Grasp the pattern, read the trend
No. 17, April/2022, 4
Brought to you by CPG
Dear Readers,
The AiR team is pleased to present you the Asia in Review issue of the week.
I wish you an informative read and I extend special greetings to everyone who celebrates Sierra Leone’s and Togo’s Independence Day, the Netherlands’ King’s Day, and South Africa’s Freedom Day in this week.
With best regards,
Henning Glaser
Editor in Chief
Webpage: www.cpg-online.de, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPGTU
Main Sections
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in East Asia
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in South Asia
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in Southeast Asia
International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia
Announcements
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in East Asia
China: Xi Jinping on track for third term as party chief
(dql) The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) regional congress of the southern autonomous region Guangxi unanimously elected on April 22 President Xi Jinping as a delegate for the 20th CCP national congress to be held later in October.
At the Congress the delegates will vote on the party’s top policymaking body, the Central Committee whose 200 or so members will then elect the party’s General Secretary and the members of the Politburo and its Standing Committee, as well as the Central Military Commission.
Xi’s election at the Guangxi regional congress is widely seen as strongly indicating that Xi is close to securing a third term as party chief. Xi is also chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission.
Furthermore, Xi’s decision to be delegate of Guangxi is of a high symbolic nature. Among China’s poorest provinces in 2017, Guangxi declared in November 2020 that it lifted all of its 54 poverty-stricken counties out of poverty. Guangxi has since become the symbol of China’s successful poverty eradication policies under Xi. The region is also home to the China’s largest ethnic minority population, the Zhuang people, a Tai-speaking ethnic group which accounts for more than 30 percent of Guangxi’s population.
Five years ago, Xi was the delegate for Guizhou for the 19th Party National Congress. [Xinhua] [South China Morning Post] [The Hindustan Times]
Meanwhile, in an unprecedented move, the CCP is soliciting opinions and comments from the population on a range of issues for the party congress, including “full and strict party governance, high quality development, comprehensive reform and opening up, [and] whole-process people’s democracy” as well as “law-based state governance, socialist cultural advancement, people’s livelihoods and ecological progress”. Citizens can submit their ideas and suggestions until May 16. [South China Morning Post 2]
China: ILO conventions on forced labor ratified
(dql) China’s National People’s Congress, the country’s legislature, has ratified two International Labour Organization (ILO) treaties on forced labour, namely the Convention Concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, 1930 (No.29) and the Convention concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour, 1957 (No. 105).
The ratification comes ahead of the visit of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s visit to China scheduled for next month. It also comes from continued western accusations against China of human rights violations, latest made in Report on China in the “2021 Human Rights and Democracy in the World” annual report of the European Union which concludes that “2021 witnessed a further worsening of the human rights situation in China”. [South China Morning Post] [DW] [EEAS]
The ratification of the conventions is seen by observers of Sino-European relations as an effort by China to reach out to the European Union (EU) amid a protracted impasse in the talks on the ratification of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) due to tit-for-tat sanctions between Brussels and Beijing. [AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4, AiR No. 13, March/2021, 5]
The ILO welcomed China’s move, expecting it to “create renewed momentum and further efforts by the government and the social partners in China to support human-centred development and decent work” in the world’s second largest economy. [ILO]
China: Hong Kong opposition activist sentenced to over three years in prison
(dql) Tam Tak-chi, Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and former vice-chair of People Power, a radical democratic political party in the former British colony, has been sentenced to 40 months in jail on April 20, in the first sedition trial since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Tam was arrested in September 2020 for “inciting hatred, contempt against the government and causing discontent and dissatisfaction among the Hong Kong people” and “uttering seditious words” at anti-government protests that he had joined two months before. In March, he was found guilty of 11 charges, including disorderly conduct, uttering seditious words, and convening an unauthorized assembly under Hong Kong’s colonial-era sedition law.
The law has recently been revived, alongside the 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law, to prosecute activists, journalists, and opposition politicians accused of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign organizations to endanger national security. [Hong Kong Free Press] [Aljazeera]
China: Hong Kong leadership candidate’s YouTube account deleted
(jw) Hong Kong’s former chief secretary and current chief executive candidate John Lee will not be able to campaign on YouTube anymore after the platform deleted his channel. To justify the decision, YouTube cited US sanctions that were imposed on Lee as punishment for assuming a role in pushing through the national security law that is said to limit the freedom in Hong Kong.
Lee’s usage of Facebook and Instagram has also been restricted by the company Meta, that allows Lee to have a presence on the platforms but bars him from using their advertising tools.
Lee, who is the only candidate poised to be selected by a committee of industry representatives and lawmakers on May 8, called the sanctions “unreasonable” and “acts of bullying” but stated that YouTube’s move to delete his account will not affect his campaign despite his disappointment. The Chinese foreign ministry also criticized the move arguing that it “exposed the US' ill-intentioned political motives of using various excuses to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, sabotage the six-term Chief Executive election by playing out the double standards, and damage freedom of speech." [CNBC] [CNN] [Global Times]
China: Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club halts press freedom award
(dql) Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) has announced that is has suspended its annual Human Rights Press Awards, citing “significant areas of uncertainty,” and the wish not to “unintentionally to violate the law,” in an apparent reference to potential risks journalists are exposed to when working in Hong Kong.
Shelving the awards, which have been granted for over a quarter of a century and are among the most recognized awards in Asia, is the latest setback to media and press freedoms in the former British colony since the introduction of the Hong Kong national security law in 2020. [Reuters]
China: New destroyers of PLA Navy out into service as PLA Navy celebrates founding anniversary
(dql) China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) celebrated the 73rd anniversary of its founding in the past weekend with announcements of half a dozen powerful warships and two types of advanced vessel-based helicopters being commissioned. The announcements are indicative of the rapid advancement of the Navy's modernization as part of China’s plans to build up a world-class military by the middle of the century.
Days earlier, the PLA Navy released video footage of landings and island-control exercises of ZTD-05 amphibious assault vehicles involving marines and airborne troops in the Eastern and Southern theatre commands.
Among the warships newly put into service are three semi-stealthy Type 055 destroyers last week, marking another step forward in China’s efforts to build up a blue water navy. The Type 055 – a multirole warship, equipped with weapons to counter missiles, ships and submarines and the country’s most advanced integrated electric propulsion system that enables them to travel up to 10,000 nautical miles without refueling, is said to be second in power only to the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class stealth ship. China plans to have eight of them in service in a first batch. [Global Times] [South China Morning Post 1] [South China Morning Post 2] [The National Interest]
In a related development, video footage was circulated on social media showing a missile that looks like the YJ-21 hypersonic missile being launched from a Type 055. According to Chinese sources, the missile has a range between 1,000 to 1,500km and is capable of hitting a whole carrier strike group. [South China Morning Post 3] [The Drive]
Japan: Supplementary budgets in the face of rising living costs
(cm) Japan’s ruling coalition announced that a supplementary budget will be provided to lower-income households and small firms amid inflationary pressure. The relief measures will include a one-off JPY 50,000 (USD 30) cash pay-out per child to low-income families with children, further subsidies to fuel wholesalers and financial assistance to strugglinf smaller firms and livestock farms. The extra budget is estimated to be about JPY 2.9 trillion (USD 19.5 billion) and a budget plan is expected to be submitted to parliament in late May. [Japan Today]
Japan: Legal framework for carbon storage in the works
(cm) Japan’s Industry Ministry announced the government’s plan to establish a legal framework for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in order to allow companies to store carbon dioxide underground or under the seabed, to be started by 2030 as to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The CO2 storage is estimated to reach 120-140 million tonnes in 2050 and a long-term project for CCS is supposed to be laid out by the end of this year.
The legal framework is intended to improve predictability for companies, and a draft bill to establish a right to store CO2 in Japan and limit liabilities for operators in the event of a leak or other incidents will be submitted to the Diet by 2023. [WTVB]
Japan: Ruling party proposes increase in defense spending
(cm) On April 21 Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) called for an increase in the country’s defense spending over the next five years to two percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), nearly doubling the current spending, a target envisioned by North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries, as well. This will be included in a draft proposal for the revision of the National Security Strategy, which will also include the controversial project of an enemy strike base capability to counter missile threats, amid concerns of a stray from the national defense-oriented policy.
The proposal comes at a time of increased military activity by both Russia and China, with worries aggravated by the recent attack in Ukraine which could potentially have repercussions in the Indo-Pacific region, and North Korea’s nuclear threat and repeated missile test launches, culminating with that of an intercontinental ballistic missile last month.
Last week only, six Russian ships travelling through the Tsushima Strait in southwestern Japan, were spotted and a Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel was seen sailing from the East China Sea to the Pacific after passing near Amami-Oshima Island. [The Mainichi] [Kyodo News]
A boost in the country’s defense capability was pledged by Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi during a visit to the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on April 23, while simultaneously improving the alliance’s deterrence and response capability, with a focus on containing moves from China and Russia. [Reuters]
North Korean Cabinet gathered to evaluate the country’s economic performance
(mpk) According to reports of the North Korean state media, a Cabinet meeting was held last week at which Vice Premier Pak Jong-gun presented an analysis of the country's economic weaknesses and flaws that dragged down the country’s performance for the first quarter of the year. [Yonhap News Agency]
North Korea issues quasi-wartime emergency orders
(mpk) The North Korean State Security Ministry has reportedly handed down emergency orders to its regional branches which correspond to a quasi state of war.
The orders come amidst the US-South Korean Combined Command Post Training that began on April 18, and focus monitoring ideologically suspicious individuals.
Among others, instructions require the ministry’s personnel to “[f]ind and arrest all enemy spies and impure and hostile elements that could discover our secrets and disrupt rear area operations.” They are also ordered to “[h]ave local strategic military bases and other units in particular areas of responsibility and use all informants to select people who frequent the area and ferret out people collaborating with enemy spies.” Furthermore, they shall have “informants and mass surveillance networks keep an eye on anything unusual in regions, points or places where spies could enter, escape or parachute in.” [Daily NK]
South Korea: Controversial prosecution reform compromise falls apart
(mpk) South Korea’s main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has announced its decision to withdraw from a compromise on the controversial bill on the reform of the country’s prosecution system which it had agreed on with the ruling Democratic Party (DP) only last week after a month-long controversy about the reform whose center piece is to completely deprive the prosecution of its investigative power.
Indicating President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s power within the PPP, the decision came after Yoon, who had so far been silent on the dispute, expressed his opposition to the compromise bill, stressing that “no politics can prevail over the people,” in a thinly veiled criticism of the bill as a political means in the hands of the DP. [Korea Joong Ang Daily]
Launched by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug of the DP, last week’s compromise bill outlined a separation of the prosecution’s powers of investigation and indictment, suggesting that the prosecution retains its investigative power for the time being on a reduction of the number of crimes’ categories, namely corruption and economic crimes among the current six types. Excluded are crimes committed by public officials, election crimes, defense industry crimes and those related to catastrophies. The bill, furthermore, foresees to scrap the prosecution’s investigative power once the capacities of other investigative bodies improve, calling for the set up of special judiciary reform committee to discuss the establishment of a major crime investigative unit comparable to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. [The Korea Times 1] [The Korea Herald]
In protest, Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo, along with his deputy and chiefs of all six high prosecutors’ offices in the country tendered their resignation en masse on the same day, while rank-and-file prosecutors also rejected the bill. Kim cited the unprecedented move of the country’s top prosecutors showed that the bill would merely postpone the DK’s genuine plan to deprive the prosecution of its investigative power. [The Korea Times 2]
Since its defeat in the presidential election last month [see AiR No. 11, March/2022, 3], the DP has been aggressively pushing for quick approval of the reform bill in parliament, seen by observers as an attempt to strip the prosecution of investigative powers before President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol of the PPP will be sworn in on May 10, so as to prevent anticipated probes into allegations involving the party’s presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, as well as President Moon Jae-in and his close aides. Yoon, who had served as Prosecutor General, promised during his election campaign that he would grant more authority and power to the prosecution [see AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3].
South Korea: Main opposition party chief to face disciplinary action
(mpk) The main opposition People Power Party’s (PPP’s) ethics committee has announced that it is discussing to take disciplinary actions against party leader Lee Jun-seok.
The announcement comes as Lee is facing allegations of pressuring the man, who been accusing him of receiving sexual favors from a businessperson back in 2013, to issue a statement saying that the allegations were wrong. [Yonhap News Agency]
South Korea: Confirmation hearing of prime minister nominee boycotted
(mpk) Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the minor Justice Party have stayed away from the confirmation hearing on April 25 and 26 of Han Duck-soo, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s nominee as prime minister in the new cabinet that will take office on May 9.
The legislators cited for the boycott Han’s failure to submit requested data related to accusations of conflicts of interest in the context of his home rental in the 1990s as well as the high salary the law firm Kim & Chang had paid him as advisor from November 2002 to July 2003. On both issues, Han was supposed to be grilled in the hearing.
In South Korea’s political system, the post of the prime minister is the only one within the Cabinet that needs approval by the parliament. [Yonhap News Agency] [The Korea Herald]
South Korea: International Labor Organization conventions take effect
(mpk) Three International Labour Conventions have entered into force on April 20 in South Korea, more than year after their ratification in February 2021 [see AiR No. 9, March/2021, 1]
The conventions include Convention No. 29 on the prohibition of forced labor, Convention No. 87 on freedom of association and protection of the right to organize, and Convention No. 98 on the right to organize and collective bargaining.
Still, South Korean labor activists demand further amendment of existing labor laws to reduce the disparity between them and the standards set in the conventions. [Yonhap News Agency]
South Korea: Bus driver strike averted
(dql) A general strike of the Seoul Bus Union planned for April 26 was called off following a last-minute agreement between the union and bus companies was hours before almost 20.000 bus drivers were supposed to go on strike.
In the agreement both sides agreed on a wage increase of 5 percent. [The Korea Herald]
South Korea: Supreme Court overturns conviction of soldiers for same-sex relationship
(mpk) On April 22, South Korea’s Supreme Court nullified a 2019 military court conviction of two male soldiers sentenced to suspended prison terms for conducting sexual intercourse in 2016.
Arguing that intercourse had taken place not within military facilities, but in private space, causing no harm to the military’s discipline, the court decided not to apply Article 92-6 of the Military Criminal Act, which prohibits same-sex conduct among soldiers in the South Korea’s predominantly male military.
The case now goes back to the military high court to be re-heard. [The Korea Times]
South Korea: New submarine-launched ballistic missiles successfully tested
(mpk) South Korean government sources have confirmed that two submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) have been successfully tested on April 18.
The SLBMs were launched at an interval of 20 seconds from the 3,000-ton Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine in the Yellow Sea. Flying around 400 kilometers, they hit predetermined maritime targets.
This latest test is indicative of Seoul’s advancement in developing and deploying weapon systems that can conduct surprise attacks against hostile targets. Last September, South Korea has tested its first SLBM, making it the seventh country in the world that possesses this capability, next to China, France, India, North Korea, the UK and the USA. [Yonhap News Agency] [See also AiR No. 38, September/2021, 3]
Taiwan: Former President Chen Shui-bian to be acquitted of corruption charges?
(dql) Taiwan’s parliament is reviewing a draft bill that could allow former President Chen Shui-bian to be acquitted of corruption charges during his presidency 2000 to 2008.
During a preliminary review session on April 21, the parliamentary finance committee pushed through an amendment to the island’s Accounting Act under which Chen’s alleged misappropriation of a special fund he can use for state business would be decriminalized retrospectively.
Chen, Taiwan’s first president from the independence-leaning and currently ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2009 after being found guilty for accepting bribes. He has been also facing separate charges of misappropriating special funds worth NTD 104.5 million (USD 3.6 million), allotted to him while in office. Legal proceedings in this case were halted after he was released on medical parole in 2015 which has been repeatedly extended since then at his request. [South China Morning Post]
The DPP which dominates Taiwan’s legislature is expected to approve the bill before the end of May. However, observers expect this to cause a backlash, likely to disrupt the DPP campaign in November’s local government elections and the 2024 presidential poll.
Reflecting the highly controversial nature of this legislative move, scuffles broke out among lawmakers of the DPP and the main opposition party, the Kuomintang, over attempts to control the podium to control the proceedings of the abovementioned committee’s session. [Focus Taiwan]
Taiwan: Cabinet approves funding for support of migrant fishermen
(dql) Taiwan’s government announced last week that it will spend nearly USD 70 million on measures to improve the welfare of foreigners working in the island’s fishing industry. The announcement came in response to the indictment of nine people charged with abusing foreign crew members on one of its fishing vessels.
Among the measures planned, is raising the monthly basic salary for foreign crew from USD 450 to USD 550 beginning in July, marking the first pay hike in five years. Furthermore, a maximum of 10 months to be spent at sea will be set. Currently, boats spend sometimes years crossing oceans to secure seafood supply to the world’s supermarkets. The government also promised to increase inspection rates of longline fishing boats, from at less than 10 percent at the moment to 100 per cent.
Operating the world's second-largest deep-sea fishing fleet behind China, Taiwan has come under heightened scrutiny over accusations of subjecting its migrant workers to forced labor and other abuses. [South China Morning Post]
Taiwan: Senior managers of TV station lose jobs over false news about Chinese invasion
(dql) Two senior managers belonging to Chinese Television Systems (CTS) have resigned after the Taipei-based, partly government-owned television station mistakenly broadcasted last week a fictional warning of China’s invasion of Taiwan, reporting on Chinese armed forces firing missiles at cities and ports surrounding the Taipei, the capital. [South China Morning Post] [The Guardian]
Taiwan: Missiles tested
(dql) The National Chung Shang Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) – Taiwan’s state-owned corporation, active in the development, manufacturing, support, and sustainment of various weapons systems and dual use technologies – last launched two missile tests on April 20. However, it was not disclosed what types of missiles the institute tested. [Taiwan News 1]
Meanwhile, details have been released by Taiwan Defense Ministry about the island’s new surface-to-surface missile, the Hsiung Sheng, revealing that it is capable of reaching as far north as Qingdao in China’s northeastern Shandong Province. The new missile is to go to mass-production once the production base at the NCSIST will be completed in June.
Hsiung Sheng’s new production base among eight major projects for which a NTD 16.1 billion (USD 551.7 million) budget has been allocated to strengthen Taiwan’s sea and air combat capabilities. [Taiwan News 2]
Furthermore, according to a recent parliamentary budget report, the NCSIST is developing two variants anti-radiation loitering munition, called Chien Hsiang: namely an attack version, capable of destroy enemy missile and radar bases, and a decoy version, capable of jamming enemy radars. By 2025, the production of more than 100 of such munitions is expected to be completed. [Taiwan News 3]
Taiwan: Second 4000-ton patrol vessels delivered
(dql) On April 22, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has been handed over the second of four 4,000-ton patrol vessels which be dispatched to the northern branch of the CGA to protect waters close to northern city of Hsinchu.
