Indonesia Culture/Malaysia Culture

Music, ASEAN Issues | Comments (10)

By MAJOR TOM | September 7, 2009

There's an interesting issue brimming between the two Southeast Asian neighbors - Indonesia and Malaysia - one that has caught the news world just today. It's in fact a broiling issue that threatens to overflow --- amounting even to a call for war.

Just lately, Indonesia has accused Malaysia of plagiarizing its culture when the latter used a Balinese dance --- the Balinese Pendet Dance --- to promote a TV Program aimed at imbibing tourism.

Malaysia has since apologized and had canceled the use of the disputed dance. Yet, tempers remain high as Indonesian protesters trooped to the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta and pelted it with unlikely missiles, from rotten eggs to ninja bladed stars --- mind you. And some of them thought war could ensue. Now that’s really a serious consequence just for a mix-up on a cultural dance, getting overboard somehow.

But there’s a positive thing I see in this brewing controversy for it only shows how these two countries feel so much passionately about their culture.

Contrary perhaps to the fact that some of us do not even think about it anymore, not in this ultra-high speed, modern age that we are living right now.

Still, I must say that Indonesia and Malaysia should hold their horses and refrain from going to war (pun intended) based on the misuse of a Balinese Pendet Dance. Historically, speaking the two countries share so much in terms of culture and civilizing influence, a fusion that goes back to so many centuries ago, even as far back as the empiric age of Sri Vijaya and Majapahit (7th to 13th Century). And even with the Philippines, cultural affiances are myriad and overwhelming.

In this age, the Hindu culture from across the ocean had made very deep inroads into the Malay Archipelago and into the vast Indonesian islands. This had happened in a time long before the Arabs and Chinese came, for trade or religious duty.

In this manner, mix-ups or confusion with cultural items or matters would surely ensue, and could not actually be negated completely. To this, there should be understanding and indulgence between the two Southeast Asian countries, two nations that are often at odds with each other, even going to war in the 1960’s in dispute of Borneo(Konfrontasi).

And besides, it’s time that Southeast Asian countries should band together culturally and not be so mindful of minor cultural differences. Culture is best apprehended and appreciated when it is shared especially to the ones that are near and adjacent.

By the way, as an upshot of this controversy, some Indonesians started to point out that the Malaysian national anthem, Negaraku (My Country) , was merely a copycat of an Indonesian song Terang Bulang (Bright Moon). This is true in some point since the two songs, Negaraku and Terang Bulan are adaptations of an old French melody that was so popular in the entire Malay peninsula in the 17th century.

Now this one could actually inflame and flare-up nationalistic and patriotic feelings and sentiments since we are already speaking of a national anthem here, and not merely a cultural dance.

I hope the leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia would be wise enough to calm the fierce debate at the soonest time possible and be able to resolve it in the most reasonable of manner.

Myanmar Gets Away with Economic Lip Service From China

Philippine Politics, Global Politics, ASEAN Issues | Comments (8)

By MAJOR TOM | August 13, 2009

For one, Myanmar has just become the most persistent customer of the United Nation Security Council today, as its sentencing of freedom icon Aung San Suu Kyi to an 18-month of reclusion has earned it another ticket towards official condemnation. It used to be Israel, staunch raiders of territories of its neighbors, Lebanon and Palestine.

Fortunately for Myanmar, veto-wielding countries China and Russia posed stumbling block to the United Nation condemnation with China issuing statements that the western world should respect Myanmar’s sovereignty. And accordingly, other neighbor countries like India and Thailand forms a belt of protection and easement with China and Myanmar rest comfortably on this. But this is pointed out to be most economic in nature as Myanmar remains to be among the few countries in the eastern hemisphere to have been able to preserved vast portion of natural resources, in terms of lumber and minerals, and definitely China depends on this so much that now it gives the global lip-service.

This must be what colonialism looks like nowadays.

Conspicuously, the ASEAN secretariat is mum on this latest political storm brewing from the land of pagodas. Perhaps, it’s starting to get tired of Myanmar’s troubled ways.

Everybody gets tired somehow. Maybe the United nation will soon get numbed on Myanmar’s irreverence that it may just leave the issue there stale and unattended, to keep a blind eye. I hope not.

Myanmar Does Not Belong In ASEAN

Global Politics, Current Events, ASEAN Issues | Comments (1)

By MAJOR TOM | May 15, 2009

There goes Myanmar once again, hugging the headlines not with any conceivable achievement nor gain, but for yet another unfortunate incident, with the re-arrest of Burmese freedom fighter Aung San Suu Kyi, two months before her house arrest was about to end, as promised by the military junta over there.

We do not condone intervention. But sometimes, enough’s enough. Some boundaries have been crossed.

This most recent talk about Myanmar involves a swimming incident where an American Vietnam War veteran who swam across the Inya Lake to reach her house where she was placed under house detention, for almost 19 years now. And it was about to end, just two months away, now she's being fully detained in a prison cell. I was asking about why would Ms. Suu Kyi allow some old grungy American person to jeopardize her eventual freedom? And why would the military government there thinks she would do such a foolhardy thing?

I think ASEAN should step in now and do something palpable and patent about Myanmar. Despite that political intervention into each member’s internal affairs is highly restricted as a matter of hard policy, yet I think such application of a policy long established had become so stoic and inflexible, allowing for an irrational political stance such as the ASEAN nonchalance over Myanmar, where even when the military there were already killing their own people, such as the orange-clad Buddhist monks during the so-called “Orange Revolution” last year.

