Will Asians be satisfied by prosperity alone?

18 November 1995

The above headline was front page news in the Bangkok Post of Saturday, November 18th 1995.

Human Rights Watch/Asia, based in New York, (where else..(:-)), released a report that "challenges the notion that that trade and economic development alone can satisfy the growing demands and expectation of Asians for basic rights". Meanwhile Western and Eastern ministers at APEC in Osaka plan unchastened on how to become richer quicker.

Like environmental issues, developing Asian nations find it hard to understand why they should bear the collective conscience of the West who in their developing years also placed human rights and the environment second on their agenda to economic development.

Bangkok seems a good example of economic growth at the expense of the environment and social\urban infrastructure while Singapore is a good example of the former but at the expense of individuality, a free press and significant political participation.

Well, we will get off before we lose our link on the Singapore government home page. Besides, we think nobody disagrees with the flogging of hooligan Michael Fay and Blanchard still likes Singapore...(Eds.)...