tdaxp

Korean Appeasement, Chinese Energy, Taiwanese Politics, Nepalese Democracy, Canadian Demographics, and more!

Korea: Josh at OFK notes the ruling Appeasement Uri Party lost big in the bi-elections. But as the government could not have changed, was it just a protest vote?

Curzon at CA argues we should nuke Pyongyang. That might make their South Korean allies angry.

Maybe it would be better just to tell other countries we are mad at the Norks? That's the Japanese plan.

China: Danwei has more of the Nationalist Party of China-Chinese Communist Party meeting. Meanwhile, China snags a pipeline from Russia, meaning Beijing gets oil before Tokyo. Not quite as geogreen as earlier Chinese energy decisions, but sprining from the same needs. Maybe Peking's new Russophiles should read the new blog that Zen Pundit discovered today?

Taiwan: On my computer, the website for the pro-Taiwan Independence Democratic Progressive Party says "Democratic Progressive Party"... in English. Geolocation? Or do the Taiwanese just like the look of our words? They certainly don't like the look of pro-Chinese politicians. In "one-country two-systems" news, the Communists deny delay direct elections for Hong Kong yet again.

Nepal: Bill at Dawn's Early Light seems more good news from Nepal. Things in the mountain kingdom have been looking up.

Canada (?!?): Will British Columbia's Asian population make it closer to Seoul and Beijing than Ottawa?

Blogosphere: Simon has new Daily Linklets.

Indian corruption, Japanese billionaire-murderers, Korean soccer shenanigans, and angry Chinese...

Bill at Dawn's Early Light blogs on Indo-Japanese Connectivity and corruption in New Delhi's arm purchases. Hopefully nothing like that is going on in Bollywood.

North of India, are good times returning to Nepal?

Is Japanese Billionaire Nobutada a serial killer?

The ever-friendly Norks fire a missile at the Sea of Japan, and are fined by FIFA for the Pyongyang Soccer Riot. Curzon at Coming Anarchy notes that South Kotea is stepping up to held its old "friend."

Perhaps the Indo-Japanese deal isn't for nothing.. Japan's drilling very close to Chinese oil waters under the name Imperial Oil

Quizas notes that Taiwanese anti-KMT protestors were more violent than Chinese anti-Japanese protestors. And what to regular Chinese think of Koizumi?

Riding Sun takes a photo

"Nepal Ends Crisis Rule, but Bans Some Protests," by Somini Sengupta, New York Times, 1 May 2005, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/01/international/asia/01nepal.html.

There's good news in the otherwise gloomy collapse of Nepal... maybe

The king of Nepal announced the lifting of emergency rule in his Himalayan nation late on Friday, but left a host of unanswered questions about whether basic rights would be restored. On Saturday, meanwhile, the authorities announced a new ban on protests in parts of the capital, Katmandu.
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The announcement by King Gyanendra was not entirely a surprise: Shortly after seizing absolute power on Feb. 1, in what he called a bid to crush a Maoist insurgency in the countryside, the king told foreign diplomats that emergency rule would last no more than 100 days.

The implications of his announcement, however, were far from clear, particularly the fate of political dissidents in jail, curbs on news media freedoms and special powers awarded the military in the name of squelching the Maoist rebellion in the country. Perhaps more important, the king did not address what would be done to restore democratic rule. His handpicked deputies have governed the country since Feb. 1.

While the King's end of parliamentary rule is troubling, the evil Maoists are far more worrisome. It is important that all nations of the world, but especially democracies like India, Britain, and the United States, support the people of Nepal against the Maoists.

Also unclear, but crucial for the king, was whether lifting emergency rule would prompt Nepal's donors, chiefly its largest military backers, Britain, India and the United States, to resume supplying arms and ammunition. All three countries had effectively closed the tap since Feb. 1.

Having a DPRK-aligned Maoist Nepal would do no one good. Or having a DPRK-aligned Kingdom of Nepal. Nepal must be kept in the world system. Military aid is the most immediate way to help.