Indochina Interchange |
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| Volume 9, Issue 1 | January 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
News Briefs and Resources
UNITED NATIONS - A landmark convention banning anti-personnel landmines (APMs) goes into effect on March 1, 1999, now that it has been ratified by the needed 40th country, the United Nations announced September 16. Under terms of the accord, the ban takes effect in six months. It will only apply to nations that embrace the convention. Thus far it has been signed by 130 countries, but not by the US, China or Russia. The convention includes an end to development, production, planting, stockpiling and transfer of APMs. The measure was concluded in Oslo, Norway in September 1997 and opened for signature in Ottawa, Canada, last December. The countries that have so far ratified the convention are Andorra, Austria, the Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Britain, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, France, Germany, Grenada, Holy See, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Norway, Peru, Samoa, San Marino, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Yemen, and Zimbabwe. The Minnesota Campaign to Ban Landmines (MCBL) asks for support in its effort to persuade Alliant, the major producer of antipersonnel landmines in the US, to renounce all production of APMs. Supporters can send e-mail to Richard Schwartz, CEO, to ask that Alliant renounce all present and future production of APMs, as well as ask that the company make a public statement to that effect. Email: richard_schwartz@atk.com; fax: (612) 931-5423. Send a copy to Jean Jachman: jeanmj@uswest.net; fax: (612) 928-1945. The MCBL also urges supporters to write to President Clinton asking him to sign the Ottawa Convention banning landmines. President William Jefferson Clinton, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC 20500; White House opinion line: (202) 456-1111. Marissa A. Vitagliano, Acting Coordinator, US Campaign to Ban Landmines, Vietnam Veterans of American Foundation, 2001 S St, NW, Ste 740, Washington, DC 20009; tel: (202) 483-9222; fax: (202) 483-9312/9314; email: marissa@vi.org/banminesusa@vi.org; http://www.vvaf.org/landmine/uscbl.htm.
UXO Lao Progress Report The Vientiane Times reported in September that UXO LAO, the Lao national unexploded ordinance program has made good progress against its targets as set out in their annual workplan. From January to June 1998, over 122 hectares of land were cleared of UXO and a total of 33,059 mines destroyed. Training and capacity building for deminers, medics, community awareness personnel, and UXO course instructors continues at the UXO LAO Training Centre at the Ministry of Agriculture training center in Nam Souang. The Vientiane Times also reported in November that UXO LAO hosted Canada's Ambassador for Mine Action and the American Director of Humanitarian Assistance and Anti-Personnel Landmine Policy office of the Department of Defense. Both the US and Canada provide financial support to the Lao UXO program. For more information on UXO LAO, contact the National Program Director at UXO LAO, PO Box 345; Vientiane, Lao PDR; tel +856 (21) 415767; fax +856 (21) 415766.
NotesInternet Service Fee Cut in Vietnam [adapted from VNN, 12/29]Vietnam's General Department of Posts has announced that Fees of Internet services provided by all local ISPs (Internet service providers) will be cut by 25%-50%. The fee reduction includes lower installation fees, monthly suibscription fees and hourly access rates for both administrative offices and other users. Vietnam has been officially hooked up to the global Internet since late 1997. To date, there are over 14,000 subscribers using Internet services nation-wide through one of the five Internet service providers (ISP). Among these ISP, VDC is the biggest with more than 10,000 subscribers. To date, 13 Vietnamese provinces have access to the Web. UPLIFT International: Telemedicine December 4, 1998, UPLIFT International, in conjunction with the University of Vermont College of Medicine/Fletcher Allen Health Care, The George Washington University Medical Center, and MCI WorldCom launched the first telemedicine link with Vietnam and announced a medical education initiative to fund real-time medical education where students and doctors in Vietnam can consult with American Doctors. For more information, contact UPLIFT International: tel: (703) 451-1002; fax: (703) 451-1349; email: jgitterman@idsonline.com.
Vietnamese Economics Network 1999 Conference International Symposium Towards Cooperation, Utilization And Coordinated Management of International Rivers (ISCUCMIR'99) Vietnamese-American Business Council, Post Tet Conference Social-Cultural Research Congress on Cambodia "Urban Tiger! Everyday Life and Cultural Change in Urban Vietnam"
Blakemore Foundation grants for advanced study of Asian languages
The Blakemore Foundation plans to make up to twenty grants each year for the advanced study of modern Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian languages. Blakemore grants are intended for individuals successfully pursuing careers involving Asia who find that language study abroad at an advanced level is essential to realize their goals. The grants fund a year of language study at an institution in Asia selected by the applicant and approved by the Foundation. Where there is no structured language program at an educational institution in the country, the grant may provide for the financing of private tutorials under terms set forth in the Grant Guidelines. The grants cover tuition and related educational expenses, basic living costs and transportation, but do not include dependent expenses. Deadline for applications: January 15.
Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies of the University of Notre Dame
offers a rigorous multidisciplinary program of graduate study leading to the Master of Arts in Peace Studies. Coursework covers causes of war and intergroup violence; building blocks of a peaceful and just world order; dynamics of conflict and techniques of conflict resolution; international protection of the global ecosystem; promotion of economic well-being for all; protection of internationally recognized human rights. An average of 20 students, at least two-thirds of which come from outside the US, are selected for the M.A. program each year. The 11-month program is designed to allow completion of the degree within one year.
Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI)
will be held at the University of Oregon next summer, June 17--August 14. SEASSI is a nine week intensive language program, equivalent to a full academic year of instruction. Languages offered include Burmese, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Javanese, Khmer, Lao, Thai and Vietnamese, at levels I to III contingent upon sufficient enrollment. Classes meet for four hours per day, Monday through Friday. Tuition for the 1999 program is $2,100.00, and does not include housing. Application deadline is April 1, 1999, but fellowship applications must be in by Jan 5 or Feb 15, 1999 (dates vary by award - contact SEASSI for more information).
Vietnam Linkage-Building Tour
, March 1999. Exact dates, cost, schedule available by IIE Interactive and IIE Online in December 1998. US higher education representatives will meet with counterparts in leading Vietnamese institutions in Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hue. Participants will be offered the opportunity to discuss implementation of joint programs with national and regional universities, Ministry of Education and Training, and the Vietnam-USA Society.
Faculty Development Seminar to Vietnam
offered by the Council on International Educational Exchange, July 10-20, 1999. The theme of this seminar is "Contemporary Vietnam: Recovery, Renewal, and Recognition" and includes lectures and study tours focused on a variety of issues, including economics, politics, history, the environment, agriculture, art, and music. The program, which begins with 6 days in Hanoi and ends with 4 days in Ho Chi Minh City, is hosted by The Vietnam-USA Society. The seminar is designed for faculty and administrators and is open to academics of all disciplines. The seminar fee is $1,850 and includes all lectures (given by Vietnamese academics, in English) and study tours; seminar materials; orientation and farewell receptions; accommodations; breakfast and lunch daily; entrance fees for all included excursions; transportation to scheduled events; Council Representative in assistance throughout; airport transfers overseas; and an ITIC card. Contact IFDS for further information and a day-by-day itinerary.
Hue University Vietnam Fulbright Program: First American Senior Scholars in more than 20 Years . IIE reports that the first American Fulbright senior scholars to Vietnam in more than two decades began arriving in September 1998. Congress authorized funding in February for USIA to establish a Fulbright program in Vietnam for US faculty, and CIES undertook an effort to secure candidates for the 1998-99. Five scholars have been approved by the Ministry of Education, two in American studies, one in law, one in economics, one in environmental policy, to teach in Vietnamese universities. They were placed at Hanoi National Economics University, Ho Chi Minh City National University, Hanoi National University and Nha Trang Sea Products University. Three Vietnamese scholars in higher education administration, economics and environmental studies have received grants to conduct research and work with American scholars. The Vietnamese scholars are from Vietnam National University, the Institute of World Economy, and the Hanoi University of Science.
The United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia
offers English teaching programs at the following universities: In Vietnam: College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City; College of Foreign Languages, Hanoi; College of Pedagogy, Hue; Institute for International Relations, Hanoi. In Cambodia at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
Watching Cambodia
by Serge Thion. 1993. An observation of Cambodian documents, from Angkorean stone inscriptions to Khmer Rouge radio transcripts, as well as books written by scholars, travelers, journalists and technicians. The book examines the agrarian question, Khmer politics, and Vietnamese-Khmer relations. ISBN 974-8485-81-4. $27.50.
Collective Memory as the Key to National and Ethnic Identity: the Case of Cambodia
by Milton Takei. 1998. Nationalism & Ethnic Politics Vol.4, No.3, Autumn 1998, pp.59-78. Paper should be available to academics via inter-library loan. Otherwise, the author can mail you a copy if you send a postal address to Milton Takei ; 487 Madison #4; Eugene, OR 97402; email: miltont@efn.org.
Sacred Vows
poems by U Sam Oeur, translated by Ken McCullough. 1998. Written in both Khmer and English, Sacred Vows retells the recent terror of Cambodia and the beauty of its culture. A survivor of the Pol Pot regime, Oeur hopes to inspire young Cambodians to reacquaint themselves with their heritage and make it once again vibrant. Using myths, stories, prophecies, history, and tradition as ironic counterpoint to Cambodia's present-day situation, Oeur foretells freedom's imminent return. ISBN 1-56689-069-1. $15.00. (Coffee House Press, 27 North Fourth Street Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401; tel: (612) 338-0125; fax: (612) 338-4004
Field, Forest and Family: Women's Work and Power in Rural Laos
by Carol J. Ireson. 1996. Ireson draws on ten years of fieldwork and research to explore the effect of socialist reorganization after 1975, then economic liberalization after 1986 on rural Laotian women. Throughout, she poses questions such as: What has happened to women's traditional sources of control over their own and others' activities since the 1975 socialist revolution? Have their traditional sources of power or autonomy expanded or contracted as changing conditions have allowed other groups to appropriate women's traditional resources and roles? Have the dramatic changes had different effects on rural women of differing ethnic backgrounds and varying economic means? Focusing on three ethnic groups - the lowland Lao, the Khmu, and the Hmong - Ireson examines the different ways they have responded to political and economic changes. She shows us that the Laotian experience reveals in microcosm the processes of change toward specialization and integration of women's work into national and global economics and explains how this shift deeply affects women's lives. (Westview Press: Boulder, Col) 285 pp. $60.00.
The Hmong Refugee Experience in the United States: Crossing the River
by Ines M. Miyares. 1998. Examines the experience of the Hmong people whose lives and culture were completely transformed by the covert war in Laos and the subsequent refugee resettlement in the United States. The book traces the Hmong experience from the war through the refugee camps to their new homes in such American cities as Fresno and Merced, California. ISBN 0-8153-3118-5. $43.00.
Laos' Dilemmas and Options: The Challenge of Economic Transition in the 1990's
Edited by Mya Than and Joseph L. H. Tan. Documents the challenges faced by the Lao state during the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market driven economy after 1985. (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1997). 319 pp. $39.00/$29.00
Charity and Charisma: The Dual Path of the Tinh Dô Cu Si, a Popular Buddhist Group in Southern Vietnam
by M. Thien Do. 1998. Following economic renovation (doi moi), the revival of religion and traditions has played an important part in the general change in social climate throughout Vietnam. This paper looks at what revitalizing effect, if any, this resurgence has had on popular religion, by focusing on a Buddhist sect, the Tinh Dô Cu Si Phat Hoi Viet Nam (the Vietnamese Association of Householder Pure Land Buddhists). Formed in southern Vietnam in the 1930s, the group is still one of the largest popular religious sects. Their welfare work, in which they place great emphasis and gain considerable success in promoting traditional medicine, is considered to be of equal importance to the pursuit of self-perfection. These tandem characteristics do not stop here. In many other aspects, the group's beliefs and practices straddle conventionally polarized categories. This factor works to their advantage most of the time, but also poses some problems. Nevertheless, Tinh Dô's existence shows that social regeneratioN can occur in an unexpected way. Their survival also contests the proposition that modernization means the end of supernaturalism or the necessary triumph of secularization. ISSN 0218-8961 $5.00.
