Has ASEAN Been Successful In Promoting Security Politics Essay

Has ASEAN Been Successful In Promoting Security Politics Essay ASEAN has been successful because its members have a very strong commitment to cooperation. Cooperation for the benefit of all and cooperation for the stability and peace of the region. This is a very importance hallmark of ASEAN Tun Abdullah bin Hj. Ahmad Badawi INTRODUCTION History of the Establishment of Asean 1. ASEAN officially declared its establishment on August 8, 1967  [1]  . So far ten countries have been a member of ASEAN which are Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia  [2]  . Establishment of the ASEAN is to create a new organization that will share a common vision in building the nation, reaffirm bilateral and multilateral relations as a way of solving regional tensions.  Establishment of the ASEAN is based on the needs and interests with countries to generate regional security and cooperation between the countries involved.  Knowing that all the ASEAN countries have a similar background; it will be able to perform its role as a forum to be able to develop economic, social and regional stability. 2. For many years, Southeast Asia or ASEAN countries also had witnessed the competition of major powers in their quest to either establish military bases or influence in the region. Countries like United States, Soviet Union, China, Japan and India were taking over the dominance of faded powers of British, France and the Dutch in this area. Besides the intervention of major powers, the Southeast Asia nation also faced their own regional issues. The security problems became even worse with the domestic problems faced by most of the countries in the region. Revolutions, subversion, secession struggles, military coup, terrorism and communist threat were some forms domestic problems faced by the nations which became a hindrance factors for these nations to develop smoothly. Though Thailand was the only country that did not experienced any form of colonization, yet it also faced some domestic problems and got entangled in the regional disputes. 3. This essay is to discuss whether ASEAN has substantially contributed to regional peace and stability in South East Asia and does the assiociation represent a long term alternative to balance of power strategies, or a complement to such? Has ASEAN Substantially Contributed to Regional Peace and Stability in South East Asia? Regionalism Issues 4. The regionalism issue has becoming one of the hottest topics in the field of International Relations today. It was caused by the expanding global economy and political influence of a few powerful nations. The strategies of how the individual countries choose to form regional organisations, more importantly, the administration of the organisation will show how well the regional organization relates to the rest of the world. The success or failure of this regional relationship will greatly impact the future of the member nations and the degree to which they will ultimately become productive members of the global community. Referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) the nations of Southeast Asia (SEA) have chosen to ally themselves with one another so that the collective security and economic well being of the region may be stabilised and well developed. Strategic Stability 5. Strategic stability can be define as a condition where policy maker do not face unavoidable pressure to make sudden shift from non violent to violent strategies, in the process precipitating wars that they neither anticipate nor want. 6. Strategic stability influenced by: a. Geographical issues such as the contesting over access to resources like water and oil claims. b. Culture issues such as conflict in historical background between countries. c. Military Strategic Consideration. d. Domestic Political Pressure. Background of Internal Issues within the ASEAN Countries 7. Regional relations among ASEAN countries are in a satisfactory level with the various forms of cooperation among member countries.  With the creation of the ASEAN forum in 1967, member countries have been dealing with any problem with good and satisfactory.  However there are still some problems involving the member countries that have not successfully resolved.  There are among the problems that were refered to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to enable disputes resolved by a neutral body that was assigned to solve the problem in peace. Bilateral problems are said to challenge the ability and immunities of the family relationship between ASEAN member countries where most issues or conflicts are remnants of ancient history.  Apart from that, the internal problem of ASEAN is also expected to be one cause of threat to internal stability and also has a tendency to spread out from their respective national borders. There were many problems among ASEAN members,  howev er for the purpose of this essay; I will highlight a few problems that are considered as big issue such as borders conflict, the issue of organized transnational crime and arms race. Borders Conflict Issues 8. Malaysia and Thailand.This border conflict has long existed since immemorial time.  Since 1824 until 1851, states in the north and the east coast of Malaya like Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis and Kedah were under the rule of the Siamese.  However in 1904, under the Treaty of the Anglo-Siamese, Siamese Government has given the authorities of protection, administration and control over these four states to the British.  Together with the treaty is the Treaty Protocol that describes a new border between Siam and the British in Malaya at that time  [3]  .  However, problems still exist that the actual demarcation of the border between Malaysia and Thailand where it is still not have a solution, especially in Kelantan border area involving Golok.  It is afraid that this situation may cause problems in future when land development to be implemented in the area, especially near the river. 9. The other major issue that occurred at the border are activities of Separator Islamic guerrilla movement in southern Thailand, especially in the Pattani and Narathiwat.  These groups consist of a Patani United Liberation Organition (PULO), Pattani Liberation National Front (BNPP) and National Revolution Front (BRN).  PULO believed to receive financial assistance from the military and radical Arab regime in Syria and Libya.  PULO reportedly established cooperation with the BNPP which is one of the oldest Muslim separatist groups but have a lack of influence.  BNPP which is the Islam konsevatif group reportedly has close relationship with the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) which is currently ruled Kelantan at the east coast of Malaysia.  BNPP influence has decreased since the death of Naser Tunku Yala in 1977.  This is all due to loss of spiritual leadership for 30 years before and the defeat of PAS in Kelantan during the elections in 1978.  After that the group has bee n operating in the area of Ban Panare, Pattani under the new leadership who is Badri Hamdan the university graduates from West Asia and Samsudin Abdul Ghani from Egypt  [4]  .  Thailand Government leaders often do not feel satisfied with the support of the Kelantanese to the Patani people at that time.   10. Military Cooperation. Various efforts have been established in order to overcome and reduce the tension for example by enhancing the military cooperation between both countries.  Among the efforts that have been and are being implemented are as follows: a. Border Patrol.   A form of border cooperation has been established since 1979.  As a result of the declaration of borders cooperation, joint border patrol between the Malaysia and Thailand army has been held until now. This has reduced tension on the border conflict between the two countries.  In addition, this operation also helps in restraining the activities of the rebellion group from spreading to the Malaysian border.  This cooperation has also brought much success to curb smuggling of people, goods and illegal border crossing activities.  As a result, this bilateral cooperation has increased the mutual trust between the two countries. b. Joint Training. Among the training that have been and are being held continouesly are collective military training, individual training and seminars.  Military training as Exercise THAMAL between Malaysia/ Thailand organize every year in order to reduce the tension in border conflict.  Through the training it is also hope that they will be a deep understanding regarding the bilateral military cooperation between both countries. c. Meeting The Highest Military Leaders. Visits and conference between the higher levels of leadership from both Ministry of Defense always conducted every year. This approach has contribute to closer relationship, mutual understanding and respect between each other.   Any sensitive issues can be solved together wisely to avoid any military action. In the 24th High Level Committee Malaysia- Thailand both the military leader agreed that criminal and illegal activities in border area have been decreased  [5]  . On 9 Dec 2009 Prime Minister of Malaysia as request by the Prime Minister of Thailand has made a joint visit to the unstable region in southern Thailand.  The purpose of the visit is to win the heart and mind of the people in that area.   This effort shows how ASEAN countries are concerned about bilateral cooperation in solving problems between countries in the region as well as to increase the trust between each others  [6]  . 11. Malaysia and Indonesia. Boundary problem between Malaysia and Indonesia exists only in East Malaysia, covering Sabah and Sarawak. A very long border between Sabah, Sarawak and Indonesia is very difficult to be mark.  The thick forests and a lot of mountains make it difficult to be entered by anyone and become a big challenge for the border surveyors from both countries. As a result of the absence of stone boundary that separates between Sabah and Sarawak to Kalimantan has allowed the entry of illegal immigrants from Indonesia to Malaysia without any problems as well as the smuggling activities. 12. All these illegal activities become a very sensitive issue discussed in the Malaysia-Indonesia Boundary Committee and affected the relationship between both countries. Less enforcement by the Indonesian authorities has lead to the increasingly smuggling and illegal logging activities. Stealing of the logging equipments such as bulldozers of the Malaysian workers by the Indonesian has become a normal phenomena for them without thinking about their actions could cause conflict between the two countries.  All these illegal activities will continue as long as the boundary problem is not resolved. 13. Thai and Cambodia. Issue between the two countries are at the boundary of Range Dang Reo. Inaccuracies in the marking of the border along Reo Dang River between 1905 and 1917 have caused disputes between Thailand and Cambodia in 1958. This argument is due to the Angkor Wat Temple Preah Vihear, located at the border between the two countries. The conflict arised because of the different border area from the map that produced by the France and the one that with the Cambodian. Thailand which has occupied the area since 1945 refused to give any response raised by the French and Cambodia about the border. Thailand has insisted that the map prepared by one parties only and are not published. Finally in 1962, it has been successfully resolved by the ICJ and Cambodia won the case  [7]  .   14. However, the conflicts between the two countries flared again in 2008 involving both military forces which at first caused at least two Cambodian soldiers died and wounded seven Thais soldiers. This issue arised when Cambodia applied to UNESCO for Preah Vihear Temple to be list in UNESCO World Heritage List  [8]  . Organised Transnational Crime 15. The concept of transnational crime actually took place more than a quarter century ago. Transnational organized crime has become a big issue in the international arena  [9]  .  Transnational means the movement of the information, money, physical goods, people or things that are visible or not visible across state boundaries when at least one actor involved in the non-governmental movement  [10]  .  According to the UN Secretariat, transnational crime has been defined as offences whose inception, prevention and / or direct or indirect effects involved more than one country  [11]  .  