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Current
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Achives
- 2002
Terrorism
war: Moderate students suffer
Terror War - Closer to home
Behind the media reshuffle
An early bird
Sia - an unbelievable move
A
wingless snake that flies
US-Singapore
military exercises
Don't
call bin Laden a Muslim
Asiaweek
relaunch hopes dashed
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Terrorism war
Moderate students suffer
On security concerns, fewer students from Indonesia
and Malaysia can study in USA.
Sept 27, 2002
Some
10,000 people from 26 muslim or predominantly Muslim
countries wanting to enter US will have to wait for
two months or longer, reports Washington Post. Worst
hit is Malaysia.
The
paper said new regulations aimed at improving the screening
of visa seekers had forced tens of thousands of foreigners
already in US to return home and reapply for student
visas.
Many
have been waiting months for permission to come back,
said another paper, New York Times.
It
is the result of a quiet tightening of a visa review
process in Washington that was prompted by the Sept
11 attacks, which were carried out by young Muslim men.
Another
daily, The Washington Post said some 10,000 people from
predominantly Muslim nations have to wait two months
or longer for permission to return to study, work or
vacation in the US.
The
new policy requires that officials in Washington approve
visas for every male between the ages of 16 and 45 who
is a native of any one of 26 countries.
This
has led to a dramatic drop in the number of visa applications
by genuine students from Arab countries, and interminable
delays for those who try to see the process through.
Malaysia
One
of the worst hit is Malaysia, which traditionally sends
thousands of students to the US each year, reported
The Washington Post.
It
has suffered the largest backlog - well over 5,000 -
though in recent days some visa approvals have begun
to come through. The large number is due to the fact
that it includes many non-Muslims.
As
in the case of the Indonesians, it is not just ethnic
Arab students who are affected.
A
number of ethnic Chinese have not received visas in
time to return to fall classes, some of them at Harvard
and Yale.
Indonesia
Indonesia,
the world's biggest Islamic country, has a backlog of
2,500 people and Egypt, about 800
There
is the group of 52 Indonesian accountants whom Ernst
Young wanted to send to the US to be trained in tracking
money-laundering, a crucial element of the war on terrorism,
said The Washington Post.
They
did not get their visas in time to go
Some
30 Indonesian musicians, masters of the gamelan, a traditional
percussion instrument, will not be performing at an
international music festival this month because they
could not get their visas in time.
(Neither
will the Whirling Dervishes of Damascus and a 12-member
ensemble from Syria.)
One
victim was Indonesian Abdul Malik who has completed
his research for a doctorate in social psychology from
the New School University in New York. It has taken
him seven years.
He
is now set to take the final step, by defending his
thesis later this month in New York. His adviser has
agreed to fly in from Paris. But Malik, an Indonesian
citizen, fears he will not make the date.
Though
for the past decade he has consistently received permission
to study in the US, this year he was told to come back
later when he applied for a visa on June 30, according
to The Post.
Almost
three months later, he is still waiting. His wife, also
an Indonesian, received her visa in June and left for
New York without him.
In
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, students have demonstrated
at the US Embassy.
Sept 27, 2002
---
Terror
War
Closer to home
Terrorism fear closes US embassies in KL, Jakarta indefinitely,
undermines region's investment limate. Regional hub
Singapore is affected..
Sept 14, 2002
Sept
11 passed without any deadly incidents in America or
Europe, but its impact ironically has not spared Southeast
Asia from its costly tailspin.
Citing
specific intelligence of planned attacks, the US closed
its embassies in four Asean countries, including Cambodia
and Vietnam on Sept 11. In all, it shut down 13 missions
worldwide this week.
On
the anniversary day, Australia closed its mission in
Islamabad, while Britain's embassy in Singapore shut
its doors to the public.
According
to the Americans, "specific and credible"
information was that al Qaeda was planning to launch
multiple same-day attacks on US embassies in Southeast
Asia. No date was committed; the lan will take place
when the guard is down, Americans say.
Shockingly
two of them in Indonesia and Malaysia were shut indefinitely,
an immeasurable blow to the region's confidence at a
time when investments are already weak.
Malaysia
criticised the action for the negative signals they
had sent, while Indonesia's President Megawati said:
"Such a thing should not have been done. "Indonesia
as a host will treat its guests well and take good care
of them."
Singapore,
a regional hub, will be tainted by the action if it
leads to investors viewing Southeast Asia as a dangerous
place.
