Southeast Asia: News, Culture, Voices
Clinton visits Philippines under questions of US military aid
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You’ve probably heard of the Philippines recently because of one reason: typhoons. A series of storms hit the country in September and October. At one point 80 percent of Manila, a city of 11.5 million people, was under water. Nearly one thousand people were killed in the worst storms in forty years.
Protesters in Manila call for an end to US military intervention in the Philippines. (AP)
Well, today Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is visiting the country. It’s part of a tour of Asia – she heads to Singapore tomorrow and joins Barack Obama on his first visit as President to China. Clinton met briefly with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The visit is intended to focus on humanitarian aid and recovery.
However, Clinton also renewed US commitment to military aid in the country. Right now, there are an estimated 600 US troops in the Philippines and the Obama administration has requested more than $650 million in military aid for 2010. The US Government calls the country an important ally in the fight against terrorism.
I spoke with Liza Maza, a representative for the Gabriela Party in the Philippine Congress. She spoke about the effects on women of US military action in the region and the ongoing human rights violations under President Arroyo.
Listen to our conversation on FSRN here.
Sri Lanka: US State Dept. Reports on Possible War Crimes
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Human rights groups have been calling for an investigation into possible war crimes committed in Sri Lanka during the fighting between the government and Tamil Tigers earlier this year. Now the US State Department has issued a report that details a series of alleged crimes – including the killing of children and the use of cluster bombs on civilians.
The displaced in Sri Lanka remain in government camps - five months after fighting has ended. (Photo: HRW)
I spoke to James Ross, legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch, for Free Speech Radio News. He says the report should send “a clear message” to the Sri Lankan government that the US will take these allegations seriously.
Listen to our conversation here.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government is keeping hundreds of thousands of displaced people in camps. They have remained there since the fighting ended in May.
FSRN’s reporter in Sri Lanka, Ponniah Manikavasagam, filed a great story this week that has the voices of refugees on the ground. As one woman says, “We’ve had enough…we don’t want to suffer anymore.” You can hear it here.
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