When we talk about the concept of `Transnational Crime, it is a criminal activity or activities undertaken by a planned crime organisation which lead to a criminal ofences of two or more countries  [12]  . Transnational Crime or Organized Crime involves many crimes activities; that occur around the world that ASEAN countries are also cannot escape from being drawn into the same a ctivity. The activities have been occurring from time to time without any signs of activity undertaken to decrease. It involves criminal activity quite popular such as smuggling of goods, drugs, weapons and human beings. Those who commit criminal activities are growing increasingly clever and brave to carry out criminal activities.  Economic recovery among ASEAN countries after the economic crisis from 1996 to 1998 was greatly influenced this activity and has helped expand transnational crime all over Southeast Asia. In 1994, the UN Secretariat has identified 18 categories of transnational crime in the world  [13]  which of the major transnational criminal activities that hit ASEAN countries are smuggling goods, drugs and people.   16. Drug Smuggling. Drug trafficking business becomes a challenge to the economy growth within ASEAN country. It is not only a major source of Centre of Money Lender but also lead to the cause of war, murder and others criminal offences  [14]  . This illegal activity is very difficult to be contain totally even though various method such as strict checks at all border entry point implemented in ASEAN country. Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia known as the `Golden Triangle is a nest of the largest drug producer in the region. Based on the studies conducted by U.S. government found that Myanmar still remains the largest opium producer in the world  [15]  with production rate said to increase by 9 percent in the mid-1990s. Not less than 2,560 tons of opium has been produced by the country  [16]  . Therefore, it is difficult to eliminate drug trafficking activities as long as the situation continues.   17. Human Trafficking. Human smuggling crimes have become a very popular activity since a long time where it deals with a lot of money. According to the study conducted by `Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it was estimated that 4 million people each year have been smuggled across the world  [17]  .  International associations paying less attention to the efforts of monitoring individuals to enter the country illegally compare with the group smuggling activities  [18]  . Countries that have a strong economic position, such as Malaysia and Singapore become a major destination for human smuggling activities. The smuggling agents willing to faced high risks to do the activities because they can get payment between RM 2,000.00 to RM 4,800.00 per person  [19]  . 18. Smuggling Goods. ASEAN countries can be seen in two contacts; the countries that have high income rates for example Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore and countries that have low income rates for example Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam. The goods in high income rates countries are more expensive than the countries that have low incomes rates. This factor has encouraged smugglers to take high risks in smuggling activities. The smuggling activities of cars from Malaysia to Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia have been successfully reduced not long ago. The smuggling of cigarettes from Indonesia still exists because of the high demand. Clove cigarettes worth million of dollars was confiscated by the customs of Malaysia in 1998 (Table 1)  [20]  . Ser Month Total Cases Quantity Price (RM) Tax (RM) 1. January 4 909.11 kg 215,660.00 578,510.20 2. February 4 9,558.2 kg 569,680.00 1,857,984.04 3. March 9 2,749.115 kg 210,013.65 545,082.69 4. April 2 1,690.44 kg 17,756.00 16,167.10 5. May 2 209.52 kg 12,060.00 14,489.73 6. June 3 3,865.95 kg 273,920.00 761,315.77 7. July 4 7,057.2 kg 463,320.00 1,377,921.19 8. August 8 3,452.27 kg 226,514.00 766,095.15 9. September 6 9,884.83 kg 704,920.00 1,947,847.13 10. October 11 3,619.82 kg 225,598.00 698,551.63 11. November 11 4,667.88 kg 276,490.00 1,008,555.98 12. December 13 5,816.61 kg 386,510.00 1,407,840.77 Total 77 53,480.95 3,582,441.65 10,980,361.38 Table 1: Cigarettes Confiscated by the Customs of Malaysia in 1998 19. Arms Race Issues. Are there any arms race issues within ASEAN countries? According to Colin Gray, there are four basic conditions to be considered as arms race which are: a. There must be two or more parties, conscious of their antagonism. b. They must structure their armed forces with attention to the probable effectiveness of the forces in combat with, or as a deterrent to, the other arms race participants. c. They must compete in term of quantity and quality. d. There must be rapid increases in quantity and/or improvements in quality  [21]  . 20. The momentum of military build up among the ASEAN countries increased in the 1980s and 1990s, however since the financial crisis in 1997 the force modernisation has slowing down  [22]  except for Singapore that has less affected in the crisis and continued its military build up. A few reason of why the process of equisition of military equipment within ASEAN country still continueing eventhough in a slow manner is because of to protect economic resources, requirement for EEZ surveillance and protection, inter state tension in the region, internal security caused by the terrorism threat for example after the Sep 11 incident in US and conflict between Thailand Government and the rebellions from the southern part of the state. Based on the study,  [23]  it is identified that non of the process of military modernisation comply with the conditions stated by Colin Gray. There is no ASEAN country that has a really serious conflict between one another. The border crisis between T hailand and Cambodia which flared in 2008 anyway still can be resolved where both countries still concern the importance of the relationship between ASEAN countries. Force modernisation in Southeast Asia can be considered as arms build-up rather than arms race. Does the Assiociation Represent a Long Term Alternative to Balance Of Power Strategies, or a Complement to Such? 21. For this question I will highlight the platform that has been established by ASEAN such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and East Asia Summit (EAS) and the external cooperation between ASEAN and major power outside the region. 