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Grasp the pattern, read the trend Asia in Review No. 39, September/2020, 5
Brought to you by CPG ![]() ![]() Dear Readers, The AiR team is presenting you this week's update on the latest events and developments in constitutional politics and governance, geopolitics and international relations in Asia. We wish you an informative read and extend special greetings to readers in Botswana, China, Cyprus, Germany, Guinea, Iraq, Lesotho, Nigeria, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, and Yemen which are celebrating Independence Day or National Day this week. With best regards, 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 slams accusations of coercive trainings in Tibet (dql) China has fiercely condemned accusations of forcing Tibetan pastoralists and farmers to underdoing coercive, centralized “military-style” vocational trainings in the frame of its labor transfer policy in Tibet. [Jamestown Foundation: China Brief] In response, Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times rejects the accusations as “fabricated” with “an evil intention of smearing Tibet,” while insisting that the trainings are part of the government’s efforts to alleviate poverty in this region and are attended by Tibetan herdsman and farmers on a voluntary basis to obtain skills for future employment. [Global Times] In a related move, an opinion peace in [Xinhua] hailed China’s poverty alleviation policy as “a pioneering example of practical significance to the international community,” citing that China has lifted 850 million people out of poverty since the Chinese Communist Party took over power in China and reduced the number of impoverished people from almost 100 million in 2012 to currently 5.5 million. China: Xi Jinping critic sentenced to 18 years imprisonment (dql) A court sentenced Ren Zhiqiang, former Chinese Communist Party member and outspoken critic of President Xi Jinping, to 18 years in jail after it found him guilty of corruption and abuse of power during his term in office as head of a state-owned property company. Ren disappeared in March, shortly after publishing an article in which he criticized Xi for his handling of the coronavirus and alluded to him as a “clown”. Already in 2016, Ren was disciplined for publicly questioning Xi's demands that Chinese state media must stay absolutely loyal to the party, with his party membership put on probation and his highly popular account on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, shuttered. [CNN] In a separate development, human rights lawyer turned journalist Chen Qiushi who went missing after reporting about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan has been confirmed being under government supervision. Chen rose to prominence over this coverage of the Hong Kong protests last year. [BBC] China/Hong Kong: Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong arrested amid new rules to tighten control over media (dql) Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was arrested for participating in an unauthorized assembly in the context of a protest against a government ban on face masks in October 2019. The arrest adds to multiple unlawful assembly charges or suspected offenses that he in facing related to last year's pro-democracy protests. [Deutsche Welle] [AiR No. 41, October/2019, 2] The Hong Kong government, meanwhile, issued new guidelines under which the city’s police will recognize journalists from “internationally recognized and renowned” foreign outlets only or from media organizations registered with the government information system. Excluded are journalists whose accreditations are granted by local associations such as the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), which acts as a trade union for journalists, and Hong Kong Press Photographers Association (HKPPA). The move targets in particular freelance and student reporters who have played a vital role in covering the anti-government protests over the past year. While government officials justified the new guidelines with the aim to prevent fake news obstructing police work, critics view them as an attempt to further crack down on press and media freedom. [Yahoo News] [The Wire] [Nikkei Asian Review] In a related move, a reporter with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the city’s government broadcaster, who is known for her sharp and bold questioning of local officials on the protest at press conferences – including Chief Executive Carrie Lam and then-police commissioner Stephen Lo in July 2019 –, has had another 120 days added to her already three-year long probation as a civil servant. RTHK cited as reason that complaints made against her needed to be examined. In case she refuses to accept the extension, she will have to leave her post. [Coconuts] [EJ Insight] Critics called the move a blow to press freedom in Hong Kong, with RTHK itself having becoming object of heightened scrutiny and restrictions, including the suspension of a satirical show over allegations of airing “denigrating and insulting” comments about the police. [Hong Kong Free Press] [New York Times] Meanwhile, the police have banned a major anti-government march planned for October 1, the National Day, by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), a coalition of advocacy groups, on grounds of public health and public order concerns. [Hong Kong Free Press] South Korea: Prosecutors drop charges against Justice Minister suspected of nepotism (dql) South Korea’s prosecutors on Monday dropped charges against Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae who is suspected of nepotism having used her influence as the then chairwoman of the ruling Democratic Party to extend her son's medical leave during his mandatory military service. [Korea Herald] Law and Politics in South Asia ![]() Bangladesh: First deep-sea port functional by 2025? (lm) Bangladesh on September 23 signed contracts with two Japanese consultancy firms providing support for building the country’s first deep-sea port near the city of Cox's Bazar where China is building a submarine base, corresponding with the military support base in Djibouti, the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, and the Gwadar port in Pakistan. In March, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council had approved the construction, which is largely funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) [see AiR No. 12, March/2020, 4]. Construction is expected to be completed by 2025. [The Financial Express] [Dhaka Tribune] An important “Fast Track Project”, the Matarbari Port Development Project is part of the “Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt” (BIG-B) initiative, which aims to develop a reliable and low-cost logistic network for seaborne cargo or freight handling and transporting facilities to help Bangladesh evolve as a node & hub in the Indo-Pacific region. The BIG-B initiative had been jointly announced by Japan’s then-prime minister Shinzo Abe and Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in September 2014. [Japan International Cooperation Agency] India: Amnesty International halts operations after its bank accounts were frozen (lm) Human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) announced that it was halting its operation in India, citing "reprisals" from the government and the freezing of its bank accounts by Indian authorities on suspicions of violating rules on foreign funding. In a statement, AI said that the authorities’ actions were “the latest in the incessant witch-hunt of human rights organizations by the Government of India over unfounded and motivated allegations,” and that the group’s “lawful fundraising model” was being portrayed as money laundering because it has challenged the “government’s grave inactions and excesses.” [South China Morning Post] [bbc 1] In a report released last month, the group had accused the Delhi Police of committing serious human rights violations during the deadly religious riots in the city earlier this year. The report had gathered evidence of incidents of torture and excessive violence and called for an investigation by the Ministry of Home Affairs [see AiR No. 35, September/2020, 1]. Fencing off the claims, the Delhi Police told The Hindu newspaper that Amnesty International's report was "lopsided, biased and malicious".[bbc 2] [The Hindu] In October 2018, India’s leading anti-corruption agency Enforcement Directed (ED) raided the group’s India office and froze its bank accounts on similar charges [see AiR (5/10/2018)]. India: PM Modi has fruitful ten days in parliament, with a list of major bills passed (lm) India’s latest Parliament session was adjourned sine dine on September 23 - eight days ahead of schedule - because of a spurt in COVID-19 cases among lawmakers, ministers and Parliament staff. During the monsoon session, a total of 25 bills were passed in the Lok Sabha (lower house) and Rajya Sabha (upper house) respectively, including eleven bills to replace ordinances promulgated in June. [For a complete list see The Week, Times Now News] After a five-month absence, Indian lawmakers had returned to Parliament on September 14, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the nosediving economy and a tense border standoff with China setting the stage for a turbulent 18-day session [see AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3]. Proceedings were marred by vociferous protests by opposition parties over the agricultural reform bills [see below], which led to the suspension of eight opposition lawmakers who had torn up copies of the legislation, broken microphones, hurled copies of the parliamentary rule book and staged a sit-in protest. Following the suspension, the Congress Party-led opposition boycotted both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings on Tuesday. [The Straits Times] India to hold election in populous state despite surging coronavirus cases (lm) India’s Election Commission (ECI) on September 25 announced local elections involving millions of voters in the state of Bihar, in spite of the 86,052 new infections of coronavirus reported the same day. [Times of India] The elections in Bihar will kick off at the end of October and will be spread over three days (October 28, November, 3, November 9), with counting scheduled for November 10. As the state has so far reported more than 174,000 COVID-19 cases and 878 deaths, the ECI has issued a set of strict guidelines for the polls. Regardless, experts worry that the impoverished state’s public health system, one of the weakest in the country, could easily get overwhelmed in case of a surge. [Reuters] India: Farmers block roads, railways as protests mount over three agriculture bills (lm) Amid protests by farmers, mainly in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on September 27 approved three bills aimed at liberalizing the agriculture sector. Previously, the upper house had passed two of the bills on September 20 in a charged session, with opposition parties accusing the government of flouting parliamentary procedure by passing the bills hurriedly instead of sending them to a Select Committee of all major parties for further deliberations. [bbc] [Asia Times] As part of the new reforms, farmers will be allowed to directly enter into selling agreements with agricultural businesses, supermarket chains, online grocers as well as exporter. Most Indian farmers currently sell the majority of their produce at government-controlled wholesale markets at assured floor prices. The government has, therefore, also insisted that it would still purchase staples such as rice and wheat at a Minimum Support Price (MSP), a government fixed benchmark designed to incentivize the farmers and thus ensure adequate food grains production in the country. [Nikkei Asian Review] [Arab News] [Indian Economy.net] Growers in India blocked roads and railway tracks on September 25 in protest against the new legislation they say will stunt their bargaining power as it allows large retailers to have control over pricing. Stepping up pressure, on September 28, the Congress Party along with other opposition parties held demonstrations against the new farm laws in several states, with some protesters torching a tractor in Delhi. Current Chief Minister of Punjab and Congress lawmaker Amarinder Singh said his government would approach the Supreme Court over the new legislation. The day before, calling the bills’ passage a “watershed moment” in the history of Indian agriculture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended the bills as reform measures that will bring transparency, accelerate growth and attract private investment in supply chains. [Times of India] [The Straits Times 1] Still, Modi has already lost a key political ally from the northern Indian state of Punjab, one of the country’s two breadbasket states, where farmers form an influential voting bloc. On Thursday, a minister of the Punjab-based Shiromani Akali Dal, one of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) long-time supporters, resigned from the Cabinet in protest, calling the bills "anti-farmer". The usually neutral Biju Janata Dal (BJD) from Odisha, and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) from Telangana state also expressed disapproval. [The Straits Times 2] India: Opposition figures named in disclosure statement relating to Delhi riots (lm) From politicians to lawyers and activists, names of various prominent personalities have come up in disclosure statements of accused persons in a charge-sheet filed by the Delhi Police last week alleging a conspiracy in the Northeast Delhi riots [see AiR No. 9, March/2020, 1]. The disclosure statements mention Congress Party leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid, Communist Party of India (CPI-ML) politburo member Kavita Krishnan, advocate Prashant Bhushan, among others, as having made “provocative speeches” at protest sites. While disclosure statements do not have evidentiary value in a trial unless they lead to the discovery of new evidence, the people listed in the statements may still be implicated in the alleged conspiracy in the future under section 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code. [The Times of India] [The Statesman] [National Herald] Previously, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell on September 17 had brought to court a charge sheet that, in essence, claims that the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) movement from the outset was a plot to trigger violence as a means to reclaim turf the alleged conspirators had lost because of Narendra Modi’s re-election as prime minister in May 2019. It is against this backdrop, that charges were brought forward against 15 people under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). [The Quint] [The Wire 1] Raising doubts about the impartiality of the probe, the CPI on September 24 accused the Delhi Police of "trying to frame" political leaders and activists who are critical of the "anti-people policies" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government. Police in Delhi have been accused of turning a blind eye to the role of BJP leaders, such as Kapil Mishra, who gave the police a “three-day” ultimatum to get the roads cleared of anti-CAA protesters. Mr. Mishra, who has not been named in any of the charge-sheets, lodged a police complaint on Thursday over an alleged "hate campaign" being run against him. [NDTV] [The Wire 2] Lawmakers of the ruling BJP, including Home Minister Amit Shah had first floated the idea of a conspiracy during a parliamentary debate in March. Shifting significantly from his first statement that the riots had formed spontaneously, Mr. Shah selectively quoted a speech from student leader Umar Khalid and named his organization United Against Hate (UAH) as the key conspirator. The Delhi Police’s Special Cell arrested Mr. Khalid last week. [The Wire 3] India: Police accused of destroying evidence in espionage case (lm) Family members and lawyers of three people arrested two weeks ago in an espionage case have alleged unfair treatment by authorities, pointing to an 11th-hour decision by a Delhi court on September 28 to send the trio to judicial custody. [Business Standard] On September 14, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police had arrested Indian freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma, allegedly found passing sensitive information about several topics, including India's defense strategy and defense acquisitions, to Chinese intelligence officials for several years. Along with Mr. Sharma, his two associates were arrested for allegedly supplying the journalist with money through shell companies in return for passing on sensitive information [see AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4]. [The Hindu] [South China Morning Post] In a letter to the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, the wife of Sharma has alleged unfair treatment by authorities and further claimed she and her husband had been forced to sign a letter they were not allowed to read. The letter also reproduces the wife’s claim that police had destroyed and fabricated evidence. [National Herald India] In the First Information Report (FIR), police had laid out several accusations against the trio, but their legal representatives later pointed out they had not even received copies of the FIR that according to Indian law must be shared with the accused. It was not until a week later that a Delhi court ordered the Special Cell to share Sharma’s and his co-accused’s FIR with their lawyers. [NDTV] A Delhi court on September 22 found that the content of the FIR was "sensitive in nature" yet "very sketchy" when compared with the press release issued by the police the same day. Specifically, the court said the FIR did not provide detailed information about the nature of investigation conducted by the police. India: Facebook India’s managing director challenges his summoning (lm) On September 23, the Delhi Legislative Assembly clarified that “no coercive steps” were intended against Ajit Mohan, vice president and managing director of Facebook India. Facebook India and Mr. Mohan had appealed to India’s Supreme Court on earlier this week to challenge the September 10 and September 18 notices served upon him by the assembly’s “Peace and Harmony committee” that is investigating the company’s alleged role in the religious riots in the city earlier this year [see AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3, AiR No. 9, March/2020, 1]. [The Hindu] The petition argues that regulating tech platforms falls within the "exclusive authority" of the Union government, hence a state legislative assembly does not have the authority to compel witnesses to appear and provide evidence on such subjects. The plea further contents that the summons violated the right of the petitioner to remain silent and his right to privacy, which are guaranteed under the constitution. [Bar and Bench] This is the second time this month that Facebook has come under scrutiny from authorities in India. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that a Facebook executive had intervened in internal communication to stop the application of hate-speech rules to at least four individuals and groups linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to protect the company’s business interests. Thereafter, the company's representatives were summoned by the ‘Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology’ to report on allegations of deliberate omissions, inaction and political bias while dealing with online hate-speech in India [see AiR No. 33, August/2020, 3]. Whether it is within the powers of the Indian parliament to summon Facebook executives, and whether the committee’s chairman, opposition politician Shashi Tharoor, has acted within the limits of the framework of parliamentary rules, is being discussed in [Jurist]. Nepal: Communist party leadership discusses cabinet reshuffle (lm) The nine-member Secretariat of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on September 20-22 convened to discuss ways to ensure the effective functioning of the government, including a cabinet reshuffle. The NCP has been discussing a Cabinet reshuffle for quite some months as the leadership was engaged in finding a larger power-sharing deal to defuse a crisis that had taken the party close to a split. [see AiR No. 32, August/2020, 2, AiR No. 34, August/2020, 4] [The Kathmandu Post 1] [The Kathmandu Post 2] Members also urged Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to take the initiative to convene a Constitutional Council meeting and expedite the process of filling posts in constitutional bodies, including the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, National Women Commission, Madhesi Commission and Muslim Commission. [The Himalayian Times] Nepal: Oppositional Congress party criticizes MoFa’s handling of alleged Chinese intrusions (lm) Nepal’s main opposition party, the Nepali Congress, on Thursday criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for issuing a hasty clarification on an alleged encroachment of Nepal’s territory by China. An inspection team earlier found that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) had constructed at least nine buildings in Nepal’s northwestern Humla district, which borders the Tibet Autonomous Region. [Wion] After locals had apprised the district authorities of the construction, Nepal’s Home Ministry sent an inspection team to visit the area on September 20. Finding that a border pillar was missing, the officials assumed that China had apparently taken advantage of the situation by encroaching into Nepal’s territory. A report prepared by the team was sent to the Home Ministry on September 22. In spite of the findings, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs the following day said that an inter-ministerial team in 2016 had already found the buildings in question to be located approximately one kilometer inside the Chinese territory from the Nepal-China border. [Times of India] [Swarajya] Meanwhile, the border pillar, which was said to have been missing, was found the same day. [The Kathmandu Post] In August, a report by the Survey Department of Nepal’s Agriculture Ministry had anew shed a light on China’s salami-slicing activities on border regions, claiming that Beijing has been encroaching on about 33 hectares of Nepali land at multiple locations spreading over seven bordering districts [see: AiR No. 34, August/2020, 4]. A report issued in November 2019, had found that four districts sharing a border with China – Sankhuwasabha, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk and Humla – were seen losing territories in light of the diversion of rivers resulting from ongoing Chinese road construction in the Tibet Autonomous Region [see AiR No. 47, November/2019, 3]. Pakistan: Opposition leader arrested in corruption case (lm) Pakistan’s High Court on Monday ordered the arrest of opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, shortly after it rejected his application for bail on charges of money-laundering and maintaining assets beyond known sources of income. The two-judge panel decided that Sharif - the president of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and former chief minister of Punjab province - was needed for further interrogation at the request of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). [Dawn] [Al Jazeera] Last week, the NAB had filed a reference against Sharif and his sons after a financial monitoring unit had detected 177 suspicious transactions of Sharif’s family. Sharif has denied all charges, contending that the assets that NAB is probing are in his relatives’ names and that he has no connection to them or how they were acquired. [Bloomberg] [Anadolu Agency] The arrest came a week after Shahbaz Sharif’s brother, Nawaz Sharif, who served thrice as Pakistan’s prime minister, broke a nearly yearlong silence from exile in London. On September 20, Pakistani opposition parties had cemented their alliance through the announcement of a new coalition, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), and agreed upon a six-point action plan to depose the incumbent government, starting with nationwide rallies in October [see AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4]. Earlier Monday, an accountability court indicted the co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the second largest opposition party in Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, and his sister in a separate money laundering case. Previously, on September 23, the court had rejected Zardari's plea seeking acquittal in three corruption references. Zardari is currently on bail and is regularly attending court hearings against him. [The Nation] [The New Indian Express] Prime Minister Imran Khan has made an anti-corruption drive the centerpiece of his rule, with his government pursuing cases against many longtime political leaders, including the Sharifs, former President Asif Ali Zardari [see e.g. AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3, AiR No. 32, August/2020, 2], the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) group led by Fazl-ur-Rehman, and several members of each of their families. Critics, including the opposition, say the anti-corruption drive has been politically motivated, using trumped-up corruption charges to target Khan’s political opponents while leaving members of his ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or their allies largely untouched. [NY Times] Pakistan: Supreme Court halts terror suspect’s extradition to United States (lm) Pakistan’s Supreme Court (SC) on September 21 barred the government from handing over a Pakistani-American terror suspect to the US. In August, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had paved the way for the extradition of the terror suspect by relaxing hitherto tough conditions set for his handing over to the US authorities. Both the federal government and the father of the suspect had challenged the decision of the single-member bench. [The Nation] [Dawn] The SC directed the Secretary Foreign Office to submit details of extradition treaties with the US and the United Kingdom, within the next two weeks. If there is no agreement between Islamabad and Washington, then how can the accused be extradited, the court questioned. [Daijiworld.com] The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accuses the suspect of being an ISIS sympathizer, and involved in planning of multiple terror attacks in New York City. He was arrested in Pakistan in 2016 after US authorities identified him as one of three suspects, allegedly involved in planning attacks at a Times Square subway, and at a concert hall. [Anadolu Agency] Pakistan: Cabinet did not discuss violence against journalists since inauguration (lm) Despite multiple crimes of violence against journalists, [see e.g. AiR No. 11, March/2020, 3, AiR No. 25, June/2020, 4], the Cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan has failed to take up the issue during its first 62 meetings between September 1, 2018 and January 30, 2020, a local media and development sector watchdog said, adding that at least 91 attacks on journalists were recorded in Pakistan between May 2019 and April 2020. Freedom Network had filed a request with the government in February “to seek official information on how many times the issue of the growing number of murders, attacks, and intimidation of journalists was taken up by the Cabinet”. [Deccan Herald] Previously, a leading Pakistani journalist revealed that the country’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered cases against 49 media persons and social media activists under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Although being adopted for fighting cyber-crimes and explicitly not to be used against journalists and media, the act is increasingly being applied to restrict the freedom of expression and media. Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari the same day refuted the reports. [Hindustan Times] Against the backdrop, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Sunday issued a declaration expressing serious concern over torture, abduction and arrest of journalists, unannounced censorship through financial curbs on media houses, threats to owners and journalists by anti-media forces to compel them to toe the official line or face government’s wrath. [Dawn] Pakistan currently ranks 145 out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders's (RSF) 2020 World Press Freedom Index. The country has dropped three places from its rank in 2019. [Reporters Without Borders] Pakistan: High-level meetings between opposition and military exposed (The Pakistan Army on Wednesday disclosed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Mohammad Zubair in recent weeks had twice reached out to Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to discuss political and legal woes of PML-N leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz. [The Nation] [Dawn] Earlier in the day, Maryam Nawaz had said that no any representing his father Nawaz Sharif had met COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Maryam, who was at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for a hearing of an appeal against her conviction in the Avenfield property reference added that political decisions should be made in the parliament, not at the General Headquarters (GHQ). Maryam Nawaz was referring to a meeting on September 16, in which General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed counselled opposition leaders to refrain from dragging the military into political issues [see AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4]. The meeting took place just days before Pakistan’s main opposition parties united to launch the “Pakistan Democratic Movement” (PDM) against the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the involvement of the country’s powerful military in politics. Breaking a nearly yearlong silence from exile in London, during the meeting Mr. Sharif had claimed that the military had ushered in Prime Minister Imran Khan's government by way of rigged election, adding that the army had gone from a "state within a state" to a "state above the state" [see AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4]. Following the revelations, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif banned his party members from holding any private meetings with the country's military leadership. [Pakistan Today] Law and Politics in Southeast Asia ![]() Cambodia: Wave of repression keeps rolling (jn) Several activists have been jailed or convicted by Cambodian authorities in a sign of unabated crackdown on political dissent in the kingdom. Last Thursday, a provincial court sentenced seven activists of the banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to between five and seven years in prison pursuant to infamous Article 453 of the Penal Code for treason. The sentences were handed down for publicly voicing support for exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s return, four of them in absentia Rainsy went into exile in France in 2015 to avoid being tried for what he labeled politically motivated charges and failed to return last November after Prime Minister Hun Sen threatened arrest for, in his view, a “coup attempt”. [Straits Times] [Channel News Asia] [Radio Free Asia] In another case, Cambodian authorities charged youth activist Oeur Narith, also of the banned CNRP, for raising funds from abroad in an attempt to topple Hun Sen’s government. He was briefly arrested, but then released on bail on Tuesday. [The Diplomat] [VOD English] Only earlier this month the rising chorus of criticism on the tightening authoritarian vise in Cambodia was joined by the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. Her office recounted 24 arrest of opposition activists since prominent labor leader Rong Chhun had been taken into custody on July 31st, which led to demonstrations being held in his favor. [AiR No. 37 September/2020, 3]. Also last week, government forces disbanded a demonstration of around 1.100 people from several rural provinces in Phnom Penh where they blocked the traffic for a short period of time and tried to enter the compound of the Land Management Ministry. The land protesters called attention to their being marginalized and evicted from their property due to development projects awarded to investment companies. [VOD English] Meanwhile, it has also become public that the planned public order law against inappropriate attire envisaged to enter into force next year [see AiR No. 31, August/2020, 1] would – in case of its adoption – be much more comprehensive than has been previously known. It would allow authorities to discipline people for making noise or speaking too loudly and ban the sale of alcohol at certain night hours without a special permit. Potentially targeting informal workers and the homeless it would ban “arbitrary and disorderly” sales of goods in public; the setting up of temporary shelters; attracting customers “in a way that affects orderliness and public order”; all forms of begging; and those with a “mental disorder” being unaccompanied without a guardian. One provision bans the “use of face masks or other disguise” in public or private – which runs directly counter to the Health Ministry’s Covid-19 recommendations on wearing masks. The draft legislation has sparked an outcry among rights groups and public figures who are concerned that it would give the government yet another tool to interfere with its citizens’ rights and their private sphere and would enable the policing of women’s bodies. [South China Morning Post] Sam Rainsy announces return to Cambodia (jn) Opposition leader and acting president of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Sam Rainsy has publicly vowed to return from five years of exile in France to push for democratic reforms in Cambodia in what would be the second attempt after being blocked from coming home last November. He told Radio Free Asia on Friday that he wanted to return to Cambodia to tackle the economic crisis and said that only a democratic government with the people’s support could solve Cambodia’s problems. [Radio Free Asia] Corruption cases in Indonesia (lf) In Indonesia, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will auction off items confiscated in a series of corruption cases. The items, which will be auctioned off online, among others, belong to the former chief of Indonesia’s constitutional court Akil Mochtar who is currently facing trial for accepting bribes. There will also be items auctioned off from the former