Books May 24, 2020
‘Peaceful Circumstances’: Negotiating relationships in a time of war
by Stephen Mansfield
Roger Pulvers’ “Peaceful Circumstances” is a coming-of-age novel about a young woman at a time when the world is rapidly unraveling.
Commentary / World Feb 25, 2019
How a film influenced Nixon's decision to invade Cambodia
by Franz-stefan Gady
Popular culture plays an underestimated role in shaping policymakers' world views and choices.
Asia Pacific Nov 8, 2017
U.S. suddenly opts to defund Norwegian NGO's project to clear mines, UXO in Cambodia
The United States has decided to defund a Norwegian nongovernmental organization's efforts to clear Cambodia of land mines and unexploded ordnance, causing concern that Washington might cease such funding altogether. Heng Ratana, director-general of Cambodian Mine Action Center, said he had received a confirmation letter ...
Voices | FOREIGN AGENDA Jun 21, 2017
Deafening silence from U.S. government as Okinawa defoliants quietly destroy children's futures
by Kris E. Roberts
Lt. Col. Kris E. Roberts, who found dozens of barrels of hazardous waste buried at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in 1981, reflects on the consequences of that discovery.
Asia Pacific Mar 29, 2017
Farmers, conservationists rescue 11 wild elephants from Cambodia mud pit
Eleven wild elephants trapped for days in a mudhole in northeastern Cambodia were rescued over the weekend, conservationists said Tuesday. The Wildlife Conservation Society said the elephants were trapped for three days in the mud of a crater, caused by a Vietnam War-era bomb, which ...
Commentary / World Mar 23, 2017
Sorry Trump, Cambodia owes the U.S. nothing
by Philip J. Cunningham
The $500 million bill that Uncle Sam has come knocking for is a pittance compared to the destruction the U.S. wreaked on Cambodia by incessant B-52 bombing during the Vietnam War.
Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Apr 27, 2016
Agent Orange and Okinawa: the story so far
by Jon Mitchell
Five years after The Japan Times first revealed the U.S. military's use of toxic defoliants on the island, new evidence continues to come to light.
Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Jan 13, 2016
As Okinawa confronts dioxin, Vietnam offers lessons
by Jon Mitchell
Health monitoring and safety measures are urged as U.S. military denials fly in the face of mounting evidence of contamination on the island.
Issues | LAW OF THE LAND Oct 11, 2015
Japan’s Constitution won’t protect revolting foreigners
by Colin P.A. Jones
It's worth bearing in mind that the most prominent case concerning the constitutional rights of foreigners involved an American who got kicked out of the country for participating in antiwar protests.
Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Sep 16, 2015
Pentagon blocks report on 'toxic contamination' at base outside Okinawa capital
by Jon Mitchell
Excerpts cite buried chemicals and 'evidence of contamination by heavy metals and pesticides' at military site on prime real estate near Naha.
Art Aug 4, 2015
Dinh Q. Le's art of nuanced criticism
by John L. Tran
Dinh Q. Le says he's not angry about the American war in Vietnam anymore. This makes our interview a lot easier; we are both of Vietnamese descent and there is a chance that talking about the war could polarize us very quickly, even though ...
World / Politics Jul 21, 2015
'Not a hero' McCain returns fire, tells Trump to apologize to U.S. military families
Sen. John McCain urged Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Monday to apologize to U.S. military families for saying prisoners of war are not heroes, in his first direct response to Trump's remarks. Trump drew a barrage of criticism over the weekend after telling a ...