22. Establishment of ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). ASEAN countries agreed with the iniative to establish ARF in the 26th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Post Ministerial Conference which were held on 23 to 25 July 1993. Then the inaugural meeting held in Bangkok on July 1994. The objectives of ARF are: a. To fster constructive dialougue and consultation on political and security ssues of common interest and concern. b. To make significant contributions to effort towards confidence building and preventive diplomacy in the Asia Pacific region  [24]  . The current importance members of ARF are US, China, India, Japan, European Union and Republic of Korea. To build confidence and the capability to cooperate, the ARF also conducts such cooperative multilateral activities such as observation of military exercises, exchanges between defence colleges, joint training and exercises in search-and-rescue and disaster relief, and the maintenance of a registry of conventional arms. Latest in the 16th ARF that has been conducted in Thailand on 23 July 2009 has come out with a vision statement for ARF by 2020 which focus on to building a region of peace, friendship and prosperity. In year 2009 also, ARF has conducted a lot of conference, dialogue and seminar regarding national threat such as terrorism and transnational crime, maritime security and law and regulation on the participation in International Disaster Relief. In promoting mutual assurance, the ARF has proven its value in three stages evolution from confidence building, preventive dip lomacy and for the longer term is the approaches to conflict resolution. 23. The Establishment of East Asia Summit (EAS). The first EAS was held in Kuala Lumpur on 14 Dec 2005. The members of the EAS are the ten of ASEAN countries, Australia, Peoples Republic of China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea ad New Zealand. EAS was held as part of the overall ASEAN meeting  [25]  . In the first meeting, the discussion emphasized more towards on developing communication among the members and based on the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the EAS indicated that it will be a forum for dialogue on broad strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern and with the aim similar to the ARF which is to promote peace, stability and economic prosperity in EAST Asia  [26]  . It was also stated in the Kuala Lumpur declaration that EAS will be an open, inclusive, transparent and outward-looking forum to strengthen global norms and universal recognized values with ASEAN as the driving force  [27]  . Since the establishment in 2005 till 2009 most of the discussion focus on desease prevention such as avian influenza issue and energy security issue which focus more towards the environment and health problems. Latest in 28th Aug 2008 the AEM+6 has been launch and then established the Economic Reasearch Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) which the purpose of establishment was to identified the best way of economic integration, narrowing development gaps between members and how the energy development can sustain for long term  [28]  . External Cooperation between ASEAN and Major Power Outside the Region 24. ASEAN and Japan. ASEAN and Japan first established informal relations in 1973. The ties were later formalised with the establishment of the ASEAN-Japan Forum in March 1977. Since then, the ASEAN-Japan Forum has met once every 18-24 months. In early August 1977, the Japanese Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Takeo Fukuda met with the ASEAN Heads of Government at the Second ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. The Japanese Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Noboru Takeshita met with his ASEAN counterparts in Manila during the Third ASEAN Summit in December 1987. At the meeting, ASEAN and Japan announced a new partnership toward peace and prosperity. Japan has been ASEANs top trading partner for many years. In 1993, two-way trade between Japan and ASEAN amounted to nearly US$87 billion and in 1996, it rose to US$109.0 billion, representing nearly 21% of ASEANs total external trade. On the other hand, Japans trade with ASEAN accounted for about 15% of her total external trade. A unique feature of ASEAN-Japan co operation is the ASEAN Promotion Centre on Trade, Investment and Tourism in Tokyo. The Centre was set up in 1981 under the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN Promotion Centre on Trade, Investment and Tourism between ASEAN Member Countries and Japan. It is jointly funded by contributions from Japan and ASEAN Member Countries. In January 2002, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiru Koizumi visited a number of ASEAN countries and proposed several new initiatives for cooperation.   These include the designation of 2003 as the Year of ASEAN-Japan Exchange, reinforced cooperation in education and HRD, solidifying the security relations between Japan and ASEAN, the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEP), and the Initiative for Development in East Asia:   IDEA.   Consultations to carry out these initiatives are proceeding. The recent establishment of the Japan-ASEAN General Exchange Fund (JAGEF) has generated a number of cooperation activities in support of greater ASEAN integration.   ASEAN and United States. After the demise of the Cold War, though in a reduced scale, increased US economic interests in the region is an important factor for her in maintaining its military presence in the region. The US presence in the region can become a stabilizing factor only if its military presence can be retained and its economic and political presence is accepted.  [29]  The US participates in a series of consultative meetings with ASEAN which includes the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC) 9+1 and 9+10, the ASEAN Economic Minister-US Trade Representatives (AEM-USTR), the Senior Economic Officials Meeting-US Trade Representatives (SEOM-USTR), the ASEAN-US Dialogue Meeting, the Joint Planning Committee(JPC) Meeting and the ASEAN-US Business Council. The ASEAN-Washington Committee also assist in conducting and maintaining the dialogue with the US. The ASEAN-US Dialogue has also focused more and more on political and security discussions over the years, particularly with the end of the Cold War. The principle focus of the ASEAN-US security dialogue has been the role of the US in maintaining stability in the region. ASEAN and the US have signed a Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism on 1 August 2002 in Bandar Seri Begawan. ASEAN and China. Until the 1980s China had largely neglected its claims, preoccupied with more pressing defence demands and lacking in any case the military resources to intervene in the area. As a result, during much of the Cold War, the massive expanse of the South China Sea acted as a sort of buffer zone between ASEAN and China, largely preventing direct contact between their respective forces. At present, all the countries concerned investing heavily in forces to defend their claims, in some cases encouraged by the Law of the Sea, and with growing speculation as to the value of the resources contained in the area, the South China Sea has been transformed into a zone of contention and possible conflict.  [30]   Singapores Senior Minister Lee Kwan Yew warned that unless this issue is resolved in a sensitive way, the present friendly relations between ASEAN and China could revert to the awkward relations of the decade when China supported guerrilla insurgencies in many ASEAN countries.  [31]  In July 1996, China was accorded full Dialogue Partner status at the 29th AMM in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Chinese Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Qian Qichen attended the meeting as a representative of a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN for the first time.It is hoped that the new generation of leaders in China will allow a more open and pluralistic system to develop and, thus, will enable China to become an integral part of the international community of nations. As a major power in the Asia-Pacific region that possesses nuclear weapons and has adopted a non-aligned posture, China has a unique and important position in regional efforts to promote regional stability. It has become extre mely active and more positive in regional multi-lateral institutions, such as the ARF, CSCAP and the ISIS Roundtable on Peace and Security in the Asia-Pacific for the past years. For ASEAN, this is a welcome development and hopefully the US would see it in the same way although a nuance may remain on the objectives of those regional institutions in

Laundry service Industry Essay

India has a huge market for laundry business which is yet to be tapped to its potential. However, with the coming up of a number of hospitals & hotels and even the Indian Railways turning to outsourcing of laundry activities, the industrial laundry sector in India is attracting foreign players. The hotel industry is witnessing a growing trend towards outsourcing its laundry. India is expected to add another 90,000 hotel rooms over the next five years, all of which are in the private sector, especially to meet the tourism demand. In 2010, 10 million people are expected to visit India. The Indian Railways run approximately 12,000 trains every day. The capacity is to carry 1. 4 Crore passengers/day. It employs around 17 lakh employees (10 lakh in Group C), including 10,000 officers. This presents a huge benefit to global players to quickly set up their laundries in India, and cater to the ever growing market. The healthcare industry, the upcoming and the existing, has started outsourcing laundry services. This sector which has been registering a growth of 9. 3% per annum between 2000 and 2009 is projected to grow by 15% per annum by 2013. Laundry services in India are classified into Industrial Laundry and Retail Laundry. Industrial laundry is in its infant stage with major demand coming from hospitals and hotels which have their in-house laundry. Retail laundry is a much organised market with some professionally managed companies catering to the retail needs. Overall, the laundry market in India is still untapped and unorganised. Industrial laundries generally require heavy capital investment in machinery and equipment for washing, spinning, ironing & drying besides land and property to set-up a laundry. Since laundry market in India is dominated by the small local laundry stores and local dhobis, they are not equipped to handle the huge capital requirement. Equipment for industrial laundry An industrial laundry would require equipment for: Washing Drying Ironing * The type of equipment to be purchased would be depend on the volumes that the laundry expects from potential clientele on a daily basis. Equipment for industrial laundries are available in different sizes with varying capacities. Equipment are available in the market for small, medium as well as large industrial laundries. Equipment for industrial laundries should optimise the washing system considering criteria such as: * Usage of appropriate washing machinery which would guarantee maximum efficiency with appropriate wash cycles, high spin capacity and minimum energy consumption * Drier equipment should assure proper drying in the least amount of time with minimum energy consumption * Flatwork ironers capable of absorbing the production of the driers to assure a high quality press * Automation of the laundry handling processes in order to save personnel costs and increase productivity Stages in industrial laundry An industrial laundry generally involves five stages namely: * Soiled Retrieval The linen collected usually is dropped down a laundry chute. Laundry workers collect the soiled linen, in reserved carts and transport it to the laundry facility. * Soil Sorting The retrieved linen is unloaded and sorted. Different items often require different washing formulas. Heavy or bio hazardous stains such as blood and faeces may require longer wash times and stronger formulas. Large institutions often use a production-line method for soil sorting, with several full-time employees assigned to the task. Since soiled linen may be contaminated with biohazards or sharp objects, employees involved in the sorting process are required to use personal protective equipment and standard safety precautions. * Washing The sorted linen is weighed according