thailand political reform: p.10 dreaming the impossible...
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Thailand Political Reform: Dreaming the Impossible Dream
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COVER STORY 1-3REGIONAL PROJECT 4-8UPDATES FROM FELLOWS 2-7FELLOWS IN FOCUS 9-12API NEWS 13REPORT FROM THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE 13NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS 14CALENDAR OF EVENTS 15MESSAGES FROM TNF AND FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK 15API INFORMATION 16
NEWSLETTER ISSUE NO. 22 / FEBRUARY 2011
We often look at issues affecting other
countries from our own vantage point.
Take the recent violence in Thailand. For a
person in Manila, confronted by images of
demonstrators shouting slogans in a foreign
language, he or she may think it was similar
to the ‘People’s Power’ that brought down
Ferdinand Marcos. On the other hand, a
person in Kuala Lumpur might be reminded
of the racial riots that killed hundreds in
May 1969. In Jakarta, the sea of red in the
streets of Bangkok was akin to the Jakarta
demonstrations that brought down the
Suharto regime in 1998. Everybody seeks
to make sense of Bangkok 2010 through
something they can relate to.
To many Thais, however, the political
violence in May was unique. It cannot be
compared to the many upheavals which
affl icted the country’s long and turbulent
history.
For many, the mass demonstrations
differed from the democracy movement
in the 1970s. The political struggle three
decades ago against military dictatorships
that won the country a place in Southeast
Asia’s democracies share one thing in
common - the hope to be freed from the
repressive control of the generals. The May
political violence, on the other hand, was
a case of a society being ripped apart and
bitterly divided into two opposing halves.
Between April and May 2010, Thailand
was torn by violent political clashes between
government forces and anti-government
protesters who called themselves the ‘red
shirts’. Bangkok streets were turned into a
gridlock when the demonstrators occupied
the central business district for about one
month, and declared it a ‘state authority
free zone’. The red-shirt leaders demanded
the government to dissolve the parliament
Prangtip Daorueng, THAILAND FELLOW YEAR 2001-2002
Fellows Explore Decen-tralizing Health and Forest Management in Indonesia
Yuli Nugroho, INDONESIA FELLOW
YEAR 2005-2006
“Continue to develop programs to
educate the public about the importance
of local food as a source of nutrition,
provide education on how to process
local foods to enhance their nutritional
value, and develop campaigns to
promote pride in local food diversity.”
p.10
Photograph by Dave Lumenta
Th e API Regional Project team at Ivana Port on Batan Island prior to embarking for Sabtang Island. Front from left : Glecy C. Atienza, Rosalie Hall, Cristina Lim, Edward
Cabagnot, Isabel Nazareno, Yeoh Seng Guan; back from left : Isagani Yuzon, Th eresita V. Atienza, Sirirat Katanchaleekul, Chalida Uabumrungjit, Motohide Taguchi, Henry
Chan, Cecilia de la Paz, Aprilia Budi Hendrijiani, Myfel Paluga, Mary Racelis, Dicky Sofj an, Arnold M. Azurin, Dave Lumenta; partly hidden from left : Joyce Lim, Dailo Reyes.
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and schedule new elections. The protest
was sparked after the Supreme Court’s
decision ordering the seizure of former
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s assets
worth billions of baht on the grounds of
fraud and corruption.
The red shirts subsequently declared
a ‘class war’, pitting the rural ‘commoners’
against the feudalistic ‘aristocrats’.
Frustration ran high in the capital city as
many of Bangkok’s urban middle-class
felt they were being held hostage by the
demonstrators. Violence soon escalated.
On May 19, the country witnessed a brutal
civil-war-like situation with armed clashes
between military forces and red-shirt
groups. A number of buildings were also
set on fi re and Bangkok was left with more
than 90 dead.
Why has a country as charming as
Thailand gone amok? Will the situation
ever get back to normal? Everyone has
an opinion on this contentious issue, but
answers invariably lead to more questions.
There is a great sense of despair among
Thais. Yet while fear lingers, there is hope.
Political Violence in Context
It was not the first time that Thailand
has experienced such chaos. Political
upheavals have occurred periodically
since 1932 when the country made the
transition from absolute monarchy to
constitutional monarchy and embraced
the parliamentary system of governance.
Decades of military dictatorship and bitter
struggles for democracy followed before
Thailand emerged as a proud member of
Southeast Asia’s growing number of liberal
democracies in the early 1990s.
The economic boom, lower degree
of military intervention in politics, press
freedom and the rise of civil society groups
all paved the way for more active political
participation among the citizens. The
‘People’s Constitution’, which was drafted
by representatives from all sectors of the
society, was enacted in 1997. Several
progressive ‘organic laws’ were passed to
guarantee citizens’ rights while a raft of
independent institutions were established
to put political power under public control.
Then came the 1997 Asian Financial
Crisis, which brought economic havoc
and spurred more changes. While the
crisis triggered a political movement
in Indonesia which finally toppled the
30-year-old New Order regime, Thailand
too saw a new government in place.
Telecommunications tycoon Thaksin
Shinawatra was catapulted to power on
the back of popular support from Thais
who viewed him as the country’s savior in
the wake of the 1997 crisis. In the January
2001 elections, Thaksin’s party won the
right to govern by itself - a fi rst in Thailand
where coalition politics had up until then
was the norm.
Bangkok again was the venue for mass
demonstrations. After months of street
protests by the anti-Thaksin movement,
which dubbed themselves as yellow shirts,
a military clique - which called itself the
Council for National Security - staged
a coup against Thaksin in September
2006. The deposed prime minister went
into exile soon after he was charged in a
corruption case.
Ever since then, Thai politics has
gone from normalcy to chaos. A new
constitution, drafted by the military junta,
was enacted in 2007. However, the general
elections which followed brought Thaksin
supporters back to power, but this was
followed by a “judicial coup” which threw
them out, and the eventual formation of
a coalition government led by the anti-
Thaksin Democrat party.
The combined eff ects of corruption,
human rights violations, an activist mass
media, street violence and the military
coup over the past four years have led
to despair among the ordinary Thais.
However, the blame for this setback to
Thai democracy does not rest on the
shoulders of a few key personalities but
many ordinary citizens.
The May 19 tragedy should be seen
in this context. Why is the Thai society so
fragile that it opened the door for such
damage to be done to its democracy?
Perhaps the answer lies in the way Thais
deal with one another, especially those
whom they disagree with. Violence is
unavoidable in a society which does not
have the ability and maturity to listen,
reason and to give-and-take in finding
common grounds.
Enter the Reform Panels
How Thailand tackle such a challenging
problem remains an issue. But at least, it
has been decided ‘who’ should kick start
this work. In the wake of the May violence,
many predicted that the Democrat
government would not last if it decided
to use the military to crack down on the
demonstrators. The security forces were
nevertheless used. The government
survived, but not without harsh public
responses and continued political
uncertainty. Despite the emergency rule,
which is still in effect for Bangkok and
some other provinces, sporadic violence
Independent fi lmmaker and video artist Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand Fellow
Year 2008-2009) teamed up with two fellow Thai artists to stage an exhibition from
August 1-18, 2010 at SOL Space, Bangkok. Titled Undoing, the show explored the
concept of undoing what has been done in the past. In Undoing, Phuttiphong explored
the phenomenon that has arisen since the dawn of the digital age of pressing the
convenient <command z> on the keyboard to nullify erroneous actions. Undoing was
a contemporary art exhibition that asked the viewer to consider how often the eff ect of
negative actions they have made in the past can be reversed.
continued on page 3
Photograph by Karnt Th assanaphak
My Image Observes
Your Image, If It Is
Possible To Observe
It, 2010, single chan-
nel video installa-
tion, 7min loop.
Cover Story
“Violence is unavoidable in a society which does not have the ability and maturity to listen, reason and to give-and-take in fi nding common grounds.”
Having consolidated his power,
Thaksin pushed through policies that
appealed to the rural poor. Ironically,
along with his populist approach, there
were strong accusations of massive
corruption, cronyism and severe human
rights violations.
His ‘war against drugs’ resulted in over
3,000 extra-judicial killings while his iron-
fi st approach to the confl ict in the southern
Muslim provinces resulted in a full-blown
anti-government insurgency. His alleged
involvement in corruption and human
rights abuses inevitably drew criticisms
from civil society members and the mass
media.
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continues. More critically, the gulf between
Thais who support diff erent political camps
continues to widen. The society remains
traumatised as there is no solution in sight.
It was in such an atmosphere that the
government established three committees
to find a way out and initiate bold
reforms. First, a Truth and Reconciliation
Commission was set up to resolve the
immediate problems, which is the dispute
over the cause of the deaths and injuries
sustained by both sides during the May
mass demonstrations. The commission,
which will incorporate public participation,
is in charge with investigating the violence
of April and May while leaving the matters
of culpability and punishment to the
judicial system. It will also formulate plans
to heal the physical and emotional damage
of those involved, and identifying ways to
prevent similar violence in the future.
The other two committees are to fi nd
a longer-term social and political solution.
The National Reform Committee is led by
former prime minister Anand Panyarachun,
while the Assembly for National Reform is
headed by respected social critic Prawase
Wasi. Both groups are tasked to suggest
institutional reforms in three years. The
newly-formed panels are expected to
come up with ways which Thai institutions
can better mediate future political turmoil.
