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Get the pattern, read the trend Asia in Review (No. 32, August/2019, 1)
Brought to you by CPG ![]() ![]() Dear Readers, Welcome to the first issue of ‘Asia in Review’ (AiR) in August providing you an update on the latest developments in constitutional politics, law reform and governance as well as in geopolitics and international relations in Asia. I wish you an informative read. With the best wishes, Henning Glaser Director, German-Southeast Asian Center of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPG) Webpage: www.cpg-online.de, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPGTU/
Main Sections
Law and Politics in East Asia ![]() China/Hong Kong: Citywide strike at the peak of a three-day violent unrest (dql) Tensions between anti-extradition law protesters and the city government continue to rise in the wake of the ninth consecutive weekend of unrest which again ended up with violent clashes between protesters and the police. Kicking off on Saturday, three days of protest begun with a protest march followed by the occupation of a major shopping district and other central areas on Sunday. On Monday, a citywide strike, reportedly participated by at least 14,000 people from over 20 sectors, brought parts of the city to a standstill as railway lines, including the airport express, were fully or partly shut and flights cancelled. [Bloomberg] [New York Times] [Aljazeera] In an earlier blow to the city government, Hong Kong civil servants staged a rally on Friday night urging the government to give in to the protesters’ demands. [South China Morning Post] In a first public appearance in two weeks, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam – whose resignation is among the demands of the protesters – condemned the latest moves of the protesters as going beyond demands related to the extradition bill and as “unlawful actions challeng[ing] national sovereignty and threaten[ing] One Country, Two Systems” that “will destroy Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.” She, furthermore, refused to step down. [Hong Kong Free Press] [The Week] Meanwhile, according to a White House administration official, reported in New York Post, China has congregated “forces on Hong Kong’s borders”. The report, however, fails to provide evidence for this claim. [New York Post] On the other side, the commander of the PLA Hong Kong garrison, speaking to Hong Kong officials and foreign diplomats at the garrison’s Central Barracks to mark the PLA’s 92nd anniversary, warned that “China’s sovereignty and the ‘one country, two systems’ framework must not be challenged” and that “[o]ngoing violence and rioting would not be tolerated”, while the Foreign Ministry described the Hong Kong protest as being “somehow the work of the U.S.” and reiterated that “the Chinese government will never allow any outside forces to intervene in Hong Kong affairs, still less allow any attempt of outside forces to disrupt Hong Kong."” [Newsweek] [Asia Times] [China Military] China: Cartoonist arrested for 'unpatriotic' drawings (dql) Police detained a Chinese cartoonist accused of insulting the country by depicting Chinese people as pigs in more than 300 cartoon drawing. She is also accused of being “jingri” (spiritually Japanese), a description of people in China who, despite their unquestionable Chinese national and ethnic heritage, identify themselves and want to be seen as Japanese. [Inkstone] China: High profile corruption case (dql) The former chairman of China Development Bank (CDB) who held this post from April 2013 until September last year is being investigated for “a serious disciplinary violation”. His case is the latest in a string of cases involving high ranking financial officials recently caught in the anti-corruption campaign in the financial sector, including the ex-chairman of the giant state-owned China Huarong Asset Management and the ex-head of China Insurance Regulatory Commission. [South China Morning Post] Japan: Opposition party leader pushes for unified parliamentary force against ruling coalition (dql) The leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has reached out to other oppositional parties and lawmakers to build a unified parliamentary force against the ruling bloc in the Japan’s House of Representatives. The move, if successful, would break with traditional parliamentary working style in Japan where the two largest opposition parties often battle each other leading to a fragmented opposition. [Japan Times] Currently, the ruling bloc of Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito controls 314 out of 465 seats, while the opposition parties and independent lawmakers make up 151 seats, with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leading the way with 70 seats, followed by the Democratic Party For the People commanding 70 seats. South Korea: Senior prosecutors resign en masse(jd) Protesting against their demotion to unimportant posts in the frame of a reshuffle within the prosecution, dozens of prosecutors have handed in their resignation. Among them are senior prosecutors who participated in investigations into members of President Moon’s administration suspected of power abuse to execute a purge at public companies and institutions under the supervision of the Environment Ministry and to fill vacancies with people close to the president. [JoongAng Ilbo] Taiwan: Ruling DDP under pressure by formation of new party (dql) The mayor of Taipei announced that he will form a new political party under the name “Taiwanese People’s Party” to contend in the legislative election in