Grasp the pattern, read the trend
No. 11, March/2023, 2
Brought to you by CPG
Dear Readers,
Welcome to this week’s issue of the Asia in Review (AIR) covering the latest events, developments and trends in domestic politics, international relations and geopolitics in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Wishing you an informative read, I extend special greetings to everyone who celebrates Tunisia’s Independence Day this week.
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 secures third term as president
(ms) The “Two-Sessions”, which refers to the annual plenary sessions of the National People's Congress and of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference closed on March 13, with Xi Jinping securing an unprecedented third term as China’s president, making him the longest leader in the history of the People's Republic of China.
Xi’s third term as president was endorsed by a unanimous election result on March 10. Along with his approval as party chair of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) already during the 20th National Congress of the CCP last October [see AiR No. 43, October/2022, 4], Xi has united the highest positions in his hands.
Also unsurprising was the appointment of Li Qiang as the new number two premier, replacing Li Keqiang, who had served as premier since 2013. [BBC] [The Guardian]
During his first appearance before the press as Premier, Li Qiang declared his commitment to a further opening-up policy for the Chinese economy. The proclaimed goal is to restore confidence in the Chinese economy, both among citizens and foreign investors, whereby an important role will be given to increased support for the country's private sector. He promised a business environment "in which businesses of all forms of ownership will be treated equally, protecting the property rights and interests of entrepreneurs according to the law, encouraging fair competition between business entities of all types." [South China Morning Post 1] [The New York Times]
Missing reshuffle of leading economic officials
Rather surprising was the lack of change among China’s leading economic officials, at least for now. As expected, Xi's close associate He Lifeng was appointed vice premier and will thus most likely replace the 71-year-old Liu He as leading economic official. The posts of finance minister and governor of the People's Bank of China (PBC) remained, surprisingly, unchanged with the approval of Liu Kun and Yi Gang. However, it is expected that both will be replaced within the next twelve months.
It is believed that Liu and Yi remain in office for the time being, firstly because it signals stability to investors at a time of uncertainties about the recovery of the economy after almost three years of the Zero-COVID policy. Furthermore, Yi, as head of the PBC, is a supporter of a more market-oriented economic course, which is also in the interest of foreign investors and could indicate, at least for the time being, no interest in a further deterioration of economic relations with other countries.
Yi is also far more experienced than his designated successor Zhu Hexin, chairman of state-owned financial conglomerate CITIC with no international experience. Liu and Yi are presumed to be responsible for restructuring of the Chinese economy, moving away from the goal of pure growth towards high quality development and stability. [Bloomberg] [Reuters]
Defense and security
The Ministry of Defense saw a change in personnel, with General Li Shangfu becoming the new defense minister. Li was sanctioned in 2018 by the then Trump administration together with China's Equipment Development Department for the purchase of Russian Su-35 fighter jets and other weapons systems. [CNN 1]
On the issue of security, Xi stressed the importance of a revised and improved social governance and national security system. In line with this security demand, the Chinese government has announced plans during the Congress to establish a central data bureau to improve government control over the massive amounts of big data generated by its people. The creation of the National Data Center will take authority away from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which has hitherto been responsible for Internet regulation and monitoring of online data and place it under the direct control of the CCP.
There are also plans to expand the CCP's control of the financial sector. Under the "institutional reform plan", the CCP is also to be given greater control over strategic planning and resource management. Subsequently, a new financial management bureau will be established under the State Council, unifying the Securities Regulatory Commission and the Insurance Regulatory Commission. [Al Jazeera] [CNN 2] [Radio Free Asia] [South China Morning Post 3]
In his speech, closing the “Two Sessions”, Xi reaffirmed his assertive security and foreign policy, reflected by his 24-character phrase that reads as "Be calm, keep determined, seek progress and stability, be proactive and achieve things, unite (under the banner of the party), and dare to fight." [Moritz Rudolf via Twitter]
Xi promised to transform the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a "Great Wall of Steel" that “effectively safeguards national sovereignty, security, and development interests.” At a meeting between Xi and a PLA delegation, Xi called for further development of the PLA's "integrated strategic capabilities" to finalize China's goal of becoming a world power. The strategy calls for more far-reaching and forward-looking planning and better coordination, which is to be made possible by a more unified and centralized leadership. [South China Morning Post 2]
He doubled down on efforts of reunification with Taiwan. Pro-independence separatist forces are to be further "resolutely opposed,” reiterating that reunification of the motherland was “the essence of national rejuvenation.” Noteworthy, Xi did not mention that China would never renounce the use of force to achieve reunification if needed. [Xinhua, in Chinese] [The Guardian]
China: Former Hong Kong union leader arrested
(ms) The former chief executive of the pro-democracy Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and current general secretary of the International Domestic Workers Federation, Elizabeth Tang, was arrested on March 9 on suspicion of “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security.”
Tang, who left Hong Kong for the UK in 2021 to avoid possible prosecution under the National Security Law introduced in 2020, visited Hong Kong to meet her husband Lee Cheuk-yan, who is currently in prison. Lee was Chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, a pro-democracy group known in particular for organizing and holding annual vigils for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square.
According to reports, her work for the HKCTU, which she founded with her husband in 1990 and which disbanded after the introduction of the 2020 National Security Law, was the reason for her arrest.
It is, however, also speculated that she was arrested because the union was financed by foreign countries, amongst other sources.
Hong Kong security authorities have not made any official statements regarding the arrest. [Hong Kong Free Press] [Radio Free Asia] [South China Morning Post]
China: Members of Tiananmen vigil group sentenced
(ms) Three members of the now defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, a group famous for organizing and carrying out annual vigils for the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident in the city, were sentenced for 4.5 Months in Prison on March 11.
Earlier this month, they had been found guilty of failing to comply with a national security police request for information [see AiR No. 10, March/2023, 1].
Among the three convicted was Chow Hang-tung, vice-chairwoman of the now-defunct group. Chow, along with two other founders of the group, is also charged with inciting subversion, a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison. [Hong Kong Free Press]
China: UN human rights chief expresses "grave concerns" about Xinjiang region
(ms) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, reports in his Annual Report and Oral Update “grave concerns” about the human rights situation in China, especially about the situation in the northwestern Xinjiang region and the actions against the Muslim minority of the Uyghurs living there.
Türk's criticism follows that of his predecessor Michelle Bachelet, who published the Xinjiang report at the end of her term [see report], which classified the systematic actions of the Chinese government against the minorities in the Xinjiang region as serious human rights violations, which in their entirety could be classified as crimes against humanity [see AiR No. 36, September/2022, 1].
In the recent speech, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed particular concern about the "large-scale arbitrary detentions and ongoing family separations" documented in the Xinjiang region.
In addition to the Xinjiang region, he also expressed concerns about the situation in Tibet, the crackdown on human rights activists and lawyers, and the impact of the National Security Law in Hong Kong on the human rights situation there. [Deutsche Welle] [OHCHR]
Almost coinciding with the OHCHR report, the German-based human rights organization, "The World Uyghur Congress", was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The World Uyghur Congress acts as an association of Uyghurs worldwide and works with the UN to advocate for their rights.
The nomination comes from Norwegian and Canadian politicians for their "crucial contribution in drawing international attention to the overwhelming campaign of physical, religious, linguistic, and cultural repression currently being waged by the Chinese Communist Party against the Uyghur and other Turkic people in the Xinjiang." [Radio Free Asia] [VOA News]
China: Xi'an considers lockdown to curb flu surge
(ms) The capital of central China's Shaanxi Province Xi’a, a tourism hotspot that is famous for the terracotta warriors, is considering imposing a lockdown as a possible measure to contain the spread of influenza in the face of rising cases in the city. The move has triggered fears about a return to the just abandoned COVID-restrictions [see AiR No. 50, December/2022, 2].
According to the city’s emergency response plan, the lockdown of certain parts of the city would be the fourth stage of a four-step response plan by the local government. Prior to a lockdown, recreational venues such as restaurants would be closed first, followed by businesses school and daycare centers, and only if all this fails and the situation remains acute would the means of lockdown be resorted to.
The flu epidemic spreading across China has already led to nationwide shortages of antiviral drugs. [Bloomberg] [Global Times]
China: Shandong ready for open sea training
(ms) China’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, is reportedly ready to sail and hold military drills in the open sea, with plans to start such maneuvers soon.
Since its commissioning in late 2019, the Shandong has already completed a number of maneuvers and participated in military exercises, but so far these have been limited to waters around China.
The current open-sea readiness overlaps with the planned maintenance of the first and so far, only open-sea aircraft carrier Liaoning, which started at the end of February and could last for about half a year.
Upon completion of the routine work on the Liaoning, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) plans joint military maneuvers by the Liaoning and the Shandong, which would increase the strength of the Chinese naval fleet. [Global Times]
China: Launch of two new Type 052D destroyers
(ms) The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly launched numbers 27 and 28 of its operational Type 052D guided missile destroyer on March 10, with three additional ships of the type also under construction.
The Type 052D Destroyers, which have now been launched and those still under construction, are said to be equipped with an advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system. In addition, the ships are equipped with a 64-cell vertical missile launch system capable of firing both surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles. [Global Times] [Naval News]
China: Consequences of SVB collapse for Chinese tech companies
(ms) Even though the Chinese joint venture of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) is said to be unaffected by the collapse of its parent bank, the consequences for the Chinese tech start-up and venture capital (VC) sector could be severe.
The US financial institution, which specializes in start-up financing, was temporarily closed and placed under government control after a failed emergency capital increase. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced on March 12 that the U.S. government does not plan to bailout the bank. [Reuters 1] [The Guardian]
The concrete extent of the consequences for and damages to Chinese companies, which were directly caused by the collapse, is still difficult to assess, as most companies, which presumably had links to the SVB, have not commented on possible losses.
However, the collapse has already eliminated an important gateway for Chinese companies to access US capital and establish ties with the US market. Chinese tech startups are said to be particularly affected, as a significant share of these companies received financing from SVB in their early days.
Regardless of the real losses, financial experts suspect a loss of confidence of Chinese companies in foreign banks, which could possibly lead to a reduction of shares in US dollar funds on the part of Chinese companies. [Reuters 2] [South China Morning Post 1]
SPD Silicon Valley Bank (SSVB), a joint venture between Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co and SVB, reassured investors that it is an independent legal entity and will not be affected by the parent company's insolvency. [Asia Nikkei] [Global Times] [South China Morning Post 2]
Japan: Record deficit in January
(cc) On 8 March, Japan's finance ministry stated that the country faced a USD 14.6 billion (JPY 1.98 trillion) deficit in January 2023. According to data, Japan's previous largest deficit was USD 10.8 billion (JPY 1.46 trillion), which was recorded in 2014.
The ministry explained that the situation came to be as a result of the increasing import costs, which pushed Japan to confront the record trade deficit of USD 23 billion (JPY 3.18 trillion). The slow growth in the export sector, in part due to Japanese firms' attempt to decrease shipments to China in response to an early Lunar New Year celebration, further exacerbated the issue.
Overall, while Japan's exports grew by 3.4 percent to USD 50.5 billion (JPY 6.82 trillion), imports spiked by 22.3 percent to USD 74 billion (JPY 10 trillion).
Meanwhile, Yen was also struggling, appearing 13.4 percent and 8.2 percent weaker compared to the dollar and euro, relatively. [Japan Today]
Japan: Record high number of suicides of children
(dql) Japan’s government has released data which confirms a record in the number of suicides among children in 2022.
514 children attending elementary, junior high and high schools died by suicide in 2022, surpassing the previous record of 499 seen in 2020.
Overall, the number of self-killings also increased by 874 to 21,881. [Kyodo News]
Japan: Sexual offense charge reform
(dql) Part of reforms to Japan’s Penal Code, the government has approved a bill that recognizes sexual violation even in the absence of physical violence or coercion.
Under the amendments to the Penal Code, the definition of circumstances for a violation has been broadened and described as making it difficult for a person to "form, express or fulfill the intention to resist" a sexual act. This includes among others taking advantage of a person's limited ability to resist after consumption of alcohol or drugs and abusing economic or social power.
Furthermore, the bill increases the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16. [Kyodo News]
Japan: Rocket launch fails
(dql) The maiden launch of Japan’s H3 rocket, the country’s new flagship space rocket, failed after controllers commanded its destruction only 15 minutes after liftoff.
The rocket was carrying the Advance Land Observation Satellite-3 (ALOS-3), a ground-mapping and imaging orbiter that according to Japan's space agency was supposed to become an important tool in disaster management efforts. [BBC]
Mongolia: Government, Rio Tinto open underground mine
(sw) On March 13, the Prime Minister of Mongolia, Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, opened with the Chief Executive of Rio Tinto, Jakob Stausholm, the underground Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in the Gobi Desert. The mine is expected to become the fourth largest copper mine in the world by 2030.
Oyu Tolgoi is owned 66 percent by the Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto and 34 percent by the Mongolian government. To build the mine, USD 7 billion were invested. Moreover, Rio Tinto predicts that by 2035 the demand for copper will rise by 25 percent due to its use for renewable energy, electric vehicles and digital technologies.
The new underground mine will significantly expand the production and value as it holds 80 percent of the mine's total reserves. Thus, it is expected to produce around 3 million tonnes of copper annually. Mongolian government officials say that through that it will benefit the country’s economy and society.
However, it will be challenging to ensure environmental sustainability, social responsibility, good governance, equitable benefit distribution, and effective revenue management. [International Mining] [bne IntelliNews]
Mongolia: Seized assets to be used for medical services
(sw) The Mongolian Government approved the Resolution on Health Care Services and decided to spend assets seized and confiscated from corruption cases to improve medical services through investments in medical equipment, and the construction and expansion of hospitals.