to the washing machine’s load limit. Certified washer operator loads and unloads the large washing machines, decides what is to be washed according to the laundry’s schedule and monitors the chemical levels in the water. Since modern tunnel washers monitor their own chemical levels and unload linen directly into the laundry’s clean area, the operator is required only to load the linen. Over the past 20 years, many industrial laundries have switched from conventional washers to tunnel washers, also called continuous-batch washers. Since tunnel washers don’t have to be stopped for loading and unloading of linen, they provide a more continuous flow of clean laundry. Higher-volume facilities which may process over 15,000kg of linen per day often rely heavily on tunnel washers * Processing The clean linen is dried, ironed and folded. Some items, such as towels and blankets, are put through a dryer until they are no longer damp, then sent to mechanical folders. Wet work items, such as sheets, are sent through steam-powered ironers which dry, press and fold them. Ironers use heavy steam-heated rollers to dry the linen while pressing out wrinkles. Some items, such as wash cloths, may be too small to be handled mechanically. These items must be packaged by hand. * Packaging & Distribution The processed linen is prepared for delivery. Individual orders are filled, based on the needs and requests of the laundry’s customers and sent to the laundry’s main distribution points and storage areas. Linen not used for orders is placed in storage areas, giving the facility a reserve of clean laundry. Trained delivery people transport the clean linen back to the customers. This is a skilled position, since the delivery person must have a thorough knowledge of both laundry operation and the principles of good customer service. In hospitals, delivery people must be familiar with patient relations, confidentiality policies. Large institutions will usually employ several full-time delivery people. Eco-friendly Chemicals Halide Chemicals has launched a new range of eco-friendly laundry chemicals. The complete professional range consists of 10 products in powder and liquid formulations. The Laundro Det and Boost-E is a powder detergent and booster; Laundro Mulse-E is a liquid emulsifier for F&B laundry; Laundro Bleach-O s a powder oxygen bleach for coloured and whites; Laundro Rinse is a liquid organic neutralising rinse; Laundro Complete is a powder all-in-one detergent and oxygen bleach for coloured and whites; Laundrokleen is a liquid all-in-one detergent for guest and domestic laundry; Laundro Soft is a liquid softener for towels and linen; Laundro Soft-N is a liquid 2-in-1 neutraliser and softener for towels and linen; Laundro Chlor-10 is a liquid chlorine bleach 10% for white linen and Laundro Rinse-C is a liquid neutralizing rinse after chlorine bleaching. The range is phosphate free. The base detergent is free from slurry based detergents and made from biodegradable surfactants. Haylide has used organic biodegradable acids in rinses & softeners in place of harmful, inorganic and traditional laundry rinses. The oxygen bleaches and all-in-one single shot formulations reduce cycles of bleach and rinse. The softener range with combination of cationic & water soluble silicones provide softest results. The emulsifier for F&B stains is biodegradable and utilises denatured ethanol in place of IPA as a natural solvent.

Is Marriage Out of Style

Research Essay Wendy Is marriage out of style? What is the most popular topic of girls? The answer to the question is â€Å"love and marriage†. It’s true. Almost all of girls hope Mr. Right would appear with â€Å"glass slipper† next second. As a girl, I have taken part in lots of talks about marriage with same-aged girls. However, my cousin is an exception. I had to listen to her â€Å"Single Theory† whenever I mentioned the imagination of marriage. She said, â€Å"Marriage is out of date. It will be not necessary anymore. † At that time, I was too young to distinguish whether she is right.As I grew up, I found that most people debate marriage from the following five aspects: Is marriage just a form of commitment? Would cohabitation replace it? Is marriage the tomb of love? Does it lead people to losing freedom? Whether marriage is still necessary as women have been more and more independent? To begin, as with women becoming more and more independe nt, many of them get the same idea as Caroline. On the BBC News, she says that women have been changing their values and increasing independence recently.They get their own jobs and have enough ability to support themselves; therefore, Caroline thinks it’s no need for women to get marriage. (Caroline, 1997). It seems true on this aspect, while I prefer Rich Rivers’ viewpoint. For the question â€Å"Do independent women need a permanent man or marriage† on the home page of Helium, he responds that a woman needs a man in her life to talk with and she â€Å"needs a shoulder to lean on and cry on† whether she is independent or not. (Rich Rivers, 2006). Personally speaking, becoming independent is a good thing; however, it doesn’t mean independent women don’t need marriage or stable life.Independence aside, freedom after marriage is also one of the issues people worry about, especially for men. According to James Walsh in his essay â€Å"Why Peo ple Don’t Want to Get Married†, he mentions that marriage kills freedom. You have to give up parties and report to your â€Å"spouse† that â€Å"where you are at a particular time and how long will it be before you reach home†. (James Walsh). Yes, marriage adds another person to your life and â€Å"places you a huge responsibility on your shoulders†; nevertheless, every coin has two sides. In Michael G.Lawer’s essay â€Å"Changing Catholic Models of Marriage†, he writes that spending time on your â€Å"spouse† can improve your â€Å"mutual relationship†. (Michael G. Lawler, 2001). You can share the happiness and sorrow with him or her, which lightens your burden. From this viewpoint, I don’t think marriage is the killer of freedom. Besides independence and freedom, both men and women believe marriage out of date because it is the grave of love. In Zhao Xu’s essay â€Å"Marriage is the Grave of Love†, he writes â€Å"Marriage is the manifestation of love when two people are