![]() ![]() Grasp the pattern, read the trend No. 23, June/2021, 2
Brought to you by CPG ![]() Dear Readers, The AiR team is presenting you this week’s brief on the latest events and developments in domestic politics, constitutional law, human rights, international relations and geopolitics in Asia. I wish you an informative read and extend special greetings to readers in Norway, the Philippines and Russia which celebrate Independence Day and Russia Day in this week. With best regards, Henning Glaser Editor in Chief
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Law and Politics in East Asia ![]() China: High-level leading group steers toward carbon-neutral goal (dx) China has set up a high-level leading group on tackling peak emissions and carbon neutrality, underscoring Beijing's determination on climate issues. The first plenary meeting was held on May 26th and was chaired by Han Zheng, China's first vice-premier and a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. Though the members of the leading group haven't been announced, Xi Jinping's trusted aides and at least 17 ministry chiefs attended the meeting, suggesting the top leadership's seriousness about achieving the goals "carbon neutrality by 2060 " and their hopes of coordinating central and regional policies as well as addressing international concerns. [State Council, China, in Chinese] [South China Morning Post] In September 2020, Xi announced at the UN General Assembly in New York that China will aim to hit peak emissions before 2030 and for carbon neutrality by 2060. [BBC] China: Hongkongers arrested for commemorating the Tiananmen crackdown (dx) Though police banned the annual mass gathering "Tiananmen Vigil" at Victoria Park citing Covid-19 restrictions, Hongkongers still staged small protests by lighting candles or flashing their mobile phones on June 4th, groups of black-clad demonstrators also shouted pro-independence slogans. According to the police, as of 10 p.m., at least 6 people were arrested on suspicion of inciting others to participate in an unauthorised assembly, ordinary assault, disorderly conduct in a public place and obstruction of police, the force said. Twelve people were fined for flouting the coronavirus-related ban on public gatherings of more than four people. [South China Morning Post 1] [South China Morning Post 2] In a related case, Chow Hang-tung, vice-chair of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and a food delivery person were arrested for allegedly promoting the "Tiananmen Vigil" on social media. [Hong Kong Free Press] China: Human rights activist barred from leaving China to attend sick daughter (dx) Tang Jitian, a prominent human rights activist, was barred from leaving China to take care of his daughter, who is ill with tuberculosis meningitis in a Japanese hospital. Law enforcement authorities cited national security concerns as reason. Tang worked as a human rights lawyer and represented vulnerable and persecuted clients before he was permanently disbarred in 2010. [South China Morning Post] China: 40 million in digital currency handed out to Beijing residents as part of trials (dx) China will hand out 40 million renminbi (RMB) of its digital currency to citizens in Beijing in a lottery. Citizens can use two banking apps to win one of 200,000 so-called red packets containing 200 yuan each. China has been developing digital currency since 2014 but has yet to do a national rollout. The trials in the form of lotteries were conducted in different cities around the country, such as Shenzhen last year and Chengdu in February 2021. [CNBC] For a brief overview of the Chinese government’s steps to introduce the digital yuan since 2014, see Karen Yeung and Andrew Mullen in [South China Morning Post]. Meanwhile, US lawmakers seeing China’s digital currency as a long-term attempt to challenge US dollar as the world’s dominant reserve currency, have introduced in the House of Representatives the 21st Century Dollar Act which aims to enshrine the dollar as the “primary global reserve currency,” and would require within six months a report of the Treasury on efforts to develop a digital US dollar. [Barron’s]. China: Uyghur “people's tribunal” set to investigate allegations of genocide, rights abuses (dql) A “people’s tribunal” established to assess whether China’s alleged rights abuses against the Uyghur people constitute genocide has opened in London, with witnesses claiming inmates at detention camps are routinely exposed to humiliation, torture and abuse. Consisting of lawyers, academics and businesspeople, the tribunal lacks the backing of the UK government backing and does not have powers to sanction or punish China. Organizers, however, believe that laying out evidence publicly will lead to international action against the human rights abuses against the Uyghurs China is accused of. [ABC News] Japan: Law revised to encourage men to take paternity leave (dx) Japan’s National Diet passed a law to establish a special system that permits men to take a leave of up to four weeks within eight weeks after childbirth starting around October 2022. Further measures include employers will be asked to personally encourage workers whose wives are expecting childbirth to take paternity leave, starting from April 2022; Businesses with workforces over 1,000 employees will be required to disclose the ratio of male workers taking paternity leave, starting from April 2023. [Japan Times] [Asahi Shimbun] Japan: Former Economy Minister resigned as lawmaker over gift scandal (dx) Isshu Sugawara, House of Representatives member and former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, submitted his resignation to both the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the House of Representatives after prosecutors are carrying out investigations again over money and gift scandals which was once dropped. His resignation was approved by the LDP and the House. Sugawara's resignation deals a blow to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is believed to have helped Sugawara secure his first Cabinet post in September 2019 under the Shinzo Abe administration. In June 2020, prosecutors declared that Sugawara made illegal donations totalling 300,00 yen to people in his constituency, the Tokyo No.9 District, from 2017 to 2019 but decided against indictment. However, the investigation was reopened after the Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution's resolution in March 2021 and prosecutors are expected to bring a summary indictment against him. Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution consists of chosen citizens and can review and veto prosecutors’ non-prosecution decisions. [Asahi Shimbun 1] [Asahi Shimbun 2] [Kyodo News] [International Law Office] In a separate development, Japan’s Ministry of Communications punished its 32 officials for ethics code violations after they were treated lavish dinners by companies under their supervision. The series of scandals were first exposed in February 2021 that senior officials of the Ministry of Communications were treated expensive dinners by Tohokushinsha Fil Corp. A similar case surfaced later over Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. Of the 32 officials, 9 have been subjected to disciplinary action, including 5 who were given pay cuts. Another 23 have been reprimanded, including Vice Minister Buichiro Kuroda. [Mainichi News] [Air No.14, April/2021, 1] Japan: Record low number of newborns in 2020 (dx) According to government data, the number of newborns fell to 840,832 in 2020 which marked the lowest level since the Ministry of Health started such surveys in 1899. The data revealed that the trend of nation’s rapid aging population is accelerating amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The average number of children a woman will bear in her lifetime and the number of marriages also decreased to the lowest in the post-World War II era, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. [Mainichi News] Japan: CDP chief to request summoning ex-PM Abe over vote-buying scandal (dx) The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party’s chief Jun Azumi revealed that he intends to request the summoning of Shinzo Abe, the former ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president and prime minister, and LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai to the National Diet in relation to the 2019 House of Councillors election large-scale vote-buying scandal. The scandal in question involves the money transfer of 150 million yen from LDP headquarters to the party branches headed respectively by its candidate Kawai Anri and her husband Kawai Katsuyuki, the former Minister of Justice. The couple conspired in bribing local politicians in Hiroshima constituency to secure Anri’s seat in the 2019 House of Councillors election and both of them were sentenced recently. [Mainichi News] [Air No.4, January/2021, 4] [Air No.18, May/2021, 1] Mongolia votes in presidential elections (nm) This Wednesday, Mongolian voters will choose their sixth democratically-elected president for a term of six years, with the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) expected to be consolidating its power. The election is the first after a constitutional amendment had reduced the power of the president to a single term, preventing incumbent president Khaltmaa Battulga of the opposition Democratic Party from seeking re-election. While the election-campaigns themselves had been kept at a rather low profile due to the Covid-19 pandemic, national as well as international voices had expressed concern that Mongolia’s democracy might be in peril following a string of court rulings, constitutional amendments, and the weakening of the major opposition Democratic Party. [Reuters] For a short run-down of the state of Mongolian politics ahead of the presidential election, please see [The Diplomat]. South Korea: Interim results of investigation into real estate scandal published (nm) South Korea’s government has published the interim results of its probe into a massive public housing scandal that had infuriated South Korean politics after becoming public in March. Authorities have arrested 34 and referred 529 people to prosecution in relation to allegations that public employees had used insider information to purchase land prior to it being publicly declared for development. The investigation covered 646 cases and more than 2,800 public officials, local civil servants, and their families. Among those arrested are the former head of a local government and a local assembly member, while a local court issued an arrest warrant for a former executive of the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) which finds itself at the centre of the scandal. The government further seized about 82 million USD in illicit gains from speculative investments. Amid soaring housing prices, the scandal and ensuing public outcry are also seen as having contributed to recent dire poll and election results of the ruling Democratic Party (DP). Following the interim results, the DP this week demanded that twelve of its lawmakers leave the party. [Korea Herald 1] [Nikkei Asia] [Korea Times 1] Reacting to the scandal and interim results, the government this week announced it would undertake a major reform effort of the housing corporation, leading to a 20 percent cut of the company’s workforce. The cut intends to streamline the company’s organizational structures, including by abolishing and transferring some of the non-core administrative functions. [Korea Herald 2] [Korea Times 2] South Korea: Military culture in limelight amid suicide of officer (nm) Following the death of a member of South Korea’s air force after she had been allegedly sexually harassed by a colleague, President Moon Jae-in has called for a complete overhaul of the nation’s military culture. Air force chief Lee Seong-yong further stepped down one day after a master sergeant had been arrested on charges of molesting and injuring his female colleague. Reacting to the public outcry sparked by her death, Moon also ordered a separate task force be created to overhaul military culture and urged the National Assembly to pass laws that would allow soldiers to be tried in regular civilian appeals courts by removing the high military court. He further ordered an investigation into how the case had been handled by the air force and military prosecutors. [Korea Herald 1] [SCMP] [Korea Herald 2] North Korea: Ruling party establishes new position of first secretary under Kim Jong Un (nm) According to reports by South Korean news agency Yonhap, North Korea’s ruling party created a new de facto second-in-command leader position under Kim Jong Un denominated “first secretary” through revised party rules in January. In January, Kim had been elected as general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WKP) and now allegedly seeks greater involvement of his party in the nation’s government, as opposed to the more military-focussed approach during his father’s leadership. The holder of the new post is likely to be responsible for chairing meetings on behalf of Kim, a development that fits within the broader trend of delegating Kim’s duties – not power – to others, while streamlining party structures, according to a researcher with the US-based monitoring programme 38 North. The new position is rumoured to have been filled by Jo Yong Won who is also a member of the presidium of the party’s politburo. [Nikkei Asia] [Vox] [CNN] Law and Politics in South Asia ![]() Bangladesh: Rohingya refugees protest against living conditions on remote island (lm) Several thousand Rohingya refugees on May 31 staged “unruly” protests against living conditions on the remote island of Bhasan Char, with some suffering baton injuries. [Reuters] Since last December, Bangladeshi authorities have shifted 18,000 out of a planned 100,000 people to the island to ease chronic overcrowding in the sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, where more than 1.2 million Muslim