THE LEADERS

Interview with Ananda Galappatti, Yuli Ismartono [time 29:59]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews in Colombo, capital city of island republic of Sri Lanka. We are here to meet two leaders of Sri Lanka civil society. Today we will meet with Mr. Ananda Galappatti. He co-founded the war trauma and pscycho-social support program or PSP to treat victims of the Civil War. Following the devastating 2004 tsunami, Ananda Galappatti joined some colleagues in founding the Mangrove, a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to coordinating psycho-social aspects of the relief effort in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka, where is now based.

Interview with Suranjan Kudithuwakku, Yuli Ismartono [time 29:43]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews in Colombo, capital city of island republic of Sri Lanka. We are here to meet two leaders of Sri Lanka civil society. They are Mr. Suranjan Kudithuwakku and Mr. Ananda Galappatti. Let's begin with Mr. Suranjan Kudithuwakku who is a founding member and CEO of the Green Movement of Sri Lanka, the largest environmental network in the country, with 147 NGOs engaged in the management of natural resources. He is also a founding director of the Center for Environmental Justice and he sits on the current international committee of the NGO Forum on ADB.

Interview with Mechai Viravaidya , Yuli Ismartono [time 29:42]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews in Bangkok Thailand to chat with one of the country's most popular leader Khun Mechai Viravaidya. Trained as an economist, Mechai has worn many hats in his productive and colorful career - academic, government official and activist. Yet, he is best known as Thailand's Mr. Condom, for demystifying contraceptives and in doing so, drastically lowered Thailand's once high population growth rate. Today he focuses on the problem of HIV and community development.

Interview with Nafsiah Mboi, Yuli Ismartono [time 29:29]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews in Jakarta, my home town. Here in the capital city of Indonesia, we will meet and chat with Dr. Nafsiah Mboi who is a leader in the field of HIV/AIDS management in the country. Trained as a pediatrician, Dr. Nafsiah Mboi is an outspoken proponent on women's issues and HIV/AIDS. In 1986, she and her husband, then the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, received the Ramon Magsaysay award for their extensive community development work in the impoverished area.

Interview with Huang Haoming, Yuli Ismartono [time 29:30]
Welcome to the second edition of THE LEADERS in China.
I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews in Beijing to interview professor Huang Haoming. Professor Huang is vice-chairman and executive director of the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO), a non-profit organization with 137 members working on environmental protection and social development.

Interview with Gui Yong-Tao, Yuli Ismartono [time 27:55]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS.
I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews and I am in Beijing, capital of China, to interview two prominent figures in Chinese society. One of them is Dr. Gui Yong-Tao, an associate professor at Peking University's School of International Studies. Dr. Gui, who obtained his doctorate in international relations from both Peking University in Beijing and Waseda University in Japan, is currently involved in researching American-East Asian relations and Asian nationalism.

Interview with Chhith Sam Ath, Yuli Ismartono [time 33:49]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews.
I am here in Phnom Penh capital of Cambodia to speak with one of the leaders of the civil society movement. Mr. Chhith Sam Ath, a graduate of the Asian Institute of Technology in regional and rural development planning, is executive director of the NGO Forum for Cambodia, a membership organization for local and international non-governmental organizations working in Cambodia. He is a founding member of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association.

Interview with Yohei Sasakawa, Yuli Ismartono [time 34:34]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews.
I am still in Tokyo Japan. This time I will be meeting with Mr. Yohei Sasakawa. Mr. Sasakawa is not only chairman of the Nippon Foundation, Japan's largest private charity organization, he is seen as a pioneer in the private sector, playing a major role in guiding public-interest activities. Mr. Sasakawa, a graduate of Meiji University's School of Political Science and Economics, has received many awards and is globally recognized for his philanthropic activities.

Interview with Yuriko Koike, Yuli Ismartono [time 25:50]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews. I am in Tokyo Japan to meet with few leaders here. Japan is very little introduction except to say that is leaders in government as well as civil society are actively involved in social humanitarian affairs. One of the most interesting such leaders is Ms. Yuriko Koike. Ms. Koike is currently a member of Japan's House of Representatives. She was minister of defense and minister of environment during previous administrations. A sociology graduate of Cairo University. Ms. Koike is not only a specialist in Middle East issues, she was once a journalist anchoring for TV Tokyo's world business satellite.