Ironically,
al Qaeda's threat, aimed at killing infidels, is hitting
hardest the region's two predominant Islamic societies
and millions of Muslims. In fact the first reaction
of many people was that it was an US pressure for stronger
action against militant groups operating there, especially
in reluctant Indonesia.
(This
was reinforced by a public advice by US Ambassador in
Jakarta, Ralph L. Royce to American investors not to
make any new commitments in Indonesia until the investment
and security climate improves.)
But
the embassies' indefinite closures evidently followed
disturbing intelligence gathered and confirmed by a
captured al Qaeda operative.
American
officials said the plot information the plot came to
light during the continuing interrogation of a Qaeda
operative, Omar al-Faruq, according to the New York
Times,
Omar
was picked up in central Java in June and quietly turned
over to the United States, according to western intelligence
officials. "He has proved reliable in the past,"
said an American official.
The
information provided by the source was very precise,
American intelligence officials said, going so far as
to identify specific embassies as targets.
It
was generally corroborated, they said, with information
US investigators had received recently from a more senior
Qaeda operative.
The
embassies that closed down had already seen warning
signs that caused them to take the new threat seriously,
officials told the Times.
In
recent days, American security personnel had noticed
suspicious activity around the embassies in Jakarta
and Kuala Lumpur, suggesting that they might be under
surveillance.
Citing
"a general terrorist threat," Britain also
temporarily closed its embassy in Jakarta on Wednesday
The
US and Singapore have long asked the Indonesians to
crack down on the organisation and arrest Mr. Bashir,
but the government has been reluctant to do so, fearing
a backlash from Muslims.
Sept 14, 2002
--
Singapore
media
Behind the reshuffle
Are we seeing a new rivalry between Singapore
and Hong Kong's two media giants as a result of China's
economic sparkle? By Seah Chiang Nee
Aug 30, 2002
Asia's media scene remains weak to pathetic - if not
for China's economic boom. And many are Saying: "You
ain't seen nuthin' yet."
That's
the reason why Hong Kong's South China Morning Post
wants to cash in on the growing business interest
on China - and evidently bringing out a reaction from
Singapore's newspaper chain, Singapore Press Holdings
(SPH).
Controlled
by Malaysian billionaire Robert Kuok, SCMP will soon
be firing the first shot by printing a new tabloid-size
weekly in Singapore for distribution in Southeast Asia,
according to media sources.It
will provide mostly business and financial coverage
on China; no politics. Apart from Singapore, other copies
will go Malaysia, Thailand, etc.
The
sources said it would likely be named China Business
Week (or Weekly) and will also be sold in several
Chinese cities and, of course, Hong Kong and Far Eastern
cities.
When
Robert Kuok bought the Hong Kong English-language paper
with its limited audience in the then British colony,
talk was that his real interest lay further afield in
the mainland.
Potentially
China was a big market for the newspaper. At the same
time, it would stir the outside world's need for news
of business opportunities in China."The Post has
invested a great deal on a China bureau, building reporting
expertise of the huge market," said an industry
source. "It now wants to make it pay."
There has been no official confirmation of these plans,
but the talk around town is that it is recruiting editorial
staff. Eventual circulation: 40,000-50,000 copies. The
weekly will have 50-60 page
One
source said dummy run is around December-January,
which means the first issue to hit the street will be
around Lunar New Year 2003 at the earliest.The South
China Morning Post's impending arrival is regarded as
direct challenge into SPH's turf.
It
will, of course, not be the first foreign paper to gain
permission of printing and distributing in Singapore.
Others to do so include Asian Wall Street Journal and
International Herald Tribute.
But it will be the first major Asian publisher to come
in. Some media analysts expect a clash to develop between
Robert Kuok's publication and the SPH Holdings.In Thursday's
(Aug 29) editorial reshuffle, the Straits Times announced
a new editor, Han Fook Kwangreplacing Leslie Fong.
After
15 years at the helm, bilingual Fong becomes editor-at-large,
who will take charge of the group's foreign bureaus,
especially China.
"The rise of China is a powerful story that
demands closer examination," said Group Chief Editor
Cheong Yip Seng.The emphasis on China coverage is significant
in the face of SCMP's Beijing plans.
The immediate preoccupation of the Singaporean group
will undoubtedly be to protect its home market against
the new intruder. That means drastically increasing
China coverage.
Whether
or not it will then counter-attack by itself going into
the region and China remains to be seen.
For
this once-monopolistic giant, the world has shifted
somwhat.Hit by falling advertisement revenues and stretched
by new competition for the last couple of years, SPH
is already going through challenging times even without
a Hong Kong rival.
Last
week, it announced investing another S$40 million on
its loss-making television arm, MediaWorks, which operates
two channels.
Aug 30, 2002
North
Korea
An
early bird
One Singaporean early
bird in the world's unlikely place.
Aug 25, 2002
With
North Korea showing signs of opening up, a Singaporean
entrepreneur is already in there before most other foreigners
even thinks about it.
Time
magazine reporter Ronald MacIntyre found Richard
Savage working among rows of expensive paulownia trees
on the outskirts of Pyongyang. Savage
is confident that his US$23 million, 20,000 hectare
Paulownia plantation south of Pyongyang will pay off,
says a recent article in the magazine.
His
Singapore-based company, Maxgro Holdings, is investing
$5 million in North Korea this year.
Savage
has plans to build a resort there, complete with a 70-room
hotel, horseback riding, trout fishing and all-terrain
vehicles.
"Signs
of economic reform in North Korea are an encouragement
to a few bold investors," the article headlined:
"Light from the North" says.
The
saplings in the Singaporean's orchard have been in the
ground for only a month but already they are a metre
high; the first harvest could take place in just five
years, Time says.
"Eyes
shaded by his black cowboy hat, the Singaporean native
gazes down the rows of juvenile trees, each worth thousands
of dollars at maturity, with a satisfied grin,"
MacIntyre adds.
The experimental lumber crop has survived the harsh
North Korean winter and is flourishing in the loamy
soil.
"The paulownia loves this," Savage says. Glancing
at another leafy plant, a new hybrid, he confides, "We're
going to let the Dear Leader name it."
Hermit
state, international pariah, charter member of the "axis
of evil"-North Korea is hardly an obvious place
for long-term investments like tree farms.
But Savage sees it differently. "This is a mega-growth
area," he says. "If you don't move now, you
will have missed the boat."
Whether Savage has boarded the Titanic remains to be
seen, but there are increasing signs that North Korea
at last may be opening its barbed-wire gates, economically
and diplomatically.
Frequent
business visitors to Pyongyang say the North Koreans
have been overhauling their investment laws and welcoming
international trade delegations in the hope of attracting
foreign capital.
Government
connections are still essential, but there are fewer
layers of bureaucracy than in China, say experts on
North Korean business practices.
Once a joint venture is signed, getting things done
is no tougher than in other developing countries.
"I
find it very refreshing to be here," says Savage.
"The guys are very straight."
But North Korea's agricultural output has fallen dramatically
and its infrastructure is crumbling, Time reports.
Most
of its factories have shut down and its electric power
system is in shambles. The country has one of the worst
credit ratings in the world and its currency, the won,
is not convertible.
Building
the basic services that might make North Korea alluring
to more foreign investors will take billions of dollars
in loans from international lenders like the World Bank.
Savage, the tree farmer, believes otherwise, MacIntyre
adds.
He
will be in North Korea with his Israeli irrigation engineers
this week, setting up greenhouses and touching base
with his North Korean partners. He acknowledges his
venture will require patience. The country "may
be a bit backward," he concedes, "but so what?
If you are prepared to help, it will take off like a
bloody bullet."
Aug 25, 2002
SIA pilots:
An unbelievable move
Authorities perceive pilots threat as potential danger
to SINGAPORE'S future.
Aug 18, 2002
In
long flights, when a second crew took over, the first
one got to sleep - pilots doing so in the Business Class.
Sometimes, it is the other way round.
But
the scheme, after 13 years, faced an abrupt end with
introduction of business class new seats that can be
flattened into beds, resulting in fewer seats.
Pilots
were told to take their in-flight rests and meals in
economy class if there were no empty seats in business
class. But the pilots claimed this was a breach of their
collective agreement and could compromise aviation safety.
They
have turned down an offer of financial compensation
for the change. The two parties are negotiating to avoid
Singapore Airline's first industrial action in 22 years
- with the government as mediator.
With
most major airlines losing tens of billions of dollars
and fighting for survival in the wake of 9/11, the reason
for the dispute seems flippant.
The
action lent weight to a belief that some Singaporeans,
after 30 years of the good life, are unable to appreciate
trouble when fundamentals turn negative.