Rohingya have taken shelter. But many refugees fear they will be exposed to torrid conditions during the impending monsoon season, and are struggling with “inadequate” health and education facilities, according to a recently published Human Rights Watch report. [Human Rights Watch] The protests coincided with an inspection visit by a two-member delegation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which also visited the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar the following day, before returning to Dhaka to meet with senior government officials. [Al Jazeera] In statement issued after the visit, the UNHCR observed that the refugees currently on the island “have protection and assistance needs. That is, access to meaningful livelihood opportunities, skills development, education, health and access to cash to facilitate their daily lives,” adding that it proposes further discussions with the Bangladeshi government for the agency’s operational engagement on the island. [Arab News] India: Supreme Court rejects sedition case against journalist (lm) India’s Supreme Court (SC) on June 3 quashed a case of sedition filed against a journalist for making allegedly seditious statements against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government’s handling of the migrant exodus during a COVID-19-related lockdown last year. The bench took eight months to pronounce its order, after arguments had concluded in October of last year. [Times of India] In its ruling, the SC observed that the remarks constituted genuine criticism of the government and could not be labelled seditious. In doing so, the apex court relied on its decision in the 1962 Kedar Nath Singh case. Back then, the SC attempted to restrict the sedition law’s scope for misuse, observing that unless accompanied by an incitement or call for violence, criticism of the government cannot be labelled sedition. [The Indian Express] Earlier in February, a Delhi court granted bail to an environment activist in a sedition case, saying the government could not put citizens “behind bars simply because they chose to disagree with the state policies”. The Delhi court also said that sedition cannot be invoked “to minister to the wounded vanity of the governments”. [AiR No. 9, March/2021, 1] India: Judiciary again sharply criticizes federal government over vaccination program (ad) India’s Supreme Court has sharply criticized Prime Minister Modi’s federal government over its coronavirus vaccination campaign, asking it to review its vaccination policy and "place on record a roadmap of projected availability of vaccines till 31 December" – the date by which the government is promising to vaccinate the entire adult population. [BBC] Before, the judges asked the government to explain why it was mandatory to register on an app for getting a jab, observing that this would hamper vaccinations across rural India where internet access is difficult. The judges also questioned whether federal policy was making individual states compete against each other for vaccines. In related news, the Delhi High Court voiced concern, saying that vaccine manufacturers within India were not producing vaccines at full capacity. Specifically, the Court directed the Central government to release almost $2 million plus interest to New Delhi-based vaccine maker Panacea Biotec, which is collaborating with the Russian Direct Investment Fund for manufacturing 100 million doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. [India Today] [The Indian Express] The order was passed pursuant to an arbitration award passed in favor of Panacea Biotect and against the Central government, in which the company had argued that if the money awarded in the arbitration is not released to it, there would not be any production amid a huge shortage of vaccines in India. [Bar and Bench] The Court also asked the Central government to consider the company’s application seeking waiver of trial for the vaccine, which has already been approved for limited use and been tested in Russia. The Delhi High Court had previously questioned the Centre about its lack of oxygen supply as well, which proved to be a huge accelerator of second wave deaths. [AiR No. 18, May/2021, 1] India: Twitter agrees to comply to new IT rules, after being issued last warning (ad) In an escalating dispute between Twitter and the federal government, the US micro-blogging giant is said to have agreed to make key appointments in line with statutory requirements, after the government issued a final warning to Twitter to immediately comply with new rules for social media companies or face “consequences” under local laws. [Bloomberg] [CNA] [The Times of India] The new rules, which took effect in February, require intermediaries with more than five million users to assign and appoint representatives to redress grievances [see AiR No. 9, March/2021, 1]. But although penalties, including jail terms, can be imposed if a company violates them, all three of the so-called “significant social media intermediaries” – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – had not appointed executives as dictated by the regulations, until recently [see AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1]. Tensions between the government and Twitter had already been heightened, after Indian police visited the company’s office in New Delhi over its labeling of a tweet by a governing party spokesman as “manipulated media". [AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1] Meanwhile, Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp and the Indian government continue to argue in the Delhi High Court, after the messaging platform filed a lawsuit earlier this month, arguing that new guidelines are unconstitutional and undermine the fundamental right to privacy [see AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1]. The Indian government, on the other hand, has stated that these new rules are a “reasonable restriction” to which the “fundamental right to privacy is subject”. [The Indian Express] Maldives: Journalists raise concern as Parliament orders inquiry into investigative report (lm) Media outlets, alongside the Maldives Journalist Association, have raised concerns over a recent inquiry ordered by a parliamentary committee into an investigative report on the security details of former President and current Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed was seriously injured in an assassination attempt earlier last month [see AiR No. 19, May/2021, 2]. A story published by a local media outlet alleged that he was warned by security forces over their inability to provide him security at his current residential address, citing sources within the country’s security establishment. Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), however, rejected the report, calling it “propaganda” to defame him. On May 29, then, Parliament’s Security Services Committee ordered an inquiry to seek out the sources of the story within the Maldives National Defense Forces. The Maldives Journalist Association called the move concerning, saying the inquiry should not be extended to also include the journalists or the media outlet that published the report. Nepal: Prime Minister Oli reshuffles cabinet to include ten lawmakers from PSP-N (lm) Days after meeting with factional leaders of the People’s Socialist Party, Nepal, (PSP-N), caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has reshuffled his cabinet, removing all but four ministers of his Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) to include ten lawmakers of the PSP-N. [AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1] [The Indian Express] PSP-N factional leader Rajendra Mahato has been appointed Minister for Urban Development. He also was offered to serve as one of three Deputy Prime Ministers, serving alongside sitting Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel and Raghubir Mahaseth, who was also appointed the new Minister of Foreign Affairs. [WION] The Thakur-Mahato-led faction of the PSP-N decided to join the Oli-led minority government after the prime minister agreed to meet some of their key demands, including amending the Nepali Citizenship Act – which had been pending in parliament since August of 2018 [see AiR No. 21, May/2021, 4] – and withdrawal of criminal cases filed against 120 individuals associated with the PSP-N. Opposition leader criticized the move, describing as a “mockery of constitution and democratic norms.” Moreover, a writ petition was filed at the Supreme Court to demand the nullification of the cabinet reshuffle, arguing that arguing that a caretaker prime minister did not have the executive power to reshuffle or induct new ministers. [The New Indian Express] In related news, news justices have been appointed to the five-member bench of the country’s Supreme Court to hear the petition challenging the dissolution of parliament’s lower house. Earlier this month, Nepal’s chief justice had agreed to take a decision on the five-member bench’s composition, after lawyers representing the petitioners had questioned the bench’s impartiality [see AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1]. [The Hindu] Pakistan: Planned media legislation draws heavy criticism (lm) Pakistan-based and international human rights bodies and media organizations have voiced strong concern over a proposed ordinance that includes an almost blanket ban on negative coverage of the government or the military. [Hindustan Times] Under the draft Pakistan Media Development Authority Ordinance, existing media-related laws will be repealed and government oversight of the media centralized under a single authority that will regulate “online newspapers, web TV channels, OTT [streaming] content platforms, online news channels, video logs, etc.” The ordinance also states that TV news anchors cannot broadcast views which are “prejudicial to the ideology of Pakistan or sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan” and that no coverage can be given to any story which “defames or brings into ridicule the head of state, or members of the armed forces, or legislative or judicial organs of the state”. The federal government’s decision on any dispute would be deemed “final”. [Dawn] [The Guardian] The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) have rejected the proposed ordinance stating that it “is nothing less than imposing media martial law”. Observing that media in Pakistan already functions within a restrictive environment, they also warn that the proposed centralization of regulatory structures will lead to further control of the media, with devastating effects on free speech and press freedom. [The News International] Pakistan: Journalist critical of military attacked at home (lm) International rights watchdogs have voiced concern over growing pressure on journalists in Pakistan, after a journalist was assaulted by three unidentified men who forcibly entered his apartment in Islamabad. [BBC] [Human Rights Watch] Late last month, journalist Asad Ali Toor, known for his criticism of the military, was tied up and beaten at gunpoint by men identifying themselves as members of Pakistan's intelligence service, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) – a charge the ISI promptly described as a "conspiracy". On June 1, then, the Federal Investigation Agency filed a case against the journalist for “defamation” of a government institution. The attack came after the government proposed the formation of a Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) to “converge multiple media regulatory bodies in Pakistan and expand the ambit of regulation for digital media” [see article above], It was the in a long series of assaults on journalists in the Pakistani capital. In April, Absar Alam, a prominent commentator survived a shooting by an unknown gunman, and last year a vocal critic of the military`s involvement in government affairs, Matiullah Jan, was abducted for a number of hours by unidentified men [see AiR No. 30, July/2020, 4]. [Al Jazeera] Following the incident, a group of journalists which included prominent journalist and author Hamid Mir gathered to voice their anger at the increased violence, intimidation and censorship of journalists who have dared to criticize Prime Minister Khan’s government. But on June 1, Mir was told that his popular chat show, which has been running for two decades, was to be taken off air. The last time this happened to Mir was in 2007, when military leader Pervez Musharraf, then president of Pakistan, declared a state of emergency and suspended the constitution. [The Guardian] Pakistan fares poorly in global press freedom rankings, and since Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan took office in 2018, it has fallen six places (to 145) in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Earlier this year, Freedom Network, a media watchdog, found at least 148 attacks against journalists were documented within the past 12 months - an average of 12 cases per month [see AiR No. 18, May/2021, 1]. Attacks against journalists and other government critics are rarely fully investigated, but many observers have long suspected Pakistan’s powerful military and intelligence services are behind many of them. Some government figures have condemned individual incidents, but the same officials – most notably Information Minister Fawad Chaudry – accuse these journalists of faking attacks for attention or asylum abroad. Pakistan: Opposition alliance PDM announces fresh wave of anti-government protests (lm) The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a joint platform of opposition parties that was formed last month to oust Prime Minister Khan from power, has announced 5 a fresh wave of anti-government protests, after a meeting between the alliance’s leaders on June 5. The first rally is set to be held on July 4 in the Swat district of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, followed by protests in the city of Karachi on July 29. The PDM plans to end their second series of protests with a massive protest in Islamabad on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day. Speaking after the meeting, PDM chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman also denounced the government’s “one-sided” electoral reforms, including the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Prime Minister Khan’s government last month unveiled a series of amendments to the 2017 Election Act as part of its electoral reform agenda, which also includes two constitutional amendments to introduce open balloting in Senate elections and allow overseas Pakistanis to contest elections [see AiR No. 18, May/2021, 1]. [Geo News 1] In the run-up to the alliance’s meeting, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had launched a fresh attempt to reunite the PDM, offering an olive branch to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Awami National Party (ANP), both of which had quit the opposition alliance in April [see AiR No. 16, April/2021, 3]. [Geo News 2] But PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on June 6 said that there was no benefit for his party and the ANP to rejoin the PDM, if the opposition alliance did not return to and implement the six-point action plan that all leaders had agreed upon in September of last year [see AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4]. [Dawn] Pakistan: Court overturns blasphemy conviction of Christian couple A Pakistani court on June 3 overturned the death sentence of a Christian couple in a blasphemy case, acquitting them for lack of evidence after they had spent seven years on death row. [The Straits Times] A lower court had sentenced the couple to death in 2014 for allegedly sending derogatory remarks about the Muslim Prophet Muhammad in a text message to another man. In Pakistan, publishing such images could be a criminal offense on charges of blasphemy, the concept of having insulted a religion or a deity. The acquitted couple was named in a European Parliament resolution passed in April that demanded Islamabad allow freedom for religious minorities and asked the European Union to reconsider the South Asian country’s preferential trade status. [AiR No. 21, May/2021, 4] Insulting the Prophet carries a mandatory death penalty in the predominantly Muslim country. Pakistan's blasphemy laws have long been criticized by global rights groups. Moreover, the country is often hit by vigilante violence against people accused of blasphemy. Last month, a mob broke into the police station on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad in a bid to lynch two men accused of desecrating a mosque [see AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1]. Several killed in two attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province (lm) At least eight people have been killed and 15 wounded in two separate attacks on security forces in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan. [Al Jazeera] In the first incident, a security forces checkpoint on the outskirts of the city of Quetta was attacked by gunmen, leaving at least four attackers and four soldiers dead. In the second attack, an improvised explosive device targeted a paramilitary forces vehicle in Turbat, west of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. Both attacks targeted members of the Frontier Corps, one of two paramilitary units involved in combating various militant groups across the province. In a statement, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) - an outlawed militant organization that wages a violent armed struggle for separation of Balochistan from Pakistan - claimed responsibility for the attack in Turbat. Law and Politics in Southeast Asia ![]() Indonesia: Legislators work to renew Papuan autonomy, with a focus on development (sa) With Papua’s Special Autonomy Law No. 21/2001 due to expire in November, legislators in Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) are working on renewing the law. The law, beyond granting autonomous powers to the region, also provides significant funds to the region aimed at developing the region. For the time period 2002 to 2020, an estimated Rupiah 94.24 trillion was transferred to Papua from the Central Government. [Antara] Despite a roughly 20-year fund transfer period, some Papuan communities have expressed disappointment with the initiative asserting that the promises of prosperity went unfulfilled. Kinawe Yikwa, a local church leader in Wamena, Papua, expressed their sentiments saying that the funds promised failed to reach “all members of communities.” [Antara] While the Central Government lays out Papua’s future legal infrastructure, it is also dealing with a charged political and security atmosphere as Papuan separatists have been ramping up with operations with planned church bombings being foiled by counter-terrorist police groups [see AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1] Malaysia: Mahathir questions government on Pejuang’s registration as political party (tcy) In a virtual press conference, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged the Registrar of Societies (RoS), the country’s agency concerned with the registration of non-governmental organizations and political parties, and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to explain why Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) has yet to be officially registered as a political party. Pejuang was formed by Dr Mahathir last year following the fall of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government and his removal from Parti Bersatu Sabah (Bersatu), which is now led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. [Malay Mail 1] Dr Mahathir reiterated that Pejuang is not aligned with either the ruling Perikatan Nasional government or the Opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition, but instead hopes to remain a third force in Malaysia’s political arena. He also said that the party has expressed in a letter to the King its concerns over the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the extended suspension of Parliament [see AIR No. 22, June/2021, 1] [Malay Mail 2] In response, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the second largest party in the Pakatan Harapan coalition, and its youth wing Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) have spoken out against collaborating with Dr Mahathir and Pejuang, as delegates claimed that he had caused the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan government last year and had betrayed the agreement of handing over power to the now PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. [Bernama 1] [Bernama 2] For an account of the current political landscape and power struggle ahead of the elections, see Chin Huat Wong in [East Asia Forum] as he outlines the various political parties and coalitions across Malaysia’s political spectrum and argues that the next government will require an alliance between rival party coalitions as well as support from East-Malaysian parties. Malaysia: Penang groups oppose government’s reclamation project, says rule of law ignored (tcy) Despite ongoing legal action by fishermen against a controversial three-island reclamation project, which is expected to cause adverse impacts to the supply of seafood and livelihoods of fishermen, the Penang state government has decided to proceed with the project without awaiting the outcome of the fishermen’s appeal, drawing criticism from two NGOs that accused the government of ignoring the rule of law. [Malay Mail] [Malay Mail 1] The three-island reclamation project, also known as the Penang South Islands, is a proposed land reclamation project to the south of Penang Island, and is meant to host a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings and activities. The project has caused significant controversy, with doubts surrounding its environmental soundness and socio-economic impact. Aside from the appeal by the fishermen, there have also been many other calls, including those by ministers, for the government to cancel the project. [Malay Mail 2] [Malay Mail 3] Malaysia: Teacher becomes first to be charged under Emergency Ordinance on fake news (tcy) Since the anti-fake news Emergency Ordinance came into effect in March, a tuition teacher has become the first to be charged for posting fake news, which the Ordinance defines as news or information that “is wholly or partly false relating to COVID-19 or the proclamation of emergency.” The teacher is accused of claiming on Facebook that a traffic policeman died after receiving his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. If found guilty, he will face a jail term of up to three years and/or a fine of up to RM100,000. [Malay Mail] This comes as the government adopts a harsher stance towards COVID-19 anti-vaxxers amidst widespread vaccine hesitancy. [Bernama 1] In almost every state, the country faces the problem of thousands of individuals not showing up for their vaccination appointments. [Bernama 2] [Bernama 3] Malaysia: Human rights groups confront government over police custodial deaths, clampdown on migrants (tcy) After the recent death of two inmates while in police custody, human rights advocacy groups such have called for inquests by the Coroner’s Court to verify the cause of death. They also urged the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia to examine possible human rights infringements in such cases after investigations were complete, and to provide recommendations to improve the situation in detention centers. According to authorities, the inmates’ deaths were a result of health issues which have been confirmed by the hospital. [Malay Mail] NGOs have also questioned the government’s crackdown on illegal immigrants during the latest movement control order (MCO), accusing the government of going against the principle of medical ethics to forcibly vaccinate people. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin previously said that the government had rounded up migrants to vaccinate them against COVID-19 because they would otherwise refuse to do so. [Malay Mail 1] The NGOs argued that the problem of vaccine hesitancy must be combated by providing accurate and scientific information that can be easily understood and widely accessible. [Malay Mail 2] Malaysia looking into hybrid session amidst growing calls for Parliament to reconvene (tcy) A Special Committee has been appointed to research on how the government might implement hybrid parliament sittings by drawing upon the experiences of legislative bodies in other countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia. [Bernama] [Malay Mail] The announcement comes amidst growing dissatisfaction over the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic [Malay Mail 1] [Malay Mail 2] and urgent calls for Parliament to reconvene to address COVID-19 related issues. [see AIR No. 22, June/2021, 1]. Parliament has not convened since December last year, after the King declared a nationwide state of Emergency on the advice of Muhyiddin, suspending Parliament at least until the Emergency ends on August 1. [see also AIR No. 21, May/2021, 4] However, some politicians have spoken out against reconvening Parliament. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said that the reopening of Parliament physically would be a cluster risk, and the reconvening of Parliament through online sittings would also come with its own set of “problems”, although lawyers and MPs have argued that it is simply a matter of political will. [Malay Mail 3] Dewan Rakyat (People’s Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament) Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun has also justified the suspension of Parliament as constitutional and legitimate. [The Star] This has drawn criticism from opposition politician DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng and UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who denounced the Speaker for failing to uphold the institution of Parliament and the democratic process. [Malay Mail 4] [Malay Mail 5] Amidst the escalating COVID-19 situation and growing calls for an end to the state of Emergency, senior political and royal household sources have also confirmed that the heads of Malaysia’s nine royal households are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting with political party leaders on June 16 to discuss the pandemic. [Malay Mail 6] [The Straits Times] Malaysia: Sarawak state election postponed (tcy) The Election Commission (EC) has confirmed that the Sarawak State Election originally scheduled to be held this year has been postponed in view of the state of Emergency declared since January 11 and effective until August 1. [Bernama 1] [Malay Mail] However, the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, whose term was scheduled to end on June 6, will continue to function until Aug 1 under the protection of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021. [Bernama 2] Myanmar: Demonstrations, defiance, as country marks four months since coup (lm) Pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets in towns across Myanmar on June 1 to denounce the country's military, marking four months since it overthrew elected leader Aug San Suu Kyi. Despite a bloody crackdown by security forces, the junta is still struggling to impose order amid protests and strikes, and fighting on multiple fronts in border regions as civilians take up arms against the junta. [Reuters 1] The same day, schools officially reopened across Myanmar for the first time since the coup, but turnout was low due to security concerns and a boycott over the junta's last month’s suspension of tens of thousands of teachers opposed to its rule [see AiR No. 21, May/2021, 4]. [Reuters 2] The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of Myanmar’s two dozen ethnic armed groups, the same day launched an artillery attack on an airport located in the northern state of Kachin, where fighting has intensified since the KIA seized control of a strategic hilltop base on the Chinese border in late March [see AiR No. 13, March/2021, 5. [The Irrawaddy 1] In the eastern state of Kayah, retaliatory shelling and air strikes against the Karenni People’s Defense Force (KPDF) – one of dozens of civilian defense forces to emerge since late March – forced residents to flee and join thousands of others displaced by recent fighting in the region [see AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1]. [Myanmar Now] [The Irrawaddy 2] The following day, fighting between security forces and a combined force of ethnic armed groups and a local People’s Defense Force (PDF) in the state of Karen left 32 junta troops dead. Fighting continued on June 3. [The Irrawaddy 3] At least 20 people were killed by security forces in the Ayeyarwady river delta region on June 5 after villagers armed with catapults and crossbows fought back against troops searching for weapons. It was some of the worst violence since the coup in the region, an important rice-growing area that has large populations of both the Bamar majority ethnic group, and the ethnic Karen minority. [South China Morning Post] Meanwhile, two journalists last week were sentenced to two years in prison for incitement and spreading false information. Since seizing power four months ago, the military junta has shut down several independent media outlets and arrested more than 80 journalists, at least 45 of which are currently imprisoned. [Radio Free Asia] [Reuters 3] [The Irrawaddy 4] Myanmar: Deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, four others, to face court next week ‘unrepresented’ (lm) Myanmar’s military junta will begin presenting its case against deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi in court on June 14, according to a member of her legal team, almost one month after she first appeared in person at a court hearing on May 23 [see AiR No. 21, May/2021, 4]. [Associated Press] Government prosecutors will have until June 28 to finish their presentation in the court in the country’s capital, Naypyitaw, where she is being tried on five charges, after which Suu Kyi’s defense team will have until July 26 to present its case. The decision was made after it was earlier revealed that Suu Kyi, initially under house arrest at her official residence in the capital, has been transferred from her home to an “unknown location”. [The Irrawaddy] [The Straits Times] She and her two co-defendants - ousted President Win Myint and former Naypyitaw Mayor Myo Aung - are charged with spreading information that could cause public alarm or unrest. Suu Kyi also faces two counts of violating the Natural Disaster Management Law for allegedly breaking COVID-19 pandemic restrictions during the 2020 election campaign; illegally importing walkie-talkies that were for her bodyguards’ use; and unlicensed use of the radios [see AiR No. 16, April/2021, 3]. A sixth charge that Suu Kyi faces is the most serious one: breaching the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a penalty of up to 14 years’ imprisonment [see AiR No. 14, April/2021, 1]. It has been handled separately from the other charges and recently transferred to the Union Supreme Court in Naypyitaw. Her legal defense team has voiced concern that Suu Kyi and four others, including her Australian economic adviser, had no legal representative listed in the case against them. [Reuters] Myanmar: To disband ousted NLD, junta to probe possible ‘violations’ of parties’ registration pledges (lm) Myanmar’s junta-appointed election commission has requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to review whether any of the country’s registered political parties has violated the rules stipulated in the Political Parties Registration Law. [The Irrawaddy] Observers believe the move to be an attempt by the junta to provide legal cover for dissolving the National League for Democracy (NLD) of ousted civil leader Aung San Suu Kyi. For the move comes after the chairman of the Union Election Commission last month said the NLD would soon be abolished for alleged voter fraught in last November’s election. He also threatened action against “traitors” involved [see AiR No. 21, May/2021, 4]. Philippines: Release of drug war police records does not threaten national security (lp) Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon confirmed that drug war police records do not involve national security, after President Rodrigo Duterte invoked it to justify that the government cannot release them. Moreover, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) criticized Duterte’s claim as a regression of the government’s alleged commitment to uphold human rights. [CNN] [Rappler] [Inquirer] Against this background, it is difficult to foresee what impact the funds would have set to be provided by the United Nations (UN) to help the Philippine government curb reported human rights violations during illegal drugs operations. [Manila Bulletin] The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) issued in October 2020 a resolution on technical cooperation and capacity-building for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines. [AiR No. 41, October/2020, 2] Meanwhile, more than 100 human rights organizations have issued an open letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmund and Secretary of Justice Guevarra Secretary voicing “profound and urgent concern” over the “gravity of [the human rights] situation,” and demanding that they – among others – “[s]top the killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, judicial harassment, threats and red-tagging against human rights defenders,” and “[c]onduct prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into the killings, arrests, detentions, searches and other forms of persecution of human rights defender.” [FIDH] Philippines: Anti-insurgency funds an extended election budget? (lp) The PDP-Laban party showed its support for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) when more than 100 national council members unanimously passed a resolution to support the retention of 16.4 million Philippine pesos at the party National Convention. In contrast, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon vowed to oppose next year’s budget of the NTF-ELCAC arguing it would be used in the interests of the dominant party during the election season. [Manila Bulletin] [Rappler] Philippines: ‘Communist’ rebels accused of landmine explosion, burning bus, and ambush (lp) The Philippine National Police (PNP) will probe the landmine explosion in Masbate, and the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) will also investigate the burning of a passenger bus in North Cotabato allegedly committed by members of the New People’s Army (NPA). Moreover, President Rodrigo Duterte condemned the attack on troops involved in a food aid mission in Quezon reportedly conducted by NPA members. What is more, Duterte emphasized that he will not engage in peaceful dialogue with NPA members until such attacks stop. [ABS-CBN] [Manila Bulletin] [GMA Network] NPA members were recently classified as ‘persona non grata’ through resolutions emitted by 84 percent of local government units (LGUs). [Manila Times] Thailand: Parliament passes budget bill at inaugural reading; bill examination committee begins vetting (pr/lm) Thailand’s Parliament on May 2 passed the first reading of a $ 99.7 billion budget bill for the 2022 fiscal year starting October 1, aimed at reviving an economy battered by a third wave of COVID-19 infections. After a three-day debate, the bill was passed with 269 votes in favor, 201 against and two abstentions. The bill has to pass second and third readings expected in August before being submitted to the Senate and the King for approval. [Reuters] The next hurdle the government faces is to pass the executive decree in parliament authorizing the Finance Ministry to borrow an additional $15.9 billion until September [see AiR No. 21, May/2021, 4]. Parliament is expected to vote on the decree on June 9 or 10. [Bangkok Post 1] The three-day debate commenced on May 31, one day after an opinion poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) showed that more than 50 percent of Thais were either dissatisfied or totally dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the crisis so far. The government appeared vulnerable after suffering a blow during the debate when it was revealed that the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) had recently taken delivery of three Chinese made amphibious tanks which had cost the country almost $13 million. The RTN later said the three tanks had been ordered as part of the budget for 2020 so the kingdom was committed to completing the procurement. [Bangkok Post 2] What is more, tension within the government coalition came to the fore when a lawmaker from the Bhumjaithai Party – the second largest party in the ruling coalition government – called on parliamentary party leader and current Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to walk away from the government after what appeared to be a $123 million cut in funding for his ministry. [Thai Examiner] After the bill sailed through its first reading, Finance Minister Arkom Termpittayapaisith was appointed chairman of a 72-member committee tasked with examining the budget bill for the 2022 fiscal year. The committee comprises of 18 cabinet members, 30 coalition party members, and 24 opposition members. It is expected to completes its work before August 5. An interesting incident was the selection of the 2nd vice-chairman, a post that is normally reserved for largest opposition party in parliament’s lower house – in this case Pheu Thai Party (PTP). But the ruling coalition nominated one of their lawmakers instead, causing discontent among committee members. Eventually, Deputy Labour Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat – a former government spokesperson and close confidant to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon - got the job and PTP’s secretary-general, Prasert Chanthararuangthong, was named 6th vice-chairman. [Bangkok Post 3] The PTP, meanwhile, announced that its committee members would look specifically into so-called classified funds allocated to ministries, large chunks of which are held by the Defence Ministry. According to Deputy Party Leader Yutthapong Charassathien, military-related agencies were allocated $15 million of classified funds. Other agencies and ministries such as Ministry of Education and Labor were also allocated $17.8 million of classified funds. [Bangkok Post 4] Thailand: Chief Government whip of coalition indicted on corruption charge (pr) The Office of the Attorney-General will indict Wirach Ratanasate, a key lawmaker for the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), in the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions for alleged graft. Wirach – the current chief government whip for the ruling government coalition in parliament’s lower house – is being accused of having siphoned money from an Education Ministry budget for school repairs to fund a futsal field project in his constituency, the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. If the apex court accepts the case, he will be suspended from his duties as a lawmaker. The case dates back to 2012, when Wirach was a lawmaker of the then ruling Pheu Thai Party. Two years later, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found irregularities in the project and launched an investigation. In 2019, then, the NACC indicted the lawmaker and others, who it suspected of interfering with budgetary matters, diverting funds meant for school repairs for the construction project, and meddling with the contract procurement process. This comes at a bad time for the government, considering that the vote on the budget bill for the next fiscal year is expected around August. If Wirach is suspended, not only does the coalition loses a vote, but the coordination between coalition parties might also be mired with problems. Thailand: A year on, Thai dissident still missing in Cambodia (pr/lm) One year after prominent Thai dissident Wanchalerm Satsaksit went missing in Phnom Penh, international human rights watchdogs have called on Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to conduct an independent inquiry into the case. [Al Jazeera] Wanchalerm is believed to have been abducted in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh in June of last year [see AiR No. 23, June/2020, 2]. Human rights groups believe his kidnapping was part of a pattern of politically motivated disappearances since 2016 of at least eight Thai pro-democracy activists living beyond its borders in neighboring countries. A criminal investigation into the disappearance of Wanchalearm has been formally under way in Cambodia since September 2020 but there has been little progress on the case, with authorities to the present telling his family, foreign diplomats, and United Nations agencies that nothing has been found. [AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4] Importantly, Cambodia has ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which requires governments to investigate reports of disappearance and take measures to protect the relatives of a disappeared person from intimidation. [Human Rights Watch] Thai authorities, in turn, have not energetically investigated the case, despite repeated promises to resolve Wanchalearm’s enforced disappearance. When relatives of Wanchalerm approached the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for a progress report on the investigations last week, they said that the status is “work in progress”. They also claimed that Thai authorities had to wait for the result of a Cambodian court investigation that has dragged on interminably. [Prachatai] In related news, a petition has been submitted to Parliament, calling on Parliament President Chuan Leekpai to expedite the passage of four bills outlawing torture and forced disappearances, proposed by opposition and government parties. [Bangkok Post] Thailand: Criminal Court summons caretakers of bailed protestor (pr) The Criminal Court has summoned the caretakers of prominent anti-government protestor Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak to warn them that it may revoke Parit’s bail if he is found to be violating his bail terms. [Thai PBS World] The summons of the caretakers comes after a complaint was filed against the protest leader for allegedly violating his bail terms in a social media post. Parit, along with fellow anti-government protester Chai-amorn Kaewwiboonpan, was granted bail on May 11 on a number of conditions, including not dishonor the monarchy or cause unrest [see AiR No. 20, May/2021, 3]. The caretakers stated that Parit was merely exercising his right of freedom of expression and did not violate the bail terms, but also promised to ensure that he will continue to comply with the court’s requirements. Thailand: Court orders internet service providers to remove accounts of eight individuals (pr) A court has instructed internet service providers to block or remove accounts of eight individuals alleged to have posted false information on websites and social media platforms. [Bangkok Post] Among the eight individuals included in the list to be banned is Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an outspoken professor at Kyoto University, living in exile in Japan. He’s been critical of the government and monarchy, and created The Royalist Marketplace, a Facebook page that was blocked after amassing over 1 million members [see AiR No. 8, February/2021, 4]. The replacement Facebook page Pavin created to freely discuss the Thai government and monarchy is also on the list. [The Thaiger] The move has been criticized by human rights observers, who call the court directive a “censorship order” that illustrates the government's disregard for international human rights standards. Thailand: Veteran opposition politician joints ruling party, committee vetting budget bill (pr) Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a member of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, has changed fronts and is now serving as member of the parliamentary committee scrutinizing the 2022 fiscal bill under the quota of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP). [see article in this edition] The move came as a surprise, for Ruangkrai – a former Senator under the 2007 Constitution – is known as a critic of the ruling government. He also served as a member of the committee vetting the previous budget bill. [Bangkok Post] Thailand: Supreme Court president appoints panel to investigate bribe claim (pr) Supreme Court President Methinee Chalothorn has appointed a four-member panel to look into allegations that several judges may have taken bribes linked to a tax dispute involving a Thai subsidiary of Japanese automaker Toyota [see AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1]. [Bangkok Post] The panel comprises of judges from the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court. It is the second panel tasked with investigating the matter, after the Thai Court of Justice last week also established a 10-member panel. Thailand: Court hands jail sentences to Myanmar journalists fleeing junta (lm) Three Myanmar journalists who illegally crossed into Thailand to flee a military crackdown have been fined and could face deportation, a member of their legal team said last week, warning the trio's lives will be in danger if they are sent home. [The Irrawaddy] The journalists were arrested along with two Myanmar activists in the northern city of Chiang Mai in May and charged with illegal entry [see AiR No. 20, May/2021, 3]. Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 refugee convention and its asylum law refers to “illegal foreigners” who can be arrested and deported at any time. A court on June 1 sentenced them to a one-year probation period and fined them $128 each. The court also said they will face seven months in prison if they were to commit the same offense again. By law, they can be deported within 72 hours after sentencing, but the legal team submitted an appeal letter later the same day, which stops immigration authorities from deporting them immediately. [France24] Thailand: Parliamentary committee approves fishery management plan (pr) The national committee on fisheries policy has approved the 2020-2022 fisheries management plan, as well as the second National Plan of Action, both of which seek to ensure the development of a more sustainable fisheries sector and to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The relevant agencies also informed the committee of the progress and measures taken to combat IUU fishing including the registration of fishing boats, granting of funds to affected fishermen, and extension of work permits for migrant workers in the sector. In 2015, the European Union issued a warning to Thailand that it was not sufficiently tackling IUU fishing. Since then, Thailand has updated its mechanisms to regulate fishing activities by improving fishing laws, introducing vessel monitoring and traceability systems, and strictly enforcing laws, which led the EU to delist Thailand from the group of “warned countries” in 2019. [AiR No. 21, May/2021, 4] International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia ![]() China’s dominance in rare earths to be broken, think tanks says (dql) According to a report of the London-based think tank Overseas Development Institute (ODI) China’s dominance in the rare earths sector “is likely to erode in the near term,” due to efforts in “the US and the European Union to expand their processing capacity and reduce their rare earth elements reliance on China,” which could lead to an intensified competition for access to the resources. China presently dominates the extraction and processing of rare earths, holding world’s largest share of rare earth element (36.7%), and a national production quota of 140,000 tons marking nearly 60% of the global production in 2020, way ahead of next two largest producers in the US (15.8%) and Myanmar (12.5%). [ODI] [South China Morning Post] For insights into recent US efforts to strengthen its rare earths supply, reflected in Presidential Executive Orders in late 2017 and in late 2020, see Ariel Cohen in [Forbes], who argues that in order to make up leeway on China “American policy makers must treat the security of rare earth supply chains in the same way that we once treated our crude oil and natural gas imports in the pre-shale era: a matter of vital national security.” US vows to tackle “unhealthy parts” of trade relationship with China (dql) US Trade Representative Katherine Tai expressed her dissatisfaction with the current US-China trade relationship, citing ‘unhealthy parts’ of it, which “have over time been damaging in some very important ways to the US economy,” adding that the US is committed to “bring balance back to the US-China trade relationship,” in terms of performance, opportunity and openness of both countries’ markets to each other. [South China Morning Post] Her remark comes shortly after China’s Vice Premier Liu He and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen spoke for the first time since President Joe Biden took office, with both confirming to have “frankly” discussed issues of concern. Neither side, however, disclosed further details on the conversation. [CNBC] In a latest development, Biden administration announced to set up a new “strike force” to combat China’s unfair trade practices and strengthen US supply chains. Led by the US trade representative, the “supply chain trade strike force” will identify specific violations that have contributed to a “hollowing out” of supply chains that could be addressed with trade remedies. Furthermore, the Department of Commerce is reportedly considering launching an investigation into the national security impact of neodymium magnet imports used in motors and other industrial applications, which the US largely sources from China. [Reuters] China-Canada relations: Trudeau calls on global community to press Beijing over human rights at Olympic games (dql) Amid already frosty relations between China and Canada, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on the global community to come together and use the 2022 Olympics in Beijing as occasion to address human rights abuses China is accused of. [Reuters] A harder stance was suggested by Canada’s largest opposition party which urged Trudeau to call for the 2022 Winter Olympics to be moved from Beijing at the G7 Summit this week. [CTV News]] Meanwhile, a group of politicians, spanning 11 countries and parliaments from countries across Europe and North America launched coordinated legislative actions, calling for a diplomatic boycott of the games on grounds of “gross violations of human rights” by the Chinese government and aiming to mount pressure on governments, elected officials and heads of state to decline Beijing’s invitation to the games. [South China Morning Post] Chinese illegal fishing in Argentina’s waters (dql) According to recent findings of Oceana, a Washington, DC.-based nonprofit ocean conservation organization, hundreds of boats have hidden their movements close to Argentinian waters in the past three years, raising speculations over illegal fishing in one of the world’s most lucrative fishing grounds. About 800 vessels, more than half of them Chinese, logged almost 900.000 hours of visible fishing activity via the Automatic Identification System (AIS) within 20 nautical miles of Argentina’s waters between January 2018 and April 2021. Over half of those boats “went dark” more than 6,200 times when their AIS was turned off for at least 24 hours. [Republic World] China-Russia relations: Sharp anti-US rhetoric in phone call between foreign ministers (dql) During a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on both countries to close ranks to fend off “perverse” US actions, including “form[ing] small groups under the guise of democracy, us[ing] human rights as an excuse to interfere in countries’ domestic politics, and exercise[ing] unilateralism under the banner of multilateralism.” Lavrov, for his part, reassured Russia’s commitment to “close strategic coordination with China on international and regional issues,” while “firmly support[ing] each other on issues concerning their core interests,” and “resolutely oppos[ing] hegemonism.” [South China Morning Post] [CCTV] The exchange between Wang and Lavrov comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled visit the US later his month for difficult talks with US President Joe Biden amid frosty US-Russian relations. For a discussion on the current status of the China-Russia-US triangle, see in Vu Le Thai Hoang and Huy Nguyen [The Diplomat] who argue that “[s]hould countries in the triangle manage to compete with restraint, to clash while accepting each other’s legitimate interests, and to fight for influence yet also facilitating cooperation for the common good, a new concert of powers might be in the works.” China-Indonesia relations: Joint Covid-19 vaccine production plan (dql) During a meeting on Saturday with the Indonesian president’s special envoy Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that Beijing plans to jointly produce Covid-19 vaccines with Jakarta, as part of a deepened Covid-19 cooperation between the two countries. The announcement comes as Indonesia seeks to step up its vaccination drive after a slow roll-out. The bulk of Indonesia’s 92.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines has so far come from China, while Indonesia was the first country outside China to authorize the Sinovac jab. During their meeting, Wang and Luhut also vowed to strengthen their cooperation on Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, in particular getting the Jakarta-Bandung high speed rail completed on schedule. [South China Morning Post] For a discussion of the latest developments of Indonesia “quietly warming up to China”, see Derek Grossman in [Foreign Policy] who argues that the US “will have to live with significantly improved Chinese-Indonesian ties since the Natuna Sea standoff,” complicating Washington’s efforts to counter Beijing in the Indo-Pacific. China hosts ASEAN foreign ministers (dql) As part of the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, China hosted this week a special China-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Chongqing. High on the agenda was the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, with Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia expressing disappointment over Myanmar failure to keep the “five-point consensus” agreed by ASEAN leaders at a special summit in April with de-facto leader Min Aung Hlaing. Other issues discussed during the meeting included the reopening of borders, even as several South-east Asian nations deal with a surge in Covid-19 infections, and the tensions in the South China Sea. [Straits Times] With reference to the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged to “reach the COC at an early date,” and reassured that China stands ready “to work with directly concerned parties of the South China Sea to increase dialogue and consultation, properly manage differences, and continuously enhance mutual trust.” According to the readout of the meeting released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Foreign ministers of ASEAN countries attributed peace in the region to “important and fruitful relations,” between China and ASEAN, and suggested to “maintain the momentum of COC consultations, and jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.” [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China] Japan-Russia relations: Putin willing to continue peace treaty talks amid tension over impounded Japanese fishing boat (dql) Speaking to heads of major international news agencies online during an international economic forum in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he is ready to continue negotiations on a peace treaty with Japan despite barriers emerging from an amendment of Russia’s constitution last year that banned ceding any part of its territory. Over 75 years after the end of World War II, Japan and Russia have still not concluded a peace treaty as the dispute over Russian-controlled islands claimed by Japan remains unresolved, with Japan maintaining that the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory and had been illegally occupied after the war. [TASS] Putin’s statement comes a day after Japan confirmed that it has lodged a protest with Moscow for its decision to impound a Japanese trawler and detain its crew in late May. Russian border authorities cited the vessel's intrusion into Russia’s exclusive economic zone as reason. [Mainichi] South Korea-US relations: US follows up on closer cooperation after May summit (nm) Two weeks after the much-anticipated May 21 Biden-Moon summit in Washington, the United States are reaffirming their commitment to strengthened relations with South Korea through a string of pledges. Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on NATO members to deepen their cooperation with South Korea, as well as with other partners in the region including Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. [Korea Times] Meanwhile, the US Pentagon also affirmed that US commitment to the defense of South Korea remains unaffected by the recent lifting of the Revised Missile Guidelines which had limited South Korean missile development since 1979, partly to avoid tensions with China and Russia. Some 28,500 troops that Washington still retains in South Korea are not affected by the lift. [Korea Herald 1] [Nikkei Asia] Furthermore, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong had also met with three visiting US lawmakers in order to discuss bilateral ties. [Korea Herald 2] South Korea-Japan relations: Seoul court rejects wartime forced labour lawsuit against Japanese companies (nm) A Seoul district court this week dismissed a compensation lawsuit filed by 85 victims of wartime forced labour against 16 Japanese companies. In its decision, the court referred to the 1965 Korea-Japan Settlements Claims Agreement which normalized ties between the two nations and covered victims’ rights to damages, saying proceeding with the case could breach international law as the settlement could not be exercised through lawsuits. This week’s decision came as a surprise as South Korea’s Supreme Court had ruled in a similar case in 2018 that the 1965 agreement did not terminate the victims’ right to seek reparation individually, leading to diplomatic tensions with Japan. In April, the same Seoul court had meted out a decision which similarly rejected a compensation lawsuit by 20 victims of wartime sexual forced labour against Japanese companies. [Nikkei Asia] [SCMP] [Korea Herald 1] After the ruling, South Korea’s foreign ministry announced it remains open to discussing solutions on the issue of wartime forced labour with Japan, taking into consideration the court rulings, victims’ rights, and Korea-Japan relations. [Korea Herald 2] The ruling comes amid strained relations between the two nations. Last week, the foreign ministry had called in a Japanese diplomat over an official map on the Tokyo Olympic website depicting the islands of Dokdo/Takeshima as part of Japanese territory. The conflict had led to some calling for a South Korean boycott of this year’s Olympics and further added to economic and historic tensions. [Korea Herald 3] North Korea: Investigations into UN sanctions violations (nm) According to reports, both the South Korean government and the United Nations are currently considering investigations into allegations that two oil tankers previously owned by South Korean companies were transferred to North Korea, in violation of UN sanctions. The allegations were raised in a report by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) which is part of the US-American think tank Center for Strategic & International Studies. A South Korean government official last week disclosed that the government and related agencies would examine the case more closely. Pursuant to UN Security Council resolutions, any member state is prohibited from the “direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer” of “any new or used vessels,” unless previous approval by the Security Council had been obtained. It yet remains to be seen if the South Korean companies knew that the tankers would ultimately end up in the North Korean fleet. [AMTI] [Korea Herald] According to a report by the news platform Radio Free Asia, a spokesperson of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs encouraged the submission of relevant information to the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee, saying that allegations brought to the attention of the committee would be investigated. Norway is currently chairing the committee. [Korea Times] Taiwan-US relations deepening: Trade talks and vaccine donation (dql) In a latest sign of deepening US-Taiwan relations, Washington is set to hold trade and investment talks with Taipei, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirming that the US is “engaged in conversations with Taiwan, or soon will be – on some kind of framework agreement [with Taiwan].” [Reuters] US Senators, meanwhile, have announced that the US will give Taiwan 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, as part of the country’s plan to share millions of jabs globally. Interestingly, the delegation arrived in Taipei on a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III freighter, rather than a private jet as is generally the case for senior US visitors. [Aljazeera] The announcement comes as Taiwan, so far hailed for its success in curbing the pandemic, sees itself in a worrisome situation, with over 11,000 cases and 260 deaths, more than 90% of them since mid-May, and less than 3% of its 23.5 million people vaccinated. [The Guardian] Pakistan seeks closer ties with China, Afghanistan to promote peace (ra) Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed his desire for increased cooperation with Afghanistan and China in order to achieve stability in Afghanistan and the region. Qureshi raised this during a meeting held as part of the fourth iteration of the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan foreign ministers’ dialogue mechanism. [Dawn] The forum was formed four years ago and has since emerged as the primary channel for Beijing to advance strategic dialogue, counter-terrorism security consultations, and cooperation dialogues among the three sides. The latest session was also attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Muhammad Haneef Atmar. The meeting comes against the backdrop of US President Joe Biden’s announcement to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan and Beijing’s offer to host peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The latter is widely seen as an attempt of China to put itself in a more active role in the region to prevent that the US withdrawal will lead to chaos in the country and the creation of a sanctuary for Islamist militants bordering to Xinjiang. [VoA] [The New Humanitarian] [The Print] For a comprehensive analysis of China’s views on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, please consider Yun Sun’s commentary on [War on The Rocks]. Prospect of Russian President Putin’s maiden Pakistan trip brighten after gas pipeline deal Russia and Pakistan on May 31 signed a protocol to amend a 2015 intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to launch the long-stalled construction of a gas pipeline in the South Asian country within 60 days from the date of signing for project implementation. As per IGA, the pipeline will connect Liquified Natural Gas terminals in the southern Pakistani port of Qasim with Lahore in the northeast, as a future flagship project for Pakistan-Russia economic relations. The project is estimated to cost around $2.25 billion. Although the two countries signed IGA on the pipeline project in 2015, it was not implemented due to United States’ and European sanctions against Russian state-owned conglomerate Rostec, as well as a dispute over pipeline transport fees. Since then, Moscow has routinely changed the structure of its stake – most recently this March – to avoid sanctions [see AiR No. 14, April/2021, 1]. The new protocol introduces recent changes to the project, agreed by the two countries, to reduce Russia's controlling stake in the project to 26 percent and pass operatorship into local hands. [TASS] Pakistan’s rating improves on over half of FATF recommendations (lm) The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, a regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), has retained Pakistan on "enhanced follow-up" status for sufficient outstanding requirements, while improving the country's rating on 21 of the 40 technical recommendations of the global watchdog against money laundering and terror financing. [The Hindu] Earlier this year, the FATF gave Pakistan time until June to implement the remaining three action items assigned to it to be removed from the watchdog’s list of Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring – often externally referred to as the ‘grey list’ [see AiR No. 8, February/2021, 4]. This was the second extension after Islamabad had failed to meet four previous deadlines. The FATF’s Plenary is expected to decide further course of action on Pakistan’s progress during its five-day Virtual Meeting between June 21 and 25 later this month. India hosting BRICS meeting (ad/dql) In its capacity as chair of BRICS, India last week hosted a virtual meeting attended by Brazil Foreign Minister Carlos Alberto Franco, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and South African Minister of International Relations Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor. High on the agenda was COVID-19 pandemic and ways to increase cooperation to combat the pandemic, with the ministers calling “for equitable” access to medicines, equipment and vaccines, following India and South Africa’s demand for vaccine intellectual property rights waiver. They also agreed on and reaffirmed the need to reform of the United Nations to create a comprehensive multilateral system, including an overhaul of the Security Council to secure an adequate representation of the developing countries in order to effectively respond to global challenges. In a thinly veiled criticism of the US and other Western countries, Wang accused “some developed countries” of ‘vaccine hoarding’ and an ‘domestic frost’ approach and urged the BRICS nations to stand against “unilateral acts under the banner of multilateralism” and attempts to establish hegemony “in the name of multilateralism”. [The Hindu] [Global Times] [South China Morning Post] Indian, Australian defense ministers review bilateral cooperation (ad) Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton held a telephonic conversation on June 1 to review the progress on various bilateral defense cooperation initiatives under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. [The Indian Express] During the phone conversation, the two ministers also reiterated their commitment to convene the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue at the earliest. In June of last year, India and Australia decided to upgrade the format – which brings together the foreign ministers and defense minister of both countries - from level of secretaries to that of ministers. In related news, the agriculture ministers of India and Australia met to ramp up farm trade between the two countries. In light of Australia facing issues in trade with China, both sides are looking “at a wide range of trade agreements”. While the countries had disagreements in the past, those issues are now being resolved. China’s increase in tariffs has led to Australia looking for alternative trading partners, specifically India. [Hindustan Times] Pakistan earns debt relief with four key donor countries (lm) Last week, negotiators reached an agreement on a “debt-for-nature” accord between Pakistan and the so-called Paris Club group of major creditor countries, comprising of Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. [Arab News] Pakistan owes nearly $11.54 billion to the four countries, including $1.42 billion to Germany, $175 million to Italy, $5 million to the UK, and $403 million to Canada. Under the arrangement, the donors will reduce Pakistan’s loan obligations in return for Islamabad investing its debt in climate-related activities. The move is considered as politically beneficial for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, which has identified debt relief and environment conservation as top policy priorities. US Deputy of State visits Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, amidst Chinese push (pr/ad/lm) United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman last week concluded an 11-day diplomatic tour that included stopovers in Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand, signaling that Washington is finally turning its diplomatic focus to Southeast Asia to counter a rising Chinese clout in the region. [Nikkei Asia] [The Diplomat] [U.S. Department of State] Sherman was the first senior State Department official in the administration of US President Biden to visit member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Both sides were scheduled to hold their first foreign ministers' encounter via videoconference on May 25. But US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was touring the Middle East at the time, canceled over technical difficulties after keeping his counterparts waiting. Many ASEAN officials viewed the technical glitch as a political slight, a sign Washington had not invested sufficient effort in planning for the meeting and was once again putting off the pivot to Asia by prioritizing other regions in the world—in this case, the Middle East. [Foreign Policy] Against this backdrop, commencing her three-nation tour, Sherman visited Indonesia on May 31 for talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. While in Jakarta, the US top diplomat also met with officials from the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives to discuss expanding and deepening the US-ASEAN strategic partnership. On June 1, then, Sherman travelled to Cambodia where she promised Prime Minister Hun Sen $11 million in COVID-19 aid. There were also discussions on future opportunities in the oil and gas sector for bilateral cooperation and investment in water and green energy. Another key topic was Cambodia’s debt settlement to the US. Prime Minister Hun Sen proposed a gradual repayment scheme as well as converting 70 percent of the debt into aid towards education and mine removal throughout Cambodia. [Agence Kampuchea Presse] Importantly, Sherman’s visit – the first by a US official of her rank or above in years – came against the larger backdrop of concerns by Washington about rapid construction of two buildings at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, just north of where United States-funded facilities were demolished by Phnom Penh last year. [see article in this edition] On June 2, then, Sherman met with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha in Bangkok, where she announced $30 million in coronavirus assistance to Thailand. The two also exchanged opinions on the situation in neighboring Myanmar, with Sherman saying she believed Bangkok and the ASEAN are taking constructive approaches to achieve peaceful solutions. [Thai News Agency] ASEAN envoys urge Myanmar junta to free prisoners, follow agreement (pr/lm) Diplomatic efforts to engage with Myanmar’s junta intensified over the past week, as officials from the Association of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) completed a visit to Myanmar on June 5 after two days of discussions with military leaders about implementing a regional "consensus".