Hong Kong
By Fernando Llanos, June 16th, 2008
Religion in Hong Kong
By Katie Llanos-Small, June 7th, 2008
Soldiers of an unpopular war
By Katie Llanos-Small, May 6th, 2008
I don’t like war. But wars are political actions and, in New Zealand at least, we are responsible for electing the clowns who sign us up to fight.
When soldiers head overseas, they go on our behalf. Okay, also in the name of freedom, anti-terrorism, anti-communism - whatever happens to be the cause celebre of the day.
But the soldiers go because our government tells them to. The least we can do is give them some respect.
Over 3000 Kiwi soldiers fought in Vietnam. Not a particularly popular war. Not, in my opinion, a war New Zealand should have gotten involved in. But that doesn’t justify the treatment these guys got when they came home.
I wasn’t aware of the issue until I started researching this story.
It wasn’t until 2004 - 30 years after they came home - that the government acknowledged the soldiers had been exposed to Agent Orange while in Vietnam.
In 2006 the government agreed Read the rest of this article »
Welcome back
By Katie Llanos-Small, May 4th, 2008
Welcome to the new foreign-correspondence.com - same good content, new pretty face.
Have a browse. Enjoy Fernando’s photos of the ANZAC dawn service in Auckland, and keep an eye out for my upcoming piece about New Zealand’s Vietnam Veterans.
The site is expanding and looking for new contributors. So if you’ve got something to say about what’s going on in your neck of the woods, get in touch.
Trading with China
By Katie Llanos-Small, April 15th, 2008
When Winston Peters holds up his little “No” placard, it makes me want to say “yes”. It’s a knee-jerk reaction, but I can’t help it.
So I say that this free trade deal with China is not the end of the world as we know it.
I can’t help thinking that more than a few of those who give Chinese human rights abuses as a reason not to sign were just using a new wagon for an old band. By which I mean ardent protectionists - who simply don’t want to open the country to a trade liberalisation agreement with China - used the recent protests in Tibet as a vehicle to make their point.
Read the rest of this article »