The two leaders of the reform panels
clearly stated that national reconciliation
and national reform are two different
issues. According to Anand in one of his
media interviews, national reform is a
matter for the future, while reconciliation
is an immediate task of the current
government. The two committees will
however focus on future problems rather
than past confl icts.
The two reform panels share the same
goals but have diff erent approaches. The
National Reform Committee has the task to
formulate strategies for reform, while the
Assembly for National Reform will work at
the grassroots level to gather inputs from
citizens on how reforms should be carried
out. To assuage public fear of political
manipulation, the government has
promised a set of mechanisms to ensure
that both panels are free from political
interference.
The two panels have a rather broad
and ambitious agenda. The 20-member
National Reform Committee is responsible
for identifying wide-ranging reforms on
specific issues. It will deal with issues
of concern related to the economy,
resources, human rights, opportunities and
bargaining power. Issues such as urban and
rural debt, labour wages, equitable farming
contracts and a social welfare system are
included.
In six months, the panel will lay down
the fundamentals needed for national
reform, and will suggest short-term
measures. The proposed measures could
then be put into immediate eff ect with
a special budget allocation. The second
phase would involve policy drafting and
long-term measures that require approval
from parliament or concerned agencies.
The panel is empowered to carry on even
after the present government’s term in
offi ce has come to an end.
impossible task.
Tough Challenges Lie Ahead
Challenges are expected to any reform
eff ort in a divided society such as present-
day Thailand.
The first and toughest challenge
experienced in many societies facing
similar problems is ‘trust’. Thailand is
no exception. The reform panels must
persevere against tough questions,
protests and even rejection. The bottom
line is that suffi cient political support from
the public is crucial for their success.
Despite the fact that the two leaders
of the reform panels have assured the
public that their work will be independent
and free from government interference,
the committees are under constant attack
by some red-shirt supporters that some
panel members have openly opposed the
red shirts.
The lack of confidence and
understanding of government ’s
reconciliation efforts, which is an
unavoidable part of the reform, is
worrisome. A poll conducted among
1,112 people by Bangkok-based Rangsit
University in June indicated substantial
doubt on the government’s reconciliation
proposals. Nevertheless, a few good signs
have emerged, in particular the agreement
that all parties in conflict should show
respect to social rules and the judicial
system.
Decades of political struggle in
the country have opened a window for
multiple political constituencies to be
deeply engaged in the political process. In
many cases, tension is unavoidable in the
process of democracy. In Thailand, where
mass anxiety over rapidly changing power
dynamics and inequitable access to the
political system loom large, serious reforms
are needed to provide a solution and to
mediate such tensions. And the success of
these three reform panels will ultimately be
the success of the society as a whole.
The Society for the Study of Peace, Confl ict, and Violence: the Peace Psychology Division (48) of the American
Psychological Association bestowed its Ralph K. White Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010 upon Cristina
Montiel (Philippines Senior Fellow Year 2001-2002), a professor of peace/political psychology who has been
teaching at the Ateneo de Manila University for more than 30 years. She is the fi rst non-American to be honored
with this award since it was initiated in 1992. The Division’s criteria for award selection states that: “Embodied
within the defi nition of this award is distinguished accomplishment of an individual whose theoretical and applied
research in peace studies, including topics such as cooperation, social justice, war and aggression and/or confl ict
resolution, has inspired yet another generation of psychologists around the world.”
continued from page 2
Prangtip Daorueng has been working as a journalist
covering politics and social development for both local
and regional newspapers since 1985. In 2002, she spent
a year in Indonesia on a book project covering the con-
fl ict in Aceh. At present, she travels between Indonesia,
Malaysia, and Thailand covering diff erent stories on
separatist movements in the region.
Cover Story
“At the core of it, the two pan-els are expected to identify the root causes of socio-political divisions to prevent future vio-lence. Th ey are also responsible for outlining clear and feasible reforms that will create a trust-ful institutional framework for Th ais from all backgrounds.”
Meanwhile, the objectives of the
Assembly for National Reform include
the promotion of fair business practices,
strengthening the communities, reforming
the bureaucracy and restructuring the
economic, education, media, and judicial
sectors. The main focus of the assembly is on
lessening social inequality and it will make
recommendations to the government on
ways in which tax measures and land reform
can achieve that goal.
At the core of it, the two panels are
expected to identify the root causes
of social-political divisions to prevent
future violence. They are also responsible
for outlining clear and feasible reforms
that will create a trustful institutional
framework for Thais from all backgrounds.
Given their three-year time-frame and
confronted with rapid political changes
and uncertainly, the members of the two
panels have indeed been given a near
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The Philippines working group sur-
mounted incredible logistical challenges
in hosting the First Asian Public Intellec-
tual Regional Project on Batanes, a remote
group of islands situated in a typhoon-belt
along the northernmost edge of the Philip-
pines. Conducted from April 5-16, 2010,
the group of seven foreign participants
and 11 members safely and productively
completed the week and a half long visit
with lasting memories of the islands’ rug-
ged appeal.
Two teams, roughly divided into
“social scientists” and “artists” immersed
themselves on two separate island sites,
the fi shing hamlet of Diura, Mahatao town
in Batan Island, and the more laid back,
remote and culturally-pristine Sabtang
Island. The Diura team focused on the
ecological facets of the ritual-infused
seasonal mataw fi shing activities (to catch
the dorado or Coryphaena hippurus).
The Sabtang team, meanwhile,
explored the cultural heritage (folk
singers, local craftsmen, cuisine, home
architecture) which exemplify the local
coping strategies with the unforgiving
weather and environmental vagaries of
the island. The experience of sleeping,
eating, and living the same as locals for
several days enabled a more meaningful
interaction with the people as well as the
land and sea.
The teams re-united in a community
sharing activity inside Jay Ticar ’s
(Philippines Fellow Year 2007-2008)
seascape and landscape themed art
installation space at the Mahatao
church convent. In this convivial “library”
atmosphere, a teacher training session
on sustainable development was capped
Life in an Unforgiving Landscape: Narratives from the Batanes Field Visit
by API Fellows sharing insights from their
visits through fi lm and photo clips. The
community-sharing day culminated in the
ritual placing of the “books of memories” in
which Fellows had written their fi eld notes
of the visit.
The Three Contributors
Henry Chan (Malaysia Fellow Year 2001-
2002) describes the ritual practices and
socio-economic context of mataw fi shing
activities in Diura, a fishing village on
Batan Island facing the Pacifi c Ocean. He
reveals the ecological link between the sea
and the forests by pointing to the growing
scarcity of fresh water shrimp used as bait
for the live fl ying fi sh then used to catch
dorado.
Arnold M. Azurin (Philippines Senior
Fellow Year 2002-2003) ponders the
notion of traditional/local elements of
Sabtang’s houses and songs, discovering
the indigenous in one laji singer’s life story
as well as in the imposing idjang (fortress)
of Savidug.
Rosalie A. Hall (Philippines Fellow
Year 2004-2005) reflects on the API
Community building that went with the
RP. She candidly recounts the hard work,
challenges, tensions and reconciliations
that the Philippines RPWG encountered
during the two-year course of the project.
With the site visit completed, the
Philippines RPWG plans to produce a book
on “Batanes’ Living Culture”. In addition,
plans are underway to conduct further
training on local museum management
to sustain the art installation library in
Mahatao, and a public forum/consultation
with Batanes stakeholders in Manila.
The foreign participants in the
Batanes field visit are: Henry Chan of
Malaysia, Joyce Lim Suan Li (Malaysia
Fellow Year 2003-2004), Dave Lumenta
(Indonesia Fellow Year 2002-2003),
Aprilia Budi Hendrijiani (Indonesia Fellow
Year 2002-2003), Chalida Uabumrungjit
(Thailand Fellow Year 2002-2003), Sirirat
Katanchaleekul (Thailand Fellow Year
2007-2008) and Motohide Taguchi (Japan
Fellow Year 2002-2003).
The Philippines RPWG include:
Glecy C. Atienza (Fellow Year 2006-2007),
Theresita V. Atienza (Fellow Year 2005-
2006), Arnold M. Azurin, Edward Cabagnot
(Fellow Year 2007-2008), Cecilia de la Paz
(Fellow Year 2001-2002), Rosalie Hall,
Cristina Lim (Fellow Year 2008-2009),
Myfel Paluga (Philippines Fellow Year
2006-2007), Danilo Reyes (Fellow Year
2003-2004), Jay Ticar and Isagani Yuzon
(Fellow Year 2003-2004).
The group was joined by Yeoh Seng
Guan (Regional Project Management
Team, Malaysia Fellow Year 2005-2006),
Dicky Sofj an (API RP Manager, Indonesia
Fellow Year 2007-2008), Isabel Nazareno
(Philippines Partner Institution Program
Coordinator), Fr. Jose Cruz (Philippine
Program Director), and Mary Racelis
(International Selection Committee).
One of the leading Lanna dancers of our time, Ronnarong “Ong” Khampa (Thailand Fellow Year 2009-2010), co-
organized and performed “An Evening of lanna Dance”, at Iori’s “Origin” Stage, Kyoto, Japan, on August 8-9, 2010.