The aim is to support especially the medical service for mothers and children, and cancer and organ transplant procedures. [Montsame]
North Korea: US Korean war explosives removed from construction site
(ge) On March 11 North Korean state media reported that over 110 US-made explosives left by the US during the Korean War have been discovered at the Hwasong construction site in Pyongyang, including bombs, shells, mines, and grenades. North Korea said that the unexploded devices were at risk of exploding, posing a threat to the security of North Koreans and are a sign of the crimes committed by the US during the Korean war, affirming that the US dropped over 428,000 bombs on Pyongyang and many unexploded shells left behind.
To enhance living conditions in Pyongyang, in February Kim Jong Un initiated a plan to construct 50,000 apartments (see AiR,No. 8 February/2023, 3). The finding of the explosives has reignited North Korea's resentment towards the U.S. due to their warplanes dropping a larger amount of bombs on North Korea than the total amount dropped in the Pacific region during World War II. [Reuters] [Voice of Korea] [The Pyongyang Times]
North Korea: War readiness ordered
(ge) On March 9 North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile towards the Yellow Sea, the South Korean military reports. The launch came after Kim Yo-Jong, the North Korean leader’s sister, declared that any attempt from the US to intercept a North Korean missile would be interpreted as a war declaration (see AiR, No. 10, March/2023, 1).
In addition, the launch occurred as the US and South Korea are preparing to hold an extensive military exercise in response to North Korea’s nuclear threat. North Korea has blamed the US and South Korea’s military cooperation and exercises for the increased tension in the peninsula.
According to experts, North Korea is seeking to affirm its ability to strike South Korea and the US mainland with nuclear weapons. The US Indo-Pacific Command said that the latest launches did not represent a threat but confirmed the destabilizing effects of North Korea’s weapons in the region.
The US is also set to hold an informal meeting of the United Nations Security Council members next week on human rights abuses in North Korea.
According to state media, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un visited an artillery unit on the western front to observe the fire assault drill. During his visit, he ordered the military to intensify the drills to maintain a war-ready posture in order to carry out two strategic missions: deterring war and initiating war.
The unit fired at least six missiles simultaneously. Kim's daughter accompanied him during the drill. [South China Morning Post 1] [South China Morning Post, 2] [Reuters] [KCNA Watch] [NK News]
South Korea: President Yoon’s ally elected leader of ruling People Power Party
(ge) On March 9 South Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) announced that Kim Gi-hyeon was elected as new chairman of the party receiving over 50 percent of the vote, beating rivals Ahn Cheol-Soo, Chun Ha-Ram, and former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn.
However, the new chairman ‘s victory has been overshadowed by allegations of improper support from presidential officials, with Ahn accusing the president's office of abandoning its duty to maintain neutrality in the election.
Kim, an ally of President Yoon Suk-yeol has pledged to unify the party, tackle the country's economic challenges, and work in close cooperation with President Yoon ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. This win strengthens Yoon's grip on the party, as Kim will yield his right to nominate the party's candidates.
Kim has identified inflation, housing, deregulation, and jobs as his focus areas for his two-year term and has promised to seek bipartisan cooperation by meeting opposition party leaders.
He also expressed his support for the government’s plan to compensate victims of Japan's forced labor. Despite facing opposition from the Democratic Party (DP) and some victims, Kim has called for a rewriting of the relationship between South Korea and Japan for future generations.
He criticized the former Moon Jae-In government for its handling of the issue and urged the public and PPP members to support the compensation plan, citing the approval of the United States and European Union.
President Yoon’s appearance at the party convention marks the first time in seven years that a sitting president has attended a party convention. [Nikkei Asia] [The Korea Times] [Korea JoongAng Daily] [Yonhap]
South Korea: Umbrella Unions oppose government’s labor reform plan
(ge) During the 77th anniversary celebrations of the Federation of the Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) held on March 10, the leader of the FKTU vowed to oppose the government’s proposed labor reform which would allow employers to increase the maximum work hours per week to sixty-nine.
The FKTU leader accused the government of trying to cancel labor progress achieved over the past decades. He also promised to advocate for the rights of workers, work towards amending labor regulations, create a permanent public service committee, and eradicate bias in the public sector. Several political leaders and labor representatives were present at the gathering.
Meanwhile South Korea’s government is planning to increase the maximum work week from 52 to 69 hours. Supporters of the plan claim it could help tackle the problems created by an aging population and falling birth rates, as extended periods of leave could allow more family time. However, opponents argue that it would lead to excessively long working hours, posing serious health risks. [The Financial TImes] [Yonhap 1] [Nodong Gwa Hwimang, in Korean]
On March 14, due to the growing concerns about the reform, especially among the younger generations, President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed his government to review the labor reform proposal in areas that need fixing and to listen closely to the public, especially the opinions of millennials and Generation Z. The proposal is undergoing public review and is set to be sent to the National Assembly for approval in June-July. [Yonhap 2]
In an earlier move, on March 13 the ruling People Power Party and the government agreed to require labor unions to release their accounting records if more than half of the union members demanded it or if there were any irregularities such as embezzlement.
On March 14 the Ministry of Employment and Labor declared in a press release that the government will impose fines on trade unions that fail to report whether they have kept and preserved books and documents related to their finances, as required by Article 14 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Mediation Act. The Ministry added that beginning in mid-April, on-site inspections will also be conducted to verify compliance, and fines will be imposed under the Disorderly Conduct Regulation Act on unions that refuse or obstruct inspections.
Additionally, the government may apply the crime of obstruction of official acts if physical force is used during on-site inspections. [South Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor, in Korean]
On the same day of the communication, the Korean Construction Workers Union (KCWU) and some of its officials' residences were searched by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency due to allegations of illegal activities at construction sites.
The police have been investigating KCWU members who allegedly forced employers to hire specific construction workers and extorted money from companies.
Three KCWU members were requested for arrest warrants on charges of blackmail and coercion last Friday. In January, the police conducted a raid on 14 locations, including union offices affiliated with the KCTU and FKTU, regarding illegal activities at construction sites nationwide.
President Yoon has made labor reform a key policy agenda item, including the need for accounting transparency in labor unions. [Yonhap 3]
South Korea: Opposition party submits bill to launch counsel probe into first lady
(ge) On March 9 the opposition political parties led by the Democratic Party (DP) proposed a new bill calling for an independent investigation into allegations of stock manipulation and bribery involving the country's first lady, Kim Keon-Hee.
The bill calls for investigations into art exhibitions sponsored by her former company, Covana Contents, and the stock manipulation case involving a Deutsch Motor Inc. car dealer in South Korea, and its chairman Kwon Oh-Soo who was sentenced to a suspended prison term last February.
The DP plans to push for the bill to be put to a vote at the National Assembly’s plenary session but it needs the consent of three fifths of the National Assembly to launch the special counsel, which requires 180 votes. The DP commands 169 seats in parliament. [Yonhap] [Korea JoongAng Daily]
South Korea: Opposition to reject government’s forced labor compensation plan
(ge) According to a recent poll by Gallup Korea, 59 percent of South Koreans are against the government's compensation plan for victims of Japan's wartime forced labor, as it does not involve Japanese companies or require an official apology from Tokyo.
Only 35 percent of respondents supported the plan for national interest and relations between Korea and Japan. The poll also revealed that 64% of respondents believe there is no need to quickly repair ties unless Japan changes its attitude, and 85% believe that the Japanese government has not shown remorse for its wartime actions.
Opposition leader Lee Jae-Myung criticized the compensation plan during a rally on March 11, claiming that it could lead to Japan's Self-Defense Forces entering the Korean Peninsula, saying the plan was disrespectful to the victims since it entails compensation to the victims through donations by South Korean companies rather than the Japanese companies accused of forced labor. He also criticized President Yoon Suk-Yeol for his handling of the situation. [Yonhap 1] [Yonhap 2]
On March 13 the Democratic Party (DP) passed a resolution urging the government to withdraw its plan to compensate wartime forced labor victims without Japan's involvement. The ruling party boycotted the committee meeting and accused the DP of organizing it without agreement with the purpose of damaging the upcoming summit with Japan's Prime Minister. [Yonhap 3]
South Korea: Solutions to looming recession sought
(ge) On March 10 the Bank of Korea (BOK) released its January report on the country’s Balance of Payment. The report shows that South Korea registered its largest ever monthly current account deficit of USD 4.52 billion, which was caused by a significant decline in exports.
This was the fifth consecutive month of export decline and occurred as concerns about a global economic recession grew. The export of semiconductors and steel products saw the largest drops at 43.4 percent and 24 percent, respectively.
However, imports rose by 1.1 percent, driven by increased consumer goods purchases and a surge in vehicle imports by 65.9 percent. The country’s service account also suffered due to decreased freight rates and a rise in overseas travel as COVID-19 restrictions eased.
Concerning South Korea’s monetary policy, the BOK stated that it will maintain its current monetary policy stance for a prolonged period of time, whilst focusing on price stability before determining whether to pursue additional rate hikes in the future. Despite consumer prices rising by 4.8 percent in February, from a year earlier, inflation remains far above the BOK’s target range of 2 percent.
Meanwhile, on March 8, South Korea's finance minister announced plans to increase the spending of the employment-related budget in 2023, aiming to execute at least 70 percent of the budget in that period. This move was made due to the country’s predictions of a smaller increase in job additions in 2023, given economic uncertainties and a decreasing population. The government aims to offer employment opportunities to about 1.04 million people from the economically vulnerable group, aiming to employ 88.6 percent of them by the end of March. [Bank of Korea] [Korea JoongAng Daily] [The Korea Times 1] [The Korea Times 2]
Taiwan: Dates for 2024 presidential, legislative elections set
(sw) The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced on March 10 that the next Taiwanese president, vice president, and 113 members of the Legislative Yuan will be elected on January 13, 2024.
The candidates have to apply for registration from November 20-24, and the official list of approved candidates has to be announced before December 5. Debates on TV will take place between December 16 and January 12. On February 1 2024, the legislators will be sworn in. The new president and vice president will take office on May 20 2024.
There are no official candidates yet, but the expected frontrunners are the Vice President and ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Lai Ching-te, the New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition party, the Kuomintang, and Ko Wen-je, chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party which was established only in 2019 and won five seats in the 2020 legislative election, thus obtaining the ability to directly nominate its own presidential candidate in the presidential election next year. [Taiwan News]
Taiwan: Yunlin speaker wanted in bribery case
(sw) The Yunlin County Council Speaker Shen Tsung-lung of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and four other individuals are wanted for detention. They are accused of being part in a bribery scandal related to the German wind power firm wpd.
Wpd had offered USD 866.000 as construction fees that included bribes to Shen and a few of his colleagues. The councilors allegedly pressured other local government officials to change regulations to facilitate the securing of construction permissions for wind power facilities. [Focus Taiwan] [Taiwan News]
Taiwan: National carrier fined for smuggling cigarettes with presidential plane
(sw) The Supreme Administrative Court confirmed the fine of USD 195.000 against China Airlines, the state-owned flag carrier of Taiwan, for smuggling cigarettes with Taiwan’s official presidential plane. The airline’s employees cooperated with buyers so that they could avoid cigarette duties on presidential flights.
After the scandal became public in 2018, China Airlines eventually admitted that between 2014 and 2019, around 35.000 cartons of cigarettes were pre-ordered on presidential flights. Prior to presidential trips, officials of the National Security Bureau (NSB) pre-ordered cigarettes with a value of USD 200.000, and stored them in airport tax-free warehouses. When they returned, they avoided detection by loading the cigarettes in government vehicles and joining the president’s motorcade.
In 2021, two NSB officials were sentenced to over ten years in prison, whereas seven other NSB officials and four China Airlines employees received prison sentences between six months to two years. The Court suspects that at least 73 people ordered the illegally smuggled cigarettes, but none were prosecuted.
President Tsai Ing-wen apologized in 2019, saying that her government lacked oversight in the scandal. [Taiwan News]
Taiwan: Military reveals homegrown drones
(sw) On March 14, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) revealed several domestically made attack drones.
It includes the ‘kamikaze’ drone which is similar to the United States (US) AeroVironment Switchblade 300 that is used by Ukrainian forces against Russia. It has a range of 10 kilometers, can fly for 15 minutes and can fit inside a backpack.
In addition to these military-grade drones, the NCSIST cooperates with the private sector to develop unmanned aviation vehicles (UAV) and to create a UAV fleet. They build prototypes of commercial-grade UAVs with capabilities of target acquisition and surveillance.
The prototypes of the UAVs are expected to be delivered by July 31, and if they pass the required tests, mass production could start in 2024. [Focus Taiwan]
Taiwan: Fire missiles tested two days in a row
(sw) On March 9 and 10, the National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) tested fire missiles at Jiupeng Base in Pingtung County.
Currently, the NCSIST mass produces various missiles, including the Chien Hsian suicide drone, Wan Chien missiles, Hsiung Sheng missiles, Sky Bow III missiles, and Hsiung Feng III missiles.
It is expected that Taiwan will produce 1000 missiles in 2023. [Taiwan News]
The NCSIST is a state-owned corporation, active in the development, manufacturing, support, and sustainment of various weapons systems and dual use technologies.
