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91. See No Evil: South Korean Labor Practices in North Korea

Author:
Marcus Noland
Publication Date:
04-2014
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
Economic engagement between South and North Korea is often justified as a means of encouraging economic and social evolution in North Korea, with the ultimate goal of national unification. The South has invested heavily in the North, and firms have employed more than 50,000 workers. Yet expectations of a transformational impact rest on unexamined assumptions. The North recognizes the Trojan horse nature of the engagement policy: results of an original survey of South Korean employers show that the North Korean government has largely circumscribed the exposure of its citizens to both South Koreans and market-oriented economic practices, in the process violating labor rights defined by covenants to which both countries belong. The problem seems intractable, given that South Korea's diplomatic commitment to engagement with North Korea trumps labor rights concerns and South Korean firms perceive that the North Korean status quo confers benefits. As the experience of labor rights movements elsewhere shows, conditions will likely improve only if an aroused citizenry—here, the South Koreans—demands change.
Topic:
Diplomacy, Economics, Human Rights, Bilateral Relations, and Reform
Political Geography:
Asia, South Korea, and North Korea

92. Rubber Plantations Expand in Mountainous Southeast Asia: What Are the Consequences for the Environment?

Author:
Jefferson M. Fox, Jean-Christophe Castella, Alan D. Ziegler, and Sidney b. Westley.
Publication Date:
05-2014
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
For centuries, farmers in the mountainous region of mainland Southeast Asia have practiced shifting cultivation, with plots of land cultivated temporarily and then allowed to revert to secondary forest for a fallow period. Today, more than one million hectares have been converted to rubber plantation. By 2050, the area under rubber trees in the montane regions of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and China's Yunnan Province is predicted to increase fourfold. Preliminary research suggests this massive land-use change could lead to drier conditions at the local level plus surface erosion, loss of soil quality, sedimentation and disruption of streams, and risk of landslides. And it appears that when primary or secondary forests are converted to rubber, carbon emissions are likely to increase. Despite environmental concerns, both local farmers and outside entrepreneurs are likely to continue expanding rubber plantations because of high economic returns. Production systems that provide the best balance between economic return and environmental sustainability are needed to improve the long-term outlook for the region.
Topic:
Agriculture and Environment
Political Geography:
Asia and Southeast Asia

93. East-West Center Working Papers, Environmental Change, Vulnerability, and Governance Series

Author:
Alex S. Forster
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
North Korea is an extremely isolated and impoverished nation. While its political elites are able to enjoy some degree of luxury in spite of UN sanctions, the lower classes suffer from shortages of food, electricity, healthcare, and other basic needs. Many of the lower class and fringe populations reside in rural areas with limited infrastructure, and rely on black markets to survive. Their situation could be dramatically improved if electricity could be provided to their communities to power heating, health clinics, manufacturing facilities, fertilizer plants, and water pumps for agricultural irrigation.
Topic:
Health, Food, and Sanctions
Political Geography:
Asia and United Nations

94. Identifying Binding Constraints in Pacific Island Economies

Author:
Ron Duncan, Hilarian Codippily, Emele Duituturaga, and Raijieli Bulatale
Publication Date:
11-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
The emergence of a large number of small states over the past four decades or so (there are presently around 50 states with populations with less than 1.5 million) has led to considerable interest amongst researchers, member governments, and international agencies in their economic and environmental viability. The literature generated in the process has focused on the special problems and development challenges faced by such states, including their prospects for integration with the changing global environment. The study presented here builds upon this literature in examining the binding constraints to development. It is our hope that this study will benefit policy makers, researchers, and the donor community.
Topic:
Economics
Political Geography:
Island

95. New Directions in Asia-Pacific Economic Integration

Author:
Peter A. Petri and Ambassador Tang Guoqiang
Publication Date:
01-2014
Content Type:
Book
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
The year 2014 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first APEC Ministerial Meeting and the twentieth anniversary of APEC’s Bogor Goals. It’s time to shape the future by building on past achievements. If we look at the past 25 years of economic cooperation and integration in the Asia-Pacific region, I think it can be roughly divided into three stages.
Topic:
Economics, International Cooperation, International Trade and Finance, and Treaties and Agreements
Political Geography:
Asia

