1. Red shirts protest in Thailand
It began in March with peaceful protests by supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and ended two months later with 90 dead and more than 1,400 wounded, in a swath of violence spanning seven
provinces.
The original movement hoped to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s strict parliamentary regime to call early elections.
The United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship, also known as the red shirts, seized upon the cause
and mobilized thousands to hit the streets, launching grenades and setting fire to banks, shopping malls
and the stock exchange.
In May, an all-out military assault beat back the protesters, in a horrific crackdown witnessed around the
world. Red shirt leaders soon surrendered and were jailed, ending a bizarre series of incidents that further polarized this usually peaceful “land of smiles.” The surprising coda is how quickly the country returned to calm and comparative normality.
2. China-Japan relations strained over Senkaku Islands
A major diplomatic dispute erupted after a September collision between a Chinese ship and a Japanese Coast Guard patrol boat near the Senkaku Islands.
Japanese sailors boarded the Chinese boat and detained the captain and crew for several days pending possible charges. China furiously demanded their release, and in retaliation took four Japanese construction workers hostage in China’s Hebei province. Allegedly, China also halted the export of crucial rare earth minerals to Japan.
A video of the collision was leaked to YouTube, appearing to show the Chinese trawler at fault. Angry protesters massed in major cities of both countries. After demands for an apology from both governments,
and meetings with both U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Tokyo
eventually capitulated to Beijing and released the crew without charges. China appeared to win a diplomatic victory.
The Senkaku Islands -- five uninhabited islets and three barren rocks -– are administered by Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan, and have been disputed for centuries.