Philippines not married to US, can still pursue China, says Manila’s top diplomat

The Philippines’ new foreign secretary, Alan Peter Cayetano, warned that “outside influences” could turn Southeast Asia into “a theatre of geopolitical rivalry” and that Manila’s relations with the US should not stop it from forging ties with China. 

(South China Morning Post)

Martial Law proclamation upheld

President Duterte’s martial law declaration that set into motion a bloody campaign to retake a city besieged by terrorists is definitely legal, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled on Tuesday, 4 July.

(The Philippine Star)

Mr. President, before signing the law on free college tuition, please read this

In the Philippines, both houses of Congress approved a bicameral conference committee report consolidating Senate Bill 1304 and House Bill 5633 to provide free tuition in public colleges and universities. Aniceto C. Orbeta Jr points out critical issues regarding the bills.

(Rappler)

Malaysian election this year or next: Guessing game goes on

Although the parliamentary term is due to expire only in August next year, analysts have been predicting that Malaysia’s Prime Minister Razak Najib would want to cement his hold on power with an early election.

(The Straits Times)

Sex crimes court in session

Malaysia’s new special court for child sexual crimes has convened for the first time and five cases were brought before it.

(The Star Online)

BOC extends yuan presence in Cambodia, but greenback is king

China remains Cambodia’s largest donor country but the Yuan has a long way to go to replace the USD as the currency of choice in the country. Trade volume still lags behind the volume of that with the US and the EU and dollarization remains high at over 80%.

(Asia Times)

Singapore is firmly in the jihadist cross-hairs

Singapore faces internal and external threats from radicalised terrorists and is not excluded from the global trend of rising terrorist incidents. Singapore could face serious challenges if extremists of a particular religious group manage to penetrate Singaporean society for it would pose great risks of upsetting its racial and religious balance.

(The Straits Times)

New Leaders Propel Indonesia, 20 Years After ‘Wrong Advice’

Indonesia’s financial crisis that began in 1997 led to the severe economic dislocation, riots, and the downfall of the thee-decade Suharto regime. The crisis led to a new generation of reformers taking the helm, the rise of the middle class, and a more resilient economy.  Yet the struggle continues for the world’s fourth most populous nation to achieve its potential.  

(Bloomberg)

Vietnam Blogger Gets 10 Years for ‘Conducting Propaganda’

Vietnamese blogger “Mother Mushroom” received a harsh sentence last week on account of “conducting propaganda against the State” and now faces ten years in prison. The law is widely criticised in the international community and thought to be vaguely worded on purpose to suppress dissent.

(Voice of America News)

U.N. survey finds cybersecurity gaps everywhere except Singapore

 The U.N. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) released a survey stating significant gaps between countries in their capacities and strategies to deal with cybercrime. Whilst some fifty percent of observed countries have yet to even adopted a relevant national security strategy, Singapore scored highest in terms of its readiness and capabilities to defend itself against cybercrime.

(Reuters)

Why Singapore will survive its latest political scandal

Chirag Agarwal, former Singaporean diplomat, writes that Singapore’s recent political turmoil will not bring down the PM or threaten political stability in the city-state, but rather blow over and be proof yet again for how swiftly and effectively Singaporeans deal with scandals that only distract from the real job of governing the country well. 

(South China Morning Post)

Nagaland declared as ‘disturbed area’ under AFSPA for 6 more months 

While Gorkha agitation has lasted over 20 days in Darjeeling, India’s central government has declared Nagaland as a ‘disturbed area’ for 6 more months under AFSPA, empowering security forces to conduct operations without prior notice. The area, considered to be in a ‘disturbed and dangerous condition’, and prone to ‘killings, loot and extortion’, has remained under AFSPA enforcement for over 18 years.

(The Indian Express)

Beijing urges Asia security framework

China’s President Xi Jinping has invited 300 delegates to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) where the need for a common Asian security framework was discussed. Led by Xi, delegates elaborated on how such a framework could develop and how it ties in with the China led BRI.