As
a result of declining passengers, airline competition
has resulted in sharp discounts and birth of many cheap
no-frills fares, which cast a shadow over high-premium
airlines like SIA.
The
public is generally critical of the pilots with some
calling them a spoilt lot.
In
fact, some comments reflect anger; a few are sympathetic
saying the pilots should be given proper rest for the
sake of safety.
A
well-known letter writer, Denis Distant, said:
"Passengers' lives are in the hands of the pilots.
Trying to earn more money by making pilots uncomfortable
is taking an unacceptable risk.
"The
suggestion that SIA use SAF pilots as a bargaining weapon
will not improve the airline's image."
But
a stock analyst calls the reason and timing for industrial
action "lousy."
"When
the whole industry is fighting for survival, the Singapore
pilots want to hit at SIA's business so that they can
sleep better?" he added.
One
online posting reminded the pilots that the bulk of
the business came from the economy class and they should
not denigrate it as "uncomfortable."
"Their
attitude should be if they can sleep just fine in economic
class...so can we! Never think it's beneath you to fly
with the very people who pay your salary!" it added.
Another
writer, Sychang, appealed to the pilots: "Come
on, come to your sense.
Your job is more stable and secure than pilots of other
airlines."
Another
said: "To survive in today's competitive environment,
the staffs should cooperate with the management to keep
company lean and efficient, and if that means they,
the pilots, have to go economy, so be it!
One
even calls on SIA to sack the "trouble-makers."
The
general feeling is that despite the bravado, the pilots
are on weak territory simply because the market for
pilots worldwide is weak.
Besides,
many SIA ground staffs are pposed to the action which
will affect them. They are not involved and do not see
why they should suffer if the company profits take a
hit.
What
is the next step?
The
pilots will have to wait at least three weeks before
they can hold the secret ballot to decide whether or
not to work to rule that may cause higher costs and
flight delays.
The
action is not a strike, but will involve refusing to
attend non-essential meetings on their days off.
Other
actions include asking for minimum notice of changes
to a pilot's roster or duties, a move, which could affect
the airline's flight operations.
Trouble?
Slim chance
The
chances for industrial action are slim simply because
SIA is too important to Singapore's economy to be allowed
to get into trouble.
If
government mediation fails, there is another safeguard.
The Ministry of Manpower can order both sides to go
for compulsory arbitration. The Industrial Arbitration
Court will then determine the outcome of the dispute.
In
1980, it took the personal intervention of then prime
minister Lee Kuan Yew to end a work slowdown over salaries
and benefits.
Seah Chiang Nee
Singapore snake:
Wingless, it flies
First, a national orchid, then a cat,
now, unknown to many Singaporeans - a gliding snake
which also swims. Reuters.
Aug 9, 2002
Forget
the wings, disregard the flaps and ditch the rotors,
it's possible to soar effortlessly through the air without
the usual aerial props -- if you're an Asian paradise
tree snake.
The Singapore native snake knows nothing about aerodynamics
but it can leap from heights and glide through the air
by simply flattening and undulating its body.
"It is doing something that no other flyer, either
natural or man-made does, which is moving side-to-side
while going forward," said Jake Socha, a biologist
at the University of Chicago.
Most flying squirrels, lizards or frogs use wings or
flaps to generate lift but the paradise tree snake,
or Chrysopelea paradisi, lives in trees and has
no appendages so it forms its body into an "S"
shape to keep it in flight.
The snake steers, not by banking as in an airplane,
but changing the pattern of how it slithers and undulates.
Its glide ratio, how far it travels horizontally compared
to how far it falls vertically, is comparable to flying
squirrels and lizards.
"They can locomote with a similar ability,"
said Socha. "These animals are real gliders."
He described the snake an "all-purpose athlete"
because it can swim, climb trees and slither on the
ground.
But he is most interested in its aerial abilities. Socha
studied the snakes in the Singapore zoo and reported
his findings in the science journal Nature.
He believes its gliding ability has some evolutionary
purpose although he is not sure what it is.
He also doubts humans will be able to incorporate its
tricks into their own attempts to conquer the skies.
"I don't think we are going to see flying snake
planes in 20 years but you never know..," Socha
added.
Reuters
US-Singapore
With 2,000 troops, 14 ships, missile
cruisiers and jet fighters, they're the biggest since
exercises started 8 years ago.