Interview with Rizal Sukma,Yuli Ismartono [time 28:06]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews. I am here in Jakarta capital of Indonesia to chat with Dr. Rizal Sukma who is the deputy executive director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Dr. Sukma is an expert of the security issues.

Interview with Yenny Zannuba Wahid,Yuli Ismartono [time 28:06]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews in Jakarta capital of Indonesia and my hometown to meet with Yenny Wahid a social activist, a journalist and a leader in her field. Yenny Zannuba Wahid, director of the Wahid Institute believes that more effort is needed to combat intolerance and hardcore religious elements in Indonesia. She is the second daughter of former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Interview with Mme Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Yuli Ismartono [time 30:20]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. We are here in Hanoi capital of Vietnam to speak with madam Ninh. She knows well the problems faced by a modern Vietnam, having been, until this year, a member of Vietnam's National Assembly, where she served as vice-chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee. She was previously a diplomat in Viet Nam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specializing in multilateral institutions and global issues. From 2000 to 2003, she was Viet Nam's Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and Head of the Mission to the European Union in Brussels.

Interview with Sanduk Ruit, Yuli Ismartono [time 23:03]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews. This time I'm in Kathmandu capital of Nepal. Once again I'm here to meet with people who are leaders in their fields. Nepal is perhaps best known for its Mount Everest and the Himalayas. But it is still a poor country where basic services for the public are still at minimum. But one Nepalis citizen once to change that particularly in the field of eye diseases and eye care. Dr. Ruit from humble origins succeeded in becoming the country's first ophthalmologist.

Interview with Mandira Sharma, Yuli Ismartono [time 29:19]
Mandira Sharma is one of Nepal's civil society leaders. She founded the Advocacy Forum, a network of attorneys who conducted investigations and filed cases on behalf of thousands victims of Nepal's 10-year civil war, which began in the mid- 1990s and caused more than 13,000 deaths.

Interview with Oh Yeon Ho, Yuli Ismartono [time 29:53]
"I felt strongly that the Korean news market was severely distorted by the mainstream media. The main problem was the process of making public opinion, because the conservative newspapers dominated the market. I felt more citizens' voices were needed to make public opinion more democratic. So I came up with the slogan every citizen can be a reporter."

Interview with Park Won Soon, Yuli Ismartono [time 21:51]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I am Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews in Seoul, South Korea to meet with a few prominent Koreans who are leaders in their field. We will chat today with Mr. Park Won Soon one of Korea's most influential and respective figure for his leadership in the civic movement. Last year Mr. Park was awarded the prestigious Magsaysay Award.

Interview with Shireen Mazari, Yuli Ismartono [time 29:19]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I am Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan.
Pakistan is the world's second largest Muslim country--in terms of population--after Indonesia.
Yet contrary to popular but misguided perception, Islam in Pakistan is one of 'enlightened moderation.'

Interview with Mushahid Hussain Sayed,
Yuli Ismartono [time 22:51]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. To speak with us today, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, one of the leading figures in Pakistan. Mr. Hussain has been a journalist, a presidential spokesman and academic and now, a senator. He is currently Secretary General of the ruling political party, the Pakistan Muslim League.
Senator Hussain, thank you for being with us today. Let me ask you first about your interesting background. How did you get to jump from journalism to politics?

Interview with HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan,
Yuli Ismartono [time 32:24]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I am Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews, in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, to chat with His Royal Highness, Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.

Prince Hassan is in Islamabad to chair a Roundtable on 'Voices from Asia: Towards a Process for Cooperation and Security.'

Interview with Sunita Narain, Yuli Ismartono [time 23:00]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. We are in New Delhi, India, where we will meet with Ms. Sunita Narain, a well-known environmental activist who has won a number of awards for her advocacy and campaigns on conserving and managing natural resources in India.

Interview with Omar Abdullah, Yuli Ismartono [time 23:00]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I am Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews, here in New Delhi, India--an emerging power house in Asia-- for an exchange of views with a number of prominent leaders.
Today we will meet Mr. Omar Abdullah, a member of the Lok Sabha--the Indian lower House in parliament. Mr. Abdullah represents the Srinagar constituency of Jammu and Kashmir province in northern India. He represents modern India, energetic, articulate and a strong nationalist.