The show featured both classical displays of traditional dances from the Mekong region as well as contemporary
adaptations of these ancient dances. Ronnarong Khampha, who graduated from Chiangmai University in Thai
Arts and studied Javanese and Balinese dance at Solo (Surakarta), has developed a unique style of dance using
traditional Lanna Dance as the base. From August 2010 to January 2011, Ong conducted his research activities in
Japan as a Visiting Researcher at Kyoto Seika University.
continued on page 5
“Rosalie A. Hall... candidly re-counts the hard work, challenges, tensions and reconciliations that the Philippines RPWG encoun-tered during the two-year course of the project.”
Regional Project
The API Regional Project (RP) is a pioneering post-fellowship activity conceived and executed by members of the API Community. It sought
to foster greater regional consciousness by promoting relationships among cultures, engaging in collaborative activities, and confronting
issues whose relevance goes beyond locality and nation. Recognizing the socio-cultural dimensions of the current global environmental
crisis, the API Regional Project focused on the theme of—Community-Based Initiatives for Human-Ecological Balance.
Launched in November 2008, it ran for three years in fi ve sites within each of the API Participating Countries: Biwa-ko in Japan, Batanes
in the Philippines, Khiriwong in Thailand, Kali Code in Indonesia, and Tasik Chini in Malaysia. The API Regional Project studied the responses
of local communities to environmental challenges relating to the four areas of forest degradation, water quality, urban environment and
marine coastal ecology. In doing so, the links between mountains, forests, rivers and seas are highlighted. Lessons learnt from community
wisdom, initiatives and experiences—both successes and failures—were documented in order to help develop better responses for the future.
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1Myfel Paluga explains
the use of the fresh
shrimp as bait. From
left : Cristina Lim, Sirirat
Katanchaleekul, Dicky
Sofj an, Myfel Paluga,
and Mary Racelis. Photograph by Yeoh Seng Guan
Prijono Tjiptoherijanto (Indonesia Senior Fellow Year 2007-2008), Professor of Economics at University of
Indonesia, is one of the authors of Paradigma Administrasi Publik dan Perkembangannya, published in 2010, a
book on the economic analysis of public administration’s evolution both in developed and developing countries.
The experiences of the developing world, particularly the ASEAN countries, were drawn from fi eld research
conducted by Prijono during 2007-2008 under the API Fellowships Program. The book is not only intended to
benefi t scholars in the fi eld of public administration, it is also benefi cial for students and practitioners from across
the broad spectrum of economics. It begins with an economic theory focusing on public goods and off ers policy
recommendations relating to the civil service or bureaucratic reform.
Traditional Mataw Fishing Examined:
Ecological Concerns in Batanes
Henry Chan (Malaysia Fellow Year 2001-
2002)
The Diura group consisted mostly of social
scientists led by Myfel Paluga. Four foreign
participants (Dave Lumenta, Indonesia;
Sirirat Katanchaleekul, Thailand; Aprilia
Budijiani, Indonesia; and myself ) and
several Philippines RPWG members
(Rosalie Hall, Isagani Yuzon and Cristina
Lim) focused on the practices and socio-
economic structures centered around
traditional mataw fi shing. Diura is the only
remaining fi shing community in Batanes
that continues to practice this way of life.
Mataw is a specialized fi shing system
governed by state-sanctioned rules and
regulations, and protected by rites and
rituals. From March to May, mataw is
the only fi shing system that is allowed
in the bay surrounding the Diura village.
By defi nition, “Mataw” refers to a specifi c
technique for catching one particular fi sh,
the golden-bellied dorado (Coryphaena
hippurus), using hooks and lines, but by
fi rst catching live fl ying fi sh bait using
special hooks and another form of bait
(crustacean). “Mataw” also refers to the
fi sher that does this kind of fi shing—and
that commits to only this kind of fi shing—
for a period of time during the summer
months in Batanes (Mangahas 2006).
Based on this, the categories of
mataw fi shing can be further described as:
· Mataw fishers are the group of
fi shermen who adheres to complex
social-economic regulations in the
catching of the arayu fi sh.
· Arayu fi sh is a migratory fi sh following
the Pacific Ocean currents flowing
through the Batanes Islands. They
appear during the summer period
from March to May. Elsewhere in the
Pacifi c, it is known as mahi-mahi.
· Parawon fl ying fi sh is used by mataw
fi shers as a bait to catch the arayu.
The parawon is a migratory fi sh that
begins to appear in February, a month
before the arrival of the arayu. After
being caught, the parawon must be
kept alive as the arayu only preys on
live fi sh. A special bait using fresh
shrimp is used to catch it to ensure
its vitality.
· Fresh water shrimp is used as a bait
to catch the fl ying fi sh. The shell of
the live shrimp is removed, the fl esh
meshed into pulp and then wound
tightly with a thread around a special
hook. The hook can be easily removed
without causing serious injury to the
fl ying fi sh.
A complex economic structure
supports mataw fishing. Boat owners,
providers of capital for purchase of
equipment, providers of fresh shrimp
bait, the fi sh processors and landowners
(mataw fi shers are also farmers the rest of
the year) contribute towards this activity.
As an activity, mataw fi shing is replete
with symbolism, rules and rituals. Only
men are allowed to go mataw fi shing and
only one person can fi sh by himself in his
small boat. With great skill, the fi sherman
enters the deep ocean and returns to
shore through a selected passageway
called the vanua.
A mataw fi sherman believes that the
arayu fi sh that is caught must be treated
with respect, otherwise he will fail in this
future eff ort. It is believed that mere skill
alone does not bring success; rather, the
fi sh must bestow its favor on the fi sherman
by off ering itself to be caught. If shown
disrespect, other arayu fi sh would avoid
the mataw’s bait even though they may
swim around him.
On return to the village from the
beach, he transports his fi sh (with its head
facing away from him) back by hanging
them on a pole carried over his shoulder,
seemingly telling everyone how many
fi sh he has caught. The fi sh is processed
as soon as possible to retain its quality
“Th e research team uncovered freshwater shrimp as the miss-ing link between mataw fi shing and the impending ecological degradation of a deforested wa-tershed.”
continued from page 4
continued on page 6
Regional Project
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and freshness. It is sliced into two whole
fi llets for immediate salting and hung up
to dry in the sun. The fi sh fi llet cannot be
sold until the end of the mataw season.
Only internal organs and leftovers (head
and bones with meat still attached) can
be consumed, given away or sold.
At the conclusion of the mataw
season, the dry fi llets are distributed in
accordance with a complex sharing and
reciprocity system to individuals who have
assisted the fi sherman while he spent the
entire three months at sea catching the
prized arayu. All this suggests that the fi sh
by itself carries little commercial value.
During the study in Diora, the
research team divided into two groups.
The international group of Fellows was
assisted by Rosalie and Myfel in translation
with local informants. Dialogues and
interviews were conducted mainly with
Manong Ernie, a former leading mataw
fi sher and current president of the fi shing
association, who is the son of the shaman
responsible for mataw rituals. Visits to
surrounding fields and observation of
fi shing above a cliff were undertaken to
get a glimpse of life among the people of
Diura. The other group comprised of local
Fellows from the Philippines who pursued
more detailed inquiries on their own.
Each day, however, the entire team came
together to refl ect on what they learnt.
One of the critical questions asked
is the relevance of mataw fi shing to the
RP, which is “to understand the local
contexts of environmental destruction
and conservation through a holistic multi-
disciplinary approach.” The surrounding
ocean is pristine while the backdrop of
a mountainous patchwork of forest and
grassland creates a vista of exceeding
beauty. The grassland is actually a
deforested landscape and an ecological
time bomb. Eventually, severe water
shortage and drastic soil erosion will occur.
The research team uncovered
freshwater shrimp as the missing
link between mataw fishing and the
impending ecological degradation of a
deforested watershed. This missing link
can be described as follows. The use of
shrimp bait to catch fl ying fi sh is the fi rst
rung in the complex mataw fi shing system.
Because freshwater shrimp, as the name
implies, live only in streams with adequate
water, the amount of water that fl ows into
a stream predetermines the existence of a
shrimp habitat.
Watershed ecology informs us that
the condition of the watershed forest
determines the state of water flowing
into the streams. The better the forest
condition, the better the quality and higher
the quantity of water generated. In view
of the degraded watershed, the amount
of water in the streams would surely
decrease. This observation corresponds
with the situation of local people having
to go farther distance from Diura to search
for shrimp, given the declining quantity of
water fl owing into the streams.
The question with all its implications
to ponder is—will the denudation of the
watershed forest eventually result in the
extinction of fresh water shrimp? Further
research questions to inquire are: What are
viable alternatives to shrimp as bait? How
resilient will mataw fi shing be in Diura?
What explains the persistence of mataw
fi shing in Diura when fi shers in other areas
have abandoned this mode of traditional
fi shing system?
Sabtang Island: Glimpses of Deep Time,
Vast Space
Arnold Molina Azurin (Philippines Senior
Fellow Year 2002-2003)
From the very outset of this project, it was
my assigned task to envision the book
publication component. My consistent
viewpoint transcends those that focused
on Diura, a single village of fi shers who
undertake a seasonal ritual of folk piety via
animal sacrifi ce and shamanistic prayers to
affi rm their vital kinship with the seaborne
spirits and material bounty of the seas.