January 2020, claiming to offer voters an alternative to the two main political parties, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Kuomintang. After the establishment of the Formosa Alliance two weeks ago [AiR No. 30, July/2019], the foundation the “Taiwanese People’s Party” is believed to further increase the pressure for the DPP to retain its currently 68-seat majority in the 113-member legislature. [Taiwan Times] [South China Morning Post] Law and Politics in South Asia ![]() India criminalises Muslim practice of instant divorce (kj) The upper house of Indian parliament, Rajya Sabha, has passed a Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill to cease the centuries-old Muslim practice of "triple talaq”, which allows men to instantly divorce their wife. This is after two years since the Supreme Court denounced the practice for violating constitutional rights of Muslim women. The bill makes the practice punishable, with up to three years in jail. [Aljazeera] [Times of India] The approval of the law was a triumph for India's Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who calls it a “historic day” in which "a historical wrong done to Muslim women" has been corrected. This is despite objections from the opposition, who claimed that the bill could be used to harass Muslim men. The opposition further accuses the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for targeting Muslim identity, arguing that the new law forces women to stay within a dysfunctional marriage. Other political parties and campaigners are significantly divided over the bill. Those who are against it, including some Muslim women, contend that it is uncommon to criminalise divorce. Some also argue that the state is in no position to regulate marital affairs. [The Guardian] [BBC] A day after the announcement of the bill, petitions have been raised by an advocate and a Kerala-based Muslim organisation to challenge the bill in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court respectively. They argue that the law violates the basic rights of Muslim husbands. It was also added that a "welfare oriented legislation" would not aim to make marital discord a crime and direct the criminalisation to a single community. [India Today] Indian Parliament approves minimum wage law (kj) The Indian parliament has approved a bill to introduce minimum wage for every worker, in addition to addressing other labour problems such as late payments. More generally, the Code on Wages Bill will aim to update and consolidate wage and bonus laws. Four labour laws — Minimum Wages Act, Payment of Wages Act, Payment of Bonus Act and Equal Remuneration Act — will be subsumed. The government has also approved 17 out of 24 proposals by the Standing Committee responsible for scrutinising the similar bill passed in the previous Lok Sabha. [NDTV] The bill will result in all workers in the country will have access to minimum wages. India's minimum wage is 176 Indian rupees ($3) for an eight-hour work day. Previously, local authorities had the ability to determine lower rates, and at least six states have been reported to do so. According to Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar, the new bill will benefit about 500 million workers in the country. [India Today] However, opposition lawmakers argue that the bill remains ineffective in ensuring fair wages to workers. This means that millions of people will continue living in “sub-human conditions”. Labour activists also highlighted that many workers remain susceptible to exploitation, especially those employed through contractors, which is common in brick kilns and tea plantations. [The Daily Star] Ex-Maldives VP seeks political asylum in India - India refuses him entry (jk) Former Maldivian vice-president Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor has sought political asylum in India citing risk to his life in his native home. His convictions were overturned in May this year after the court ruled the trial that concluded three years ago should be repeated due to undue political influence. He was temporarily released from prison. He was initially convicted on corruption charges and for an alleged attempt to assassinate then President Abdulla Yameen in 2015. [Times of India] India has however refused him entry and Maldives police on the weekend said they had arrested him upon his return. [Straits Times] Law and Politics in Southeast Asia ![]() Khmer Rouge ‘Brother Number Two’ Nuon Chea dies in Cambodia (jk) Pol Pot's right-hand man, who was serving a life sentence in prison on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, has died last week at the age of 93. He was sentenced by the “hybrid” tribunal, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), dealing with crimes committed between 1975 and 1979 by the Khmer Rouge, which resulted in the death of an estimated 1.7 million people, accounting for about 20 to 25 percent of the Cambodian population at the time. Nuon Choa had studied law at Thammasat University and allegedly joined the communist movement in Thailand before he returned to Cambodia in the 1950s. According to researchers, he was “directly involved in the regime’s extremist purges and executions". [South China Morning Post] Thailand: PM's oath-taking in opposition's focus (jk) Opposition MPs have said they will follow up on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha over his alleged failure to recite the full text of an oath during the swearing-in ceremony of his cabinet. They are considering to ask the Constitutional Court to rule on the legitimacy of the cabinet following the alleged incomplete oath-taking, or let the PM take responsibility and re-take the oath. If not addressed, they may consider a vote of no confidence. Future Forward Party secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, a former constitutional scholar from Thailand's leading faculty of law at Thammasat University, brought the issue into the public eye during a recent parliamentary debate. He pointed out that the PM "did not vow to protect and abide by the constitution" as he omitted the final paragraph of the oath during the oath-taking ceremony. [Bangkok Post] PM Prayut replied that his oath-taking statement before His Majesty the King was constitutional and "in line with His Majesty the King's advice that the government stay committed to serving the country and the people." [Bangkok Post 2] He asked different sides to refrain from commenting on the matter, as did Wissanu Krea-ngam, the deputy prime minister for legal affairs, who said this matter ought not to be discussed. “One day you’ll know why we shouldn’t talk about it,” were his exact words. [Bangkok Post 3] Thailand: Two human rights commissioners resign (jk) Commissioners Angkhana Neelapaijit and Tuenjai Deetes have resigned from the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC). According to Khun Angkhana, the commissioners are prevented from receiving complaints directly from the public, and are having to follow restrictive procedures to consider every complaint and decide whether the NHRC will take it. The new prescriptions on how the NHRC works apparently made it untenable to her and her colleague to continue working for the commission. Khun Tuenjai further stated she felt like the NHRC is no longer an independent organization. [Prachatai] Thailand: Small bombings in Bangkok (jk) A number of small explosions occurred in Bangkok last week when small improvised explosive devices detonated in a business district as well as close to government offices last week. Four people were injured. [Bangkok Post] Police investigators have not yet ruled out any possible motives. [The Nation] Public whipping in Indonesia's Aceh province for breaking sharia law (kj) In Indonesia’s deeply conservative Aceh province, three people were publicly whipped 100 times each in a stadium. Dozens of people were present to witness the punishment. [Channel News Asia] Aceh is the only province in the world's largest Muslim-majority country that enforces Islamic law. Flogging is used to penalise a variety of offences, which includes gambling, consuming alcohol, and having homosexual sex or extramarital relations. Rights groups have condemned the public whipping as savage, and Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has made calls for its termination. However, the practice remains widely supported among Aceh's population. [The Straits Times] [The Sun] French drug smuggler's death sentence commuted in Indonesia (kj) The death sentence of a convicted French drug smuggler has been commuted by an Indonesian court to 19 years in prison. This is less than three months after the shock ruling put in him line for execution by firing squad [South China Morning Post]. A capital sentence was handed to him in May following his arrest in 2018 at Lombok airport, where foreigners are regularly charged with drug offences. In response to the sentence, the French foreign ministry raised its concerns and emphasised France's opposition to the death penalty. [BBC] Muslim majority Indonesia possesses some of the strictest drug laws worldwide, and is known to have executed numerous foreign nationals in the past. However, the district court has reduced this sentence to 19 years in prison, citing “extenuating circumstances” such as the perpetrator's remorse for his crimes. On top of his imprisonment, he is required to pay a substantial fine of 10 billion rupiah (US$705,000) within a month, or serve one more year in prison. [South China Morning Post] [Channel News Asia] Philippines: Recent surge in extrajudicial killings in Negros Oriental sparks fear in residents (jd) A recent surge in extrajudicial killings since January 2017 has sparked fear in residents in the region. Since January 2017, there have been 83 recorded victims of extrajudicial killings, with many committed by armed men riding motorcycles. Since July, 17 civilian deaths have been recorded. On top of that, clashes between government troops and local communist rebels continue to persist. Meanwhile, the military commander from the Visayas region is disinclined to recommend martial law, arguing that the level of threat is “manageable” as it is “not widespread.” Moreover, the military is primarily concerned with the communist insurgency in the region rather than the extrajudicial killings that have been occurring. [Inquirer] [Inquirer 2] Duterte also announced his desire to expand the mandate of firemen to include their participation in anti-insurgency operations. His concern is rooted in how “almost all […] barangay captains are being killed.” [Inquirer 3] Philippines: More government support must be given to Bangsamoro transition (jd) A senator has filed a proposal for an inquiry into the status of the Bangsamoro transition. The proposal for the inquiry comes five months after the transition government was put in place upon Duterte’s initiation, and seeks to investigate as to whether the law has been “satisfied and implemented.” [Inquirer] The Bangsamoro Transition Authority was launched in March this year, five years after the signing of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. The BTA is meant to serve as a transition government led by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and seeks to transform the organisation from a revolutionary organisation to part of a government institution. [Arab News] The transition has not been without its hiccups however, as the national government acknowledges that budget constraints has greatly impeded the BTA’s efforts to be fully operational. To address this, the Malacañang has urged the Department of Budget and Management to fast-track the release of the Bangsamoro transition fund. [CNN Philippines] Furthermore, an extension of the martial law currently implemented over the region has also been proposed to keep other military rebel groups, like Abu Sayyaf and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, at bay. [CNN Philippines 2] Singapore Democratic Party to contest five constituencies at next General Election (kj) The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has announced that it aims to contest five constituencies at the next General Election. The constituencies will be the same electoral divisions it had contested back in 2015. However, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing mentioned in Parliament a month ago that the committee that reviews electoral division boundaries has not been established yet. [Channel News Asia] With regards to policy goals, SDP shared that they hope to lower Goods and Services Tax, costs of healthcare and vital services. This is so that citizens can be free to be creative, thus lowering Singapore’s dependence on foreign Professional, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs). [The Straits Times] SDP will do a walkabout in the five constituencies as part of its ground campaigning efforts, and it will be led by secretary-general Chee Soon Juan. In addition, he will address media to answer queries regarding the party’s direction, renewal strategy and election plans. [The Independent] Singapore: Drug smuggling worsens despite rise in hangings (kj) According to Minister of Law K Shanmugam, drug trafficking into Singapore has recently risen despite an increase in number of executions. In 2018, there were 11 executions for drug offenses. Amnesty International said this was the first time since 2004 that the number of executions reached double-digits. [Reuters] Singapore has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal drugs, and offenders serve long term imprisonment. Over the past decades, hundreds of criminals, including foreigners, have been executed. Previously, rights group Lawyers for Liberty observed that a significant number of prisoners on death row have had their clemency petitions rejected, and warned of an “execution binge”. It further accuses Singapore of entirely dismissing international legal norms and “decent world opinion”. Malaysia, for example, removed the death penalty as punishment for drug trafficking. Thailand has also explored broader liberalisation of laws surrounding marijuana after it had been declared legal for medical and research purposes in 2018. [South China Morning Post] [Khmer Times] Malaysia formally installs new King (jk) After being sworn in at the end of January, Sultan Abdullah was formally installed as the 16th head of the country last week, beginning his 5-year reign. [The Star] Malaysian Senator drops proposed anti-seduction law following backlash (kj) An outcry occurred after a Malaysian senator proposed a sexual harassment law to protect men from being seduced by women into performing sexual crimes such as incest, rape, and molest. He had previously claimed that such a law is necessary for the safety of men as well as peace in the country. [Reuters] Women’s rights groups and politicians were enraged and argued that women should not be blamed for the sexual wrongdoings of men. Such a law would only perpetuate sexual offenses, and the Senator's views were denounced “are archaic, regressive and patriarchal. [Malay Mail] Noting the significant backlash on his proposal, the Senator has since backtracked and apologised. [The New York Times] International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia ![]() Progress on the South China Sea Code of Conduct Single Draft negotiating text? (jk) At the China-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Bangkok last week, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi professed progress on the establishment of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea through the cooperation between ASEAN member states and China. The first reading of the COC Single Draft Negotiating Text was finished ahead of schedule and negotiators are hoping to finalise negotiations of this first draft by the end of the year. [Philippine News Agency] Malaysia, too, stated it thinks one is able to secure an agreement with China to resolve tensions in the South China Sea. According to Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, there is much hope that a code of conduct for the area will be formulated by the three-year deadline, or even earlier. He is also confident that the United States and other superpowers will adhere to the code of conduct once it rolls out. [Bloomberg] [Free Malaysia Today] This, in a way, is good news. Progress on this matter is not only desperately needed, but should also be welcomed. Nonetheless, the somehow awkward wording of this "first reading" of a "single draft negotiating text" of a potential COC already gives away some of the problems this endeavour is faced with. While Beijing tries to create a narrative that in particular since the 2016 arbitral tribunal decision, tensions have reduced, problems are being managed and negotiations are moving ahead between China and the other claimant states, actual facts, such as the continuation of Chinese military deployments, its ever increasing use of maritime militia forces, the ongoing problems with Vietnam [AiR No. 29,30,31, July/2019] [Reuters] and the Philippines [Yahoo] in particular, or the increase of Vietnam's and the Philippines' coastal guard fleets of late [AiR No.30, July/2019], strongly point into a different direction. Philippine and Chinese foreign ministers met at the side-lines of the forum to finalise a proposal for a joint exploration in the South China Sea, otherwise referred to as the ‘West Philippine Sea’. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Locsin reassured Filipino citizens that the deal will occur based on Philippines’ interests, but he also stated the Chinese terms of reference on the deal were superior to what Manila had proposed. [Philippine Star] Again, it seems that the progress is aspirational at best. The Philippine constitution mandates that the state safeguards its natural resources and while the Philippine side may be ready to invite Chinese companies to explore natural gas and engage in joint operations, these would only happen under Philippine law and clear claims of sovereignty. At this point, it seems unlikely that China would accept such premises. It is equally unlikely, despite the Foreign Secretary's remarks, that the Philippines will just "roll over" and explore on Chinese terms. Another set of vague wording, like in last Novembers' MoU that finds a way to account for all interests but say very little in terms of substance will be the most likely outcome. At the same time, pressure mounts for Duterte as more senators issued their support for a diplomatic protest over 100 Chinese boats “swarming” near Thitu island, a Philippine-administered island in the South China Sea where Duterte has recently agreed to conduct building work on a beaching ramp [Phil Star]. The diplomatic protest urges the government to take a stronger stance in “defending the country’s sovereignty.” [South China Morning Post] Unlike other incidents, this issue has been particularly hot in the domestic discourse and has been in the news ever since an incident occurred in which 22 Filipino fishermen, later saved by a Vietnamese boat, were left for dead after a Chinese "fishing boat" rammed and sunk the vessel back in June this year. The incident continues to cast a shadow on Duterte's handling of relations with China. Whatever one may think of the proclaimed progress or of Malaysia's hopeful words, after over two decades of working on a COC, or some version thereof, the objective observer will find it hard to believe that a COC, let alone one that will be abided by or one that actually contains strong language on the most pressing issues such as military deployment or fisheries and resource management, is going to be achieved. China-USA relations I: Tensions to rise after Washington announced possible missiles deployment in Asia (dql) In an interview last Saturday, US Defense Secretary Esper stated that he was in favor of deploying ground-based, intermediate-range missiles to Asia in the near future, albeit being silent on an exact timeline, the types of weapons to deploy and the exact deployment positions. [Reuters] His statement came a day after the USA States formally withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia, putting an end to the landmark arms control pact that has limited the development of ground-based missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers and raising fears of a new arms race. [Euronews] Responding to Espers’ statement, Beijing announced countermeasures in case Washington goes ahead with the deployment plans. China’s Foreign Ministry also reiterated its rejection of trilateral talks with the United States and Russia to come to new terms on such weapons, citing the gap between the nuclear arsenals of China and that of the other two countries. [Channel News Asia] Similarly, Russia’s Foreign Ministry, accused by the U.S. of being solely responsible for the collapse of the INF, announced that “corresponding steps” would be taken aimed at “parrying these threats”, while Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed that Russia would begin to develop new nuclear missiles if the United States did the same. [Independent] [South China Morning Post] Meanwhile, during Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga's visit to Washington last week, Mongolia and the United States signed the “Declaration on the Strategic Partnership between the United States of America and Mongolia” making the USA the fifth country with which Mongolia has entered into a strategic partnership after Russia, Japan, China and India. [US Department of State] China-USA relations II: New trade tensions amid resumed trade talks (dql) The recently resumed trade talks between China and the USA have come under pressure after US President Trump last week proposed adding 10% tariffs on another 300 billion USD in Chinese imports from September 1. Beijing responded to this threat with allowing the yuan to drop to the weakest level in more than a decade while at the same time requesting state-owned companies to suspend imports of U.S. agricultural products. Analysts disagree over whether the yuan’s drop reflects that Beijing has given up hope for a trade deal or whether it is a result of market pressure. [CNN] [The Guardian] Cross-Strait relations: China bans individual travel to Taiwan (dql) Further deepening strained Cross-Strait relations, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism last week announced that individual travellers will be banned from