governor of North Sumatra (Gatot Pudjo Nugroho) and former Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno. [Tempo] Meanwhile, the head of the KPK has violated the code of ethics and the KPK has been asked to thread more careful. The chairman received a warning as punishment by the supervision board (Dewas). The chairman is accused of a violation of the code of ethics with the handling the corruption case of Djoko Tjandra, an Indonesian businessman who was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison over corruption charges in 2009. [Republika in Indonesian] Earlier this year Djoko Tjandra had been arrested in Malaysia after he had been on the run for 11 years. The police searched for Djoko Tjandra for his involvement in a high scale corruption case with the Bali Bank [The Jakarta Post]. The case of Djoko Tjandra reaches deep into Indonesian society. Currently, a prosecutor is facing trial for adding Djoko Tjandra in his fugitive period. The prosecutor is charged with money laundering and accepting bribery in order to help Djoko. Within his trial, Attorney General Burhanuddin, as well as Supreme Court Chief Justice Hatta Ali was mentioned. Both were supposedly involved in a plan to get an acquittal for Djoko Tjandra. The Attorney General denies any allegations about being involved with the plan [The Jakarta Post] [Kompas] Indonesia: Regional Election to continue (lf) Even though several groups have brought forwards grave concern for the regional elections to be held across the archipelago later this year amidst a rising number of Covid-19 cases, elections are still scheduled as planned. Some experts worry about the legitimacy of candidates as voter turnout is expected to be low. [Kompas in Indonesian] Indonesia: Jokowi’s past and future vision (nd) Facing election in 2024, a recent analysis shed light on the past and remaining years of Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Known as the Infrastructure president, the analysis argues Jokowi struggles to find the middle ground between economic nationalism and the need for foreign investment, of the latter a post-colonial country was always wary. [Asia Nikkei Review] His most recent and prominently featured project is the $ 32 billion project to build a new capital in Kalimantan, 1,200 km across the sea away from the current capital, claiming its necessity to ease pressure on overcrowded Jakarta, spread development beyond of Java and transform Indonesia into an advanced nation, as announced in his inauguration speech after his reelection in 2019. Already before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the project sent Indonesian economy tumbling toward its first recession since the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98. Within his focus on infrastructure, the president was more a developmentalist than an ideological free market economist, deeming economic growth necessary to maintain political legitimacy. While still enjoying a steady economic growth, Indonesia is pressured to create enough decent jobs for its fast expanding population or risk a demographic dividend becoming a demographic time bomb. Within his government, the analysis argues, Jokowi avoided establishing a centralized policy unit, like organizations and ministries for coordinating implementation of changes, but would rather be in charge himself, weaking democratic consensus finding. In order to lift Indonesia’s tax revenues and overall boost the economy, Jokowi appointed good personnel with regard to improve economic efficiency and attract foreign investment. Yet, foreign investment had not become easier for still not striking a durable balance between openness and protectionism, with claiming the need to expand trade but implementing nontariff barriers, as well as prioritizing inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOE) and nationalizing some of the country’s biggest energy projects. The large number of SOE – only topped in numbers by China – was considered a tool to accelerate infrastructure development and boost economic growth without affecting the national budget but many of these companies were badly managed and fostered corruption; so bad in fact that former Inter Milan owner Erick Thohir in 2019 was hired to clean up the financial and legal mess created. Within the Covid-19 crisis, the president’s tendency to make unilateral decisions rendered a dire health situation. In his defense, some argue Jokowi was driven by ensuring not to create an economic pain fighting the pandemic was not worse than the latter. Still, critics uttered the government’s response to COVID-19 was indecisive and lacking in transparency, risking “widespread transmission and casualties” as well as a “collapse of public confidence.” With being tied between two rationales – the need for foreign investment and know-how but economic liberalism perceived as colonial oppression tool ever since its independency – Indonesia and Jokowi yet need a clearer vision for the coming years. [Asia Nikkei Review] Laos is set to allow foreign ownership under the new condominium law (py) In 2018, local and foreign investors called on the government to consider passing a condominium law that would allow foreigners to own apartment and condo units, citing that the passage of the law would stimulate growth in the property market. [Asia News Network] Recently, article 132 of the revised law grants foreigners the right to purchase and own the rights to a suite or unit inside a condominium for the life of the building. Besides, foreign nationals are also entitled to sell, lease, mortgage and bequeath the ownership of the unit. Nevertheless, the ownership of an individual unit is not perpetual. The period of the ownership of the individual units depends on the nature of the ownership of the land itself. [VDB Loi] Malaysia: Anwar about to take over government? (nd) New political turmoil unfolds after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim announced to dispose of a majority in parliament, including defectors from the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition: “With a solid and convincing majority, it means that as of this moment, the government of [Prime Minister] Muhyiddin Yassin has fallen,” he said. Anwar announced to form an inclusive, yet predominantly Bumiputera [original inhabitants of Malaysia before the arrival of Chines and Indians] and Malay-Muslim dominated government. If Anwar actually disposes of the necessary majority as announced remains unclear however. Muhyiddin’s government currently holds 113 seats of the 222-seat lower house of parliament. PKR and its PH partners currently hold 91 seats, adding 10 seats of two other allied parties, 11 seats short of the required majority of 112. The parties under the PN coalition expressed their support for Prime Minister and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in a joint-statement. Malaysia’s constitutional monarch, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who can decide whether Anwar can form a new government or elections need to take place, reportedly is too ill to welcome visitors, causing more speculation and tension. In last weekend’s snap election in the Eastern state of Sabah, Muhyiddin’s ruling coalition has prevailed by winning a simple majority of 38 of 73 contested seats against PH-partnering Warisan. This result, according to observers, was driven by a need for federal support and the desire for economic development in the midst of Covid-19 crisis, trumping the state nationalist approach “Sabah for Sabahans” platform Warisan was running on. This result is a victory for Muhyiddin, who was prominently features within the electoral compaign, and likely to help him challenge Anwar’s announcement, despite not having a direct affect on the national level. Still, the result is likely to stabilize Muhyiddin’s PN coalition and head to a snap general election. Only this year February, elected Pakatan Harapan (PH) government was overthrown to form the current loose Perikatan Nasional administration due to a number of PH MPs joined forces with Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pas. In 2008, Anwar staged a similar take-over attempt, failing by loosing the claimed majority when UMNO lawmakers did not defect into his camp. [Jakarta Post][Malay Mail 1] [Malay Mail 2] [Malay Mail 3] [The Diplomat 1] [Malay Mail 4] [The Diplomat 2] [The Diplomat 3] Newspaper under Lockdown in Myanmar (lf) In Yangon, the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown has caused several Newspapers to stop printing, including the Myanmar Times. The stay at home order by the government, in place since September 22, excludes essential business such as telecommunication services and airlines but not print media which seems even more critical with regard of upcoming elections. At current, there is only one remaining non-state newspaper offering printed versions. While, the lockdown order is set for only 14 days, the infection rate of Covid-19 is still on the rise and it is expected that the lockdown order will be extended. Print media hopes that they will be included in the exceptions, if there is an extension. [MMTimes] Myanmar: Election Update (lf) As the numbers of Covid-19 exceed 10,000, the Ministry of Health and Sports claims that battling the pandemic is of greater importance than election campaigns. The Ministry encourages people to avoid any type of gathering, including the balloting of the election itself. [Irrawaddy 1] Simultaneously, Myanmar’s Party for a New Society (DPNS) has cancelled their scheduled broadcast on state-owned media, due to censorship. During the election campaign parties are allowed to broadcast explanations of their policies, however, the parties have to hand in the content previously to the Union Election Commission (UEC). The DPNS party, which focuses on children’s rights, has been asked to refrain from mentioning child mortality, in addition of being prohibited to use the word “oppressed” and discussing topics of controversial infrastructure projects. The party has therefore decided to cancel their broadcast. The campaign broadcast rules prohibit any defamation of the state and the military, as well as speaking about any content which could lead to instability or unrest. Human Rights Watch criticized the rigidness of the campaign rules and urged the UEC to loosen them. [Irrawaddy 2] DPNS is not the only party accusing the UEC of censorship, several other parties have protested the removal of the words “oppressed”, “ignored” and “civil war”. [Irrawaddy 3] Meanwhile, the chairmen and co-founder of the biggest ethnic party - the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy - has suddenly resigned from his position. [Irrawaddy 4] At the same time, U Kyaw Myint, leader of the United Democratic Party, which has the second highest number of candidates, has been implicated in large scale money laundering in the 1990s. According to the government, he escaped his ten-year prison time to Canada while U Kyaw Myint claims to have been imprisoned for political reasons. By Canada, he has been fined illegal insider trading though. [Irrawaddy 5] Meanwhile, the race for the position of the Karen ethnic affairs minister, which is the only directly elected position for the coming parliament, has kicked off with this year’s candidates first online debate. With the Karen constituting one of the biggest minority groups, this position is of special political importance. [Irrawaddy 6] Philippines: Military chief of staff to ask Facebook to restore account (nd) After Facebook took down more than 100 fake pages and accounts linked to the Philippine army and police targeting activists and dissidents as well as China-based accounts backing President Duterte, General Gilbert Gapay, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Philippines’ Armed Forces highest ranking officer, has asked Facebook head of public policy in the Philippines to restore the accounts, specifically the Hands Off Our Children (HOOC) page. According to Facebook, however, the pages had engaged in “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” and, among other activities, “artificially boost[ed] the popularity of content.” Facebook in an earlier statement deemed the account as part of systematic propaganda against “communism, youth activists and opposition, the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing, the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines”. Their action intensified between 2019 and 2020. The page in question was administered by Army Capt. Alexandre Cabales, chief of the Army Social Media Center, who was the operator of a network of accounts with a similar agenda as the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) of the US-based Atlantic Council found. The request made by General Gapay to restore the HOOC page was a “clear admission” of the AFP’s hand in maintaining a “troll army”, member of the House of Representatives Gabriela Arlene Brosas said. Meanwhile, progressive members of the House of Representatives warned that there are hints that China might meddle in the next presidential election, and referred to its Facebook account based in Fujian, China, which was also removed, allegedly supporting the presidential bid of President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, who is a member of the House of Representatives for Davao City. [Philippine Inquirer] [The Diplomat] [Manila Standard] Thailand: Digital ministry to go after US tech firms (nd) Digital minister Puttipong Punnakanta announced his ministry would file complaints with cybercime police against US companies Facebook, Google and Twitter for not complying with court-issued takedown orders. Additionally, separate complaints would be filed against individuals for allegedly criticizing the monarchy in social media. Legal base is the Computer Crime Act which requests in particular prosecution of online criticism of the royal family. Ignoring a court order can result in a fine of up to 200,000 baht ($6,347), then 5,000 baht ($159) per day until the order is observed. Facebook was asked to block 661 accounts but according to the ministry took down less than a third of them. The ministry did not disclose details on the content and representatives of the three companies were not available for comment. Thailand: Former Immigration chief to sue PM (nd) Thailand’s former Immigration chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn, who was removed from law enforcement suddenly last year and transferred to civilian position of adviser at Prime Minister’s Office, filed a complaint against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha in the Administrative Court. According to Pol Lt Gen Surachate, his transfer was unlawful, lacking a formal probe against him by investigative agencies and his consent. More than 90 officials have been transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister, with 80 of them having returned to their original posts and some to retire in October this year. Among them was also deputy police chief Pol Gen Wirachai Songmetta, who was transferred to an inactive post at PM office after defying an order by national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda. In 2014, then Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was removed from office by the Constitutional Court after the Supreme Administrative Court found her transfer of the secretary general of the National Security Council to the Prime Minister’s Office unlawful. Thailand: Emergency decree to be extended 6th time (nd) Despite observers questioning the necessity of maintaining a strict lockdown, the emergency decree shall be extended another month, for the 6th time. Although recent Covid-19 cases mostly came from abroad, the extension shall enable health officials to react quickly and efficiently. In October, international tourists will be allowed to enter Thailand again, in light of Thailand’s dependency on tourism, amounting to 10-20 % of its GDP. In a recent report, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) claimed that more than 4 million Thais were unemployed, with another 14 million endangered if no solution is found the end of the year. Analysts earlier this year described Thailand’s economic outlook as the “worst in Asia”, with a potential 8.1% contraction in GDP – even worse than the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. The cabinet will decide about the extension on Monday. Thailand: Protests after delay on constitutional amendment vote (nd) Protesters gathered in front of Parliament, blocking the exit as Senate and House voted to set up a special panel to study the proposed amendments within a month, forcing the members to use back-exits and boats to leave. The combined houses of parliament were expected to vote on six motions proposing amendments to the constitution on Thursday. While Government Chief Whip Wirat Rattanaseth stated, the panel and the added time were worth to help mitigate differences, opposition called it “a way to stall for time” and moving the country towards a dead end. Of the six proposals for constitutional amendment, one came from the governing coalition and the remaining five from the opposition. Both sides are in support of amending Section 256 to establish a Constitution Drafting Assembly to write a whole new charter. [Khaosod] [Thai PBS] [Thai Enquirer] [Thailand News] [Coconut Bangkok] Thailand: Pheu Thai party member convicted for demanding bribes (nd) The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced Thai politician Watana Muangsook, a Pheu Thai Party member, to 99 years in jail. If the ruling is upheld by the appeal court, Mr Watana will have to serve 50 years, the longest possible prison term. Mr. Watana was found guilty of demanding bribes from the developers of a low-cost housing project from the Thaksin-era, initiated by the National Housing Authority, an organization under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. Thailand: Worries over possible Bank of Thailand loan for dam project (py) NGO’S, the Rak Chiang Kong group and the Thai public sector network of the eight provinces in the Mekong Basin, have expressed their concerns over possible loans from the Bank of Thailand to the construction of the Luang Prabang dam claiming geo-political, sociological and environmental risks. The construction of the dam would not only be a highly potential natural catastrophe but would also represent a geo-political risk with Chinese power growing in the region. Lead developer of the Luang Prabang Hydropower Project is the “Petroleum Vietnam” enterprise. Some private Thai companies seem to also plan to invest in the project as well. [Prachathai, in Thai] Dam constructions in the Mekong River basin have always been a controversial issue as the integrity of the entire region depends heavily on the Mekong River. The Mekong River Commission’s secretariat concluded that the Xayaburi dam, which was completed in 2019, did not at that point comply with the World Bank’s standard. According to a Thai geologist, the building of the new dam in an earthquake-prone region could pose a great risk to the famed UNESCO-World Heritage City of Luang Prabang and further cited the dam as ‘’high risk”. [Asia Sentinel] As a partner in China’s Belt and Road initiative (BRI), Laos seems to be one of the victims in the debt trap whereby the countries have to compromise their sovereignty after defaulting on their infrastructure-related debts owed to China. Though Laos could approach the International Monetary Fund under its COVID-19 Financial Assistance and Debt Service relief response, the government preferably resort to China as the IMF agreement would demand greater financial transparency. Laos was reported as a country with no significant progress in the 2019 Fiscal Transparency Report by the U.S. Department of State. [See also AiR NO. 37, September/2020, 3] Vietnam: New mayor of Hanoi appointed (jn) Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh was elected as the new chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee at an extraordinary meeting of the municipal People’s Council on September 25 with unanimous consent. [Hanoi Times] Vietnam: Twenty convicted over terrorism charges (jn) A court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced 20 people to prison terms ranging from two to 24 years on terrorism charges over their involvement in the bombing of a police station in the city two years ago. The court convicted seventeen of the group for acts of terrorism, and three for illegally using explosives, after all of the 20 accused had pleaded guilty in the two-day trial. The trial comes amid a series of arrests of journalists, bloggers, and other dissidents as authorities already intolerant of dissent seek to stifle critics in the run-up to the ruling Communist Party congress in January 2021. Only two weeks ago, a court in Hanoi had handed down two death sentences in a trial over a deadly land-rights clash [cf. AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3]. A Facebook user was recently arrested for sharing his grievances about how the local government had handled a dispute over his family’s land. [Reuters] [Radio Free Asia 1] [Radio Free Asia 2] Vietnamese political prisoners in hunger strike (jn) Three detained activists in Vietnam are said to have been in a hunger strike to protest conditions in prison since September 5. One of the inmates was convicted after he had criticized the government’s handling of environmental damage resulting from a massive toxic waste spill in 2016 that left thousands without work in three coastal provinces. [Radio Free Asia] International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia ![]() China continues military muscle flexing (dql/ef) China on Monday kicked off five simultaneous drills along different parts of its coast, including the Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea as well as in the East China Sea, the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. It is the second time within two months after concurrent exercises were conducted in August. [Reuters] [AiR No. 35, September/2020, 1] In a related move, Chinese war planes have entered the Taiwanese Air Defense Identification Zone for a forty-six time within nine days. On two consecutive days on Friday, 18 September, and Saturday, 19 September, Taiwan’s air force intercepted nearly 40 jets of the People’s Liberation Army. [Aljazeera] [CNBC] [AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4] China: Advancing military air and space capabilities (dql) China's first homemade unmanned helicopter - the AR-500C -, successfully completed a maiden flight in high-altitude areas after conducting a range of tests including climbing, hovering, rotating and other operations maneuvers. Earlier in May, China successfully tested a helicopter drone in a low-altitude region. It is believed that the AR-500C, besides its usage for reconnaissance and communication relays, can be equipped for further functions including electronic disruption, target indication, fire strikes, cargo delivery, and nuclear radiation as well as chemical contamination reconnaissance. The testing, hailed by Chinese state-run Global Times as a milestone in the country’s drone development, comes amid speculations that the drones might by soon also be deployed in Ladakh, the conflict region in the ongoing territorial dispute between China and India. [Republic World] [EurAsian Times] Meanwhile, China expanded its Earth observation capabilities with the launch of two satellites last Saturday, to collect infrared and hyperspectral images, which contain information to help analysts distinguish between different types of features on Earth, such as vegetation, human-made infrastructure, and water quality. The launch is the latest of so far 29 launches in this year, signaling the country’s acceleration in the implementation of its space program. [Space News] In a related move, a squadron of 20 airmen of the US Space Force had been deployed earlier this month to Qatar's Al-Udeid Air Base, the first foreign deployment of the sixth branch of the US military since its establishment in December 2019. Commenting on the deployment, the director of Space Force troops at Al-Udeid warned of ‘’other nations that are extremely aggressive in preparing to extend conflict into space.” In an earlier statement, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper accused China and Russia of turning space into a “warfighting domain," and warned of “killer satellites, directed energy weapons, and more in an effort to exploit our systems and chip away at our military advantage.” [CBS] [The Sociable] For an account of current international cooperation in space, including Sino-US cooperation, see Makena Young in [World Politics Review] who suggests that – despite space becoming increasingly weaponized – rivaling powers “can come together to advance science, exploration and their security aspirations, regardless of their militaries’ endeavors in space or on Earth.” China-USA great power rivalry: Beijing scores with carbon neutrality pledge amid Trump-Xi barbs traded over Covid-19 at UN General Assembly (dql) Antagonism and mutual accusations dominated the speeches Chinese and US Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump delivered via pre-recorded videos at the United Nations’ General Assembly where discussions centered at the coronavirus pandemic. The US President fired a salvo of criticism against China, calling on the international community to join hands to fight the “fierce battle against the invisible enemy, the China virus,” and to “hold accountable the nation, which unleashed this plague onto the world, China,” and reiterating his accusations of China (and a ‘China-controlled’ World Health Organization) deliberately misinforming the world about human-to-human transmissions of the virus. He further attacked China for abusing trade over decades and for being the word’s environment polluter. [White House] Less confrontative in formulation, but equally determined in presenting his counter-accusations, the Chinese President reassured that China has "no intention to fight either a Cold War or a hot one with any country," adding in a thinly veiled attack on the USA that in “[f]acing the virus,” the international community should reject “[a]ny attempt of politicizing the issue or stigmatization,” and “follow the guidance of science, give full play to the leading role of the World Health Organization, and launch a joint international response to beat this pandemic.” Furthermore, countering Trump’s attack on China as the world’s worst environment polluter, Xi took many at surprise by announcing that China will strive to peak its CO2 emission within this decade to become carbon neutral in 2060. [CGTN] Xi’s pledge to make China – the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide gas – achieve carbon neutrality brings the country closer to the European Union which has committed itself to carbon neutrality by 2050 in its European Green Deal. Brussels was quick to welcome China’s announcement, calling in “an important step in our global fight against climate change under the Paris Agreement,” while warning that “a lot of work remains to be done.” [Climate Home News] [European Commission] It reflects China’s assertiveness in claiming a leading role in global governance in area in which Trump has withdrawn the USA from the Paris Climate Agreement and has dismissed and continues to dismiss scientific evidence of climate change, as seen in the context of the recent wildfires in California. [The Atlantic] For a discussion of the geopolitics behind China’s carbon neutrality pledge as well as of the challenges China is facing in turning itself into a carbon neutral country see Lili Pike in [Vox] and Niharika Tagotra in [The Diplomat]. Meanwhile, James Goldgeier and Bruce W. Jentleson in [Foreign Affairs] look for a proper understanding of a fundamental change of the US position in the world currently taking place. Arguing that the USA has undergone a historical development from being “apart” from the word (until 1945) to “atop” (1945-recently) to currently “amid” the world, the USA needs to abandon the thinking that global leadership is an American entitlement, and acknowledge global leadership roles and capacities of other powers. China-USA trade relations: Washington steps up pressure over Xinjiang and Chinese tech firms (dql) The US House of Representatives last week passed the Uighur Forced Labor Prevention bill which requires any company that operates in Xinjiang or buys goods from there to prove their goods are not produced by forced labor. Lawmakers cited their intention to reign in and stop alleged forced labor from the Uighur community. [Deutsche Welle] The move comes shortly after the Trump administration blocked imports of cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang over allegations that their production involved forced labor [Air No. 37, September/2020, 3], and is the latest in a string of US legislative efforts to pressure China over its Xinjiang policy where the Chinese government is accused of using forced labor and running internment camps for political indoctrination of Uighurs. In July, President Trump signed into law the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, authorizing the imposition of sanctions against Chinese officials believed to be implicate in the detention and persecution of Uighurs. [AiR No. 25, June/2020, 4] China decried the bill, commenting that “the so-called problem of forced labor is totally a lie fabricated by some organizations and personnel in the United States and the West,” aimed at discrediting the government’s efforts to bring about development and progress in the region. [ABC News] Echoing this, Chinese President Xi Jinping – speaking at a two-day conference last week which is believed to have set the direction of Chinese policy in Xinjiang for the next years – hailed recent developments in Xinjiang as a demonstration of the success of the government’s minority work in this region, with “people living in peace and contentment.” [Decan Herald] On another front of the Sino-US trade dispute, Washington has ordered US companies to seek government approval prior to selling their technologies to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, China’s largest, partially state-run semiconductor company, citing the risk that their equipment could be used for military purposes. The restriction is the latest move in Washington’s crusade against Chinese technology companies. [VoA] Meanwhile, a judge has issued a temporary block of an order from the Trump administration that was due on midnight of past Sunday and that would have banned the video sharing app TikTok, owned by Chinese internet technology company ByteDance, from being downloaded from U.S. app stores Apple and Google, while refraining from blocking a broader ban which is set for November 12 and which would make the use of the app entirely impossible in the USA. [The Guardian] The ruling comes shortly after a deal had been concluded – and approved by Trump – between ByteDance and American multinational computer technology corporation Oracle and retail corporation Walmart to avoid a ban of TikTok operations in the USA. Under the deal, TikTok’s board will consist exclusively of American citizens, with a security committee led by a person with government security clearances and both the board members and the head of the security committee needing US government approval. The deal awaits approval from China. [AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4] In another blow to Trump’s trade measures against China, around 3.500 US companies, have sued the Trump administration over tariffs imposed on Chinese-made goods worth over 300 billion USD, arguing that Trump administration failed to impose tariffs within a required 12-month period as well as violated administrative procedures. [Aljazeera] For details of the complaints, see Daniel J. Ikenson in [Cato Institute] who draws attention to the possibility that a President Biden might reform US trade-related acts to close loopholes and rein in the excessive powers currently bestowed on the president. In an earlier move, the World Trade Organization ruled that USA breached global trading rules by imposing multibillion-dollar tariffs in Trump’s trade war with China. Washington was quick to reject the WTO’s ruling saying that the decision reveals the inadequacy of the organization to stop China’s trade misconduct. [BBC] China-USA brawl over diplomatic missions continues (dql) China has issued new instructions tightening actions of US diplomats posted in Hong Kong. A new order requires them to receive approval from China’s Foreign Ministry before meeting any Hong Kong officials. It applies to any official, private, social and video meetings, as well as to personnel of any Chinese educational organization or society. [South China Morning Post] The move is the latest in a string of tit-for-tat measures in the context of the dispute between Beijing and Washington over their respective diplomatic missions. In a move earlier this month, the USA announced new regulations under which senior Chinese diplomats would be required to obtain State Department approval before visiting US university campuses or holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside mission grounds. In July, the Chinese consulate in Houston was ordered to close over alleged involvement in espionage. China retaliated with an order to shut down the US consulate in Chengdu. In February and June, Washington designated Chinese media outlets as foreign missions requiring those to comply with rules which apply to foreign embassies and consulates in the United States, too. [AiR No. 36, September/2020, 2] China-Japan relations: Leaders agree on wide range of cooperation amid persisting differences over disputed territories in the East China Sea (dql) During their phone talk last Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga agreed on close cooperation to further development of bilateral ties – including high-level contacts to promote regional and international stability as well as cooperation on trade, North Korea and Japan's efforts to retrieve Japanese victims of Pyongyang's abductions in the 1970s and 1980s. At the same time, differences over thorny issues were exchanged, including Beijing’s imposition of the national security law for Hong Kong and the territorial dispute over a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea, called Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese, and claimed by both sides. In summer Chinese government ships had been sailing for more than 100 straight days in the waters around these islets. Suga reassured a hardline stance on the territorial