Marwaan Macan-Markar

4 days ago | asia.nikkei.com | Marwaan Macan-Markar

COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's left-leaning National People's Party government is basking in another glow of electoral triumphs following last week's local council elections, as voters ensured the ruling party of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won majorities in 265 of the 339 local authorities up for grabs in the South Asian nation. The electoral map on the morning after voting on Tuesday revealed a tide of deep red, the colors of the NPP, across most of the South Asian island.

1 week ago | asia.nikkei.com | Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK -- When Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn arrived in Bhutan last weekend, he wrote his name into history with two milestones: The Himalayan kingdom was his first pick to kick off his inaugural state visit, and he flew into that mountainous terrain by piloting the specially designated Thai royal aircraft, a Boeing 737-800.

1 month ago | asia.nikkei.com | Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK -- As the death toll mounts from Friday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake in war-torn Myanmar, leaders of the parallel National Unity Government have begun lobbying behind the scenes to secure new routes for humanitarian aid, fearing that foreign assistance will be held hostage by the ruling military regime. The humanitarian diplomacy endeavor is aimed at sympathetic governments in Southeast Asia, Western donor countries and international aid agencies.

1 month ago | globalasia.org | Marwaan Macan-Markar

ARCHIVE/SEARCH > Articles Articles Thaksin Redux: Thai Politics as Theater By Marwaan Macan-Markar THAKSIN SHINAWATRA’​S appetite for the high life is legendary. So it was fitting that the former Thai prime minister marked his early taste of freedom in Bangkok after 15 years of exile with his billionaire-style habits.

2 months ago | asia.nikkei.com | Marwaan Macan-Markar

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka -- Along Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna coast, fishermen in T-shirts and sarongs grumbled about their poor catch the previous night. As they mended their blue nets spread out close to the lapping sea, the men complained about how the only fish they could sell was a meager haul of barracuda, Indian mackerel and milk shark. There is no mystery as to what is sapping the livelihoods of these men who are the breadwinners of their families.