Southeast Asia Editor, Asia Times Online
Southeast Asia Editor for Asia Times Online
PROFILE
Shawn W. Crispin
Guest
FROM Shawn W. Crispin
To the Point
Burma's Misery, Myanmar's Intransigence China has mobilized massive resources to deal with yesterday's earthquake. More than a week after the cyclone hit Myanmar it's a different story. The Burmese government now concedes that 60,000 have died since the Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy River Delta a week from last Saturday. Resources comparable to those that helped Indonesia recover from the tsunami four years ago are waiting off shore, but they're not getting in. As many as two million people are at risk for their lives, while the government distributes what aid there is to supporters and soldiers. Does that constitute a "crime against humanity?" Would an invasion for "humanitarian reasons" make things better or worse?
Recommended
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.