Word: asia
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...That same point can be made today about many Asian nations. After the shackles of colonialism were overthrown, largely after World War II, the 21st century was supposed to herald the ascent of democracy in Asia. While parts of the region - from Burma and North Korea to Laos, Vietnam and China - are still governed by diktat, the past couple of decades have created a region that to all outward appearances is largely democratic. Over the past 10 years, some 20 Asian countries have held elections, and many have undergone peaceful transitions in government...
...many ways, the challenges of Asian democracy are a reflection of its youth. Democracy in the West evolved over centuries - and, even then, its proponents understood its limitations, as Winston Churchill did when he postulated that "democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms." Asia, for the most part, has raced through the democratization process in just a couple of decades. Though much of the continent considers itself democratic, only five of the 25 Asian nations polled in the 2008 survey of political and civil rights by the U.S.-based NGO Freedom House were deemed...
...Some are even calling for a resurgence of so-called "Asian values," a mix of paternalistic discipline and market economics that fell into disregard after the 1997 financial meltdown proved that crony capitalism thrived in the absence of democratic checks and balances. In Thailand, as in many parts of Asia, members of the educated élite bristle at the notion that Western-style democracy is a one-size-fits-all political system. "You can't expect us to have a European- or American-style democracy here," says PAD member Visitchai Kemajitpan. "We should have our own Oriental democracy...
...global demand for Chinese toys, German cars and Japanese electronics has dived, container trade has been hit hard as well, with some 200 vessels now lying idle and many more likely to join them when their current contracts are complete. Container traffic between Asia and Europe is shrinking for the first time on record, according to some estimates. Shipping a container from Hong Kong to Rotterdam now costs just a few hundred dollars, down from more than $2,500 in late...
...South China Sea - which Vietnam also claims. Within months, police arrested Nguyen on charges of tax evasion - a move widely seen as retaliation. "It's pretty clear that what he was really thrown in jail for was for criticizing China's claim over the Paracels," says Bob Dietz, Asia program coordinator at the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. In December, an appeals court upheld Nguyen's 30-month jail sentence...