poverty level, and up to 40 percent of China’s rivers are reported to be seriously polluted (20 percent are so polluted that the water is too toxic for human contact). In conjunction with ongoing crises—Beijing being enveloped in smog; more than 16,000 dead, diseased pigs floating down Shanghai’s Huangpu River; reports of toxic cadmium-laced rice being sold in Guangdong Province—it’s no wonder there are serious questions about the effectiveness of the Chinese government’s efforts to balance economic growth and environmental protection.

China’s leaders say they recognize the challenge at hand. In a 2011 editorial, Environment Minister Zhou Shengxian said the “depletion, deterioration, and exhaustion of resources and the worsening ecological environment have become bottlenecks and grave impediments to the nation’s economic and social development.” And former Premier Wen Jiabao acknowledged in March 2012 that the government had failed to meet most of the environmental targets in China’s 11th five-year plan, including reductions in energy intensity, nitrogen and sulfur dioxide, and water-pollution measures. Leaders are well aware that the state of the environment is a leading cause of social unrest, as well as one of the most important contributors to a range of public-health issues ranging from respiratory disease to cancer and developmental delays and deficiencies. And it hurts the economy: a study by the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning (CAEP) estimated the cost of pollution spills, deteriorating soil, vanishing wetlands, and other environmental issues at 3.9 percent of Chinese GDP in 2008.

Yet Beijing’s response to these challenges is far from sufficient. Investment in environmental protection continues to hover around 1.3 percent of GDP, but according to a 2007 CAEP report, roughly half of this money is lost through local corruption or the allocation of environmental funds to nonenvironment-related projects.¹ And despite official policy, one recent academic study found that local officials are rewarded more for investing in infrastructure than for making environmental protection an explicit priority. Year after year, the government sets impressive targets for pollution reduction, launches massive campaigns to divert or clean up rivers and reforest degraded land, invests in renewable energy and technologies, and undertakes experiments with eco-cities. And year after year, there is the same poor outcome: the environment deteriorates.

Fortunately, the Chinese people are pushing the government to do more. They have recognized that these environmental problems are systemic and, through their activism, are laying the foundation to transform China’s environmental protection. As a first step, the Chinese people appear to recognize that good environmental policy depends upon open and accurate environmental data. Nongovernmental organizations such as the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs are pressing Chinese cities to adhere to regulations requiring them to publish pollution statistics. One Chinese lawyer is pushing for the Ministry of Environmental Protection to release the results of its soil pollution survey, which it has deemed a “state secret.” The media is producing eye-opening, in-depth investigative reports on environmental problems such as water pollution. And in 2012, Beijing and other cities were forced to reveal levels of hazardous particulate material air pollution after the United States embassy and consulates tweeted data and ignited an Internet firestorm among the Chinese public, which demanded that the government provide the statistics.

At the same time, grassroots pressure is mounting for the environment to serve as a general model for the rule of law and official accountability. Already, Chinese environmental lawyers have established around 100 specialized environmental courts. Their next step is to make it easier for environmental cases to be brought by more than a limited number of officially sanctioned organizations. And when Chinese officials fail to protect the environment, the Chinese people take to the Web and to the streets to hold them accountable. From July to October 2012, for example, large-scale protests broke out in three provinces—Sichuan, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang—when local officials approved factories and other projects the public believed would be harmful to their health. Through social media and microblogs, Chinese citizens gained access to information critical to effective demonstrations. And in each case, the local government halted its plans. While political participation through protest may not be ideal, Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs founder Ma Jun said the fear of public demonstrations is forcing some local governments to think twice about how they govern.

Of course, public activism alone won’t transform China’s environment—Beijing needs to step up. So what could indicate that the Chinese government is making real progress toward environmental protection? First, if Beijing invests more in financial and human capital: Chinese scientists say government investment in the environment should be at least 2.2 percent of GDP just to prevent further deterioration. Second, if the National People’s Congress develops environmental laws and regulations that are sufficiently detailed to ensure proper enforcement. Third, if government develops a system of political and economic incentives and disincentives (as they are discussing with regard to a new carbon tax) that encourage local officials and businesspeople to do the right thing. And fourth, if Beijing views nongovernmental organizations, the media, and the public as partners rather than adversaries, improving access to information and enlisting public participation.

