• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.127-165
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• 2014

This article regards the phase of political confrontations in Thailand and Burma as a prolonged and inconclusive political struggle between national revolution forces and civil revolution forces. It argues that in Thai case, anti-monarchy constitutional revolution has led to a right-wing national revolution based on state nationalism consolidating capitalist economic system by Sarit's military coup, while in Burmese case, anti-British imperialism movement in colonial era has resulted in a left-wing national revolution grounded on state nationalism associating with socialist economic system by Ne Win's military coup. It is also interesting to note that the two cases experienced state nationalism denying autonomous civil society as a process of nation-building in spite of their contrasting ideologies. In both cases, it became inevitable to have national revolution forces clinging to official nationalism and state nationalism confronting with civil revolution forces seeking popular nationalism and liberal nationalism. In particular, unlike Burmese society, Thai society, without colonial history has never experienced a civil war mobilizing anti-colonial popular nationalism including ethnic revolt. This article considers Dankwart Rustow's argument that national unity as a background condition must precede all the other phases of democratization, but that otherwise its timing is irrelevant. In this context, Thai democratization without national unity which began earlier than Burmese is taking a backward step. For the time being, there would be no solution map to overcome severe political polarization between the right-wing national revolution forces defending official nationalism cum state nationalism and the civil revolution forces trying to go beyond official nationalism towards popular nationalism cum liberal nationalism. In contrast, paradoxically belated Burmese democratization has just taken a big leap in escaping from serious and inconclusive nature of political struggle between the left-wing national revolution forces to defend official nationalism cum state nationalism and civil revolution based on popular nationalism cum liberal nationalism towards a reconciliation phase in order to seek solutions for internal conflicts. The two case studies imply that national unity is not a background condition, but a consequence of the process of political polarization and reconciliation between national revolution forces and civil revolution forces.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.95-129
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• 2017

This study surveys and reviews political change, economic performance, and regional cooperation that were carried out in 2016 by Southeast Asian countries and ASEAN. This paper reports that what has followed the inauguration of new governments in Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Laos fails to live up to the expectation and optimism that arose in the aftermath of elections and party congresses that took place in the first half of the year. In other countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia, where authoritarian regimes are faced with strong oppositions, the prospects for democratic change worsened to a substantial degree, as schisms and internal strives complicated the opposition camp as a result of instigation and intervention by the authoritarian leaders and their followers. In stable political systems, both democratic and authoritarian, no significant changes that may entail serious political implications were noticed. In 2016, the national economy of almost each and every country continued its slow but steady recovery that had started in 2014 and grew by 5% on the average. For 2017 onward, however, the earlier optimism that it would grow at least as fast dimmed down as uncertainty about the world economy looms larger due to the unexpected win by Donald Trump as U.S. president and the expected 'hard landing' of the Chinese economy around 2018. ASEAN declared the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) only one day before the New Year, but its track record looked already bad and unpromising by the end of 2016. ASEAN leaders were tied up by their domestic politics and affairs too tightly to take time off to work seriously to observe the schedule as laid out in the AEC Blueprint 2025. Korea's relationship with Southeast Asian countries and ASEAN was "as good as it gets" in 2016 as ever but could become subject to tough review in the near future, if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is found out to have been implicated in the ongoing Choi Sun Sil scandal and if the opposition wins the next presidential election to be held by this year.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.411-420
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• 2012

This paper presents the most recent data on cancer rates and the burden of cancer in the ASEAN region. Epidemiological data were sourced from GLOBOCAN 2008 and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) lost were estimated using the standard methodology developed within the World Health Organization's Global Burden of Disease study. Overall, it was estimated there were over 700,000 new cases of cancer and 500,000 cancer deaths in ASEAN in the year 2008, leading to approximately 7.5 million DALYs lost in one year. The most commonly diagnosed cancers were lung (98,143), breast (86,842) and liver cancers (74,777). The most common causes of cancer death were lung cancer (85,772), liver cancer (69,115) and colorectal cancer (44,280). The burden of cancer in terms of DALYs lost was highest in Laos, Viet Nam and Myanmar and lowest in Brunei, Singapore and the Philippines. Significant differences in the patterns of cancer from country to country were observed. Another key finding was the major impact played by population age distribution on cancer incidence and mortality. Cancer rates in ASEAN are expected to increase with ageing of populations and changes in lifestyles associated with economic development. Therefore, ASEAN member countries are strongly encouraged to put in place cancer-control health care policies, focussed on strengthening the health systems to cope with projected increases in cancer prevention, treatment and management needs.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.73-86
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• 2000

