July 25-31, 2014
MH17 CRASH
MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
Contents July 25-31, 2014
❖ Life
❖ Weekly Briefing
❖ Politics
More questions than answers
MH17 crash
Moving on after divisive election
COVER IMAGE: AFP
Contents July 25-31, 2014
❖ Politics
❖ Life
❖ Culture
❖ Agriculture
Brothers in arms
The chicken and egg problem
Traces of British colonization in Bengkulu
Farming with the times
Contents July 25-31, 2014
❖ Lifestyle
❖ Travel
Eclectic and flourishing
The price of happiness
Datebook Happenings around Asia
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July 25-31, 2014
WEEKLY BRIEFING AFP
MH17 CRASH: ACT OF SAVAGERY, INHUMANITY The MH17 tragedy shocked the world and caused unimaginable pain especially to the loved ones of those who perished when that Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down in eastern Ukraine on July 17. On board were 283 passengers and 15 crew members, including 20 families with children and infants, from across 10 countries (some had dual citizenship status). See related story on page 29. ÂŹ
WEEKLY BRIEFING
July 25-31, 2014
PEOPLE ON BOARD BY NATIONALITY Nation
Number (boarding passport)
Australia Belgium Canada Germany Hong Kong Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Malaysia Netherlands New Zealand Philippines Romania South Africa United Kingdom United States Vietnam
27 4 1 4 0 12 0 0 0 43 193 1 3 0 0 10 0 0
Total
298
Dual nationality 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 3
All assengers and Malaysian crew died. Over two-thirds of the passengers were from the Netherlands.
POLITICS
July 25-31, 2014
MOVING ON AFTER A DIVISIVE ELECTION The Jakarta Post
T
he relatively calm situation in the run-up to Indonesia's presidential election on July 9 and following the announcement by the General Elections Commission (KPU) of the results of the official vote count indicates the country is ready to move on and leave a divisive election behind. Political analyst Leo Agustino of Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University said the calm following the KPU announcement, which named Indonesian Democratic Party of
ADEK BERRY/AFP
Jakarta
An electronic screen bearing the final result of the Indonesian election announcing the victory by presidential candidate Joko Widodo and vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla..
July 25-31, 2014
POLITICS
ROMEO GACAD/afp
Indonesian presidential candidate Joko Widodo (L) waves with his running mate Jusuf Kalla (R) after delivering his victory address aboard a traditional commercial boat in Jakarta's port district of Sunda Kelapa on July 22.
POLITICS
July 25-31, 2014
ANWAR MUSTAFA/afp
Sudjiatmi (L), the mother of Indonesian president-elect Joko Widodo, bows following an announcement confirming Widodo and Jusuf Kalla's victory.
Struggle’s (PDI-P) presidential ticket of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Jusuf Kalla as winner of the presidential election, also showed that Indonesian voters had reached political maturity. “This is a symbol of the country’s unity and we need to be proud of that,” Leo says. Many have feared that clashes might occur between supporters of Jokowi-Kalla and those of rival Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa ticket soon after the KPU announcement on July 22. Prabowo’s camp earlier said its supporters would descend on the KPU headquarters to “safeguard” the vote count.
POLITICS
July 25-31, 2014
Jokowi’s camp called for its supporters to exercise restraint while the official counting was ongoing and to refrain from staging outdoor celebrations following the KPU announcement. In anticipation of security disturbances, many business establishments in the capital decided to give their employees a day off or send them home early. Following Prabowo’s speech rejecting the election results, Jakarta’s main thoroughfares were deserted, although about two dozens of protesters made an appearance at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta. Many have also reacted furiously to Prabowo’s refusal to concede defeat. Indonesian comedian Dorce Gamalama said the KPU should
not hold a revote in spite of Prabowo's refusal to accept the KPU’s vote-count result. “Please, have pity on us. No more elections this year, no more of our tax money spent on balloting,” Dorce said as quoted by tribunnews.com. Even supporters of Prabowo called on their candidate to concede defeat. West Java Deputy Governor Deddy Mizwar, who is also a Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician, called on supporters of both presidential tickets to accept whatever decision the KPU has made. “Whoever is named winner, the president-elect will be the president of us all,” Deddy said as quoted by Antara news agency. Deddy said any decision made by the KPU was valid, giv-
en its position as the country’s only legitimate election body. “Let us consider the election as our devotion to God,” Deddy said. Lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis said Indonesian voters had matured, as was seen in their behaviour during this year’s election season. “It is the elite who seemed to have failed to behave,” says Todung in a statement. Although the margin of the winning team over its rival was relatively narrow, the people seem to have accepted wholeheartedly the fact that the majority of them wants the Jakowi team to run the country and lead its people in the next five years.
POLITICS
July 25-31, 2014
NO HONEYMOON FOR JOKOWI M. Ikhsan Modjo The Jakarta Post Jakarta
A
s predicted by many, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has finally been declared the winner of the presidential election. His win signifies the maturity of democracy in Indonesia. Jokowi epitomises a new generation of politicians in Indonesia— young and without any connections to the military or any of the country’s political dynasties. He is a commoner, not a member of the elite.
POLITICS
July 25-31, 2014
Jokowi represents a transition from an autocratic and paternalistic democracy to true democracy in Indonesia. However, he needs to act fast to consolidate the win in order to push the reforms he wants to implement in the bureaucracy and in the entire country. This need for speed is dictated by his narrow victory. The former governor of Jakarta failed to win by a double-digit margin, as he no doubt would have preferred. This signifies a fairly wide political divide that needs to be reconciled. His Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and its allies will account for only 207 or 37 per cent of the seats in the House of Representatives. Hence, they need to entice other parties from their rival coalition to form a solid government. A lesson learned from outgoing President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono’s government is the way in which it was often impeded by policy paralysis caused by the unstable coalition. This, in turn, prevented it from acting decisively on several important matters. Quick wins on the above political fronts would preserve the electoral momentum required to enable Jokowi to introduce and implement the reforms that the country needs. It would also ensure a smooth government transition and an improvement in Indonesia’s economic management. Economic growth has slowed over the past three years to below 6 per cent. The World Bank predicts growth will hit only 5.2 per cent in 2014, down from 6.5 per cent in 2011, due to reasons other than just a weak external environment. Indeed, there have been negative effects from the evolving global market.