just getting married, and it is a killer of love as well when they have got married. (Zhao Xu, 2009). I believe with no doubt until I saw PS & SR Branch Welfare Services Group’s essay â€Å"Family Life Education Series-Why do we get married nowadays†. In this essay, it states that love exists between the two people all along. They feel dull because they completely â€Å"expose† themselves after marriage. (PS & SR Branch Welfare Services Group). For my part, marriage just reflects people’s natural personalities, and makes life more realistic. It cannot be regarded as the grave of love. Cohabitation is also a thing that affects people’s viewpoint about marriage.Statistics supplied by Nation statistics shows that from 1996 to 2006, the proportion of marriage couple families decreased from 76 percent to 71 percent, while the cohabitating rate increased to 14 percent from 9 perce nt. (Nation statistics, 2007). Another statistics showed by Hewitt Belinda, â€Å"In Australia, the proportion of marriages preceded by cohabitation has risen from 30% in the 1980’s to around 75% in 2003. †(Hewitt Belinda, 2006). It seems that cohabitation may take the place of marriage in the future.On the contrary, in the essay of Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman, Has Being Married Gone Out of Style, they point out that couple just cohabitate before they marriage; they will get marry ultimately. ( Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman, 2006). As far as I’m concerned, cohabitating before marriage can lower the divorce rate. It indicates that cohabitation can be a step of marriage, but cannot replace it. The last thing is the commitment, which is ignored as the increasing rate of divorce. On the BBC News, Lissa Hynes says marriage is going out of fashion because it is just a form. Lisa Haynes, 1999). Deep down, I disagree with her statement, and support the superiority of th e idea of Kelly Knowles. On the same home page of BBC News, she says that marriage means the â€Å"permanent relationship† and it declares your happy life to others. (Kelly Knowles, 1999). In my opinion, besides this, marriage is also the protection for each side of the couple. It’s not just a form. After get so many ideas, have you already got a better perception about marriage? Well, I have. Everyone needs a stable marriage, and so do independent women.To some extent, an independent woman needs much more care from a man than others. Marriage doesn’t bind you; as long as you deal it properly, you’ll realize how wonderful marriage is. Marriage represents not only a form of commitment, but also an approach to show your happy life and a safeguard for your love. High divorce rate means people want to have high quality marriage rather than living together without love. Marriage doesn’t kill your love; it reflects the truth of love. It is a filter, and only the true love family can remain romance forever. By seeing this, you may ask â€Å"why don’t cohabitate†.Imagine you’re a parent. If your daughter fell in love with a guy who refuses to marry her, but just live with her, would you feel relieved to let them together? Absolutely not! Is cohabitation all right before marriage? Maybe, but your bottom line must be making sure that your daughter has a stable and happy marriage. As I mentioned before, cohabitation has good effect on marriage, but it cannot replace it. Indeed, different people have different opinions. It doesn’t matter if you still think marriage is not necessary anymore. Time and experience will tell you the truth.Do you remember my cousin who vows solemnly to be single? She has already got married and had a lovely baby. Isn’t it the most wonderful life? Marriage is destiny, and it won’t be out of style forever! References Caroline. (1997). BBC News. Retrieved April 1, 2009 fr om http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/talking_point/33312. stm Hewitt Belinda. (2006). ‘Trial Marriage’: Is premarital cohabitation an effective risk minimisation strategy for marriage breakdown? Retrieved April 11, 2009, from http://eprints. qut. edu. au/6134/1/Hewitt_FIN. pdf James Walsh. Why People Don’t Want to Get Married.Retrieved April 3, 2009, from http://www. rightarticle. com/Article/Why-People-Don-t-Want-to-Get-Married-/67388 Kelly Knowles. (1999). BBC News. Retrieved April 1, 2009, from http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/talking_point/452257. stm Lisa Haynes. (1997). BBC News. Retrieved April 1, 2009, from http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/talking_point/33312. stm Michael G. Lawler. (2001). Changing Catholic Models of Marriage. Retrieved April 3, 2009, from http://www. americamagazine. org/content/article. cfm? article_id=1796 Nation statistics. (2009). Overview of Families.Retrieved April 11, 2009, from http://www. statistics. gov. uk/cci/nugget. asp? id=1865 Po B ronson & Ashley Merryman. (2006). Has Being Married Gone Out of Style. Retrieved April 11, 2009, from http://www. time. com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1547431,00. html? cnn=yes PS & SR Branch Welfare Services Group. Family Life Education Series-Why do we get married nowadays. Retrieved April 3, 2009, from http://www. police. gov. hk/offbeat/849/eng/f01. htm Rich Rivers. Helium. Retrieved April 5, 2009, from http://www. helium. com/items/1412961-do-independent-women-need-a-permanent-man-or-marriage

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 1197 Words

