In the beginning, the boats were relatively small and only carried 60 or 70 passengers, Rohingya Society of Malaysia President Sultan Ahmed explained. They soon became larger, squeezing in at least 200 passengers. Women and children began coming in large numbers in 2011. In 2012, large cargo boats were pressed into service; these could accommodate 600 or 700 passengers, as was seen this May in some of the boats set adrift in the Andaman Sea by traffickers.
* Women Journalists In Myanmar Are Numerous But Still Stalled by Stereotypes—Mizzima
Most women working in media in Yangon claimed they had never encountered sexual harassment but, among those working beyond the capital area, more than half said they had experienced sexual harassment in their workplaces, sometimes from sources ... “Harassment can be physical and verbal. When we want to interview men, sometimes they want to meet in private. There are stereotypes and misconceptions about women working in certain industries."
* As Myanmar looks to develop, a value-added revolution is needed in the countryside—Mizzima
The goal of becoming once again the world’s rice basket is wrong: "If Myanmar emerged as the top exporter of rice and if farmers get rich, why not? But if farmers remain poor, what’s the point? … China’s policy is to reduce the rice-growing area. Vietnam has the target of being rice self-sufficient; it also has among the world’s highest use of agro-chemicals. So what if padi production goes down as a result?"
* Bangkok Shrine Bombing: Case (Pretty Much) Closed—Forbes
Yet Somyot acknowledged that the bombing might have been set in motion by Thailand’s July 8 deportation of 109 Uyghur men and women back to China at China’s request—despite pleas from the international community and Turkey’s willingness to welcome them as ethnic Turkic brethren.
* Thailand’s Shrine Bombing: The Case for Turkey’s Grey Wolves—Forbes
“Undoubtedly IS has the capability and it hinges on local franchises, local organizations,” Davis said. And Muslim Thais could well be members of a brigade composed of volunteers from the Malay peninisula now fighting in Syria because hundreds of Malaysians, as well as some Indonesians and Flipinos are already known to be among these fighters.
Susan J Cunningham 