The World Views

Venezuela, oil-dependent country, is further facing the economic bankruptcy and political collapse due to the dramatic drop in crude oil prices in the international market and political unrest within the country. The Venezuela's political stalemate has broken out in early 2014 when protesters mostly students gathered on streets, calling the new democratically elected president to address some social issues including rise of crime rate, shortage of basic product within mark ets, and inflation. The mass demonstrations in Caracas led to the severe crackdown on protesters and rioters, leaving hundreds people dead and injured. Consequently, the United States condemned the bloodiest crackdowns and imposed sanction against Venezuela. It's believed that the U.S has masterminded the mass protests, which aimed to topple the socialist regime in Caracas. Currently, Venezuelan people start demanding their government to take action in response to the economic recession, howev...

I am unexpectedly excited hearing that Myanmar is about to have a referendum on amending 2008 constitution, hoping that the real regime change and democracy actually exist in Myanmar. However, I recall something and realize that the referendum will unlikely help boosting democratization process and enabling opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be the country's future president. Recently, president of Myanmar Thein Sein has approved his country to hold a plebiscite in May,  paving the way for revising the provisions of Junta drafted-constitution by signing the referendum law. Currently, the constitutional revision becomes the most controversial issue within Myanmar politics, and the opposition party has tries to advocate for constitutional changes, particularly article 59 of the constitution. Article 59 of 2008 constitution states that " anyone whose spouse or children owes allegiance to a foreign power cannot become president or vice president". Mrs Suu Kyi...

After discussing for 17 hours in Minsk, all parties agreed on a ceasefire aiming to end the bloodshed fighting in the eastern part of Ukraine starting from Sunday. Both sides agreed to withdraw all heavy weapons and create demilitarized zone. However, there are many things left to be addressed, especially issue of wide autonomy demanded by people in the eastern Ukraine, and there will be further talks on that issue . Currently, Russian backed separatist groups are insisting  for more autonomy, but Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko denies it. He claims his government can only offer some decentralization of power to the Eastern part and Ukraine still prefers unitary state. I still believe the new agreement, which is the outcome of recent talks in Belarus, is not a real and comprehensive document bringing 10 months conflict to an end. It will not last long as parties expect. Pro-Russian rebels have not yet received what they demand. I think that the Ukraine crisis wou...

Israeli prime minister  Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו  has called upon 122 state parties to the founding document of International Criminal Court (Rome Statute) to suspend or cut their financial support in response to the war crime probe in Gaza. Mr prime minister claims the move of ICC to launch the war crime inquiry in Gaza is politically motivated, and he stresses that ICC is a part of problems not solutions. As the matter of fact is that I think it is not a political  motivation, but it is the judicial obligation of the court to find the fact bringing all perpetrators to justice. The court has jurisdiction to hold any groups responsible for committing atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza. But I confidently accept that the court has been politicized and used by the super powers to protect their interests. Regarding the war crime probe in Gaza, although Israeli government is found guilty of committing crime against humanity, the court still has no ju...

Eurasian Economic Union is the Russian-led economic alliance consisting of four countries such as Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, and Armenia while Kyrgyzstan is scheduled to join this economic union in May 2015.   Actually, the president of Russia  Vladimir Putin  has already claimed that the establishment of Eurasian union is his foreign policy priority when he served as Russia's prime minister in 2011, and he intends to bring back the Soviet Union in years to come by convincing other former states of Soviet Union to join his proposed alliance. Russia is now welcome and opens the door for all former Soviet states as well as Baltic and Balkan states to integrate into this customs union. However, Russian led-customs union is seen weaker economically comparing to other unions, and there are many issues that this union has to address. Russia has to do much more in order to build up the strong union as the same as Soviet Union especially it need...

It has been almost 3 years after Myanmar military junta transferred power to civilian government in 2011. Chronologically, Myanmar had been ruled by military government for almost 5 dec ades after Burmese generals staged a coupe in 1962, ended the democratic regime. Actually, during the military rule human rights were severely abused. As a matter of fact, people's fundamental rights and freedoms, particularly freedom of expression and media rights had been largely restricted by the government. Myanmar's junta decided to implement the policies and laws which regulated strictly and monitored closely on any of its people's activities in order to prevent the threat to the survival of the dictatorial government in the country. Importantly, freedom of expression and press were not guaranteed by laws and constitution of the country, and every publication includes newspaper was censored by the military regime. Moreover, any people who criticized the military rule and its off...

Historically, a fter decolonization of France from Vietnam in 1954, Vietnam was divided into two along 17 th parallel (North and South Vietnam) according to Geneva peace accord. The North Vietnam was ruled by communist leader, Ho Chi Minh , while the South was ruled by king Bao Dai. In 1955, G. Ngo Dinh Diem which was backed by the U.S. overthrew  the King Bao Dai and came to power as a president of the Republic of Vietnam. The involvement of the U.S. in Vietnam led to the “Second Indochina War” which known as Vietnam War. Due to many factors such as the anti-war protests, long bloodiest war, and massive spending on military intervention, Nixon Administration sought the way to end the war and decided to withdraw its troops from Vietnam by negotiating with North Vietnam and signing Paris Peace Accord in 1973. In 1975, North Vietnam troops, which led by communist leader Ho Chi Minh, won over the South, and seized control Saigon. Finally, North and South were officially...