Integrity Legal

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the President of Taiwan has won his recent bid for re-election. In order to shed further light upon these developments it is necessary to quote directly from the website of Asia News Network:

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday defeated rivals Tsai Ing-wen and James Soong sweeping more than 51 per cent of the presidential vote. The incumbent garnered more than 6.68 million votes to win another four year term after a re-election campaign that relied heavily on its China-friendly platform.

This blogger recommends that readers click upon the hyperlinks noted above in order to gain further insight into these developments.

It is often unwise to try to analyze the politics of Taiwan especially when comparing that jurisdiction to China. However, both Taiwan and China are very important players in an increasingly expanding and broad Asian economic landscape. Therefore, to ignore either jurisdiction may be unwise.

Concurrently, it would appear as though the Mainland Chinese economy is experiencing a slowdown of sorts. To quote directly from an article posted on the website of the Thai-ASEAN News Network:

Export growth slowed to 13.4% in December compared with a year earlier, down from 13.8% the previous month, while Chinese imports grew only 11.8% over December 2010, well below the 17% consensus prediction in a Reuters survey of economists…Fourth-quarter 2011 data for gross domestic product (GDP), to be published next week, are now expected to the worst for at least two years. Economic growth may have slowed to 8.7% from a year earlier, according a survey by Bloomberg News, which reports that UBS AG estimates 7.7% growth this quarter…

Readers are strongly encouraged to read this article in detail for further information.

Although it is difficult to say for certain whether any of these forecasts will actually result in an overall slowdown of the Chinese economy this blogger merely finds it interesting to peruse Chinese trends, both political and economic, because such trends can have an impact upon the Southeast Asian region. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is becoming an increasing potent economic conglomeration especially since it encompasses dynamic economies such as the Kingdom of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam along with emerging economies such as Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. The “ripple effect” of the different Asian economic strategies can often lead to unforeseen consequences across the pan-Asia spectrum. In any event, simple speculation is sometimes an interesting pastime for both outsiders as well as those well versed in the multifaceted nature of Asian economics.

For information regarding legal matters in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: ASEAN, ASEAN Economics, ASEAN economies, Asian Economy, China Business, China economics, China Economy, Chinese economics, Kingdom of Cambodia, Kingdom of Thailand, Pan-Asian Economics, Taiwan election, Taiwan Presidential Election
Posted in ASEAN Business, China Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that a United States Federal Court may soon hear a case involving a plaintiff bringing suit against a former Secretary of Defense which alleges that the plaintiff was subjected to extra-legal abduction and torture. In order to provide further insight it is necessary to quote directly from the official website of the Associated Press, AP.org:

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld can be sued personally for damages by a former U.S. military contractor who says he was tortured during a nine-month imprisonment in Iraq. The lawsuit lays out a dramatic tale of the disappearance of the then-civilian contractor, an Army veteran in his 50s whose identity is being withheld from court filings for fear of retaliation. Attorneys for the man, who speaks five languages and worked as a translator for Marines collecting intelligence in Iraq, say he was preparing to come home to the United States on annual leave when he was abducted by the U.S. military and held without justification while his family knew nothing about his whereabouts or even whether he was still alive. The government says he was suspected of helping pass classified information to the enemy and helping anti-coalition forces get into Iraq. But he was never charged with a crime, and he says he never broke the law and was risking his life to help his country…

The administration of this web log asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to read this article in detail.

The issues in the case noted above are likely to cause tension in a political context as matters pertaining to national defense can be the source of strong opinions. That stated, it would appear that the Court sees the case as being meritorious enough to warrant allowance of this personal lawsuit. That stated, until such time as a final ruling on the matter has been handed down all parties are viewed as innocent of any charge until culpability is proven. Hopefully justice will prevail.

Pursuant to the United States Constitution and the notions of due process of law emanating therefrom; individuals, particularly American Citizens, must be accorded certain procedural formalities prior to having their liberties abridged. For example, in order to bring a person under the criminal jurisdiction of an American Court of competent jurisdiction it is generally required, absent exigent circumstances, that a valid arrest warrant be issued. In some cases, US Courts opt to issue a bench warrant whereby a judge issues a warrant directly from the bench. Meanwhile, in situations where an individual has fled a particular jurisdiction there are instances where a fugitive warrant is issued. The procedure for bringing a fugitive from one jurisdiction to another is generally referred to as extradition.