dispute in the East China Sea, calling the islands an inherent part of Japan's territory, both in terms of history and international law. [Nikkei Asian Review] [Reuters] [NHK] Japan-Russia relations: Tokyo protest against Russia military drill in disputed territories (dql) Japan has lodged a protest over a Russian military exercise involving more than 1,500 personnel on the coast of Kunashiri Island, part of a group of islands at the heart of a long-standing territorial dispute between the two countries which are called the Northern Territories by Tokyo and the Southern Kurils by Moscow. [Mainichi] Japan-South Korea relations: Leaders agree to improve countries’ strained relations (dql) Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held as phone conversation, the first exchange between the leaders of the two countries since a meeting between Suga’s predecessor Abe and Moon prior to which no formal summit had been held for 15 months, reflecting frosty relationships between the two nations which deteriorated over the issue of forced labor during Japan’s rule on the Korean peninsula. South Korean courts in 2018 and 2019 ruled in favor of victims of forced labor and ordered the confiscation of assets of involved Japanese firms’ in Korea to compensate the victims. Tokyo, however, refused to accept the decision, arguing that the issue had been resolved in the 1965 Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea, and retaliated with putting Korea from its list of favored trade partners, while imposing restrictions on exports of key semi-conductor related materials to Korea. Against this background, the conversation revolved around the question on how to improve the ties, with approaches on the two sides proving to be quite different. While Suga called on Seoul to bring about conditions for both countries to "return to a constructive relationship," signaling a hardline stance taken already by Abe, Moon appeared more conciliatory, urging both sides to “seek the best solution that can be accepted by all those concerned.” [Kyodo News] [Korea Times] Inter-Korean relations: South Korean official killed by North Korean troops (dql) South Korea has accused North Korea of killing an official of the Ministry of Oceans and Fishery which marks the first death of a South Korea citizen since 2008 when North Korean soldiers shot a woman while wandering into a restricted zone during a visit to a natural resort, jointly run by both Koreas. In an immediate response, Seoul called the killing a “brutal act” and tightened its military readiness posture to step up monitoring of North Korean military moves particularly near the tense sea border, calling the killing a [Korea Times] North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, meanwhile, extended in a notice sent to South Korea’s presidential Blue House an apology, vowing to “prevent this unfortunate incident from happening again.” [CNN] In a latest development, South Korea’s presidential office called for a joint investigation into the killing and expanded the search for the missing fisheries official, involving six aircraft and more than 40 vessels. Dismissing Seoul’s call, Pyongyang announced that it is conducting its own search while at the same time accusing South Korea of intruding its territorial waters. [The Guardian] [Reuters] The incident is the latest in a string of setbacks of inter-Koran peace talks. In June, the North blew up a joint liaison office after South Korean NGOs sent via balloons with anti-North leaflets across the joint border. [AiR No. 24, June/2020, 3] [AiR No. 25, June/2020, 4] South Korea-Russia relations: Presidents agree to deepen bilateral cooperation (dql) During a phone conversation, held on Monday on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Russia, Presidents Moon Jae-in and Vladimir Putin agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in a range of fields including artificial intelligence (AI), innovative technologies, medical tourism, agricultural machinery production, the Arctic route development, and the oil, gas and shipbuilding industries. Both leaders also agreed to join efforts to achieve progress in currently stalled talks on peace on the peninsula, with Seoul reassuring its push for the normalization of inter-Korean relations and the resumption of talks involving “parties concerned” while explicitly requesting Moscow’s constructive role and support. [Yonhap] In a related development, both countries resumed flights on Sunday for their respective citizens, operated once a week from Moscow to Seoul once a week. [The Times Hub] Taiwan: Air force drill and missile tests conducted (dql) Last week, Taiwan's military conducted a joint air defense drill simulating a response to an enemy air attack, involving all of Taiwan's air bases, as well as naval and surface-to-air missile units, and tested supersonic anti-ship missiles and surface-to-air missiles, simulating an interception operation. [Focus Taiwan] The drill an tests comes at a time when Chinese warplanes have been conducting flights entering the Taiwan’s air defense identification zone in high frequency over the past month. [AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4] Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times cited experts to confirm that tests revealed that Taiwan does not stand any chance in a military clash with China. [Global Times] Taiwan: Diplomatic allies speak up on Taiwan’s behalf at the 75th UN General Assembly (ef) During the 75th U.N. General Assembly, multiple diplomatic allies voiced their support for Taiwan. The President of Nauru reiterated that the U.N. Charter was based on the principles of universality and equality, thus he concluded that the U.N. must fulfill their commitment to the human family and ensure that Taiwan enjoys the same rights as the peoples of other nations. Especially the COVID-19 pandemic came to show that the world community needed inclusivity and solidarity in order to come up with adequate responses to global challenges. Similarly, the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis stressed that the Taiwanese management of the pandemic proved that Taiwan should be included in the U.N. system, especially the WHO. [Focus Taiwan 1] [Focus Taiwan 2] [Focus Taiwan 3] Taiwan-Paraguay relations: Letter of intent signed to promote technical cooperation (ef) Taiwan and Paraguay have signed a letter of intent aimed at the promotion of technical cooperation. The signing is a result of increasing bilateral ties with their economic relationship steadily and astoundingly improving. For instance, Paraguay’s beef export to Taiwan has increased 55-fold between 2006 and 2019. Paraguay is Taiwan’s only South American ally. [Focus Taiwan] Taiwan: Taiwanese municipalities no longer referred to as “Chinese” on GCoM-website (ef) The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) has concluded that six Taiwanese municipalities that are members of the international group may keep their Taiwanese names on the website of the GCoM. Recently, the cities of Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung were classified as “China” on the website. It is a long-standing practice that international groups and companies must refer to Taiwan as being part of China, with China recently ramping up efforts to decrease the referral to Taiwan within international groups. However, the six cities jointly demanded that the GCoM change the registered names of their cities back to the original registered nationality, otherwise they would withdraw from the international group. According to the Taiwanese Foreign Minister, the EU helped the Taiwanese municipalities, although the EU traditionally keeps a low profile toward Taiwan. On Monday, the GCoM announced that the cities would be classified as Chinese-Taipei. [South China Morning Post] [Reuters] India plans $3 billion drone deal with US to keep eye on border with China, reports say (lm) India is preparing to acquire 30 General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper drones from the United States, in a deal valued at approximately $3 billion, India Today reported on September 23, citing sources. Accordingly, the Ministry of Defense has recently cleared the way for the procurement of an initial lot of six Reaper Medium Altitude Long Endurance drones worth $600 million. These six drones—two each for the Army, Navy and Air Force—are to be procured under a fast-track, government-to-government deal with the United States, indicating the urgency of the acquisition. The deal is therefore expected to get an "acceptance of necessity" (AON) at an upcoming meeting of the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. [India Today] The remaining 24—eight drones for each service—will be acquired over the next three years under an ‘option clause’ in the contract. When the deal had been sealed three years ago, it only covered the delivery of 22 Sea Guardians (an unarmed maritime variant of the MQ-9) to the Indian Navy. In 2018, the agreement was then converted into a tri-services acquisition by the government, once the armed version of the MQ-9 was cleared for sale to India by the US. Meanwhile, India’ Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on September 22 successfully conducted flight tests of Abhyas, a Highspeed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT), from a test range in Odisha, defense sources said. [The New Indian Express] India’s new fighter jets make “familiarization” flights near China border (lm) India’s new French-made Rafale jets have made “familiarization” flights in operational areas including the Ladakh border region. The first five of a $9.4 billion Inter-Governmental Agreement for 36 Rafaele fighter jets were formally inducted on September 10, with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh calling them a "strong message" to New Delhi's adversaries. [The Straits Times] [AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3] A total of 10 Rafale aircraft have been delivered to India so far, of which 5 stayed back in France to train Indian pilots. The first batch arrived at an Indian airbase on July 29, [AiR No. 31, August/2020, 1] and five more are expected to come in November. The delivery of all 36 Rafale aircraft is scheduled to be completed by 2021-end. [The EurAsian Times] Still, French aviation giant Dassault and European conglomerate MBDA are yet to meet their commitments of transferring high technology to India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) as part of the deal relating to the procurement of the 36 Rafaele jets, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report published on September 23. [The Indian Express] [Times of India] Indian, Australian navies carry out maritime exercise in Indian Ocean (lm) The Indian Navy undertook a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) together with the Royal Australian Navy in the East Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from September 23 to September 24. It was the first major military exercise by India and Australia after both countries elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support in June [see AiR No. 23, June/2020, 2]. In August, India had made public its intentions to invite the Australian Navy to join the annual instalment of the Malabar exercise, completing the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) [see AiR No. 29, July/2020, 3]. A formal invitation to Australia to join the exercises is still pending. It is the fourth major bilateral military drill by the Indian Navy since June. It has already carried out similar exercises with the navies of the US, Japan and Russia [see AiR No. 29, July/2020, 3, AiR No. 36, September/2020, 2]. Last week, India acquired the Observer status in the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment (DCOC/JA), an 18-member group of nations that provides a common platform to counter piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean Region, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. [The Hindu] As New Delhi continues to strengthen its bilateral relations with Canberra, the format might soon be expanded into a three-country dialog to include France. In an effort to explore possible ways of cooperation in addressing the challenges of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, the three countries held their first trilateral meeting earlier this month. High-level discussions between France and India have also already taken place most recently, when French Defense Minister Florence Parly visited India earlier this month to attend the formal induction of the first batch of Rafaele fighter jets [see AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3]. [The Diplomat]. India, China agree to stop troop deployment along disputed border (lm) Following a meeting of Indian and Chinese top commanders on September 21 at Moldo, on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), both sides agreed to stop deploying more troops to their contested border and avoid any action that might complicate the tense situation there. Still, a tangible breakthrough on de-escalation eluded the marathon talks. [Al Jazeera] [Times of India] Prior to the agreement, tensions between the two powers had persisted despite several attempts to find a diplomatic, military and political solution, including repeated negotiations in Moscow this month [see AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3, AiR No. 36, September/2020, 2]. Last week, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused China of violating bilateral agreements and mutually agreed norms and expanding its troop deployments along the LAC [see AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4]. India unveils new Defense Acquisition Procedure 2020 (lm) Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday unveiled the Defense Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, which clearly reflects the government`s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat ('self-reliant India) by providing impetus to the growing domestic defense manufacturing industry. In sum, the new DAP abolishes offsets in government-to-government and single vendor deals, enables leasing of military equipment, lays emphasis on framing realistic technical parameters for weapon systems and simplifies trial procedures. The DAP 2020 will enter into force as from October 1. [Business Insider India] [Times of India] According to Defense Ministry officials, the earlier offset policy, under which at least 30 percent of the total contract value had to be ploughed back into India as re-investments, had failed to achieve its goal of bringing critical military technologies into the country. Last week, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report had pulled up French aviation giant Dassault and European conglomerate MBDA for not meeting their commitments of transferring high technology to India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) as part of the deal relating to the procurement of the 36 Rafaele jets [see article above]. As per the new DAP, offsets will continue in deals that have a multi-vendor competition and bidding. [The EurAsian Times] [The Quint] Moreover, the new DAP introduces a new provision on leasing, which will allow the armed forces to quickly hire transport planes, mid-air refuelling aircraft, helicopters, simulators and the like for urgent operational requirements without huge initial costs and paying for their upkeep. Notwithstanding a policy change to support the domestic defense manufacturing sector [see also AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4], India’s Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday approved the purchase of military hardware, including assault rifles for frontline troops from the United States and smart anti-airfield weapons. [Hindustan Times] [United Press International] India, Denmark elevate ties to “Green Strategic Partnership” (lm) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen on Monday held a virtual summit which marked the establishment of a 'Green Strategic Partnership' that aims to create a framework for significant expansion of cooperation in areas of renewable energy, circular economy, water management, and urban development [see Joint Statement for India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership]. The meeting marked Mr. Modi’s first virtual summit with a counterpart from a European Union nation. [Zee News Limited] [Hindustan Times] In his opening remarks, Mr. Modi highlighted the importance for countries to diversify away from trade and supply chain dependence, adding that the summit "will not only prove useful for India-Denmark relations, but will also help in building a common approach towards global challenges." In light of simmering trade and political tensions with China, Japan, India and Australia are already moving towards a “Supply Chain Resilience Initiative”. Informal talks have been ongoing since Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry first broached the idea with the Indian government in July [see AiR No. 34, August/2020, 4]. [Asian News International] Philippines: Western powers will remain in South China Sea (nd) Despite efforts of Southeast Asian nations to draft a Code of Conduct (CoC) in conjunction with China, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin reassured this will not result in Western powers kept away from the disputed waters. Tensions between the US and China, inter alia in the South China Sea, are on the rise and were last voiced prominently during recent ASEAN meeting [See also AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3] [Bangkok Post] Philippines: Duterte’s first UN speech criticizing China indirectly (nd) During his first speech at UN General Assembly at the 75th session, president Rodrigo Duterte for the first time since he assumed power in 2016 mentioned the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 ruling in favor of the Philippines, saying China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea are in breach of international law. Duterte said the decision “is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon.” Without naming China, Duterte said “we firmly reject attempts to undermine it [and…] welcome the increasing number of states that have come in support of the award and what it stands for — the triumph of reason over rashness, of law over disorder, of amity over ambition.” Last week in a verbal note, Germany, France and Great Britain reaffirmed their support for the implementation of the ruling, again rejecting China’s historical claim over the waters. The Permanent Court of Arbitration nullified China’s nine-dash line claim over the disputed waters in 2016. While his initial approach was knitting closer ties to China and separating from its biggest military ally, the US, Duterte’s speech can be seen as part of the government shift back towards the US, with China continuing to move aggressively in the South China Sea. Additionally, China has not fulfilled its promise of billions of dollars for infrastructure projects. Earlier this year, a decision to end a 22-year old agreement on joint military exercises with the US was suspended. This month, a US marine found guilty of killing a transgender Filipina in 2015 was pardoned by Duterte. Still, China is not completely off Duterte’s list, announcing China and Russia will be prioritized in sourcing a Covid-19 vaccine over Western drug makers. Still, Duterte is accused of seriously violating them since he initiated his controversial war on drugs, killing 9,000 people. According to a Human Rights Watch report, those numbers rose by 50 % during the Covid-19 lockdown. Human rights advocates claim Duterte suppresses critical media outlets. Last week, the European parliament passed a resolution condemning human rights violations and threatening to revoke its trade benefits. This week, a bill was proposed to the US Congress – HR 8131 or the Philippine Human Rights Act – to block funding for security forces in the Philippines until the government puts an end to human rights violations. Most recently, Amnesty International emphasized in a report that stronger measures from United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and International Criminal Court (ICC) are "required to end human rights violations in the country, provide justice and reparations for thousands of families of victims, and hold those responsible to account." Yet, in his speech, Duterte upheld his policy, claimed anew he was protecting human rights against some who would “weaponize” them. He emphasized the lingering threat of terrorism and violent extremism against which his government is committed to protect the people from. Additionally, Duterte uttered his commitment to ratify the United Nations Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Such a treaty will only come into effect upon the concurrence of at least two thirds of all members of the Senate, following the 1987 Constitution. Until now, 45 countries have ratified the treaty, five short of the 50 required for the pact to enter into force. The Philippines, among 122 other UN member-states, voted in favor of such a treaty in 2017. [FAZ (deutsch)] [Manila Times 1] [Borneo Bulletin] [Philippine Inquirer][Manila Bulletin] [Manila Times 2][Manila Times 3][Chiangrai Times] [Philstar] [Rappler] Indonesian representative lashes out at Vanuatu at UN (nd) At the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Diplomat Silvany Austin Pasaribu attacked Vanuatu for continuing efforts to raise “artificial human rights concerns” in Papua and stressing, they were not their representative. Bob Loughman, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, criticized the Indonesian government for alleged human rights abuses against the indigenous people of Papua and referred to previous tries of the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum to allow for the UN Human Rights Office to visit Papua. While also stressing that Vanuatu had yet to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination; the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural rights; and was not party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Silvany highlighted the principle of noninterference in the domestic affairs of other countries, which she claimed was the fundamental principle of the UN charter. She emphasized, Papua and West Papua have been irrevocable parts of Indonesia since 1945. Papua has been struggling with Independent and separatist movements since it was added to Indonesia after the 1969 referendum. [See also AiR No 38, September/2020, 4] [Jakarta Post]
Vietnamese President addresses UN General Assembly (jn) Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc gave remarks to the UN High-Level Meeting marking the virtual 75th anniversary of the UN in New York as part of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly last week. He hailed the UN’s achievements for peace in the world noting that “the COVID-19 pandemic, together with instabilities, conflicts, great power competition, power politics, and climate change are threatening the sustainable peace and development of nations." He stressed the need to work together in solidarity and strengthen multilateralism with the UN at its core with the strict implementation of the UN Charter and international law, along with respect for independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the states. [Vietnam News] Indonesia: President to warn of US-China tension (nd) In a prerecorded statement for the 75th UN General Assembly, Indonesian president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo voiced concerns about mounting tension between the US and China are to intensify conflict in Southeast Asia. “War will benefit no one,” Jokowi said and “there is no point of celebrating victory among ruins. There is no point of becoming the largest economic power in the midst of a sinking world.” Parallelly, Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte emphasized the necessity of a rule-based cooperation in the South China Sea, indirectly criticizing China. Amidst US- Chinese rivalry, Southeast Asia is in a difficult position for being economically entangled with China, the leading trade partner of both nations, and having leaned on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for infrastructure development, but yet dependent on long-standing American security guarantees. In the disputed South China Sea, both nations’ Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) overlap with Beijing’s “nine-dash line”. Both speeches resonate with thoughts uttered earlier this year by Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, for both superpowers to deescalate their tensions. [See also AiR No. 36, September 2020, 2] [The Diplomat] Malaysia: Ambassador refuses to follow US-imposed sanctions (nd) In the ongoing conflict between China and the US, Malaysian Ambassador to China Raja Datuk Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said Malaysia will not pick sides and follow unilateral US sanctions, but will only recognize sanctions endorsed by the UN Security Council. In August this year, the US imposed sanctions on 24 Chinese companies including subsidies of the China Communications Construction Company for allegedly participating in the South China Sea militarization. After a standoff between a Malaysian oil exploration vessel and a Chinese survey ship in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that lasted almost a month, there was no comment on the issue from Putrajaya. [Malay Mail] Myanmar put on money laundering watchdog list (lf) Myanmar has been placed on the blacklist for money laundering of an international watchdog. The decision was made as Myanmar is the heart of Asia’s illegitimate drug trafficking. Myanmar is encouraged to work with its neighboring countries in order to combat money laundering in its country. Myanmar has long been a center of drug production and trafficking within Asia and it has struggled to control the production. Drug Syndicates operate in area’s controlled by ethnic armed groups, primarily close to the Golden Triangle between Myanmar and Laos. [Reuters] Myanmar: Chinese state media accuses Western NGOs of China bashing (lf) The Chinese state media Global Times has accused Western NGOs operating in Southeast Asia to fuel public resentment against Chinese development projects. According to the media statement especially in Myanmar NGOs have been breaching their political neutrality and engaged in fueling anti-China investment projects through environmental concerns. The article accuses NGOs such as the National Endowment for Democracy to fund Burmese NGOs to oppose Chinese investment projects. Local NGOs such as the in Rakhine located Shwe Gas Project (SGP) which opposed the China’s Trans-Burma pipeline strongly oppose this statement. [Irrawaddy] [Global Times] Bangladesh fears escalation of conflict in Myanmar (lf) The permanent mission of Bangladesh to the UN implores the UN security council because of increased military movement on the Burmese side of Bangladesh’s border. Bangladesh seeks immediate action from the security council in order to prevent further escalation of the situation in Rakhine state. Bangladesh hopes to prevent an increase of refugees into Bangladesh. According to Myanmar security sources Bangladesh has deployed troops at its most Southeastern border with Myanmar. Bangladesh wants to prevent an influx of refugees as happened in 2017. In recent weeks, Myanmar’s army has increased troop activities in Rakhine state, claiming rising activities of the Arakan Army and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. [Irrawaddy], [The Daily Star.net] [Dhaka Tribune] ASEAN states commit to more military cooperation (jn) The 17th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Meeting (ACDFM-17) was held virtually on September 24th with participants pledging to boost military cooperation, to build trust and enhance solidarity among the member states’ armed forces. At the meeting themed “Military Cooperation for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN,” the participants agreed that the joint efforts will help the organization to keep peace and stability in the region, and that the region is facing traditional and non-traditional challenges namely cyber security, terrorism, transnational crime, climate change, and diseases. [Hanoi Times] Vietnam to return missing US soldier’s remains (jn) Vietnam is about to return remains suspected to belong to a missing American soldier from the Vietnam War to the US for whom a repatriation ceremony at the Military Forensic Institute was held in Hanoi on Thursday. The search for missing U.S. soldiers' remains from the Vietnam War has been since 1988, while an estimated 1,200 Americans are still unaccounted for. [Vietnam Express] US and Vietnam met for 11th Political, Security and Defense Dialogue (jn) Vietnamese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu and US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper met virtually on September 23 to discuss bilateral security cooperation at the eleventh US-Vietnam Political, Security, and Defense Dialogue. According to the US Department of State, the talks aimed at fostering the robust and growing bilateral relationship between the two countries and their shared commitment to a free, open, and independent Indo-Pacific region. Topics discussed included security cooperation and defense trade; maritime security; peacekeeping; promoting international Women, Peace, and Security efforts; and humanitarian issues, including POW/MIA recovery and clearance of legacy unexploded munitions. [US Department of State Media Note] US Congressman “adopts” jailed Vietnamese journalist as prisoner of conscience (jn) U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) announced on Friday that he had officially adopted Vietnamese journalist Nguyen Van Hoa of Radio Free Asia, imprisoned for seven years in Vietnam, as a prisoner of conscience under the Defending Freedoms Project. Under the project, U.S. members of Congress work to raise awareness of the cases of their adopted prisoners, advocating for their freedom or for a reduction in their sentences, and calling attention to the laws or state policies that led to their unjust imprisonment. [Radio Free Asia] US ambassador, Cambodian Defense Minister meet in the wake of sanctions fallout, but Hun Sen lashes out at West, international community (jn) US ambassador to Cambodia W. Patrick Murphy and Cambodian Minister of National Defense Tea Banh met last week after the US slapped new sanctions on the Chinese state-owned company UDG. UDG is building the Dara Sakor investment zone project in Cambodia’ Koh Kong province which is part of the BRI and suspected of serving as a front for a future Chinese military installation [See also AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4]. Touching on a similar bone of contention, the Cambodian Defense Minister sought to reassure that the Ream Naval Base in Preah Sihanouk Province, will be used exclusively by the Cambodian navy and no other country’s navy, namely the Chinese. It would, however, welcome vessels from any other navy. Anyway, he continued, waters at Ream Naval Base were small and shallow and could only accommodate one large ship or several small ships, thus the base were suited only for the Cambodian navy. [Cambodian Ministry of National Defense Press Release] [https://www.facebook.com/us.embassy.phnom.penh] Like the Dara Sakor development, the Ream Naval Base has also come under heavy scrutiny by ASEAN neighbors and the US after reports of a deal between China and Cambodia emerged last year that would have a Chinese company construct new piers in exchange for a 30-year-long presence of the Chinese navy (PLAN) [See also AiR No. 23, June/2020, 2]. Cambodia has repeatedly denied allegations that the country may plan for a permanent Chinese military presence, which would also be forbidden under Cambodia’s constitution – something the Defense Minister pointed out as well in his exchange with the US ambassador. Given Cambodia’s ever closer relationship with China in political, military and economic matters, however, Prime Minister Hun Sen’s vocal dismissals of such reports as “fake news” have also done little to quell suspicion. [Cambodianess] A US embassy spokesperson told Radio Free Asia Washington was hopeful that the talks will help find a way to expand military-to-military cooperation. Cambodia’s Defense Ministry had abruptly suspended the annual “Angkor Sentinel” joint exercises with the U.S. military in 2017 and has so far failed to follow up with the same or another format. According to observers, such moves indicate Cambodia was accepting declining relations with Western countries in favor of better ones with rising powers like China. [Radio Free Asia] As a symptom for the demise of relations with the West and in a contrast to the pleasantries exchanged between the US ambassador and the Defense Minister, Prime Minister Hun Sen lashed out at the West in a statement released on Monday on occasion of the International Day of Peace. He lamented that Western countries had failed to recognize Cambodia’s “great achievements” in the last decades and that his country had fallen victim to “double standards”. Regarding criticism of his government’s human rights record, the Prime Minister rehashed a common theme alleging that “this human rights issue” was a political tool or pretense for interfering with domestic affairs and the sovereignty of countries like Cambodia. [South China Morning Post] [Phnom Penh Post] PM Hun Sen then capped the week on Saturday with pre-recorded remarks to the virtual 75th session of the UN General Assembly by criticizing the partial suspension of the “Everything But Arms” trade privileges that the European Union had granted Cambodia but withdrew in part in August over persistent human rights abuses and anti-democratic repression in the country [See also AiR No. 33, August/2020, 3]. He attacked the EU’s decision as “biased”, “unfair” and revealing of “hypocritical double standards” and blamed the “political ambitions” and “opportunistic agenda” of some countries. Hun Sen also claimed that certain developed countries would punish developing countries for an imperfect nation-building process who, however, had a limited capacity to protect fundamental political and social rights. [VOA] [Cambodianess] [Khmer Times] Announcements ![]() Upcoming Online Events
30 September 2020 @ 3:00 pm CEST, European Council on Foreign Relations, France How the Covid-19 crisis shaped European migration governance This event will explore the impact of the ongoing health crisis on European migration policies. Please find registration details here: [ECFR].