Such bounty includes the migratory
schools of fl ying fi sh, which they catch and
then use as bait in capturing the similarly
migrating fi sh dorado (arayu in the local
lingo). The schools of dorado are just
passing by, on their way to their spawning
ground, probably, before resuming their
migratory life-cycle across the vast Pacifi c
Ocean and adjoining seas.
Despite the psychic depth of “kinship”
seasonably reincarnated among fish,
fi shers and farmers, this shamanistic ritual
cannot, in my view, adequately represent
the larger web of the cultural and ecological
practices and knowledge system of the
Batanes’ diverse communities that I hope
to encompass in the book project. This
ritualized mode of fi shing is limited to
one village outside Mahatao town, seven
kilometers from Basco, and limited to a
three-month season, as well as being
limited to catching only migratory fi shes.
However, the holistic notion of ecological
API Fellows inside the
traditional house used
by the Sabtang group
as day camp. From left :
Jay Ticar, Roger Amboy
(guide), Cecilia de la Paz,
Cristina Lim, Chalida
Uabumrungjit, Sirirat
Katanchaleekul, Joyce
Lim, Motohide Taguchi,
Henry Chan, Aprilia
Budi Hendrijiani, and
Rosalie Hall.
Photograph by Dave Lumenta
The executive director of Women’s Centre for Change (WCC) Penang, Loh Cheng-Kooi (Malaysian Senior
Fellow Year 2008-2009), was featured in The Star on August 1, 2010 (http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.
asp?fi le=/2010/8/1/lifefocus/6745861&sec=lifefocus). The newspaper reported on the WCC’s and JAG’s (Joint
Action Group for Gender Equality) silver jubilees to help mark 25 years of their role in protecting and empowering
women in society. “JAG started its fi rst campaign against violence against women in 1985, which we were a part
of. WCC also held its very fi rst public forum in 1986 on ‘Women in Crisis’, that was attended by 180 people. That
was the start of our community outreach programs and legal advocacy,” Loh was reported as saying. In its fi rst
year, WCC reached out to 13 women. In 2009, they conducted 2,709 counseling sessions for women.
“Th e vaster view of Ivatan life, past and present, is best repre-sented by the Idiang of Savi-dug—an ancient hilltop fortress whose sides are nearly vertical, thus providing refuge to the lo-cal defenders when attacked by warriors from other villagers.”
Regional Project
continued from page 5
continued on page 7
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sustainability in the Batanes island group
should be discerned on a larger scale and
via more variety of survival adaptations
as developed by a broader range of the
island inhabitants.
Therefore, despite the added problem
of doubling the itinerary of the team, our
study team went to Sabtang to look into
other manifestations of the islanders’
coping devices—in this region where
the surrounding seas, sparse streams and
headwinds are not always conducive to
fi shing or farming or raising cattle and
goats—the major livelihoods hereabout.
Sabtang’s weather was then sultry
(drizzling in Basco when we boarded the
boat) and anyone could appreciate the
role of the watershed/woodlands upon
Mt. Iraya, whereas Sabtang’s hill slopes are
denuded. The humid conditions were used
by our guide, Roger, and other newfound
friends, in explaining the self-cooling
features of the “Traditional Ivatan House”
(the quotes here are from the writings of
the Ivatan scholar, Florentino Hornedo,
who gave us a lecture in the course of our
study tour).
It occurred to me that the signifi cance
of enclosing in quotes the phrase
Traditional Ivatan House is clearly evident
in the historical development of this type
of shelter (having evolved in the Spanish
era) and the decadent condition of many
such structures in Sabtang’s Savidug
village. Some roofless stonewalled
structures in a row are either left to the
elements or supplanted by new buildings
using hollow blocks and cement, not the
stone, lime and sand mortar made famous
in tourism posters.
Obviously there is a need to analyze
the notion of the “traditional house” in
the steadily changing environment of
Batanes with care and while maintaining
a historical perspective. In our study
team, Cecilia de la Paz has expressed
interest in looking closer at this issue. The
same paradox of “tradition” or “native”
confronted our Japanese fellow-traveler,
Motohide Taguchi, who asked a local
violinist to render “native” or “folk” music
on his violin.
The old fi ddler in Chavayan village
gladly obliged with the song “Paper Roses”,
made famous by the American pop singer
Anita Bryant in the fi fties. He next coaxed
his violin to the musical strains of the
Ilocanos (a neighboring ethnolinguistic
group on Luzon Island) such as “Manang
Biday”. I explained to Motohide-san that
“traditional” or folk music is very diffi cult
to be sustained or preserved by a Sabtang
musician who, in the fi rst place, plays the
violin on this relatively remote island.
The genuinely indigenous did emerge
in the laji folk songs Filomena Hubalde
(Manang Adela) sang for our group.
Glecy Atienza has been so inspired by the
singer’s rendition of old Ivatan songs that
she has promised to focus her creative
eff ort in making either a play or a life story
of the chanter. Manang Adela of Savidug
village has lived a life very refl ective of
another piece of irony of living in so-
called reclusive islands far removed from
mainland Luzon. Instead of a life of sylvan
solitariness among the hills and shorelines,
she went to live in Manila as a hospital
assistant. Yet, while in Manila, instead of
getting drowned out by pop songs, she
was singing laji to entertain herself and
her friends.
The vaster view of Ivatan life, past and
present, is best represented by the Idiang
of Savidug—an ancient hilltop fortress
whose sides are nearly vertical, thus
providing refuge to the local defenders
when attacked by warriors from other
villagers. Their tactic was to roll down or
hurl stones on their enemies.
The Idiang sanctuary was too high
for us to climb, and its role in the survival
of the inhabitants, as well as its structural
development, is too long a story to
include in this brief passage. Suffi ce to
say that it still refl ects that distant time
when in the 17th century Capt. William
Dampier described their cluster of “small
low houses: ensconced between hilltops
or squatting along cliff s to prevent their
enemies from assaulting without being
seen—and from those heights they hurtle
stones on their enemies below.
But on these seemingly solitary
hillocks, over what were they fighting
time and again? Possibly the control or
the sharing of scarce water sources, which
is still a problem today (though there is no
more going on the warpath) particularly
as tourists are now poised to get a larger
share of the water supply. We will go into
that in the book on the ecology of Batanes.
API Community Building 101: The Inside
Story from Batanes
Rosalie A. Hall (Philippines Fellow Year 2004-
2005)
Why Batanes? How the Philippines ended
up with Batanes as the site for the API RP
(instead of Liguasan marsh in Mindanao)
portends to the many dramas that unfolded
in the course of preparations. Because of
security concerns in Mindanao, an alternate
site proposal for Batanes was hastily
conceived, for which I am in the most part
responsible. In retrospect, the choice of a
site for which no Philippines API Fellows
have previous engagement (not to mention
has ever been to) was un-pragmatic and
ambitious, if not downright insane.
I am writing this refl ection as a much-
chastised RPWG leader who bore many
lifelong lessons on community building
API Fellows during the
ocular visit of Racu a Idi
(communal pastureland)
in Mahatao, Batan Is-
land. Some recognizable
Fellows (from left ): Dicky
Sofj an, Sirirat Katan-
chaleekul, Cecilia de la
Paz, Edward Cabagnot,
Danilo Reyes and Rosalie
Hall.
Photograph by Yeoh Seng Guan
Toh Kin Woon (Malaysian Senior Fellow Year 2008-2009) was featured in New Straits Times on July 16, 2010 (http://
www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/LTSun_Somethingold_somethingnew/Article/). In the article, Toh Kin Woon, who had
resigned his posts as a state assemblyman for Machang Bubok in Penang and state executive councilor in March 2008
because of his support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Permatang Pauh by-election, said his position meant his
staying in the party was “untenable”, so he decided to quit and serve in “civil society”. He said he was now able to focus on
the Centre for Economic Studies, the Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI) and the LLG Cultural
Development Centre, which are connected to his life-long interests—social justice and multiculturalism. Since stepping
down from government, he has accepted the post of senior research fellow and continues his research into urban
poverty, brain drain and social justice for the Penang Blueprint, as well as having more time for research and writing.
Regional Project
continued from page 6
continued on page 8
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from the API Regional Project in Batanes.
Although I am not a novice on foreign
collaborative projects, the RP is my fi rst foray
into inter-disciplinary work with colleagues
whose intellectual or creative provenance
and methodological approaches are
completely diff erent from mine.
The banality of logistical preparations
and the sheer eff ort of bringing everyone
on board amidst indifference and
misunderstanding are so remote from my
experience as a military research specialist.
But the frustration, laughter and tears have
all indelibly connected me to API Fellows
in ways strong friendships are ultimately
built. With this project, I come away with
the feeling that I truly am a member of the
API Community.
From Day One, the fluctuating
composition of the RPWG refl ected the ad
hoc framework (voluntary participation) in
which the RP was anchored. Initial bursts
of enthusiasm in early meetings petered
down to a motley crew of academics
(political scientists, anthropologists,
economists, labor relations specialists,
art/film/literary experts) and a visual
artist able and willing to spare their time
and energy for the project. This group of
very accomplished, brilliant and creative
minds rarely arrived at a consensus on the
most vexing conceptual issues (in Nick
Deocampo’s terms the “spine”) of what is
the ecological and the human on which to
anchor proposed site visit activities.