First, the slowdown of growth in China and many of Indonesia’s other trading partners has led to a fall in demand for Indonesia’s exports. Second, the continuing decline in global commodity prices are further cutting incomes and government revenues in commodity exporting countries like Indonesia. However, internal factors have also contributed to the decline of economic growth, and perhaps to an even greater extent. Some of the usual suspects include the growing bottlenecks in infrastructure, high logistic costs and, of course, corruption. In recent years, heightened uncertainty on policies due to political factors has also contributed to the slowdown in growth. Nothing provides a better example than the case of oil subsidies. Indonesians have long enjoyed one of the cheapest oil prices in
POLITICS
July 25-31, 2014
the world. Nevertheless, domestic production has been unable to keep up with growing demand, and beginning in 2004, Indonesia became a net importer of oil. As the imbalance continues, increases in the price of oil became inevitable. But reducing subsidies was always a political gamble for the current government. Some of the parties within the government’s coalition were more than willing to resist a reduction for short-term political gains. Consequently, Indonesia has been experiencing unnecessary structural problems with both its current account and state budget since 2004. The chronic deficit in both has also added inflationary pressure —leading to higher prices—and pulled down the value of the rupiah. Rising energy subsidy spending would also further constrain development expenditure in crit-
ical areas, such as social protection and health care. This would make all the more challenging the efforts to reduce poverty and mitigate the trend of rising inequality. Jokowi must ensure that he tackles these twin issues once and for all. It can perhaps be accomplished by setting an upper limit in the budget for fuel subsidies to ensure that the price of oil is adjusted according to the availability of funds, not vice versa. This stringent policy must be planned and executed as soon as possible. He has to take advantage of the political momentum he has gainedwhile it is still there for it may not last long. Resistance will grow over time both from opposing parties and from his own coalition partners. Finally, there is the question of Jokowi’s stance on foreign
investors and their investments. This is relevant as there was much rhetoric during the campaign that indicated that perhaps Jokowi was no more market friendly than his rival candidate. However, Jokowi’s record— both as Surakarta mayor and Jakarta governor—indicate otherwise. Jokowi will welcome greater foreign investment. As a matter a fact, he has already announced plans to allow foreign investments in apartments to boost tax revenue, a move that may well increase demand for property in the country’s luxury market. Also, foreign investments are regulated in such a way that will render any attempt to muddle almost impossible. Amendments to several regulations are required, particularly those governing several institutions including the House and the central bank.
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July 25-31, 2014
In sum, there will be no honeymoon period for Jokowi. Ironically, it is the politics that he will have to deal with first —and
swiftly—in order to gain political momentum and support. Jokowi has always said he was a man of action. Now is the time for
him to prove that this is a case. The writer is a senior economist at the Financial Reform Institute, Jakarta. ¬
July 25-31, 2014
POLITICS
AFP
BROTHERS IN ARMS The two nations used to be traditional rivals, now Thailand may count Myanmar as a close ally
(left) Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Thai Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha.
July 25-31, 2014
POLITICS
AFP
After 12 coups, military rule has become a way of life in Thailand.
POLITICS
July 25-31, 2014
Nirmal Ghosh The Straits Times Bangkok
I
n an early sign of new warmth between Bangkok and Naypyitaw, up to 130,000 Myanmar refugees in camps on the Thai side of the border may be returned to Myanmar soon. If the process which could take up to a year is successful, it would be a landmark achievement. Many of the refugees have been in the camps for decades and an entire younger generation has been born and raised in them. For years, it has been considered unsafe for them to return to the conflict zones they have fled in past decades. The plan is partly the result of an obvious coziness between the military junta in Thailand, which seized power on May 22, and
Myanmar's military—still the real power with 25 per cent of seats in parliament allocated to military appointees.
"It has been an open secret that the Thai military used to obtain concessions, especially in the lucrative logging and gemstone business, in exchange for security cooperation." The camaraderie between visiting Myanmar armed forces chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and Thai armed forces supreme commander General Thanasak Patimaprakorn, in Bangkok on July 4 raised eyebrows, not least because the Myanmar general reportedly said the Thai army had done the right thing seizing power.
The Myanmar army had faced a similar situation in 1988, he said. It was not known if there was any mention of the army's shooting of hundreds in Yangon demanding democracy in 1988. Then the two generals hugged each other. The image has become a symbol of the meeting of military minds from both sides of the border. Thailand and Myanmar may have been traditional rivals in ancient times of warring kings; around 250 years ago, the invading Burmese burned Ayutthaya. The sacking of Ayutthaya is something Thais have never forgotten. But still, it is ancient history. In the modern era, Myanmar's generals have always collaborated closely with their Thai counterparts. In 1997 for instance, thenThai premier and former defence minister Chavalit Yong-
POLITICS
July 25-31, 2014
chaiyudh made much of being "best friends" with Myanmar at a time when the military-run nation was ostracised by the West. Today ties are far deeper even than the hug suggested. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's powerful army chief who could also be a contender for the presidency, is the adopted son of General Prem Tinsulanonda, Thailand's former army chief and president of the King's Privy Council. The "adoption" is a godfather-godson relationship. General Prem, when he was chief of the Thai army, knew Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's late father. According to Thai media reports, during a visit to Thailand in 2012, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, 58, asked General Prem, a symbol of Thailand's royalist-military elites, to adopt him as his son. The 94-year-old Thai
general, who has no children of his own, agreed. It is General Thanasak who has been helping to fix appointments with General Prem whenever Senior General Min Aung Hlaing visits Thailand. Relations between the two militaries are nothing new especially along the border, where for years army commanders at the local level have co-existed and made deals with each other, often independent of their central commands and government policies. But there has also been friction-over narcotics, natural resources, and dealing with the spillover of ethnic conflicts. Prominent Thai journalist and regional affairs commentator Kavi Chongkittavorn has written that "It has been an open secret that the Thai military used to obtain
concessions, especially in the lucrative logging and gemstone business, in exchange for security cooperation". It was common in the past for security forces along the Thai-Burmese border not to pursue policy as directed by the central government." The new relationship seems to be deeper, linking military elites of both countries on a personal level. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has met with General Prem thrice since 2012; their most recent meeting was this month, when General Prem had lunch with the visiting general and his 21-person entourage. Among the array of gifts the ageing General Prem-considered a mentor to generations of Thai army elites-presented to his adopted son was a necktie printed with his own signature. ÂŹ
LIFE
July 25-31, 2014
THE CHICKEN AND EGG PROBLEM
The unscrupulous practice of mixing poultry feed with tannery waste poses a serious health risk for consumers in Bangladesh A man in Hazaribagh boils tanned leather off-cuts—the first step of manufacturing poultry feed.
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July 25-31, 2014
Porimol Palma The Daily Star Dhaka
P
oultry and egg—two affordable protein sources—are not so safe anymore as chickens are fed highly toxic tannery waste and excessive antibiotics, two studies have found. Use of tannery waste lowers the production cost of poultry feed while antibiotics help to reduce deaths of chicks. But these practices
The industrial area houses over 200 tannery factories, which produce tonnes of waste every day.
It is a common practice for breeders to inject the chickens with antibiotics.
pose serious health risks to consumers already worried about reports of formalin and other chemicals found in food items. However, experts say there is no reason to panic yet as the public health disaster caused by chromium from poultry feed to the human body can easily be avoided.
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July 25-31, 2014
The waste is boiled and dried for manufacturing poultry feed.
Nevertheless the government has yet to clamp down on tannery waste traders and launch awareness campaigns on proper use of antibiotics, they add. Recently, a Dhaka University study found traces of chromium
ranging from 249mg to 4,561mg per kg in chickens that consumed feed manufactured with tannery waste. The permissible limit is 10-60mg. The study was carried out by Prof Mohammad Abul Hossain
from Dhaka University's chemistry department with his student Zubair Hasan in 2008 and this year. Their findings were published online by the "International Journal of Civil, Structural, Environmental and Infrastructure
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The womenfolk working in the poultry feed factory.
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factories have to pass hygiene inspections before renewing their licenses.