Commissioned by the government, the four 4,000-ton class CGA frigates are manufactured at a total cost of NTD 11.74 billion (USD 392 million). The first of these frigates was delivered on April 29, 2021. [Focus Taiwan] [See also AiR No. 18, May/2021, 1]
Taiwan: Penghu Defense Command conducts drills
(dql) Taiwan Penghu Defense Command conducted live-fire training as part of Taiwan’s Outlying Islands Defense Operations on April 21. The drill aimed at verifying the effectiveness of training. Troops fired a variety of weapons, including 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers, 120 mm mortars, M240 and .50 caliber machine guns, as well as sniper rifles. [Taiwan News]
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in South Asia
Bangladesh: Second person killed by elite police force this year
(hg) According to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an inter-service paramilitary special police force which is composed of police, military and other security officers, some of its officers were involved in a gun fight with a man who they then shot dead with six bullets hitting his body. Allegedly, the man was a suspect in at least 12 robbery cases. Reportedly, however, two persons listed as witnesses of the incident later declared to not have witnessed any gunfight. The case is the second after the United States placed sanctions on RAB for human rights violation in December last year. [The Daily Star]
India: Prime Minister Modi holds first public event in Kashmir since clampdown, touts development projects
(rk/lm) India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Jammu and Kashmir union territory on April 24, promising peace and development during his first public event since New Delhi scrapped the disputed region’s semi-autonomy and took direct control in 2019.
At that time, Modi’s Hindu nationalist government nullified a provision in the Indian constitution, bifurcated the region into two Centre-controlled union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh – and Jammu-Kashmir — and removed inherited protections on land and jobs amid unprecedented lockdown [see AiR No. 32, August/2019, 1]. [The Straits Times]
The Central government and leaders of the ruling BJP have maintained that the decision was taken to end Pakistan sponsored terrorism and bring private investments and, ultimately, peace to the region. However, unemployment rate in the region has remained two to three times higher than the national average. Also, since 2019, almost 1,000 people have lost lives including soldiers, militants, and civilians. Moreover, hundreds of people including journalists and rights activists have been jailed under laws that allow detention without charge for up to two years. [The Kashmir Walla]
Against this backdrop, Modi remotely inaugurated a tunnel and work on two hydropower projects worth USD 2.60 billion before delivering a speech that was punctuated by his government’s developmental achievements. However, the Indian premier made no political commitments to the region’s people, who have been without an elected local government since 2018. Elections for district and village councils were held in 2020 but critics say the local bodies have no power to legislate or amend laws in the territory now directly run from New Delhi [see AiR No. 47, November/2020, 4]. [Associated Press] [The Hindu]
Last month a United Arab Emirates delegation, including several Emirati and Indian business owners and some Indian expats, visited the region to explore investment opportunities and met Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar. [Al Jazeera]
India: Opposition politician re-arrested after getting bail in case over tweet against Prime Minister Modi
(rk) Jignesh Mevani, an opposition lawmaker from India’s western Gujarat state, was re-arrested on April 25, immediately after he was granted bail in relation to allegedly controversial tweets against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On April 20, police of the northeastern state of Assam arrested Mevani in Gujarat over a tweet he had posted two days earlier, in which he alleged that Prime Minister Modi considered the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi a “God”. Mevani also called on Modi to maintain peace in Khambat, Himmatnagar and Verawal – three urban areas, which had seen anti-Muslim violence during the Hindu festival of Ram Navami. [Amnesty International]
Against this backdrop, Mevani was remanded to police custody for three days by an Assam court for “spreading enmity between different communities”, among others. He was granted bail on April 25, yet was immediately re-arrested by police in Barpeta, another district of Assam, for allegedly assaulting a woman officer and deterring public servant from discharge of duty. [The Times of India]
India: Supreme Court suspends demolition drive in Muslim area of capital
(lm) India’s Supreme Court has suspended the demolition of alleged illegal structures in a neighborhood of the capital, New Delhi, that recently saw religious riots in which nine people including policemen were injured and dozens arrested. A status quo should be maintained for two weeks in North Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area, the Supreme Court said on April 21, a day after it ordered municipal authorities to stop razing unauthorized structures in the area. [South China Morning Post]
The anti-encroachment drive occurred days after a Hindu religious procession had marched past a mosque and sparked communal violence in the relatively poor neighborhood, which has a large Bengali-speaking Muslim population. Around nine people – including seven police personnel – were injured in the violence, which broke out on April 16.
Against this backdrop, North Delhi’s civic authorities, controlled by Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), brought in bulldozers – officially to demolish illegal encroachments. But most shops and businesses targeted belonged to the Muslim community. In light of this, the incident in New Delhi appeared very similar to what happened earlier this month in India’s central state of Madhya Pradesh: Muslims in Khargone city in the state said their homes were disproportionately targeted after violence broke out during a Hindu procession [see AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]
Maldives: President Solih bans ‘India Out’ campaign
(lm) Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has issued a decree banning an opposition-led movement critical of Indian influence in the country. The decree was issued on April 21 following a decision by the country’s National Security Council that the campaign constitutes a “threat to national security.” [The Wire]
The so-called ‘India Out’ movement has been highly critical of India’s military presence and political influence in the island nation. The campaign, which started last year, has been gaining steam in recent months – particularly after the country’s Supreme Court overturned a money-laundering conviction against former president Abdulla Yameen of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) [see AiR No. 13, March/2022, 5]. The campaign’s implicit target is President Solih and his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), both perceived as too close to India.
The decree alleges that the ‘India Out’ campaign exploits the freedom of expression and freedom of assembly guaranteed under the constitution”. It further claims that the movement is aimed at “disrupting the long-standing bilateral relations between the Maldives and India.” [TRT World]
Earlier this year, a draft bill that would have criminalized political movements or slogans that affect foreign relations was shelved. The bill had been harshly criticized by the opposition, as well as by a faction of MDP lawmakers led by the incumbent Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed. [AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]
In his reaction to the presidential decree, Yameen said it showed “how much the government is under the influence of India”. Other PPM party leaders were relatively restrained and stopped with mentioning the option of moving the nation’s Supreme Court in the matter. [Avas] [Sun]
Pakistan: Prime Minister Shehbaz summons task force as health officials detect first polio case in 15 months
(ha) Pakistan’s new prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has held an emergency meeting of the national polio taskforce after health officials reported the first polio case in the country in 15 months, damaging Islamabad’s hopes of eradicating the highly infectious virus. [Al Jazeera]
According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan is among one of only two countries, along with neighboring Afghanistan, still to eradicate the polio virus, which crippled approximately 20,000 Pakistani children a year in the early 1990s. To officially eradicate the disease, a country must be polio-free for three consecutive years. [Voice of America]
In light of this, the latest case has created fear of a new outbreak in vulnerable areas around the Afghan border where vaccination campaigns are treated with suspicion and refusal is common. In December of last year, the militant group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for an attack on a team offering polio vaccinations to children in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province – just days after the group had unilaterally declared an end to a month-long ceasefire with Islamabad [see AiR No. 50, December/2021, 2]. [The Guardian]
Pakistan: Prime Minister Sharif to convene grand assembly of North Waziristan tribal elders
(fq/lm) Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited the North Waziristan district of the country’s remote Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last week, announcing that he would soon convene a meeting of tribal elders responsible for settling disputes in Islamabad to tackle the increasingly volatile security situation. [ThePrint]
The newly elected premier also announced the establishment of a university, a medical college, a mobile hospital and Danish school in the district, and promised that he would soon announce additional development schemes. [Dawn]
Notable, the meeting in Miramshah was attended by several senior government officials and top military commanders, including General Qamar Javad Bajwa, indicating the importance the Sharif government ascribes to solving the security challenge.
The Pakistani Taliban, known by their acronym TTP, have claimed responsibility for 53 attacks in March. In light of this, Islamabad carried out air strikes against TTP’s safe havens in Afghanistan’s Khost and Kunar provinces that had prompted strong criticism from Afghan leadership as the air strikes had also killed 41 civilians including children [see AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]. [South Asia Monitor]
Pakistan: High court orders government to release details of state gifts received by former administration
(ha/lm) A high court in the Pakistani capital Islamabad has ordered the government to release details of official gifts it had received during the tenure of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been facing charges of selling some of those gifts as “personal properties.”
The order came in response to a petition filed months ago seeking to challenge the decision of the then government led by Khan to keep the details of gifts he had received from foreign leaders secret. Khan, who was voted out of power by Parliament earlier this month, has been facing allegations of misusing the Toshakhana, a repository of gifts received by a head of state from his foreign counterparts.
He had reportedly sold the state gifts, worth over USD 770,000, including expensive watches, bracelets, and diamond jewelry [see AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]. Khan had admitted buying some of these gifts and then selling those as he said they had become his personal property. [The New Indian Express]
Against this backdrop, the Islamabad High Court on April 20 directed to release the details of the gifts received by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The judges also observed that foreign gifts should be retrieved from the office holders who had taken them home. [The Express Tribune] [The News International]
Pakistan: Government dissolves media regulatory body, plans to bring law to eliminate ‘fake news’
(ha/lm) Pakistan’s newly appointed information minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, has announced that the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) would be disbanded, calling it a governing body to suppress people’s constitutional right to freedom of expression. [Dawn] [The Express Tribune]
The government of former Prime Minister Khan last May proposed legislation to place all media under the jurisdiction of a new regulatory body – the PMDA – which was to ensure that no views “prejudicial to the ideology of Pakistan or sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan” are published. Similarly, no coverage would be given to any story which “defames or brings into ridicule” the institutions of state. The bill caused severe backlash from local and international media organizations due to its controversial points. [AiR No. 38, September/2021, 3]
In light of this, Information Minister Aurangzeb stated last week that in the presence of the existing regulatory body, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), there is no need for any other media regulatory body. Further, the minister announced that an amendment would be made to the PEMRA-related laws to “eliminate fake news”. [ThePrint]
Aurangzeb also said the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) would be reviewed and consultation with all the stakeholders will be held to protect the freedom of expression in the country. Under an ordinance brought in signed by President Arif Alvi in February, online defamation had been made a non-bailable, cognizable offence and the jail term for it was also increased from three years to five years. The amendment broadened the ambit of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as it gave it powers to arrest anyone and put them in jail till the conclusion of the trial [see AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]
Sri Lanka: As protest pressure mounts, loyalists, Buddhist leaders call for government’s resignation
(lm) Sri Lanka’s beleaguered government has come under increased pressure to step down as a cabinet minister and other senior party members, alongside influential Buddhist clerics, have backed protests calling for resignations over the island’s escalating economic crisis.
The country’s worst economic downturn since its 1948 independence from the United Kingdom has brought widespread hardships to its 22 million people, with months of regular blackouts and acute shortages of food and fuel.
The crisis has sparked countrywide protests, with angry demonstrators camping outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office for more than three weeks [see AiR No. 14, April/2022, 1]. Under pressure, the president reshuffled his cabinet, removing two brothers and a nephew earlier this month, but protesters rejected the changes as cosmetic [see AiR No. 14, April/2022, 1].
Protests against the government turned deadly on April 19 in the town of Rambukkana, about 95 kilometers from Colombo, after the police fired live bullets at protesters, killing one man. Twelve people were also reported to have been injured, with at least three in a critical condition. [AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]
Against this backdrop, Buddhist leaders have jointly petitioned President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to establish an interim government “to pull the country out of this crisis”. Such a move would require the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa – the president’s brother and head of Sri Lanka’s powerful ruling family. [Al Jazeera 1]
This week’s rebuke from the Buddhist clergy is the latest public departure by formerly steadfast allies of the Rajapaksa clan. On April 24, Media minister Nalaka Godahewa – previously a staunch Rajapaksa loyalist – said the president should sack Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and allow an all-party interim government to take over. Several other senior ruling party members, including a former media minister and cabinet spokesman, have also asked the premier to step down. [Al Jazeera 2]
But the prime minister afresh rejected their demands, insisting a majority of ruling party lawmakers still supported him.
Finance minister Ali Sabry, who is in Washington to negotiate a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, warned on April 22 that the economic situation in the South Asian nation will likely deteriorate even further. Official sources say there was no immediate prospect of emergency funding from the multilateral lender. In light of this, Colombo is now banking on further bilateral help from India, China and Japan to help keep the country afloat. [see entry in this edition]
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in Southeast Asia
Cambodia: Ruling party manifesto aims to address abuse of power, corruption, transparency
(pw) The Cambodian media has acquired the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) 22-page manifesto, which emphasized clamping down on the abuse of power and corruption alongside enhancing transparency. It also touched upon other issue areas, including access to public services, agriculture, education, employment, grassroots democracy, and public health.
According to this document, measures will be taken to improve the work ethic of the commune councilors and public officials and increase transparency on the commune councilors’ work. Furthermore, to maintain discipline and respect for the laws, the “five approaches” method of mirroring, bathing, scrubbing, treating, and operating would be applied against the newly-elected local and public officials who are abusive or corrupt.
The vice-president of the Cambodia Reform Party noted that the impact of the measures mentioned above depends on their implementation, alongside local officials’ comprehension of such programs. He added that previous policies had not resulted in improvements. This view is shared by the president of the Khmer Will Party, who viewed that the CPP’s policies are theoretically sound. However, he stated that they were ineffective in real life as those policies were not implemented at every level, especially among the senior-ranking officials.
Still, one local official said that he supported this manifesto because he saw it as a means to fight against the abuse of power and corruption. [Khmer Times]
Cambodia: Prime Minister alleged to have given 900 hectares of land to his allies
(pw) A land rights NGO claimed that at least 900 hectares of land reclaimed from the Boeung Tamok Lake, one of the remaining major natural lakes near Phnom Penh, has been distributed by Prime Minister Hun Sen to his entourage. Local media reported that Sen had issued sub-decrees granting such land to 22 persons, including his sister Hun Seng Ny, one wealthy entrepreneur, senior-ranking military personnel, and relatives of his associates.
According to this NGO, the 3,240-hectare lake was claimed as state property in 2016 and the government has since initiated efforts to reclaim land from the lake. By late 2021, around 1,670 hectares of land had been reclaimed. The NGO added that the authorities had given allotments of the reclaimed land to the eleven government bodies and ministries who sold the land to government allies and for urban development plans.
However, an environmentalist expressed concern that such efforts might cause the entire lake and its diverse ecosystem to disappear and suspects that the land sales to the Prime Minister’s allies might amount to corruption. Moreover, an environmental NGO called for the end of the land reclamation project to protect the local community who relied on the lake for subsistence and prevent severe flooding. Notably, the Cambodian Water Minister also noted that land reclamation projects contributed to flooding.
The Cambodian government has responded by stating that the land recipients bought the reclaimed land from their initial owners. It also remarked there had been official efforts to assess the impact of the reclamation project on the local inhabitants, but mentioned that it was unsure whether the project had resulted in the eviction of the local families or not, an issue that the land rights NGO project director has raised. [Radio Free Asia]
Cambodia: No direct participation in the forthcoming commune elections campaign, stated the Prime Minister
(pw) Prime Minister Hun Sen declared that his current preoccupation with executing the US–ASEAN Special Summit on May 12–13, 2022 will prevent his direct involvement in the fifth 2022 commune election campaign. He also reminded the government officials to maintain their neutrality and keep the upcoming commune elections free and fair. He further noted that in the election, every political party must possess equal rights. To prevent electoral violence, which he detests, he advised that the National Election Commission and the electoral law must be respected by every political party.
His statements did not convince the opposition Candlelight Party (CP), whose vice-president claimed that previous statements of the exact nature had not improved the opposition’s situation. He added that action must be taken against the culprits of political violence and called for the end of judicial actions against the opposition. Concerns over the lack of substantial measures promoting a safe election environment are also shared by large numbers of NGOs. [Khmer Times] [Radio Free Asia]
More than 100 opposition candidates in Cambodia have been prohibited from joining the 2022 commune election to be held on June 5, 2022. Moreover, arbitrary arrests, attacks, and one alleged killing of a CP activist were also documented. [AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]
Cambodia: Decision to remove opposition commune candidates considered final by the election committee
(pw) The National Election Committee (NEC) has announced that its barring of commune council candidates from the opposition Candlelight Party (CP), Beehive Social Democratic Party (BSDP), and Khmer Will Party in 13 communes is final and will not be subject to any appeal. As a result, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) candidates in those communes are likely to be unchallenged. Furthermore, 86 opposition candidates were also removed by the NEC in other communes. The NEC further affirmed that its delisting of those candidates was in accordance with the facts and law.
According to the NEC, it removed the candidates mentioned from the candidate lists because they were illiterate or had their names registered by the opposition without their consent.
The NEC’s decision was considered by the opposition to be nontransparent and prejudiced. Furthermore, the NEC’s actions were alleged to be baseless, hastily made, and incorrect by the BSDP leader. The CP vice-president also claimed that the NEC breached electoral laws by the CP vice-president for failing to summon witnesses after the CPP filed complaints to delist the CP candidates. [Khmer Times] [AiR No. 14, April/2022, 1]
Cambodia: Consideration of a legal draft for raising the number of council members is underway
(pw) The National Assembly, the lower house of the Cambodian Parliament, has announced that its Legislative and Justice Committee is currently examining a draft amending Article 140 under the Law on the Administration of Capital, Province, City, and District that determines the number of provincial council members.
This draft, which accounted for the current population statistics, will increase the total amount of council members from seven members to eleven members in each province and Phnom Penh and five members to seven members in each city and district.
According to the Cambodian Government, the draft mentioned above will make Cambodian sub-national democracy stronger with better accountability and increase the effectiveness of the sub-national administrations. [Khmer Times]
Cambodia: Court issued summons to a provincial police deputy over accusations of using violence
(pw) A summons from a provincial court calling for the presence of a deputy provincial police chief at a court hearing on April 26, 2022, was issued due to a complaint regarding his use of violence against a property owner and deception of cadastral officials. This police deputy said he would attend this court hearing, but he denied involvement with the alleged actions. Previously, in 2021, he received a reprimand for violating the National Police’s Code of Conduct from the Interior Minister, who threatened further disciplinary measures if he failed to improve his conduct.
A rights group mentioned that a person of his position is expected to have a better grasp of the law as compared to the general public. Hence, it called for the imposition of a harsher punishment against him if he is convicted and urged transparent action by the authorities to preserve the police’s public standing. [The Phnom Penh Post]
Cambodia: At large opposition party founder promises to appear in court
(pw) While hiding from the authorities, Seam Pluk, the founder of the unrecognized opposition Cambodia National Heart Party (CNHP), has declared that he is going to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to be questioned by it over charges of purportedly using forged fingerprints to register the CNHP.
Previously, the Interior Ministry reported that efforts were underway to search for him and urged him to go to court voluntarily. It had also claimed the possibility of his escape abroad, which it considered, , a deliberate scheme to make contact with the exiled former opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, which it perceived to be responsible for the CNHP.
In an interview, Pluk said he was not guilty of the indicted charges and added that the litigation against him and his party’s activists were politically motivated. He also asked the government to drop every unreasonable political case against the political activists and politicians. His lawyer claimed there is no need for significant judicial proceedings against the CNHP activists due to their lack of intention to falsify the fingerprints.
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party alleged that his guilt was confirmed by his initial evasion from the authorities, saying that he would not have escaped if he were not to be liable for the charges. Furthermore, it alleged that Rainsy has CNHP ties,saying that he provided funding to the CNHP. The CPP has denied any involvement with Pluk’s case.
The authorities have charged Pluk with “forgery of public documents and using forged documents” for ostensibly utilizing fake fingerprints to register the CNHP. He remains at large after an arrest warrant was issued to apprehend him on March 22, 2022. According to his lawyer, the same charges were made against almost 40 CNHP activists and officials. [Khmer Times 1] [Khmer Times 2] [AiR No. 15, April/2022, 2]
Cambodia: Request to summon foreign witnesses in former opposition leader’s treason case denied
(pw) Cambodian prosecutors have refused to summon officials from foreign governments that the former opposition leader Kem Sokha allegedly worked with after Sokha’s lawyers made such a request. The prosecutors remarked such a plea would violate the foreign officials’ diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (Vienna Convention). Furthermore, the defense was asked by the court to urge those witnesses to appear in court instead.
One of Sokha’s lawyers claimed that there were no restrictions under the Vienna Convention preventing foreign officials from making a court testimony. He added that his team was told by the prosecution that it was possible to request such witnesses. Furthermore, he noted that invitations to testify in the next hearing on April 27, 2022, will be sent by the defense to those witnesses.
According to one Cambodian-American legal analyst, denying this request was correct as the Vienna Convention precluded diplomats from being witnesses in criminal cases. She added that foreign countries would not have their diplomats involved in another country’s treason trial, which can result in grave consequences. Still, she questioned why the Cambodian government failed to take action against foreign diplomats if the foreign powers genuinely attempted to unseat the government. [Radio Free Asia] [The Phnom Penh Post]
Accused of being involved in an alleged plot with foreign powers to oust Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government, Sokha was apprehended by the Cambodian government in September 2017. “Conspiracy with foreign powers” was the charge against him. [AiR No. 15, April/2022, 2]
Cambodia: Opposition activist successfully fled to Thailand
(pw) After six days in the jungle, Sat Pha, an activist who supported the former opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), has managed to reach Thailand where she will seek political asylum from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. She made her escape after receiving a written threat allegedly from the Cambodian government to “disappear” her.
Previously, she criticized the authorities’ imprisonment of CNRP members and claimed that the government had physically attacked her Like many Cambodians, she was negatively affected by land disputes with the state and developers. She was also jailed for one year under the charges of inciting social unrest for demonstrating at the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh.
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party stated that her account of the events mentioned above was made up and rejected accusations that the threats delivered to her originated from the CPP. [Radio Free Asia]
Cambodia: Journalists apprehended for reportedly interfering with the execution of government duties
(pw) In the Kampong Chhnang province, three news correspondents along with their driver were taken into custody by the police over allegations of intruding the residence of a villager and obstructing the tasks of state officials who were sent to combat drug-related crimes in that province. They were charged with “violation of housing and unlawful interference in the discharge of public functions,” which may result in imprisonment between six months to three years. [Khmer Times]
Indonesia: Authorities open corruption case on palm oil export permits, new export ban announced
(bs) The Indonesian police opened a graft case against four public figures allegedly involved in the issuing of palm oil export permits. Among those named were a trade ministry official and a palm oil company executive. Following the event, President Joko Widodo endorsed the authorities’ actions and called for a thorough investigation of the alleged violations.
The case involves companies that were issued export permits despite not meeting the legal requirements on local supply. However, the executive director of the Indonesian Vegetable Oil Industry Association defended the companies involved, claiming that they had met domestic requirements before being issued export permits. [Reuters 1] [Reuters 2]
While the Indonesian government has so far allowed the export of palm oil only to companies that met domestic demand in January, on April 22, the country announced the plan to implement a full ban on exports of palm oil beginning April 28. The move has sparked fears of a further surge in global food costs given that Indonesia is a major palm oil producer in the world and exports from the Black Sea which accounts for 76 percent of world sun-oil exports have been severely affected since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. [Reuters 3]
In a latest development, details laid out during a meeting between the government and industry officials on April 26, revealed that Indonesia is ready to expand the ban in case the country faces domestic shortages of derivatives used in the production of cooking oil. So far, crude palm oil or other derivatives are excluded from the ban. [Channel News Asia]
Meanwhile, in the wake of rising costs and soaring cooking oil prices, President Joko Widodo has suffered an huge drop in his approval rating which in April fell by almost 12 percentage points from February’s 71.7 percent to 59.9 percent, according to an independent poll. [Reuters 4]
Indonesia: Protests reignite to oppose presidential term extension
(bs) Around 800 people participated in a protest against the potential presidential term extension, increasingly high oil and food prices, a controversial job law, and the targeting of opposition activists.
The protest came after the authorities led a crackdown on another rally led by students on April 11 demanding political fairness, a reduction in cooking oil prices, and no postponement of the 2024 elections.
The demonstrators urged the government to amend the new Job Creation Law since it was declared unconstitutional in November 2021. According to critics the law would not protect labor rights and would allow environmental harm. Moreover, the protest was led to call for an immediate end to abuse and violence against rights activists and political opponents.
The protesters also voiced concerns that a presidential term extension from the current maximum of two terms might become a threat to democracy. In early 2022, several key parliamentary supporters of Indonesian President Joko Widodo proposed a constitutional amendment to extend the constitutionally allowed maximum for presidential terms from the current maximum of two terms to three. President Widodo is currently concluding his second and formally final five-year term which will end in 2024.
Article 7 of the constitution on the presidential term limit was passed in 1999, one year after former President Suharto left the office following a nationwide pro-democracy protest. Suharto, regarded as a dictator, was the longest-serving president of Indonesia. He ruled for over three decades in an authoritarian regime. [AP News]
Indonesia: Armed forces removed virginity test for recruitment
(bs) Indonesian armed forces have “effectively ended virginity tests” in the recruitment process of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.
Such a test is internationally considered a form of gender-based violence sparking criticism among rights groups and health institutions such as the World Health Organization.
Although an attempt to end the practice was made in mid-2021, the virginity test was uprooted from the Indonesian armed forces recruitment procedures only in April 2022. [Human Rights Watch]
Indonesia: Oil and gas company to pay sanction to prosecutors in human rights violation case
(bs) An American court ruled that ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas company, pays USD 288,900.78 to the prosecutor’s team in an ongoing case. Filed in 2001, the case involves alleged human rights abuses against Indonesian villagers, including sexual assault, torture, rape, and death in the area where ExxonMobil Oil and Gas Plant was located between 1999 and 2000.
During 1999 and 2000, the company utilized the work of the Indonesian army to guard its facility in Aceh where ongoing clashes between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), a separatist group, triggered raids, abuse, violence
Malaysia: PAS rejects allegation of plot against UMNO
(dql) The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) is struggling to avert political damage after a document, purportedly the minutes of a PAS meeting, leaked that allegedly contains a plan for a plot to topple and disrupt the relationship between the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the Barisan Nasional (National Front, BN). The plan allegedly foresees to expedite the sentences of UMNO leaders who are either standing trial or have been convicted on charges such as criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering.
Since August 2021, Barisan Nasional – the coalition which UMNO is the strongest member party – forms the governing bloc together with Perikatan Nasional – the coalition to which PAS belongs – and four other parties. UMNO vice-president Ismail Sabri serves as Prime Minister.
PAS central committee member Awang Hashim dismissed the allegations as “nothing more than a pathetic attempt to slander PAS, and to damage the relationship and camaraderie between the two parties by an irresponsible individual.” PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar called the leaked document “rubbish”. [Free Malaysia Today]
Malaysia: Six killed during mass escape from immigration detention center
(dql) On April 20, more than 500 hundreds of Rohingya detainees in northern Malaysia escaped following a pre-dawn riot. Nearly 400 of them have been recaptured on the same day. Six were killed by vehicles during attempts to cross a highway.
Nearly 300 officers in three states – Kedah, Penang and Perak – are now looking for the remaining escapees.
The incident draws attention to the conditions at secretive immigrant detention centers in Malaysia. Human rights groups and the Malaysia Bar have demanded an investigation into the causes of the riot, along with the disclosure of the number of detention centers in operation, where immigrants are held indefinitely and incommunicado. [Benar News] [Radio Free Asia] [The Malaysian Reserve]
Malaysia: Special cabinet committee to protect vulnerable groups set up
(dql) Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced that a special cabinet committee for protecting vulnerable groups has been established. Chaired by himself the committee aims to safeguard the welfare of especially children, persons with disabilities (OKU), women and senior citizens. It consists of representatives from the ministries of women, family and community development; home; education, housing and local government; and health; as well as the religious affairs division in the prime minister’s department.
The Prime Minister added that among the tasks of the committee is to ensure that all care centers are run according to procedures, in line with the Care Centres Act 1993.
Malaysia: Political artists Fahmi Reza blacklisted
(dql) Malaysian authorities have blacklisted political artist and activist Fahmi Reza and barred him from leaving the country after the police summoned him being summoned by police for the second time in a month on April 22.
Reza, known for political satire in his artworks, currently faces two criminal charges on political graphics. If convicted, he faces a fine of RM100,000 and a 2-year jail term. [The Rakyat Post]
Malaysia: Disclosure of additional costs for procurement of littoral combat ships demanded
(dql) Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz and Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein have been called on to reveal the additional costs required to proceed with the procurement of littoral combat ships (LCS). Former Defense Minister Mohamad Sabu and former Deputy Defense Minister Liew Chin Tong stressed in a statement that the value of the original contract was set at RM 9 billion. They added that according to findings of an investigation
only RM 5.94 billion had been disbursed, of which at least RM 1 billion was unaccounted for. [Free Malaysia Today]
Myanmar: Coup leader offers talks with ethnic armed groups
(cmsk/ny) Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has offered peace talks with selected anti-junta ethnic armed organizations (EAOs). Leaders of EAOs have been given until May 9 to submit their names to join in-person talks with Hlaing and other members of the military’s state council. The invitation was reportedly not extended to the parallel National Unity Government or its armed wing, the People’s Democratic Forces (PDF). Both organizations were formed to oppose and resist the junta following the 2021 military coup. [The Irrawaddy] [Eleven Myanmar]
Observers, however, believe the military has ulterior motives. The foreign affairs head of the political ethnic organization Karen National Union (KNU) shared his organization’s skepticism about the move, seeing it only as empty talk. Political analyst believe Hlaing invited EAOs to alleviate international pressure and views the exclusion of important stakeholders as disingenuous. A former parliament member of the deposed National League for Democracy party believes Hlaing is using the offer to keep EAOs in check whilst buying time to eliminate the PDF. Since the 2021 coup, some EAOs have joined the PDF in its armed resistance against the junta. [Radio Free Asia]
Myanmar’s unemployment crisis persists
(cmsk) Following a March 15 International Labor Organization (ILO) call to further examine the labor rights situation in Myanmar, media now report of the worsening situation for laborers in Myanmar.
Individuals are reportedly struggling to find employment, job security or benefits as they did under the previous regime. ILO estimates that 1.6 million workers lost their jobs last year due to the pandemic as well as political upheaval brought about by the coup. According to Myanmar Garment Factory Entrepreneurs Association, since the coup, fewer Yangon factories (504 of 706) are currently operational. [Radio Free Asia] [International Labor Organization]
Myanmar: Activists launch campaign to release all political prisoners
(cmsk/ny) On April 18, a group of pro-democracy activists and organizations launched a protest, called blue-shirt campaign, urging the Myanmar State Administration Council, the country’s institutionalized military junta, to release political detainees. The campaigners also called to allow detainees access to medical treatment, family visits, and legal defense.
The name “blue-shirt campaign” comes from the blue shirt worn by an activist and journalist the day of his release from 19 years in prison. Until his death in 2014 the man adhered to his pledge to wear a blue shirt until all political prisoners were released. According to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, 3,300 political prisoners have been detained and 76 have been sentenced. The junta has also issued 1,020 arrest warrants. [The Irrawaddy]
Myanmar: Military authorities terminate citizenships of regime opponents
(cmsk/bs) Since March, the Myanmar military authorities have revoked citizenship to 33 high-profile dissidents. International rights groups say the move is not only a human rights violation but also a breach of international law.
According to state media reports, the individuals had committed “acts that could harm the interests of Myanmar.” Among those who have lost their citizenship status are members of the shadow National Unity Government (NUG), diplomats who refuse to represent the junta regime, as well as anti-regime celebrities and prominent activists.
Myanmar has a history of terminating citizenships of anti-government nationals, doing so since 1990. The latest terminations by the present junta regime are viewed as an attempt at retribution and silencing the opposition.
According to the deputy regional director for research at Amnesty International, “depriving people of their nationality has long been a tactic for the ‘genocidal’ Myanmar military.” She particularly mentioned the case of the Rohinghya Muslim ethnic minority which have been denied citizenship since 1982 when the Citizenship Law labelled the Rohingya people as “resident foreigners” and considering them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. [Al Jazeera] [Migration Policy]
Myanmar: Doctors threatened and arrested as health care system collapses
(cmsk/ny) The junta sentenced Dr. Htar Htar Lin, formerly in charge of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout under the ousted government, to three years on corruption charges. Lin allegedly declined international Covid-19 grants for fear of misuse of funds by the junta. A colleague of Lin was also arrested for reportedly failing to stop Lin from returning Covid-19 grants.
Both medical professionals were associated with the civil disobedience movement, according to the media. [The Irrawaddy]
Myanmar’s security forces are reportedly intensifying their crackdown on doctors who oppose the military regime. Groups of medical staff have been at the forefront of the opposition movement, causing some of their members to be arrested and have their licenses revoked by the Myanmar Administration Council.
The junta specifically searched for doctors treating resistance fighters and health care facilities employing anti-junta staff. Since the 2021 coup, when the military took over power from the civilian government, 140 doctors have been arrested for participating in protests, 89 of whom remain in prison. Human Rights Watch has also reported that at least 30 doctors have been killed since the coup.
These arrests and threats come as the country’s healthcare system has seen a near collapse with the number of health care institutions drastically decreasing after one year of the conflict and citizens having only limited access to routine health care services in conflict-torn areas and. However, many doctors began offering their free services at private hospitals and underground clinics.
In response, the regime is now attempting to force doctors to work in government-controlled facilities and has shut down at least a dozen clinics offering free medical treatment.
Reportedly, doctors are released from prison only if they disavow the civil disobedience movement and agreed to work in government hospitals. With only 40 percent of the country fully vaccinated for Covid-19, the situation remains especially concerning for children. Also, according to the United Nations (UN), nearly one million children are not receiving routine immunizations. Young children, particularly from conflict torn Kayin, Kayah, and Chin states, and the Sagaing region, are most affected by their inability to access health facilities and services. [The New York Times] [Radio Free Asia]
Myanmar: Military sustains heavy losses as fighting intensifies, leaving thousands displaced
(cmsk) Myanmar’s military regime has issued an emergency alert to all of its units across the country as it prepares for intensifying resistance attacks, according to defectors. Reports indicate that junta troops are sustaining heavy casualties, particularly in Sagaing Region, Kayin/Karen and Kayah State. The troops are now reportedly on standstill, preparing to go on the defensive. [The Irrawaddy 1]
In southeast Myanmar’s Karen State, over 160 junta soldiers were allegedly killed between April 1 and April 15 in over 200 clashes with ethnic Karen fighters. The anti-regime ethnic political group, Karen National Union (KNU) claims 81 junta soldiers were killed in 174 clashes with KNU’s armed Brigade 5 in Papun District and another 81 junta forces killed in 55 clashes with KNU Brigade 6 in Kawkareik Township. Over the same period, two civilians from Papun and four civilians from Kawkareik were also allegedly killed by junta artillery strikes. Padoh Saw Taw Nee, a KNU representative, said all junta deaths were verified by the group. The latest fighting suggested to Nee that junta troops were “collapsing". March was also reportedly the deadliest month for the junta forces with 429 deaths in a total of 510 clashes in the state. [The Irrawaddy 2]
In the country's northwestern Sagaing Region’s Pale Township, 30 junta soldiers and two resistance forces were reportedly killed in clashes, according to the Myanmar Royal Dragon Army (MRDA). The group claims it twice ambushed around 100 junta forces. Bo Nagar, leader of MRDA also alleges the junta forces burnt bodies of the resistance fighters who were killed and torched civilian houses when they left the village. Sagaing has seen the heaviest damages in the country, with the junta having burnt 9,187 civilian homes, according to Data for Myanmar. Meanwhile, Nagar announced the MRDA would accelerate its attacks not only against regime forces, but anybody associated with authorities or suspected of sharing information, including relatives of soldiers and police, administrative and revenue staff, telecom operators and bankers. [The Irrawaddy 3] [The Irrawaddy 4]
The People’s Defense Force (PDF) and the Youth Force from Kyaukhtu reportedly launched coordinated attacks on two military bases and a police station in Magway Region, near the Chin border. Commander of the PDF said the two groups fired ten improvised artillery shells at military bases in the town and 20 shells at the Kyaukhtu police station. Kyaukhtu is strategically located en route to Chin State, where resistance to the military has been strong. [Myanmar Now 1]
Meanwhile in Chin State, between April 10 and April 16, military forces reportedly raided and looted villages along the Matupi-Paletwa Road after Chinland Defense Force-Matupi (CDF-Matupi) ambushed junta reinforcements traveling through the area. CDF-Matupi claims ten junta soldiers were killed during fighting on April 10, five injured and one resistance fighter wounded. On April 15, another resistance fighter was also reportedly killed in the clashes. Nearly 2,000 villagers in the western state have been displaced as a result of fighting. With communication services cut off, the villagers who have fled cannot be contacted, according to a civil society organization member. Since April 10, CDF- Matupi reportedly clashed 64 times leaving a total of 15 CDF fighters dead and 21 wounded. [The Irrawaddy 5] [Mizzima]
In urban Yangon, during interrogations, Myanmar junta forces reportedly killed the wife of Ko Ko Lay, vice chairperson of the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) - Mandalay District. Her body was found dumped on the roadside. Lay went into hiding after a sedition charge was filed against him by authorities. There are also reports of his death from a stroke while in hiding, in Shan State. [The Irrawaddy 6]
Urban guerrilla forces in Yangon claim they conducted over a dozen attacks in 11 townships over the last two weeks as part of a second operation, killing at least seven people including an army major, soldiers, police and a junta-appointed local administrator. The operations, carried out under the NUG’s Southern Military Command, targeted junta bases, military convoys, security outposts, military-owned businesses and administrative targets, even killing a major ranked military administration officer in Yangon’s Lanmadaw Township on April 10. Other major attacks include an attack on a military convoy in Kawhmu Township on April 15, which left one regime soldier dead and injuring others, a bomb attack on regime forces in Thaketa Township which reportedly killed two soldiers, the bombing of a Myanmar Beer factory in Mingaladon Township, and the shooting of a junta-appointed chief in South Dagon Township. Like resistance group MRDA in Sagaing, leader of Yangon Region Military Command has also said the group would target anybody associated with the junta, including informants and those helping financially. [The Irrawaddy 7]
In southeastern Kayah State, five more people were killed by regime forces in March and early April, adding to the death toll of 205. The most recent incident occurred on April 9, when two people died after an artillery strike hit their house in Pa Like Nyin Village, Loikaw Township, and injured four people. Two other civilians were also shot dead on a Hpruso Township. [The Irrawaddy 8]
More than 20,000 internally displaced persons from Karen held territory in Southeastern Myanmar are now in urgent need of food according to Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG). The junta’s road closures and other restrictions have made it difficult to reach those in need, according to KHRG. There are reportedly over 1,000 internally displaced persons [IDPs] from the Lay Kay Kaw area of Kayin where fighting intensified over the past few weeks. Meanwhile 70% of Karen farmers reportedly do not have enough to support their families and are unable to cultivate their fields because of ongoing violence. [Myanmar Now 2]
As of April 11, according to United Nations data, 346,000 of the 566,100 internally displaced since the military takeover are from Chin State, Sagaing and Magwe regions. At least 8,262 houses and other civilian properties, including churches, monasteries, schools and markets have been either torched or destroyed, primarily in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin and Kayah states, according to the UN. [The Irrawaddy 9] [See AiR No. 11, March/2022, 3]
The KNU’s Karen National Defense Organization has issued a warning calling on the Myanmar military to withdraw from two bases in Mon State’s Bilin Township within three days, or face armed action. The warning was reportedly issued to prevent the military from committing crimes against civilians in the area. [Myanmar Now 3]
On April 23, a car bomb reportedly went off in Myawaddy Township, near the Myanmar-Thai border. Following the explosion, armed anti-junta rebels allegedly attacked the Burmese troops guarding an immigration building and a border checkpoint. The rebels fled. No group has taken responsibility for the attacks yet. [The Thaiger]
Amidst threats to people associated with the junta, a Yangon Police Officer claims large numbers of junta troops and their families left Yangon and relocated to Naypyidaw. With urban resistance and assassinations on the rise, the junta has reportedly said it may not be able to protect family members of junta personnel from anti-regime guerrilla groups. [Myanmar Now 4]
The Philippines: Commission on Elections dismisses last bid to disqualify frontrunner Marcos Jr. from presidential run
(bs) The Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissed the last bid seeking to disqualify Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former senator and son of late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., from his presidential candidacy in the upcoming general elections on May 9.
The Commission had previously dismissed five other petitions seeking Marcos’ disqualification for tax evasion.
Opposition groups filed the petitions arguing that the candidacy in the presidential election of Marcos Jr. would violate Section 253 of the National Internal Revenue Code as he has yet to serve his sentence on tax payment ordered in 1995 for failing to file tax returns while being a public officer from 1982 to 1985. According to the law, “a government official who violates the tax code would be dismissed from the public service and perpetually disqualified from holding any public office, to vote and to participate in any election.”
The Comelec has ruled in favor of Marcos Jr. in all the petitions. It initially reasoned its decision by claiming that the former senator had already won several elections in the past and that since the penalty cannot be applied retroactively, it would not affect Marcos Jr. as it was introduced after his tax-related violations.
Marcos’ candidacy has also been widely objected across the country for the fear of a return to power of the family that ruled a dictatorship in the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 and thus a return of martial law and human rights violations in the Philippines. [AiR No. 7, February/2022, 3]
Now, two weeks before the election date, those fears seem to be especially close to reality. According to national surveys, Marcos Jr. is polling at 56 percent being the frontrunner. He is immediately followed by former vice president Leni Robredo, who is polling at 24 percent. [Council of Foreign Relations]
The Philippines: Overseas citizens asked to extend voting period due to delays in receiving the ballots
(bs/dvr) The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has rejected the request of overseas Filipino voters in the United States to extend the election deadline after the delays in receiving the ballots abroad.
According to the Comelec, such an extension would be unconstitutional. [Rappler]
The Philippines will hold presidential elections on May 9 to find a successor to current President Rodrigo Duterte. The overseas voting period has begun on April 10.
Delays in receiving ballots also happened in Italy, while other irregularities were reported in Australia, where the citizens received pre-shaded ballots, and in Sweden, where there were handed out two different ballots. [AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]
Meanwhile, the Comelec has revealed that it is considering either suspending overseas voting or even declaring a failure of elections in Afghanistan and Ukraine.
Overseas voting in Shanghai, China, has been temporarily suspended after a lockdown was imposed due to the increase in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases. Security concerns have led to suspension of overseas voting is Algeria, Chad, Tunisia, Libya, and Iraq. [Philippine News Agency]
The Philippines: Presidential candidate present in shooting attack
(bs) A Filipino presidential candidate, Leody de Guzman, and his team were attacked with gunshots while meeting with indigenous farmers in the South of the Philippines to discuss land disputes.
The shooting injured several people but did not leave any deaths. Guzman and the two senate candidates who were with him remained unhurt. However, following the incident, the Commission on Elections ensured additional security measures for those candidates who request them for safety reasons.
The shooting allegedly happened because of the ongoing unresolved land issues involving indigenous people in the region. One of the senatorial candidates involved in the shooting urged the government to address such issues which sparked from a “system of injustice” according to the candidate.
According to regional sources, shootings and killings in relation to political events are fairly common in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, 23 people died during mid-term polls in 2019 and 50 other people died in politics-related violence during the 2016 presidential election. [ABS-CBN News] [Benar News] [Rappler]
The Philippines: Environmentalists protest magnetite mining permits
(bs) The Philippines’ government has received two more permit applications to carry out offshore mining of magnetite or black sand in the Lingayen Gulf sparking protests among environmental activists and rights groups.
According to the opposition groups, the mining activity in the gulf will cause “massive environmental destruction.” They issued a warning on the harmful effects that the mining might pose on the marine environment in line with the statement released in early 2022 by the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. [Inquirer]
The Philippines: Police officer asked to be acquitted of murder charges
(dql) 17 police officers, indicted in January of charges of the murder of two political activists in 2021 during what was known as the “Bloody Sunday” raid in Southern Luzon, have submitted a request to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to dismiss the charges filed against them. They cited for the request the “absence of any probable cause” for the murder of a couple inside their home in Nasugbu, Batangas, on March 7, 2021, as well as the lack of any “physical evidence or even testimonial,” showing that they “were the ones who shot the spouses Evangelista or performed any overt acts leading to their deaths.” [Inquirer]
Singapore: Man with mental disability to be hanged for drug trafficking
(bs) On April 27, Singapore authorities are set to execute a Malaysian man convicted of drug trafficking. The court dismissed the last appeal by the man’s lawyers asking to spare him the death penalty as he was diagnosed with a mental disability.
Nagaenthran Dharmalingam was arrested in 2009 and convicted in 2010 for trafficking less than 50 grams of heroin.
The decision prompted immediate protests and calls for clemency for the man, who, according to his lawyers, was coerced into carrying the drugs. [The Guardian] [India Today] [Amnesty International]
Singapore: News website editor jailed over defamation charges
(bs) The Singaporean authorities arrested the editor of a closed news website in Singapore, The Online Citizen (TOC), on charges of defamation. The three-week jail term was given for publishing a letter alleging corruption activities among government high profiles. However, she denied all the charges and pleaded not guilty.
TOC’s license was revoked in October 2021 after the website did not declare its funding sources.
The case is reportedly the latest of several others where Singapore’s authorities seemed to tighten the press freedoms in the country. The police were also accused of trying to silence dissent. According to Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index, Singapore ranks 160th out of 180 countries where the first on the list is the country with the greatest media freedoms. [South China Morning Post]
Timor-Leste: Jose Ramos-Horta elected new president
(bs) On April 20, Jose Ramos-Horta secured victory in Timor-Leste’s presidential election obtaining 62 percent of the votes in his favor and beating his opponent, late president Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres, who gained 38 percent of the votes.
Jose Ramos-Horta is a Nobel Laureate and former Timor-Leste President. In his first speech, he declared his intention to have the country become the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations within one year. He will be taking office in a formal inauguration ceremony on May 20. [Reuters]
Thailand: Executives resign as numbers increase in Democrat Party Deputy Leader sexual assault case
(aph) As of April 25, at least 15 women have come forth and accused former Democrat deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi of sexual abuse. This sex scandal began earlier this month on April 11 when an unnamed 18-year-old filed a complaint with police and accused Prinn of sexual assault. Since then, it has cascaded into an avalanche where many other women have come forth and filed allegations against the senior politician, some dating back to the time he spent in the UK, including rape. Observers are reporting this to be the largest #metoo scandal involving a Thai politician to date. [The Thaiger|
The situation has raised concern for many within the party. On April 22, deputy prime minister Vittaya Kaewparadai resigned from the party, citing the sex scandal's damage to the party. According to Vittaya, the executive committee should demonstrate that ethical standards are above legal standards and should be held accountable, as they are the ones that brought Prinn into the party in the first place. He further warns Thailand’s oldest party, saying if there are no changes in the executive committee, the party will have no future. However, Vittaya does suggest he would return if major changes were made and if someone was held accountable for the ongoing situation. [Thai PBS World]
As a result, deputy prime minister and Democrat Party Leader Jurin Laksanawisit offered a public apology on April 19, accepting responsibility as Party Leader and announcing his resignation as chair of two national committees in gender equality and women’s policies. Despite internal and external pressure to resign, Jurin states he must stay in position and fix the problem. [Bangkok Post]
Still, more executives are resigning from the party. On April 25, deputy leader, Kanok Wongtrangan, veteran politician and former leader of the student movement during the student uprising in 1973, published on Facebook his decision to resign from the party out of moral conscience, effective immediately. He asserts the failure of the party’s leadership to meet the public's expectations during this scandal has caused public disappointment and goes against all the years of work the party has done. [Thai PBS World] [The Thaiger]
Thailand: Election Commission ordered to pay compensation to ex-Pheu Thai party lawmaker over vote-buying rulíng
(aph) The Election Commission (EC) and 14 election officials have been ordered by a Chiang Mai court on April 21 to pay compensation including interest of THB 70 million (US$ 2 million) to former Pheu Thai MP Surapol Kiatchaiyakorn on account of damaging his reputation by disqualifying him from the grounds of alleged vote-buying. The case was made by the EC during the general elections in 2019, accusing Surapol’s spending of around THB 2000 (US$ 58) on a religious ritual in celebration of his birthday during the campaign, which amounted to vote-buying. However, the case was overruled in September 2020 by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Officer Holders. [Thai PBS World]
The former Pheu Thai MP had won in Chiang Mai’s Constituency 8 with 52,165 votes before being disqualified by the EC. The EC claim Surapol gave a watch to a monk during a merit-making ceremony. This is an issue as the law forbids candidates from promising cash or other benefits directly or indirectly to communities, temples, and schools. The case is not yet final. The EC has one month to appeal Chiang Mai’s court decision. Surapol states how this affair has greatly tarnished his reputation. Pokpong Klapwiset, Surapol's lawyer, says his client may file a lawsuit if the EC refuses to take responsibility. [Bangkok Post]
Thailand: Arrest warrant issued for Yingluck as ex-Thai PM misses court appointment
(aph) On April 19, an arrest warrant was issued for the arrest of the ex-Thai PM and sister of Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck Shinawatra, as she failed to show up at the court’s reading of the charges against her in an anti-corruption case filed against her by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). The case was filed on January 28 by the NACC against Yingluck, former deputy prime minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, Yingluck's former secretary-general Suranand Vejjajiva, Matichon Plc, Siamsport Syndicate Plc, and Siamsport director Ravi Lohtong, over the Roadshow to Future Thailand 2020 project funding. [Phnompenh Post]
Yingluck and her co-defendants are accused of causing 239.7 million baht in damages to the country by helping Matichon and Siam Sport win contracts to implement the project through a special selection method instead of properly bidding them. The alleged crime was committed between late August 2013 and March 12, 2014. The court accepted the case for trial and agreed to try Yingluck, Niwatthamrong, and Suranand for alleged violations of Section 157 of the Anti-Corruption Act of 1999 and Sections 12 and 13 of the Price Collusion Act of 1999, and Matichon, Siamsport, and Mr. Ravi for alleged cooperation with the first three defendants. Niwatthamrong, Suranand, and Ravi were released on bail after the court initially admitted the case for trial. The court then set April 19 for the first hearing, where Yingluck failed to appear before the court without giving a valid reason or filing a motion to postpone the hearing. The court issued a warrant for her arrest under Section 28 of the Criminal Procedure Against Political Office Holders Act of 2017. The next court hearing has been set for September 12. [Bangkok Post]
Observers report that the NACC is preparing seven more corruption cases to file against Yingluck. [Nation Thailand]
Thailand: Former deputy prime minister Somkid accepts invitation to serve as a prime ministerial candidate for newly established party
(aph) Former deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak has accepted to run as a prime minister candidate for the newly established Sarng Anakhot Thai Party (Building the Future of Thailand) on April 24. Party secretary-general Sontirat Sontijirawong, a former energy minister under PM Gen. Prayut Chan-o-Cha stated the party is now well-staffed and equipped after its general assembly on April 20. [Bangkok Post]
Accordingly, during the general assembly Uttama Savanayana, the former leader and secretary-general of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) was named party leader and the party’s second candidate for PM while Sontirat was named party’s secretary-general. Other members of the Sarng Anakot Party executives include three former PPPR members Wichian Chaowalit, Supol Fongngam, and Santi Kirannant, former Democrat veteran Nipit Intarasombat and Suranand Vejjajiva, a former secretary-general to Yingluck Shinawatra’s regime.
Reportedly, the party's aim is to win at least 50 House seats from both constituency and party-list systems in the next poll. Its medium size and strength would be in economic policies. [Bangkok Post]
Thailand: Former prime minister's daughter repeats call for landslide in next election
(aph) Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin's youngest daughter and the Pheu Thai Party's chairman of the Inclusion and Innovation Adviser Committee, has remained silent on the possibility of competing for Prime Minister. However, the party declared it will unveil its candidate after the House of Representatives is dissolved. Dubbed by observers, Paetongtarn is also considered the "Head of the Pheu Thai Family". She played a crucial role on April 24, when she repeated her demand for popular support for a landslide victory in the next general election. She promised, among other things, to convert Thailand into a technology-driven country capable of competing with the rest of the globe. Cholnan Srikaew, the head of the Pheu Thai party, warned supporters that only a massive victory of 250 seats or more will allow the party to carry out its goals. [Bangkok Post]
Palang Pracharath on April 3 targeted the 150 seats that would keep it as the core of a new government because it can rely on the support of senators appointed by the military junta before the last election. Bhumjaithai said in its annual meeting on April 23 that it would win a projected 100 seats or more. In the upcoming election, 400 seats in the House of Representatives will be up for grabs. All 250 senators in the upper chamber were chosen for a five-year term under the military-backed constitution, allowing them to influence the outcome of the next general election. Their tenure is set to end in 2024. [Bangkok Post]
Thailand: Police suspend passport issuing for pro-democracy group leaders
(kc) On April 21, Pannika Wanich, a prominent leader of the Progressive Movement, went to meet the head of Phayathai Police Station after a consular official informed her that they can’t issue her a new passport since there was a document from the Phayathai Police Station to recommend suspending the issuance of a new passport for her reasoning she is criminal under Article 116 "Instigator to violate Constitution." [BBC, in Thai] [Amnesty International]
In addition, the document also disqualified chairman of the Progressive Movement Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and its secretary Piyabutr Saengkanokkul from obtaining a new passport on the same grounds. However, their current passports are still valid as Piyabutr visited his wife in France three weeks ago. [Matichon, in Thai]
Pannika said the police action was beyond their jurisdiction and was politically discriminatory since the lawsuit is still pending by the prosecutor and there is no court order to prevent her from traveling aboard. The head of Phayathai Police Station declared that they would cancel the recommendation, and she could expect her passport procedure by April 22. [Prachathai, in Thai]
Thailand: The government aims to promote rights for stateless children and youth in Thailand
(kc) Office of the National Health Commission organized public hearings for a draft proposal to promote to health rights among stateless children and youth. The meeting was attended by more than 50 organizations from the government, academic, private, and civil society sectors.
The draft policy will request the government and private agencies to extend accessibility jointly, develop, and improve birth certification and post-birth registration processes to ensure stateless children and youth rights within the legal time frame. [Prachathai, in Thai]
Thailand: Brutality against conscripts in the Thai military
(kc) On April 21, Future Forward Party (FFP) Member of Parliament Parinya Chuayket Kirirat, Thailand's first handicapped MP, addressed the parliament about a conscript who was reported to have been beaten while serving in the Royal Thai Air Force Battalion in Songkhla Province. This conscript, who, after his discharge, still has dementia, cannot recognize people around him, becomes permanently handicapped, and needs continued treatment.
He urged the air force to pay attention to its personnel and underlined that it was time to reform the military and abolish conscription. [Prachathai 1, in Thai] [Khaosod, in Thai]
On the same day, a local Trat province reporter received an appeal for justice from a father whose son died at a naval hospital from a blood infection during his enlistment. The father said that he could not contact his son, who was in the navy's barracks, until April, when he noticed a Facebook post looking for his son's relatives; the post said that his son was seriously ill and being hospitalized in an ICU at Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital. He rushed to the hospital and found out that the conscript had acute renal failure and pulmonary edema before learning from his son that he had been beaten in a military camp before his death. [Prachathai 2, in Thai] [Ch3Plus, in Thai]
Thailand still requires all men over the age of 20 who did not join the Reserve Force during high school to enlist in the military for six months to two years. Violence, abuse, and humiliation against conscripts in the Thai military are regularly reported. In 2020, Amnesty International (AI) released a report, "We were just toys to them," which recounts what happened to the conscripts in the Thai military. [Amnesty International]
Thailand: Repression of political activists continues
(kc) Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported seven activists being detained in prison for political demonstrations from mid-March to April 20. [TLHR] Two of the detainees were charged with Section 112 charges, one was accused of a computer-related offense, and the court denied bail for three of them. Another four other activists were detained for ongoing investigations without any charge after participating in the 12th anniversary of the red-shirt crackdown. [No. 15, April/2022, 2]
Tantawan "Tawan" Tuatulanon, a 20-year-old activist, was charged with article 112, "lèse-majesté," and article 116, "Instigator to violate Constitution," for her demonstration against monarchy by asking people in February if they have been troubled by a royal motorcade.. [No. 8, February/2022, 4] She was released on bail until she disseminated video of the royal motorcade on her Facebook in March. The court then revoked her bail and charged her with another count under article 112. She was detained at the central Bangkok women's prison on April 20. She told her lawyer that she decided to start her starvation to protest the withdrawal of her bail. [Prachathai, in Thai]
Thailand: Political activist jailed for his Facebook post on prison sex story
(kc) On 19 April, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence one-year imprisonment without parole for political activist Ekachai Hongkangwan according to the Computer Crime Act, Section 14 (4) "Importing to a computer system of any computer data of a pornographic nature that is publicly accessible" over his Facebook post in 2017. [Prachathai, in Thai]
Ekachai used to be a lottery vendor before being prosecuted under Article 112, "Lèse-majesté law," for selling the compact disc containing an analytical documentary about the Thai monarchy made by ABC, an American-based news agency, and distributing copies of leaked monarchy-related documents from WikiLeaks in 2011. In 2015, the Supreme Court sentenced him to two years and eight months in prison, where he was already incarcerated from March 2013 until his release in November 2015. [TLHR, in Thai]
After leaving prison, Ekachai became famous as a political activist, especially for the case of luxury watches of Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, deputy head of the coup junta and deputy Prime Minister. Over his career, he was assaulted nine times and his car was set on fire to burned twice. He was sentenced to one year in prison in April 2021 over his Facebook post in 2017, which tells the story of his experience having sex with another male prisoner while serving his sentence for the Article 112 case at the Bangkok Special Prison. [iLaw 1, in Thai] [iLaw 2, in Thai] [No. 1, January/2019, 1]
US Diplomat denies claims that new Chiang Mai consulate houses covert military installation
(kd) On April 26, a United States (US) spokesperson has denied accusations that the new US Consulate in Chiang Mai, currently under construction, is being used for covert military operations including supplying arms to rebel groups in Myanmar. The accusation came in an open letter to US President Joseph Biden from Nitithorn Lumlua, a representative of the political action group “Peoples of Thailand.”
The US embassy assured the public that “The construction of the new consulate building in Chiang Mai is part of the US Department of State's broader effort to upgrade diplomatic facilities” and it reflects the United States’ strong relationship with Thailand.
“Peoples of Thailand” is a peripheral political group that opposes US support of democratization and human rights in Thailand for fear they will destabilize the kingdom. The group also opposes the administration of Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-Cha, having demanded his resignation of last year.
In addition to the arming of rebels in Myanmar, “Peoples of Thailand” believes that a US Central Intelligence Agency presence has been established in the Chiang Mai Consulate and that is will act as a centralized drone base for US activities in the region. [Bangkok Post] [Thai PBS] [Thai Newsroom]
Thailand: The court allowed Muslim students to wear a hijab
(kc) The administrative court in Yala, one of the southern border provinces, allowed Muslim students to wear a hijab to study at the school. [Matichon, in Thai]
In May 2018, the school director issued an order banning students from wearing a hijab, claiming that the school is located on the monastic ground belonging to a local Buddhist temple. Parents gathered to protest and fight a long-standing lawsuit before the court ruled out the restriction.
Thailand: Bangkok governor candidate sues news commentators for defamation
(kc) On April 22, Sakoltee Phattiyakul, ex-Bangkok deputy governor and independent candidate for governor of Bangkok, said that the court had accepted his lawsuit against the two "Voice TV" commentators.
Sakoltee stated that during news programs in March and April, the two broadcasters had criticized his political ideology and what he had posted in the past, with offensive words and disdain toward him beyond the media's duty to give an opinion. He said he believed this might lead people who watch the program to hate him, especially during the election campaign for the governor of Bangkok. [Voice TV, in Thai]
Vietnam: The Vietnamese appeal court upheld the 5-year-sentence for a journalist
(kc) The Vietnamese appeal court upheld the 5-year-sentence for a journalist, Le Trong Hung.
Hung announced that he would run for election for a seat in the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which is considered a challenge to the ruling government, before he was arrested in March 2021 for his Facebook broadcast of a deadly police crackdown on January 9, 2020. He later was sentenced to five years imprisonment for article 117, "creating, storing, disseminating information, materials, items, and publications against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam."
His wife said she was unaware that her husband had filed an appeal since there is no report in any public source, but she later acknowledged from her friend after officials observed her house on the day of the court's verdict. [Radio Free Asia]
Vietnam: Control over social media companies to be tightened
(dql) Vietnam is reportedly preparing new rules under which social media firms would be required to take down content and services it considers illegal within 24 hours, while active “illegal livestreams” are to be blocked within three hours. Social media companies have also been informed that content that harms national security must be removed immediately. Firms which fail to meet the deadlines risk to see their platforms banned in the country.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is expected to sign the amendments by next month. [Reuters]
International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia
Global military spending reaches all -time high in 2021
(dql) According to findings of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), released on April 25, the global military expenditure has reached a record high of USD 2.113 trillion in 2021, surpassing 2020 by 0.7 percent.
Among the top five defense spender are the United States (USD 801 billion), China (USD 293 billion), India (USD 76.6 billion), the United Kingdom (USD 68.4 billion) and Russia (USD 65.9). They account 62 percent of the global expenditure.
Other Asian countries among the listed 40 include Japan (USD 54.1 billion, 9th rank), South Korea (USD 50.2 billion, 10th), Taiwan (USD 13 billion, 21st), Qatar (USD 11.6 billion, 22nd), Pakistan (USD 11.3 billion, 23rd), Singapore (USD 11.1 billion, 24th), Kuwait (USD 9.0 billion, 27th), Indonesia (USD 8.3 billion, 29th), and Thailand (USD 6.6 billion, 33rd).
Russia’s military spending grew by 2.9 percent compared with 2020 and accounted for 4.1 percent of the country’s Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP), which is nearly double of the global average of 2.2 percent.
Ukraine’s military spending, meanwhile, has increased by 72 percent since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Despite a drop by over eight percent in 2021 to USD 5.9 billion, Ukraine’s military spending still accounted for 3.2 percent of the country’s GDP. [SIPRI]
Solomon Islands sign security pact with China
(jw) China announced on April 19 that it signed the security agreement with the Solomon Islands which was a subject of continuous diplomatic disputes in the previous weeks, as regional players such as Australia, New Zealand and the US voiced their concerns regarding a Chinese military presence in the region [see AiR No. 13, March/2022, 5]. According to Soloman Islands’ Deputy Prime Minister for Home Affairs Douglas Ete, Chinese officials will visit the Solomon Islands in May to sign further multilateral agreements. [DW]
While there is still only a leaked draft of the agreement available, the lack of information on the agreement was lamented by US officials who fear that China is mainly trying to gain a military foothold in the region. After Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare already ruled out a Chinese military base on the Solomon Islands, chairman of Parliament's public accounts committee Douglas Ete tried to further dispel concerns on civilian aspects such as cooperation on trade, education and fishery. [Wall Street Journal]
Sogavara also tried to ease worries by stating that the security agreement would not undermine peace. He asked all “neighbours, friends and partners” of the Solomon Islands to “respect the sovereign interests of the Solomon Islands on the assurance that the decision will not adversely impact or undermine the peace and harmony of our region.” [Reuters 1]
However, there are no indications that critical parts of the leaked draft agreement such as China being allowed to dock military ships on the Solomon Islands are not part of the pact now signed. The agreement could possibly also entail a clause that enables the Solomon Islands to request Chinese police or military personnel’s presence if there are natural disasters or violent riots. [NBC]
Sogavare’s course of gradually deepening ties with China since he had switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China in 2019 played a role in violent protests last November that forced the Solomon Islands to request assistance from Australia [see AiR No. 49, December/2021, 1]. Australia refuted the claim of former Solomon Islands Prime Minister Danny Philip that the Australian forces sent to the Solomon Islands were told to refrain from protecting Chinese-built infrastructure. [The Guardian]
Countries that had previously voiced concerns over the security pact reacted with disappointment to the announcement that it has been signed. According to U.S. State Department, the security agreement “could increase destabilization within the Solomon Islands and will set a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific Island region.” The Australian Ministers for Foreign Affairs and for International Development and the Pacific Marise Payne and Zed Seselja also expressed their deep disappointment in a joint statement stating that the agreement had the “potential to undermine stability in our region”. New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta similarly declared that her country was “saddened” about the decision of the Solomon Islands. [BBC]
Japan also views the agreement as “likely to have an impact on the overall region's security”, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. During a visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to Japan, Ardern discussed the deal with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Kishida and Ardern reportedly considered the strengthening of Asia-Pacific security ties to face China’s increased assertiveness. [Japan Times] [Reuters 2]
The Chinese foreign ministry again argued against the concerns voiced by other countries and targeted especially the US by suggesting that US officials treat the Solomon Islands as appendants and not as an independent state. [Global Times]
The signing comes shortly before a delegation of US diplomats visited the Solomon Islands on April 22 after discussing the security pact with Fiji and Papua New Guinea in the previous days. This timing led to speculations that China sped up the signing process to prevent the US delegation from exerting influence on the Solomon Islands. As preventing the security pact from being signed was not on the table anymore, the delegation discussed plans to open an embassy in the capital of the Solomon Islands Honiara. It also delivered a message of the White House warning the Solomon of unspecified consequences if the agreement entails the establishment of “a de facto permanent military presence, power-projection capabilities, or a military installation.” [Reuters 3]
China faces further criticism over stance on Ukraine war
(jw) At third High Level Meeting of the U.S.-EU Dialogue on China on April 21 and the U.S.-EU Consultations on the Indo-Pacific on April 22 in Brussels, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman reiterated criticism regarding the Chinese position towards Ukraine. According to Sherman, Chinese actions such as amplifying Russian narratives on state media are not contributing to improving the situation in Ukraine.
Much like US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in the previous week [see AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3], Sherman emphasized that China must have observed the unitedness of western nations in their response towards Russia and indicated that a similar response would be in order should China provide Russia with considerable support.
The Chinese foreign ministry refused Sherman’s remarks, stating that they purely represent “the old trick of smearing Russia”. Sherman’s statements were however mirrored by the Czech foreign ministry arguing that “any kind of Chinese support of Russia will hurt its relation with the EU.” [Bloomberg]
The criticism of China comes amid western countries claiming that China stays close to Russia in terms of rhetoric. According to the US state department, China continues to “parrot” Russian concepts and talking points such as the term of “indivisible security”, promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping during an April 21 video speech at the annual Boao Asia Forum. The concept of “indivisible security” describes a scenario in which no country can increase its security by decreasing another country’s security. According to the Russian narrative often repeated on Chinese state media, Western governments agreed to uphold this concept after the downfall of the Soviet Union but subsequently violated it with the expansion of NATO, necessitating what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine. [Reuters]
Xi’s speech at the Boao Asia Forum contained a proposal for a global security initiative that should serve international cooperation on economic issues, security and development “to maintain peace and stability in the world”. [State Council, China]
European Union, India discuss closer ties as von der Leyen visits New Delhi with Ukraine on agenda
(lm) The European Union (EU) and India agreed to launch a joint trade and technology council as the bloc’s president Ursula von der Leyen met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on April 25, the latest in a string of visits from foreign officials seeking to woo India away from Russia with pledges of security, defence and energy cooperation. [European Commission 1]
The two leaders also agreed to resume negotiations for an EU-India Free Trade Agreement and to start talks on an Investment Protection Agreement as well as on an Agreement on Geographical Indications. The decisions can be considered a direct outcome of the first EU-Indian Leaders’ Meeting held in May of last year [see AiR No. 19, May/2021, 2].
Von der Leyen's itinerary began with an address to a youth forum on climate change, where she praised India for its ambitious target of meeting half of its energy demands from renewable sources by 2030. She also pointed out how dependency on Russian fuel was not sustainable for the transition towards homegrown renewable energy. [The Independent, $]
Her two-day trip to New Delhi also involved opening the ninth edition of the Raisina Dialogue, a three-day Indian flagship event on geopolitics and geoeconomics, as its chief guest. In her opening remarks, von der Leyen said a close relationship with the European Union had reached “new heights” and was in the strategic interests of India. She also said this year marked the 60th anniversary of the EU-India relationship and stated the two shared many similarities, including vibrant democracies and large economies. [European Commission 2]
Von der Leyen’s visit was widely seen as being part of a broader Western effort to encourage India to downgrade ties with Russia in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. So far, New Delhi has consistently refused to take sides in the pivotal Russia-Ukraine conflict [see AiR No. 15, April/2022, 2]. [Deutsche Welle] [The Straits Times]
Notably, Ukraine was also on the agenda when Prime Minister Modi hosted his British counterpart Boris Johnson last week, in a trip that culminated in the announcement of a new defence and security partnership. Johnson’s visit followed telephone talks with United States President Joe Biden on the invasion. [see entry in this edition]
United Kingdom offers weapons to India, looks to complete free trade deal by end of year
(sg/lm) The United Kingdom and India have signed a new defense cooperation agreement and will look to complete a long-awaited free trade deal by the end of the year, their leaders said after a meeting in New Delhi on April 22. [Al Jazeera] [South China Morning Post]
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson concluded his two-day visit to India – which came as India marks its 75th year of independence – with a meeting and a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, whom he called a “special friend”. Johnson had previously travelled to Gujarat province in western India, where he announced a raft of commercial agreements. [UK Government 1]
As to the security partnership, Johnson said it would help move New Delhi away from its dependence on Russia-made weapons by expanding defence ties with the West, including British support of India manufacturing its weapons domestically. Key to the agreement is an India-specific open general export licence to slash delivery times for weapons and other defence items. Only the European Union and the United States currently have such licences. [ABC News] [The Indian Express 1]
Against this backdrop, Johnson highlighted that the UK and India share common ideals in a partnership “confronting our shared anxieties about autocracies and autocratic coercion around the world.” At the same time, the British premier steered clear of criticizing India directly for its refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Instead, Johnson said after meeting Modi it was unlikely New Delhi would end its long-standing ties with Moscow. In light of this, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla noted that there was “no pressure” on a policy change by New Delhi regarding Russia. [Reuters] [The Indian Express 2]
The two leaders also discussed the progress on numerous economic deals, first and foremost a post-Brexit Free Trade Agreement (FTA), where negotiations will be entering their third round later this month [see AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]. In an apparent hastening of his ambition – Johnson had earlier put his target for a deal at the end of the year – the British premier said he hoped to wrap up the free trade deal with India by October. As part of these efforts, Johnson stated that he was open to granting more skilled visa applications to Indian workers, especially in IT and programming. [Hindustan Times] [UK Government 2]
The two leaders also signed two Memorandum of Understanding, the India-UK Global Innovation Partnership and the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership. [The Economic Times]
First call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe
(jw) After US officials attempted to establish a conversation between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and deputy chairman of the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang, Chinese authorities insisted that Austin speaks to his direct counterpart Wei Fenghe, even though Xu is the more influential person in the Chinese political hierarchy.
The phone call served as a revival of communication on defense issues after the lack of exchange between US and Chinese defense officials prompted concerns in the US. As the call was not meant to bring about a breakthrough in US-China relations, Xu and Austin exchanged their views on bilateral and regional security relations as well as “Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine” according to the US Department of Defense. Both sides also discussed Taiwan with Austin appealing to China to scale back its military operations in the area and Wei reiterating that Taiwan is a part of China. [ABC News] [Reuters 1] [Reuters 2] [US Department of Defense]
In a more confrontational account of the call, the Chinese defense ministry stressed that Xu and Austin discussed “maritime and air security issues” with China urging the US to “stop military provocations at sea and refrain from using the Ukraine issue to smear and sow false evidence against China, or threaten and put pressure on China.” [Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China]
Contradictory signals on ongoing US-China auditing dispute
(jw) Vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission Fang Xinghai expressed his optimism about China and the US finding an agreement on audit cooperation soon. According to Fang, “uncertainty will be removed soon, and this will be good news for Chinese stocks listed overseas.”
Fang’s statement indicates China’s willingness to concede on certain issues that stand in the way of cooperation in the audit dispute that led to US regulators compiling a list of numerous Chinese companies that could be delisted if they do not comply with US standards, and refuse to disclose information.
Observers are, however, doubtful that an agreement might be around the corner as US regulators continue to exert pressure by expanding the list of ‘threatened’ Chinese companies. After the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that twelve additional Chinese companies could be delisted [see AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3], 17 more companies were added to the SEC’s list on April 21.
In reaction to the SEC expanding its list amid talks between regulators from both sides, Chinese observers expressed their incomprehension. [Global Times] [Reuters]
US contemplates lowering tariffs on China to combat inflation
(jw) As the US economy suffers from a strong increase in inflation, Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics Daleep Singh considers softening tariffs on Chinese goods. According to Singh, tariffs on non-strategic Chinese goods, for example bicycles or underwear, do not present the US with a strategic advantage but have only served to create negotiation leverage for the Trump administration amid the China-US trade war. Singh indicated that China and the US have both previously imposed such tariffs on each other and could thus possibly cooperate on scrapping them again as they both face economic turbulences.
Singh’s statements come at a time when the US slowly eases its approach towards trade with China, providing certain exemptions from tariffs in March [see AiR No. 13, March/2022, 5] but still retaining all of the tariffs that were imposed during the escalating trade war under the Trump administration. Some US Republicans also begin to distance themselves from former US President Trump’s protectionist approach towards trade with China and vow for a more “thoughtful” application of tariffs, as the House and Senate contemplate a China bill that should set out a better strategy for the US to approach China.
However, reconciling the views of the two parties is difficult as many House Democrats advocate a more assertive stance towards China while some Senate Republicans want a lowering of trade barriers. [Politico] [Reuters]
China to support Zambia in facing overwhelming debt
(jw) As Zambia faces continuing trouble over its debt that amounts to almost USD 32 billion, around 120 percent of its GDP, China joined other countries in efforts to accelerate the process of restructuring Zambia’s debt.
Zambia’s financial problems became overwhelming during the COVID-19 pandemic and led to the African nation defaulting in 2020. According to International Monetary Fund, China joined Zambia’s creditor committee and will contribute to efforts to ease the financial burden on Zambia.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called on China to play a more active role in assisting African countries with their financial problems stating that “China is a very significant lender to many of these low-income countries, and […] needs to participate, along with the Paris Club and private creditors."
According to most recent data, China held about USD 6 billion of Zambia’s debt at the end of 2021. Many of the Zambian loans are meant to finance Chinese-led infrastructure projects and production of Chinese military equipment. [Reuters] [South China Morning Post]
Japan’s SDF plane to pick up Ukraine relief reportedly blocked by India
(cm) A Japanese government official from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) stated on April 21 that the entry of a Japanese transport plane of the Air Self-Defence Force was denied by India; the plane was supposed to collect aid supplies in a United Nations agency in India and the United Arab Emirates, and then transport them to Poland and Romania for the Ukrainian refugees who have been welcomed in the two countries.
The government official said that India had agreed to allow the transport plane to land but withdrew its consent on April 20, putting off the plan of sending the aircraft at the end of the month which was supposed to be formally approved in Japan on April 22.
Lawmakers at the LDP policy meeting have raised concerns over the possibility of India rejecting the plan because of its traditionally close ties with Russia, on which the country is dependent for military and energy supplies. The invasion of Ukraine has yet to be condemned by the South Asian nation, although it has provided aid supplies to Ukraine such as medical equipment since March following a request from the Ukrainian government.
India rejected the accusation and stated that the landing of a Japanese transport flight in Mumbai has been “processed and approved”. Nonetheless, Japan will reportedly still try to dispatch the ASDF plan, as per request of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Defence Minister Nuobo Kishi announced last week that following a request from Kyiv, Japanese commercial flights will be used to transport masks and clothing to protect against chemical weapons. [South China Morning Post] [The Print]
Japan and New Zealand agree to boost ties and information sharing
(cm) Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Arden agreed during a meeting on April 21 to extend security and defense cooperation, and start negotiations on an information-sharing agreement, including exchange of intelligence. The two leaders also pledged to jointly work on researching renewables, such as hydrogen and geothermal energy, reiterating the importance of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade agreement signed by both countries.
Arden’s visit to Japan, following one to Singapore, is intended to strengthen ties with New Zealand’s two main trading partners in an attempt to rebuild the country’s economy after financial losses suffered during the pandemic, especially focusing on the renewable energy sector amid surges in oil prices, and, energy supplies’ instability caused by the ongoing Ukrainian crisis. [Nikkei Asia]
The leaders also addressed the security environment in the East China Sea, South China Sea and South Pacific in the wake of the Solomon Islands’ security agreement with China (see entry above), and stated that any use of force to change the status quo will be tolerated.
In light of the security pact, Japan sent Kentaro Uesegi, a parliamentary vice minister for foreign affairs, to Solomon Islands on April 25, as the eventual deployment of Chinese forces in the islands is feared to increase China’s clout in the region. To reaffirm cooperation against China’s assertiveness, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is set to visit Palau, a Pacific-island country that entertains diplomatic ties with Taiwan and Fiji in May. [The Mainichi] [Nippon]
Japan confirms further cooperation with Oman, Kuwait
(cm) During telephone talks on April 21, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi exchanged congratulations over the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and expressed their intention to further strengthening the bilateral ties.
Hayashi praised Oman’s diplomatic role in the ongoing Yemen crisis and asked for a continued effort to stabilize the international oil market, considering the surge in crude oil prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while Albusaidi applauded Japan’s role in the maintenance of stability in the Middle East. The two ministers both condemned Moscow’s attack on Ukraine as a violation of the international order and law, and underlined the importance of the United Nations in this situation. [Arab News 1]
On April 20 Hayashi held telephone talks with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohamed Al-Sabah, during which he stated Japan’s interest in consolidating the close bilateral relationship between the two countries, and exchanged views on the increase in crude oil prices. Hayashi, for his part, expressed his gratitude for Kuwait’s stable supply to Japan and the country’s role in the stabilization of the international market. 8.5 percent of Japan’s crude imports in February 2022 came from Kuwait, amounting to 6.68 million barrels, and imports are expected to increase.