The Innocence Within Thoughts are like seeds that take root in our minds. They spawn feelings and more thoughts that can have powerful consequences. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the views of the townspeople in the 1930’s Southern town of Maycomb greatly impact the lives of two innocent men. The people make false accusations against Tom Robinson and Arthur â€Å"Boo† Radley because they are different. These characters are representative of the author’s reoccurring symbol of the mockingbird, which signifies innocence, and subjects them to vulnerability. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, although innocent, fall victim to the hatred of society and thus emerge as mockingbirds. Tom Robinson, is black man, who is wrongfully†¦show more content†¦Tom Robinson is wrongfully convicted of rape and eventually killed in prison, whereas Boo Radley is killed emotionally because he is not accepted by society. Since it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, it is also a sin to kil l innocent souls like Tom and Boo. When Scout tries to understand why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, Miss Maudie elucidates Atticus’s opinion more clearly by stating, â€Å"Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy...They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird† (103). Mockingbirds sing and make beautiful music; however they mimic the songs of other birds, so they are seen through others. Tom and Boo are like mockingbirds because they are subject to the perceptions of the people of Maycomb. The townspeople knew these characters based on what others said about them. Consequently, Tom and Boo do not have their own â€Å"song† and are portrayed by others’ views of them. The mockingbird emerges as a metaphor for the wrong in harming innocent and defenseless people. Tom Robinson’s character exemplifies the mockingbird because he is a black man who is denied justice based on racial prejudice. After Mayella Ewell accuses Tom of rape, there is no way for him to be judged fairly because the narrow-minded, white townspeople are unable to get past their prejudices towards blacks. At his trial, Tom’s lawyer, Atticus, argues,Show MoreRelatedKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1049 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird: How a Story could be based on True Events in Everyday LifeDaisy GaskinsCoastal Pines Technical Collegeâ€Æ'Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father was a former newspaper editor and proprietor, who had served as a state senator and practiced as a lawyer in Monroeville. Also Finch was known as the maiden name of Lee’s mother. With that being said Harper Lee became a writer like her father, but she became a American writer, famous for her race relations novel â€Å"ToRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird b y Harper Lee1000 Words   |  4 Pagesworld-wide recognition to the many faces of prejudice is an accomplishment of its own. Author Harper Lee has had the honor to accomplish just that through her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a moving and inspirational story about a young girl learning the difference between the good and the bad of the world. In the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926. Growing up, Harper Lee had three siblings: two sisters and an older brother. She and her siblings grew up modestlyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1290 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird during a rough period in American history, also known as the Civil Rights Movement. 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The mindset of people back then was that blackRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee963 Words   |  4 Pagesgrowing up, when older characters give advice to children or siblings.Growing up is used frequently in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Harper Lee uses the theme growing up in To Kill a Mockingbird to change characters opinion, develop characters through their world, and utilizes prejudice to reveal growing up. One major cause growing up is used in To Kill a Mockingbird is to represent a change of opinion. One part growing up was shown in is through the trial in part two of the novelRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1052 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama in the late 30s early 40s , after the great depression when poverty and unemployment were widespread throughout the United States. Why is the preconception of racism, discrimination, and antagonism so highly related to some of the characters in this book? People often have a preconceived idea or are biased about one’s decision to live, dress, or talk. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee examines the preconceptionRead MoreHarper Lee and to Kill a Mockingbird931 Words   |  4 PagesHarper Lee and her Works Harper Lee knew first hand about the life in the south in the 1930s. She was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926 (Castleman 2). Harper Lee was described by one of her friends as Queen of the Tomboys (Castleman 3). Scout Finch, the main character of Lees Novel, To Kill a Mockinbird, was also a tomboy. Many aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird are autobiographical (Castleman 3). Harper Lees parents were Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. She was the youngestRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1695 Words   |  7 PagesIn To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee presents as a ‘tired old town’ where the inhabitants have ‘nowhere to go’ it is set in the 1930s when prejudices and racism were at a peak. Lee uses Maycomb town to highlight prejudices, racism, poverty and social inequality. In chapter 2 Lee presents the town of Maycomb to be poverty stricken, emphasised through the characterisation of Walter Cunningham. When it is discovered he has no lunch on the first day of school, Scout tries to explain the situation to MissRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1876 Words   |  8 PagesThough Harper Lee only published two novels, her accomplishments are abundant. Throughout her career Lee claimed: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction, and Quill Award for Audio Book. Lee was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This honor society is a huge accomplishment and is considered the highest recognition for artistic talent and accomplishment in the United States. Along with these accomplishments, herRead MoreKill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1197 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as crops, houses, and land, and money was awfully limited. These conflicts construct Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird. In To Kill a Mocking Bird, Lee establishes the concurrence of good and evil, meaning whether people are naturally good or naturally evil. Lee uses symbolism, characterization, and plot to portray the instinctive of good and evil. To Kill a Mocking Bird, a novel by Harper Lee takes place during the 1930s in the Southern United States. The protagonist, Scout Finch,