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Engineering Research and Development" on June 28. With the support from the Bangladesh Council of Science and Industrial Research (BCSIR), the researchers in the journal said they had collected samples of tannery waste from Hazaribagh, Dhaka, and poultry feed from a city market to conduct the study. “The excessive amount of chromium can be transported from poultry feed to the human body through the chicken, leading to carcinogenic effects on human beings like cancer as well as ulcer, liver cirrhosis and kidney damages, etc,” they said. Another research conducted by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) in 2012 and 2013 revealed that about 48 per cent poultry feed contains tannery waste. It also detected antibiotics in eggs and chicken far beyond the acceptable limit.
BARC is the apex organisation of the national agricultural research system. Its main responsibility is strengthening the national agricultural research capability through planning and integration of resources. At the farm level in Bogra and Joypurhat, antibiotics—ciprofloxacin and sulphonamide—were found in chickens at up to 96.40 mg per kg. At the market level, it was up to 217.50 mg per kg, the study said. Meanwhile, chicken eggs collected from Dhaka, Chittagong, Sirajganj, Joypurhat and Munshiganj were found to have contained antibiotics—ciprofloxacin—from 37 mg to 460mg per kg while its permissible limit is only 30mg. And in 80 per cent of the eggs, other antibiotics—sulphonamide, oxy-tetracycline and enrofloxacin— were found in a range of 30-570mg per kg although the permissible limit is only 100-120mg per kg.
“Antibiotics are used more at the sales points to protect chicks from diseases and death. To avoid risks, traders use antibiotics that exceed the permissible levels until the sale of chickens,” said Dr Nathu Ram Sarker, senior scientific officer at Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute in Savar. There is risk of developing antibiotic resistance from consuming chicken and eggs beyond the permissible level. Hossain said Bangladesh used to import various proteins for mixing in poultry feed. As those were expensive, a section of feed manufacturers started using protein generated from tannery waste at Dhaka's Hazaribagh. Over 200 tannery factories in the area produce tonnes of solid waste every day. “Cowhide contains a high amount of protein. This is why feed producers target tannery waste,” he added. But as indus-
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July 25-31, 2014
tries use chromium and other chemicals in tanning hide, the chemicals remain in the feed prepared for poultry. Large amounts of tanned leather off-cuts and shaving dust generated from the tannery are unusable. But some traders collect such waste and boil and dry it before selling it to middlemen. “The middlemen then grind the dry waste and supply it to the poultry feed mills or farmers,” Hossain said, adding that chromium entered the food chain through this way. Munir Chowdhury, former director of the environment department, who conducted mobile court drives in Hazaribagh in 2011, said the traders packed the poultry feed with various local and foreign labels and distributed it throughout the country. A tannery worker at Hazaribagh said it was a win-win business for both tannery workers and local traders. Many of the
tanneries that earlier used to dump the waste into the Buriganga river have now started selling it to the traders. “Many locals are engaged in the trade. The factories grinding the dry waste are small and clandestine in nature, so they can easily avoid law enforcers,” he said, seeking anonymity. Khandker Mohammad Mohsin, general secretary of Poultry Farm Protection National Council, said the findings seemed untrue to him. “I have visited Hazaribagh, and found no (poultry feed) factory,” he said. “Protein is only three to five per cent of total feed, and it is imported.” He added some poultry farmers might be using antibiotics unknowingly, although the number is very small. The livestock services, which oversees feed quality and animal health said that there was no registered feed mill in Hazaribagh.
“However, if we have information about anyone making adulterated poultry feed, we will take action,” said Dr Mozammel Hoque Siddiquee, director general of the department. The department filed a case against a feed factory in March this year for operating without a license and selling feed containing chromium beyond the approved limit. There are 58 registered feed mills mostly in Gazipur and Dhaka districts. The department checks the feed quality and mill hygiene before renewing the licenses every year. Another official said antibiotic residue in chicken can be found within seven days of slaughtering. “There is no arrangement for regular tests of antibiotics due to shortage of manpower and logistics.” Sharifuzzaman Sharif, general secretary of the citizens' body Nagorik Samhati, said whenever
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July 25-31, 2014
there are issues of food safety, the authorities tended to come out with excuses behind such happenings. “This is totally unacceptable. For the greed of a few, the whole nation suffers. We want to get rid of the toxic foods. The government must act immediately," he said. “A person selling adulterated food in a hotel will buy chemical-tainted mangoes. Then the person selling such mangoes will buy chicken with chromium. Thus we are all victims,” he added. ¬
Many of the poultry feed factories operate illegally.
The dry waste is grounded and sent to poultry feed factories or farmers.
July 25-31, 2014
AFP
MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
LIFE
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July 25-31, 2014
AFP
While there is no doubt that shooting down MH17 was a grave crime, everything else remains uncertain Bunn Nagara The Star Kuala Lumpur
A
ll the big questions about MH17 began only after the passenger jet fell from the sky and crashed to the ground. Up to that point, everything about it was routine and unspectacular: leaving Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport
Soft toys are seen among the wreakage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. A total of 80 children perished in the doomed flight.
at a quarter past noon (6:15pm Malaysian time) on Thursday, July 17, it was scheduled to
arrive at KLIA early Friday morning. Flying at a cruising altitude of 10km over
Ukraine, it was 300m above a closed airspace over a conflict zone. The International Air Trans-
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July 25-31, 2014
port Association (IATA) had confirmed this was an established altitude for commercial aircraft. Then at 10:15pm Malaysian time on Thursday, radio contact was abruptly lost. All the necessary answers for the fate of the plane also began from that point. From there, uncovering the truth becomes a tedious and messy business. Among the challenges is that while politics should not interfere in investigations, just about everything in the politics of Ukraine comes wrapped within that tragedy. For a start, all three principals in eastern Ukraine’s bitter conflict—the Ukraine gov-
ernment, pro-Russia separatists and Russia— deny any responsibility for downing MH17. Yet one of these parties has to be directly responsible for it. Shooting down the aircraft by whatever means is a deliberate act of murder and destruction. The question that follows is whether the perpetrator did so in ignorance, mistaking MH17 for an enemy aircraft, or as a terrorist in the knowledge that it was a civilian plane. Denial is familiar and predictable, especially for such a dastardly act and an international tragedy on such a scale. It serves two immediate purposes: avoiding
blame, and damning the enemy further by shifting blame there. As reliable information trickles in or not at all, the effective knowledge vacuum sucks in more predictable allegations and denials. The resulting mass of claims, counter-claims, assumptions, suppositions, conjectures and fabrications form yet another unwelcome barrier to investigations. In the absence of a forthright and verifiable admission of guilt, all three parties should be suspect. The lack of reliable information only complicates the task of investigation, particularly at a time when all who
seek the truth must be particularly prudent and patient. Each of the three parties has its own mix of deniability and culpability. That makes any investigation even more difficult. Identifying the guilty party and building a case against it depend on the known facts of the tragedy. Investigations then proceed as more facts become available-known, then verified, and then established. MH17 was attacked in Ukrainian airspace and crashed near the village of Grabovo and the town of Torez in the eastern province of Donetsk, some 50km from the Russian border.
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THE STAR
(right) Tambie Jiee, his wife Ariza Ghazalee and their four children on the flight were returning to Malaysia for good after spending three years in Kazakhstan.