Adding to this situation are
professional commitments that members
must attend to (and can’t be faulted upon
to prioritize), necessitating some serious
personnel troubleshooting (e.g. Myfel
Paluga standing in as foreign participant
to the Biwako and Khiriwong visits in place
of designated core members who were
away on fellowship obligations; Rosalie
Hall vacating the leadership of the RPWG
for a Fulbright Fellowship in Chicago).
The looming site visit date pushed the
team to set aside evident tensions over
the project’s conceptual direction and
leadership in favor of logistical imperatives.
In contingency mode, the group
soldiered on and completed the required
ocular visits, produced the Handbook,
sent foreign participants to other sites
and managed to pull off the most
challenging logistical preparations for the
D-Day in April 2010, with much prodding
and guidance from Regional Committee
representatives Danilo Reyes and Theresita
Atienza, and Philippines Partner Institution
Program Coordinator Isabel Nazareno.
It is a great tribute to the RPWG that
the preparations were successfully carried
out virtually through email, Skype and
magic jack with me in Chicago; Theresita
(money), Glecy Atienza (travel agent),
Flaudette May Datuin (communications
node and travel insurance procurer,
Philippines Fellow Year 2004-2005) and
Cecilia de la Paz (Sabtang subgroup
leader) in Manila; Myfel (subgroup leader
for Diura) in faraway Davao and Father
Brigidio Casas (local go-to person) in
distant Batanes. Throughout these, visual
artist Jay Ticar took care of his own art
installation project logistics, independent
of the dual (Diura and Sabtang) site based
preparations.
The famed Batanes lassitude and
unpredictable sea transport availability
caused havoc with the schedule that the
group earlier agreed upon and caused
open confrontations. The Sabtang
group went onto their four-day exile
unaccompanied by the Diura group
(supposedly going too for a day ocular
visit). I forced the Diura group to withdraw
from their site to complete this ocular
visit in Sabtang (despite Myfel’s opinion
to remain for further deepening of their
community engagement) and compelled
the Sabtang group to play host (despite
the group’s preference for additional time
for their own fi eldwork).
Confusion over logistical work
versus research agenda of Philippines
RPWG members; on number crunching
to save precious project money; and
over reporting relationships between the
subgroup leaders and myself culminated
in a dramatic showdown during the
supposed synthesis session on the last
day. Over Myfel’s pointed comments
on the projects’ lapses, my tearful non-
response and attempted mediation by
Dicky Sofj an, the otherwise sour-end to
the fi eld visit was saved by Glecy Atienza’s
timed initiative for a karaoke outing.
Nothing like singing to ward off tensions!
For tunately, l ike all Fi l ipino
telenovelas, this drama had a happy
ending. After a three-month period of
silence, the group held a “post mortem”
to collectively and publicly refl ect on our
experiences and our feelings with the
aid of a neutral facilitator. While fragile,
the process enabled me to move forward
with renewed enthusiasm for our Year
Three country products and under a new
leadership structure.
Myfel and I reconciled, and I have
greater appreciation of his unorthodox
methods of data gathering and brilliant
ideas. I understand better Jay’s creative and
aesthetic gift, the value of Edward Cabagnot’s
green humor and the strategic importance of
Theresita’s charm off ensive. In the end, what
builds communities is the more nuanced
understanding of the personal.
Regional Project
Henry Chan (stand-
ing, right side) explains
a point about mataw
fi shing during the com-
munity sharing day at
the art installation space
in the Mahatao church
convent.
continued from page 7
Photograph by Dave Lumenta
“Th e frustration, laughter and tears have all indelibly con-nected me to API Fellows in ways strong friendships are ulti-mately built. With this project, I come away with the feeling that I truly am a member of the API Community.”
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Representing Whose Interest?: Japanese ODA and
National Interest Under the New GovernmentAkio Kawamura, JAPAN SENIOR FELLOW 2007-2008
The transition of the government from the
Liberal Democratic Party to the Democratic
Party in the fall of 2009 was greeted
with some expectation, however slight,
among Civil Society Organizations that an
opportunity existed for Japanese Offi cial
Development Aid (ODA) to become more
focused on poverty reduction. However,
whatever hope did exist quickly faded
as the new government started to show
more interest in balancing various interests
in Japan.
This posit ion is most clearly
demonstrated in the document “Promotion
of Open National Interest”, published by
Ministry of Foreign Aff airs in June 2010 to
clarify the “new” direction of the Japanese
ODA. As the title suggests, the document
states that the goal of ODA is the
promotion of national interest. Certainly
the national interest here is not limited to
a narrow military or economic interest, but
can include more expansive and long-term
interests such as a more peaceful and stable
international environment. Nevertheless,
giving center stage to national interest in
the policy paper opens up an avenue for
all kinds of interests to enter.
Regardless of whichever government,
Japan has never been involved in a crusade
against global poverty. Ever since Japan
started the ODA program in 1954, Japan
has been spending more on the large-
scale infrastructure projects than other
types of social development programs.
Construction of infrastructure in East Asian
countries helped Japanese construction
companies directly and other businesses
indirectly, while promoting the economic
development of the recipient countries.
Where the governments in the
recipient countries are committed to
universal provision of basic services such as
education and health, Japanese ODA could
have also helped poverty reduction, as
the governments have a better possibility
to procure resources in a growing
economy. However, the Japanese focus
on large-scale construction also resulted
in environmental destruction and human
poverty in aff ected areas.
In the last decade or so, there have
been several positive developments. In
order to prevent environmental and social
destruction by the ODA, ODA implementing
Some 100 farmers were
relocated from this
construction site of a
JICA-funded irrigation
dam project in the Philip-
pines. Most of them are
currently suff ering from
the lack of livelihood.
agencies such as the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan
Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)
introduced “guidelines” for social and
environmental considerations under
pressure from NGOs. In response to the
increased attention to the poverty reduction
agenda, the Japanese Government started
to spend marginally more for the Least
Developed Countries (LDCs), which account
for 20.8% of the net ODA in 2008 compared
to 13.2% in 1998.
Shifting Back Again?
However, certain disturbing trends are
evident in the more recent Japanese
ODA policy developments. The increased
pursuit of national interest is refl ected in
several new emphasizes and directions.
One is the pursuit of “ODA with Japanese
faces”, meaning Japanese ODA should be
implemented by the Japanese from sectors
across Japan including business, civil
society organizations, local governments
and the national government. This goes
against the recent international trend for
more local ownership in decision making
for development programs. The emphasis
on so-called “strategic ODA” is another
worrisome trend, which strategically links
ODA to securing natural resources for
Japanese industry.
Why is All This Happening Now?
There are two major causes at the structural
level. One is the general lack of people’s will
to let the government fi ll the gap between
rich and poor, even within Japanese society
itself. This may be because of the general
lack of a sense of social solidarity, or due to
distrust of the government.
Japanese public expenditure is one
of the smallest among OECD countries,
and the budget for ODA depends very
much on loans. Public donations to CSOs
are also among the lowest. In short,
Japanese people simply do not like to use
“Th e citizens of Japan should raise their voices and convince the government that the national interest of Japan and its people is not restricted to those of a small group of companies, but extends to the welfare of the entire human race.”
their money to help each other, let alone
helping people in other countries. The
government is in a way simply reacting
to this situation, trying to gain support for
ODA spending by linking it to the narrower
national interest.
The second structural cause could be
the perceived and/or real competition with
“newcomers” in the ODA business, such as
China, South Korea and other relatively
wealthy countries in the region. As the
Japanese diplomatic philosophy is to “keep
a balance” among diff erent groups rather
than becoming a champion for a cause,
its position shifts as the wind changes
direction.
The government says it is committed
to international goals of ODA such as
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
harmonization in ODA implementation,
and promotion of good governance, but it
does so in order to follow the “international
trend” and not from the bottom of its heart.
With the emergence of new donors such
as China with clear national interest bound
goals, the Japanese government’s position
seems to be changing again.
Responsibilities of the Public
Two developments appear necessary to
occur in order to bring the Japanese ODA
policy back on the pro-poor track. Firstly,
at the local level, the citizens of Japan
should raise their voices and convince the
government that the national interest of
Japan and its people is not restricted to
those of a small group of companies, but
extends to the welfare of the entire human
race. Japan also needs to act at a regional
level, where not only Japanese ODA needs
to be monitored, but also aid from new
donors must be constantly monitored
and considered. Otherwise, Japan might
just fi nd its position precariously balanced
somewhere between China and the other
OECD countries.
Fellows in Focus
Akio Kawamura is an Associate Professor at the Depart-
ment of Social Organization Development, School of
Human Welfare Studies, Kansai Gakuin University, Ja-
pan. This article is based on his refl ection after partici-
pating in a recent ODA seminar held in Kyoto on June 24,
2010. Hozue Hatae (Japan Fellow Year 2006-2007) also
joined in this seminar.
