Southeast Asia Archive

DENPASAR, Indonesia — Under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, U.S.-Indonesia ties have progressively strengthened since he first took office in 2004. Yudhoyono earned a masters degree in the U.S. and has never hidden his liking for the States. So it came as no surprise when, in November 2008, the former general-turned-president called for a U.S.-Indonesia strategic partnership, later renamed a comprehensive partnership. The move was in turn welcomed by U.S. President Barack Obama, who himself is sentimentally attached to the archipelagic nation where he spent a part of his childhood. Soon after Obama’s inauguration, U.S. Secretary of State […]

Indonesia has long been seen as a breeding ground for terrorism, butthe government’s approach to the potential threat to stability hasproven to be successful. Overall, terrorism in Indonesia is decliningand it could be attributed to the government’s decision to notdeclare a war on terror. Instead terrorists, like those of the 2002Bali bombing, are tried in open courts. Officials say the approach iseffective because it rallies public support for justice while quellingconcerns of Western interference.

A brazen, multiple-target, attack in the heart of Kabul has reminded the international community that if the Taliban wants, it can infiltrate and disrupt society, even in the most protected areas. Experts say the attack, though there were relatively few casualties, is worrisome from a psychological perspective. As Hamid Karzai was swearing in members of his cabinet, blasts outside were shining light on an inept government, struggling for legitimacy. NewsHour’s Margaret Warner reports.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Two days after Cambodia repatriated 20 Uighur asylum-seekers fleeing China, the two countries signed trade agreements worth more than $1 billion, bringing significant investment, loans and grants to the impoverished Southeast Asian nation. Both countries deny a deal was struck, but China’s growing ability to leverage its economic power in the region combined with Cambodia’s weak rule of law have observers believing otherwise. China insisted the Uighurs were outlaws, saying they participated in deadly protests earlier this year, while Cambodia contended it was merely following its immigration laws by deporting them. Rights advocates, however, said the […]