July 25-31, 2014
LIFE
THE STAR
A nation in mourning, two air disasters hit Malaysia in the span of four months.
July 25-31, 2014
LIFE
AFP
Armed rebel forces guarding the crash site.
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Local eyewitnesses said they saw a plane falling and hearing two explosions before the aircraft crashed to the ground and broke into two. Some debris was strewn over a 700km radius, with the bulk of the wreckage found within a tight 100m radius of the crash spot. Separatist rebels blame the Ukrainian government, the government blames the rebels, and some in Kiev even allege a Russian hand-acting independently, or more plausibly in assisting the rebels. What are the known indications so far? These depend on the kind of attack or weap-
on system used. To both Ukraine and the private Russian news agency Interfax from the start, MH17 was downed by a BUK missile. How could they be so certain when everything about the crash was still murky? BUK missiles come in a set of four laser-guided, medium-range surface-to-air projectiles mounted on a tank or truck, with an altitude range of 22km to 30km. They travel at up to four times the cruising speed of a civilian aircraft. The BUK (also known as the SA-11) is a Russian-made missile system used by both Ukraine and Russia.
The rebels’ “standard” shoulder-launched missiles do not have anywhere near that range. However, that does not clear the rebels necessarily. There have been reports in recent days that rebels had taken over a Ukrainian military base in the area that housed the BUK missile system. Other reports tell of Ukrainian forces having lately pushed back the rebels in eastern Ukraine and limited their room for manoeuvre. How strong the rebels actually were in the territory where MH17 was attacked remained unclear, that itself being
indicative of the uncertainties that prevail. Another missile “of choice” alleged to have been used on MH17 is the SA-17 or “Grizzly”, which has an 11 per cent greater altitude range. Both missile systems operate more independently than more sophisticated Russian missile systems which can distinguish between civilian and military aircraft. A local resident who saw the crash however said MH17 could also have been downed by a jet fighter. Two implications follow from that: the attacker must have known the target was a civilian aircraft, and a
July 25-31, 2014
THE STAR
national air force would have been responsible. If a fighter jet had been involved, it would explain the tight debris field that some observers had noted. It would also be consistent with witness reports of the plane breaking up upon crashing rather than disintegrating in the air. Another version of events, reportedly from a Russian source, is that a (Ukrainian) Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jet had shot down MH17 and the rebels then shot down the assailant. While that may explain some rebels’ remarks about having downed an aircraft at the time, it is too con-
LIFE
Participants of a candlelight vigil in Malaysia offering flowers to victims of the MH17 crash.
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voluted-even convenient-to be credible. Such a scenario would mean the Ukrainian air force had been responsible. Russian-made Sukhois are used by both Russia and Ukraine, since Ukraine had been a part of the former Soviet Union. The closest thing to a “smoking gun” piece of evidence within hours of the tragedy was the SBU’s (Ukrainian intelligence service’s) claimed possession of a recorded phone intercept of a conversation between some rebels and Russians. Allegedly, a group of local Cossacks
near the Chernukhin checkpoint were said to be the perpetrators. MH17 was apparently mistaken for an AN26 Ukrainian transport plane, which rebels in eastern Ukraine had downed before. Amid the speculation and finger-pointing however, the consensus is that a missile or missiles had hit MH17. And the most likely perpetrators were a group of rebels in the area. Conventional wisdom also says that this makes it more difficult for Russia to handle the situation. The reality could well be the opposite.
After Crimea (the autonomous republic of Crimea and Sevastopol) left Ukraine to join Russia earlier this year, rebels in eastern Ukraine had agitated to do likewise. However, they have proven to be a diplomatic headache and embarrassment for Russia. Unlike Crimea, eastern Ukraine is a contiguous part of Ukraine politically and historically, even if the area also has numerous ethnic Russians like Crimea. Moscow has thus been loath to see any part of Ukraine take the Crimea route,
much as that may please Russian ultra-nationalists. Thus the civil war in Ukraine, concentrated as it is in the eastern provinces. The rebels have since chafed at Moscow’s unwillingness to annex their territory. But if they are now seen to have committed a grave international crime in downing a civilian aircraft, the infamy presents Russia with the best opportunity yet to cut them off for good. ¬
CULTURE
July 25-31, 2014
TRACES OF BRITISH COLONIZATION IN BENGKULU The fort, said to be the largest of such structure built by British East India Company in Southeast Asia, has become a constant reminder to Indonesia of the dangers brought about by the rapaciousness of colonialism
A cannon at fort marlborough in bengkulu is aimed .at the Indian Ocean.
July 25-31, 2014
CULTURE Syofiardi Bachyul Jb/jp
Fort Marlborough, as seen through its main gate.
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The Jakarta Post Bengkulu
M
ighty and undamaged, Fort Marlborough overlooks the port of Bengkulu as its cannon, which has long been unused, points toward the Indian Ocean. The pristine, unspoiled and tidy condition of the heritage building, which has survived the past three centuries or so, continues to amaze visitors to this day.
The fort, covering 44,000 square metres, is said to be the largest of such structure built by British East India Company (EIC) in Southeast Asia. It is also a reminder to the country of the dangers brought about by the rapaciousness of colonialism. Bengkulu, also known as Southwest Sumatra, is a province of Indonesia. It is in the southwest coast of the island of Sumatra and borders the provinces of West Sumatra, Jambi, South Sumatra and Lampung. In the early modern era, Bengkulu was beyond the control of the Acehnese. It was under the influence of the sultans of Banten—a major port used in the global pepper trade that eventually
Tombstone: The marker on the grave of Richard Watts, deputy governor of British East India Company, who died in Bengkulu. The stone was moved from the malaria-ridden Fort York to Fort Marlborough, where it remains on display to this day.
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ended in the hands of the Dutch occupiers. The British, meanwhile, arrived in Bengkulu, which they called Bencoolen, in 1685. They established a stronghold in the area and made it the base of their operations which involved extracting spice from the archipelago for trading. They built the 30-cannon Fort York near the Serut River which was completed two years after the British arrived in the area. However, the edifice—designed to protect the British from local residents, the kingdoms of Aceh and Banten and other colonial powers
—turned out to be a malarial deathtrap. EIC deputy governor Joseph Collet, thus, ordered the building of an alternative fort which was completed five years later in 1712 and is now known as Fort Marlborough, named after the Duke of Marlborough. Today, too little remains of Fort York, which is not a tourist destination. The site now hosts a primary school, a government office and some private homes. Fort Marlborough, however, remains magnificent: Its four-sided stronghold has bowlike upper corners where cannons were installed. A copy of the original designs of Fort Marlborough remains on display. Little has
changed since its construction, except the addition of a park inside the battlement. Its main gate, located in the south part of the area, is triangular in shape and features a thick wooden door accessed by a 13-metre-long drawbridge that spans the moat surrounding the fort. Inside are guard rooms and prison cells featuring barred windows and graffiti scribbled in Dutch by men believed to have been imprisoned there during the Japanese occupation. A red-brick floor leads to an armory. At the back are EIC offices and a gunpowder magazine. More rooms used
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as detention cells can be found at the right portion of the structure. One features the words “Ruang Interogasi Soekarno”, or Sukarno’s interrogation room. It dates from when the then future president was exiled to the island by the Dutch. There are also several memorials to the British killed by local residents who were angered by colonial exploitation. One commemorates the deaths of Thomas Parr and Charles Murray, the “resident” (or chief official) and his assistant, in 1807.