30 September 2020 @ 12:00 pm EST, Centre for International Governance Innovation, Canada Building Back Better: Defining the Building Blocks for a Just Global Recovery from the Pandemic This virtual panel discussion will examine the key policy responses needed for sustainable, equitable, transformative and ambitious recovery from the pandemic and will seek to define a global post-COVID “Marshall Plan”. Further details are available at [CIGI].
30 September 2020 @ 3:00 pm JST, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan Report on the United Nations High-Level Political Forum 2020: Japan’s Role in Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic and Achievement of the SDGs This webinar will discuss how SDGs can be strengthened and build back better after the pandemic. If you are interested in joining the webinar, please find further details at [IGES].
30 September 2020 @ 3:00 pm CEST, Poverty Reduction, Equity and Growth Network, Germany COVID-19 in Africa: Taking stock of the impacts on the informal economy, supply chains, and labour markets This workshop will, inter alia, seek to assess the impact of the pandemic was on trade, supply chains, and foreign investment in Africa and how collaboration can be strengthened. Details are available at [PEGNET].
30 September 2020 @ 1:00 pm UTC, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Southern Countries’ Responses to COVID-19: Perspectives from PEP Researchers This webinar will focus on the policy responses of South Asian countries to the Covid-19 crisis and examine the success of different approaches. Please find registration details here: [IPS].
30 September 2020 @ 4pm UTC+3, Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), Finland FIIA FORUM 2020: Towards a Geoeconomic World Order: The Emerging Tech and Trade Wars The international system is moving rapidly towards a geoeconomic world order, characterized by the broad use of economic tools to achieve strategic and security goals. Economic interdependencies, that is, are being weaponized for power-political ends, feeding a geoeconomic chain reaction with states applying broader trade controls, investment screening and data localization measures out of concern for their economic autonomy. The FIIA Forum will discuss these new geoeconomic developments. For more information, please visit [FIIA]
30 September 2020 @ 12pm UTC+1, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), United Kingdom IISS Strategic Dossier launch: Russia’s Military Modernization: An Assessment During the launch of the IISS Strategic Dossier Russia’s Military Modernization: An Assessment, Dr Bastian Giegerich, Douglas Barrie, Henry Boyd, Nick Childs, James Hackett and Fenella McGerty will consider Russia’s increasingly capable armed forces as well as the extent and implications of Moscow’s military-modernization efforts. For more information, please visit [IISS]
30 September 2020 @ 08;00am UTC-7, Heritage Foundation, United States A New Vision for Central Asia: How USAID is Implementing President Trump’s Central Asia Strategy In February, the Trump administration launched its Central Asia Strategy to drive the United States' engagement in the countries of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. To implement this new vision, Acting Administrator John Barsa of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will announce a significant shift of USAID's presence in Central Asia. For more information, please visit [Heritage Foundation]
30 September 2020 @ 1pm UTC+0, DiploFoundation, Malta SDGs and Human Rights: leading the way to COVID-19 response and recovery – Right On Web Chat This webinar will highlight practical experiences and efforts to place human rights standards and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the core of immediate responses to COVID-19 and of long-term recovery strategies. Specifically, it will bring together multi-stakeholder representatives from the development and human rights sector who can offer guidance to COVID-19. For more information, please visit [DiploFoundation]
30 September @ 1;30pm UTC-3, Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), Denmark Everyday Justice in Myanmar – new book Everyday justice in Myanmar is the first book to explore how ordinary people in Myanmar access justice and resolve disputes based on a unique collection of ethnographic studies, covering Yangon city, Karen, Mon, Pa-0, Naga and refugee areas. At this webinar, Myanmar expert Susanne Kempel, will discuss the book’s findings with several of its contributors. For more information, please visit [DIIS]
30 September 2020 @ 2:00-3:30 pm EDT, The Dialogue, Washington, DC, USA Venezuela’s Humanitarian and Human Rights Crises – The Search for Innovative Responses To shed light on recent developments and the potential for additional creative responses in Venezuela, this panel will discuss the presentation of a major new report to be published on September 30 by the Dialogue’s Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program, Corruption and Crisis in Venezuela: Asset Repatriation for Humanitarian Relief. The report includes detailed proposals for using the recovered proceeds of Venezuelan corruption to address the humanitarian emergency in the country. See [The Dialogue] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 9:00-3:30 pm EDT, The Dialogue, Washington, DC, USA Fourth Annual Latin America Energy Conference: Upheaval and Opportunity This event will discuss the repercussions of Covid-19 on the energy sector in the Americas due to the drop of the oil price. Within the Fourth Annual Latin America Energy Conference, energy company executives, US and Latin American government officials, and international and nongovernmental organizations will discuss the most pressing energy policy issues in the hemisphere. See [The Dialogue] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 3:00-4:00 pm EDT, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia, USA A fight to the top: Rising tensions with China This event will feature a discussion on China’s increasing military and economic aggression. See [Foreign Policy Research Institute] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 2:00-3:00 pm EDT, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC, USA Envisioning COVID-19’s legacy on global stability and security This event will feature a discussion on the international aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic with AEI’s Hal Brands and Francis Gavin of Johns Hopkins University based on their new book, “COVID-19 and World Order” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020). See [American Enterprise Institute] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 9:30am EDT, Center for Global Development, Washington, DC, USA Conversations on COVID-19 and Development In this series, CGD President Masood Ahmed discusses the economic and development challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with policymakers and thought-leaders in the development community. See [Center for Global Development] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 11:00 am EDT, Center for Global Development, Washington, DC, USA What to Finance in Health and at What Price? This event will launch the open online course, which focuses on two key strategies for informed decision-making in health: explicit priority setting and the use of tools to achieve more affordable prices for medicines. See [Center for Global Development] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 9:00-10:15 am EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA Innovation in Transportation Fuels After a brief keynote address by Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Daniel Simmon the Department’s priorities in advancing low-carbon fuels, this event will discuss how various efforts in these categories fit into the innovation chain, from basic science to commercialization and deployment. See [Center for Strategic and International Studies] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 10:00-11:00 am EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA Maritime Security Dialogue: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the U.S. Navy The series highlights the particular challenges facing the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, from national level maritime policy to naval concept development and program design. See [Center for Strategic and International Studies] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 1:30-2:30 pm EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA Domestic Terrorism and the U.S. Presidential Election The panel will examine the domestic terrorism threat landscape; the role of security and law enforcement; the use and misuse of military force, including legal provisions governing violence mitigation; the spread of extremism on digital platforms; and the role of foreign actors. See [Center for Strategic and International Studies] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 5:30-6:30 pm EST, Belfer Center, Cambridge, USA Alexander Keyssar — Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College? When citizens and scholars alike struggle to understand the stresses straining the political system, this speaker series aims to show today's world by looking to lessons from the past. See [Belfer Center] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 2:00 pm BST, Royal United Services Institute, UK Paper Launch - Decision Points: Rationalising the Armed Forces of European Medium Powers This paper outlines the pivotal and time sensitive questions on the preservation of hard power for the UK's Integrated Review. See [Royal United Services Institute] for additional information.
30 September 2020 @ 3:00 pm BST, Royal United Services Institute, UK Can National Security be Taught? This event will examine what other countries can learn from Latvia’s pioneering national security curriculum. See [Royal United Services Institute] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 12:15-2:00 pm EST, Belfer Center, Cambridge, USA Russia-China Relations in the Age of COVID-19: Strategic Partners, Extra-Regional Rivals This seminar will examine this contradiction in the Russia-China relationship and assess whether lessons from the Cold War–era Sino-Soviet Split can help predict the partnership's future direction. See [Belfer Center] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 1:00-2:00 pm EST, Belfer Center, Cambridge, USA Tough Love and Global Leadership: A Conversation with Ambassador Susan Rice This event will feature a conversation with Ambassador Susan Rice, former National Security Adviser and Belfer Center Senior Fellow, about her recent New York Times best-selling memoir, Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For and U.S. foreign policy. This seminar is open to Harvard affiliates or by invitation only. See [Belfer Center] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 1:30-2:30 pm EST, Belfer Center, Cambridge, USA A Conversation with Nabil Fahmy, former Foreign Minister of Egypt MEI Faculty Director Tarek Masoud and MEI Visiting Fellow Karim Haggag in conversation with Dr. Nabil Fahmy, former Foreign Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Dean of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo. See [Belfer Center] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 4:00-5:00 pm EST, Belfer Center, Cambridge, USA EDI Seminar: Breaking Global Supply Chains: U.S.-China Economic Decoupling This event will feature a conversation with Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman on the prospects for decoupling between the American and Chinese economies. See [Belfer Center] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 8:30-10:30 am EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA USAID and the Indo-Pacific Strategy: Covid-19 Disruptions and Next Steps This webinar will bring together experts from government, NGOs, and the private sector to analyze how USAID can fine-tune its development approach to accomplish the broad objectives of a free and open Indo-Pacific. See [Center for Strategic and International Studies] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 10:00-11:00am EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA Women, Peace, and Security in the Age of Covid-19 This event will explore both the challenges and opportunities women peacebuilders face amid the Covid-19 pandemic and how these lessons can inform the WPS agenda moving forward. See [Center for Strategic and International Studies] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 12:00-12:45 pm EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA A Conversation with Rep. Gregory Meeks on Africa Policy Program Director Judd Devermont will moderate a discussion with Congressman Meeks on Africa’s importance to U.S. interests, examining issues such as democracy and governance, trade and investment, and peace and security. See Center for Strategic and International Studies for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 2:00-3:00 pm EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA Department of Defense’s Service Industrial Base The discussion will explore the performance challenges of the present moment and examine whether nontraditional firms may find this crisis to be an appealing moment to pursue counter-cyclical defense work. See [Center for Strategic and International Studies] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 12:00 pm CEST, Istituto Affari Internazionali, Italy Young Talents for Italy, Europe and the World - 2020 This event will feature a discussion on visions of Europe and ideas for its relaunch in a public debate between the winners of the IAI Essay Competition and prominent personalities from different areas of public life. See [Istituto Affari Internazionali] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 4:00-5:45 pm SGT, Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore Forum on the IPS Post-Election Survey on GE2020 This event will feature a discussion between Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) researchers on the findings of its Post-Election Survey 2020. See [Institute of Policy Studies] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 4:00-5:00 pm SGT, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore RSIS Panel Webinar on “TNI Beyond 2024: Between Reform, Modernization, and Regional Security Challenges” This webinar aims to examine the progress of military reform and modernization in Indonesia according to the MEF blueprint and the expansion of TNI’s role beyond its primary responsibility of external defense. See [S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies] for additional information.