If current trends hold, an additional 300 million Chinese will become urban residents by 2030, consuming as much as four times more energy and two and a half times more water per capita than rural Chinese. That makes it all the more critical that Chinese officials become more like the Chinese people: more informed, more engaged, and less patient. In this respect, China seems destined to evolve very much like every other country that has developed before it: with environmental progress driven from the bottom-up.

Resource from:

by Elizabeth C. Economy

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/asia-pacific/chinas_environmental_future_the_power_of_the_people?cid=china-eml-alt-mip-mck-oth-1306

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Myanmar: Suu Kyi’s Presidential Ambitions Raise Security Fears

Suu Kyi’s Presidential Ambitions Raise Security Fears

After publicly announcing her desire to be Burma’s next president, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been urged by supporting politicians and activists to take special safety precautions.

The Nobel Peace laureate and parliamentarian—who was only released from house arrest under the former military regime in 2010—announced last week what Burma observers have long suspected: that she wishes to be president after the country’s next elections in 2015.

Peter Lin Pin, who was elected as a lawmaker in the 1990 election, which was annulled by the former military regime, said he worried Suu Kyi might be targeted in an assassination plot by those who wished to retain power as the country transitioned from nearly half a century of military rule.

“As she has expressed a desire to get power, I’m worried she might be assassinated by those who are mad for power,” Peter Lin Pin said. “Those who are crazy for power can get rid of her at any time.

“Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should be careful,” he added, referring to the opposition leader with a title of respect. “Even though it’s said that our country is now a democracy, military dictators are still behaving as they please.”

During the former military regime, which ceded power to a nominally civilian government in 2010, several plots targeted the democracy icon and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. In the 2003 Depayin affair, a motorcade of Suu Kyi and her entourage was attacked by a pro-junta mob, leaving about 70 people dead.

Phone Myint Aung, a lawmaker from the New National Democracy Party, said law enforcement and security measures in Burma today were inadequate to protect Suu Kyi.

“A public idol and political figure like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who aims to be president should be careful about her security,” he said. “The present situation is such that even ordinary citizens aren’t safe.”

Mya Aye, a leader of the 88 Generation Students Group, said the 2015 elections would likely be competitive, and that security should be provided for all presidential candidates.

“Threats to life and safety are not only important for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but also for all leaders of the state,” the activist said. “I hope there will be no cheating and it [the 2015 election] will be fair.”

Win Tin, a patron and co-founder of the NLD, said he was also concerned about Suu Kyi’s safety because she frequently goes out to meet with member of the public. The government, he said, should be responsible for protecting the democracy icon from any assassination attempt.

“Public leaders need to go among the public,” Win Tin said. “They know it’s dangerous, but that doesn’t discourage them, and there are no special arrangements for safety.”

Still, he said Suu Kyi had managed to take care of herself since the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, that her political opinions were well known and firmly established, and that he trusted she would continue to take precautions to stay safe.

“It’s right to worry about her safety, but it’s impossible for her to stay away from the public over fears that it could be a danger to her life,” he said.

Soe Win, a senior politician from the NLD, said hard-liners continued to hold positions in the new government and that he worried they could stir up trouble ahead of 2015.

“There has been unrest in this democracy,” Soe Win said. “If it continues like this, the 2015 elections might not even happen.”

He said he believed religious clashes, including in west Burma’s Arakan State, were organized with political motives.

“This unrest has been stirred up systematically, with a specific purpose, and instigators must be behind it,” he said. “

NLD lawmaker Phyu Phyu Thin said recent clashes between Buddhists and Muslims—and the slow response of law enforcement—indicated that security standards in the country were weak.

“Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should be more alert than ever,” she said. “She won’t stop going places because of security reasons—if she needs to go, she will—so we need to work together for her security.”

Resource from:

http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/37570

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