96. Trade and Innovation in Global Networks-Regional Policy Implications

Author:
Dieter Ernst
Publication Date:
05-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
This Think Piece explores how integration into international trade through global networks of production (GPNs) and innovation (GINs) might affect a region's innovation capacity. As regions across the globe are progressively integrated into those global networks - some certainly more than others - these regions are all faced with a fundamental challenge: How might progressive integration of its firms into GPNs and GINs affect learning, capability development and innovation? Will network integration unlock new sources of industrial innovation? Or will it act as a poisoned chalice that will sap and erode the region's accumulated capabilities?
Topic:
Economics, Globalization, International Trade and Finance, and Labor Issues

97. Contesting Buddhist Narratives: Democratization, Nationalism, and Communal Violence in Myanmar

Author:
Matthew J. Walton and Susan Hayward.
Publication Date:
11-2014
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
For the past few years, Myanmar's political transition has been hampered by violence between Buddhists and Muslims. A nation with an ethnically Burman and religiously Buddhist majority, the population also comprises a large minority of Muslims and members of other religions, and includes many different ethnic groups. As such, Myanmar society is complex and innately plural.
Topic:
Political Violence, Ethnic Conflict, Religion, and Political Activism
Political Geography:
Burma and Myanmar

98. The Asia-Pacific Cooperation Agenda: Moving from Regional Cooperation Toward Global Leadership,

Author:
Charles E. Morrison
Publication Date:
10-2014
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
In the past quarter-century Asia has seen vast changes, including increased economic growth, integration, and liberalization. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) process, now marking its 25th anniversary, facilitated these changes through its institution of the first regular meetings of ministers and then leaders. But what role should APEC play in the future? With a continuing diffusion of power, what was once hailed as an imminent "Asian century" is much more likely to be a global one. This international system, however, will have a trans-Pacific core with much of the economic power and potential to provide global leadership for the further development of international norms, rules, and cooperation. Thus, we may be able to refer to an "Asia-Pacific century." Two questions arise: Is North America, with a relatively small share of global population and a declining share of global world product, still relevant? Will the nations on the two sides of the Pacific really be able to use their power effectively to assume global leadership? The answer to the first of these is "yes," and to the second, "it depends."
Topic:
Economics, International Cooperation, International Political Economy, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:
Asia

99. Built-Up Area Change Analysis in Hanoi Using Support Vector Machine Classification of Landsat Multi-Temporal Image Stacks

Author:
Jefferson Fox, Duong Nong, Miguel Castrence, Tomoaki Miura, James Spencer, and Qi Chen
Publication Date:
10-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
Vietnam is experiencing one of the greatest urban transitions over the last two decades after the embankment of "Doi Moi" policy in 1986. The urban transition is vividly manifested in social, economic and physical aspects. While the urbanization can boost the industrialization and modernization goals of the country, it can cause adverse impact on natural environment as well as society and economy. To support a sound urban development plan, it is important that data and analysis on urban built-up areas are accurate and timely available. In this study, the Support Vector Machine Classification Algorithm (SVM) was applied to the multi-temporal image stacks of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) from 1993 to 2010 to quantify the changes of built-up areas over three time periods, 1993-2001, 2001-2006, and 2006-2010 and across twelve buffer zones. Our SVM classification algorithm has produced a highly accurate map of land use/land cover change with the overall accuracy of 95%. The study showed that most of the urban expansion occurred in the periods 2001-2006 and 2006–2010. The analysis was strengthened by the analysis of population census and other socio-economic figures. Through out this study, an implicit correlation between the urban growth, the trend of spatial expansion and other relevant geographic and socio-economic factors can be proposed. Result of this study would allow urban planners and decision makers to timely evaluate and adjust accordingly the urban growth and be aware of the sustainable usage of the invaluable natural lands and other environmental, social and economical problems.
Topic:
Economics
Political Geography:
Vietnam

100. Quantify Spatiotemporal Patterns of Urban Growth in Hanoi Using Time Series Spatial Metrics and Urbanization Gradient Approach

Author:
Jefferson Fox, Duong Nong, Tomoaki Miura, James Spencer, Qi Chen, and Christopher Lepczyk
Publication Date:
10-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
The year of 2010 was the first time in human civilization that the urban population had reached 3.5 billion people or crossed the 50% mark and continued to grow with no sign of slowing down especially for developing countries in Africa and asia (UN,2011). In 1800, only few percent of the world population lived in urban areas, but quickly increased to 14% in 1900 and then 30% in 1950 (platt,1994). Clearly, urban areas have become one of our primary habitats; therefore, urban sustainability is becoming more important than ever.
Political Geography:
Africa and Asia