01 October 2020 @ 09am UTC-4, Stimson Center, United States The Wellington Experience: A Study of Attitudes and Values Within the Indian Army During the book launch of The Wellington Experience: A Study of Attitudes and Values Within the Indian Army, author Col. David O. Smith (retired) will talk about his work. The book offers an in-depth analysis of India’s premier professional military education institution and challenges some conventional wisdom on the Indian armed forces’ training and education, internal and external threat perceptions, and attitudes towards the state and security issues. For more information, please visit [Stimson Center]
01-02 October 2020, India Foundation, India 18th edition of the DOC Rhodes Forum: The World at Crossroads Again: Reinventing International Cooperation For nearly two decades, the DOC Research Institute has held its flagship Rhodes Forum – an annual ideas-driven global affairs conference – and brought together some of the best minds from around the world to discuss the major challenges facing humanity. The Forum tackles issues in economic development, global governance and geopolitics, and culture and civilizations. For more information, please visit [India Foundation]; to register, please click [here]
1 October 2020 @ 3:00 pm EDT, Council on Foreign Relations, USA Election 2020 U.S. Foreign Policy Forum Following the first presidential debate, the CFR will hold a virtual panel discussion on the foreign policy challenges awaiting the winner of the 2020 presidential election. See [CFR] for additional information.
1 October 2020 @ 4:30 pm UTC+8, Singapore Institute of International Affairs, Singapore New Horizons – Re-examining Sustainability and Resilience Post-COVID-19 This webinar will discuss whether a green and sustainable recovery from COVID-19 is realistic and what governments are currently doing to support climate action and sustainability post-COVID-19. If you are interested in joining the event, visit [SII] further information.
2 October 2020 @ 1:00 pm EDT, Center for American Progress, USA By Us for Us: Youth Voice in Education Policymaking This virtual panel discussion will host a number of youth leaders who will discuss the concept of community-informed policymaking. If you are interested in joining the webinar, please find further details at [American Progress].
2 October 2020 @ 09:00-10:15 am EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA Global Food Supply Chains: An Early Assessment of Covid-19 Impacts The discussion will explore the food systems-wide shocks, including disruptions to global food supply chains by Covid-19 and illuminate the true extent of these disruptions. See [Center for Strategic and International Studies] for additional information.
2 October 2020 @ 12:00-1:00 pm EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA Preparing the Workforce for 2030: A Pillar of Trade Leadership The American workforce faces urgent challenges that, if left unaddressed, will erode U.S. global leadership. The CSIS Trade Commission on Affirming American leadership will release its report on how to prepare the U.S. workforce for the global economy of 2030 and discuss it. See [enter for Strategic and International Studies] for additional information.
2 October 2020 @ 1:00-2:00 pm EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA CFIUS Modernization - Where Are We Today? In this event, the panelists will discuss the status of the CFIUS process and how FIRRMA reforms have progressed over the course of 2020. See Center for Strategic and International Studies for additional information.
2 October 2020 @ 2:00 pm BST, Royal United Services Institute, UK How effective are P/CVE mentorship programmes? The fourth webinar in this series will provide insights into the role mentorship interventions play in preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). See [Royal United Services Institute] for additional information.
2 October 2020 @ 9:30-11:00 am EST, Belfer Center, Cambridge, USA What Does It Take to Move a City? Arctic Initiative and Luleå University Student Arctic Dialogue This event will feature a conversation with students from Luleå University and experts from across the globe for a case discussion about sustainable development, consensus building, and how one Arctic city is responding to rapid change. See [Belfer Center] for additional information.
2 October 2020 @ 9:00-10:30 am EDT, Center for Global Development, Washington, DC, USA COVID-19 Vaccine Predictions: Estimating the Time Before We Approve Efficacious COVID-19 Vaccines This event will outline research results, discuss their implications, and highlight how this model can be used to generate an estimate for how long it will take to find a COVID-19 vaccine that is safe and efficacious. See [Center for Global Development] for additional information.
5 October 2020 @ 4:00 pm CEST, Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands Slovenia 2021: Preview of a post-COVID EU Presidency The Clingendael Institute will host the Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss the Slovenian EU presidency in the second half of 2021. For further details, kindly refer to [Clingendael].
5 October 2020 @ 5:00 pm IST, Association for Democratic Reforms, India Social Media and Its Impact on the Democracy This webinar will discuss the impact social media has on democracy. Please find the details here: [ADR].
5 October 2020 @ 12:00-1:00 pm EST, Belfer Center, Cambridge, USA Energy Policy Seminar: Ted Nordhaus on "In Defense of Muddling: Why Climate Advocates Should Take Their Victories Where They Can Find Them" This Energy Policy Seminar features Ted Nordhaus, Founder and Executive Director of the Breakthrough Institute, who will speak on "In Defense of Muddling: Why Climate Advocates Should Take Their Victories Where They Can Find Them." See [Belfer Center] for additional information.
5 October 2020 @ 12:00-1:00 pm EST, Belfer Center, Cambridge, USA Defense Project Series: What do you want to know about Space Operations? In this event, Ms Susan Davenport from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and Mr. Isaac Lowe from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), will provide a joint overview of space systems and operations, followed by a discussion. See [Belfer Center] for additional information.
5 September 2020 @ 3:00 pm BST, Royal United Services Institute, UK Book Launch - The Radical’s Journey: How German Neo-Nazis Voyaged to the Edge and Back Arie Kruglanski, Daniel Koehler and David Webber discuss their upcoming book on recruitment to, engagement with, and exit from Germany’s far right fringe. See [Royal United Services Institute] for additional information.
5 September 2020 @ 3:00 pm BST, Royal United Services Institute, UK Predicting Environmental Disasters At this event, natural hazards expert Matt Foote and regulatory lawyer Caroline Dawson will discuss how to predict environmental disasters, a matter that is becoming increasingly vital to both businesses and governments. See [Royal United Services Institute] for additional information.
5 October 2020 @ 9:00-10:00 am EDT, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, USA Impossible Choices: The Conundrum Facing African Governments in a Global Pandemic Through a simulated experience, panelists will navigate key issues in a fictional country, with reality reflected in presented policy choices. See [Center for Strategic and International Studies] for additional information.
5 October 2020 @ 10:00-11:00 am EDT, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC, USA Has Trumpian populism succeeded? This event will feature a discussion between University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan and AEI economist Michael R. Strain on the overall repercussions of Trumpian populism. See [American Enterprise Institute] for additional information.
5 October 2020 @ 8:30 am EDT, Center for Global Development, Washington, DC, USA Financing Low-Income Countries Towards Realistic Aspirations and Concrete Actions in a Post-COVID World This four-day event will bring together three key strands of the discussion around the financing needs of LICs for the SDGs – debt sustainability, domestic resource mobilization, and private capital flows. See [Center for Global Development] for additional information.
5-9 October 2020 Institute of Public Enterprise, India Enhancing Accountability & Responsiveness in Scientific Organizations This one-week Online Program focuses on issues of transparency, accountability and responsiveness in scientific organizations and the need to integrate these principles for planning and strategy development. See [Institute of Public Enterprise] for additional information.
5-6 October 2020 Institute of Public Enterprise, India Leadership and Governance: Challenges for 3rd Millennium The 10th Virtual International Conference on Corporate Governance will i.a. cover Good Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility, Effectiveness and future challenges. See [Institute of Public Enterprise] for additional information.
6 October 2020 @ 1:00-2:30 pm BST, Overseas Development Institute, UK Justice for all and Afghanistan’s future This event provides a space for consultation and policy discussion on the role of access to justice in securing a peaceful and stable future. See [Overseas Development Institute] for additional information.
6 September 2020 @ 2:00 pm BST, Royal United Services Institute, UK US Election 2020: What's in Store for Sanctions? This event will take stock of the last four years of sanctions emerging from both the White House and the US Congress, and examine how the US election could shift the current consensus on sanctions. See [Royal United Services Institute] for additional information.
6 October 2020 @ 8:30 am EST, Centre for International Governance Innovation, Canada The Future of the UN, Policy Advice and Think Tanks: Shaping our Future Together This event will seek to convene think tanks from around the world for a virtual global gathering of think tank leaders, policymakers, and intergovernmental organizations. Details are available at [CIGI]
Recent and upcoming book releases Michel Paradis, Last Mission to Tokyo: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raiders and Their Final Fight for Justice, Simon & Schuster, Illustrated Edition, September 3, 2020, 480 pages, briefly reviewed in [Counterpunch]. Fabian Scheidler, The End of the Megamachine: A Brief History of a Failing Civilization, Zero Books, September 25, 2020, 440 pages. [Megamaschine] The Secret Barrister, Fake Law: The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies, Picador, Main Market Edition, September 3, 2020, 400 pages, with a review at [The Justice Gap] Zuraidah Ibrahim and Jeffie Lam, Hong Kong’s Year of Water and Fire, World Scientific 2020, September 21, 2020. [New Books Network] Christina Lamb, Our Bodies, Their Battlefields: War Through the Lives of Women, Scriber, September 22, 2020, 384 pages, reviewed in [The Guardian].
Calls The 3rd International Conference on Modern Approach in Humanities and Social Sciences which will be held on February, 26-28, 2021 in Amsterdam, invites paper submissions related to the following conference topics: Social Sciences, Humanities and Language and Literature. Closing date of submission is January 29, 2021. More information at [ICMHS]. The 3rd International Conference on Research in Humanities (ICRHCONF), scheduled for March 11-14, 2021 in Oxford – United Kingdom, seeking submissions until February 12, 2021. Find more details at [ICRHCONF]. The Memory Studies Association invites to submit papers for its 2021 Annual Conference “Convergences” (University of Warsaw, Poland, July 5-9, 2021). Closing dates for submissions is October 31, 2020. For further details, see [Memory Studies Association]. The International Political Science Association (IPSA) seeks papers for its Fourth International Workshop on Geopolitics of Small States in the 21st Century, to be arranged October 19-20, 2021, in Yerevan, Armenia. Deadline for submission is March 1, 2021. More details are provided at [IPSA]. The Society of Legal Scholars invites to submit papers for the Winter 2020 Launch Issue of the Journal of Law, Technology and Trust (JLTT). JLTT publishes peer reviewed articles and future-thinking pieces, policy reports and case reviews. The journal embraces both academic debate, and discussion of practical and regulatory issues faced by those in policy and practice. Closing date of submissions is October 1, 2020. For more details, see [JLTT]
Jobs & positions The Centre for Geopolitics & Security in Realism Studies invites applications for the position of Junior Research Fellow for its Europe Programme. For details, see [CGSRS]. The Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, University of Oslo, offers a permanent position as Associate Professor in criminology. Candidates with an innovative, active and strong research profile are invited to apply until October 20, 2020. More about the vacancy at [jobbnorge]. Evaluating Democratic Governance in Europe (EDGE) welcomes applications from political and social scientists for the position of post-doctoral researchers for a 2-year term (2021-2022). Closing date for applications is October 18, 2020. Further information at [EDGE]. 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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