No, Rule by Hukum is not dead. I've merely been busy preparing to begin my Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Michigan. Here are two interesting articles from Burma and Philippines:
First, Irrawaddy has an op-ed piece discussing Suu Kyi's recent lawsuits against the SPDC under the election laws. It's an intelligent piece that raises several concerns about the litigious approach to political protest in the current context. In particular, it mentions the possibility that the NLD's lawsuit might get bogged down in court procedure and legalisms, rather than fomenting political change.
Second, I thought readers might be interested in an update from the Philippines, where the biggest justice-related news is the impeachment proceedings against the Ombudsman for allegedly stalling inquiries into Arroyo's corruption and human rights abuses. The Ombudsman's case isn't helped much by the fact that she was a classmate of Mikey Arroyo. However, one of the leaders of the impeachment proceedings has a conflict of interest, notably a case pending before the Ombudsman. It's one of those exciting soap operas so common amongst the Philippine elite. You can read more here and here.
I probably won't be making as many posts now that my Ph.D. program has started, but I'll try to write once a week and share some of the most important legal news from the region. Of course, when I begin my research, I'll share that as well.
Critics agree that much of Southeast Asia desperately needs judicial reform and rule of law. Yet, there is remarkably little comparative scholarship on law and legal institutions in the region. In this blog, I'll follow constitutional developments in Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
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