Another monument, closer to Panjang Beach, commemorates Robert Hamilton, a British officer killed by those who lived on the island in 1793. About a hundred metres from the Parr monument is the Bengkulu governor’s office, which was used by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles when he was the island’s colonial ruler. It is a typical European mansion marked by a spacious lawn and frolicking deer. The British Cemetery, less than a kilometre east of the fort, hosts the graves of British, Dutch and other Europeans who died in Bengkulu between 1775
and 1940—including Raffles’ four children with his second wife, Sophia Hull. Nearby in Chinatown are the remnants of the EIC salt warehouses but only their thick tall walls remain. Eventually, Britain ceded Bengkulu to the Dutch in exchange for Singapore in 1824, ending the 137-year British colonization of the island. Raffles’ legacy, however, remains. A Sumatran flower introduced to the island bears his name and is now part of the provincial seal. And so does the legacy of British colonialism.
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A LOVE STORY IN EXILE Syofiardi Bachyul Jb The Jakarta Post Bengkulu
S The museum’s caretaker says the water from this well can endow men with Bung Karno’s famous virility.
ukarno (born Kusno Sosrodihardjo), Indonesia’s first president, spent four years in exile in Bengkulu, a sleepy coastal city in southern Sumatra. Those years were eventful for Indonesia’s founding president, also called Bung Karno (brother/comrade Karno), his family and the nation itself. Being the leader of his country’s struggle for independence from the Netherlands, Sukarno earned the ire of
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Polymath: The multi-talented Bung Karno designed this mosque in Bengkulu while in exile in the sleepy city.
the Dutch that led to his exile first in Ende in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara with his wife Inggit Garnasih and her niece, Ratna Djuami, and an adopted daughter.
After five years, however, Sukarno was afflicted with malaria, prompting his friends to pressure the Dutch colonizers to transfer him to a healthier climate.
In 1938, the Dutch sent Sukarno to Bengkulu, a city lacking in political activity and fairly hard to reach. He described it as a bastion of conservative Islam, where women neatly covered their bodies and were separated from males. He lived in a house in the city centre loaned to him by Tjang Tjeng Kwat, a Chinese businessman supplying the Dutch in Bengkulu with basic necessities, and accepted
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Oval office: the irregularly shaped room where Bung Karno worked while in exile in Bengkulu
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Immortalized: Paintings of Bung Karno and Fatmawati adorn the walls of the house.
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an offer from local Muhammadiyah chairman Hasan Din to teach at a new religious school on the condition that he would not talk about politics. In that class he met Fatmawati, Hasan Din’s 15-year-old daughter, a year younger than Ratna Djuami. Fatmawati came from Curup, a nearby village. When she continued her studies at a home economics school in Bengkulu, she sought a place to live and Sukarno invited her to stay in his house. She became a member of the family, sharing a room with Ratna Djuami and an-
other foster child, Sukarti, who was 10 years younger than Ratna. In the house, Sukarno and Inggit set up a theatre club called Monte Carlo. Several youths joined as players, including Ratna and Fatmawati. They frequently trained or played badminton in the yard. Sukarno was fond of Fatmawati and they strolled along Panjang Beach many times, discussing many things. Twenty years her senior, Sukarno was a father figure. Inggit, however, was suspicious. After staying in the house for two years, Fatmawati moved to her grandmother’s home not far away, still seeing Sukarno from time to time.
Two years later, when Fatmawati was 17, her family was going to marry her off to a youth. She asked for Bung Karno’s views. Instead of giving her advice, Bung Karno expressed his love and proposed to her. Fatmawati agreed, but did not want to become a second wife. Sukarno’s reason for marrying Fatmawati—his desire to have children—was something that the 53-year-old Inggit could not accept, more so because Fatmawati had stayed with her family. When Japan invaded Sumatra on Feb 12, 1942, Sukarno and his family were
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In 1938, the Dutch sent Sukarno to Bengkulu, a city lacking in political activity and fairly hard to reach
evacuated to Padang, West Sumatra. He held Fatmawati’s hands when they said their goodbyes in front of her grandmother’s home. Sukarno eventually divorced Inggit after 20 years of marriage, accompanying her back to Bandung.
In June 1943, amid the war and his work to free Indonesia, Sukarno sent a telegram to a friend in Bengkulu, asking him to inform Fatmawati of his plan to marry her . They did tie the knot and their marriage lasted for 13 years, until another woman, Hartini, won his heart. Historic: The sewing machine that Sukarno’s wife Fatmawati used to make the first Indonesian national flag
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Fatmawati left the presidential palace and chose to live by herself. After Fatmawati, Sukarno felt deep affection for five more women in later years. Nonetheless, Fatmawati made a profound impression in the minds of Indonesians, not only as the first lady when Sukarno became president, but also as the woman who made the flag that was flown when Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed the nation’s independence on Aug 17, 1945. The love story of Sukarno and Fatmawati is captured by two places in
Bengkulu: the Exile House of Bung Karno on Jl. The Sukarno and the Fatmawati House on Jl. Fatmawati near Simpang Lima, Bengkulu. The Bung Karno house lies on 4 hectares of property, with its main building measuring 9-by-18.5 metres. Part of the house has been renovated according to its original form. The house keeps an old bicycle of Sukarno and a reproduction of the famous photo showing Sukarno and Fatmawati riding in tandem. An oval office in front has two cabinets with about 200 of Sukarno’s books.
A bed used by Sukarno and Inggit is in an adjacent room, along with two wardrobes for Monte Carlo costumes and a table designed by Bung Karno. There are photos that feature Monte Carlo players, a teenaged Fatmawati dressed in black posing with the Sukarno family and love letters sent by Sukarno to Fatmawati. Across from the room of Sukarno and Inggit is the one used by Ratna Djuami and Sukarti, also known as Kartika, where Fatmawati stayed for almost two years. The house has earned a reputation for healing.
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M. Yaman, the historic building’s caretaker, suggests that people wash their faces with the water to boost their virility and to sire many children— just like Sukarno. “A man who had difficulty in having children once came here before dusk, took a bath in the well water and performed his dusk prayers in this house,” Yaman said. “Several years later he visited here again with his wife and a little child for a thanksgiving party with a feast.”
A replica of the house of where Fatmawati lived lies in Simpang Lima, some 400 metres away. The original house was located about a hundred metres closer to Simpang. Its most attractive object is the old, hand-operated Singer sewing machine that was used to sow the Independence flag by Fatmawati, who had five children with Sukarno, including Megawati Sukarnoputri— the country’s fifth and only woman president. Another Bung Karno site open to tourists is Mesjid Jamik on Jl. Soedirman near
Simpang Tiga market. With a three-tier pyramidal roof and a front terrace, the mosque is where Bung Karno attended prayer services. It is also a reminder that Sukarno was a polymath: The future president was a graduate of Technische Hoogeschool, the embryo of the Bandung Institute of Technology. He designed the mosque and two other houses in 1940, one on Jl. KH Ahmad Dahlan 48, now owned by Alfian; the other at Jl. Prof. Dr. Hazairin 3137—3138 belonging to Ki Agus Husin. ¬
July 25-31, 2014
FARMING WITH THE TIMES As multinational negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement are nearing the final stage, farmers in several parts of Japan are stepping up efforts to export their agricultural products. For years, Japanese farm products have been highly valued overseas because of their quality and safety. Despite the relatively high prices of their products, domestic farmers are receiving inquiries and orders from abroad. This has prompted local agricultural cooperatives, full-time farmers and the next generation of young farmers to press ahead in their agricultural export drive.
