There are several possible consequences that I fear from the ongoing armed conflict in Sabah. One of them is a public wide urge to expel Sulu and Filipino immigrants out of the state. There is already considerable negative sentiment against the Sulu and Filipino people in Sabah even before the armed men landed to bring [...]
Archive for the 'Conflict & disaster' Category
The United States was entrenched deeply in two major wars throughout most of the first decade of the 21st century. Just after the shocking September 11, 2001 attacks organized by al Qaeda, the US responded strongly by invading Afghanistan and removed the Taliban from power. After a quick initial success in the landlocked country, the [...]
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be an emotional matter to many Malaysians. While there are diverse opinions on the conflict, the pro-Palestinian sentiment is firmly in the majority in Malaysia. Each time the conflict between Israel and Palestine flares up, the pro-Palestinian side will egg the public on to do at least two things. One, they [...]
Sandy, Sandy everywhere, Sandy messes with your hair, Sandy says she’s coming, Sandy sends everyone flying. Sandy crashes into the shore, straight into Jersey Shore, Sandy’s a storm that’s horrible, crossing a show that’s terrible. But what’s the price, of an October Surprise, when everybody expects, what everybody expects?
Some peace is not worth it. A state that suppresses its citizens and others does not deserve peace for such peace only allows the state to continue to use its power to bully. Peace is sustainable only if rights are respected. No peace can stand with disrespect. For other peace, it is worth the shot [...]
Cambodia has a dark modern history and I always knew that. That knowledge did not bother me much previously because I did not really relate to it. Cambodia despite being so close to Malaysia appeared farther away from me than, for example, the United States where I spent my undergraduate years. Cambodia was some land [...]
Between 1975 and 1979, Cambodia came under the communist Khmer Rouge regime. The communist rule exerted considerable cost on the Cambodian society. Just how significant? Never forget. Data was obtained from the World Bank.
I know I said no to foreign military intervention in Libya when its civil war erupted. I reasoned that such intervention would rob legitimacy from any success out of the rebellion against the Gaddafi administration. In retrospect, I vastly underestimated the popularity of the rebellion. Foreign intervention did not matter much in determining the perceived [...]
I was almost late for my morning history class. I ran as fast as I could while trying to keep my balance on ice and snow. By the time I entered the classroom, I was gasping for air. For the not very athletic me, it was not easy to breathe hard during a cruel Michigan [...]
You and I can sit at a cafe and argue whether former US President George Bush and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair are guilty of war crimes. We can pass our verdict but we must be out of our minds to think that the verdict is as legitimate as that of a proper court [...]