Using monthly AVHRR-NDVI composite images, global vector data and statistical information, land cover change patterns in Asia during the major growing season (June, July and August) were analyzed for each country. Specifically, explanations on NDVI changes were developed at a regional scale emphasizing human impacts on ground vegetation. The annual mean change in each country showed NDVI-gain trends in high latitude areas and some parts of eastern China and northern/western India. On the contrary, NDVI-loss trends were distinctive in Japan, Korea, some parts of southeastern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and some parts in southwestern/eastern India. These patterns largely coincided with socio-economic information reflected by human behavior. The NDVI change trends showed significant correlation with forest area changes. Also, a multiple regression model showed that the NDVI change patterns were significantly dependent on the changes in forest area and total population.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.499-504
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• 2019

Head-lice infestation, pediculosis capitis, remains a public-health burden in many countries. The widely used first-line pediculicides and alternative treatments are often too costly for use in poor socio-economic settings. Ivermectin has been considered an alternate treatment for field practice. This study was composed of 2 parts, a cross-sectional survey and an intervention study. The main objectives were to determine the prevalence and potential factors associated with head-lice infestation, and to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of oral ivermectin administration. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 890 villagers in rural areas along Thai-Myanmar border. Females with infestations were eligible for the intervention study, and 181 participated in the intervention study. A post-treatment survey was conducted to assess acceptance of ivermectin as a treatment choice. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and a generalized-estimation-equation model adjusted for cluster effect. The study revealed the prevalence of head-lice infestation was 50% among females and only 3% among males. Age stratification showed a high prevalence among females aged <20 years, and among 50% of female school-children. The prevalence was persistent among those with a history of infestation. The major risk factors were residing in a setting with other infected cases, and sharing a hair comb. The study also confirmed that ivermectin was safe and effective for field-based practice. It was considered a preferable treatment option. In conclusion, behavior-change communication should be implemented to reduce the observed high prevalence of head-lice infestation. Ivermectin may be an alternative choice for head-lice treatment, especially in remote areas.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.117-159
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• 2017

This study analyzed the driving factors of the enlargement process of ASEAN member countries from 1995 to 1999. The main research question is how can it explain the difference in the decision-making timing of countries wishing to join regional cooperation. This study focuses on why the countries that did not join ASEAN in the early years of ASEAN membership, since the mid - 1990s, and why they joined the different periods since the end of the Cold War. To this end, this study analyzed the accession process of Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. The main argument of the study is that there is a time gap in the accession of ASEAN, but ultimately the regional cooperation is used to secure the legitimacy of maintaining the system. Most of the previous studies on the expansion of regional cooperation have discussed the expansion of regional cooperation in terms of macroeconomic changes such as international system change. However, this study focuses on the domestic political and economic situation of motivating individual member countries to join regional cooperation and this is complemented by a micro approach.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.161-178
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• 2023