However, the two countries reacted differently to the situation in Ukraine: while Japan strongly reprimanded Russia, Kuwait only condemned the act as a breach of international law and the Charter of the United Nations without directly referring to Putin. [Arab News 2]
Japan criticized by South Korea and China over offerings to war-linked shrine
(cm) After Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent ritual offerings to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine for the war’s dead on April 21, and several political leaders paid visits in person, South Korea and China condemned the act, since the shrine which has been honoring 2.5 million war dead including 14 wartime leaders who were convicted as war criminals, has been linked to Japan’s history of aggression in the neighboring countries before and during World War II.
Ties between the countries have been strained by what is deemed to be Japan’s unwillingness to own up to wartime crimes during Japan’s occupation and colonial rule in China and South Korea. South Korea’s incoming Foreign Minister Park Jin acknowledged that a deal signed in December 2015 was to come to an agreement over the issue of “comfort women” in Japanese military brothels, as officials then have expressed the intention of recovering the victims’ honor, as well as improving the relationship between South Korea and Japan in agreed joint efforts. [Reuters] [Kyodo News]
Japan to cooperate with US over yen’s sharp fall
(cm) In a meeting in Washington, Japan’s Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and United States’ Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen agreed on a close communication between the two countries to tackle the Japanese yen’s recent decline to a 20-year low against the U.S. dollar, especially after a gathering of the finance chiefs of the Group of 20. A widening monetary policy gap is expected as the Japanese currency has been falling rapidly, while the country maintains its monetary easing. [Kyodo News]
Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Japan
(cm) On April 23 the two-day Asia-Pacific Water Summit began in Kumamoto, Japan, where delegations from countries within the region and international organizations have gathered to discuss water-related issues. In conclusion to the summit-level talks, the Kumamoto declaration was adopted, with reference to the consequences of increasing natural disasters and worsening water quality, to be discussed at the 2023 United Nations Water Conference.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed improving sanitation as a vital step in eradicating poverty and providing clean water in his speech. He also announced Japan’s initiative of providing about JPY 500 billion (USD 4 billion) over the next five years in aid to the region, to be used for water supply facilities and climate change measures, such as upgrading the hydraulic control capacity of dams and increasing hydropower energy. [NHK]
Japan shifts policy toward Russia in 2022 Diplomatic Bluebook
(cm) In its 2022 Diplomatic Bluebook, the annual foreign policy report released on April 22, Japan announced a shift in its previously conciliatory approach to its longstanding territorial dispute with Russia, following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The report states that the Northern Territories, called the Southern Kurils in Russia an “inherent” part of Japan, a description removed after the 2011 report, and stated they are “illegally occupied” by Russia, a term that was used for the first time since 2003. [Kyodo News]
In line with other Group of Seven member countries, Japan has strongly reprimanded Russia’s attack in Ukraine with numerous sanctions and formally revoked Russia’s “most favored nations” trade status on April 20; the revocation of the status will lead to applying tariffs and imposing higher duties on most imports from Russia, not including crude oil and liquefied natural gas which had no tariffs to start with. [AP News]
Japan-US joint drill to be held in Hokkaido this fall
(cm) This coming fall, the largest Japan-United States joint military drill will take place in Hokkaido, lasting two weeks and involving more than 4,000 personnel. Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Marine Corps will participate in the exercise, named the Resolute Dragon, to assess defense capabilities and operations amid tensions globally and within region.
The coordination between the two military forces is expected to be strengthened, while testing defense procedures for remote islands. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, around 10 joint U.S.-Japan have taken place and have been increasing steadily since 2020 in light of aggravating security conditions in East Asia. [Nikkei Asia]
Inter-Korean relations: Exchange of letters between North Korean leader and South Korean President
(mpk) Last week saw a rare exchange of letters between North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
On April 22, Kim sent a letter to Moon in which he reaffirmed the indelible achievements of both Koreas, and expressed his belief that inter-Korean relations can develop based on mutual sincerity.
The letter was a response to Moon’s farewell letter to Kim, in which the outgoing President whose term ends in early May, asked Kim to continue talks with the United States and to establish a dialogue with President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration. [Aljazeera] [Yonhap News Agency 1]
At the same time, however, North Korean propaganda organs Uriminzokkiri and Meari condemned the annual combined military training between South Korea and the US seen as a preparation for war and invasion of the North, accusing the South Korean military of “confrontational madness.” [Yonhap News Agency 2]
Early last week, Seoul and Washington began the annual nine-day, springtime Combined Command Post Training, a combined military exercise based on a computer simulation without a field training exercise element. [The Korea Herald 1]
Meanwhile, a North Korean state propaganda organization criticized President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol for continuing to be silent on the issue of Japan’s approval of new school textbooks last month that are seen by Pyongyang as distorting the history of wartime forced sexual labor and slavery of Korean people. [The Korea Herald 2]
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea meets with South Korean officials
(mpk) U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim met with officials from both outgoing and incoming administrations to coordinate North Korean policy in case North Korea's major provocations, such as nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile testing, may become frequent before Yoon takes office next month.
On April 20, Sung Kim visited South Korean Foreign Minister nominee Park Jin. Park stressed that there is a necessity for close coordination between Seoul and Washington against the North’s missile threats. Park also added that his country will cooperate with their ally, the US, right from the beginning of Yoon’s administration. [Yonhap News Agency 1]
Meanwhile, the US Department of State stressed that the tripartite alliance between the US, Japan, and South Korea will continue to encourage North Korea to resume dialogue, but the department also said that the US will continue to hold North Korea accountable for its nuclear provocations. [Yonhap News Agency 2]
South Korea: Yoon Suk-yeol’s delegation is in Japan to strengthen bilateral relations
(mpk) A seven-member delegation sent by President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol arrived in Tokyo on April 24 for a five-day visit to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as well as other top officials. After the US, Japan is the second foreign country to which Yoon has dispatched a delegation.
Yoon's team considers the visit as the first step to improve bilateral relations that has been increasingly strained over differences over wartime forced labor and ‘comfort women’ as related decisions of South Korean courts ordering Japan and Japanese companies to pay compensation to South Korea victims. It is also an opportunity to reaffirm the trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan in the wake of a deepening Sino-Russian ‘no limit’ partnership and North Korea’s missile threats. [Yonhap News Agency]
On April 25, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stressed during a meeting with the delegation that an improvement of bilateral and trilateral ties between Tokyo, Seoul and Washington is urgently required amid a rapidly changing international environment and a threat of the rules-based international order. Kishida added, issues staying in the way of improving relations between the two countries needed to be resolved, including the wartime labor of Koreans.
Member of House of Representatives Chung Jin-suk, the head of delegation, for his part, affirmed that the incoming Yoon administration presents a “new starting line” for “a future-oriented relationship of South Korea and Japan.” [Kyodo News] [The Korea Herald]
South Korea to organize a task force for Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
(mpk) A task force will be organized under the South Korean Trade Ministry to design the country’s potential participation in an economic framework, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) led by the US. The task force will concentrate on four main parts of the IPEF such as fair and resilient trade, supply chains, clean energy, and anti-corruption.
Due to Sino-US rivalry, the US tries to carry out the IPEF in order to cooperate with Asian Pacific countries on digital trade, supply chains, and to undertake other major emerging trade issues. [The Korea Herald]
South Korea, Sweden look for ways to deepen industry cooperation
(mpk) On April 20, South Korean and Swedish vice industry ministers gathered at the inaugural meeting of the joint Industry Cooperation Committee to talk about ways to deepen cooperation in zero-emission goals, green industries, semiconductors, batteries, and the transition to digital industry sectors.
The Committee was set up in 2019 in line with a memorandum of understanding on industry cooperation, which President Moon Jae-in signed during his visit to Sweden in June of that year.
With an increase by 26 percent, the trade value between the two nations has reached USD 3.57 billion in 2021. [Yonhap News Agency]
Cross-strait relations: Chinese warplanes enters Taiwanese ADIZ
(dql) Taiwan’s defense ministry confirmed that on April 25 three Chinese military aircraft – two People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shenyang J-16 fighter jets and one Xian H-6 bomber – entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ). It was the 18th time this month that Chinese warplanes have been spotted in the ADIZ, accounting for 61 Chinese military aircraft, including 42 fighter jets, three bombers, 11 spotter planes, and five helicopters.
Taiwan: Campaign to attend WHA as observer launched
(dql) Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced that it will make its utmost effort to attend the May 22-28 World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer.
Since years, China has been successful blocking Taiwan from attending the annual event in Geneva, Switzerland. Backed by recently growing diplomatic support from allies and other countries for Taiwan’s cause since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MOFA has coordinated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to make its case through its offices overseas, by publishing letters in the press, and by posting video materials on social media, CNA reported. [Taiwan News 1]
In an earlier move last week, the World Medical Association (WMA) reiterated its call for Taiwan to be allowed to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA) in an open letter to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that demanded that Taiwan be granted observer status in the annual assembly, which will take place May 22-28. [Taiwan News 2]
Sri Lanka, China discusses loan from Beijing to cover debts
(lm) Sri Lanka said on April 26 it has begun discussions with China about obtaining another loan from Beijing to repay some of its debt to Chinese banks after China was balking at restructuring existing loans because it does not want to set that precedent. [ABC News] [The Times of India]
Sri Lanka has nearly USD 7 billion in foreign debt due for repayment this year and will need to repay USD 25 billion over the next five years. But a sharp drop in foreign exchange reserves has fueled soaring inflation, and prolonged power cuts and shortages of fuel, food and medicines have sparked nationwide protests. [see entry in this edition]
Against this backdrop, the government said earlier this month it was suspending payments on portions of its 51 USD billion in foreign loans pending negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a loan restructuring plan. If the payment is not made within a 30-day grace period, it would mark the country's first default on its foreign debt since independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.
Colombo was also hoping to borrow USD 1 billion from Beijing so that it can repay existing Chinese loans due in July, as well as a USD 1.5 billion credit line to purchase goods. Chinese authorities responded on April 21, weeks after Sri Lanka made the request for financial support, saying it would extend USD 31 million in “urgent emergency humanitarian aid.” Sri Lanka has also been seeking to delay the repayment of USD 11 billion in Chinese loans since January when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the country's capital, Colombo [see AiR No. 2, January/2022, 2]. China has not responded to the request. [The Straits Times]
India, for its part, announced USD 500 million in financial assistance on April 20 to buy fuel, in addition to USD 1.9 billion in loans, credit lines and currency swaps. Notable, Bangladesh is expected to postpone the repayment of a USD 450 million currency swap facility that it had extended to Sri Lanka. [South Asia Monitor]
Separately, the World Bank is set to provide an emergency response package, which includes USD 10 million to be made immediately available for the purchase of essential medicines, meals for school children and cash transfers for poor and vulnerable households. [Reuters]
US Congresswoman visits Pakistan, disputed Kashmir territory, draws India’s ire
(fq/sg/lm) United States Congresswoman Ilhan Omar traveled to Pakistan-administered part of disputed Kashmir region on April 21 and promised to push the White House to pay more attention to “the plight of Kashmiris”, prompting an angry response from India.
Omar’s four-day trip marked the first visit of a US lawmaker to Pakistan since a new coalition government came into power in Islamabad earlier this month after the ouster of former premier Imran Khan [see AiR No. 15, April/2022, 2]. Before traveling to Kashmir, the congresswoman met with President Arif Alvi, who emphasized the need for further improving bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US. Omar also met with newly elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his predecessor Khan. [Al Jazeera] [Voice of America]
Omar visited Muzaffarabad, the administrative center of the Pakistani part of Kashmir. She also flew to the Line of Control (LoC), the demarcated border in Kashmir, which was drawn following a 1972 ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India. There, she told reporters that her fellow lawmakers should pay more attention to the long-running conflict. She also said the House Foreign Relations Committee, on which she sits, would look into allegations of human rights violations by Indian authorities in the region. [New York Post]
In light of this, New Delhi swiftly condemned Omar’s visit, while Washington scrambled to clarify that it did not sponsor the congresswoman’s trip to Pakistan. [Dawn 1] [Dawn 2]
Omar is known to be a passionate advocate against Islamophobia. Earlier this month she questioned what she called the reluctance of the Biden administration to criticize Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on alleged discrimination against Muslims. In fact, in the past few weeks, protests and fighting have erupted between Muslims and Hindus. In Delhi, governing party officials ordered the demolition of parts of a predominantly Muslim neighborhood, claiming houses and shops were built illegally on public land [see entry in this edition] [Reuters]
But what is more, shortly after Omar's visit, an independent US panel in its latest annual report observed that religious freedom in India “significantly worsened” last year and called for targeted sanctions against the country over alleged abuses. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also found severe infringements to religious freedoms in Pakistan, recommending the State Department to place both countries on its blacklist for Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), in addition to China, Afghanistan, and North Korea. Notably, however, the State Department has refused to follow the advice of the USCIRF for the past two years to place India on its CPC list. [USCIRF]
Pakistan seeks increase in size, duration of IMF program amid protests led by former prime minister
(ha/lm) Pakistan has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to extend its loan program for a year and boost the existing rescue package to help ease difficulties in financing as a new government stepped in this month amid protests spearheaded by ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The IMF in 2019 approved a USD 6 billion loan, the Extended Fund Facility (EEF), for Pakistan, but disbursement under the 39-month loan program has been slowed down due to a delay in Islamabad's compliance with structural conditions [see AiR No. 6, February/2022, 2]. If the seventh review of the IMF’s support for Islamabad is completed successfully, the multilateral lender will release over USD 900 million and unlock other external funding. [International Monetary Fund]
With a yawning current account deficit and foreign reserves falling to as low as USD 10.8 billion, Pakistan is indeed in dire need of external finances. Islamabad is facing double-digit inflation, slow economic growth rate and expected current account deficit exceeding 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product at the end of the current financial year this June.
Against this backdrop, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said on April 25 the IMF has “largely agreed” to extend the current EEF through June 2023 but details would be thrashed out during a mission visit to Pakistan next month. Ismail, who took office this month after the previous government lost a no-confidence vote earlier this month, was in Washington last week to also meet with the chief executive officer of the World Bank, executive directors of the G7 nations, as well as the IMF mission chief to Pakistan. [Dawn] [Reuters] [The Straits Times]
The finance minister’s remarks came after Islamabad agreed on April 22 to roll back subsidies to the oil and power sectors – a move that is part of austerity measures considered a precondition by the IMF for the revival of the EEF. Other demands include ending a tax amnesty scheme, hike in power tariffs, ensuring additional taxation measures and reduction of funding for development projects. [The News International]
The country’s new government led by Shehbaz Sharif had originally promised to keep fuel prices unchanged to provide relief to its citizens. Thus, there is good reason to believe that Islamabad was looking to find middle ground by reducing some expenses. [Reuters]
IMF’s talks with Pakistan next month will be carried out against the backdrop of protests spearheaded by Khan, who is pressuring for early elections. Since losing a no-confidence vote in April that he says was orchestrated by the United States, Khan has amassed a large following of protesters across the country that shows he enjoys some support. Under Pakistan’s laws, national polls must be held by 2023. [Bloomberg]
India hosts first-of-its-kind conference of intelligence agency chiefs
(lm) India on April 24 hosted the heads and deputy heads of the top intelligence and security organizations from more than 20 countries for an informal gathering. The conference, modelled along the lines of the annual Munich Security Conference and Singapore’s Shangri-La dialogue, brought together intelligence chiefs and deputies from Australia, Germany, Israel, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand, among other participating nations. [ThePrint]
According to people familiar with the developments, Central Intelligence Agency director William Burns and Canadian Security Intelligence Services director David Vigneault were slated to join, but had to cancel their attendance on short notice. As a result, planned meetings on the sidelines of the conference of the Five Eyes – an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States – had been shelved. [The Hindu]
The informal gathering was organized by India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing and the National Security Council Secretariat that reports to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
Militants in Afghanistan strike Pakistan army post, kill three soldiers
(fq/lm) Militants in Afghanistan have fired heavy weapons across the border into a military outpost in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing three soldiers. A firefight ensued with the attackers, and several were killed, a military statement said on April 23, in the latest violence to rattle the volatile border region. [Al Jazeera] [South China Morning Post]
A sharp increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan highlights the growing security challenge facing the rulers in both Kabul and Islamabad. According to the Pakistan Army, nearly 100 military personnel has been killed in the three months from January till March this year. [Anadolu Agency]
Most notably the Pakistani Taliban, known by their acronym TTP, have stepped up their assault on Pakistan’s military outposts from its Afghan bases. Kabul has promised no armed groups would use its soil as a base to attack another country, but the Afghan Taliban are yet to arrest or hand over any TTP leaders in Afghanistan to Islamabad. After seven of its troops were killed in an ambush earlier this month, Pakistan retaliated with bombing raids inside Afghanistan that locals in eastern Khost province said killed dozens of refugees on April 16 [see AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]
India hosts seventh edition of annual Raisina Dialogue
(lm) The seventh edition of India’s premier conference on geopolitics and global affairs, the Raisina Dialogue, kicked off on April 25 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the multilateral forum in the presence of foreign dignitaries. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, attended the inaugural session as chief guest. [The Hindu, $]
This year’s Raisina Dialogue is being held in person in New Delhi after a gap of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. There will be more than 100 sessions, with 200 speakers from 90 countries. The foreign ministers of Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Guyana, Nigeria, Norway, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia will also participate and hold bilateral talks with their Indian counterparts. [The Economic Times]
United States congressional delegation travels to India, Nepal to discuss Ukraine
(sg/lm) A group of United States Democratic lawmakers visited India on April 21, as part of a nine-day trip that also included stopovers in Poland, Germany, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates and sought to rally support for Ukraine. [The Hill]
While in New Delhi, the group of lawmakers, which included four senators and a House member, met Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The meeting came a week after the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries held their fourth annual ministerial meeting in Washington [see AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]. It also followed on a phone call between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden. [Tribune of India]
Apart from Poland, the major countries on the itinerary have been notable for their lack of cooperation with US-led efforts to isolate Russia, as its war on Ukraine stretched past 50 days. India continues to purchase increasing quantities of Russian Oil at a discount and has refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine [see AiR No. 15, April/2022, 2]
Mauritius Prime Minister Jugnauth concludes week-long India visit
(sg/lm) Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth headed to India for an eight-day visit last week. While in India, the Mauritian premier attended the Global Ayush Summit and met with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi. [News on Air] [The Indian Express] [The Times of India]
India is one of Mauritius' most significant trading partners. The two countries signed a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement last year, and India announced nearly USD 200 million in funding for infrastructure projects on the island nation earlier this year.
Furthermore, India’s military base in the Agalega island of Mauritius is an important surveillance location to counter China’s naval expansion in the Indian Ocean Region, and Mauritius joined the Colombo Security Conclave – a grouping that also comprises Sri Lanka and the Maldives – as a member last month.
Notable, the trip to India by Jugnauth coincided with a visit to New Delhi by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson [see entry in this edition]. Mauritius and the UK have been at odds over the latter's occupation of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, which Mauritius claims as its territory.
India, Maldives chalk out renewable energy transfer project, discuss naval cooperation
(sg/lm) India and the Maldives have agreed to set up a transmission interconnection for transfer of renewable power between the two countries. The proposal was discussed during a meeting between the two environment ministers, India’s R.K. Singh and Maldives’ Aminath Shauna, in New Delhi on April 26. [CNBC TV18]
In separate developments, India’s navy chief of staff, Admiral R. Hari Kumar, travelled to the Maldivian capital Malé on April 18 to discuss increasing naval cooperation and maritime security in the Indian Ocean. During his three-day visit to the island nation, Kumar held several high-level talks with Maldivian officials, including Maldives Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi. Kumar and Didi unveiled a new joint India-Maldives navigation chart and reaffirmed India's commitment to supporting the Maldivian National Defence Forces. [The Hindu]
India, Germany discuss economic, environment ties ahead of Europe visit by Modi
(sg/lm) The German state secretary of the ministry for economic cooperation and development, Jochen Flasbarth, concluded a two-day visit to the Indian capital New Delhi last week. The German representative met with various Indian government officials, including Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to discuss ways to deepen bilateral collaboration in the realm of renewable energy development and climate neutrality. [Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, in German]
Germany has been India’s leading partner in the renewable energy sector, especially in renewable energy and grid integration. Last November, Germany had announced commitments worth more than 1.2 billion to help New Delhi battle climate change and support green energy transition [see AiR No. 48, November/2021, 5].
Against the larger backdrop of India’s reluctance to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine, however, the two countries have recently been at odds, with Germany debating whether to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven summit it’s hosting in June.
In light of this, the timing of Flasbarth’s India visit assumes added significance, coming as it does just a week before Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit Germany, Denmark, and France. The Indian leader is slated to hold bilateral discussions with re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, apart from speaking at the crucial India-Nordic summit in Copenhagen. [Moneycontrol] [Times Now News]
Bangladesh working on FTAs, CEPAs
(hg) As Dhaka prepares to graduate into a developing country, it is seeking to establish a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) or Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with a range of partners. While it seeks to enter into agreements with India – the country’s second-largest trading partner –, Indonesia and Sri Lanka within a year [The Daily Star 1], it also works vigorously on a FTA with ASEAN before it loses its qualification as one of the least developed countries (LDC). [The Financial Express]
Graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category by a UN General Assembly decision is a key milestone in the sustainable development progress of a country [UN] which, however, also brings the phasing-out of international support measures associated with the LDC status especially with regard of trade. [WTO]
Dhaka, therefore, is keen on entering in a series of FTAs to make up losses of preferential trading facility.
Highly important for the country are also ongoing talks with the European Union (EU) as Dhaka wants to qualify for the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) plus scheme, the EU´s special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance. The EU’s GSP removes import duties from products coming into the EU market from vulnerable developing countries to alleviate poverty and create jobs. Admission is, however, based on the partner´s commitment to international values and principles, reflected by the implementation of 27 international conventions related to human rights, labour rights, protection of the environment and good governance. [EU]
In this context, Members of European Parliament expressed to Dhaka´s envoy to Brussels their satisfaction over Bangladesh's determination to meet its commitment to International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards. [The Daily Star 2]
Bangladesh and Denmark to strengthen partnership on green transition
(hg) Marking 50 years of relations between the two countries, Bangladesh and Denmark signed an expression of interest under the title “Sustainable and Green Framework Engagement” with an aim to deepen their cooperation on renewable energy and tackling climate change. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Flemming Moller Mortensen signed the document. On this occasion, Danish Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is on a three-day visit to Bangladesh meeting the countries´ Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Momen. [The Daily Star 1] [The Daily Star 2]
Bangladesh - Norway to strengthen economic relations
(hg) Marking 50 years of the bilateral relations, the foreign ministers of Bangladesh and Norway, meeting in Dhaka, expressed both countries´ interest in broadening their economic relations through trade, investment and maritime sector cooperation. [The New Age]
Indian External Affairs Minister in Bangladesh to invite Prime Minister Sheik Hasina to Delhi
(hg) The Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Dakha on Thursday in a one-day-trip to invite Bangladesh´s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to India. The gesture underlines the importance Delhi places on its relations with Dhaka in challenging times in South Asia. [Business Standard]
Bangladesh-Nepal talks on mutual energy supply
(hg) The governments of Nepala and Bangaldesh – in a meeting of their energy ministers – considered an energy swap by which Bangladesh would export electricity to Nepal in the winter season and import Nepali hydropower in summer. Bangladesh, which currently imports electicity especially from India is also in the procedure to sign a memorandum with Bhutan to import hydropower. [The Daily Star]
US-ASEAN Special Summit: China criticizes the US, attendance by Myanmar, the Philippines unlikely
(pw) Responding to the upcoming special summit between the leaders of the United States (US) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the US has to end its Cold War mentality, adding that ASEAN states are not geopolitical chess pieces. The foreign ministry also noted that, the Asian countries’ internal affairs, along with their common aspirations for peace and win-win cooperation, should be respected as well. Moreover, the US was urged to adhere to the ASEAN Way in terms of inclusiveness and consensus and substantially fulfill its vows to reinforce ASEAN centrality. [Khmer Times]
Myanmar’s military regime, which has been attempting to crush resistance to its removal of a democratic government in 2021, has remarked that it had not received invitations to the summit mentioned above. In any case, Myanmar stated it was not planning to attend unless there is equal political representation. The Malaysian Foreign Minister stated that the military government should not be represented. However, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry noted that ASEAN’s consensus is that a non-political representative should represent Myanmar, to which the US State Department also agreed.
Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, whose term is ending in June 2022, is not expected to attend the summit due to his hostile relationship with the US. He has previously sworn not to visit the US during his tenure. Additionally, he is unlikely to participate due to this meeting being three days after the Philippines’ elections on May 9, 2022 as Filipino presidents are customarily expected not to travel abroad during election season. [Radio Free Asia]
The US has declared that it will hold the US–ASEAN Special Summit in Washington DC on May 12–13, 2022. The meeting is expected to reaffirm America’s ASEAN commitments, determine the future ASEAN–US relationship, and strengthen the strategic partnership in the context of the strategic competition between the US and China. This summit will be the second of its kind since 2016. [AiR No. 16, April/2022, 3]
Cooperation on pandemic prevention, female peacekeepers, military education agreed by ASEAN defense ministries
(pw) Between April 20–21, 2022, top-ranking defense officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, alongside the ASEAN Plus countries, attended the ASEAN Defense Senior Officials’ Working Group (ADSOM WG) and the ADSOM-Plus WG meetings to deepen their military cooperation. During these conferences, three conceptual documents were approved strengthening inter-ASEAN defense cooperation in combating trans-border pandemics, fostering mechanisms to support female peacekeepers, and building cooperation amongst the military educational institutions.
Additionally, a discussion paper to form bonds between ADSOM-Plus WG and the Southeast Asia Maritime Law Enforcement Initiative was passed as well, alongside the ASEAN defense minister’s joint declaration draft. Furthermore, the groundwork for an unofficial meeting amongst the ASEAN Plus members and ASEAN defense ministers in 2022 received approval as well. [The Phnom Penh Post]
Water levels of the lower Mekong rose after an unannounced water release by a Chinese dam
(pw) In Laos, inhabitants near the Mekong River began noticing the river’s water level rising. This is corroborated by the Thai authorities’ findings that the Mekong’s level has increased by 70 to 80 centimeters in two Thai provinces, while the water level of the Mekong in Laos has risen more than 30 centimeters in some areas. Later on, it is expected that the overall water level would increase to between 80 to 160 centimeters.
This water level increase was attributed to a water discharge from the Jinghong Hydroelectric Dam in China, located at the upstream part of the Mekong, known as the Lancang. Both Lao and Thai officials were not informed of this action A Lao official remarked that such measures have to be conveyed to downstream countries first so that they can issue alerts to their people. A Thai NGO said that, since 2022, this dam has released water downstream nine times.
Occasionally, hydroelectric dams release water to increase power generation. However, if such actions are unanticipated, they might cause danger to downstream communities. The Mekong River Commission, comprising the downstream nations of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, noted that around 80% of the 65 million people living along Mekong rely upon the river to earn a living. Moreover, changes in the water levels by the upstream Chinese dams can threaten downstream agriculture and fisheries. [Radio Free Asia]
Chinese Central Committee’s Foreign Affairs director meets Cambodian ambassador
(pw) The head of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s Foreign Affairs Commission Office has met with the Cambodian Ambassador to China. During this meeting, the director recommended that Cambodia take several measures related to China, including improving economic cooperation, strengthening strategic cooperation, building mutual political trust, fostering cooperation over anti-Covid-19 efforts, people’s subsistence, and exchanges among the people. He also noted China’s preparedness to deepen its cooperation with Cambodia and engage with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
In response, the Ambassador lauded Chinese economic and anti-Covid-19 assistance to Cambodia and reaffirmed Cambodian support for Chinese positions regarding its main interests and significant international matters. Additionally, she hoped that the cooperation between the two nations would be more developed alongside the advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Ambassador added that Cambodia would proactively support the progression of ASEAN–China comprehensive strategic partnership and, in conjunction with China, ensure regional development, peace, and stability. [Khmer Times]
Assistance to women in the agricultural sector agreed by the Cambodian Women’s Affairs Minister, FAO representative
(pw) In a courtesy call between the Cambodian Women’s Affairs Minister and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) representative in Cambodia, both agreed to provide support to Cambodian women in farming. The Minister noted that such assistance should focus on training women in farming skills such as crop maintenance, harvesting, and marketing. Furthermore, she said they have to be trained in digital technology to enhance their agricultural skills as well. She also asked the FAO to incorporate gender mainstreaming in its projects with other Cambodian government institutions.
The minister remarked that rural women might have to do agricultural work to care for their families while their husbands emigrated to find jobs. Hence, she said that improving such women’s lives is imperative.
The FAO representative noted that tangible support for women in strengthening their financial and human resources management capabilities is needed to enhance their grasp on agriculture, entrepreneurship, and the transition to organic fertilizers and goods. [Khmer Times]
Cambodia-Laos border security to be enhanced by both nations
(pw) At a conference between the Cambodian Interior Minister and the Lao Ambassador to Cambodia, both sides have agreed to deepen cooperation in terms of security and improving the lives of those living next to the Cambodia–Lao border.
The Minister stated that both the Cambodian Interior and Lao Public Security Ministries have always searched for openings to develop their cooperation, such as adopting cooperation mechanisms and signing agreements calling for combined efforts to ensure the people’s safety and security, especially inter-border security cooperation.
The Ambassador praised Cambodia’s support to Laos in curbing Covid-19. It is anticipated that cooperation amongst the ministries mentioned above would be developed further under his tenure. [Khmer Times]
The US provides Laos with medical rehabilitation equipment and a training center
(pw) The Lao Deputy Health Minister and the US Ambassador to Laos jointly attended a ceremony marking the opening of a training facility for health professionals and the delivery of medical rehabilitation equipment to Laos’s Center for Medical Rehabilitation and the Lao Health Ministry. Under the Okard program, the United States Agency for International Development has provided support for this training center and rehabilitation equipment. According to the Ambassador, the provision of such assistance was the result of the US–Lao Comprehensive Partnership.
It is expected that the training facility will advance the knowledge and capabilities of medical personnel in caring for and rehabilitating persons with disabilities. The Ambassador said that the equipment given would also help incapacitated people regain their ability to walk.. He also was noted that if the Lao population has access to good rehabilitation, it will give them the chance to play a part in society and result in national economic development. [Vientiane Times]
Two US companies are employed by Cambodia to improve the country’s reputation, restore trade preferences
(pw) A law firm and a public relations company based in Washington DC have been hired by Cambodia to brighten up the image of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government in the US. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has stated that its lobbying campaign aims to address what it considered attempts by media agencies to disseminate incorrect information on the country’s leadership. Previously, in 2019–2020, USD 1.2 million had been used by Cambodia to hire two lobbying firms in the US.
Such actions are part of Cambodia’s efforts to lobby for the restoration of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), America’s trade preference system, for Cambodia. After the end of Cambodia’s GSP in December 2020, the US Congress did not extend this GSP due to concerns that Cambodia’s human rights situation is worsening.
In 2021, the total value of Cambodian exports to the US was more than USD 8.7 billion. According to the US Embassy in Cambodia, access to the US market has been a massive boon for Cambodia, and the largest single export market for Cambodia is the US. However, US investments in Cambodia in 2021 amounted to USD 163 million. While this is second only to China, China’s investment of USD 4.35 billion outstrips American foreign direct investment, a situation Cambodia hopes to address.
After the ban of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) paved the way for the CPP’s electoral victory in 2018, American activists have stated that there were no positive human rights and political improvements in Cambodia. Also, an NGO lawyer said that restoring the Cambodian government’s international reputation is better served by implementing concrete measures to improve Cambodian democracy and human rights instead of getting the law and public relations firms to achieve this goal. [Voice of America]
Cambodian Prime Minister meets with the Japanese Prime Minister
(pw) While attending the Fourth Asia–Pacific Water Summit in Kumamoto, Japan, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida. Sen asked for the retention of Japanese assistance on irrigation and clean water systems as prior help has significantly contributed to the enhancement of such systems in Cambodia.
Sen also affirmed that there would be greater Cambodia–Japan defense cooperation and said that vessels of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force could still make visits to and anchor in Cambodia. He also urged Japan to turn the Cambodia-Japan Strategic Partnership into a comprehensive strategic partnership.
In response, Kishida agreed to the aforementioned requests and added that aid to the construction of the Preah Sihanouk deep-water port in Cambodia would be maintained. Additional grants financing this program would be provided as well. [The Phnom Penh Post]
When the meeting was over, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Cambodian Water Minister and the Japanese Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Minister. [Khmer Times]
Cambodia, Laos to strengthen relations, address their non-demarcated borders
(pw) While attending the Fourth Asia–Pacific Water Summit in Kumamoto, Japan, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Lao counterpart, Phankham Viphavanh, discussed their countries’ bilateral ties. In the meeting, both agreed that the enhancement of their countries’ cooperation would be furthered by them.
Viphavanh made an appeal for a bridge to be built linking Laos with Cambodia, which Sen perceived as resulting in the two countries being more connected. He also received Sen’s planned trip to Laos positively and suggested that both countries’ top army leaders should hold an exchange trip, which Sen accepted. Moreover, the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces’ Deputy Commander-in-Chief was invited to make a trip to Laos. [Khmer Times] [The Phnom Penh Post 1]
Meanwhile, the Cambodian Foreign Minister had a meeting with the Lao Ambassador to Cambodia in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to talk over the demarcation of their borders. As both countries currently have a border agreement, the Cambodian-Lao Joint Border Committee (JBC) was asked by the Minister to accellerate talks addressing last 14 percent of non-demarcated borders and urged that the JBC’s dialogue on a draft border treaty for the demarcated borders should commence.
Furthermore, the Minister added that there should be greater bilateral cooperation between the two countries in all forms, such as education, investment, trade, and tourism. Also, it was reported that both sides had talked about their countries’ shared concerns and cooperation under multilateral frameworks. [The Phnom Penh Post 2]
Indian parliamentary speaker visits Cambodia
(pw) Om Birla, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha (India’s parliament), made a trip to Cambodia between April 21–24, 2022. During their meeting, he and his Cambodian counterpart, Heng Samrin, agreedthat both would collaborate on deepening the two nations’ bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Also, it was mentioned that cultural, economic, tourism, and trade cooperation between both countries would be reinforced. Most notably, India was urged by Samrin to accelerate its efforts in setting up a Cambodia–India free trade agreement.
Both have exchanged letters inviting the Indian Parliament to the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in November 2022 and Samrin to an ASEAN–India Forum in India.
According to Birla, India has previously implemented several agricultural, health, and technological development programs in Cambodia, improving the Cambodian people’s livelihood. [Khmer Times] [The Phnom Penh Post]
Agreement to strengthen bilateral relations made by Japanese, Lao Prime Ministers
(pw) A meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Lao counterpart, Phankham Viphavanh, was held during the Fourth Asia–Pacific Water Summit in Kumamoto, Japan. During the discussions, the strengthening of the two countries’ ties was approved by both Prime Ministers.
Viphavanh said that he would continue to strive for the deepening of the two countries’ bonds and cooperation, alongside execution of collaboration projects. Laos and Japan affirmed its collaboration with Japan under bilateral frameworks would be maintained. Additionally, Japan was asked to promote Japanese business investments in Laos.
Kishida, in turn, stated that Japan remains dedicated to cooperating with Laos in the realization of the two countries’ collaboration programs. Japan will provide scholarships totaling USD 3 million to Laos as part of a cooperation agreement signed by both countries in this meeting. [Vientiane Times]
Indonesia, US to expand military exercise to include eight more nations
(lb) Indonesia and the United States (US) are preparing to host their biggest-ever combined military exercise, expected to take place in August.
The countries have agreed to expand the Indonesia-US Garuda Shield exercise to include eight partner countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Britain, Papua New Guinea, and Timor Leste. The event will take place skirting the South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, among other countries, have been involved in ongoing territorial disputes over sovereignty claims. Analysts expect the event to spark objections from China, especially in light of US Indo-Pacific strategy which involves strengthening ties with Southeast Asian nations.
Chinese representatives opposed last year’s exercise, which was limited to two countries waters closer to Indonesia adjacent to southern Sumatra, East Kalimantan, and North Sulawesi. [Asia Times]
UK, Indonesia concludes partnership roadmap discussions
(lb) High representatives from the United Kingdom (UK) and Indonesia met on April 19 to discuss further cooperation in the UK-Indonesia partnership. The UK showed its support for Indonesia’s current G20 presidency and upcoming chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2023.
The parties also concluded negotiations for the UK-Indonesia Partnership Roadmap 2022-2024 which includes a strategy for the countries’ future bilateral relationship and benefits in regard to trade, investment, digital economy, defense and security, climate change, research and innovation, health, life sciences, and education. The Roadmap’s progress will be reviewed in 2023 at the Partnership Forum. [Gov.uk]
Indonesia, UAE to boost trade cooperation
(dql) Etihad Credit Insurance, the federal export credit company of the United Arab Emirates and its Indonesian counterpart PT Reasuransi Indonesia Utama (Indonesia Re) have concluded a reciprocal reinsurance agreement to strengthen bilateral trade and widen collaborative initiatives.
Under the agreement, the two state-owned entities will encourage and support domestic companies in both countries to increase international trade, with a focus put on sustainable and inclusive economic development. [The National News]
Indonesia to review former labor deal with Malaysia
(lb) Following the signing of a new labor agreement between Indonesia and Malaysia, the Indonesian government is planning to review a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2004 that covered labor regulations in various sectors including construction, agriculture, plantation, manufacturing, services and mining.
On April 1, the two countries signed a new MoU on the protection of migrant workers. The negotiations for the deal began in 2017 after Indonesia passed the Migrant Worker Protection Law. Since then, Indonesia had urged Malaysia to abolish the Maid Online System, which allowed migrant workers to work in Malaysia without following the proper procedure. The new agreement thus introduced a “one channel system mechanism” ensuring Indonesian migrant worker rights. The agreement will also ensure workers' minimum wages and allow migrant workers to file complaints. [AiR No. 14, April/2022, 1] [Malay Mail]
Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines discuss Sulu Sea
(lb) On 28 March 2022 defence ministers of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines met to discuss ways to expand trilateral patrols in the Sulu Sea.
All 3 defence ministers released statements on the meeting and intend to increase the cooperation possibly expanding the membership to include more Southeast Asian countries.
The countries signed a Trilateral Cooperative Agreement (TCA) in 2017 that led to maritime and air patrols and the establishment of hubs for operations in each country, aimed to prevent transnational organised crime, kidnappings, and terrorist threats. [The Diplomat]
Malaysia ready to supply Russia with tech products
(dql) Contradicting attempts of Western countries to isolate Russia over its war in Ukraine through harsh sanctions, Malaysia’s ambassador to Moscow Bala Chandran has announced that Malaysia is willing to consider the supply of electronics and semiconductors to Russia in case it would ask for it. Chandran added that Malaysia’s economy is driven by the market and expressed confidence that any request for products from Moscoe would be taken into consideration.
Malaysia is among the world’s major exporters of semiconductors, with a volume of USD 8.7 billion per year. The electronics sector accounts for more than 6 percent of the country’s GDP. [Republic World]
Malaysia, Thailand to deepen post-pandemic economic cooperation
(dql/dvr) During a meeting on April 22 in Bangkok, Malaysian Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Mustapa Mohamed and Thai Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith discussed post-pandemic economic development, alongside infrastructure projects along the Malaysia-Thailand border. They affirmed their countries commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and tourism to push post-Covid-19 economic recovery in both countries. [The Star]
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s ambassador to Thailand Jojie Samuel has reaffirmed during a working visit to four southern provinces in Thailand — Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat that Malaysia is working to further deepen economic cooperation with Thailand to achieve the bilateral trade target of US$30 billion by 2025. [The Edge Markets]
Malaysia, Egypt to further investment cooperation
(lb) Malaysian and Egyptian Trade and Industry representatives met to discuss the enhancement of investment cooperation between the two countries and further opportunities to establish new Malaysian investments in Egypt. The parties agreed to further Egypt’s manufacture and export of palm oil and to use the countries’ free trade agreements with Arab, African, and European countries to their advantage. Discussions were also held on Egypt’s investment map, of interest to Malaysia, which includes wood, furniture, engineering, electronics, chemicals, IT, and telecommunications. [Daily News Egypt]
Myanmar’s anti-junta groups threaten Chinese mining companies
(cmsk) Sixteen anti-junta groups in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region issued a joint warning to Chinese companies operating mines in the region. Chinese Wanbao Mining Limited has two subsidiaries operating in Sagaing, in partnership with military-owned Myanmar Economic Holding Limited. The military has reportedly deployed security forces to the area whilst Wanbao has recruited 300 new workers. Anti-regime groups have asked people to quit working for the company by May 5. According to a report by an Australian civil society organization, four Chinese-run mines in Sagaing paid an estimated US$725 million to the military during the 2020-21 financial year. In January, rebel groups reportedly blew up three electricity pylons supplying another Chinese company’s mine in Sagaing. The announcement comes amidst calls by several other armed groups warning that people, including financiers, associated with the junta would not be spared. [Mizzima][The Irrawaddy]
Myanmar organizations meet UN Special Envoy
(cmsk/ny) On April 15, nine Myanmar civil society organizations (CSOs) met with the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy to Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, prior to her scheduled visit to Myanmar. The CSOs raised concerns about the critical need to hold dialogue with the National Unity Government, ethnic and civil society organizations, the intensification of junta airstrikes and armed attacks on civilians, the imposition of an arms embargo and targeted sanctions, as well as the blockage of access for humanitarian aid and attacks on humanitarian actors. The groups also reportedly requested that as part of the UN’s Women Peace and Security platform, the Envoy immediately hold direct consultations with women human rights defenders and women’s rights organizations in Myanmar. [Mizzima]
Myanmar activists raise funds in Singapore
(cmsk) Myanmar nationals in Singapore are reportedly raising funds to support opposition forces against the Myanmar military junta. The activists reportedly collected millions of dollars over the past few months alone and are channeling them to anti-junta beneficiaries via the parallel national unity government. [Straits Times]
Indian government investigates explosives case allegedly linked to Myanmar anti-regime groups
(cmsk) The Indian government is currently investigating the January seizure of detonators and explosives which were allegedly intended to supply a Myanmar-based resistance group fighting against the military regime. India’s National Investigation Agency has also seized documents and digital devices in the state of Mizoram, where the explosives were discovered. During the investigation, the police arrested three people including a Myanmar national.
To date, 29,532 Myanmar refugees are sheltering in Mizoram. While the Indian government ordered the area to close its international border to refugees from Myanmar, Mizoram has welcomed refugees on the basis of the state’s ethnic ties with the Myanmar Chin people. India is not a party to the United Nations Refugee Convention. [The Irrawaddy]
US, Philippines to strengthen military alliance
(lb) Defense representatives from the Philippines and the United States (US) met on April 18 in their third meeting since signing the US Visiting Forces Agreement in 2021, in which they committed to continue their defense cooperation commitments. The parties discussed the strengthening of the mutual defense treaty, the enhancement of maritime cooperation, and the improvement of interoperability in information sharing.
Following the meeting, on April 21, the Philippines’ ambassador to the United States announced the purchase of the Filipino Subic Bay shipyard by US private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management. [Stripes] [U.S. Department of Defense]
Philippines and US meet to discuss economic ties
(lb) The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary released a statement in regards to a meeting that was held with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador in Washington to discuss the two countries potential economic ties. The meeting covered trade and investment issues, sectoral and industry cooperation, membership to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and the direction of Philippine-US economic ties for the future. [PNA]
Philippines, Australia to boost defense ties
(dql) During a meeting last week at the national headquarters of the Philippine Army, Australian Ambassador Steven J. Robinson AO and Army commander Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. discussed ways in which Australia could support the Philippine Army transition to focus on territorial defense operations. They also discussed joint military exercises to bolster the capabilities and interoperability of both armies against all forms of threats. [PNA]
Philippines stops oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea
(lb) The spokesman for Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte announced on 19 April 2022 that the Security, Justice and Peace Coordinating Cluster (SJPCC) of the Philippines has decided to suspend all exploration activity in the West Philippine Sea, also known as the South China Sea.
Philippines companies have been test drilling sites off the Palawan province for survey purposes but with the new suspension the Department of Energy (DOE) has stopped the test drilling. The DOE has requested the government to reconsider the suspension, saying that “a geophysical survey is a perfectly legitimate activity in any disputed area.”
Analysts have suggested that the suspension signals that Manila has bowed to pressure from Beijing to cease drilling. [rfa] [Philippine News Agency] [Inquirer]
Vietnam, China agree to deepen military exchanges
(dql) On April 23, Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang and Chinese Defense Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Wei Fenghe jointly chaired the seventh Việt Nam-China Border Defence Friendship Exchange during which the two ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation in maintaining maritime security and cross-border stability. [China Daily]
Announcements
Upcoming Online Events
27 April 2022 @11:00 a.m. (GMT-8), Hoover Institution, Stanford University, USA
Book Talk: Hitler’s American Gamble
In this webinar, Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman will talk about their book, Hitler’s American Gamble: pearl Harbor and Germany’s March to Global War.
Find more about the webinar at [Hoover Institute].
27 April 2022 @5:00-6:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Stanford University, USA
Gender and Socioeconomic Differences in Aging: an International Comparison
Gender and socioeconomic disparities have an impact on a country’s ability to care for its elderly people. More precisely, the longevity risk linked with females’ increased life expectancy implies that men and women have distinct demands in old age. This online conference will discuss the disparities in aging between men and women and between socioeconomic groups.
To find more about the event, click on [FSI].
27 April 2022 @ 10:00 a.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA
CEO Series: A Conversation with National Grid CEO, John Pettigrew
This webinar will feature a conversation with John Pettigrew, CEO of National Grid, about energy security and climate action. The speaker will concentrate on hydrogen and offshore wind potential in the United States as well as how these prospects might aid in achieving energy security during the transition to a net-zero energy future.
Visit [Atlantic Council] to learn more about the event.
27 April 2022 @ 12:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA
Implementing a way forward in Iraq
This debate will center on an upcoming report that will include conclusions and suggestions to aid the Iraqi government and its international allies in strengthening the country’s political, social, economic, and security problems.
If you interested in the answers to these questions, register at [Atlantic Council].
27 April 2022 @ 4:00-5:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Wilson Center, USA
The Arctic Region in the Indo-Pacific Context: Current Challenges and Implications of the Ukraine Crisis
This webinar will center on the Arctic and the future consequences of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, covering the context of the Indo-Pacific. Security, climate, and environmental issues, as well as geopolitical rivalry in the Arctic, will be highlighted by experts during the session.
If you wish you attend this event, register at [Wilson Center].
27 April 2022 @ 5:30-6:30 p.m. (GMT+10), Australian Institute of International Affairs - Victoria, Australia
Meet the Ambassador – Norway
Despite their enormous geographical distance, Norway and Australia collaborate to promote global peace and security. This webinar will feature a conversation between the Ambassador of Norway to Australia, HE Mr. Paul Gulleik Larsen, and former foreign correspondent Jim Middleton, who will discuss timely topics regarding Norway in the current global context.
If you wish you attend this event, register at [AIIAVIC].
27 April 2022 @ 10:00-11:15 a.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS, Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
Malaysia since the Sheraton Move: Pandemic, Politics, Popularity
This webinar will provide perspectives on Malaysia’s numerous changes from the Cabinet of Pakatan Harapan and the current federal opposition.
Find more about the webinar at [ISEAS].
28 April 2022 @ 10:00-11:15 a.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS, Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
The Politics of Thailand’s Capital City: Observing Bangkok’s 2022 Gubernatorial and Local Elections
On May 22, voters in Bangkok will head to the polls to elect their province’s governor. This is the first election of a governor and members of the metropolitan and district councils since the military regime gained power in 2014–2019. This online conference will explore this development in Thailand.
If you wish you attend this event, register at [ISEAS].
27-28 April 2022 @ 1:30 p.m. (GMT-5), Brookings Office of Communications, USA
Recession remedies: Lessons learned from the US economic policy response to COVID-19
COVID-19 precipitated a severe economic collapse in the United States. But still, the subsequent economic rebound was stronger and faster than anticipated. Although the next crisis is unlikely to be sparked by the pandemic, this two-day conference will talk about what the United States has learned from the COVID-19 recession.
For more details of the event, see [BROOKINGS].
28 April 2022 @ 3:00-4:15 p.m. (GMT-5), Brookings Office of Communications, USA
Defense spending in the states
The Defense Department (DOD) announced a strategy roadmap in February to tackle supply chain vulnerabilities in the defense industrial base. This webinar will take a look at this transition and the related issues.
Follow [BROOKINGS] to learn more about the event.
28 April 2022 @ 12:00-1:00 p.m. (GMT+10), Australian Institute of International Affairs – National Office, Australia
Green Innovation: Toward a Renewable Future
Transitioning to renewable energy sources is important for the world’s future. While much of the dialogue focuses on the necessity of transitioning, there is relatively little discussion of the practical, solution-oriented measures that can assist in resolving climate change. This webinar will focus on innovative solutions that can increase the flexibility of energy generation, transmission, and consumption. It will argue that these solutions will not emerge from science laboratories or government agencies, but from individuals engaging in a wide variety of sectors throughout the world.
For more details, see [AIIA].
28 April 2022 @ 5:30-6:30 p.m. (GMT+10), Australian Institute of International Affairs - Victoria, Australia
“Cadre Country - How China became the Chinese Communist Party” - Book Launch
Cadre Country shines a light on the nation’s 40 million cadres. In this webinar, Professor John Fitzgerald will concentrate on the Communist Party’s own narratives, delve into China’s totalitarian system, and expose Beijing’s massive propaganda operations.
Further information is accessible via [AIIAVIC].
28 April 2022 @ 6:00-8:00 p.m. (GMT+10), Australian Institute of International Affairs – Western Australia, Australia
Australia and India Trade and Economic Agreement: Moving the Dial?
As Australia and India signed the Australian-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI ECTA) on 2 April 2022, Dr. Jeffrey Wilson will discuss the chances that this new agreement will tip the scales in the two countries' economic ties in this webinar.
For more details of the event, see [AIIAWA].
28 April 2022 @ 10:00-11:30 a.m. (GMT-5), Wilson Center, USA
Digital Activism in MENA: Protecting Voices for Change Online
Activists in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area have used digital platforms to educate and create awareness about liberal democracy. This webinar will explore the difficulties confronting these activists, especially amid the rise of authoritarian regimes, and discuss possible methods in which the United States and human rights NGOs could assist in addressing these threats to global totalitarianism.
Follow [Wilson Center] to learn more about the event.
28 April 2022 @11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Stanford University, USA
Who’s to Blame for Democratic Backsliding: Populists, Presidents or Dominant Executives?
The discourse on democratic backsliding has largely agreed on its definition. However, scholars have not reached a consensus on the underlying causes of this occurrence. This online session will present an article that assesses the threat of authoritarians in government by currently adding statistics on populism leaders and parties. The work examines the impact of popularly elected presidents on the rate of decay of liberal democracy.
If you wish you attend this event, register at [FSI].
28 April 2022 @ 1:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Stanford University, USA
Explaining Women Party Leaders' Duration in Office in Advanced Democracies
While the number of women in elected office is increasing, males continue to outnumber women in senior leadership positions by a high percentage. This webinar will present a paper that examines the gendered character of leadership survival from a holistic perspective by examining how the circumstances surrounding the selection of party leaders, combined with the success of the party while in power, affect how long male and female party leaders hold positions.
Find more at [FSI].
29 April 2022 @ 5:30-7:30 p.m. (GMT+10), Australian Institute of International Affairs – National Office, Australia
Constructing a Modern State
This online conference will feature a panel of experts who will explore the process of building a nation from scratch.
For more details, see [AIIA].
29 April 2022 @ 1:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA
Understanding the challenges of US & allied defense innovation: A conversation with James D. Taiclet
For the first Forward Defense Forum, Lockheed Martin President, Chairman, and CEO James D. Taiclet will highlight the critical necessity for the U.S. and its partners to innovate or perish on the future battlefield.
For more details of the event, see [Atlantic Council].
2 May 2022 @ 1:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA
Priorities for the NATO Summit and security in Europe
As the crisis in Ukraine escalates and NATO leaders prepare for the upcoming Madrid Summit, this webinar will address priorities that the alliance should ponder, including how to adjust to the new strategic reality and retain a cohesive transatlantic reaction to Russian aggression.
Further information about the event is provided at [Atlantic Council].
2 May 2022 @ 4:00-5:30 p.m. (GMT-5), Wilson Center, USA
The New Atlantic Order
Despite common perceptions of a "short" twentieth century dominated by the Cold War, in this webinar, Patrick Cohrs will demonstrate that what truly created the modern world was a significant process that required new illumination.
For more details of the event, see [Wilson Center].
2 May 2022 @ 10:00-11:30 a.m. (GMT-5), Brookings Office of Communications, USA
Wealth taxation in defense of equal citizenship
Wealth disparity is frequently mentioned in economic terms rather than in political contexts. Wealth taxes have the ability to alleviate America’s economic power concentration. This panel discussion will concentrate on the use of wealth taxes as a democratic reform instrument.
For more information, see [BROOKINGS].
3 May 2022 @ 1:00-2:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Stanford University, USA
Researcher Perceptions of Current and Future AI
In this webinar, Dr. Vael Gates will discuss research findings from more than 70 interviews with AI researchers, which collected the researchers’ views on the primary benefits and risks of AI and the perceptions of AI that they would encourage one to have.
Learn more about the event at [FSI].
3 May 2022 @ 5:30-7:00 p.m. (GMT-8), World Affairs, USA
Braking Barriers in Public Service: Ambassador Chantale Wong
This webinar will feature a conversation with Ambassador Chantale Wong, the newly confirmed Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank, to discover her enthralling path of breaking down barriers in international development, global finance, public services, and other fields.
For more details, see [World Affairs].
3 May 2022 @ 5:00-6:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Stanford University, USA
Decoupling: Gender Injustice in China's Divorce Courts
Women bear the burden of China’s decades-old tradition of refusing divorce requests. This online session will cover some of the most significant discoveries from Ethan Michelson’s latest book. His examination of almost 150,000 divorce proceedings found widespread and flagrant violations of China’s own laws ensuring divorce freedom, gender equality, and women’s physical security protection.
For more details of the event, see [FSI].
3 May 2022 @ 12:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA
Building a new Middle East: A conversation with Ambassador Thomas R. Nides
This webinar will feature Ambassador Thomas Nides, who will talk about his priorities as the United States’ new Ambassador to Israel, the future direction of the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, as well as the U.S.’s commitment to Arab-Israeli reconciliation.
Visit [Atlantic Council] to learn more about the event.
3 May 2022 @ 10:00-11:00 a.m. (GMT-5), Brookings Office of Communications, USA
Empowering parents to support their children’s development: A conversation about building a ‘parent nation’
Numerous American parents are anxious and overwhelmed during this formative stage of their children’s lives. This webinar will feature a panel of experts who will discuss the neurobiology of early childhood development. Parents can unite to advocate for policies that are more parent-friendly and assist children, parents, and the United States as a whole.
Further information is accessible via [BROOKINGS].
Recent Book Releases
Yascha Mounk, The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, Penguin Press, 368 pages, published on April 19, 2022, reviewed in [The Guardian].
Gideon Rachman, The Age of the Strongman: How the Cult of the Leader Threatens Democracy Around the World, Other Press, 288 pages, published on April 19, 2022. For a review, see [The Scotsman].
Thomas Piketty, A Brief History of Equality, Belknap Press, 288 pages, published on April 19, 2022. Visit [The New York Times] to read a review.
Erin Murphy, Burmese Haze: US Policy and Myanmar’s Opening – and Closing, Association for Asian Studies, 244 pages, published on April 26, 2022, with a review in [Asian Review of Books].
Robert D. Kaplan, Adriatic: A Concert of Civilizations at the End of the Modern Age, Random House, 368 pages, published on April 12, 2022. A review is available at [The New York Times].
Calls for Papers
ClassCrits and Thurgood Marshall School of Law invite paper and panel proposals for the 13th ClassCrits Conference on “Unlocking Inequality: Revisiting the Intersection of Race and Class” to be held on October 21-22, 2022, at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Houston, USA. Closing date for proposal submission is April 30, 2022. For more information, visit [ClassCrits].
The Forum for Law, Gender and Social Policy at the Faculty of Law at the University of Haifa welcomes research proposal from young researchers working in the fields of law, social sciences and humanities and other fields. The research theme is “Gender Fairness in Academia”. Amount of grants are up to NIS 6,000 (approx. USD 2000). Deadline for submission of applications is June, 22, 2022. Visit [University of Haifa] for further details.
Jobs and Positions
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is looking for a Project Manager. The position is based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Deadline for application is May 7, 2022. For more information, see [UNDP].
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is hiring a Protection Team Leader. The position is based in South Kordofan. Closing date for applications is May 14, 2022. Visit [DRC] to find more details.
EGMONT - Royal Institute for International Relations Brussels, Belgium invites applications for the position of an Administrative Director. Deadline for applications is May 16, 2022. Learn more about the job at [Euro Brussels].
Stichting AAP is recruiting a Head of Public Policy, with core responsibility in managing the Public Policy team and the network of partner organizations. The position is based in the Netherlands. Closing date for applications is May 2, 2022. For further details, see [Euractive].
The Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) at the University of Oxford is looking an Associate Professor in International Relations, with a specialism in international security. Deadline for applications is May 9, 2022. If you are interested, visit [DPIR] and find more details.
Team:
Andrew Pathomphop Heinz (aph), Beatrice Siviero (bs), Charisma M. S. Kundan (cmsk), Chiara Mohammadvalizadeh (cm), Dominique van Rossum (dvr), Duc Quang Ly (dql), Faryal Qazi (fq), Grace Learmonth-Lo, Henning Glaser (hg), Hira Akram (ha), Jidapa Eagark, Julian Wendt (jw), Kevin Downey (kd), Kittikun Chumworathayee (kc), Lois Barker (lb), Lucas Meier (lm), Melis Pektaş Kim (mpk), Peeranat Wongbandit (pw), Poonam Behura (pb), Rakshit Kumar (rk), Sally Dobie, Sebastian Gräff (sg), Ulrike Immler, Venus Phuangkom, Yin Nyein Myat (ny)
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!