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in South Asia
Bangladesh: Sabotage behind fire at Rohingya camps, investigative panel says
(az/wm) A massive fire that left at least 12,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority homeless in Bangladesh camps was a ‘planned act of sabotage”, a panel investigating the blaze said on March 12. [bdnews24] [The Strait Times]
The fire, which spread across a sprawling refugee camp at Cox’s Bazar, burnt down around 2,800 makeshift homes along with other infrastructures [see AiR No. 10, March/2023, 1]. The refugees reported the intensity of the fire and alleged that unidentified members entered the camps and set ablaze several units, which the local authorities also confirmed.
Some camp residents say the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Rohingya insurgent group active in Myanmar, is committing arson out of revenge or intimidation against rival groups. According to Bangladeshi press accounts, last week a man claiming to be a member of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) posted a YouTube message warning of serious consequences if “suppression” of the group didn’t cease. The fire came two days later.
Bangladesh: Two Rohingya leaders from Cox's Bazaar camp assassinated
(az/wm) On 8 March, a Rohingya leader was shot and killed in Bangladesh’s Cox's Bazar district. This came after a community leader was killed in Ukhiya. A local security force officer suspects the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Rohingya insurgent group active in Myanmar, behind the assassinations. [The Daily Star]
Bangladesh: United Nations expresses concerns about Digital Security Act
(az) During a consultation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has expressed concerns about Bangladesh’s Digital Security Act (DSA). He urged the law to be amended and also stated that it is being enforced against those working for the freedom of expression. During his speech, the UN official also highlighted the increase in political violence, mass arrests of political oppositions, and the harassment of media personnel in Bangladesh. [The Business Standard]
Bangladesh: Women's organization accuses university authorities of negligence against ruling party student wings's sexual harassment
(az) During the celebration of International Women's Day in the Dhaka University area, the organization Nari Sanghati accused university authorities of negligence over the regular sexual harassment committed by members of the Chhatra League, the student wing of Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League party. Adding further, they also criticized university authorities because instead of bringing the criminals to justice, the victims of sexual harassment are ousted from the dormitories when they complain.
Despite development in women's empowerment, Bangladesh has dramatically failed to ensure women's security. During the event, the strict official entry time for the female students in their dormitories were also criticized as these rules exhibit the state's failure to provide security for the female students. [The Daily Star]
India: Kerala High Court provides legal protection to news channel following the police raid
(wr/wm) The high court in India’s Kerala state has directed police to provide protection to a news channel, Asia Net, which sought police protection after two consecutive incidents of “violence and threats,” claiming it perceives further “threats and abuses,” especially their reporters on the ground.
Back in November last year, the news channel aired a report titled “Narcotics is a dirty business”; a member of Kerala state assembly later filed a complaint with the state's police chief alleging the report was fabricated. Earlier this month, the channel witnessed a forceful entrance of around thirty members of the state's ruling party's student wing, who threatened the staff over broadcasting a news report on the sexual assault of schoolgirls in the state.
The incident has also led to significant havoc in the Kerala assembly, where the opposition party leader staged a walkout. [The Indian Express]
India: Money laundering laws to cover cryptocurrency trade
(wr/wm) India’s finance ministry on March 7 imposed anti-money laundering legislation on the digital finance sector and cryptocurrencies. The incorporation of crypto trading into the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) comes after the government's concerns over the potential misuse of Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs), defined under the Income Tax Act as any amount or token derived from cryptographic means and has a specific value.
The notice mandates that VDAs regulation or crypto exchange will follow PMLA provisions, including the obligation to know your customer, provide an official record of transactions, and follow “due diligence.” The government refers to the initiative as an attempt to gain transparency in digital trading and to manage digital assets, ensuring compliance with the digital finance ecosystem. [Press Trust India] [The Hindu]
India: Maharashtra assembly witnesses protest on farmers' issues
(wr/wm) Opposition parties in India’s Maharashtra state protested in the state assembly session on March 9 to demand immediate price relief to farmers and a discussion on a matter with the government. After the local farmers' crops, affected by climate imbalances and unseasonal rains, were destroyed, the farmers' issue has been politicized.
The opposition adjourned the previous assembly session on February 28 on similar grounds. However, the government has reassured its support to address farmers' distress and said it would provide aid to the farmers. [Deccan Herald] [The Hindu]
India: BRS party leadership holds protest for Women Reservation Bill passage in Parliament
(wr/wm) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), an active political party in the southern State of Telangana, along with the support of twelve other parties, conducted a day-long hunger strike demanding the introduction of the long-pending Women's Reservation Bill (WRB) in the Parliament. The Bill was first introduced in 1996, seeking to reserve 33 percent of Parliament and state assembly seats for women but has been stalled for years.
The strike came a day ahead of BRS leader K Kavitha's appearance before the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi excise scam. The ED summoned her in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities scam and claims that she has committed huge financial thefts under Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi policy. However, she and her party deny such allegations and accuse the ruling BJP government of using investigation agencies to target the opposition. [The Print] [Deccan Herald]
India: Reserve Bank of India highlights challenges with Rupee Settlement Mechanism
(wr/wm) The Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has highlighted the challenges associated with the internationalization of the Rupee. As India moves toward the Rupee settlement mechanism, pushing international transactions in Rupees instead of Dollars, he said it would result in “inevitable volatility” that the administration must timely address. He asserted greater Rupee demand to settle global transactions, and increase outflows, a benefit but comes with its own risks of volatility, and a balance needs to be posed by promoting the currency for both imports and exports. [Reuters] [The Economic Times]
Against the backdrop of the Ukraine war and Western sanctions against Russia, the Reserve Bank of India launched the rupee settlement mechanism last year to facilitate buying cheap Russian oil, cut its dependence on foreign currencies and reduce India's vulnerability to external shocks.
India: Government revives Village Defense Guards in Jammu, sparks concern among many
(wr/lm) A decision by India’s central government to revive a once-dormant civilian militia in Kashmir’s southern Jammu area in response to deadly militant attacks targeting Hindu families has been met with criticism. The revival comes three years after the ruling BJP party revoked the autonomous status of Kashmir, claiming to wipe out armed rebellion present in the region and upholding national security.
The so-called Village Defence Guards (VDGs) were first established in 1995 in the district of Jammu, then known as Village Defence Committees, and tasked with combatting the armed rebellion in Kashmir. They had nearly 4,000 members and more than 27,000 volunteers. The momentum to ban the group was raised in early 2000s but in 2019 attacks on regional minorities, Hindus and Sikhs, demands for their revival emerged.
Based on a similar pattern of notorious Salwa Judum militants, mobilized and deployed by state as part of counterinsurgency operations in Chhattisgarh, later banned by Indian Supreme Court in 2011, the VDGs have caused fear among residents, politicians and experts. They say extensive deployment and arming civilians could spark religious tensions and insecurity among local communities which would be counterproductive in the long run. [Al Jazeera] [The New York Times]
Freedom House report suggests that tide may be turning in fight between democracy and autocracy
(lm) After nearly two decades, the global decline in democracy may be bottoming out, according to a new report by Freedom House, a US-based nonprofit research institute. The 2023 edition of “Freedom in the World” found that there were 35 countries that became less free than they were the previous year — the smallest number since the most recent trend of democratic decline started in 2005. Meanwhile, nearly the same number of countries (34) saw improvements, suggesting change may be afoot. [CNN] [Freedom House]
As for India, the world's largest democracy, it earned a score of just 66 out of a possible 100 this year, placing it just below Hungary and just above Lesotho. Freedom House downgraded India from "free" to "partly free" two years ago, citing increased pressure on human rights organizations, intimidation of journalists and a spate of attacks, especially against Muslims.
Nepal: Opposition candidate Ram Chandra Paudel elected third president amid crisis in ruling coalition
(es/lm/wm) Ram Chandra Paudel of the opposition Nepali Congress party was elected president on 9 March, as the Himalayan nation faces increasing political instability with a fragile coalition government that has been in power for only a few months. [Ratopati] [Nepal News] [The Himalayan Times]
The president, a largely ceremonial role, reviews and authenticates all federal laws and endorses the appointment of governors for each state, three members of Parliament, ambassadors, judges, and a number of other constitutional positions. He or she is elected by an electoral college, composed of 881 members in total, 331 of which are from the federal Parliament's upper and lower House and 550 members from the provincial assemblies. Votes are then weighted, with different weights for the two types of electors. [IFES]
Paudel, who previously served as Speaker of Parliament's lower House, was supported by a broad coalition of nine parties; his opponent was Subaschandra Nemwang of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (UML) – who had also previously served as Speaker. [South China Morning Post]
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's decision to support an opposition candidate led to the coalition government's biggest party – the UML – pulling its support. This was the third party to withdraw from the alliance since it was formed last December, after the national election in November had left a hung parliament [see AiR No. 49, December/2022, 1]. As a result, Prime Minister Dahal was forced to seek a confidence vote in Parliament this January [see AiR No. 2, January/2023, 2]. However, Dahal will face another confidence vote in Parliament later this month. [Al Jazeera]
Notably, Prime Minister Dahal, a former Maoist rebel chief, is already in the midst of another crisis, as the Supreme Court will hear a petition demanding his arrest and an investigation into his leadership during the decade-long civil war that killed thousands of people before it ended in 2006. [Reuters]
Nepal: Election Commission upholds nominations of four candidates for vice president election
(es/lm/wm) Nepal's Electoral College will elect the country's new vice president on 17 March. On 12 March, the Election Commission said it had upheld the nominations of all four candidates, including three women, for the election. [News Drum]
The vice president, who executes the president's duties in the event of absence, can only be elected after the presidential election winner is declared due to the constitutional requirement that the president and vice president represent different sexes or ethnic communities. Against the backdrop of Ram Chandra Paudel's election as the country's new president, the Election Commission has stated that only non-Khas-Arya women can be nominated for the election of the vice presidency. [Ratopati] [Nepal News] [Setopati]
Pakistan: Ex-Premier Khan calls off rally after police crackdown, says government ‘petrified’ of losing elections
(dm/lm) Pakistan’s main opposition PTI party called off an election rally scheduled to be held in its eastern stronghold Lahore on March 8 after dozens of its supporters were arrested for defying a government ban on public gathering. Police used water cannons and fired tear gas to disperse PTI supporters, and arrested more than 40 people for defying the ban on holding rallies, which PTI leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan was scheduled to address. [Al Jazeera 1]
The PTI was scheduled to hold the rally to kick off its campaigning for the elections for the dissolved provincial assembly set for April 30 [see AiR No. 10, March/2023, 1]. Khan’s PTI had dissolved the assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – which account for about 70 percent of Pakistan’s population – on January 14 in a bid to force early national elections which are scheduled for October.
Clashes between police and demonstrators armed with sticks on March 8 left at least one protester dead and seven law enforcement officials injured. The Provincial Information Minister defended the police crackdown, saying PTI workers had started attacking police officers when ordered to disperse. [Voice of America]
Speaking against this backdrop, Khan on March 8 accused the federal government of manufacturing a law and order situation in a bid to postpone the Punjab provincial assembly election. He also accused the government of trying to get him out of the way to contest the elections because “they are scared [of the fact] that my party is one of the most popular in Pakistan’s history.” [Al Jazeera 2]
Pakistan: Court suspends ex-Premier Khan's arrest warrant in Toshakhana case
(lm) A court in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad has suspended a non-bailable arrest warrant for the country’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and asked the leader of the main opposition PTI party to attend a March 13 hearing instead. The arrest warrant related to an investigation into alleged illegal purchases and sales of gifts from foreign visitors while Khan was Prime Minister - allegations Khan and his supporters reject as politically motivated. [WION]
The suspension of the arrest warrant comes after authorities failed to arrest Khan on March 5 at his house in Lahore. To this date, it is unclear why Khan wasn’t detained this time: He was at the house, where dozens of his supporters converged after hearing the police were coming. In light of this, Khan backers say the police fear arresting a politician with such mass support.
Pakistan: Police in capital baton-charge protesters at annual International Women’s Day protests
(lm) Police in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad allegedly baton-charged participants at the sixth Aurat March (Women’s March) held on the occasion of International Women’s Day – an action which was widely condemned by the country's Human Rights Commission along with many other politicians and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. [NPR] [WION]
Held since 2018, the Aurat March has emerged as one of the most powerful women-centric movements for equal rights of women in Pakistani society. Since it was first held in the country’s largest city, Karachi, the movement extended to more cities, including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Larkana, and Hyderabad. However, the growing popularity was accompanied by fierce backlash from religious and conservative circles, which often demanded complete ban on such types of events, labeling it as un-Islamic. [AiR No. 11, March/2022, 3].
This year’s march was held simultaneously in the capital Islamabad, Lahore and Multan in the northern Punjab province, and Hyderabad in the southern Sindh province. [Al Jazeera]
Pakistan: Taliban kill policemen guarding census team
(lm) Two Pakistani policemen have been killed while guarding teams collecting census data in separate attacks claimed by the local Taliban in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.
The census is gathering demographic data ahead of parliamentary elections due by October. Islamabad started the month-long digital census at the beginning of March, with security officials deployed alongside more than 120,000 enumerators. [The Straits Times]
Sri Lanka: Election Commission urges President to release funds for local body polls
(sn/lm) Sri Lanka’s Election Commission on March 12 wrote a letter to President Ranil Wickremesinghe requesting him to release the necessary funds to hold much-delayed local elections on April 25, with postal voting to be conducted between March 18-21.
The local elections, postponed from last March by the Minister of Provincial Council and Local Government because of economic and political turmoil, won’t affect the government’s majority in the 225-seat Parliament. But they are widely seen as a test of the popularity of the governing coalition, which has been criticized for raising taxes and electricity charges.