AGRICULTURE
AIMING TO FEED BILLIONS By Ryo Fujii The Yomiuri Shimbun Yamagata
MAISTAR PRESIDENT KAZUSHI SAITO SHOWS PACKS OF TSUYAHIME AND HITOMEBORE BRANDS OF RICE PRODUCED IN TSURUOKA, YAMAGATA PREFECTURE.
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M
aistar, an agricultural production corporation based in Mikawa, Yamagata Prefecture, has been exporting packages of cooked rice to China since 2012. In fiscal 2013, the company shipped packaged rice for about 70,000 meals to the Chinese market. “Exporting rice is one way to make sure our agriculture survives,” Maistar president Kazushi Saito, 57, said. Saito’s family works exclusively in farming. Since the 1990s, he has been promoting organic farming and largescale agriculture in the Shonai region, a rice cultivation centre in the prefecture, in cooperation with younger local farmers who have taken over their family’s farming. Maistar was established in 2010 to produce and sell processed rice products.
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Saito is also working to spread a rice-growing method called jikamaki— directly planting rice seeds in paddies instead of using beds for rice seedlings first—while also developing fertilizer that if used only once in early spring will save farmers the trouble of applying additional fertilizer. The business of exporting packages of cooked rice is still in the trial-and-error phase. Because transportation and other costs are high, retail prices in China are about 500 yen per 200-gram pack, meaning that only high-income earners can afford it. But Saito expressed his determination to meet the challenge, saying, “If we can entice the appetites of 1.3 billion people, [Japan’s] agriculture will be able to survive.”
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MEETING DEMAND ABROAD Daisuke Kawase The Yomiuri Shimbun Hokkaido
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okkaido’s Tokachi region is one of the most famous production sites in Japan for nagaimo, or Chinese yam. Eight agricultural cooperatives, including JA Obihiro Kawanishi in Obihiro, have exported nagaimo since 1999 under the brand name Tokachi Kawanishi Nagaimo as the region’s local specialty. Workers inspect locally grown nagaimo in Obihiro, Hokkaido.
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The export value of nagaimo harvested between November 2012 and October 2013 hit a record high of about 920 million yen. Hideaki Hirano, 54, chief of the Kawanishi cooperative’s production coordination division, said, “Exporting is essential for farmers to stabilise their income levels.� What prompted the cooperatives to begin exports were measures to cope with the situation that abundant crops resulted in lower incomes. In years when crops of nagaimo are abundant, greater-than-usual numbers of thick nagaimo categorised as 4L are harvested. Nagaimo in this size category are unpopular in Japan and therefore trade at low prices. The situation was unsatisfactory for nagaimo farmers.
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However, the producers knew from information provided by dealers that thick nagaimo were especially popular in Taiwan, where people favour it as an ingredient of yakuzen, vegetable-based cuisine. Exports of nagaimo spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, where they were favoured by Chinese-Americans. Since 2012, exports of nagaimo to Singapore began on a full-fledged scale. The agricultural cooperatives thoroughly improved quality controls in facilities to sort fruits and vegetables, and obtained a certificate of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. The certificate has also helped exports.
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July 25-31, 2014
JOINING FORCES Shintaro Matsumoto The Yomiuri Shimbun Nagasaki
C Ooyama Seichaen President Yoshitaka Oyama holds packages of Sonogi-cha tea, which uses a uniform brand name for nine companies in six Kyushu prefectures, in Higashi-Sonogi, Nagasaki Prefecture.
ultivation of tea leaves is thriving in six prefectures in Kyushu. Nine tea production companies in the region established a uniform brand for exports and joined together beyond the borders of their production sites. The brand name is Great Taste of Kyushu. The companies will exhibit Kyushu-made tea products at a booth at an international business
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fair to be held in Hong Kong in August. The booth is expected to attract more than 15,000 buyers. Ooyama Seichaen, one of the participating companies, is a company with long history, based in Higashi-Sonogi, Nagasaki Prefecture. It produces and trades a luxury brand of Japanese green tea called Sonogi-cha. The company produces 15 tonnes of the tea, which is known for its mild taste and aroma, from an eight-hectare tea plantation. Yoshitaka Oyama, 43, the company’s fourth-generation president, said, “I plan to check how much demand exists overseas.” The project was proposed by the Fukuoka Agricultural Products
AGRICULTURE
Trading Co., a local firm based in Fukuoka. The Fukuoka prefectural government, JA Fukuoka Chuokai, Kyushu Electric Power Co. and others contributed capital to the trading company. In a ranking of tea production by prefecture, half of the top 10 positions are held by Kagoshima, Miyazaki and other Kyushu prefectures. Shinichiro Sakai, 61, president of the trading firm, said, “We want to upgrade the name recognition of Kyushu as a production site.” It is difficult for a single tea-producing company to export its products. But the group aims to pave the way through cooperation. ¬
July 25-31, 2014
Cho Chung-un The Korea Herald Seoul
LIFESTYLE
ECLECTIC AND FLOURISHING Seoul’s nighttime culture becomes more diverse, international and sober
Han river at night.
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T
he history of Korea’s nightlife is short. From 1945 to 1982, the authoritarian governments ordered Koreans to stay indoors between midnight and 4am. Under martial law, the city lights were switched off and people were forbidden to go outdoors, except for those on official duties. Nowadays, those hours are primetime for Korean nightlife. The country has seen its night culture thrive since Chun Doohwan lifted the curfew to appease growing public criticism of his military rule. Initially an instrument to express one’s freedom, Korean nightlife has since become more about having a good time. Of course, like most other places around the world, Korea’s nightlife is still mostly about drinking, singing and dancing. But in recent years, Korea has seen a change in its night culture.
Rather than staying all night long drinking poktanju-a mix of beer and soju-a growing number of people are looking for ways to spend their time after sundown in a more refreshing, entertaining and healthy way. “I don’t want to spend the night drinking with my company colleagues or boss,” said Jeong Hyewon, 33, who enjoys cycling along the river in Seoul. “I love the way I enjoy the refreshing breeze when cycling with my friends and having a ‘chimaek party’ afterward in a Han River park.” Thanks to the rising demand for a diverse night culture, the country has seen a rapid growth of 24hour businesses. From shopping malls, saunas, gyms, movie theatres, restaurants and even beauty salons, anyone can enjoy Seoul’s glittering lights without the need for alcohol. Local markets in Seoul also greet customers looking for delicious
night meals and cheap fashion products. As night culture becomes more diverse, the Seoul city government has been promoting the city’s nightlife internationally. The municipal office released a guidebook for foreign visitors in March to offer useful information on the city’s nightlife. Titled “The City That Never Sleeps: Seoul", the book introduces a variety of nightlife events, places to visit or eat and where to ask for help in emergencies. “The guidebook was published to help not only foreign visitors but also citizens see, feel and enjoy the charm of Seoul,” Kang Taewoong, director of tourism policies at Seoul’s municipal government. “I hope that visitors to Seoul can fully experience this multi-faceted city.” The booklet is offered for free at www.visitseoul.net.