Jul 3, 2002
SINGAPORE
and the US on Tuesday (July 2) launched their most significant
military exercises since the September 11 terrorist
attacks, with the participation for the first time of
aircraft from the US Marines.
About 2000 troops from the navy, army, Marine Corps
and Coast Guard of the two allies, as well as 14 ships
will take part in the 11-day Cooperation Afloat Readiness
and Training (CARAT) exercises in the South China
Sea and the southern islands.
For
the first time in the eight-year history of the exercises,
air assets from the US Marines such as F-18 combat jets
and Sea Stallion helicopters were mobilised to support
ground forces, officials said.
A
US Coast Guard cutter, the USCGC Morgenthau, as well
as the guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes will also
participate for the first time.
"Defence
cooperation is especially relevant with the emergence
of new threats such as international terrorism,"
said Singapore Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Sim Gim
Guan, who opened the exercises.
"It
is no longer enough for militaries to act unilaterally
in the defence against such threats. Instead, forces
from different nations would have to cooperate to bring
to bear all available resources to combat these new
threats," he said.
Rear
Admiral Jeff Cassias, commander of the US navy's logistics
group Western Pacific based in Singapore, said that
after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United
States, American military planners had scaled back or
canceled some military exerices.
But
the CARAT series, which is also conducted with
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand,
was among those retained.
"I
believe this underscores the importance of this exercise
-- and it certainly lends a lot of credibility to this
engagement ... This year, the CARAT Task Force
boasts the most impressive group ever in the exercise's
eight-year history," Cassias said.
Captain
Robert Riche, head of US forces participating in the
exercise, said the maneouvres have "grown in importance"
since September 11, when suspected Islamic extremists
used hijacked planes as weapons of mass destruction
in New York and Washington, killing 3000 people.
Singapore
Colonel Tan Kai Hoe, who co-commands the exercises along
with Riche, said that the September 11 attacks and new
threats that have evolved recently "indicate that
essentially militaries are no longer able to operate
unilaterally."
"I
think more and more you will find that combined operations
are going to be the norm. By exercising together with
other navies, we hope to lay a good foundation of mutual
understanding and more important interoperability,"
Tan added.
Singapore
is a key US ally in Asia, with the city-state's leaders
among the staunchest supporters of the US-led war against
global terrorism.
Singapore
also hosts Changi Naval Base, one of only two facilities
in Southeast Asia that can berth US aircraft carriers.
Last
year, Singapore intelligence operatives detained 13
men linked to September 11 suspected mastermined Osama
bin Laden's al-Qaeda network for allegedly plotting
to blow up American military personnel and use truck
bombs to attack the US embassy and other foreign missions
here.
An
indictment in the US on another September 11 suspect,
Zacarias Moussaoui, showed a list of countries in which
al-Qaeda allegedly trains its members: Malaysia, Indonesia
and Singapore as well as al-Farouk training camp in
Afghanistan.
AFP
Don't call bin Laden
a Muslim
Muslim radicals call Osama a hero, the
rest says he violates Islam. Here's an idea how to avoid
this.
Feb 9, 2002
Refer
to Osama bin Laden and the likes of him as "self-acclaimed
Muslims" not Muslims. It is an important distinction.
This appeal is addressed to the world media, including
that in the Muslim world at large. Why is this helpful?
Let me explain.
Many Muslims all over the world, who have nothing to
do with terrorism, are mad with the media for portraying
their religion as violent, dangerous, backward.
The culprits, they feel, are not only Western, but Asian
journalists as well.
Every time they refer to al Qaeda as Muslim terrorists,
they are inflicting a great injustice on Islam and its
followers. Why not Protestant or Catholic terrorists
in Northern Ireland or Hindu killers in Sri Lanka.
The
same brush is painting all the world's Muslims black.
A possible solution lies in removing the contradictions.
Look at the present picture.
Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda say they have committed
these acts in the name of Allah against his enemies.
They justify them under the Quran and are supported
by radical clerics.
The rest of the Muslim world, however, says not true,
Islam is about peace and does not sanction killing of
innocents, so these people are un-Islamic.
If so, let's all of us stop calling them Muslims. They
call themselves Muslims, so we should call them "self-proclaimed"
or self-acclaimed" Muslims.
In the media, we should do it every time and for all
times. This will stop associating their terrorism with
Islam.