Vietnamese and Chinese Labor Regimes: On the Road to Divergence
by Anita Chan and Irene Norlund in the July 1998 issue of The China Journal. The authors argue that despite their shared ideological premises and paths to industrialization, the two countries are "beginning to diverge along separate routes with regard to labor issues. It will be seen that the Vietnamese government has been more willing to grant trade unions some space to defend workers' interests..." Copies of this 24 page article are available from Indochina Interchange for $3 to the US and Canada; $4 elsewhere.
Nixon's Vietnam War
by Jeffrey Kimball. 1998. Focuses exclusively on Nixon's direction of the Vietnam War. Based on extensive interviews with principal players and original research in Vietnam, it goes behind the scenes in Washington and into the minds of America's leaders to provide an analysis of Nixon's and Kissinger's complex and tortuous strategy and diplomacy. Traces Nixon's involvement with Vietnam back to 1953 with his advocacy of interventionist policies and demonstrates how the foreign policy lessons he learned before his election served as the basis for the goals he pursued in office. Kimball explores Nixon's peculiar psychology and his curious relationship with Kissinger to reveal how they influenced his pursuit of globalist goals in Vietnam. Kimball is editor of "To Reason Why: The Debate about the Causes of American Involvement in the Vietnam War" and a professor of history at Miami University, Ohio. ISBN 0-7006-0924-5, $39.95.
The Vietnam War: Its History, Literature, and Music
ed. Kenton J. Clymer. 1998. Essays and readings about the war that were part of a symposium held in El Paso, TX. Original essays include: James Fallows, "After the Shooting Stopped: The Vietnam War and American Society"; George Herring, "History and Historiography of the Vietnam War"; William Duiker, "The Arrogance of Victory: Unlearning the Lessons of the War in Vietnam"; Ngo Thanh Nhan, "Contemporary Vietnam and the Legacy of the U.S. War: Tradition, Transformation and Challenges"; Sandra C. Taylor, "The Long-Haired Warriors: Women and Revolution in Vietnam"; Philip Beidler, "Situation Report: American Writing about the Vietnam War"; Ray Pratt, "'There Must Be Some Way Outta Here!': The Vietnam War in American Popular Music". Also poetry and prose by W.D. Ehrhart and John Balaban. $15.
Hell, Healing and Resistance: Veterans Speak
by Dan Hallock. 1998. Hallock is a former marine who interviewed dozens of veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf War. He has compiled an oral history in which combat veterans and conscientious objectors, top military brass and anti-war activists join forces to examine the human cost of war. $25.00.
The Vietnamese American Studies Center
at San Francisco State University publishes a quarterly newsletter. Articles in the Spring 1998 issue include "Soccer Diplomacy in Ho Chi Minh City" and "The Changing Faces of Labor: An Interview with Do Thi Tho", as well as conference and publication information.
Vietnam's Agriculture: The Challenges and Achievements
by Tran Thi Que. 1998. An analysis of the nature and impact of reforms on economic growth, changes in production structure and the shifting role of the state in agricultural activities. Assesses the challenges that continue to confront rural Vietnam. ISBN 981-3055-26-6, $24.90.
Now Available from USIRP:Cambodia and Vietnam Directories We have reprinted the new NGO directories published by Cooperation Committee for Cambodia and by the NGO Resource Center in Vietnam. Each directory is nearly 300 pages long, contains a profile of virtually all international organizations working in the country, and is cross indexed by province and program sector. The report of the 1998 Corporate Philanthropy Workshop in Ho Chi Minh City is now available and includes an address list of participants. Please use the order form.
ASEAN Economic Bulletin
Vol. 15, No. 1 (April 1998). Single issue: $23. (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies)
Contemporary Southeast Asia
Vol. 20, No. 2 (August 1998). Single issue: $15.
Southeast Asia: Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 4
ed. by Terry E. Miller and Sean Williams. 1998. The volume covers Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It presents an overview of the region's music, focuses on prominent themes, discusses fundamental questions facing researchers, including the impact of armed conflict, mass media and technology. The volume documents the musical traditions of each country and ethnic group, including the first ever comprehensive treatment of minority mountain tribes and the eastern Indonesian islands. ISBN 0-8240-6040-7. $165 includes audio CD.