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GUIDE TO KOREAN NIGHTLIFE From art galleries to food markets, Seoul offers ways to have fun while staying sober Claire Lee and Ock Hyun-ju The Korea Herald Seoul
While South Korea is known for its culture of binge drinking, the country also offers a lot of ways to have fun while staying sober. When they are not hitting the pubs and karaoke bars that stay open until sunrise, some Koreans choose to watch films in 24-hour cinemas, check out evening art exhibitions or enjoy bindaetteokKorean mung bean pancakes-at a night food market. Here are some of the ways to have fun in Korea at night, from movies to the dance club scene in Itaewon.
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Classy
Who says art exhibitions are just for the daytime? Seoul’s major art galleries are open until late at night on certain days, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the shows even after a long day at work. The Seoul Museum of Art, a museum in central Seoul behind the picturesque Deoksugung Palace, stays open until 10pm on the first and third Tuesday of each month. The building was first constructed in 1927 to house the Supreme Court during the Japanese colonial period, but was later restored and turned into today’s museum. “We have been doing this since 2012,” said curator Byun Jihye from the museum. “We found that many working professionals in the city wanted to visit the museum after they
finish work, but couldn’t because of their working hours. The purpose is to let these people enjoy art without having to worry about getting off work early and travel time. We get a lot of couples who are on dates, too.” Among the exhibitions currently on show is “Malfunction Library”, which features works by Korean artists in their 30s and 40s who were inspired by today’s information-obsessed culture. Among them, artist Kim Kyoung-ho, who has worked at the Korean bureau of Iranian Press TV, presents two versions of news footage. One is the original he filmed, and the other is the edited version that was broadcast. Also in the show is “Universal Studio Seoul”, which features works by 13 Seoul-based artists
from overseas, including Australian artist Emil Goh, who died in Korea in 2009. Another is Kondo Yukako, who is married to a Korean and depicts her life here as a member of a Korean family in her works. “It is just a nice way of ending your day,” said Kim Eun-hyung, an office worker in her 20s who visited the museum after 8pm. “I actually dragged myself (to the museum) that day, because I was rather tired after work, but it was worth it. I felt energised after the exhibitions.” Aside from SeMA, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, also stays open until 9pm every Wednesday and Saturday. For more information on SeMA, visit sema.seoul.go.kr. For information about MMCA, visit www.mmca.go.kr.
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Delicious
As dusk gathers on Friday night, Gwangjang Market’s food alley is awash with hundreds of people seeking wallet-friendly, authentic treats in a friendly atmosphere. Koreans of all ages-mostly students and office workersqueue up to grab a seat in the market’s signature “pancake”
restaurants or sit at one of 200 food stalls running through the centre of the covered alley, clinking glasses and rubbing shoulders. Some of the market’s specialties are “drug” kimbap (rice roll), given its name due to its addictive taste; arm-sized “king” sundae (blood sausage); and crispy nokdu bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes), according to Sim Seo-woon-yeo, who has run a second-generation food stall called Kyungtae’s House for the past three decades. Jun Jeff and his girlfriend visit the market to taste some of the specialties.
“All the foods here are affordable and delicious,” Jun told The Korea Herald while pouring soju into a glass and handing it to his girlfriend. Most of the eateries at the food alley offer their food for a fixed price, with “drug” kimbap at 2,500 won ($2.50), “king” blood sausage at 6,000 won and mung bean pancake at 5,000 won to 8,000 won. But there is another reason the couple hangs out at the market. “It is quite romantic for us to sit close to total strangers and even talk to them over food and drinks,” Jun said. Gwangjang Market’s food bazaar is situated near Jongno 5-ga Subway Station’s Exit 8. You can easily access Cheonggyecheon Stream, right next to the market, to walk off your meal. The market is open from 9am to 11pm every day.
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Affordable
One of the most affordable ways to escape the summer heat at night is to hit a movie theatre. CGV Gangnam operates 24 hours a day, allowing moviegoers to see a film anytime regardless of their schedule.
LIFESTYLE
The theatre screens films as frequently as 10 times a day, from 6:30am to 5am the next day. Tickets for screenings that take place between midnight and 10am are 8,000 won (US$7.80), while daytime screenings
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cost 9,000 won ($8.80) to 10,000 won ($9.75). Meanwhile, in Yeongdeungpo-gu, southwest Seoul, a special night market is being held once a month until October. The unique, community-centered market offers handmade, environmentally friendly products at affordable prices, including soap, candles and even jewellery. Many of the items on sale are created by local people in their own homes. Titled “Yeongdeungpo Dalsijang” (Yeongdeungpo Moon Market), the market also holds a special arts and crafts workshop for children, and runs a separate food market featuring local dishes such as handmade tea, tteokbokki (soft rice cake with sweet red chili sauce), and organic vegetables. The event will be com-
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plemented with a performance by local indie bands. The market runs from 5pm to 9pm at Haja Centre in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on July 25, August 29, September 26 and October 31. For more information, call +82 (02) 2677-9200. The night view of Anapji, an artificial pond constructed in 674 during the reign of King Munmu of Silla in today’s Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province (KTO) Korea also has a number of traditional sites famous for their night views nationwide. Some of the sites the Korea Tourism Organisation recommends include Anapji, an artificial pond in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, constructed in 674 and the Fortress Wall of Seoul, which was built in 1937 as protection from invaders.
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Wild
On the last Saturday in June, dance clubs in Itaewon were flooded with those who wanted to bask in the invigorating ambience. Club Move, which opened in 2012, was one of them. While looming speakers thundered with electronic dance music, a sea of guys in dress shirts, mostly in their 20s and 30s, were crammed around a dance floor watching ladies in glitzy dresses and high heels pole dancing. “In this club, I can fully enjoy myself without having to care about what others think of me,” Yoon Hye-soo, 26, told The Korea Herald, queueing up with a friend to enter the club. Taking her identification card and 10,000 won, the cover fee for the club, out of her purse, Yoon also talked about the main difference among three trendy club ar-
eas in Seoul-Gangnam, Hongdae and Itaewon. “I don’t like clubbing in Gangnam because it is too expensive, and you can only find young clubbers in Hongdae. So it leaves me no option but Itae-
won,” the office worker said. Stephanie Kovanda, a first-time clubber in Korea, agrees that Itaewon is where she can enjoy Seoul’s bustling nightlife. “I was impressed that clubs here stay open later than many in the US I can even have a drink while waiting in line for the club. It is a good spot for a fun night out,” the 27-year-old US citizen said while stepping out of Move. After midnight, the club charges women 10,000 won and men 15,000 won, which includes one free drink. Most cocktails and beers range in price from 8,000 won to 12,000 won. It is located near Itaewon Subway Station’s Exit 3 and is open from 10pm to 6am. ¬
July 25-31, 2014
THE PRICE OF HAPPINESS Bhutan's policy of Gross National Happiness is touted as a recipe for success but what does it really mean?