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Yuli Nugroho, INDONESIA FELLOW
YEAR 2005-2006
Among the ten research projects selected
by the Australia Indonesia Governance
Research Partnership (AIGRP) for 2009,
two projects were awarded to Indonesian
Fellows, Ambar Yoganingrum (Indonesia
Fellow Year 2004-2005) of Indonesian
Institute of Sciences (Lembaga Ilmu
Pengetahuan Indonesia [LIPI]) and myself,
Yuli Nugroho (Indonesia Fellow Year 2005-
2006), a researcher at Damar Foundation.
The Australian Government has been
funding research through AIGRP since
2007, managed by the Crawford School
of Economics and Government at The
Australian National University (ANU). AIGRP
is a vehicle for sponsoring and promoting
collaborative research between Australian
and Indonesian scholars, focusing
analytical expertise on policy relevant
issues in Indonesia as well as strengthening
the intellectual foundations of public and
scholarly debate.
Together with Fiona McDonald, a
lecturer at Queensland University of
Technology (QUT) School of Law, as well
as others, Ambar proposed a research
project titled “Evidence-based decision
making to strengthen local governance:
nutritional health interventions in Bantul
and Gunungkidul”.
This research aimed to assesses
the extent to which evidence-based
decision-making informs health policy
in two districts of Yogyakarta Province,
identifying both barriers and opportunities
for drawing locally generated evidence
into district level public health programs.
Under the health decentralization policy
framework in Indonesia (Law Number 32,
2004 on Regional Autonomy, the Ministry
of Health Decree number 1107/2000 on
the Authority of the Provincial Level of
Government and the Minimum Authority
of the District Government in Indonesia),
district governments in Indonesia have
principal responsibility for managing health
interventions, including improving the
nutritional status of women and children.
In part, the decentralization of health
services is intended to allow decision-
makers to integrate locally generated
evidence into a policy framework that might
still be dominated by national concerns.
Preliminary research indicates that eff ective
integration of locally generated evidence
into district health policies and programs
remains limited.
The policy brief recommendations
Fellows Explore Decentralizing Health and Forest Management in Indonesia
included: “1) Improve coordination with
the national government and develop
synergies amongst national, provincial
and district programs to reduce overlaps,
improve coordination and result in
improved health outcomes; 2) Create
integrated data centres to gather
valid, accurate and real time data and
consolidate nutrition/food security data
from all local bureaus within districts and
between the districts and national actors;
3) Commitment at the national and district
level to increasing the development
of EBDM in public health; 4) District
governments should develop measures
to improve coordination between bureaus
to address important cross sectoral
problems; 5) Encourage and facilitate
increased participation by all stakeholders
in planning processes at the national and
district level; and 6) Continue to develop
programs to educate the public about
the importance of local food as a source
of nutrition, provide education on how
to process local foods to enhance their
nutritional value, and develop campaigns
to promote pride in local food diversity.”
Meanwhile Dr. Mustofa Agung
Sardjono of the University of Mulawarman,
Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Dr. Iean
Russell of The University of Queensland
(UQ) and myself proposed a research
project titled “Decentralisation and
recentralisation of forest management:
impact and implications in Kutai Barat and
Gunungkidul”. This research investigated
how two district governments in Java and
Kalimantan (on Borneo Island) attempt
to balance the competing demands of
supporting local livelihoods and ensuring
forest sustainability. It also considered
to what extent community-based
forest management systems are in fact
deepening democracy.
The policy brief strongly recommended
that: “the decentralization processes
relating to the forest area of Indonesia
must be accelerated. Notwithstanding the
excesses during the brief relaxation of rights
to issue permits from central to district level,
the revocation of district control precluded
the possibility of district governments
and other local actors learning and
responding accordingly. Under the existing
arrangements, there is no room for local
initiatives to improve forest management
within state forest area. Legislative changes
are required for a more democratic process
of community- based forest management
to take eff ect.”
The fi ndings of AIGRP research projects
were presented as Policy Briefs during the
Policy Research Forum held on December
1-8, 2009 in Jakarta. The annual forum is
a mechanism for engaging policymakers
and communicating the latest insights
from AIGRP sponsored research. The forum
was attended by senior offi cials of both the
Indonesian and Australian governments,
representatives of donor agencies, the
media, NGOs, research institutes as well
as Australian and Indonesian scholars.
“Continue to develop programs to educate the public about the importance of local food as a source of nutrition, provide education on how to process local foods to enhance their nutritional value, and develop campaigns to promote pride in local food diversity.”
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Yuli Nugroho (left ) and Ambar Yoganingrum (right) at AIGRP Policy Research Forum, 2009.
Yuli Nugroho has been a Senior Researcher at DAMAR
Foundation, Indonesia, since 1998. He has been involved in
several studies related to rural and regional development
throughout Indonesia.
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Despite several decades of globalizing
and integrating trends, the world has
also in recent times witnessed and
experienced the opposite trend of “dis-
integration”. Indeed, the latter may
possibly be the stronger of the two forces
and tendencies. The collapse of former
unions, the rise of ethno-nationalism,
the spread of secessionist movements, as
well as various social, economic, cultural,
and political trends have led the world
toward disintegration. Concerned with
these tendencies towards disintegration,
the Chula Global Network (CGN) of
Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok,
Thailand, held a two-day international
conference Coping with Dis-Integration:
From the Perspectives of Local to Global on
September 13-14 at the university.
CGN is the platform and forum for the
exchange and integration of the various
members of national and international
academia including practitioners to
generate area specific knowledge in
an integrated manner, both multi-
disciplinary and interdisciplinary. The
CGN supports curriculum development
and organization of events such as
Coping with Dis-Integration: From the Perspectives of Local to GlobalToh Kin Woon, MALAYSIA SENIOR FELLOW YEAR 2008-2009
conferences, seminars and workshops
in fi ve thematic areas of: 1) peace and
conflict transformation; 2) regional
integration; 3) human security; 4)
inequality and governance; 5) identity,
diversity and cultural change.
Conference Objectives
The objectives of the conference
were fourfold: To promote a better
understanding of both integration
and dis-integration in the present
world; to exchange conceptual and
theoretical tools for research and
analysis of disintegrating conditions
from comparative case studies; to draw
up policy recommendations for coping
with dis-integration; and to enhance
networking and collaboration among
academics, practitioners and students
concerned with integration and dis-
integration.
Participation of API Fellows
In line with these aims, diplomats,
scholars and experts from both Southeast
Asia and Europe were invited to present
papers on various country experiences
and theoretical perspectives on dis-
integration. Suggestions for coping with
dis-integration were also put forward by
several scholars. Country case studies on
the former Czechoslovakia and Bosnia-
Herzegovina in Europe as well as Malaysia,
Indonesia and Vietnam in Southeast Asia
were presented. Either former or present
API Fellows presented all the Southeast
Asia country case studies at the Coping
with Dis-Integration conference.
Dr. Dicky Sofj an (Indonesia Fellow
Year 2007-2008) presented the paper
Killing Ourselves Softly: Preliminary
Inquiries on the Increasing Incidences
of Suicide. In it he examined the
phenomenon of social disintegration
and its correlation with the incidences
of suicide. He hypothesized that the high
incidence of and increasing trend toward
suicide evident in some countries is an
early warning sign of the high rate of
social disintegration.
Ms. Prangtip Daorueng (Thailand
Fellow Year 2001-2002) presented the
paper Reinventing Integration: The case
of Acheh. In it she traced the origins of the
violent confl ict between Acheh and the
national state in Indonesia, articulating
the policy mistakes committed by the
state that led to the hostility. She also
tracked the progress of the negotiations
that fi nally led to the signing of the peace
“Either former or present API Fellows presented all the Southeast Asia country case studies at the Coping with Dis-Integration conference.”
continued on page 12
Dicky (standing in the back row, fi rst from left ); Toh (back row, third from left ); Chinh (back row, fi ft h from right); Prangtip (back row, second from right); and
Surichai (front row, fi rst from right).
12API
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accord in Helsinki on July 17, 2005.
Dr. Nguyen Van Chinh, a current
API Fellow presently undertaking
research in Bangkok, Thailand, related
the experiences of Vietnam in terms of
disintegration. He fi rst reviewed three
cases of dis-integration or separation
movements launched by the Hmong in
the northern highlands, the indigenous
Degar peoples of the Central Highlands,
and the Khmer Krom in the Mekong
Delta, followed by an analysis of the
roots of dis-integration among these
ethnic groups.
Malaysia Case Study
Finally, I related the trend toward dis-
integration and the way in which both
the Malaysian state and the society of the
country as a whole have coped with it in
my paper Coping with Dis-Integration in a
Fragmented Society: The Case of Malaysia.
Malaysia has by and large been marked
by an absence of openly violent inter-
ethnic confl ict, even as it experiences
the pulls and stresses that come from
its multi-ethnic and multi-religious
population, with its varied and often
confl icting demands. Diff erences over
nation building policies centering on
citizenship, language, culture, education
and wealth distribution continue to
trouble and divide the nation (Sheila Nair
2009). The cultivation of distinct ethno-
linguistic, religious and cultural identities
and the continuation of political division
among ethnic communities suggest an
inherent potential for dis-integration
(Maznah 2009).
