Tiger talk

Episode number 2 of Series “Chris Patten’s east and west”.
Second of the three part documentary series “Chris Patten’s East and West” written and presented by the former British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten. In this episode the focus is on the economic crisis which spread across Asia during the late 1990s and the reasons behind the death of the so-called “Asian tigers”. Chris Patten points out once again the often crucial missing link with economical reform is political reform. Both Indonesia and South Korea, “Asian tigers” for several decades were ruled by authoritarian Presidents and in Indonesia’s case, the dictator President Suharto and his corrupt family. By presenting a detailed historical background on South Korea and a briefer outlook on Indonesia, Patten attempts to provide an insight and understanding on Asian economics, the relationship between government and private industry, between free trade and the industrial revolution in Asia, political oppression and student uprisings, company debts and the International Monetary Fund and finally the streamlining of the labor market through redundancies and restructure. Included in the program are interviews with B.J. Habibie (President, Republic of Indonesia 1998), Milton Kim (Chairman, Ssangyong Investment & Securities), and Kim Dae Jung (South Korean Opposition Leader 1961-1997). Contains b&w archival footage and stills.