Asia Times Online
News and business analysis from Asia



A border too far for Bangladesh (Feb 6)
The torture of a Bangladesh man by Indian border guards, captured on video, has exposed the reluctance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to push the government in New Delhi to end such regular border violence. Meanwhile, Dhaka is happy to sign billion-dollar deals with Indian power companies. - Syed Tashfin Chowdhury (Feb 6, '12)


Power plant threat to Sundarbans (Feb 6)
Bangladesh is to build a US$1.5 billion coal-fired power plant, with the help of Indian power company NTPC, that may threaten the famed Sundarbans mangrove forest, a world heritage site, and against the advice of some of its own Environment Ministry officials. - Syed Tashfin Chowdhury (Feb 3, '12)


Run-up to proxy war over Syria (Feb 6)
Russia and China's double veto of the Arab League resolution on Syria in the United Nations Security Council could come to mark the end of the "post-Soviet era" in world politics. As a test of will develops over Damascus, the coordinated move to challenge Washington on its triumphalist march from Libya toward Syria and Iran constitutes a watershed event. - M K Bhadrakumar (Feb 6, '12)


THE ROVING EYE : Syria and those 'disgusting' BRICS (Feb 6)
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the double veto on Syria by Russia and China a "travesty", while US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice says it was "disgusting". Now it's time to get on with Plan B - to plunge Syria into civil war. - Pepe Escobar (Feb 6, '12)


Victor - Middle (Feb 6)



US undercuts message to Israel (Feb 6)
United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta exposed the contradiction between Washington's efforts not to be dragged into war and the desire to use the Israel threat to further squeeze Tehran over its nuclear program in a leak last week. The upshot: it's likely neither Israel or Iran will take seriously any White House effort to keep US forces out of war. - Gareth Porter (Feb 6, '12)


China presses Myanmar on stalled dam (Feb 6)
China wants to resurrect the stalled Myitsone dam, with a propaganda offensive asserting that environmental concerns in the Myanmar government's suspension of the US$3.6 billion project are "illogical". Yet in the struggle to maintain the bellwether for other major Chinese investments, the country's hydropower industry faces the formidable obstacle of a neighbor now taking environmental concerns more seriously. - Melody Kemp (Feb 6, '12)


Politics fuels India's literary intolerance (Feb 6)
A Bangladeshi author's book launch in West Bengal has been cancelled due to extremist threats, just weeks after writer Salman Rushdie was prevented from attending the Jaipur Literary Festival. While the incidents have intensified concerns that religious tolerance is on the decline, regional politics is also to blame. - Neeta Lal (Feb 6, '12)


SPEAKING FREELY : Playful lessons for the Young General (Feb 6)
The Lily: Evolution, Play, and the Power of a Free Society by Daniel Cloud Princeton University political philosopher Daniel Cloud's gift to North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-eun could not have come at a better time. The book explains to the Young General, that by grasping evolutionary forces, free societies - as the Dao De Jing puts it - "accomplish everything by doing nothing." Something for Kim to ponder among his ambitious plans to join the "elite club of nations" this year. - Mark A DeWaever (Feb 6, '12)


SPENGLER : Gold, bonds as options on inflation (Feb 6)
Economists, commentators and financial advisers are talking nonsense when they insist on referring to gold as an inflation hedge. Clear-headed comparison of the gold price and US government bond yields shows gold for what it is: an undated put option on the dollar's reserve role.