Meanwhile, in matters pertaining to the region of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); it recently came to this blogger’s attention that the former King of Cambodia is traveling to Beijing, China. In order to provide further insight into these developments it is necessary to quote directly from the website of The Straits Times, StraitsTimes.com:

PHNOM PENH – CAMBODIA’S ailing former king Norodom Sihanouk left his country for Beijing on Wednesday to undergo medical tests, officials said. The 88-year-old monarch, who remains a revered figure in Cambodia, was given a red-carpet sendoff by his son King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Sen and other senior government officials at Phnom Penh airport…’He goes back this time to have his health checked to stay healthy and live longer among his people,’ Prince Sisowath Sirirath, second deputy president of the royalist Funcinpec party, told reporters. He said he didn’t know when Sihanouk would next return…

This blogger asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks above to read this poignant article in its entirety.

Former King Norodom Sihanouk remains a respected and highly venerated figure in the Kingdom of Cambodia notwithstanding the fact that his son King Norodom Sihamoni has taken up the responsibilities of Kingship. Hopefully, the former King’s upcoming health check up will result in benefits to his health as it is clear that the hopes and prayers of his people are with him.

For information pertaining to legal services in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: Army veteran, arrest warrant, ASEAN, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Beijing, Cambodia, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, China, Extradition, Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk, former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Fugitive Warrant, Funcinpec party, Kingdom of Cambodia, Marines, never charged with a crime, U.S military, U.S. military contractor
Posted in arrest warrant, Cambodia Business, China Business, US Citizenship, US Constitution | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Supreme Court of the sovereign State of New Jersey has handed down a decision which appears to differentiate between message boards and “mainstream” journalists. To cast further light upon this issue it may be best to quote directly from Yahoo News at Yahoo.com:

TRENTON, N.J. – The New Jersey Supreme Court says people posting in online message boards don’t have the same protections for sources as mainstream journalists. The court ruled Tuesday that New Jersey’s shield law for journalists does not apply to such message boards…New Jersey’s highest court says online message boards are little more than forums for discussion and don’t fit the definition of news media as described by the law.

The administration of this web log asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to read this story in full to gain further context.

As the so-called “alternative media” or “new media” continues to thrive and grow it stands to reason that US Courts will be hearing cases which place something of a new spin upon long-held notions pertaining to journalism and the press. It is this blogger’s opinion that the above case is not the “last word” on this topic as it seems likely that further cases in the future could possibly speak to this issue as well. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research to keep abreast of such matters.

Meanwhile, the United States Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was recently noted for his optimistic outlook for the ASEAN-American relationship, to quote directly from the official website of VIVA News, VIVANews.com:

I know you will agree that a peaceful, prosperous, and more integrated Southeast Asia is good for the world, the United States and for American business. As the United States’ fourth largest export market, ASEAN provides remarkable opportunity. Our presence and support now for this dynamic region of 580 million people will help ensure markets for U.S. goods and services for decades. We just concluded the 24th ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue last week—a gathering of more than 70 U.S. and ASEAN senior officials to discuss a range of issues. The message from the Dialogue is clear: The U.S.-ASEAN relationship is deepening and opportunities exist.

This blogger encourages readers to click on the relevant links above to read this in further detail.

Clearly, there are going to be further business opportunities in the jurisdictions (including the Kingdom of Thailand and the Kingdom of Cambodia) which comprise ASEAN. As these opportunities arise it is hoped that America can maximize the beneficial aspects of such developments. If the readership of this blog is as uninformed as this blogger (and he must sheepishly admit that he was not aware of this recent  development), then it comes as a surprise that there is an American Ambassador to ASEAN. In order to explain further it may be best to quote from a more informed source. Namely: the official website of The Irrawaddy, Irrawaddy.com:

David Lee Carden, a former attorney who has been named the first US ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), will attend the Asean Summit in Indonesia next week…

The administration very strongly recommends that readers click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to read that insightful article in full. To cast further light upon the appointment of a US Ambassador to ASEAN it may be best to quote directly from a posting dated April 26, 2011 from the official website of the US Mission to ASEAN:

In a ceremony today at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, H.E. David Lee Carden, the United States’ first resident Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, presented his credentials to ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. Dr. Surin will transmit Ambassador Carden’s credentials to ASEAN foreign ministers via the ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives in Jakarta.

To view the official homepage of the US Mission to ASEAN please click: HERE.