(China Daily)

China passes tough new intelligence law

China has passed a new intelligence law which critics fear is purposely vaguely formulated. The law for example allows for people suspected of leaking or obstructing national intelligence work to be detained for 15 days and charged with a crime if appropriate.

(Reuters)

U.S. Navy Patrols Near Disputed Island in South China Sea

US conducts back-to-back sea control close to China controlled islands in the SCS which China described as a “serious provocation”. Timing is important after Trump is supposedly growing more impatient with Beijing on the issue of North Korea and just ahead of the G 20 summit in Hamburg. It also comes just after Beijing had voiced concerns regarding fresh US-Taiwan arms sales and the issue of US ships making port calls there.

(The Wall Street Journal)

The World is Not Abandoning Taiwan

Panama’s recent decision to no longer recognize the Republic of China and to recognize only the People’s Republic of China has led to serious concern regarding Taiwan’s increasing international isolation.  The Sentinal argues that Taiwan’s international status is, in fact, stronger in recent years despite loss of formal diplomatic ties.

(Taiwan Sentinel)

Prosecutors seek jail terms for Park aides over artist blacklist

Prosecutions of former President Park’s administration continue, as Prosecutors call for prison terms for former presidential aides and ministers on trial for accused of managing a “black list” of cultural figures critical of the Park government.

(Yonhap News Agency)

Shock and discontent within LDP over historical loss in Tokyo assembly election

Prime Minster Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party suffered a serious political defeat in Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly elections July 2. This loss could jeopardise Abe’s political, security, and economic agenda. Abe is calling for “soul searching” and for his party to recover public trust.

(The Mainichi)

Pakistan's geopolitical maneuverings 

Pakistan’s challenges in south and southwestern Asia are complex, as is the role it sees itself playing amongst its neighbors, friend and foe.  Below, blogger Shajeel Zaidi argues for Pakistan to flex its military muscle to assert “hegemony” in the region, and in the second link  the Washington Post’s Pamela Constable explains what she perceives as Pakistan’s “pivot” to China.

(The Express Tribune Blogs, The Washington Post)

Vietnam for greater Indian role in SE Asia

The Delhi Dialogue IX, marking the beginning of celebrations of 25 years of ASEAN-India diplomatic ties, saw a strong call by Vietnamese leaders for ASEAN and India to further strengthen ties amid new geopolitical circumstances in Indo-Pacific Asia.

(The Hindu)

Death Knell for democracy. Attacks on lawmakers and the threat to Cambodia’s Institutions

Opposition to Cambodia’s largest political party, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), has become increasingly harassed in recent years. Harassment comes in various forms and has arguably increased in more recent times with former opposition leader Sam Rainsy being the most well-known case abroad – Rainsy however, is only the tip of the iceberg.  

(ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights) 

Integrated Asia

Global power structures and globalization are creating an integrated Asian system with China at its centre. Cooperation among the great powers in the region will become more difficult as this process continues. At the same time, countries that develop stronger economies due to this integration will grow more confident and wary of its neighbours, creating a potentially unstable environment based around hard, nationalist interests.

(Australian National University)

A Year of Bangladesh's War on Terror

July 1st marked the one-year anniversary of Bangladesh’s “9/11”: the massacre at Dhaka’s ritzy Holey Artisan Bakery.  The subsequent twelve months represent the beginning of Bangladesh’s version of the “War on Terror”, and all that war entails for democratic politics. The Diplomat’s Siddharthya Roy examines the events and implications. 

(The Diplomat)

Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam

Mark Bowden’s book “Hue 1968” chronicles this brutal, 24-day battle during the Communist “Tet Offensive” that marked a turning point for both sides in the Vietnam War, and which tore apart the American social and political landscape.  Two reviews of this book examine its “meticulous and vivid” content. The first review analyses the book itself, while the second examines the role of the news media in countering the false claims of senior military officials. 

(The New York Times, TIME)