The polls had been anticipated for the end of February and the beginning of March but were postponed due to the country's crippling economic crisis [AiR No. 7, February/2023, 2]. President Wickremesinghe, who is currently spearheading negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout package, has maintained that his administration cannot afford to hold local elections at a time when the state’s expenditure is prioritized to pay for essentials to run the island nation.
Against this backdrop, the National People’s Power party, which has only three lawmakers in Parliament but enjoys a wave of public support, has been organizing massive protests since February. Last week saw clashes between police and various student groups, who demanded the implementation of promised changes to the governing system. [WSWS.ORG] [TVP World] [The Hindu] [WION]
Sri Lanka: Chief Magistrate orders arrest of lawmaker over absence at scheduled hearing
(sn) the Colombo Chief Magistrate has issued a warrant to arrest a lawmaker and the leader of the National Freedom Front political party, Wimal Weerawansa, in response to his failure to appear in front of the courts during his case hearing filed by the Cinnamon Garden police. The accusations defy that the defendant urged protesters to block major roads leading to the disruption of the traffic flow and routines of people in 2016. [Daily Mirror]
Sri Lanka: Trade union protests against tax legislation set to continue on March 15
(sn) Following the demonstrations in Sri Lanka during the first week of March against the unpopular tax policy for an International Monetary Fund bailout, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has announced plans to resume strikes along with 40 trade unions on March 15. [AiR No. 10/March, 1]
In contrast, the President of the Government's Medical Officers' Forum (GMOF) strictly opposed protests due to the following impact on those struggling the most but still condemned the new 'tax formula'. Conveners urge the state powers to revise their novel public and private sector tax regulations or encounter the consequences of further deterioration from statewide disruptions. [The Island]
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in Southeast Asia
Cambodia: Exiled opposition leader supports the son of the Defense Minister as Prime Minister candidate
(sn) The former Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) president and the exiled opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, announced on March 10, 2023, that he supports the current Defense Minister's son as his priority candidate for the new Cambodian Prime Minister ahead of the July elections.
The CNRP leader made a statement about the power struggle issue in the ruling Cambodian People's Party and urged civilian folk seeking freedom to unite around Tea Seiha, the contemporary Siem Reap governor and the son of the Defense Minister. In his report, Sam Rainsy also recognized such public figures as Admiral Tea Vinh from Royal Cambodian Navy and his brother Tea Banh.
Notably, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Tea Vinh in 2021 for corruption leading to the redevelopment of Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville province. Tea Banh served as the Defense Minister since the 1980s. He responded to Sam Rainsy's remarks on Facebook and expressed that his priority candidate for the next Cambodian Prime Minister is the son of the current governor, Hun Manet. [Radio Free Asia]
Cambodia: Police arrests 273 foreigners in Phnom Penh over illegal entry
(sn) On 11 March 2023, Phnom Penh police held their annual meeting, where the members discussed the management enhancement of the foreigners coming to the Cambodian capital and implementing the Foreigners Present in Cambodia (FPCS) system for statistics monitoring. According to a recent report, at least 273 international residents from 25 countries migrated and stayed in Cambodia illegally.
In 2022, FPCS data reports 346,556 people of 205 nationalities residing in 72 Phnom Penh locations inspected by the Ministry of Interior officials. A spokesman of the Cambodian human rights group ADHOC said law enforcement by the state is essential for the effective management of foreigners and their activity in Cambodia. [Khmer Times]
Indonesia: President’s anti-graft push tarnished by USD 20 billion tax scandal
(lm) An Indonesian financial watchdog last week identified over USD 20 billion in suspicious transactions at the finance ministry and other ministries since 2009, casting a shadow on President Joko Widodo’s campaign to root out corruption in government. Focus has now turned to two-time finance minister and Jokowi ally Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who is facing calls on social media to resign. [South China Morning Post]
This development comes after videos and photos of tax and customs officials’ lavish lifestyles circulated on social media, prompting questions about how they could afford such luxury on a civil servant’s pay. Against the backdrop of public anger that ensued, Indrawati appealed to Indonesians not to let the controversy put them off from paying their taxes.
Indonesia: Measles Outbreak in Papua
(mc) As of March 5, the General Directorate for Preventing and Controlling Diseases in Indonesia’s Central Papua province reported at least three cases of measles. The director revealed that the vaccination rate for measles was only 48.1 percent in 2022, with 87 percent of the population still unvaccinated. In light of the high number of measle cases, the Vice Ministry of Health Affairs declared a state of emergency due in Central Papua Province. The Vice Ministry also attributed the increase in measles cases to the low Covid-19 vaccination rate, which was only 70% of the total population. [TheJakartaPost]
Indonesia: Air Force receives first C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifter
(mc) A C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifter that arrived on March 6 from the United States is now ready for operating by the Indonesian Air Force, the Defense Ministry said during a ceremony held at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base two days later. [The Jakarta Post]
According to Lockheed Martin, which manufactured the planes, the Super Hercules can carry 99 passengers, 128 troops or 199 tons of cargo and has a flight range of up to 11 hours. Indonesia expects to receive a total of five airplanes; these will be put into service with the 31 Squadron Halim Perdana Kusuma. Maintenance and repair operations will also be conducted by an Indonesian company in cooperation with a national defence contractor.
Indonesia: Police summons two human rights activist
(mc/lm) Amnesty International has called on Indonesian authorities to drop criminal charges against two human rights defenders, who have been accused of defamation. The charges were filed in September 2021 and pertain to a YouTube video of a conversation between the two human rights defenders discussing the findings of a report on the alleged involvement of several military figures in the mining industry. The two activists could face up to four years in prison if found guilty. [TheJakartaPost] [Amnesty Indonesia].
Malaysia: Ex-Premier Muhyiddin Yassin with six counts of corruption released on bail
(ldm) Former Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, was released on a bail of RM2 million with two sureties by the Sessions Court on March 10. [The Star][Twitter]
He has been charged with six counts of corruption and money laundering offenses, including soliciting bribes from four entities totaling USD 50 million and receiving and depositing bribes totalling USD 40 million. The charges were filed under two laws, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
If convicted under the first Act, Muhyiddin could face a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification received under the said offense, or USD 2300 or whichever is the higher for every count. For charges under the second Act, Muhyiddin should he be found guilty could face jail term of up to 15 years for each count. He would also be slapped with a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of an unlawful activity or instrumentalities of an offense at the time the offense was committed, or RM5 million or whichever is the higher. [BBC][Malay Mail]
The prosecution was preceded by a travel restriction on Muhyiddin, his party Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU) [The Star 2] and a suspension of the party’s accounts [see AiR No.6, February/2023, 1] [see AiR No.7, February/2023, 2][see AiR No.9, February/2023, 4].
Muhyiddin maintained that he was innocent and the charges were “political in nature”. The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) has said that claims by Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders that the charges against them by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) are politically motivated are “not completely baseless”, and cited past administrations’ use of enforcement agencies to “intimidate and harass political opponents”. [FMT]
On March 11, BERSATU’s supreme council rejected his resignation as president on the basis that his charges are inseparable from his position in the party. [Malay Mail 2] Political analysts believe that the prosecution of Muhyiddin will falsify the party’s claim of being clean and transparent, thereby threatening the opposition’s popularity in the upcoming state elections. [FMT2]
Malaysia: Housewives social security scheme to be established
(ldm) The Social Security Organisation (Socso) in Malaysia aims to have 500,000 housewives contributing to a special social security scheme by the end of the year. Currently, 174,000 housewives have contributed since the scheme launched in December 2022.
The scheme provides domestic disaster and disability protection coverage, and contributors are eligible for medical benefits, disability benefits, pension, and a permanent service allowance. Housewives, regardless of whether they work in the private or government sector, can contribute as long as they are Malaysian citizens, female, and aged 55 and below. The contribution can be made by housewives, their husbands, or financed by their employers with a value of USD 27 for a period of 12 months. Malaysia is the first country in Southeast Asia and the fourth country in the world to offer this scheme. [FMT]
Malaysia: Anti-sexual harassment and bullying code in sports to be introduced
(ldm) The Ministry of Youth and Sports in Malaysia will introduce the Safe Sports Code to address safety concerns related to sexual harassment, bullying, and violence regardless of gender. The code aims to handle complaints about sexual harassment in the sports industry and will be replaced by the Safe Sports Act in the future. [Daily Express][Malay Mail]
Malaysia: Floods to cause hike in prices of greens for Malaysians and Singaporeans
(ldm) Due to erratic weather and floods in Malaysia, production and damaged crops have led to a temporary spike in vegetable prices, with losses amounting to tens of millions of ringgit. [The Star]
This has led to vegetable sellers in Singapore to turn to other sources while hoping that the weather improves. [CNA] The government has allocated cash assistance to farmers and will provide assistance to smallholders in the commodity industry to replace lost or damaged equipment. [NST]
As floodwaters in most areas in Johor begin to recede, at least 500 people affected by the floods have been able to return home. [The Star 2]
However, the state still records the highest number of evacuees since the previous week [see AiR No.10, March/2023, 1].
Malaysia: Tourism to be boosted with IMT-GT trip
(pa) Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) has announced that it plans to strengthen the local tourism industry with a familiarization trip with the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) later this year. [NST] The IMT-GT aims to promote a long-term regional-shared strategy to empower its members to contribute and benefit from socio-economic growth and development in the region. [IMTGT]
The aim of the familiarization trip is to introduce and promote Malaysian tourism and its products to tourists from Indonesia and Thailand, with the help of social media influencers and media representatives from both nations. [Awani]
The ministry also announced another long-term initiative to boost tourism with these 2 nations, the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program. This initiative aims to establish Malaysia as a destination to retire and settle in a region.
Philippines: Police officer jailed for killing teens in rare drug war conviction
(lm) A police officer in the Philippines has been found guilty of killing two teenagers during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, in a rare conviction of one of the crackdown’s enforcers. Only three police officers had previously been convicted of killing a suspect during the crackdown, which sparked an investigation at the International Criminal Court. [The Straits Times]
Philippines, United States launch new military drills amid Chinese concerns
(tjb/lm) The Philippines and United States launched army-to-army exercises on March 13. The drills were initiated to strengthen the country’s capability to defend its territory amid China’s intrusion in the West Philippine Sea. Major exercises will mostly take place in Fort Magsaysay, the country’s largest military camp. [Reuters]
The drills follow hot on the heels of Philippines President Marcos Jr.’s decision last month to grant the US access to four more sites, on top of five military locations under the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) AiR No. 6, February/2023, 1]. This development was sharply criticized by China, which on March 12 said Washington was trying to “encircle and contain” Beijing and is “driving a wedge” between the two Asian nations. [Bloomberg]
Philippines: Human rights commission supports compensation for WWII sex slave survivors
(tjb) The Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (CHR) backs reparation initiatives for Philippine women forced to work as sex slaves by Japan during World War II, urging the government to seek an apology from Tokyo. In a statement, the commission said that the government must consider the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on the provisions of full reparations for the victims. [The Straits Times]
The commission’s statement came on the heels of CEDAW’s statement last week saying that the Philippine government violated the rights of ‘comfort women’ by failing to “adopt appropriate legislative and other measures to prohibit all discrimination against women and protect women’s rights on an equal basis with men.” [Philippine Star]
Singapore: Parliament approves USD 127.7 billion government budget for FY2023
(lm) Singapore’s Parliament on March 6 passed the government’s USD 127.7 billion spending plans for the coming fiscal year, bringing two weeks of debate which saw close to 70 hours of back-and-forth to a close. This year’s debate, while more muted than last year’s, covered a wide range of topics, from housing prices and supply to support for lower-wage workers. [The Straits Times]
Singapore: Former foreign minister, George Yeo, rules out presidential run
(lm) Singapore’s former foreign minister, George Yeo, has once again said he will not contest the city state’s upcoming presidential election, which is expected to be held by September 2023, amid lingering speculation that he is eyeing the largely ceremonial role despite repeated denials. Yeo, a brigadier-general who served as foreign minister between 2004 and 2011, has been seen by some observers as among a handful of establishment-friendly individuals eligible to run in the election. [South China Morning Post]
Earlier this month, Lee Hsien Yang, the estranged younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, announced that he would consider running in the upcoming presidential election, indicating that an ongoing family feud could start to overshadow Singapore’s politics. There are concerns, however, about his eligibility due to an ongoing police investigation into whether he and his wife, Lee Suet Fern, lied under oath during a legal proceeding. [AiR No. 10, March/2023, 1]
Singapore: New election laws to allow postal voting for overseas citizens; polling stations in nursing homes
(lm) Singaporeans living overseas will be able to vote by post in the upcoming presidential election as part of changes to the Presidential Elections Act and Parliamentary Elections Act passed by Parliament on March 6. Other changes include having special voting arrangements for nursing home residents and updates to rules for online election advertising. [CNA] [The Straits Times]
Thailand: Prime Minister vows no more coups
(aj) Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on March 8 addressed concerns about a Facebook post made by Deputy Prime Minister and Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) leader Prawit Wongsuwon. In said post, the PPRP leader had previously accused elites of being responsible for military coups, but now intends to engage in dialogue with them to prevent future coups. When asked about this post, Prayuth asserted that the 2014 military coup – which he spearheaded – would be the last.
Notably, on the same day, Army Chief General Narongphan Jitkaewthae issued guidelines to ensure military neutrality during elections, which included encouraging citizens to vote, refraining from training sessions before the polls, and not using military barracks as polling stations or as storage for ballot boxes.
Thai academics reportedly agree that it is now more difficult to launch a coup in Thailand and the international community and Thai public are increasingly less tolerant of coups, but the possibility for intervention still remains if there is great civil unrest.
