Week in Retrospect
Alan Dawson
from The Sunday Post (Bangkok) Perspective section, 24 December 1995.
This article is Copyright (c) 1995 Post Publishing Co and by the author.
It is provided for information only and may not be reproduced in
any commercial publication or broadcast of any kind without permission.
E-mail subscription, cancellation and inquiry info below.
........................
THE Olympic Committee of Asia took away the 1998 Asian Games from
Bangkok after the Sports Authority of Thailand was unable to show
them any preparation had been made; the government will appeal.
The prosecutor will take the Buri Ram vote-buying case to court
this week; supporters of Deputy Finance Minister Newin Chidchob
face Election Act charges.
Bangkok police will go ahead with a plan to shout at traffic
violators over loudspeakers to be set up at major intersections
in the next few weeks. Traffic police began a crackdown on
traffic violators and jaywalkers, which will end on January 31.
Jambusting Third Deputy Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra headed
a poll as Bangkok's most popular politician. Mobile phone rates
may soon be reduced a full 100 baht per month.
In a major surprise, searchers found no trace of buried
Japanese war treasure even though an 83-year-old nun told them
exactly where to dig near the old Death Railway.
Thailand, the second-biggest user of US trade preferences, may
lose the privilege in 1997 because of its prosperity, US
officials said. Overall Asian economic growth will slow somewhat
next year, according to the OECD, Thailand's from 8.6 per cent to
8.3 per cent. Thailand will provide about 15 million baht to aid
two Burma projects, tourism and economic education to help switch
to a market system. Thailand and China will launch a joint study
into herbal combat against HIV and AIDS.
Indonesia and Australia promised in writing never to be
suspicious of each other again unless they absolutely have to be.
Cambodian Prince Norodom Sirivudh left for exile rather than face
trial for plotting the assassination of Second Prime Minister Hun
Sen. A car bomb in Peshawar killed and wounded more than 140 and
levelled a city block.
Bangladesh began a series of security programmes to seize
illegal weapons before the February elections. The BBC began a
series of radio programmes to educate South Asians in sex.
Beijing banned smoking in public places. Singapore busted an
opium den for old people, who now face a death sentence. Malaysia
banned the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers because "Morphin" looks
like "morphine," and morphine is used to make heroin; officials
did not mention that "heroin" looks like "heroine," which
several of the Rangers are.
The former South Korean presidents, Mr Chun Doo-Hwan and Mr
Roh Tae-Woo, went on trial for corruption and the 1979 coup which
propelled them into power. The UN said North Koreans could starve
unless international food aid is provided. Japanese officials
tried but failed to cover up details of a nuclear plant accident.
China held a new political prisoner: the 6-year-old boy chosen by
Tibetans as Panchen Lama.
In the holiday spirit: The three wise men saw a double eclipse
of Jupiter the night Christ was born, and not the fabled dazzling
star of the New Testament, according to a US astronomer. A Druse
woman who left her family in Israel 22 years ago returned for a
holiday reunion but her brother stabbed her to death for the old
betrayal. A Swedish forest owner sprayed his trees with sewage to
stop theft of Christmas trees.
The United Nations peacekeepers ended their Bosnia mission,
the biggest UN success since Cambodia; NATO forces began a Bosnia
mission, their biggest ever. The communists won 22 per cent of
Russia's parliamentary vote and will control one-third of the
Duma. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II ordered her son Prince Charles
and daughter-in-law Princess Diana to get divorced.
Iraq was caught cheating again on weapons development,
including missiles and poisons. Israel and Syria will try to
negotiate a peace agreement in Maryland, in the United States.
The Vatican called for a multi-religion Jerusalem. The US
government partly shut down again; President Clinton and his
Congress exchanged holiday political invective over the work
stoppage.
An American Airlines 757 jetliner crashed near Cali, Colombia,
killing more than 150 in the year's worst air disaster. A Zairean
charter airliner crashed in northern Angola, killing at least
141. A two-train collision in Egypt killed more than 75. When the
flight crew of a Northwest flight from London to America asked
for help subduing 18 rowdy Britons, the US Olympics wrestling
team was pleased to oblige, and there was no more trouble from
the rowdies.
*** ***** The Week In Retrospect is available by E-Mail ***** ***
*** To receive a copy immediately after publication in ***
*** The Sunday Post, send your E-mail request ***
*** To: wee...@wov.com ***
*** Subject: Subscribe Week ***
*** To cancel send E-mail ***
*** To: wee...@wov.com ***
*** Subject: Unsubscribe Week ***
*** ***
*** Anything in the body of the message will be ignored. ***
*** wee...@wov.com is an un/subscribe robot only. ***
*** REPLIES TO THIS POST AND MAIL TO wee...@wov.com ***
*** WILL _not_ BE READ AND WILL _not_ BE ANSWERED. ***
*** ***
*** Address reprint requests or correspondence about ***
*** the Week In Retrospect to sca...@wov.com ***
*** Reminder: The Week in Retrospect is Copyright. ***
******* *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ******