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Asia in Review

No. 33, August/2019, 2

Brought to you by CPG

Dear Readers,

AiR’s team is presenting you the second issue of ‘Asia in Review’ (AiR) in August updating you on the latest developments in geopolitics and international relations as well as constitutional politics, law reform and governance in Asia.

I wish you an informative read.

With the best wishes,

Henning Glaser

Director, German-Southeast Asian Center of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPG)

Webpage: www.cpg-online.de, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPGTU/

Main Sections

• Law and Politics in East Asia

• Law and Politics in South Asia

• Law and Politics in South East Asia

• International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia

• Background Reading

Law and Politics in East Asia 

China/Hong Kong: Protesters shut down airport amid Beijing’s efforts to mobilize Hong Kong’s business community

(dql) The 10th consecutive weekend of protest marches in Hong Kong once again saw violent clashes between police and protesters. Furthermore, protesters staged a major sit-in at the city’s airport resulting in serious disruption of airport operations and the cancellation of all flights departing from Hong Kong on Monday.  [Yahoo News] [Asia Times]

Earlier last week, thousands of Hong Kong's lawyers took to the streets to press the city’s Department of Justice to respond to allegations of politically motivated prosecution, referring to dozens of protesters arrested in the course of the protests. [The Guardian]

Beijing, meanwhile, in a briefing on Monday condemned petrol bomb attacks on several police stations at the weekend and described them as “first signs of terrorism”. [Newsweek]

In an earlier move, widely seen as an attempt to exert pressure on the city’s business community to distance itself from the protests, China’s Civil Aviation Administration on Friday issued an order demanding Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific to stop aircrew who participated in and supported  “illegal protests” and “violent attacks” and  “behaved in an extreme way”  from operating flights to mainland China or using Chinese airspace. [Civil Aviation Administration, China, in Chinese] [South China Morning Post 1] Bowing to Beijing’s pressure, Cathay Pacific on Monday warned that employees involved in illegal protests would face dismissal. [CNN]

In a related development, Beijing gathered hundreds of business leaders and pro-Beijing MPs from Hong Kong at a meeting in Shenzhen to discuss the situation in the city and urged them to organize pro-government rallies. [South China Morning Post 2]

China: Surge in arrests of foreign teacher, report says

(dql) Reuters reports on soaring numbers of foreign teachers arrested and deported in the first half of 2019 for minor crimes, citing law firms receiving requests of affected people for legal representation as well as data obtained from teachers and schools. It is believed that the sharp increase of detentions of foreigner working in the education field reflects a push of the government for a more patriotic education system in China. [Reuters]

China: Amazon faces accusations of pressuring schoolchildren to work overnight to produce technical devices, report says

(dql) According to a report of New York-based non-government organization China Labor Watch Chinese teenagers, aged between 16 and 18, were forced to work overtime and nights shifts to produce Amazon's smart-speaker devices in a factory in the southern city of Henyang which belongs to Foxconn, a supplier of Amazon. Amazon confirmed that it is investigating the alleged breach of Chinese labor law. [China Labor Watch] [The Guardian]

Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, has called for the immediate release of three Chinese labor journalist and editors of a labor news outlet. They have been arrested on charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble". CPJ has denounced  their arrest as "unjust" and as "retaliatory treatment" of the journalists' reporting on labor issues in China.  [CPJ] [Voice of America]

South Korea: Opposition party faces mass defection 

(jd) Nine out of 14 lawmakers from the opposition Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) have announced their defection, vowing to establish a new party to challenge the two dominant parties, Liberal Korea Party and the ruling Democratic Party which they accused of pursuing only their own party’s interests failing to address the people’s concerns.

The defection came after the party leader rejected a call for resignation and signals a major shift in the political landscape prior to next year’s parliamentary elections. [Yonhap News Agency]

Taiwan: New political party founded to run in the 2020 legislative election

(dql) Last week, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) was established, with the Taipei mayor who initiated the creation of the party elected its founding chairman. According to him, the party seeks to change the political culture in Taiwan and offers an alternative political choice beside the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT).

While the party will contest in the legislative election in January 2020, it has not yet decided whether or not to field a candidate for the presidential election which will be held simultaneously with the parliamentary polls. [Focus Taiwan]

For a critical assessment of the new party’s chances in the election(s) see [Taipei Times].

Law and Politics in South Asia 

India to hold state assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir; India enforces tight security

(jk/kj) Following the end of Kashmir’s special status [AiR 6/8/2019] by revoking article 370 and article 35a of the Indian constitution (defining who can become a permanent resident of Kashmir), India has announced intentions to hold state assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir in the near future.

In a media broadcast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi positively portrayed the ending of Kashmir’s special status, claiming that the federal government will introduce more economic opportunities. He also mentioned that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will retain their ability to choose their leaders and ministers. Kashmir will regain its special status once the law-and-order situation improves. Further, Modi remarked that the repeal will allow women, minorities and students to receive legal benefits, just like the rest of India. [Reuters] [Malay Mail] [Free Malaysia Today] Notwithstanding, many Kashmiris will fear that in particular the revocation of article 35a will set in motion a long-term demographic shift in the region, away from the Muslim-majority make-up that has thus far been at the core of the region.  

Pakistan denounces the revocation of Article 370 and regards it as a breach of international law. Pakistan has taken steps to impose diplomatic pressure on India, such expelling India's ambassador in Islamabad, suspend bilateral trade, review bilateral arrangements, halting its primary train service to India and banning Indian films. [CNBC] [Aljazeera] [CNN] Pakistan has also said it will put pressure on the United Nations Security Council to intervene on the issue of Kashmir after its Foreign Minister eased worries slightly in saying that Pakistan was not considering military actions [South China Morning Post]. Pakistan has some leverage in that it could decide to complicate matters for example for the US' Afghanistan withdrawal by wielding its influence over the Afghan Taliban should the US be too sympathetic towards the Indian perspectives on the matter. Be that as it may, the two nuclear armed states have gone to war over the issue before and in Pakistan, the army has often been making its own foreign policy.

Meanwhile, India continues to impose stringent security in Kashmir. During the recent Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, key mosques were shut down and surrounded by soldiers. Hundreds of people in Kashmir shouted anti-India slogans, but authorities contained the area and subdued the protests. [Reuters] [The Wall Street Journal] [Gulf Times]

The population of Indian Administered Kashmir (around 8 million people) remains under a complete communications blackout which was put in place just before the announcement to revoke article 370 was made. The Indian government remains adamant that the situation in Kashmir is calm. The [BBC] reported, however, that a group of thousands protesting the change in status were met by police using tear gas.

India: Sonia Gandhi back as interim leader of India’s Congress

(jk) Sonia Gandhi, who had led Congress prior to handing the leadership to her son in 2017, citing health problems, was appointed interim leader over the weekend until a new president is elected. [Live Mint] Rahul Gandhi and several other senior Congress leaders resigned from office about a month after PM Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party crushed the Congress Party in the general elections earlier this year.

Bar Council of India imposes three-year moratorium on new law colleges

(kj) Having observed the unregulated proliferation of law colleges in India, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has introduced a three-year moratorium on the establishment of new law institutions. The only exceptions, however, are national law universities proposed by a state. This move follows BCI’s urgent call for the improvement of India’s legal education, in light of its deteriorating standards. BCI claims that it will focus on improving existing law colleges as well as terminate those that lack adequate infrastructure or faculty.  [The Tribune] [The New India Express]

Previously, a comparable move had been made in 2016 to curb the increasing number of law colleges. However, many colleges continue to obtain approvals and affiliations, and when BCI rejected those affiliations, many institutions brought the case to court to obtain orders against BCI. BCI believes that the ban will prove to be more effective this time. [Hindustan Times]

Pakistan: Former PM Sharif's daughter arrested on corruption charges  

(jk) Maryam Nawaz Sharif was arrested last week on charges of graft. Other members of her family face similar accusations or have already been arrested - her father, three time PM Nawaz Sharif was sentenced last year to seven years in jail for corruption.

Current Prime Minister Imran Khan was elected on a campaign against graft, but oppositional forces say he is merely persecuting his political adversaries and recent high-profile arrests such as this one are a case in point. [Straits Times]

Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa’s brother is running for president

(jk) Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa was nominated as the opposition’s candidate for the presidential election to be held later this year. [News First] He previously served as defence secretary when his brother was president and played an important role in ending the civil war with the Tamil Tigers who fought for an independent Tamil state. With him, and others under his brother's leadership, there were often accusations of deploying extra-legal measures during the civil war. While he is held in high regard by many Sinhalese, he is a much more controversial figure among minorities, victims of human rights abuses and human rights defenders. [South China Morning Post]

Law and Politics in Southeast Asia 

Thailand: Prime Minister vows to continue despite more critique on oath taking and from within the governing coalition

(jk) After failing to swear a complete oath as mentioned last week [AiR, No. 32, August/2019, 1], PM Prayuth has apologised to his cabinet and stated the mistake was his responsibility alone. He did not yet elaborate on how he was going to rectify the issue. In the meantime, the Ombudsman decided to examine the legitimacy of the cabinet's oath, as it was asked by opposition MPs. The Ombudsman may refer the issue to the Constitutional Court. [Bangkok Post 1] In the meantime, Thai academics have suggested a way out would be for the PM to ask the King for a royal pardon, or to wait for a constitutional court ruling. [Bangkok Post 2]

In addition to pressures from the opposition on the issue of the oath, some of the small parties who are one-MP-members of the government coalition have threatened to leave the coalition over not having received executive positions in the cabinet. The parties hold a seat each and if they were to act on their threat, the coalition's house majority could be in danger. [Bangkok Post 3]

In a response over the weekend, the PM Prayuth's ruling party has decided to give in and is considering awarding "political positions" to the small parties that are part of the government coalition [Bangkok Post 4] and nine out of eleven of the small "one-MP parties" have since announced their continuing support for the governing coalition. The coalition is made up of 19 parties and holds a thin majority of 254 to 246 seats in parliament.

Thailand: Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra receives Serbian citizenship

(jk) Former PM Yingluck Shinawatra has received Serbian citizenship. She fled Thailand when she was on bail and just before she was convicted to five years imprisonment on graft charges in 2017. [Khaosod]

Malaysia: Disagreement over proposed bill on the unilateral conversion of minors

(kj) The Selangor state government has recently proposed a bill allowing the unilateral conversion of minors. Currently, in order for the faith of a minor to be converted, the consent of both parents is required. If this bill is passed, consent will only be necessary from one parent.

Since the announcement of the proposed bill, it has received significant opposition. The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) has implored the Selangor government to uphold the Federal Constitution as the “supreme law of the land”, and to honour the ruling of the Federal Court back in January 2018, in the M. Indira Gandhi case. [The Star] An MCA spokesperson added that the amendment will deprive the non-converting parent of his or her constitutional rights, and dismisses the potential divisive effects on families and society. Women activist group Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) also highlighted that in certain cases, Islam conversion has been exploited to obtain access to the Shariah Court system, so as to file for divorce and custody of children. This overlooks the right of the non-Muslim parent to be involved in the decision. [The Star] [Malay Mail]

Malaysia charge 17 Goldman Sachs executives over 1MDB scandal

(kj/jk) 17 current and former directors at subsidiaries of Goldman Sachs Group Inc have been charged by the Malaysian government for failing to provide the necessary supervision over a deal. This is after an extensive examination into the multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal that led to the fall of state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Goldman Sachs has fallen under scrutiny for being responsible in raising $6.5 billion through bond offerings for 1MDB, which has been at the centre of corruption investigations in more than five countries. [South China Morning Post] [Nikkei Asian Review]

According to Attorney General Tommy Thomas, under a section of the Malaysian Capital Markets and Services Act, the charges above holds senior executives accountable for crimes that may have been performed by the firm. He added that given the gravity of the offence to “defraud and fraudulent misappropriation of billions” in bond proceeds, the court will seek criminal fines and custodial sentences against the offenders. However, Goldman Sachs claims that the charges are wrongly directed, and will be actively defended against. It also argued that according to the Malaysian legal process, the directors and firm did not have the chance to be heard before the filing of these charges. [Reuters]

Indonesia: Joko Widodo threatens to sack firefighters if forest blazes not subdued

(kj) Alarmed by the rise in hotspots this year, President Joko Widodo has declared that officials will be dismissed if they are unable to subdue forest fires. The current proliferation of fires in Indonesia is threatening a repetition of the fatal haze in 2015, which engulfed a large part of Southeast Asia. Back in 2015, the fires affected 2.6 million hectares of land, resulting in an economic loss of 221 trillion rupiah. Indonesia's Supreme Court upheld a ruling this month against Widodo, Cabinet ministers and provincial governors that directed blame over their management in 2015. [Indonesia Expat] [The Straits Times] [Channel News Asia]

President Widodo added that the military, police and disaster mitigation agencies should direct their attention to preventing and detecting fires. He further remarked that it will be a challenge dealing with neighbouring countries if the haze issue cannot be resolved. Singapore and Malaysia have already raised warnings of greater risks of haze this year, given the multiplicity of hotspots in central and western areas of Indonesia. [South China Morning Post] [Channel News Asia]

Indonesia’s military tightens its anti-terror grip

(jk) The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) is forming a Special Operations Command (KOOPSSUS), tasked with operations against terrorist networks at home and abroad.