[South China Morning Post] [The Straits Times 1] ASEAN’s Rotating Chair, Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Pehin Yusof, and ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi arrived in Myanmar on June 3 for talks with junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Their visit was preceded by a visit to Myanmar by the head of the International Red Cross, who met with Aung Hlaing on June 3 to share concerns on "the use of force during security operations" and to make the case for better humanitarian access to conflict areas and for the resumption of Red Cross prison visits. [Reuters] On June 5, then, China’s ambassador met with the Myanmar general in Naypyitaw, a day before the special China-ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting to commemorate 30 years of relations between Beijing and the regional bloc. [The Irrawaddy] [see article in this edition] The trip of the two ASEAN representatives came more than five weeks after the blocs’ leaders had concluded a “five-point consensus” in April to end violence; promote dialogue; deliver aid; appoint a special envoy; and send a delegation headed by the envoy to Myanmar to meet “with all parties concerned” [see AiR No. 17, April/2021, 4]. But the Min Aung Hlaing said later that Myanmar was not ready to adopt the plan. Further, the special envoy has yet to be appointed amid divisions within ASEAN over the best person or people for the job, the envoy’s mandate and the length of the envoy’s term. Against this backdrop, one day before the officials embarked on their trip, Indonesia on June 2 called on the bloc to immediately name an envoy. But Jakarta, which initially favored a single envoy to lead a task force, is at loggerheads with Thailand, whose military is said to have close ties to neighboring Myanmar [see AiR No. 20, May/2021, 3] and has pushed for a “friends of the chair” body of multiple representatives. [The Straits Times 2] In the latest indication of Bangkok’s approach towards Myanmar, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said that it believed “that quiet and discreet diplomacy between neighbors would be more effective and in line with traditional Thai diplomacy”. [The Straits Times 3] The compromise supported by most ASEAN states is for three envoys, likely made up of representatives from Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei. A “concept paper” released by Brunei to the bloc’s members last month proposed the envoys only hold the position for the rest of the year, when it would be reviewed by the next chair of ASEAN, due to be Cambodia. ASEAN’s divisions also underpinned its rejection of a draft UN resolution to impose an arms embargo on Myanmar last week. Several ASEAN nations were comfortable with a weapons freeze being included in the non-binding resolution, they said, but resistance led by Thailand and Singapore ensured ASEAN requested the clause be removed. [AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1] European Union to impose new sanctions on Myanmar junta, companies (lm) The European Union will impose a new round of sanctions on Myanmar’s military junta and its economic interests, the third batch introduced since the military ousted the democratically-elected government in February. The move was announced by the High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, who was in Indonesia on June 3 to meet with envoys from countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). [Reuters] Since the coup, EU sanctions have frozen assets or applied travel bans on 21 military and civilian members of Myanmar's junta. The bloc's last round of sanctions in April targeted military-controlled conglomerates Myanma Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), barring EU investors and banks from doing business with them [see AiR No. 13, March/2021, 5]. During three separate auctions in late May, meanwhile, the Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE) - a state-run entity which controls all timber sales across Myanmar – sold over 10,200 tons of timber for around $5 million, with industry insiders saying the income was low due to limited competition in the bidding. The international Environmental Investigation Agency reported last month that the junta is seeking “to line its pockets” by selling off thousands of tons of illegal timber, including some 200,000 tons seized under the ousted government [see AiR No. 22, June/2021, 1]. [The Irrawaddy] United States flags ‘serious concerns’ over Cambodia’s China-backed navy base (lm) In a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on June 1, United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman expressed concerns about the presence of the Chinese military in the Southeast Asian nation, urging Cambodia’s leadership to "maintain an independent and balanced foreign policy". [Reuters] Sherman’s visit – the first by a senior US official to Phnom Penh in years – coincided with a column from Cambodia’s state-owned news agency highlighted on social media by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Indicating a desire by Phnom Penh to shift out of the shadow of Chinese patronage and pursue a closer relationship with Washington, it said it was “time for the US and Cambodia, in China’s shadow, to reset ties”. [The Sydney Morning Herald] During the meeting, Sherman specifically sought clarification about rapid construction of two buildings at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, just north of where United States-funded facilities were demolished by Phnom Penh last year. At the time, Cambodia said it had razed the building to allow for further expansion and would relocate the demolished facility, denying reports of Chinese involvement [see No. 45, November/2020, 2]. Ream faces the Gulf of Thailand that lies adjacent to the South China Sea, where China has aggressively asserted its claim to virtually the entire strategic waterway. Washington has refused to recognize Beijing’s sweeping claims, and the Navy’s 7th Fleet routinely sails past Chinese-held islands in what it terms freedom of navigation operations. After the meeting, Cambodia authorized the visit of US military attaches to the naval base, as requested by Sherman. Prime Minister Hun Sen, who agreed to the visit, also suggested that the officials should be accompanied by journalists to clear the doubt of alleged government plans for hosting Chinese military assets and personnel. [Khmer Times] The inspection may also provide an opportunity for Cambodia to verify that the Ream Naval Base maintains its neutrality, if it wants to benefit from US assistance under a $2.3 trillion COVID-19 stimulus relief and omnibus spending bill, which then US President Donald Trump signed into law last December. [AiR No. 52, December/2020, 5]. However, the US embassy in Phnom Penh has not confirmed when its officials would visit the naval base. On June 2, then, Cambodia’s Defense Minister Tea Banh said that his country had reached out to China to request help with modernizing and expanding Ream Naval Base, adding that China would not be the only country given access to the facility. [Channel NewsAsia] Singapore reaffirms cooperation with Indonesia and Malaysia (tcy) In a phone call on June 3, defence ministers of Singapore and Indonesia reaffirmed the close and longstanding bilateral defence relationship between the two countries, exchanging views on regional security challenges and ways to strengthen cooperation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic on areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as maritime security. [The Straits Times] Two days earlier, Singapore’s defence minister also touched bases with his Malaysian counterpart, and both leaders expressed their commitments for the Singapore and Malaysian Armed Forces to continue working closely in spite of the challenges brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic. [Bernama] France pledges almost $150 million to Cambodia until 2026 (ad) France has pledged to provide up $146 million in concessional loans per year until 2026 to support development in Cambodia. The promise was made at the fourth iteration of the Cambodia-France Consultation Meeting held via video conference on June 1. France is one of Cambodia’s most important partners, providing Cambodia with numerous grants for technical and financial support. In the past three years, Paris has provided Phnom Penh with more than $293 million through its Agence Française de Développement (AFD) for “clean water, education and capacity building, rural infrastructure rehabilitation, agricultural development, climate change mitigation, and post-COVID-19 tourism recovery projects”. [Agence Kampuchea Press] Last month, the AFD announced it would provide $1.82 million to the Mekong River Commission to improve and expand its monitoring program along the mainstream and key tributaries of the Mekong river. [AiR No. 20, May/2021, 3] Two US airbases shortlisted to host Singapore military aircrafts (tcy) The United States and Singapore have selected Ebbing Air National Guard Base as the preferred location to host the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) F-35B fighter training detachment. The decision is set to be finalised in 2023, and also includes the RSAF to relocate its F-16 fighter training detachment at Luke Air Force Base to Fort Smith. [The Straits Times] Currently, the RSAF has two other training detachments in the US and both countries also regularly conduct military-to-military exchanges, training, and cooperation on defence technology. EU and WHO partner together to support Cambodia’s health system (ad) The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have announced joint support for Cambodia, specifically towards the country’s health care system. The aid looks to improve Cambodia’s preparedness and response to future health threats and comes in line with EU-WHO’s regional health program for ASEAN states. [Agence Kampuchea Presse] A total of $3.5 million is being invested into this project, which is spanning over three years. The EU delegation to Cambodia stated that the support comes out of solidarity and that collective action is needed in the current COVID-19 crisis. Cambodian Health Minister responded that this solidarity was much needed by Cambodia to battle against COVID-19. [Phnom Penh Post] Cambodia and Switzerland cooperate on Mekong Region Cooperation Programme (ad) Last week, the Cambodian-Swiss Governmental Consultation was organized to oversee the Swiss Mekong Region Cooperation Programme 2022-2025, where representatives from Cambodia and Switzerland met to discuss progress on preserving the Mekong River. The discussion was predominantly focused on governance and economic development. They also exchanged inputs on climate change impacts and better natural resource management. The Swiss government is set to grant $13 million per year between 2022 and 2025. Since 2002, Swiss government has given grants worth $142 million to Cambodia for its development. [Agence Kampuchea Presse] Announcements ![]() Upcoming Online Events 10/11 June 2021 @ 8:00-11:30 a.m. (GMT+7), CPG, Thailand ASEAN at the Crossroads: Fostering Collective Strengths for Addressing Regional Issues This webinar, jointly cohosted by CPG, Stimson, the Mekong Environment Forum and the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, brings together experts and diplomats, representatives from think tanks, and local practitioners to dialogue on the recent developments in the Mekong region and in the South China Sea. For more information about event, see [CPG]
9 June 2021 @ 2:00 p.m. (GMT+2), European Council on Foreign Relations, Germany Crisis of European confidence: How Europeans see their place in the world Building on new public opinion polling, this webinar seeks to disentangle the public mood in the EU ahead of US President Biden’s first visit to Europe for the G7 and EU-US summit. Can the union regain public confidence through its international role? Prior registration is required. If you are interested in joining the panel, please visit [ECFR].