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Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul The Nation Thimphu, Bhutan
S
o many questions go through my mind as I travel through Bhutan, a country that is isolated from the rest of the world but has its own well-developed culture and is fiercely protective of it.
The tiny mountain kingdom, which is sandwiched between China and India and has a population of just 725,000, is the only country in the world that keeps tabs on its own "Gross National Happiness" index to gauge the
success of its economy and to measure the standard of living. That has traditionally meant maintaining its unspoiled natural environment and cultural heritage. Today though, Bhutan is being increasingly forced to find
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a happy balance between modernisation and ancient culture under the guiding philosophy of GNH. Development, as progress arrives in the country through direct international flights, the Internet, mobile phone networks and cable television. "The country may or may not be happy. What we have is an overall development philosophy that's based on gross national happiness. And the aim of the philosophy and all the policies that come from it is that the conditions are in place to make everyone happy. Whether we are achieving it or not is a different
matter," muses Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay during an interview with Thai reporters at his office in Thimphu. "In defining GNH our fourth king, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck [the father of the current monarch], noted that we need our economy to grow but at the same time economic growth must be balanced with spiritual well-being through a strong environment and a vibrant culture. "I believe development and happiness can go together; it doesn't have to be one thing or the other. The whole purpose is to grow, is to develop
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mindful that our people need social development and that each and every one of them must be given economic opportunity. Otherwise the gap between those who have and those who do not have will be very big. How do you foster economic growth while remaining mindful of GNH principles? That is the challenge," he says.
in a holistic manner where everybody feels a better sense of wellbeing. We can be prosperous and happy," he adds. Happiness or unhappiness is of course subjective. Many would argue that happiness comes from simplicity while unhappiness is influenced by the need to own
imported products like cosmetics and mobile phones. It thus seems inevitable that the expectations of the Bhutanese are rising because of the country's development. The PM agrees. "We need to expand, deepen and strengthen our economy while being mindful of the principles of GNH,
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During my brief sojourn, I tour Paro and trek to Taktshang, or the Tiger's Nest, the country's most famous tourist attraction, before driving to Thimphu, the capital, and going on Punakha to see the most photogenic dzong. That gives me plenty of opportunity to
find out firsthand from that some Bhutanese whether they are happy with their simple life. "Happiness is not about having a simple or stylish lifestyle but how you adapt to the simple or stylish lifestyles. Happiness is not about using imported cosmetics. For me, it is having the basic necessities like food, shelter and clothing as well as a balanced life with values," an official at Terma Linca Resort and Spa tells me. "But I agree that the Bhutanese are changing because of the country’s development. However, the majority of us are changing while still keeping in mind our culture, traditions and values. Our government cannot control our happiness or unhappiness but it can facilitate the right environment for a happy society. We will be happy providing our basic necessities are met." More signs of progress can be found in the bars and clubs that
are springing up in and around the capital. Here, while enjoying a quiet beer, I see more than one person smoking, despite the fact that Bhutan prides itself on being the world's first non-smoking nation and declared the sale of tobacco illegal in 2004. Punishment is harsh with smokers caught puffing away in public spaces fined US$232, the equivalent of two months' salary for the average civil servant. Convenience stores have arrived here too and I'm amused to find an 8-Eleven, presumably a take on 7-Eleven on a Thimphu street. Disposal of garbage in such a pristine environment is another problem the mountain kingdom is having to face. One of its solutions is apparently the "Collect Garbage Competition", which awards prizes to anyone who picks up 100, 300 and 500 plastic bags and wrappings. In Punakha, the signs read "This is your town, keep it clean" while two blue-painted trash cans
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in Sobsokha Village scream out the more amusing "clean environment, abuse me". "We have a very small population but there is still plenty of garbage. So we must clean
our garbage, we must not have unnecessary waste. If we must have waste, we must be able to segregate, recycle and manage our waste but we should never, ever throw garbage. We started a
movement called 'Clean Bhutan' to clear the garbage and hopefully in the future, we will be able to sustain the cleanliness not by continuing to clean it but by changing the attitude of the people," says the prime minister. With Bhutan attempting to move away from cars to electric vehicles, the bicycle is a popular way of getting around. "There are the good mountain biking trails in Bhutan," the prime minister confirms. We have a race called the Tour of the Dragon on the first Saturday of every September. It's a 268-kilometre race that starts at 2am and crosses four passes. Each of the passes is above 3,200 metres. Three of the passes are higher than 3,400 metres and the last pass, 3,200 metres, is Dochula," says the PM, who is also an avid cyclist. "Bring a Thai team. We'll ride together! But you must come early to acclimatise." ÂŹ
July 25-31, 2014
DATEBOOK
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ÂŹ Tokyo Sumida River Fireworks Festival The Sumida River fireworks festival goes all the way back to the early 1700s. Since 1978, it has been an annual tradition, showcasing the marvelous talents of rival pyrotechnic companies who vie with each other to produce the most extravagant display. Seen from the banks of the river, the gorgeous colours and fanciful forms say "summer" like nothing else!
When: July 26 (The festival will be cancelled in case of rain) Time: 7:05pm-8:30pm Where: Sumida River
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DATEBOOK
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ÂŹ Singapore Singapore International Festival of Arts Culture vultures should not miss this year's exciting festival, headed by local theatre luminary Ong Keng Sen. Expect some of the biggest names in the international arts scene, such as film composer Michael Nyman, cutting-edge German theatre company the Berliner Ensemble and New York-based The Wooster Group, best known for their experimental theatre.
When: August 12-September 21 Where: Various venues Info: www.sifa.sg/
July 25-31, 2014
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¬ Hong Kong Studio Ghibli Layout Designs Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by renowned animation directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki and has produced world-acclaimed animation films, mostly based on hand-drawn animation techniques. This exhibition will comprise around 1,300 of their original layout sketches derived from earlier works such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Castle in the Sky, right up to the latest work The Wind Rises.
When: Ongoing until August 31; 10am-6pm (weekdays), 10am-7pm (weekends & public holidays); closed Tuesdays Where: Hong Kong Heritage Museum Info: www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk
DATEBOOK
July 25-31, 2014
ÂŹ Taitung, Taiwan 2014 Taiwan Design Expo Since 2003, the Taiwan Design Expo has opened in Taipei, Yilan, Kaohsiung, Tainan and Taichung to great success. This year is the first time that the Taiwan Design Expo will be held in the eastern part of Taiwan. This year's theme, "Open Design", encompasses shared life skills and other open implications. One of the positive aspects of being
a designer is the ability to quickly apply their practice to the real world and thus create a positive feedback loop. This year's Taiwan Design Expo will delve into the offerings of Taitung and share all of Taiwan's innovations.
When: August 2-17
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DATEBOOK
July 25-31, 2014
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¬ Hua Hin, Thailand Hua Hin Jazz Festival The renowned jazz festival will finally push through with a new line-up including The Saxophone Madness as well as a jam session of leading saxophonists in Thailand with the legendary saxophonist, Tong Tewan, as a special guest.
When: July 26 Where: Hua Hin Queen’s Park