And ASEAN keeps mum, deciding that it doesn’t want to antagonize and isolate Gen. Than Swe’s often bizarre administration. My bad, such foolishness and inanity, I don’t know what it is there for if it could not lift any finger against the notorious junta in Yangon. The European Union had just toughened its sanction against Myanmar and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had just strongly demanded the release of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. And what does ASEAN do, it says it does not want to isolate Myanmar.

Seemingly, the decision could be principled enough since a raucous Myanmar, especially with a patently murderous military junta reigning over there, could affect the overall peace and security situation in the Southeast Asia region, not good for political image outside while ASEAN is angling for EU-style economic integration in a decade or two.

But at least, ASEAN got to do something. ASEAN does not need Myanmar if it continues at this path of repression. When you anything about Myanmar, you’d thought you are transported back to a past and backward generation, where people work in slave camps without fees and eating porridge all the time and where human lives do not seem to have value at all.

EU had to make Poland and Turkey begged on their knees just to be included in the one-market system. But in this side of the world, it’s the other way around, ASEAN had to turn a blind eye so as just to keep Myanmar on its ranks. Now that’s entirely unheard of.

ASEAN should issue some final ultimatum to Myanmar, despotism has no room in ASEAN.

Strange Days In Thailand

Global Politics, ASEAN Issues | Comments (10)

By MAJOR TOM | September 1, 2008

Strange politics is not merely the monopoly of Filipinos, and that should somehow gives us a feeling of relief. At least we are not alone in that sort of oddity.

Thailand is experiencing a deep political crisis even as we speak now. Hundreds of thousands of workers from 43 state enterprises (they do still have a huge state-controlled concern) has headed towards the street demanding the ouster or resignation Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, accusing him of massive corruption and being merely a lackey of disgraced former PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Sundaravej had been the elected leader just last December after the military had decided to turn over power back to civilian rule, after seizing it forcefully from Shinawatra. In that election, backers of Shinawatra---Sundaravej being amongst them---had taken a huge share of votes and in consequence and also in essence rebuking the military’s earlier role in ousting the ex-PM. Like us, Thailand voters are so soon to forget the sins of former despots.

Most of the lion’s share in that December election came from voters in large rural areas, who had been outward with their support and continuing admiration of Shinawatra. But today, the urban citizens, consisting of the middle-class and upper –class, wants to bring home the message, where the rural population could not be trusted in their political choices and suasions, where they remain faithful and loyal to an administration beset with allegations of corruption and abuse. That now, they (the urban citizens) have virtually caused general paralysis in Thailand, protesting in the streets, threatening even to stifle major and most-basic public utilities such as water and electricity.

Violence could erupt, when in fact one explosion had already been reported.

What’s more worrisome is the ever-widening gap between the rural class and urban class in Thailand, and now becoming more patent and obvious. This situation might lead to a civil war. I hope not.

Myanmar Needs Every Help Possible

News & Info, ASEAN Issues | Comments (20)

By MAJOR TOM | May 7, 2008

Just months after being perturbed by widespread conflict, where hundreds of monks took to the streets in protests of the military junta there, where some have been fatally shot at, Myanmar is once again thrown into a crisis, this time all the more grave and lamentable.

Cyclone Nargis lashed at the southwestern region of Myanmar, along the famed Irriwaddy delta, and left more than 22,000 people killed. At that rate, this tragedy has become of massive proportion as the number of deaths is expected to rise steadily where 40,000 others remain missing and unaccounted for.

The first time I heard about the cyclone hitting Myanmar, I was not as perturbed at that point considering that in this part of the world, harsh weather conditions mostly come and go throughout the year, especially such as in the Philippine situation. But hours after I heard the initial reports from CNN, I began to hear the word “cyclone” and that got me a little bit more disturbed. I never thought a cyclone exist or could possibly happen in this part of the world, for I’ve never heard windstorms passing through the Asian region called that way. Tropical cyclones are often termed as typhoons around here.

But Nargis was called a cyclone even from the beginning, bringing such havoc.

It is but sad for our neighbor Myanmar. I have been in full disagreement to the military rule there, especially with Nobel laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi still being persecuted there under a prolonged house arrest but the Myanmar people surely doesn’t need to be disturb by yet another ugly situation. It’s just a bad thing for them.

I hope the aids and assistance from the international community would continue to pour in and not be delayed any second more. A minute delay might mean lives being saved or lost. Electricity is all cut-down. Water is not to be found. Shelter is ever more needed. It’s time that the military junta there set aside their all-too-ardent politics and allow every possible assistance to come in.

Earlier, an American response team were disallowed entry into the affected area as the military government continues to be adamant against the U.S. government and wouldn’t allow any possibility of an American military presence there, even for just a small length of time, despite the urgent necessity for assistance.

EU had pledged about 3 Million dollars and that would be just be about sufficient for the immediate concerns. But U.S. personnel are more experienced and far more capable to respond to this kind of situation that their presence is of extreme necessity there. I hope politics should take a backseat for now. Lives of thousands in the Irriwaddy delta are at stake here and that should be the main focus now.

And I hope members of ASEAN, like the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand should extend the most help possible, and it is time to apply and put into action the ASEAN spirit of neighborliness and cooperation and help Myanmar get out of this very distressing situation.