Clearly, America is committed to a strong ASEAN-American relationship as evidenced by the posting of an Ambassador. This development, in this blogger’s opinion, is not without good reason as ASEAN’s future economic potential is, well, rather staggering. This is especially true when considering the possible refractive benefits which could accrue to ASEAN from the potentially massive growth in the economies of, in, and around India and China. Hopefully, strong ASEAN-American relations will result in political and economic benefits for all concerned.

For related information please see: US Embassy Thailand.

Tags: Alternative Media, American Business, American Embassy ASEAN, American Mission ASEAN, American Mission to ASEAN, American Visa ASEAN, ASEAN, ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives in Jakarta, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, China, David Lee Carden, India, Kingdom of Cambodia, Kingdom of Thailand, mainstream journalists, New Jersey Supreme Court, new media, online message boards, State of New Jersey, The U.S.-ASEAN relationship, United States Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, US Courts, US Embassy ASEAN, us embassy thailand, US Mission Asean, US Mission to ASEAN, US Visa ASEAN
Posted in US Mission ASEAN | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the value of trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expected to increase significantly in the coming months and years. In order to provide further insight into this issue it may be best to quote directly from a recent article posted on the website English.cri.cn:

Trade value between China and ASEAN nations is expected to top 300 billion U.S. dollars this year as the Free Trade Area (FTA) continues to offer boosts, said Xu Ningning, the executive secretary general of China-ASEAN Business Council. The FTA, which started operation since the beginning of last year, has boosted economic exchanges between China and the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states, Xu said Sunday at a forum in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. The estimated amount will be higher than the 292.8 billion U.S. dollars registered between the two sides in 2010, up 37.5 percent from a year earlier. Customs data showed that in the first four months of this year, trade value between China and ASEAN nations rose 26.5 percent year-on-year to 110.2 billion U.S. dollars…

The administration of this web log strongly encourages readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to learn more.

The ASEAN community includes the following jurisdictions: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and the Kingdom of Cambodia. Many feel that these jurisdictions have a great deal of potential for economic growth in the future. Meanwhile, as can be gathered from the quotation above, China remains a vibrant economic actor which has been engaging the ASEAN economies. In previous postings on this blog it was noted that the United States of America and China are committed to cooperation in ASEAN engagement. Concurrently, China appears poised to create a rail link between Thailand and Greater China while a billion dollar Chinese trade complex is to be erected in Bangkok. In that vein, the Prime Minister of Malaysia was recently noted for discussing ASEAN relations with both China and India. To quote directly from the official website of Business Standard, Business-Standard.com:

After a speech calling for the establishment of a new multilateralism where nations, especially Asia, would not have to take sides between the United States and China, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has said the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) would not need to choose between India and China. “Asean is located between two great civilisations, China and India. Both these countries, as part of the Asean architecture, the Asean +3 and the East Asia Summit, are quite happy to accept Asean as the centrality in the whole process,” Najib said in reply to a question at the opening of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Asian Security Summit: The Shangri La Dialogue. “Both these two countries want to engage constructively with Asean and (are) looking at ways and means of increasing their trade, investment and other forms of exchanges with the Asean countries. In short, I am quite optimistic we can develop a meaningful and constructive relationship with India and China,” he added…

In a geopolitical sense, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is positioned so as to enjoy trade benefits with both India and China, two of the world’s economies which are expected to show tremendous economic growth in the coming days, months, and years. This observation is made at a time when an inauguration of the Cambodian Securities Exchange is expected. To quote directly from the official website of Xinhua, Xinhuanet.com:

PHNOM PENH, May 30 (Xinhua) — Cambodia is scheduled to inaugurate the long-awaited Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) on July 11, according to the statement of the finance ministry released to the media on Monday. And the first securities trading will begin towards the end of 2011, added the statement dated on May 26…

The administration of this web log strongly encourages readers to click upon the hyperlinks above to read this article in detail. This blogger must point out that, although noted in the aforementioned article, it would seem that actual trading on the Cambodian Stock Exchange is apparently not expected to commence upon the exchange’s inauguration. To further elucidate this point it may be best  to quote directly from the official website of the Reuters News Service, Reuters.com:

May 30 (Reuters) – Trading on Cambodia’s long-awaited stock exchange, which was scheduled to start in July, has been delayed yet again until the end of the year because companies planning listings need more time to comply with regulations, operators said on Monday. Ek Sonn Chan, director general of state-owned Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA), said there were many details still to be ironed out but his company was going ahead with plans for a $20 million flotation…

The administration of this web log asks readers to click upon the hyperlinks above to read this story in further detail as it may provide further perspective upon these developments.