Purpose - purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of the investment facilitation levels of 11 RCEP countries (excluding Myanmar, Brunei, and Laos due to lack of data) on China's outward foreign direct investments(OFDI) using balanced panel data from 2010 to 2019. Design/methodology - First, four investment facilitation measurement indicators (regulatory environment, infrastructure, financial market, ease of doing business) were selected,investment facilitation scores of the 11 countries were obtained using the principal component analysis, an investment gravity model was established with nine explanatory variables (investment facilitation level, market size, population, geographic distance, degree of opening, tax level, natural resources, whether the country is an APEC member or not, and whether a valid bilateral investment treaty with China has been concluded) were used to establish an investment gravity model, and regression analyses were conducted with OLS and system GMM. Findings - The results of the regression analyses showed that investment facilitation levels had the greatest effect on China's OFDI, all four first-level indicators had positive effects on China's OFDI, and among them, the institutional environment had the greatest effect. In addition, it was shown that explanatory variables such as market size, population, geographical distance, degree of openness, natural resources, and whether or not a valid bilateral investment treaty has been concluded would have positive effects on China's OFDI, while tax levels and APEC membership would impede China's OFDI to some extent. Originality/value - Since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEPT) came into effect not long ago, there are not so many studies on the effects of investment facilitation levels of RCEP member states on China's OFDI, and the investment facilitation measurement index constructed in this paper is relatively systematic and scientific because it includes all the contents of investment facilitation related to the life cycle of company's foreign direct investments.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.19-31
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• 2024

In Korea, driven piles are generally penetrated up to weathered rock or harder strata. Friction piles have been used to some extent in the southwest coastal area with deep soils; however, friction piles are not extensively due to uncertainties about construction quality. The embedded pile construction method is primarily used due to noise and vibration complaints. However, in Southeast Asian countries (e.g., Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam), where soft sediments are deep, the driven pile method is commonly used due to its economic advantages. Construction companies are increasingly entering overseas construction markets, e.g., Southeast Asia; thus, it is necessary to understand the behavior of driven friction piles in the soil and improve on-site engineering management to gain market competitiveness in these countries. In this study, the bearing capacity of friction piles driven into clayey coastal soils in Vietnam with time-dependent characteristics was evaluated based on the dynamic and static pile load tests. Based on the results, a modified Danish formula is proposed for on-site quality management.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.41-58
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• 2020

This study aims to investigate the technical efficiency of major container ports in the Bay of Bengal area and to study how certain factors influence the efficiency of container ports and terminals. The research is conducted on the four main container ports in the Bay of Bengal area, namely, Colombo Port in Sri Lanka, Chennai Port in India, Chittagong Port in Bangladesh, and Yangon Port in Myanmar. There are three input variables (quay length, storage area, and the number of cranes) and two output variables (throughput twenty-foot equivalent units and vessel calls) chosen for the process in this study. This paper evaluates the efficiency score of the defined variables and suggests implications for further improvement of the core competitiveness of the four selected ports. The findings indicate that Colombo Port is the most efficient on a technical scale, followed by Chennai Port, Yangon Port, and Chittagong Port. However, the slack and radial movement calculation results show that the inputs and outputs of the four ports need to be adjusted to be efficient and to reduce the amount of resources that are wasted. The results validate the adaptability of the improved data envelopment analysis algorithm in port efficiency analysis. The research findings provide an overview of the efficiencies of the selected container ports and can potentially affect the port management decisions made by policymakers, terminal operators, and carriers.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.481-490
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• 2018

Recently, the spatiotemporal patterns of flood disasters have become more complex and unpredictable due to climate change. Flood hazard map including information on flood risk level has been widely used as an unstructured measure against flooding damages. In order to product a high-precision flood hazard map by combination of hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, huge digital information such as topography, geology, climate, landuse and various database related to social economic are required. However, in some areas, especially in developing countries, flood hazard mapping is difficult or impossible and its accuracy is insufficient because such data is lacking or inaccessible. Therefore, this study suggests a method to delineate large scale flood-prone area based on topographic factors produced by linear binary classifier and ROC (Receiver Operation Characteristics) using globally-available geographic data such as ASTER or SRTM. We applied the proposed methodology to five different countries: North Korea Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar. The results show that model performances on flood area detection ranges from 38% (Bangladesh) to 78% (Thailand). The flood-prone area detection based on the topographical factors has a great advantage in order to easily distinguish the large-scale inundation-potent area using only digital elevation model (DEM) for ungauged watersheds.