It
will free Islam and Muslims in general from being associated
with these killers and their bloodthirsty ideology.
This distinction will also isolate the radicals who
will refuse to sanction or follow the move.
It is much easier for the Western press to implement
it since it does not breach principles of objectivity.
To work, it must be observed by the broad moderate Muslim
press, a more difficult process. At least intially,
not many will like - or dare - to brand these terror
organisers as "self-acclaimed terrorists."
But it has to be done - if Islam is to be cleared ot
suspicions. A few radical countries may not follow,
but that's an acceptable obstacle.
In this way, the world, especially the Muslims themselves,
will move to separate the terrorists from Islam and
Muslims.
The best solution is, of course, for the emergence of
a powerful leader who is able to rally the world's Muslims
and lead them into the 21st Century as a modernist religion
of peace, tolerance and knowledge.
While
there is none, the next best thing has taken place.
Several impressive leaders have emerged who have already
exerted an influence on millions of their own Muslim
populations with a clear, moderate stand for peace and
progress - against extremism.
I can't name all of them here; they include Malaysia's
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Pakistan's General Pervez Musharaff
and Jordanian King Abdullah..
Dr.
Mahathir has spoken out strongly against Islamic extremism,
blaming radical clerics for bringing violence and backwardness
to Muslims and non-Muslims.
In a similar tone, Gen. Musharraf described Islam as
"a religion of peace." that had been damaged
in Pakistan by "misguided elements who spread hatred
and violence not only between religions, but between
ourselves as Muslims."
"It
is we Muslims who have to change this perception,"
he said. "In
my own small way, I wish to spread the image of a tolerant,
forgiving Islam. I would like to root out any intolerance
and violence from this society."
In
a perfect world, of course, Muslims behave like other
faiths in not automatically supporting foreign wars
in blind support of their "Muslim brothers"
- whether they are right or wrong.
Especially if they are wrong.
Seah Chiang Nee
Asiaweek
relaunch hopes dashed
AOL-Time Warner sacrifices money by not selling
Asiaweek. Reason: It doesn't want rivalry to itself
in Asia.
Jan 5, 2001
Attempts
by Asiaweek staff and other potential investors to revive
the magazine following its closure in November are being
blocked by owner AOL Time Warner, South China Morning
Post reports, quoting unnamed sources.
Soon
after the closure - which resulted in 80 job losses
- a small group of journalists from the magazine arranged
to have preliminary discussions with a potential investor.
The
meeting was cancelled after talks with Asiaweek president
Peter Brac, the daily said..
AOL
Time Warner is only offering to sell the title but none
of its other important assets, such as the subscriber
list.
One
source said: "They are not interested in selling
- from my understanding there are as many as 10 offers
on the table."
AOL
Time Warner's position has led to speculation it wants
to ensure Asiaweek is not relaunched to avoid extra
competition in Asia for its other titles such as Time
and Fortune magazines.
Mr
Brack denied AOL Time Warner was reluctant to sell Asiaweek
but confirmed it was not going to offer the magazine's
subscriber list to potential buyers as it wanted to
keep that for the company's other publications.
"We're
not reluctant [to sell Asiaweek] - it's just that we're
not going to sell the list," he said.
Mr
Brack confirmed he had met Asiaweek journalists who
were interested in trying to bring together investors
to save the magazine.
"It
was met with the same kind of response which I gave
to outside potential suitors which was, 'Well, what
is there to buy guys?'," Mr Brack said of the meeting.
"There's
no subscriber list, there's no space, it would be a
start-up, and basically there would be a trademark and
that's it and it's frankly too complicated to sell it
to existing staff, so let's not complicate things."
AOL
Time Warner executives cited the economic downturn,
slumping advertising sales and the aftermath of the
September 11 terrorist attacks in the US as reasons
for closing Asiaweek.
"It
wasn't the magazine that failed - it was economic conditions,"
Mr Brack said.
Asiaweek
staff had been employed until the end of last month
by the company. Mr Brack has already been appointed
to another job within AOL Time Warner in Hong Kong,
which is also trying to find positions for other Asiaweek
staff.
The
magazine was launched in 1975 as a news magazine with
the mission "to see the world from an Asian perspective,
to be Asia's voice in the world".
Asiaweek had a circulation of 130,000 last year, giving it the highest circulation of an Asian-based English-language magazine, AOL Time
Warner claimed at the time of its closure.
Jan 5, 2002
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