The Irrawaddy
Protecting Burma’s Heritage from Above
Monday, May 7th, 2012The Irrawaddy
April 14, 2012
A satellite network watching over Burma’s most revered archaeological sites is being used to help the country develop a sustainable tourism industry and alleviate poverty—but all that could be jeopardized by poor planning management.
About 90 percent of Burma’s population live at or below the poverty line while GDP per capita is the [...]
Timor-Leste and a Lethargic New Generation
Thursday, July 14th, 2011The Irrawaddy
By MATT CROOK
JULY 14, 2011
DILI—It was a humid night and I wandered home in the dark, cursing the government of Timor-Leste for yet another power cut in Dili, the country’s tiny capital. I was lumbering up the road to my house, illuminating my path with my mobile to avoid the crater-like potholes, when I [...]
East Timor’s ‘Nuniversity’
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011The Irrawaddy
By MATT CROOK
JANUARY 18, 2010
LAUTEM — The nuns were creating an almighty din. In one room there was a sister getting down with a keyboard, while in another there were a couple of nuns bashing out chords on guitars.
While not the most gifted musicians of the Catholic Church, the sisters’ real talents lie in [...]
Bangladesh Leads Way With International Crimes Tribunal
Sunday, September 5th, 2010The Irrawaddy
By MATT CROOK
SEPTEMBER 4, 2010
DHAKA—As criticism over the lack of progress in Sri Lanka’s war inquiry is mounting and a defiant military regime in Burma resists increasing pressure for a UN war crimes inquiry, Bangladesh has high hopes for a war crimes tribunal that has been 40 years in the making.
Bringing to justice key [...]
Slain Newsman’s Sister Vows to Uncover Truth
Friday, July 30th, 2010The Irrawaddy
By MATT CROOK
JULY 30, 2010
As criticism mounts of the Thai government’s response to the deaths of two foreign newsmen during recent political violence in Bangkok, the sister of slain Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi says she will not give up the search for the truth behind her brother’s death.
“I don’t really care about how it [...]
Tense Times in Timor-Leste
Sunday, July 11th, 2010The Irrawaddy
Tense Times in Timor-Leste
By MATT CROOK
JULY, 2010 – VOLUME 18 NO.7
Ozorio Leque stands accused of inciting a riot in Dili, the East Timorese capital, on April 28, 2006, when he publicly berated the government before a mob went on the rampage, attacking the government palace. The crisis that followed over the next two months [...]