Yet the nation has not disintegrated
and there have been very few instances
of open, violent inter-ethnic confl ict thus
far. There are a number of reasons for this:
the rapid economic growth, accompanied
by redistribution of wealth which reduces
inter-ethnic income disparity and thus
resentment; the democratization of
educational opportunities which has
led to a burgeoning middleclass that
acts as a social force of stability; the
consociational politics of inter-ethnic
bargaining, even if carried out among
the elites, has led to the resolution of
some contradictions among, and the
fulfi llment of some of the demands in
language, education, culture and religion
of the diff erent ethnic groups; the role
of multi-ethnic non-state non-elite civil
society groups in building cross-ethnic
and cross-cultural bridges through their
participation in the arts, music, women’s
issues, human rights, environmental
protection, etc (Francis Loh 2010); the
reduction in the feelings of deprivation
and a strengthening of ethnic pride and
cohesion among Peninsular Malays as a
result of the hegemonic position of the
Malay language and Islam; the success
of state sponsored eff orts in nurturing
an immense Malay professional and
business class; and the use of coercion
to enforce acceptance and compliance
of race-based economic policies. These
factors have all contributed to the
avoidance of open, violent inter-ethnic
confl ict.
This has given rise to a situation
of “stable tension in the country” (Ong
Puay Liu 2009; Shamsul A.B. 2000). While
Malaysia may have been successful
thus far in avoiding disintegration,
concerns have been expressed as to the
sustainability of peace and harmony in
the future. These concerns are premised
on the continued resort to ethnic
posturing by the ethnic state, because
some mainstream media are sympathetic
to the ruling elites, and also because
there are some rightwing extremist race
based non-governmental organizations.
Such chauvinistic lines of political
campaigning are not likely, however,
to cause any open conflict in the
future, although some tensions may be
created. This is due to the hegemony of
the ethnocentric line in Malaysia being
increasingly challenged by a multi-racial
mix of intellectuals, scholars, social
activists and political leaders from the
opposition coalition at the federal level.
continued from page 11
on upholding Malay dominance and
pursuing the Malay agenda will be
thwarted. Moreover, the ethnically bi-
polar society will increasingly become
asymmetrical with the rapid growth
of the Muslim-Malay portion of the
total population, further reducing the
potential for an all out ethnic war.
Beside inter-ethnic tensions, another
potentially disintegrating force is the
pursuit of the Islamization agenda by
almost all Muslim groups and political
parties. A question troubling many is
whether Malaysia will become an Islamic
state. Many are of the view, however,
that this fear is largely unfounded as
the contest and competition for non-
Muslim electoral support will see to the
moderation of this resolve on the part of
the Muslim groups on both sides of the
political divide.
Regional disparities, especially
between Peninsular Malaysia and the
two east Malaysian states of Sabah
and Sarawak, is another potentially
destabilizing factor. Yet another danger
of disintegration may happen if the
entire process of democratization breaks
down at the federal level, especially after
the next general election scheduled
sometime over the next two years. This
danger may take the form of the current
ruling coalition grabbing power back
from the current opposition coalition,
in the event of the latter winning power
with a slim majority, through enticing
newly elected parliamentarians to cross
the fl oor.
If this were to occur, Malaysia would
potentially sink into chaos. However,
even in this event, dis-integration may
not happen along the traditional ethno-
religious fault lines. Instead, political
chaos arising from non-compliance
with the generally accepted rules
of parliamentary democracy may
ensue. Overall, Malaysia is still likely to
continue to avoid disintegration, even
as the current ruling regime continues
to ensure that ethnic and, increasingly,
religious tensions continue.
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Toh Kin Woon is a previously elected member of the
State Legislative Assembly, Penang and Penang State
Executive Councilor for Education, Economic Planning,
Human Resource Development, Science, Technology
& Innovation. Recent awards that he has received are
the 2005 Outstanding Individual Award for Human
Resource Development from the Asian Regional Training
and Development Organization, Lim Lian Geok Spiritual
Award for 2007 and API Fellowships for 2008-2009.
“Th e hegemony of the ethno-centric line in Malaysia is be-ing increasingly challenged by a multi-racial mix of intellectuals, scholars, social activists and po-litical leaders from the opposition coalition at the federal level.”
This dispute between state
sanctioned and counter-hegemonic
views on issues related to citizenship, the
institution of the monarchy, the status of
Islam, the special position of the Malays,
and education and language has been
facilitated by the rapid spread of the new
technology (Khoo 2010).
Such contestations and movements
for change will no doubt continue
in the next few years. In the process,
eff orts at whipping up Malay rage and
fears by those Malay political leaders,
social activists and NGO leaders bent
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Coinciding with the API 10th Anniversary,
the API Thailand National Coordinating
Committee (NCC) proposed to consolidate
the intellectual resources generated thus
far and publicize them to the Thai audience
at large. Aiming at achieving such a goal,
a series of country-level activities have
been initiated, including a publication of
the API Fellows’ works in Thai language, a
video project documenting the current
work engagements as public intellectuals
of Thailand API Fellows, and conducting
a number of public seminars on diff erent
social issues. The proposal was endorsed
by TNF in November 2009.
Between July 14 to 15, 2010, the fi rst
activity took place in Pattani province,
Southern Thailand. The two-day event was
Thailand API Community—Initiatives to Commemorate the API’s 10th Anniversary
combined with a fi eld visit and a public
seminar, organized in collaboration with
the Social Development Program, Faculty
of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prince
of Songkla University. On the fi rst day, 11
API Fellows separately joined in fi ve fi eld
visits for exchange with local leaders and
youth groups on particular concerns
of each community, such as the unjust
accusation of villagers as being terrorist
sympathizers, conflicts over water use
in newly industrialized districts, identity
related discrimination by the state, and
promotion of co-existence among people
of diff erent faiths by alternative media
and community groups.
At the public forum held on second
day at the Songkla University’s Pattani
campus Prof. Amara Pongsapich, Chair of
the National Human Rights Commission
of Thailand, delivered a talk on ‘Linking
API’s knowledge base to solve the crisis
in Thailand’s Deep South.’ The forum was
joined by local academics and students
as well as attended by villagers from
various marginalized communities. The
forum successfully provided a channel
for Fellows to share the lessons they had
learnt from their fellowship experiences
and learn about the local perspectives as
well as to explore future eff ort to work
with communities in such a confl ict prone
region. In early 2011, a further three public
forums will be organized in Chiang Mai
and Bangkok.
(From left ) Alisa
Hasamoh, Prangtip
Daorueng, Kokaew
Wongphan, Darunee
Tantiwiramanond, and
Penchom Saetang.
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RP Product Development
RP Book
Since the last report, much progress has
been made in the RP Book development.
The Selection Committee (consisting of RC
Chair Herry Yogaswara, Narumol Aphinives
as the RC Point Person for the RP Book
development and Michiko Taki of TNF)
has fi nally settled on hiring a Book Editor/
Coordinator. The search for the Book Editor/
Coordinator went through a rigorous and
competitive process initially via a formal
Request for Proposals (RFP) in the first
quarter of 2010. After numerous inquiries,
expressions of interests and submissions
of proposals, the RFP was unsuccessful in
Updates on Regional Projects and ActivitiesJuly-December 2010
fi nding a suitable candidate, who matched
the job requirements.
The Selection Committee decided
to cast the net again through word of
mouth, personal references and networks.
Subsequently, the Selection Committee
appointed Ms. Justine Vaz (Malaysia) for
the position.
Ms. Vaz brings with her a wealth
of experience in conservation and
environment work. She has specialised
knowledge on protected areas and their
relationships with local communities,
traditional wisdom and cultures. Ms. Vaz
has worked for various environmental
organizations and programs, including
WWF, the Borneo Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Conservation and Partner
for Wetlands, and which has taken her
to places in Sabah and Central Borneo.
The Selection Committee has every
confidence in Ms. Vaz’s abilities and
energy in undertaking the complex task
ahead.
Another development concerns the
appointment of Professor Emeritus Koji
Tanaka from Kyoto University, Japan, as
the Technical Adviser to assist the RP
Book development. He will be assisting
in laying out the concept and providing
a regional outlook and perspective for the
Book.
Report from the Regional Committee
continued on page 14
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ISC Member Transition
Takashi Shiraishi, Executive Member of the Council for Science and Technology
Policy, Cabinet Offi ce of Government of Japan, who served as International Selection
Committee (ISC) member since 2000, has completed his term in 2010. He has
contributed signifi cantly to the high standard of Fellow selection. He is succeeded
by Koji Takana, former Program Director for Japan Partner Institution. API extends
our warm welcome and looks forward to working with him to further strengthening
the Program.Takashi ShiraishiKoji Tanaka
Notices & Announcements
continued from page 13continued from ppage 13
in October 2010, and the transfer of work
on the Webmastering has been done. Sirirat
Katanchaleekul (Thailand Fellow Year 2007-
2008) has agreed to take-up the task.
RP Digital Documentary
The Regional Celebration of API Fellowships
Program’s 10th Anniversary, held last May
in Manila, saw the showcasing of the
two documentary trailers. The trailers
were produced by Nick A. Deocampo
(Philippines Senior Fellow Year 2000-
2001), Creative Director of the Center for
New Cinema (CNC). Except for Tasik Chini
(Malaysia), the trailers contained footage
of four other sites. In November the CNC
conducted its research visit to Tasik Chini
together with the Malaysia RPWG.