Interviews with Manvendra Singh, Sachin Pilot, and B.J. Panda, Yuli Ismartono [time 31:28]
Today we meet with three young and upcoming India's members of parliament to discuss India's phenomenal economic growth and its impact domestically and in the international world. They are Mr. Manvendra Singh from Rajasthan, Mr. Sachin Pilot from Rajasthan and Mr. B.J. Panda from Orissa.
Gentlemen, thank you for taking time off from your busy schedule to do this interview. There is great interest about India in Southeast Asia. So we will be discussing how India is doing. We know it's doing phenomenally, but we also hear of some problems remaining so let's start with Mr. Singh.

Interview with Kishore Mahbubani, Yuli Ismartono [time 29:20]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. I am Yuli Ismartono of Asiaviews, and we are here in Singapore, to have a dialogue with Kishore Mahbubani.
Kishore Mahbubani is dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. He began his career as a diplomat, joining the Singapore Foreign Service in 1971 ending up as Singapore's Ambassador to the United Nations in 2002, in which he served as president of the United Nations Security Council.

Interviews with Abhisit Vejjajiva and Surin Pitsuwan,
Yuli Ismartono [time 30:04]
Two leaders of Thailand's opposition Democrat Party was in Jakarta recently, to attend the annual ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum: party chairman Abhisit Vejjajiva and deputy chairman, Surin Pitsuwan. The Democrat Party will take on the Thai Rak Thai party of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the next elections, after snap elections early this year was declared invalid.

Interview with Marina Mahathir, Yuli Ismartono [time 22:56]
Welcome to another edition of The Leaders. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews, and we are in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia for a chat with our guest today - Ms. Marina Mahathir.
The Mahathir name is quite famous of course, not only in Malaysia but throughout Asia. Marina -- daughter of former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad -- is well-known in her own right. She is a writer and journalist who has long been active in programs related to the education, prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. She served as president of the Malaysian AIDS Council, an umbrella organization for 37 NGOs involved in HIV/AIDS-related programs.

Interview with Anand Panyarachun, Yuli Ismartono [time 27:20]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. Today we are in the Thai capital of Bangkok, where protests against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra have gone on for weeks. He has called for snap elections, further placing the country in an uproar. Thailand is known as one of the most democratic nations in Asia. Is democracy at risk here in Thailand? To discuss with us, this issue and other issues on Thailand, is the country's foremost statesman and former prime minister, Anand Panyarachun.

Interview with Ali Alatas , Yuli Ismartono [time 29:58]
Welcome to THE LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews in Jakarta, Indonesia. With us today is Mr. Ali Alatas, Indonesia's former foreign minister and currently a member of ASEAN's Eminent Persons Group.
It has been seven years since President Suharto stepped down, after governing the country with an iron fist for more than three decades. After a somewhat chaotic transition, the country seems to be slowly on the road to stability and recovery, although analysts say there is still a long way to go.

Interview with Hun Sen , Yuli Ismartono [time 29:55]
Welcome to another edition of THE LEADERS. We are in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, a nation that is rebuilding itself after decades of civil war. No other Cambodian personifies this struggle in peacetime and in wartime better than its leader.
Prime Minister Hun Sen is a survivor. He lived under the harsh rule of the Khmer Rouge and fought political battles in the ensuing transition period to emerge on top.

Interview with Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao , Yuli Ismartono [time 30:26]
Welcome to our program, The LEADERS. I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews. We are in Dilli, capital of Timor Leste, to chat with His Excellency, President Xanana Gusmao.You have now led Timor Leste for close to three years. In your view, what have been the biggest challenges?

Interview with Fidel Valdez Ramos , Ricky Carandang , Yuli Ismartono[time 29:51]
Welcome to THE LEADERS. I'm Ricky Carandang for AsiaViews in Manila. Ten years ago, the Philippines was on a roll. The economy was booming, investments were coming in, people were optimistic. Today people are less optimistic, the government grapples with record budget deficits, the economy is slowing down. Our guest for was president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998, Mr. Fidel Valdez Ramos. Mr. President, thank you for joining us.

Interview with Dr.Erna Witoelar , Yuli Ismartono [time 29:30]
Yuli Ismartono: Welcome to our program THE LEADERS, I'm Yuli Ismartono from AsiaViews. With us today in Jakarta, Indonesia is Ms.Erna Witoelar, the United Nations Special Ambassador to the Millennium Development Goals, or MDG in Asia and the Pacific. Ms.Witoelar is no stranger to development issues, having begun her career in consumer and environmental activism and grass-roots politics. In 1999, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid picked her as Minister for Human Settlements and Regional Development.

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