Irina Bernebring Journiette

I hear people talk about an Asian century but I’m wondering if it’s more likely to start with an Asian spring. The rallies in Bangkok are still going strong although their evolving political agenda seem to be more difficult for most locals to grasp. A confrontation between political groups, like in 2010, lingers in the air. In Bangladesh the main political opposition boycotted the recent election and polling stations were fire-bombed. Political violence also erupted in Cambodia this week when soldiers clashed with striking workers who demand a sense of quality of life besides just living. But who knows, a century sure is a long time.