Political analysts point out that the military may be split between two camps of PM Prayuth and Deputy PM Prawit. In 2014, PM Prayuth and Deputy PM Prawit presented a united front, being familiar with each other since their early military training days and together, were members of the elite Queen’s Guard, holding key military positions. Some academics believe that if Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s rivals win the election but leave the military to its own, then the military will have no excuse to get involved in Thai politics.
In previous coups, the Thai military cited a variety of reasons to stage an intervention, such as quelling political turmoil, vote buying and poll fraud, or motivations related to safeguarding the monarchy. [Bangkok Post 1] [Bangkok Post 2] [Bangkok Post 3] [Bangkok Post 4] [Facebook, in Thai] [Nikkei Asia] [The Nation Thailand]
Thailand: Early House dissolution possible, deputy prime minister says
(aj) Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam has said that it is within the Prime Minister’s powers to dissolve the Parliament’s lower House on March 20, or even a day before the House is meant to naturally end its four-year tenure on March 23. Prime Minister Prayuth previously stated in February that he would dissolve the House before March 23 to allow politicians time to switch parties [see AiR No. 8, February/2023, 3].
Deputy PM Wissanu also said the PM is leaning towards dissolution rather than letting the tenure expire, but some political analysts believe that the PM will not dissolve the House early. [Bangkok Post 1]
Against this backdrop, there is some speculation as to why the PM may amend the date to call for re-elections. The Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 3 to rule non-Thais out of the making of constituency boundaries and is currently in the process of redrawing political boundaries for elections [see AiR No. 10, March/2023, 1]. Some politicians and political analysts say that PM Prayuth can use this delayed time as a way to make ballot box gains, engaging in last-minute activities to attract voters. The general election also falls on a long weekend and may experience a lower turnout, hence some analysts believe the election may be postponed from May 7 to May 14.
Following House dissolution, if politicians want to run as a MP candidate, then they must be members of a certain party at least thirty days before general elections take place on May 7. [Bangkok Post 2]
Thailand: House Speaker considers the House record to be ‘satisfactory’
(aj) As the House nears dissolution, House Speaker Chuan Leekpai reflected on the record of the 25th House of Representatives. House Speaker Chuan commented that this House consisted of 26 political parties, the highest number in the House’s history, and that nearly half of the MPs were first-timers, which he says is particularly noteworthy because the plenary managed to operate smoothly until its last session. [Bangkok Post]
Thailand: Major political parties at risk of disbandment, key members on shaky ground
(aj) Complaints were filed to the Election Commission (EC) against the main opposition Pheu Thai party, the incumbent Palang Pracharath party (PPRP), and liberal contender Move Forward party (MFP). Under the Political Parties Act, if there is believed to be “sufficient evidence” that a party has committed a violation, then the EC must seek the Constitutional Court for a verdict on any unlawful actions by political parties and, if found guilty, subsequently disband.
One of the complaints made against the popular Pheu Thai party was filed by a former advisor to the parliamentary committee on law, justice, and human rights, Sonthiya Sawasdee, involving Pheu Thai Family Director Nattawut Saikuar. Nattawut was a former member of the Thai Raksa Chart party that was dissolved by the Constitutional Court for nominating Princess Ubol Ratana, the elder sister of presiding King Rama X, as a candidate for prime minister in 2019. According to Sonthiya, Nattawut has been previously banned from politics and under the Court decree, cannot participate in political activities.
The second charge Sonthiya brought up against the Pheu Thai party is for allowing outsiders to be involved in party affairs. A former cabinet minister Cholnan Srikaew and a couple of provincial organizations have been working with the party as the election approaches, but are not members of the Pheu Thai party, and therefore, grounds for party dissolution. Secretary-General of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution Srisuwan Janya filed a similar, separate complaint on outsiders influencing Pheu Thai party affairs, but was related to Pheu Thai MPs meeting with former PMs Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck Shinawatra last March.
Srisuwan, known for filing multiple petitions against parties, also believes that PPRP must be investigated by the EC for accepting a USD 87,000 donation from a businessman allegedly involved in illicit activities.
The conservative Thai Pakdee party (TPP) filed a petition against the MFP for its policy platform, which supports the amendment of laws related to sedition and lèse-majesté.
MFP is in the process of lodging another petition against Minister of Transportation and secretary-general of the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) Saksayam Chidchob who was suspended on March 3 for allegedly hiding his shares in a construction firm. Under the charter, ministers are not permitted to hold company shares. MFP plans to petition for the revocation of minister Saksayam’s right to run for election.
When a party is dissolved by the Court, its top members may not be allowed to participate in politics for up to a decade. It is uncertain if legal action will be delivered by the general elections set for May 7. [Bangkok Post] [Bangkok Post 2] [Bangkok Post 3] [The Nation Thailand]
Thailand: Parties ramp up campaign promises, Election Commission warns of overreach
(aj) As the general elections tentatively scheduled for May 7 approaches, parties continue to expand and add policy promises to their campaign platforms. [see AiR No. 10, March/2023, 1]
The conservative Thai Pakdee party (TPP) pledged to bring back self-exiled former PMs Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck Shinawatra to serve their sentences.
With the advent of International Women’s Day on March 8, the Pheu Thai party plans to increase economic opportunities for women and expand women's rights protection. Women-oriented Thai Sang Thai party leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan is also running on the promises of setting up women support centers across Thailand and increasing women’s representation in government.
In response to public concerns about the dire air quality situation across the Kingdom, a number of parties began to include pledges to solve Thailand’s problems with PM2.5 air pollution. Chart Pattana Kla is including environmentally-friendly policies in their campaign to cut carbon emissions, like carbon credits and EVs. Thai Sang Thai also plans to put Bangkok’s traffic congestion issue on the national agenda and push for measures to protect Bangkok from rising sea levels due to climate change.
The opposition Pheu Thai party is appealing to Thailand’s agriculture sector by promising to increase their earnings and alleviate farmers’ debt with a three-year debt moratorium. Chart Pattana Kla is looking to gain favor in Thailand’s northeast and plans to orient Thailand towards more value-added agricultural products, thereby boosting farmers’ incomes.
To demonstrate his commitment to the Pheu Thai party as one of the party’s PM candidates, Pheu Thai chief adviser and business mogul Srettha Thavisin transferred his 4.5 percent hold in the real-estate giant Supasiri to his daughter, Chananda Thavisin on March 8. The Pheu Thai chief adviser has been rallying around Bangkok, and on a visit to the capital’s poorest district, Khlong Toei, Srettha Thavisin promised to raise the minimum wage from USD 9 to USD 17. Similarly appealing to the lower-income bracket and to make the cost of living more affordable, Chart Pattana Kla is looking to lower consumer gas and oil prices, and the TPP plans to lower the price of cooking class.
The Election Commission (EC) reprimanded parties for being vague on the financial details of their platforms and called for parties to clarify on the financial feasibility of their campaign promises. Under EC regulation, parties must clearly state the amount of money required to carry out their planned endeavor, the source of those funds, and communicate to the public the benefits and risks of the proposal. Parties may be fined up to THB 500,000 (USD 14,500) for failing to comply with EC rules.[Bangkok Post] [The Nation Thailand 1] [The Nation Thailand 2] [The Nation Thailand 3] [The Nation Thailand 4] [The Nation Thailand 5] [The Nation Thailand 6] [The Nation Thailand 7] [The Nation Thailand 8]
Thailand: Opposition Pheu Thai party aims to win elections by a landslide
(aj) Thailand’s main opposition Pheu Thai Party’s target goal to secure seats in the House was increased from 250 to 310. Thailand’s House of Representatives has a total of 500 seats.
Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew says the party wants to form a single-party government to be able to override the 250 coup-elected senators and be able to elect the prime minister with senator’s influence curbed. The party asserts that if they win a majority in the House, they will not be open to coalition-building with the so-called ‘dictatorial wing’ parties, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s United Thai party (UTN) and Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon’s Palang Pracharath party (PPRP), although the latter has allegedly stated they are ready to work with the Pheu Thai party.
Additionally, Pheu Thai family party head Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the party will welcome back former party members, namely the Sam Mitre faction that defected from Pheu Thai to PPRP during PM Prayuth’s first cabinet in 2014, but there has not yet been discussion if there are key positions open for high-level members. Some PPRP MPs have already left for Pheu Thai. [Bangkok Post 1] [Bangkok Post 2] [Bangkok Post 3] [The Nation Thailand]
Thailand: Activists end 52-day hunger strike
(aj) After 52 days, pro-democracy activists Tantawan Tuatulanon (Tawan) and Orawan Phuphong (Bam) ended their hunger strike, fighting for judicial reform and the release of 16 protestors who were detained during the mid-2020 protests. [see AiR No. 7, February/2023, 2 and AiR No. 9, February/2023, 4]
Tawan and Bam’s efforts resulted in the release of 13 out of the 16 political prisoners. The duo tried to attain bail for the remaining detainees, but the Supreme Court refused to do so because these detainees were charged for allegedly having explosives. As Tawan and Bam entered the 50th day of their hunger strike, they were readmitted to the hospital in critical condition. On the 52nd day, the two announced that they will take care of their health to continue the fight for democracy. [Bangkok Post] [Bangkok Post 2]
Thailand: Activist receives three-year sentence for committing lèse-majesté, selling satirical calendars
(aj) Narathorn Chotmankongsin, 26, was arrested at his home on December 31, 2020 and recently sentenced to three years in prison for being accused of selling satirical calendars that insult the monarchy. The calendars were sold on pro-democracy Facebook page Ratsudon and featured cartoons of yellow ducks posed in the likeness of the presiding King Rama X. After a six-day trial, the defendant was convicted on March 7 for committing lèse-majesté.
Inflatable yellow ducks were used by activists during the anti-government 2020 protests to protect themselves from police tear gas and water cannons, which turned the bath toy into a popular symbol for democracy protests.
Human Rights Watch has been observing the situation and says this latest incident violates the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that recognizes the freedom of expression, which Thailand ratified in 1996. Those accused of lèse-majesté under Article 112 of the Thai criminal code may be imprisoned from 3 to 15 years. [Bangkok Post] [Human Rights Watch]
Thailand: Court refuses student activist's request to attend UN human rights meeting
(aj) The Criminal Court refused law student activist Pimsiri Petchnamrob’s request to attend the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. Pimsiri is a senior law student at Thammasat University and was indicted for her involvement in the 2020 democracy protests and for allegedly committing royal defamation. As part of her bail condition, she must seek permission from the Criminal Court to leave Thailand and is not allowed to engage in activities that mar the royal institution. Pimsiri sought permission twice from the Court in February to attend the February 27 to April 3 UNHCR meetings, but the Court refused. On March 8, the activist tried to appeal the rejection and the Court denied the request on the grounds that the matter was outside the jurisdiction of the Criminal Court. [Bangkok Post]
Thailand: NGOs calls for stronger protections for victims of domestic violence
(aj) Sixteen years after the Domestic Violence Victim Protection Act was implemented, NGOs report that victims of domestic violence need stronger legal protection. Agencies that protect victims of domestic violence allege that the crime is often viewed as a minor matter and victims who seek help from authorities often do not receive adequate help, if any at all. The Domestic Violence Victim Protection Act mandates reconciliation between the victim and abuser, which does not help the victims, says NGOs reporting on the matter. NGOs are calling for a revamp of the act for a more victim-centric approach. [Bangkok Post]
Thailand: Women's rights groups demand the decriminalization of sex work, laws to support women
(aj) In light of International Women’s Day on March 8, women’s rights groups pushed for the decriminalization of sex work and to make the work legal. Advocates for women’s rights also called for laws to support women, such as doubling maternity leave to 180 days, subsidies for pregnancy and abortion clinics and services, and to designate March 8 as a national holiday to recognize women’s rights. [Bangkok Post]
Thailand: King appoints younger daughter as specialist in Royal Thai Army
(lm) Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has announced the appointment of his younger daughter, Princess Sirivannavari, as a specialist in the Royal Thai Army with the rank of a Major General. The appointment is part of the latest round of military promotions that will be effective from April 1. [South China Morning Post]
Vietnam: Government releases white book on religious freedom
(ih) On March 9, Vietnam's Committee for Religious Affairs released its first ever white book on religion, claiming the government respects and guarantees religious freedom for all.
Unregistered religious groups dispute this claim, stating that the government oppresses them, and they are not free to worship. While the white book declares that all religions are equal before the law, unregistered groups claim that registering their religion with the government is impossible, and that unrecognized religions are not allowed to operate freely. [RFA] [VNExpress]
Vietnam: Increase in individuals quitting social security system puts pressure on budget
(ih) Many people in Vietnam have been quitting the social security system in recent years, with 4.06 million people withdrawing a total of VND131.94 trillion between 2016 and 2021. Most of those leaving were private sector workers, and the trend has been attributed to the fact that many workers in industrial parks do not have much savings and turn to the social insurance fund to support their daily living.
The Covid-19 pandemic and associated layoffs have accelerated the trend. This increase in withdrawals will increase pressure on the state budget, which will have to take care of a large number of people who will not have a pension in the future.