visiting Taiwan, with the ban taking effect from August on. The Ministry cited the current strained cross-strait relations for the move. This is the first time Beijing has banned individual travellers from visiting Taiwan since such trips were first allowed in 2011. [Focus Taiwan] Beijing’s move has been blamed by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen as using tourism as political tool. [Inquirer] Japan-USA Relations: Progressing trade talks (jd) During a two-day trade talk last week, representatives from Japan and the United States have agreed to arrange another round of Cabinet-level meetings before the end of the month in order to produce results of their trade talks by September. The trade talks primarily revolved around lowering Japanese tariffs on US agricultural products, such as beef and pork, on the one side and a liberalization of the US market for Japanese industrial goods, including automobiles and auto parts. [Japan News] Japan-Russia relations: Tokyo protests Moscow’s planned military drills off disputed island (dql) Japan has lodged a protest against Russia's plan to conduct live-fire exercises in waters off one of the islands disputed between the nations this week, amid strained relations over stalled bilateral negotiations to resolve the territorial dispute over four islands, collectively called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurills in Russia. [TASS] Further complicating the situation, earlier last week, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited an island claimed by both Japan and Russia, a move Japan’s Foreign Ministry called "extremely regrettable". [Moscow Times] Japan-South Korea relations: Trade war rages on as Japan removes South Korea from whitelist (jd) As widely expected, Tokyo passed last week a bill that removes South Korea from the country’s trade whitelist of 27 countries that receive preferential trade treatment. Refuting accusations that South Korea’s removal from the whitelist is a retaliatory meassure against rulings of the South Korean Supreme Court ordering Japanese companies to pay compensation to South Korean victims of forced labour during Japan’s colonial rule, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry insisted that bill is meant to reveal the Cabinet’s dedication “against circumventions and other illicit exports.” [Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry] This is the first case of Japan removing a country from the whitelist and the latest peak in the frosty relations between both countries. [Business Insider] The removal of South Korea from the whitelist has been met with a massive backlash from South Korea. Prime Minister Lee argued that the move “crossed a line.” [The Korea Herald] Seoul has employed diplomatic methods to condemn Japan and seek support, as the South Korean Foreign Minister raised the export restrictions and the removal at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Bangkok as well as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership meeting in Beijing. [The Straits Times] [Japan Today] Additionally, rallies in Seoul ramped up upon the announcement of South Korea’s removal from the whitelist. [Aljazeera] Meanwhile, Seoul announced to remove Japan from its own list of preferred trade partners and to fast-track a 226 million USD package which serves to shelter South Korean companies from the massive blow which Japan’s trade measures will cause. [Nikkei Asian Review] [Business Insider] Furthermore, South Korea is considering to withdraw from the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), a military intelligence-sharing pact between both countries concluded in 2016. [Korea Herald] On a related note, Japanese officials ordered the removal of a statue depicting a ‘comfort woman’ in an international arts festival in Japan. The statue was done by a Korean artist, and the forced removal has been criticised as “censorship”. ‘Comfort women’ is one of the points of contention between South Korea and Japan that resulted in the trade row. [JoongAng Ilbo] North Korea: Kim oversees weapons testing ahead of US-South Korea military drills (jd) Over the past week, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un oversaw two weapon test-firings. One was launched on Wednesday, and another two on Friday. Both weapons tested were believed to be of the same kind of short-range missiles, and were launched into the sea by South Korea’s eastern coast. Both test-firings, like the one two weeks ago [AiR No. 31, July/2019], were done to further pressure the United States and South Korea to put off the joint military drill intended for later this month. [Nikkei Asian Review] In a related development, North Korea decided to make no remarks at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Bangkok which is among those very few multilateral gatherings attended by North Korea's Foreign Minister almost every year. The country's ambassador to Thailand attended in the Minister’s place. [Kyodo News] The test-firings have increased tensions in the Korean peninsula and incited condemnations from other UN Security Council members such as Britain, France and Germany. US President Donald Trump, on the other hand, has argued that there is “no problem” with the recent tests, calling such activities “very standard.” [Channel News Asia] India: The End of Kashmir's special status - Article 370 revoked with immediate effect (jk) After a large build-up of troops in Kashmir Valley [AiR No. 31, July 2019] and a night where senior regional leaders including were placed under house arrest [The Wire], the government has announced that the part of the Indian constitution that grants special status to Kashmir (Article 370, which was key to its accession to India in 1947) will be revoked, instantly ending Kashmir’s special status. The article gave Kashmir its own powers and severely restricted the centre's ability to rule on matters of defence, communications and external affairs. For other areas, the centre had to get the state legislature's approval. As a consequence of the move, Jammu and Kashmir will cease to be a state and become two union territories with a legislature. Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said: "The government of India (GOI)'s unilateral and shocking decisions today are a total betrayal of the trust that the people of Jammu & Kashmir had reposed in India when the State acceded to it in 1947. The decisions will have far-reaching and dangerous consequences." [NDTV] Revoking Article 370 has been a longstanding promise of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party under PM Modi. India accused of violating international law (jk/kj) Pakistan has immediately condemned the move (above) to abolish article 370 of the Indian constitution. Earlier, India was also accused by Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to have violated international humanitarian laws as well as its own commitments under the 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. Imran Khan highlighted that India has caused harm to innocent civilians through the use of cluster bombs across the Line of Control (LoC) near Jammu and Kashmir. He further urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to monitor the situation, which he deems as an “international threat to peace and security”. [Daily Thanthi] At the LoC, India ramped up vigil and defence in order to foil infiltration attempts made by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT). Imran Khan emphasised that India and Pakistan should allow the United States to be the mediator in the Kashmir dispute, so as to prevent further aggression and a potential regional crisis. [News Nation] According to the Indian Army, around five to seven intruders from the Pakistan’s BAT have been seized. The Pakistan Army will have to retrieve the bodies on the Indian side of the LoC while raising white flags. However, the Pakistan Army and Foreign Office reject these claims, which they regard as diversions from the situation of Kashmir. [India Today] At this stage, it seems more likely that the decision to revoke article 370 is more domestically driven than in relation to the BAT. EU to sign defence agreement with Vietnam (jk) After the European Commission and the Government of Vietnam signed the Free Trade Agreement and the Investment Protection Agreement at the end of June, a defence agreement will now been signed as well. The Framework Participation Agreement (FPA) will make Vietnam "part of the EU’s crisis management operations", including allowing a partner country to "contribute to the operations and missions under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy". This is the fourth FPA the EU has signed with an Asia-Pacific nation, after Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, but the first one in Southeast Asia. [Foreign Brief] [Asia Times] The EU has a huge interest in a safe, stable and free South China Sea. Often relying on the US efforts in the past, it has increasingly stepped up to the plate and become more proactive, not least due to more overt disruptions by China and a realisation that one has much to lose from a might-is-right approach. Myanmar to receive its first Kilo class submarine from India (jk) India is preparing deliver to Myanmar its first ever submarine, an indigenously refurbished older Russian vessel. India, delivering military hardware to Myanmar with a "Line of Credit", has supplied Myanmar with “advanced light torpedoes as part of a $ 38 million export deal that was signed in 2017“ earlier this month. [Navy Recognition] Chinese investment and tourism surges in Myanmar (jk) Chinese investment and tourism in Myanmar are rising fast. The country has emerged as the largest source country for investment in Yangon in the fiscal year 2018 -2019 and Chinese nationals are now the largest group among foreign tourists to the country, much like in many other ASEAN countries. Western investors as well as tourists, on the other hand, are declining due to ongoing "ethnic turmoil, political uncertainties" and "grave human rights abuses". [Asia Times] Indonesia and South Korea agree to finalize CEPA talks (kj) Indonesia and South Korea have agreed to finalise discussions on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by the end of 2019. Both Indonesia and South Korea are also in favour for the RCEP negotiations to conclude by 2019. [Antara News] [Medcom] Background Reading ![]() Chinese Participation in the 2019 Indonesian Elections (jk) This short article assesses Chinese participation in both parliamentary election and presidential election in Indonesia, which was suppressed under the New Order regime and re-emerged after Suharto. In the 2019 parliamentary election, two new at least notionally “ethnic Chinese parties” entered the race but both failed to clear the electoral threshold. [ISEAS] Indonesia’s largest Muslim group on the other hand, is set for bigger role in Jokowi’s second term. [South China Morning Post] We would greatly appreciate your feedback! Please send any feedback you have regarding this newsletter to: info@cpg-online.de Also, don't forget to Like CPG on Facebook, and browse our website for other updates and news!
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