Sat, 05 Apr 2008Press TV (Iran)
Global rice reserves are at their lowest in 30 years and wholesale price of rice in Thailand has increased to $580 per tone in past three months.
Rice is one of the most important parts of daily diet in many Asian countries. People of China, Japan, India, Pakistan, Turkey and Iran are among those who at least consume rice once in a day.
The rising price of rice undoubtedly imposes hardship to many people in these countries.
Thailand and Vietnam are the first two largest exporters of rice in the world and the latest news indicate Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia have imposed restrictions on their rice exports to assure having enough rice for their domestic consumption.
Vietnam has reduced its rice exports, Cambodia has banned exports of rice altogether and Indonesia has levied a new tax on its rice exports.
Afzal Ali, an Asian Development Bank economist, predicts shortage of rice and its higher price could cause some social tensions and that is the main reason some Southeast Asian countries have imposes restrictions on rice exportation.
Social tensions can prove to be very dangerous, class tension destabilizes the countries and that is why Southeast Asian countries are so sensitive to the issue, he added.
The Philippines, with 58 million citizens, imports more than 2 million tons of rice annually and more than any other Southeast Asian nation is vulnerable.
The country does not have enough arable land to produce its own consumption needs and about 10 million of its population is suffering from hunger.
Rice is one of the most important parts of daily diet in many Asian countries. People of China, Japan, India, Pakistan, Turkey and Iran are among those who at least consume rice once in a day.
The rising price of rice undoubtedly imposes hardship to many people in these countries.
Thailand and Vietnam are the first two largest exporters of rice in the world and the latest news indicate Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia have imposed restrictions on their rice exports to assure having enough rice for their domestic consumption.
Vietnam has reduced its rice exports, Cambodia has banned exports of rice altogether and Indonesia has levied a new tax on its rice exports.
Afzal Ali, an Asian Development Bank economist, predicts shortage of rice and its higher price could cause some social tensions and that is the main reason some Southeast Asian countries have imposes restrictions on rice exportation.
Social tensions can prove to be very dangerous, class tension destabilizes the countries and that is why Southeast Asian countries are so sensitive to the issue, he added.
The Philippines, with 58 million citizens, imports more than 2 million tons of rice annually and more than any other Southeast Asian nation is vulnerable.
The country does not have enough arable land to produce its own consumption needs and about 10 million of its population is suffering from hunger.
4 comments:
This is only a temporary issue, and the reason I say that is because lot of third world still have room to improve productivity to boost the supply in order to drop the price back down. But how much to drop can effect the farmer life style.
Also this is one of the reason why China play a big role in helping the third world to develop, that is to create more competition to keep the cost of supply down for their people. They can't afford to have high surge in price for staple because it is vital and costly for them. Thus, their investment (in $billion) in the third world is justified.
Non-violent public demonstration is the best choice to uphold democracy and sustain the principles of democracy. Does non-violent public demonstration is useful for Khmer society?
Simple answer is YES:
1. Providing public education in some constructive measurements suggested by demonstrators. In this case, SRP has intellectually proposed with their five solutions for the hike of commodities price ie low taxes of gasoline, halting commercial monopoly by cronies, adequate monetary policy, limit currency printing, and give back unused lands to the farmers.
These five measurements are impregnable for the incorporation of opposition party with the government. It is only for the benefits of Cambodian peoples and their nation. It only helps the government to envision their policy.
2. Political leaders surely require political will to transform themselves from "power-thirsty" to "nation-building". In this manner, non-violent public demonstration is just another effort to exercise genuine democratic principles that is solemnly guaranteed by Cambodian national constitution.
To achieve this principle, government requires political will and scarifying, and opposition party requires courageous and striving as Sam Rainsy has always stood on this vision.
3. Some previous negative causalities of non-violent public demonstrations such as grenade attacks, offending to mass protesters, and the burning down of Thailand embassy are the fault of authority, (not government or CPP because authority must be neutral), importantly authority failed to safeguard, protect, and prevent such causalities.
In sum, there are many ways to help develop our nation, and among those public opinion expression or non-violent demonstration is the cornerstone of genuine, democratic development in Cambodia.
SRP has been aware about this. When mass media and public opinion are colonized and bombarded by the CPP especially the five suggestions of SRP has been neglected by the government leadership, the non-violent public demonstration is inevitable. It is not called political opportunity or political agenda that CPP has always stereotyped to arrest or accuse dissents and demonstrators, it is the potential tool to develop Cambodia nation politically, socially and economically.
KY
Spammer!
Ah Xam Rainxy notorious killer must be stopped from destroying our religion.
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