Amendments to the Social Insurance Law are currently being drafted, including proposals to cut the number of years one needs to contribute to the fund to be eligible for a pension, and to prevent people from withdrawing their entire social insurance contributions. Similar proposals in 2015 were scrapped after mass wildcat strikes. [VNExpress]
International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia
Arms imports by states in Asia and Oceania fell by 7.5 percent, new SIPRI report shows
(lm) Imports by states in Asia and Oceania fell by 7.5 percent between 2013–17 and 2018–22, while the global volume of international arms transfers dropped by by 5.1 percent, according to new data on global arms transfers published on March 13 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Notably, India and China are among the five largest arms importers in 2018-22, besides Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Australia. [SIPRI]
Summary
Asia and Oceania received 41 percent of major arms transfers in 2018–22, a slightly smaller share than in 2013–17. Despite the overall decline in transfers to the region, there were marked increases in some states, and marked decreases in others. Six states in the region were among the 10 largest importers globally in 2018–22: India, Australia, China, South Korea, Pakistan and Japan.
East Asia
Arms imports by East Asian states increased by 21 percent between 2013–17 and 2018–22. Arms imports by China rose by 4.1 percent, with imports from Russia increasing by 39 percent, making China Moscow’s second largest recipient. However, the biggest increases in East Asia were by United States treaty allies South Korea (+61 percent) and Japan (+171 percent).
South Asia
India remains the world’s top arms importer, but its arms imports declined by 11 percent between 2013–17 and 2018–22. This decline was linked to a complex procurement process, efforts to diversify arms suppliers and attempts to replace imports with local designs. Notably, Russian exports to India fell by 37 percent, while Moscow’s exports to other countries decreased by an average of 59 percent. India also was the biggest customer of France’s global arms exports, which went up 44 percent during the 2013–17 and 2018–22.
Imports by Pakistan, the world’s eighth largest arms importer in 2018–22, increased by 14 percent, with China as its main supplier.
Southeast Asia
Arms imports to Southeast Asia decreased by 42 percent between 2013–17 and 2018–22. This decrease was at least partly because states are still absorbing equipment delivered before 2018. The Philippines bucked this trend, with an increase in arms imports of 64 percent.
India hosts meeting of Joint India-Central Asia Working Group on Afghanistan, pledges to send humanitarian aid
(mk/lm/wm) India on March 7announced that it will send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via Iran's Chabahar Port. This will mark the first time the port, run by an Indian company since 2018, has been used to send assistance to Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
The announcement was made during the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Afghanistan in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by representatives of India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Country representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) also participated in the meeting.
The group met with the aim of exchanging views on the contemporary circumstances in Afghanistan and the way to extend support while recognizing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state. It was agreed that political representation that reflected the needs of the Afghan people and respected the rights of women and minority groups was needed.
India's decision to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via Chabahar Port is noteworthy, considering that a previous aid shipment was conveyed overland via Pakistan. Considering this, the move shows how, despite expectations to the contrary, New Delhi has managed to get along relatively well with the Taliban regime, which said the aid shipment will “lead to positive mutual relations”
The Chabahar development also highlights how Indian efforts to develop the port – touted as New Delhi's answer to the Chinese-operated port of Gwadar in Pakistan – are paying off. The port, located in south-eastern Iran, was once thought to be dead in the water because of India's reluctance to violate the United States sanctions regime on Iran, but New Delhi has now invested around USD 85 million in it [see AiR No. 50, December/2021, 2].
New Delhi has backed regional infrastructure projects, including the International North-South Transport Corridor, a 7,200-kilometers-long multimode network seeking to connect Chabahar Port with Russia to reduce the time of shipments between Europe and Central Asian markets. In this regard, it is meant to compete with China's Belt and Road Initiative, which has recently faced setbacks—including on projects at the Pakistani port of Gwadar. [MEA 1] [MEA 2] [The Hindu]
BIMSTEC holds ministers' meet virtually
(mk/lm/wm) Ministers of the member states of the seven-member Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) met virtually on 9 March for a discussion hosted by BIMSTEC Chair Thailand. BIMSTEC member states include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
The meeting discussed and approved the draft text of BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030, a leader-level document proposed by Thailand to guide BIMSTEC towards a prosperous, resilient, and open region by 2030. The document aims to further promote BIMSTEC as a region of peace, stability, and economic sustainability.
The attendees also approved a number of agreements and important documents, including the Rules of Procedure for BIMSTEC Mechanism and the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation. All these documents will go on to be discussed at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, which will be hosted by Thailand in 2024. [BIMSTEC.org] [The Economic Times] [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand]
Chief Justice of Pakistan skips SCO meeting hosted by India, citing “unavoidable obligations”
(wr/wm) India this week hosted the 18th meeting of the Chief Justices of the member states of the eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) with the aim to develop judicial cooperation on matters including “smart courts” and the future of judiciary, facilitating “access to justice,” institutional challenges facing the judiciary, infrastructure, representation, and transparency.
Notably, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, skipped the meeting, citing a schedule conflict. However, Supreme Court Justice Munib Akhtar joined the second day of the meeting through a video channel. India holds the rotatory presidency of the SCO for the 2022-2023 period, with food security, connectivity, and economic development on its agenda. [Press Trust India] [Hindustan Times]
Russia doesn't rule out President Putin attending Group of Twenty summit in India this September
(lm) Moscow said on March 13 it was not ruling out Russian President Vladimir Putin attending a summit of leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) developed and emerging economies in early September in New Delhi – though no final decision has been made. [Reuters]
In an interesting development, officials this week shifted the dates for an annual economic forum in Vladivostok, which had been set for the eve of the September 9-10 summit, to a week later to open up President Putin’s schedule and to accommodate the possibility that senior officials from India and China might attend the forum. [Bloomberg]
Formally, India has invited President Putin to the G20 summit and Moscow has accepted. But last year, amid pressure from the United States and its allies over the war, Putin dropped plans to attend the gathering in Indonesia and sent Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in his place [see AiR No. 47, November/2022, 4]. He also skipped the gathering of leaders from the G20 nations in Rome a year earlier.
Russia works to ease visa regime for India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, other countries
(lm) Russia is working on easing visa procedures for six countries, including India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Moscow is also preparing intergovernmental agreements on visa-free trips with 11 countries, including Malaysia. These agreements are at various stages of development, according to Russian news agency TASS. [TASS] [Nikkei Asia]
British Indo-Pacific ministers visits Bangladesh, Nepal to strengthen ties
(lm) The British Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, visited Nepal and Bangladesh last week.
Nepal
Trevelyan arrived in Kathmandu on March 8 for a three-day visit that marked the 100th anniversary of the singing of the Nepal–Britain Treaty which formalized diplomatic relations between the two countries. During her visit, the British minister called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other government officials; she also attended a function organized in honor of Gurkha veterans - units in the British Army that are composed of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers. [The Kathmandu Post]
Bangladesh
Trevelyan then traveled to Bangladesh where she met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen. She also visited Cox’s Bazar district, which hosts the largest refugee camp in the world, home to nearly 1 million predominantly Rohingya refugees that have fled violent persecution in neighboring Myanmar. [Prothom Alo]
The United Kingdom announced a new package of funding totaling USD 6.4 million. USD 5.17 million will be distributed through the World Food Programme and USD 1.23 million will go through the UNHCR for pressure cookers. [GOV.UK]
Cambodia-France: National Election Committee and the Interior Ministry delegation visit to France
(sn) National Election Committee (NEC) and the Interior Ministry delegation arrived in France on March 14, 2023, on an invitation of the International Security Cooperation Director. The meeting follows the precursory negotiations between the Cambodian Interior Minister and the French Ambassador, where the European counterpart offered assistance to the Southeast Asian Kingdom in upcoming general elections in July 2023.
As such, the given meeting is set to allow the French acquaintances to share their experiences and advice with fellow politicians from the Cambodian government. The state party invited the European Union to send observers to monitor elections in 2023 after assistance for elections was stopped due to the 2017 dissolution of the main oppositional Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP). Indeed, no observers were present in the Cambodian 2022 commune elections. Despite the hope that NEC would regard given recommendations, state hostility towards the VOD independent media, oppositional Candle Light, and CNRP parties create obstacles to a smooth and transparent election process in Cambodia. [Cambodianess]
Cambodia-US: 27-year jail sentence of the former opposition leader Kem Sokha condemned by US and HRW
(sn) Cambodian courts issued a jail sentence of 27 years for the former opposition leader Kem Sokha for deformation of the state authorities while simultaneously banning him from the right to vote and stand for election. On March 3, 2023, Human Right Watch (HRW) defined the charges against the defendant as bogus and demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
Kem Sokha is a former president of the banned Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP). HRW Deputy Asia Director characterized the case as politically motivated, elaborating that the current Prime Minister, Hun Sen, took steps to secure the power of his ruling party. On the same day, the US Ambassador to Cambodia expressed in a Twitter post that the USA is significantly concerned with the conviction of the respected leader over fabricated accusations. [US Ambassador to Cambodia Twitter], [Human Rights Watch]
Cambodia and China resume joint military exercises in March 2023
(sn) On March 23, 2023, Cambodia and China scheduled the re-launching of "Golden Dragon" joint military exercises that will last until April 8.
257 Chinese troopers will attend the training, with 253 Cambodian soldiers directly participating in the military exercises. 2,831 soldiers from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces will attend the military maneuver program.
The joint training aims to enhance cooperation between the state militaries and increase the joint ability to respond to contemporary challenges.
The program scheduled at the end of March is the 1st cooperation between the Cambodian and Chinese militaries after a 3-year break caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. [Cambodianess]
China-U.S.: President Biden’s budget plan allocates billions for countering Beijing
(vp) On March 9, the Biden administration proposed its budget plan for 2024 that calls China “the United States’ only competitor with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it.”
The plan requests billions of dollars for funding aimed at countering China in the Indo-Pacific region, including USD 2 billion for infrastructure investments, USD 2 billion for equity investments as well as USD 2 billion for economic support to US partners in the region to boost “their efforts in pushing back against predatory efforts.” It also asks for USD 7.1 billion to be spent over the next 20 years for the Compacts of Free Association with the Freely Associated States of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau. [The White House] [Reuters] [VOA News]
China-US: Generals warn of Beijing’s expansion in South America and Caribbean
(vp) During a hearing before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, Generals Laura Richardson and Glen VanHerck, commanders of the US Southern and Northern Commands respectively, warned of the “aggressive” expansion of China in South America and the Caribbean.
Signaling the urgency for counter action, Richardson added: “The proximity matters. They are on the 20-yard line of our homeland. We are in a neighborhood, these are our neighbors, and we have got to pay attention to them.”
Similar concerns are voiced also regarding other regions where Beijing challenges Washington economically, technologically, politically and militarily, with the aim of weakening the US presence in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Region, as the 2023 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community reports [see report].
Meanwhile, on March 8, the US Department of Defense also reported that Russia is supposedly supplying China with highly enriched uranium for Chinese fast breeder reactors. [CNN 1] [CNN 2] [The New York Times] [US Department of Defense]
China- Saudi Arabia/Iran: Tehran and Riyadh to resume ties
(vp) On March 10, at the end of a four-day, previously undisclosed meeting between Saudi Arabia and Iran hosted by China in Beijing, the three parties issued a joint statement according to which Tehran and Riyadh reached an agreement to resume diplomatic relations and re-open embassies and missions within two months.
Further, the statement affirms that the two countries “expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the leadership and government of the People's Republic of China for hosting and sponsoring the talks, and the efforts they placed towards its success.” [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China 1] [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China 2]
The decision marks a big step forward for China’s efforts to present itself as a peacemaker and power broker in international politics and for diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, seemingly implacable enemies, with each of them claiming to lead the Muslim world. The two countries’ ideological, political and military rivalry in the Middle East had long brought conflict and instability to the area and escalated into a proxy war in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere where Tehran and Riyadh would back opposing factions for supremacy in the region. [CNN] [Reuters] [The Conversation] [The Statesman]
China-Russia: Currency cooperation
(vp) Speaking on the sidelines of the recently concluded 14th National People’s Congress, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang affirmed his country’s intention to push for more “safe and credible” currency cooperation in China’s trade with Russia, countering any use of international currency for unilateral sanctions to slow and cripple a country’s economy.
The statement comes as China’s energy, trading and financial ties with Russia expanded amid Western sanctions imposed on Moscow. The US has also threatened to impose restrictions on Beijing amid warning against supplying financial and military aid to Russia.
China-Russia trade, paid either in robles or yuan, stood at a record high of USD 190 billion in 2022, an increase of 30 percent compared to 2021. [South China Morning Post 1]
In a separate statement, Qin affirmed how China’s development had “shattered the myth that modernisation is Westernisation”, providing an alternative development and governance model, especially to developing countries, “not pursued through war, colonization or plunder.”
Qin also reiterated the successful outcomes of China-led infrastructure initiatives conducted in developing countries, while calling for multilateral financial institutions, being the major creditors, to ease and share the debt burden of developing countries. [Global Times] [South China Morning Post 2] [South China Morning Post 3]
China-Netherlands: Beijing lodges formal complaint over restrictions on chips supplies exports
(vp) China’s Foreign Ministry has lodged a formal complaint with the Netherlands over its decision to impose new restrictions on exports of semiconductor technology to China, accusing the European country of “politicization” of trade and technology, waring that the move would damage stability of global supply chain and be detrimental to in the interest of all countries.
The Netherlands, the US and Japan had previously reached an agreement in January 2023 for imposing new export controls on microchip manufacturing equipment. Even if China was not explicitly mentioned as the target, restrictions had targeted it given that Japan and the Netherlands’ chipmakers are some of the key chips’ suppliers to China. In March 2023, the US also added new entities in the trade blacklist.
The US-led decision in fact aimed at cutting supplies to China for reasons of national and international security, in order to avoid cutting-edge technology from being used in military systems and weapons and keep the lead in chips manufacturing sector, as the Netherlands report.