The new role in which more power is again given to the military, is supposed to complement rather than replace the work of the police force. While not entirely unusual, critics see a problem in extending more power to the TNI, which, in pre-democratic Indonesia, played a role much bigger than that of "typical" armed forces. The move was mandated through the newly revised anti-terrorism law in 2018. [Asia Times]

Singapore: New rules for financial industry to combat cyber threats

(kj) By next year, financial institutions will have to abide by a fresh set of rules by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in order to improve cyber security standards and heighten cyber resilience. The legally binding regulations on cyber hygiene outlines the measures that organisations and firms have to undertake to counter the increasing risk of cyber threats. Important elements in the current MAS technology risk management guidelines will also be made mandatory. These include adopting security devise illegal network traffic and timely remedies to system security faults. [Channel News Asia]

The hard-lined stance adopted by the MAS is due to the global spate of data breaches, as well as two years of consulting with the industry. A key discovery is that 90 per cent of those incidents are due to negligence over basic cyber hygiene. [The Straits Times]

Myanmar: Seven-week web blackout in Rakhine continues  

(jk) Around 1 million people in the western part of the country have been without internet access since June 21. Authorities in Myanmar had ordered telecommunications companies to shut down internet services in the conflict-torn Rakhine and Chin States, citing “disturbances of peace and use of internet activities to coordinate illegal activities” as reasons for the shut-down. [AiR 4/6/19]

At the same time, telecoms firm Mytel this week said the country had carried out its first successful test of 5G services in Yangon. [South China Morning Post]

Philippines: Duterte approves proposal to stamp Chinese passports bearing nine-dash line

(jk) Reversing a policy set by the Aquino administration in 2012, the Philippines will now stamp Chinese passports that display the nine-dash line directly, instead of continuing to place the stamp on a separate piece of paper.

In 2012, just after the PRC has introduced the passports bearing the nine-dash line, the Department of Foreign Affairs stated: “Through this action [the refusal to stamp the passport], the Philippines reinforces its protest against China’s excessive claim over almost the entire South China Sea including the West Philippine Sea.  The Philippines views said expansive 9-dash claim as inconsistent with international law, specifically UNCLOS”. [GMA]

Philippines: Terrorism continues during Eid al-Adha celebrations

(jd) Continuing a string of recent terrorist attacks, two soldiers and one girl were killed in an Islamic attack conducted by members of Abu Sayyaf last week. As the southern Philippines celebrated Eid al-Adha, Abu Sayyaf members opened fire on soldiers travelling via motorcycle. [The Straits Times]

This follows in a recent spate of terrorist attacks in the southern Philippines, which has put the government and army on high alert. [Rappler] As a response, the Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government seeks to restore the 1957 anti-subversion law, making subversion a criminal offense. This plan is based on intelligence reports revealing that 500 to 1000 youths are indoctrinated by communist rebels to become fighters or serve as military leaders each year. [Philippine Star]

International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia

Continuing protest against Chinese presence in South China Sea EEZs

(jk) Ahead of President Duterte’s visit to Beijing later this month, the president will lodge another protest against the presence of two Chinese vessels in the country’s exclusive economic zone with the Chinese government. This would be the third such diplomatic protest within a week. Duterte, trying to appease his local critics, said he would formally raise the issue of international arbitration in the South China Sea during his meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing. [The Straits Times]

As reports of Chinese survey ships in the South China Sea region increase, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin is set to include Chinese vessels in the ban on such vessels. As of yet, the ban encompasses such vessels from France and Japan, and the Foreign Affairs Secretary plans to universalise the ban to ensure equal treatment across different countries. [Philippine Star]

Referring to the stand-off between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels near an oil block in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, involving a Chinese survey vessel escorted by coast guard vessels [AiR No. 29,30,31, July/2019] some observers fear that "[t]he current standoff serves as proof that Chinese coercion will continue and that the COC process makes no difference in Beijing’s plans to dominate the South China Sea." [Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative]