9 June 2021 @ 4:00 p.m. (GMT+2), Egmont Institute, Belgium 20 ans après le 11-Septembre, la fin de la guerre contre le terrorisme? This webinar takes a closer look at the past 20 years after 09/11, asking: What have been the phases the war on terror has gone through since and what are the lessons to be learned? Please note that the event will be held in French only. For more information and mandatory registration before June 7, see [Egmont Institute].
9 June 2021 @ 4:00 p.m. (GMT+2), Clingendael, the Netherlands The Prospects of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans | Energising enlargement? This webinar seeks to explore how the EU’s Green Agenda for the Western Balkans can be beneficial to European climate objectives while also furthering Western Balkan accession prospects. The event will introduce a new policy brief. Details are accessible under [Clingendael].
9 June 2021 @ 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (GMT-4), Center for Strategic and International Studies, USA Explaining the Drop in Global FDI Join this expert panel to learn about recent trends of declining foreign direct investment (FDI) flows worldwide and how state interventions taken since November 2008 are likely to affect global commerce. More information available at [CSIS].
10 June 2021 @ 10:00 - 11:15 a.m. (GMT-4), Center for Strategic and International Studies, USA Reinvigorating Global Commitments to Children Living with HIV This online event launches a new report of the Center for Strategic and International Studies assessing options for strengthening the global community’s commitment to improving services and support for children living with HIV in the Covid-19 era. Find more about the report launch at [CSIS].
11 June 2021 @ 4:00 p.m. (GMT+2), European Council on Foreign Relations, Germany What to expect from the Putin-Biden summit? This webinar invites for a discussion on the upcoming US – Russia summit, evaluating the longer-term perspective on the relationship between the two countries and the way relations have changed over the past decades. Registration is required. For more information, please visit [ECFR].
11 June 2021 @ 10:00 a.m. - 11:15 p.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore Malay Leadership in Pakatan Harapan This webinar will analyze the challenges facing Pakatan Harapan’s Malay leadership and explore whether there are any alternative leaders, should the current crop of Malay leaders remain unable to convince voters. Last, it will ask whether Malaysian politics can finally move beyond personalities. More about the event is provided at [ISEAS].
14 June 2021 @ 8:00 - 10:30 p.m. (GMT-4), Center for Strategic and International Studies, USA Oceans of Opportunity: Southeast Asia’s Shared Maritime Challenges, Session Two Part of the “Oceans of Opportunity: Southeast Asia’s Shared Maritime Challenges,” of series of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, this online panel will bring together experts to discuss combatting plastic pollution and preserving the law of the sea. For further information about the event, see [CSIS].
14 June 2021 @ 2:00 p.m. (GMT+1), International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK China’s Digital Silk Road: integration into national IT infrastructure and wider implications for Western defence industries This online panel will discuss the implications of China’s Digital Silk Road for Western defence industry pertaining the countries Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Poland. Of particular interest are the following questions: What risks does the possibility of a bifurcated global digital ecosystem pose for the national and industrial security of key Asian, European and Middle Eastern states and economies? To what extent does the integration of Chinese information technology and digital infrastructure create challenges for alliance intelligence and defence cooperation? What level of integration should be considered significant and how might security-cooperation efforts (e.g. Western arms exports) be affected? Further event details, available at [IISS].
15 June 2021 @ 4:00 - 5:15 p.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore Frontier finance: The role of microfinance in debt and violence in post-conflict Timor-Leste This online presentation will introduce to the roll out of microfinance in Timor-Leste during the Indonesian Occupation (1978-1998), and its consolidation during the post-conflict period (1999-2015). Taking a feminist political economy approach, it will reveal how microfinance engendered debt allows for the control, extraction, and accumulation of profits and resources by an elite class and exacerbates gender-based violence. If you are interested in this event, see [ISEAS] for more details.
15 June 2021 @ 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. (GMT-4), Center for Strategic and International Studies, USA Are China’s Doors Still Open? The View from Europe Join this online conversation with Joerg Wuttke, president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, chief representative of BASF China and one of the world’s savviest analysts of China, to learn about EU Chamber’s latest business confidence survey and to find answers on the question: “How are European companies reacting to China’s intensive high-tech drive and growing tensions between China and the US, the EU and others? You can access more information via [CSIS].
15 June 2021 @ 10:00 a.m. (GMT+2), Egmont Institute, Belgium EU Migration and Asylum Policy: A Fresh Start? Considering the EU’S New Pact on Migration presented in September 2020 and its aim to overcome the deadlock caused by divisions among member states on a shared migration policy, this event will take stock of the ongoing negotiations on the New Pact’s proposals and offer the possibility to discuss initiatives that might shape the future of European asylum and migration policy. Please visit [Egmont Institute] for more information.
15 June 2021 @ 7:00 a.m. (GMT-5), Asia Society, United States A Conversation With Kurt Campbell, White House Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific This moderated discussion aims to give a deeper insight into the Biden administration’s goals and strategies in the Indo-Pacific, a region that recently experienced renewed attention in global as well as American politics. If you are interested in joining the event, please visit [Asia Society].
15 June 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. (GMT+2), German Institute for Global and Area Studies, Germany Japan’s Geoeconomic Strategy in the Indo-Pacific As part of the Franco-German Observatory of the Indo-Pacific series, this event invites Prof. Saori Katada to discuss her newest book and to present her vision of the region in relation to Japan. For more information, please visit [GIGA].
16 June 2021 @ 5:00 p.m. (GMT+9), Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan Challenges of Pacific island countries and Perspectives for strengthening partnership with Japan In the lead-up to the 9th Pacific Island Leaders Summit organized by Japan, this event invites small island countries in the Pacific to share their view on the variety of challenges they face, including environmental and socio-economic issues, and their partnerships with Japan. If you wish to learn more about the event, please visit [SPF].
16 June 2021 @ 2:00 p.m. (GMT+1), International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK The United States − keeping the defence innovation edge? This webinar will expose the United States’ capacity to innovate and successfully integrate new technologies into its military to the challenges posed by China. Despite bringing to bear the world’s top defence budget and research and technology sectors, the US Department of Defense faces many challenges to keep its innovation edge. If you are interested in joining the event, please visit [IISS].
17/18 June 2021 @ 11:30 a.m. (GMT+2), Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, Germany The Individual in International Law In this virtual workshop, participants are encouraged to actively discuss the draft papers of the book project The Individual in International Law – History and Theory, focussing in particular on the history of law, history of ideas, jurisprudence and legal theory, as well as critical approaches to international law. If you are interested in joining the discussion, please visit [MPIL] for more information and how to register.
18 June 2021 @ 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. (GMT+8), East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore The World After Coronavirus In this online lecture, Prof. Dr. Ian Goldin will demonstrate how the crisis has accelerated trends, including in the shift of the global economic centre of gravity to Asia and the increasing digitalisation and automation of economies. He will explore how this crisis can create opportunities for change, just as the Second World War had forged the ideas behind the creation of the welfare state, United Nations and new international institutions which laid the foundations for social and economic reforms, and changing the world for the better. Find more about the event at [NUS].
Recent book releases Niall Ferguson, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe, Penguin Press, 496 pages, May 4, 2021, reviewed in [The Guardian]. Tim Jackson, Post Growth: Life after Capitalism, Polity, 256 pages, June 9, 2021, with a review in [The Guardian]. Carol D. Leonnig, Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service, Random House, 560 pages, May 18, 2021, reviewed in [New York Times].
Calls The Social Science & Humanities Research Association (SSHRA) invites paper proposals for its 10th Singapore – International Conference on Social Science & Humanities, to be held on March 23-24, 2022. Deadline for submission is July, 15, 2021. For more information, see [SSHRA]. The International Institute of Social History and the University of Gothenburg invite paper and session proposal for the 4th European Social Science History Conference on April 12-15, 2023. Closing date for submission is April 15, 2022. Further details about the call are provided at [Ioha].
Jobs & positionsThe International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance is hiring a Senior Programme Officer - Elections (Sudan). Deadline for application is June 15, 2021. For more information, see [UN Jobs]. The International Committee of the Red Cross is offering the position of an Armed Forces and Non-State Armed Groups Delegate. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Further details are provided at [ICRC]. The Center for Strategic & International Studies is seeking a Fellow/Senior Fellow and Deputy Director for its Korea Chair. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, see [CSIS]. The Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and the Economic Growth Center at Yale University are seeking applications for a Postdoctoral Associate in international development for the 2021-22 academic year. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. If you are interested, find details of the vacancy at [Yale University]. 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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