In an earlier rare move, Chinese President Xi Jinping openly and directly criticized the U.S. for leading other Western nations to suppress China’s development in a speech during the “Two Sessions” last week. [Anadolu Agency] [Global Times] [Politico] [South China Morning Post]
China-Germany: Restrictions on Huawei under consideration
(vp) Germany’s Ministry of interior has confirmed that it is reviewing tech suppliers such as China's Huawei and ZTE. The review could lead to German telecommunication operators being required to remove and replace components already built into their networks.
The confirmation came after reports of German media outlets about plans of the government to ban the use of certain components made by Chinese suppliers in the country’s 5G networks. The ministry cited the importance of avoiding over-reliance of German telecommunication operators on “certain providers.”
In Europe, only Britain and Sweden have so far struck a ban on Huawei and ZTE from supplying critical 5G network equipment. In 2021, Germany enacted an IT security law that contains high hurdles for manufacturers of telecommunications equipment for next-generation networks. But it refrained from banning the Chinese tech companies.
Berlin’s move reflects the latest sign of an increasingly “tougher” approach toward China among many European countries. [NPR] [Reuters]
China-US: Singapore ready to mediate economic dialogue
(vp) Gan Kim Yong, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry, has confirmed the city-state’s willingness to serve as a mediator between China and the US and facilitate economic dialogue, considering the eroding of relationships as detrimental for all nations of the world.
Singapore's own interest lies in its trade and economic ties with both parties, with Washington in the context of the White House’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and with China as the city-state’s top trading partner. [Time]
China-Philippines: Fewer Chinese presence in the South China Sea
(vp) An aircraft of the Philippines Coast Guard reported fewer Chinese Maritime Militia ships around the island Thitu compared to the situation during the previous week, while stressing China’s continued presence in the disputed area of Spratly islands in the South China Sea.
The number of Chinese ships reportedly decreased from forty-two to fifteen as of March 9.
The archipelagos are contested by China, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The Philippines had accused China of “aggression” and of “slowly loitering”. Beijing responded by claiming its sovereignty over the islands as of March 10 and intimated the Philippines’ aircraft to “leave Chinese territory”.
The Philippine Coast Guard reportedly conducted routine maritime patrol amid growing tensions in the South China Sea area because of an increasing US military presence and confrontations between Chinese and Philippines navy. [see AiR N. 8, February/2023, 3] [see AiR N. 6, February/2023, 1] [Reuters] [US Naval Institute]
China-Micronesia: Outgoing President accuses China of bribery and “political warfare”
(vp) Outgoing president of Micronesia David W. Panuelo, whose term will end in May, has accused China of engaging in “political warfare”, bribery and “direct threats” in the Pacific region to secure the country’s neutrality in the event of an attack on Taiwan.
The accusation is contained in a letter in which he claimed that Beijing was preparing an invasion of Taiwan.
China rejected the allegations as “smears and accusations” reiterating how it “always upheld the equality of all countries” and respected Micronesia's own path to development. [CNN]
UK, US and Australia to finalize the AUKUS defense agreement
(vp) UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with US President Joe Biden in San Diego to finalize the details of the 2021 AUKUS defense agreement, criticized by China as “highly irresponsible”.
The deal includes the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia to counter Beijing in the Pacific region and agreements on technology and information exchange between the three countries. The move is deemed to make Australia the seventh nation in the world to operate nuclear-powered submarines.
Beijing warns of the fact that the agreement “seriously undermined regional peace and stability”. France was also enraged by it, as its agreement on submarine building with Canberra may see an end. [BBC] [NBC News 1] [NBC News 2]
President Xi Jinping to visit Moscow earlier than expected
(vp) President Xi Jinping plans to visit Russia and meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by next week, earlier than expected.
The visit comes as China unveiled a peace proposal to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. The proposal was met with skepticism by the Western countries as it failed to condemn the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
The visit follows last month’s visit of China's top diplomat Wang Yi to Moscow, where both parties voiced the intention of deepening China-Russia cooperation, reiterated mutual support in the economy, energy and trading sector and criticized unilateral, ‘cold-war’ attitudes. [Reuters] [VOA News]
Australian Prime Minister Albanese, on first state visit to India, declares New Delhi' top-tier security partner'
(mk/lm) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid his maiden state visit to India from March 8-11, hoping to shore up business, renewable energy, security, and defense links between the two countries. Thirty chief executives of Australia's largest companies and university heads joined Albanese's delegation, underscoring the importance Canberra attaches to New Delhi in shaping the regional order in the Indo-Pacific. [ABC News 1] [Department of the Minister and Cabinet] [Ministry of External Affairs]
Albanese called on Indian Prime Minister Modi. The two discussed the inaugural India-Australia Summit in New Delhi and held talks that focused on a range of subjects, such as maritime cooperation, defense, renewable energy, trade, and education.
In particular, they jointly welcomed the landmark India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), an interim trade deal, which entered into force in December last year and removed duties on 96 percent of Indian exports to Australia and 85 percent of Australian exports to India [see AiR No. 14, April/2022, 1]. The two leaders also reiterated continued international collaboration through forums like the Group of Twenty (G20), the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, and the United Nations. [Narendra Modi, Twitter]
Of particular note was their mutual recognition of the need to enhance defense cooperation and agreement to tackle global terrorism. The focus on defense was furthered during Albanese's visit to the Indian indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in Mumbai, where the Australian premier said that it was his government's priority to place India at the heart of Australia's approach to the Indo-Pacific. [The Hindu]
Albanese also met Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and the two reportedly discussed the overall status of bilateral ties between the countries. Concern over the Indo-Pacific region loomed large in these discussions.
In a clear indication of the Albanese government's keenness to cement further ties with India, Albanese was accompanied by Trade Minister Don Farrell and Resources Minister Madeleine King. After bilateral talks, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his Australian counterpart Farrell said they hope to transform ECTA into a full-fledged Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement by the end of the year, as both sides want to increase trade between their economies to USD 100 billion. [ABC News 2]
The delegation's visit to India comes after Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Education Minister Jason Clare traveled to New Delhi earlier this month, with Senator Wong attending the G20 and Minister Clare announcing the possibility of Australian university campuses in India. If established, the Deakin University campus would be the first foreign university with a campus in India.
Later this year, Canberra looks forward to hosting Indian Prime Minister Modi when he attends the Quad Leaders' meeting.
United States Senate committee approves Garcetti's nomination to be Washington's next ambassador to India
(lm/wm) The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 8 March voted 13 to 8 to approve US President Joe Biden's nomination of former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be Washington's next ambassador to India. However, Garcetti still needs to win a full Senate vote to be confirmed, and it is unclear when that vote will take place. [NBC News] [Bloomberg]
The committee first approved Garcetti's nomination in December 2021, but he never received a floor vote in the last Congress. Both Democratic and Republican senators have raised concerns about sexual assault and harassment allegations against his close adviser Rick Jacobs, which have hovered over Garcetti's confirmation. The Los Angeles mayor has consistently denied knowing about Jacobs' alleged behavior.
Against this backdrop, a former Garcetti aide, said on March 13 that he is “unfit” to become US ambassador to India in light of the allegations of sexual harassment during his time as Los Angeles mayor. [CNN]
There has not been a formal US envoy in New Delhi since early 2021. The relationship certainly stands to improve with an ambassador in place, especially given the delicate diplomacy needed to navigate New Delhi's continued partnership with Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Indonesia’s foreign minister seeks Japanese investment for new capital
(mc) During the 8th Japan-Indonesia Strategic Dialogue Meeting, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi discussed the potential of investing in New Indonesia Capital (IKN) and its potential for foreign investment. She also mentioned cooperation on developing Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) in Jakarta, with bidding ending in April.
In 2022, Japan was Indonesia's third largest trading partner and fourth largest source of direct investment. Total bilateral trade between the two countries reached USD 42 billion, an increase of 29 percent over the previous year and Japanese direct investment totaled USD 3.56 billion last year. [MOFA]
US, Australia, Japan & France conduct military exercise with an eye on China
(hg) The US, Japan, Australia, and France have conducted the Cope North airpower exercise from February 10 to 24. Covering an area of 1,200 miles in the Pacific Ocean, the exercise spread from the Japanese island of Iwo Jima and involved the US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps fighter and bomber aircraft, Japanese fighters, and French and Australian transports with altogether 2,000 service members.
The exercise served in as a test of the US Air Force’s evolving Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine which has been developed over recent years with regard especially to Chinese and Russian anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities. It aims to utilize a ‘hub and spoke’ approach to rapidly move airpower to a network of smaller airfields in the Western Pacific to avoid Chinese missiles attacks in the event of war. [The EurAsian Times]
The exercise reflects increasing efforts of the US and its allies to prepare for growing tensions with China in the Indo-Pacific. Especially the US and Australia are recently particularly focused on improving force interoperability. [The Wall Street Journal]
Notably, the United States, Australia and the UK just concluded a major deal by which Australia will buy at least 5 U.S. nuclear powered submarines under the AUKUS military technology sharing framework.
U.S. works on enhanced nuclear deterrence with Japan, South Korea
(hg) The United States is reportedly working with Japan and South Korea on an enhanced framework of nuclear deterrence against North Korea as North Korea escalates its development of long-range missiles and nuclear weapons. Currently, the United States discusses such an "extended deterrence" with both allies separately.
However, Japan and South Korea have just announced plans for talks to restore trade relations (see entry below), indicating potential to also generally resolve difficult bilateral relations which might pave the way for a more coordinated US-led security approach among the three countries. [Kyodo News] [AP News]
Japan-Canada: Talks on cooperation on supply chains for battery metals
(hg) Japan and Canada work on building stronger supply chains for battery metals with a public-private mission led by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) having visited Canada for talks on the issue. Batteries are key for Japan’s electric vehicle policy. [Reuters]
Japan and New Zealand meet for scientific and technology discussion
(cc) On March 8, Japan and New Zealand met for the Japan-New Zealand Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation forum.
In the meeting, the two nations discussed the developments in science, technology, and innovation policies and bilateral partnerships between Japan and New Zealand. Additionally, regarding topics on the future of their cooperation, they concluded that they shared common interests on the issues of advanced technology, marine research, and environmental and disaster risk reduction.
Joined by delegations from ministries and agencies related to the scientific field of both countries, the meeting was a platform for Japan and New Zealand to talk about matters on the implementation of policies related to the 2009 Japan-New Zealand Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement. The first gathering of this kind was held in October 2010. [The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan]
Japan and Romania meet
(cc) On March 7, Japanese and Romanian foreign ministers met while Romania's president was on a state visit to Japan.
In the meeting, Japan praised Romania as its crucial partner and expressed gratitude for the increased high-level communications between the two nations. Moreover, aside from pointing out that the upcoming establishment of the Romanian cultural institute in Japan will improve Japan-Romania ties, Japan remarked that the state visit by Romania would enlarge the opportunity for bilateral cooperation between their countries.
They also discussed the effort to address several global issues. Unequal financial development, economic coercion, North Korea-related problems, and the attempt to reform the United Nations and the Security Council were some of the matters mentioned in the discussion.
On the issue of Japanese food exports to the European Union (EU), Japan called for Romania to support the easing of the EU's import measures against Japan. [Minister of Foreign Affairs, Japan]
Japanese armed forces help the Laotian army in medical training
(cc) Between March 2 and 8, in an effort to bolster Japan-Laos defense cooperation, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force aided the Lao People's Army in training its personnel on military medicine and the search and rescue operation. [Ministry of Defense, Japan, Twitter]
Japanese navy trains in the United States
(cc) Between February 24 and March 7, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force participated in the Dispatched Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare exercise in the United States.
Aside from bolstering the interoperability between the Japanese and American navies, the training activity allowed the participants to attain superiority in the electromagnetic spectrum field. [Maritime Self-Defense Force, Japan, Twitter] [Ministry of Defense, Japan, Twitter]
Malaysian foreign minister leads the countries delegation in annual Commonwealth events in London
(pa) Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, is leading Malaysia’s commonwealth delegation by attending 3 Commonwealth events from March 13th to March 15th: Commonwealth Day Reception, Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) Meeting and Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM). [Malay Mail] The event is to be hosted by Britain's King Charles III for the first time as the Head of the Commonwealth
Zambry looks to hold several meetings with his counterparts to discuss bilateral issues and regional/ international issues of common interest. Malaysia has been a member of the Commonwealth for 16 years and shares its common values of promoting democracy, upholding human rights and fostering development among member countries. [KLN]
Malaysia-Sweden: Memorandum of Understanding on green transition
(pa) Malaysia and Sweden have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to increase collaborative efforts to aid Malaysia's transition to a greener future [NST]
The two countries are to launch the Pioneer the Possible program on the 14th of March, a platform that enables collaboration, promotion and innovation within the green energy transition. With Sweden's assistance, Malaysia is committed to reducing CO2 emissions in order to become carbon neutral by 2050 and aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emission intensity of GDP by 45% by 2030. [Business Sweden]
Six Swedish companies are involved in the programme, includingIKEA, Monitor ERP, Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Atlas Copco and Axis Communications. [ScandAsia]
Malaysia, Indonesia working to reduce the cost of hiring Indonesian maids
(pa) Malaysia's Minister of Human Resources V. Sivakumar and Indonesia’s Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah are in joint working group meetings to discuss lowering the costs of hiring Indonesian maids in Malaysia. [The Star]
Ida is scheduled to visit Malaysia in the middle of the month to further discuss this, with hopes to have this issue resolved by the end of the month. [FMT]
There were 399,827 Indonesians legally working in Malaysia last year and as of April 2022, the cost of bringing in Indonesian maids was capped at RM 15,000. [Malaysian Reserve]
Maldives resumes diplomatic ties with Tehran in light of Iran-Saudi Arabia reconciliation deal
(lm) Against the backdrop of Iran and Saudi Arabia last week agreeing to re-establish diplomatic relations, marking the end of a seven-year rift, the Maldives has announced that it will resume diplomatic ties with Tehran.