Nonetheless, Vietnam is taking a slightly stronger stance on this occasion. Instead of keeping to quiet negotiations and concessions, Hanoi eventually publicised the event and rallied some international support. Support came, not only from the traditional allies and forces that usually speak up for a free and open South China Sea, but interestingly, also - if indirectly- from Russia. Unlike in the past, when Vietnam quietly scrapped drilling ventures with the Spanish energy firm Repsol, the Russian government's Rosneft has kept drilling inside the contested areas of the SCS. Russian companies are, in fact,  "the only ones currently producing at the country’s [Vietnam's] behest within the nine-dash line". [Foreign Policy]

The Chinese survey ship at the heart of the stand-off has left Vietnam's EEZ for now, [Vietnam News] but it is far from clear at this stage whether it will come back. And if it - or another ship- does, it is also far from clear what options beyond diplomatic protest Vietnam is willing to explore.

Amid these tensions, the USA ­- in a show of force aimed at China - last week sent its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan to the Philippines, carrying about 70 supersonic F/A-18 jets, spy planes and helicopters. According to the US Navy, the port call was to demonstrate “the strong community and military connections between the Philippines and the United States.” [Military Times] [South China Morning Post]

India and China agree to strengthen ties amid differences on Kashmir

(kj) This week, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar arrived in Beijing and held bilateral meetings with his counterpart Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi. This is in preparation for the second informal summit between the Indian and Chinese leadership, which is projected to take place in October this year. During the meetings, a whole spectrum of issues has been discussed, including bilateral relations and the international and regional situation. [All India Radio] [India Today]

Jaishankar also emphasised that the future of the India-China relationship will rely on “mutual sensitivity to each other’s core concerns”. Further, both countries concur that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border regions is crucial for smooth progression of relations. To achieve this, communications have been enhanced between the two armed forces, and various confidence building measures will be enacted. [The Times of India]

At the same time, Beijing has expressed grave concern over the recent tensions in Kashmir, and reassured support for Pakistan. They argue that the issue should be “properly and peacefully resolved” in accordance to the UN Charter and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. However, India has cautioned China to not interfere with the dispute over Kashmir’s status, since it is an internal matter regarding the territory of India. [The Economic Times] [Telegraph]

China-Japan relations: Strategic dialogue resumed

(dql) Underscoring the recent improvement of Sino-Japanese relations, Beijing and Tokyo resumed last week strategic talks, the first in seven years, with China’s foreign vice-minister and his Japanese counterpart Takeo Akiba meeting in Japan to exchange on bilateral and regional issues as well as to prepare a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in spring 2020. [Asia News]

Japan cautious about joining US-led maritime security initiative in Strait of Hormuz

(jd) Japan faces increasing pressure from the United States to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz as part of an joint military effort, dubbed 'Operation Sentinel', to protect shipping in this strategically highly important sea passage linking the Persian Gulf with the open ocean. Amidst heightening tensions between the US and Iran, Tokyo appears to be cautious about Washington’s request due to its friendly relations with Tehran, with Abe hoping to discuss the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France later this month and a possible final decision dependent on how other U.S. allies opt to proceed. [Japan Today]

Seoul, meanwhile, dispatched new troops to the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy efforts, amid speculation that these troops could also engage in US-led missions to secure passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. [Yonhap News Agency]

Japan-South Korea relations: Seoul removes Japan from whitelist  

(jd) In the latest development of trade tensions between Japan and South Korea, Seoul announced on Monday that it will drop Japan from its trade whitelist and downgrade its neighbour to a newly introduced classification in its export control system containing countries not adhering to “international export control principles.” The move, widely considered as a retaliatory step against Japan after Tokyo removed Seoul from its whitelist, will require South Korean companies exporting strategic materials and products to Japan to submit more documents than currently three while the approval process will take as many as 15 days, compared to current five. [CNN] [Business Insider]

These trade tensions threaten to spill over to security relations between both countries as South Korea indicated considerations to withdraw from the 2016 General Security of Military Information Agreement, the three-way military information-sharing pact involving Japan, South Korea and the United States and providing an important framework for dealing with North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. The collapse of this agreement would be a big blow to the security cooperation between these three countries and strengthen China’s position in Northeast Asia, prompting US President to urge both allies “get along because it puts us in a bad position.” [South China Morning Post] [Japan Today]

Inter-Korean relations: Pyongyang continues missile testing 

(dql/jd) Protesting US-South Korean joint military exercises conducted early last week, North Korea launched multiple weapons tests last week, with two short-range projectiles missiles fired on Saturday as the latest of seven test launches within a span of two weeks. Experts believed the latest tested weapons to be a new type of surface-to-surface missiles resembling US Army's tactical missiles. [JoongAng Ilbo] [Hankyoreh]

For an account of types of the tested missiles see [The Diplomat].