The documentary project is currently
undergoing a formal Mid-Term Review
process undertaken by the RP Manager,
Dicky Sofjan, in consultation with the
Executive Producer, Tatsuya Tanami of TNF,
and Associate Producer, Yeoh Seng Guan,
as the RC Point Person for the documentary.
For this purpose, Mr. Deocampo recently
visited Yogyakarta to hold meetings
with the RP Manager. He also took the
opportunity to engage with the Kali Code
community leaders and filmed more
footage of the Kali River and its surrounding
settlements. Together with the community
leaders, Mr. Deocampo and the RP Manager
visited the environs of Mount Merapi a few
days before it erupted in late October.
Council of Working Groups
All RPWG leaders representing the five
sites met up with RPMT and CI in Bangkok
on 27-29 September to update each
other and review policies regarding the
Regional Project. A number of resolutions
were made in line with the collaborative,
interdisciplinary and pioneering nature
of the RP. Among others, it was resolved
to create an inventory of the database
of audio/video recordings and interview
transcripts to maximize resource sharing,
and to conduct an internal review in the
fi rst quarter of 2011. It was also proposed
to hold a “culminating event” of the RP
sometime in 2012 after the PR Book and
documentary have been completed.
In line with the rotational principle,
Ms. Supa Yaimuang (Thailand) replaced
Ms. Tatak Prapti Ujiyati (Indonesia) as the
CWGs Leader for Year 3 of the project.
Reported by Yeoh Seng Guan (RC Liaison Offi cer) and
Dicky Sofj an (RP Manager).
In mid-November, a Strategic Planning
Meeting was held in Penang, Malaysia, to
encapsulate the strategy ahead for the
Book development.
RP Website The API RP Website (www.api-rp.com) has
been up and running for several months.
It contains information and materials
related to the Regional Project. An Editorial
Board has been established recently, and
is chaired by Ms. Theresita V. Atienza, who
is also the RC Point Person for the API RP
Website. The Editorial Board members
comprise the following representatives
from the five participating countries,
namely: Pataya Ruenkaew (Thailand),
Motohide Taguchi (Japan), Joyce Lim Suan
Li (Malaysia), Rosalie B. Arcala (Philippines)
and Yayan Indriatmoko (Indonesia).
A Terms of Reference for the Editorial
Board has been established, and a guideline
for editorial content management has been
agreed and disseminated. The Editorial
Board will soon initiate the enrichment
of the Website content by inviting site
visit participants to submit contributions,
whether as texts, pictures or videos.
The contractual engagement with
the Website Developer, OpenEnd, ended
Report from the Regional Committee
Participants of the RP
Council of Working Groups
and RP Management
Team joint meeting held at
Chulalongkorn University,
Bangkok.
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Putting the ideals of API into action always
requires special attention, extra eff ort and
whole-hearted commitment. Oftentimes
the journey seems to be full of obstacles,
hurdles and challenges, but in dealing
with these diffi culties the rewards are an
unforgettable experience and growth as
individuals and as a community.
As featured in this issue, the Regional
Project Batanes site visit conducted in
April 2010 was one such undertaking. API
Fellows, resource personnel and community
participants grew closer and deepened the
understanding of the issues confronting the
region through experiencing challenges
together and being engaged in candid
dialogue. Indeed, the API Regional
Project has been most challenging. In
the practice and implementation of core
values of multidisciplinary partnership
and engagement with communities,
participants are oftentimes required to make
surprising adjustments to accommodate
each other, leading to new discoveries.
The sheer volume of the work required
in mobilizing a large community of Fellows
with various interests is daunting.
However, as Rosalie Hall states in her
article, she came “away [from this site
visit] with the feeling that I truly am a
member of the API Community”. This
explains how and why API Fellows and
other colleagues continue to commit
to the shared vision and undertakings.
Also introduced in this issue is
a project by the Thailand Fellows’
community coinciding with the API’s
10th Anniversary Regional Celebration.
In marking the 10 years of API, they
have taken one more step forward by
proposing to consolidate the eff orts of
the Thailand Fellows and disseminating
the outputs of their findings to a
wider public in a series of activities.
A collaborative eff ort such as this can
help to shape the future direction of
API as a whole, as we are aiming to
see more public engagements and
actions through working together and
continuing close engagements with
local communities.
In the Fellows in Focus section of
Message from the Editorial Desk
Calendar of events
This issue was originally planned for
December 2010. Pressure of work at the
API Coordinating Institution (CI) of the
Institute of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn
University and The Nippon Foundation
(TNF) has delayed publication until now
and for this we apologize. As ever, the API
Fellowships Program has been very active,
and celebrated its 10th anniversary in May
2010 in Manila. A special anniversary issue
is now in the works, so I will not go into
detail here, other than to say that the
anniversary was a wonderful opportunity
to look back on the past decade, refl ect on
the progress that has been made and look
forward to the future of the API Fellowships
Program and its community.
Among API Fellows, there are many
who are interested in human rights issues.
For these Fellows in particular, and for the
API Community membership in general, I
would like to report on a recent achievement
at the United Nations Human Rights Council
(UNHRC) and the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) that TNF strove to realize
together with our partners.
As you all know, the chairman of TNF,
Yohei Sasakawa, is also the WHO Goodwill
Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination. For
the past 30 years, he has been engaged in
the fi ght to rid leprosy from the world—
both the disease itself and the stigma
attached to it. Following the introduction
of an eff ective cure in the 1980s, as many
as 16 million people have been cured
worldwide. The number of new cases
diagnosed each year is now under 250,000,
and the medical battle is slowly being
won. Nevertheless, the stigma attached to
leprosy and the discrimination that results
remains deep-rooted.
As an NGO in consultative status with
the United Nations Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC), TNF fi rst approached
the United Nations Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
about this issue in 2003. Over the next
several years, the persistent eff orts of TNF
this issue can be found several examples
of the recent activities of API Fellows in
carrying out significant initiatives. Yuli
Nugroho, for example, outlines how he
and Ambar Yoganingrum were two among
only ten research projects selected by the
Australia Indonesia Governance Research
Partnership (AIGRP) for 2009. Toh Kin Woon
reports on the Coping with Dis-Integration:
From the Perspectives of Local to Global international conference conducted
by Chula Global Network (CGN) held at
Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok,
where either former or present API Fellows
presented case studies.
These and many other examples
of the ongoing demonstrations of API’s
growing relevance can be found within
these pages and by visiting API website,
www.api-fellowships.org.
We welcome your contributions and
value the feedback of all readers. Our next
issue will be 10th Anniversary Regional
Celebration Commemorative Issue.
Michiko Yoshida and Andrew J. West
Message from The Nippon Foundation
RC Meeting in Kyoto in January 2011
The Regional Committee Meeting was hled
in Kyoto from January 21-23, 2011.
API Regional Project Kali Code site visit
took place from February 13-22, 2011.
Country Workshop 2011
The Country Workshop serves as a forum for
API Fellows to:
- share and exchange information on
various fi elds of endeavor;
- get updates on the activities and in-
volvements of other Fellows; and
- explore areas for potential collabora-
tion among Fellows.
Each respective API Partner Institution will
organize its Country Workshop as below:
- Indonesia: March 23-24, 2011
- Japan: March 5-6, 2011
- Malaysia: March 12-13, 2011
- Philippines: February 25-26, 2011
- Thailand: March 19, 2011
API Regional Project Tasik Chini site visit
will take place from April 12-23, 2011.
API Regional Project Council of Working
Groups and Regional Project Manage-
ment Team joint meeting will take place
from May 13-15, 2011 in Malaysia.
and its partner NGOs, led by Mr. Yohei
Sasakawa, eventually moved the Japanese
government to take up the issue. A draft
resolution to end discrimination against
people aff ected by leprosy and their family
members, accompanied by Principles and
Guidelines to this eff ect, was unanimously
adopted by the UNHRC in September 2010.
The Resolution was subsequently sent to
the UNGA and on December 21, 2010, it
was again unanimously adopted. This is the
culmination of seven years of hard work
and tireless advocacy.
I am not sharing this success story in
order to sing our praises; instead, I hope
it might serve as an inspiration to API
Fellows by showing how even a handful
of people can make a diff erence. Collective
and persistent eff orts, combining patience
and commitment, led us to this outcome.
And it all started from a small step.
On that note, may I wish you a very
happy and productive year!
Tatsuya Tanami
URL: http://www.api-indonesia.info/
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE AND TEAMThe Editorial Committee Consists of the Following:
Tatsuya Tanami, Executive Director, The Nippon Foundation
Michiko Taki, Chief Manager, International Program Department,
The Nippon Foundation
Surichai Wun’Gaeo, Director, API; and Michiko Yoshida, Program
Coordinator, API
The Editorial and Coordinating Team Consists of the Following
Members:
Michiko Yoshida, Program Coordinator, API; Akiko Kuwajima, Assistant
Program Coordinator, API
Andrew J. West, Freelance Editor, Patcharee Lae-Ya, Marketing Director,
Scand-Media Corp,. Ltd and Suchaya Binnarawee, Marketing Manager,
Scand-Media Corp., Ltd
For further information regarding the API Fellowships Program,
please visit www.api-fellowships.org.
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