Clearly, there appear to be some bumps in the road toward getting this exchange operational. As with many things in Southeast Asia, it often takes a significant amount of time to undertake a substantial project such as the opening of a stock exchange. Interested parties are encouraged to conduct research into this issue until such time as the exchange’s trading operation is confirmed.

For related information please see: Legal.

Tags: 300 billion U.S. dollars, ASEAN, Asean +3, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Brunei, Cambodia, Cambodian Securities Exchange, Cambodian stock exchange, Cambodian Stock Exchange inauguration, China-ASEAN, China-ASEAN Business Council, Chinese Trade Complex, Chinese-Thai High Speed Rail, CSX, East Asia Summit, Ek Sonn Chan, Free Trade Area, FTA, high speed rail link, Indonesia, International Institute for Strategic Studies Asian Security Summit, Khmer, Kingdom of Cambodia, Kingdom of Thailand, Kunming, Laos, Malaysia, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, multilateralism, Philippines, Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority, PPWSA, rail link, railroad, Singapore, Sino-Thai Railway, Thai, Thailand, The Shangri La Dialogue, Vietnam, Xu Ningning, Yunnan Province
Posted in ASEAN Business, Cambodia Business, China Business, India Business, Malaysia Business, Thailand Business | No Comments »

Those who read this blog may have taken notice of the fact that the country of Laos in Southeast Asia recently announced the opening of a Lao securities exchange in the capital city of Vientiane. It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Kingdom of Cambodia also plans to unveil their own securities exchange in 2011. To quote directly from a posting on DAP-news.com:

“Now we are our stock exchange in the process of establishing and developing Cambodian securities exchange which is going to be implemented in the middle of 2011, H.E Dr. Hean Sahip, deputy secretary general of ministry said in his speech during the workshop on IT for securities exchange in Phnom Penh.

The relatively small Southeast Asian Kingdom has been working on opening a securities exchange for some time. Now it would appear as though all of this effort may soon bear fruit, to quote DAP-news.com further:

“I would like to inform you that that to reach our objective of inaugural preparation of Cambodia securities exchange in the forth coming middle 2011, Cambodia securities exchange will start their operation soon  Canadia Tower, level 25”He added…

Some governmental agencies such as Autonomous zone of Sihanouk port, Electricity du Combodge, autonomous water supply authority of Phnom Penh, Telecom Cambodia will likely be listed in the stock exchange.Other dozen of private baking and companies will join the stock.

In the case of Laos, the opening of a stock exchange marks a significant step toward acquisition of investment capital as securities exchanges are often utilized in an effort to raise capital for companies wishing to expand. It would appear that the Kingdom of Cambodia offers substantial business opportunities to would-be investors of foreign origin. Some examples of the business opportunities in Cambodia are succinctly summed up on the BuyUSA.gov website:

Cambodia offers potential investment opportunities in tourism infrastructure and resorts; education; architecture, construction, and engineering services; household goods and appliances; agribusiness and food processing; used cars and automotive parts; power generation equipment; fast food and beverage franchises; pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and medical equipment; and banking.

Clearly, there are business opportunities in the Kingdom of Cambodia, but those looking to conduct business in the Southeast Asian Kingdom may be prudent to conduct research or possibly retain the services of an attorney to conduct due diligence into proposed investments prior to making irrevocable business decisions. The same could easily be said for those looking to conduct business in the Kingdom of Thailand, Laos, or any jurisdiction with which a prospective investor is not familiar as research into the business and legal issues associated with a new undertaking in an unfamiliar jurisdiction can help ensure that risks are avoided which stem from unforeseen complications.

For related information please see: US Company Registration or US Visa Cambodia.

Tags: agribusiness Cambodia, banking Cambodia, Business in Cambodia, Cambodia Bourse, Cambodia Securities Exchange, Cambodia Stock Exchange, Cambodian Business, Dr. Hean Sahip, Kingdom of Cambodia, Kingdom of Thailand, Laos Bourse, Laos Securities Exchange, Laos Stock Exchange, Telecom Cambodia
Posted in Cambodia Business | No Comments »