Amid these testing, the Pentagon announced that the US government approved the sale of helicopters worth 800 million USD to South Korea . The sale includes 12 MH-60R Multi-Mission Seahawk Helicopters and extensive associated radar, communications and weaponry equipment. [Channel News Asia]

Papua New Guinea asks China to refinance its national debt as Beijing influence grows in Pacific Islands

(jk) In what suggests a "significant shift in the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea and Papua New Guinea and China", the new PM of PNG [AiR 1/6/19] has asked China to refinance its debts, which are more than 30% of GDP. Australia is the country's largest aid donor and most important ally, but China has over the past years steadily increased its influence there and in other Pacific island nations.  [The Guardian]

According to a recent [RAND report], China has been increasing its influence steadily over the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands and Palau (the three make up the Freely Associated States (FAS)), aiming to gain access to their strategically important waters, just north of PNG. The move to refinance PNG debts is feared to amplify these efforts, as well as attract the attention of close-by nations such as Tonga and Vanuatu, both geopolitically relevant locations.

As of yet, the US claims exclusive rights to the waters of the FAS under the Compacts of Free Association agreement, which grants exclusive military use of the waters around the FAS, crucially, including the ability to deny access to foreign militaries. The agreement is tied to economic support, set to expire in 2023 and so China is seen to be wanting to get a foot in the door, especially if the US is seen to discontinue appropriate levels of funding. [South China Morning Post]

Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the Federated States of Micronesia, following on from a visit by FSM state leaders to Washington in May. The US has many options to avoid letting China fill the void and replace US influence there, including indefinite financial support, joining Japan to implement infrastructure development efforts, expose corruption and expanding military presence. [Asia Times]

EU's Mogherini concludes bilateral visit to the Maldives

(jk) Following the revocation of the framework for restrictive measures against the Maldives after peaceful and democratic parliamentary elections in April, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, visited the Maldives last week. The two sides discussed the enhancement of bilateral ties. [European Union External Action Service]

46 countries sign international mediation treaty

(kj) Since the opening for signatures on 7th August in Singapore, 46 countries have signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation. The treaty is also known as the Singapore Convention, due to Singapore’s integral role in drafting the treaty. Before the treaty, mediated settlement agreements following a dispute cannot be implemented across country borders. Signatories will now have to see to it that their courts enforce international commercial settlement agreements. Another key aim of the treaty is to boost business confidence by establish a global framework in which international disputes can be resolved through mediation instead of bringing them to court. [The Business Times] [Xin Hua Net] [Euro News]

Singapore Prime Minister Lee remarked that the widespread support for the treaty shows that countries endorse multilateralism, and have the ability of attaining consensus. The treaty is also regarded as crucial, given that the rules-based international order is currently under threat. Singapore expects the convention to take effect quickly. [The Straits Times] [Channel News Asia][Mothership]

Background Reading

The state of Human Rights in Southeast Asia (Podcast)

(jk) This Asia & The Pacific Policy Society podcast is a panel discussion on human rights in Southeast Asia today. It touches on ASEAN’s approach to diplomacy and human rights, the UN's pressure, or lack thereof, on Myanmar, and how China and the US play a role in shaping human rights in the region. [Policy Forum Pod]

Contending US and Chinese Visions for Regional Order at the Shangri-La Dialogue: A Mixed Reception from Southeast Asia

(jk) Based on the geopolitical discussions of this year's Shangri La Dialogue and the narratives of the US on the one, and China on the other hand, this piece looks at how Southeast Asia continues to promote the ASEAN Way of conflict resolution and ASEAN centrality in the regional security order. [ISEAS]

Human Trafficking at the Nepal-India Border

(jk) Thousands of Nepali women and girls are trafficked into India each year. They often cross the border for work or to shop specific products that are not available in Nepal, but many never return. Victims are often lured in to India with promises of well-paying jobs and higher education and are then trafficked into illegal sex work. [The Kathmandu Post] The porous border is a trafficking hotspot and a local NGO estimates that "30,000 women and young girls are smuggled from Nepal to India each year. According to its data, most victims are between 12 and 25 years old, though some are as young as 8." [World Politics Review]

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