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China and the media: supicious minds

Beijing should not be afraid of the international media; positive reports will outweight negatives

• SIDELINES

  Absurdity and clowning serve as ploys for diversion

  ONE can wonder why Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej chooses to act and speak in a foolish manner at times, throwing tantrums without awareness for good sense and civility. We can suspect that he gains a lot politically at his own expense.
• BANGKOKIAN

  Citizens or subjects?

  Late last week Chulalongkorn University and the Asia Foundation organised a panel discussion on the "Peace Process in Aceh and Sri Lanka: A Lesson for Thailand". Panellists shared their knowledge about the difficulties and complexities behind the waxing and waning peace process in Sri Lanka and the political minefield facing Aceh in the post-conflict period.

• Burma squeezes human rights as another envoy seeks change

  THIS week, the United Nations Human Rights Council will send a special rapporteur, Tomas Ojea Quintana, to seek improvements on the human rights situation in Burma. One might expect that Than Shwe's military junta will make concessions on human rights in the lead-up to Quintana's trip - instead, the exact opposite has happened, as human rights abuses have increased. The mission, the latest in dozens of failed trips to Burma by UN envoys and rapporteurs, is off to a bad start even before it has begun.