Asean has spoken out against Burma, after years of ignoring the brutal regime’s mistreatment of its citizens. Finally, after nearly eight years of haemorrhaging, Asean has spoken out succinctly against Burma. Over the past few days, ahead of this week’s Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, the regional group asked the beleaguered country to quicken its pace of reform and get on the road to democracy.

HARD TALK: Keeping an eye on enemies by keeping them close

It’s hard for many to see the logic in Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s courting of General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. Even more puzzling is putting him in charge of combating poverty.

The trouble with the tycoon state

The Constitution of 1997, economic crisis of 1997 and election of 2001 began a new period in Thailand. Business owners who survived the 1997 crisis succeeded in capturing Parliament, building a strong party through mergers and acquisitions and winning a re-election landslide through populist policies.