Oral History in Southeast Asia: Theory and Method
ed. Patricia Lim Pui Huen, James H. Morrison, and Kwa Chong Guan. 1998. There has been much oral history activity in Southeast Asia since the 1960s at both the institutional and individual levels. This volume contains a range of papers dealing with the theoretical, methodological and practical issues in oral history and the unique problems of their application in the Southeast Asian context. The authors include both academics aDd practitioners who bring with them a wealth of expertise and experience in anthropology, history, sociology, publishing and archives administration. ISBN 981-3055-77-4. $44.90.
Groundwater Irrigation In The Cambodian Mekong Delta
The use of engine-powered and manual groundwater pumps for irrigating rice and vegetables has been increasing rapidly in the Mekong Delta region of Cambodia since 1994. Prior to this study, little knowledge existed on the physical impacts of groundwater irrigation on the aquifer and the socioeconomic impacts within the communities where pumping technology is adopted. Information to evaluate the physical impacts of groundwater withdrawals was gathered in two Mekong Delta provinces--Prey Veng and Svay Rieng. Three aquifer pumping tests were conducted, and one year of monthly water level and water quality measurements were available from 49 monitoring wells. The projected response of the water table to irrigation withdrawals was modeled using the Glover-Dumm transient flow equation. Socioeconomic investigations included a questionnaire survey of 692 farmers in four provinces (Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Kandal, and Takeo) and detailed case studies in three villages including interviews, focus-group discussions, and agricultural records kept by 45 groundwater irrigators.Results indicate that groundwater irrigation is profitable and that there is a large potential for increasing profits as farmers' knowledge and experience increase over time. The practice of groundwater irrigation is therefore likely to continue expanding in the near future. Aquifer modeling shows, however, that continued development of groundwater irrigation will lead to a declining water table, loss of potable water sources, and potential salt water contamination of the aquifer. The benefits of groundwater irrigation (increased production and income) are captured primarily by the richer classes and the detrimental effects of the declining groundwater table will likely be borne disproportionately by the poorer classes. Implications of these conclusions for development agencies are discussed and recommendations are made for avoiding or mitigating the detrimental effects of a declining groundwater table. Copies of the 17-page Executive Summary or the 300-page full report can be obtained at cost by contacting the author at mike@hydroconsult.com Both the Executive Summary and the full report include a Khmer summary of the research findings.
Secrets of S-21: Legacy of a Cambodian Prison.
In the Cambodian city of Phnom Penh stands a compound that once served as a high school. During the bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge, it was a prison where 17,000 men, women, and children were incarcerated, and only 4 emerged alive. In this documentary, two American photographers painstakingly piece together the details of the genocide that took place at S-21 through thousands of photos left behind by prison officials. The photos and interviews with former prison guards and prisoners reveal a world built on power, fear, and total disregard for human life and dignity. A BBC Production. (30 minutes, color) VHS Format. Item #BVL7622. Purchase: $129.00 Rental: $75.00.
Asia: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam.
Progress versus culture, preserving archaeological sites, and rebuilding war-torn nations are featured in this program. A Frenchman and a Laotian are working together to improve the lives of local farmers in Laos by incorporating the farmers' opinions and cultural concerns. In Cambodia, efforts by the UN to preserve Angkor Wat, the famous archaeological site and temple in Angkor, are detailed. In Vietnam, 62-year-old American Bob Sidell is helping the people of Dai Loc to rebuild infrastructures and generally improve their lives. (28 minutes, color) VHS Format. Item #BVL6634. $89.95.
The Vietnam War: From Start to Finish
This program covers the war with the French and Vietminh; the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu; the partitioning of Vietnam; the Geneva Conference; the unraveling of the South Vietnamese government and the arrival of increasing numbers of American advisers; the death of Ho Chi Minh; the escalation of war; the evacuation of American forces, and the North's immediate and intense efforts to remove all traces of the vanquished South Vietnamese regime. (28 minutes, b&w/color) VHS Format. Item #BVL2584. $89.95. |
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