Male, which like Saudi Arabia has a predominantly Sunni Muslim population, had severed ties with Iran in may 2016 under then-President Abdullah Yameen, saying Tehran’s policy in the Middle East was detrimental to peace and security for the Indian Ocean archipelago. This decision, announced in May 2016, came after Saudi Arabia in January had cut ties with Iran after its diplomatic missions in Tehran had been attacked.
Mongolia, Singapore to cooperate in innovation and and sustainable development
(sw) On March 9, Mongolia and Singapore hold an online seminar to strengthen their business relations through digitalization, innovation and sustainable green initiatives. The two countries discussed ways to increase economic cooperation and to create new business value.
The participants included the Singapore Business Federation, the Embassy of Mongolia in Singapore, and the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Moreover, representatives of trade, industry, hotel services, and infrastructure development companies attended the meeting to promote potential partnerships. [Aki Press] [Montsame]
Mongolia, Uzbekistan to strengthen cooperation
(sw) On March 8, the Foreign Minister of Mongolia, Batmunkh Battsetseg, and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Saidov, met to discuss cooperation in the areas of trade, economy, transportation, logistics, agriculture, culture, tourism and education. The two countries aim to diversify trade turnover and to implement joint projects.
Moreover, they plan to create the Uzbekistan-Mongolia Working Group to cooperate in agriculture and business. In addition, the Ministries discussed ways to implement the mutual visa exemption agreement that was signed in 2022 and the specific conditions for opening a Mongolian diplomatic embassy in Uzbekistan. [Aki Press] [EIN Presswire] [Montsame]
North Korea: Google’s Mandiant says Pyongyang hackers target security workers
(ge) According to a recent report by Google’s Mandiant, North Korean hackers, also known as UNC2970 or TEMP.Hermit, are using LinkedIn to pose as recruiters and target computer security researchers with false job offers and malware on WhatsApp.
Mandiant reports that North Korean hackers use specially crafted LinkedIn accounts to build relationships and then move the conversation to WhatsApp, where they send phishing payloads disguised as job descriptions in Microsoft Word documents containing macros that download malware from a remote server.
Mandiant believes that TEMP.Hermit is a separate subset of North Korean-aligned hacking activities under the control of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which focuses on intelligence collection. UNC2970 has been monitored by Mandiant since June 2022 when it detected a phishing campaign aimed at a US-based technology company. Mandiant suspects that UNC2970 targeted security researchers in this operation.
After identifying this campaign, Mandiant responded to multiple UNC2970 attacks targeting US and European media organizations through spear-phishing, using a job recruitment theme.
The discovery of new malware tools used by UNC2970 signals ongoing efforts to develop and use new tools. Although UNC2970 previously targeted industries such as defense, media, and technology, their recent targeting of security researchers suggests a change in strategy or an expansion of their operations. [Cyberscoop] [MANDIANT]
On March 7 South Korea and the US held their third working-group meeting to discuss measures to counter North Korean cyber threats, including the theft of virtual assets and the activities of North Korean IT personnel.
The parties recognized the progress made in responding to virtual asset theft and agreed to consider various measures to proactively respond to diversifying methods of stealing virtual assets. They also recognized success in blocking North Korean IT personnel's activities.
Finally, they agreed to further expand outreach efforts to countries where they operate, while raising awareness of their poor human rights situation. [South Korea Foreign Ministry, Korean]
North Korea, South Korea, US: Workers’ Party approves increased deterrent military actions
(ge) On March 12, North Korea reportedly made a decision to take significant measures to use their war deterrents in an offensive manner, as per state media. The decision was taken during the Fifth Expanded Session of the Eighth Plenum of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).
The North also discussed important political-military directions and measures for the people's armed forces, including sending them to key battlefields for the development of socialist construction. The meeting emphasized the importance of solving the rural problem and took decisions on specific tasks for the People's Army to accelerate rural development, provincial construction, and socialist construction.
Measures were also discussed to exercise the country's war deterrent power more effectively in response to the current situation. Observers suspect that North Korea may conduct weapons tests timed with the joint military exercises. [KCNA, Korean] [Yonhap]
North Korea says it conducted a submarine strategic cruise missile test
(ge) North Korea carried out an exercise on March 12, which involved the launching of strategic cruise missiles from a submarine in the waters off Kyongpho Bay in the East Sea (Sea of Japan), North Korea state media declared on March 13.
The purpose of the exercise was to verify the reliability of the missile system and to assess the submarine unit's capability to launch offensive operations from underwater to the surface.
State media reported that two cruise missiles were launched from “August 28” submarine, and they successfully hit a predetermined target after covering a distance of 1,500km. The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea expressed satisfaction with the results of the exercise, which demonstrated the country’s nuclear strike abilities to South Korea and the US, as the two started their large-scale “Freedom Shield” exercises at the same time. [KCNA]
The Seoul military declared that they had detected the launch but did not disclose until North Korean media issued their official report and images on March 13. [NK News]
North Korea-South Korea: Seoul establishes Committee for North Korean Human Rights
(ge) On March 10, the South Korean Ministry of Unification established the "North Korean Human Rights Promotion Committee" as an advisory body under its authority. The Committee is in charge of preparing the implementation of the 2016 North Korean Human Rights Act.
This act requires the government to inquire on the human rights situation in North korea and to establish a North korean Human Rights Foundation. The Committee, made up of 12 members, including North Korean defector-activists, will play an advisory role until the Foundation is officially launched, including preparing for the launch, promoting human rights in North Korea and supporting civil society organizations. [NK News] [South Korean Ministry of Unification, Korean]
Chinese ship orders Philippine plane flying over Spratlys to ‘leave immediately.’
(lm) A Chinese coastguard vessel issued a stern command to a Philippine plane flying over the Spratly Islands claimed by Beijing and several of its neighbors. [South China Morning Post]
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including the Spratlys, ignoring an international ruling that its claims have no legal basis.
Russian war in Ukraine inexcusable but West ‘not uninvolved bystanders’, Singapore’s law minister says
(lm) While no background factor can excuse Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Western powers are not “uninvolved bystanders who had no role to play” in the period preceding the ongoing conflict, Singapore’s law and home minister, K Shanmugam, has said. [South China Morning Post]
Delivering the closing keynote address at a workshop organized by the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute on the war’s implications for Southeast Asia, Shanmugam sought to underscore that the background of the conflict was far more complicated than had been portrayed by Western mainstream media. [The Straits Times]
Notably, Shanmugam, who was foreign minister from 2011 to 2015, outlined that it is in the interest of small nations such as Singapore to have regional structures that promote cooperation rather than rivalry. Ultimately, however, these small nations must have the military means to defend themselves, Shanmugam said, noting that “others may help only if it suits their interest”. [CNA]
Romanian President on state visit to Singapore; first in 20 years
(lm) Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis was on a state visit to Singapore from March 9-12 at the invitation of President Halimah Yacob - marking the first visit to the Southeast Asian city state by a Romanian head of state in 20 years. The visit coincided with the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Romania. [The Straits Times]
Romania in its role as a member state of the European Union is the third-largest IT services provider in Singapore. In light of this, the main objective of Iohannis’s visit was to invigorate bilateral relations in line with their potential, especially in the fields of IT, education, research, food security, connectivity, cybersecurity, high technology, climate change and green transition. [Romanian-Insider.com]
South Korea-Japan: President Yoon reiterates will to mend ties with Japan ahead of summit in Tokyo
(ge) South Korea's presidential office has reiterated its commitment to ease tensions with Japan over the wartime forced labor issue as President Yoon Suk-yeol is scheduled to meet his Japanese Prime Minister Kishida at a summit from March 16-17, marking the first bilateral meeting between the two heads of state in about eleven years.
The announcement of Seoul’s plans to compensate forced labor victims during Japan’s colonial rule from 1910 to 1945 has met criticism from the opposition parties and victims’ families as it does not obligate Tokyo to issue an apology or Japanese firms to compensate the victims directly.
Aside from marking a return to shuttle diplomacy and more frequent exchanges between the leaders, the upcoming summit is set to tackle a variety of sensitive topics, including the forced compensation labor issue, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), the release of Fukushima’s radioactive waters and the lifting of export restrictions.
Moreover, South Korea’s compensation plan is expected to significantly improve ties with Japan and strengthen the trilateral security cooperation with the US. Experts also maintain that Seoul’s move demonstrates South Korea’s will to side with the US whilst avoiding antagonism with China.
Analysts of the trilateral security cooperation have argued that divergence in policy views towards China could weaken the collaboration between the US, Japan and South Korea as the latter has maintained a more conciliatory attitude with China, whilst both the US and Japan aim at keeping it under control.
Meanwhile, South Korea is planning to announce the normalization of the GSOMIA with Japan, which was unilaterally discarded by the previous administration in 2019. The Yoon administration plans to withdraw the document submitted in 2019 notifying Japan of the termination of the agreement and scrap a series of related measures.
The timing of this announcement will depend on the progress that will be made in the concomitant talks on lifting restrictions on Japanese exports to South Korea. [The Korea Herald] [Korea JoongAng Daily] [South China Morning Post] [The Korea Times 1] [The Korea Times 2] [The Japan News]
South Korea-US: Summit in April
(ge) South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol is set to hold a summit with US President Joe Biden on April 26, where they will discuss alliance prospects and how to better deter North Korean threats.
The summit will mark the first time a South Korean leader has made a state visit to the US in 12 years. The two leaders will also discuss ways to stabilize peace on the Korean Peninsula considering North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, as well as economic security, supply chain issues, and South Korea's participation in the Quad working group.
South Korea aims to increase its involvement in the Quad working group in the areas of vaccines, climate change, and new technologies, although China has expressed concerns about the group's aims, calling for other countries to refrain from following the actions of a selected few.
The announcement came as Kim Sung-Han, National Security Advisor of South Korea met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on March 7 to discuss preparations for the state visit of Yoon.
They also discussed how to enhance security ties and respond to changing threats in the Indo-Pacific region, condemning North Korea's destabilizing activity, and emphasizing the need for international cooperation to counter North Korea's unlawful weapons of mass destruction development program.
The parties underscored the need for joint efforts to advance global peace and stability, condemned Russia's war in Ukraine, and emphasized cooperation to protect technology leadership and address vulnerabilities in supply chains, telecommunications infrastructure, and cyber networks.
In a separate meeting with high-level US government officials held on March 8-10, South Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy expressed concerns about the US CHIPS Act, stating that the broad qualifications for subsidies and incentives may lead to serious uncertainties and ambiguity for enterprises making the US less attractive for investments.
Some of the conditions for receiving subsidies are causing uncertainty and putting South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in a difficult position as they decide whether to apply for funding. Additionally, the act requires the submission of technical and business information, which may also lead to business and technical infringements.
As the US is the second-largest trade partner after China, the South Korean government will continue to talk with the US to reduce disadvantages and uncertainties for South Korean enterprises. [NK News] [The Korea Times] [South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korean] [Reuters] [The White House, USA]
South Korea-Saudi Arabia: Closer cooperation in finance, defense discussed
(ge) South Korea is seeking enhanced cooperation with Saudi Arabia in finance and defense as the South Korean government welcomed on March 12 the recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to normalize diplomatic relations (see entry above).
During a meeting of the board of directors of Saudi Arabian Oil Group, a public petroleum and natural gas company and one of the world’s largest companies by revenue, in Seoul on March 8, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Cho Kyung-Ho and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, the two discussed global issues, including energy and food security and low-income countries' debt restructuring.
Cho mentioned his country’s efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy and improve competitiveness in hydrogen and smart farming industries. He also asked for Saudi Arabia's support to allow South Korean companies to participate in the NEOM smart city project.
Minister Al-Jadaan recognized Korean companies' technology and construction capability and ensured that South Korean companies will be able to participate in future projects in Saudi Arabia. The parties pledged to actively cooperate with each other in the future.
At an earlier meeting on March 7, President Yoon Suk-Yeol and Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met at the Presidential Office, to discuss security, defense, and arms industry cooperation between the two countries. They exchanged views on major issues such as mutual cooperation and promotion, agreeing to upgrade the current working level support group at the pan-governmental level.
The two leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation for peace in the Korean Peninsula, in the Middle East, and at the global level.
They also discussed defense innovation and the possibility of sharing experience and vision.
On the same day Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman visited the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul and met with Defense Minister Lee Jong-Seop.
The parties discussed ways to enhance defense and defense industry cooperation between their countries and exchanged views on regional security. Lee expressed hope for successful defense export negotiations.
Khalid, for his part, expressed willingness to cooperate closely with South Korea. They agreed to hold a regular ministerial-level consultative body every year to discuss joint defense issues. The two ministers vowed to develop future-oriented bilateral cooperation based on solid trust and cooperation. [South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance] [South Korean Ministry of National Defense, in Korean] [South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs] [Office of the President Newsroom, in Korean]
South Korea-China: Economic cooperation with Shandong province
(ge) The South Korean ministry of trade reported that on March 10 the South Korean Vice Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE), held a dialogue on economic cooperation between South Korea and China’s province Shandong.
According to the Ministry’s press release Shandong is an essential area for economic cooperation between the two countries, accounting for 12 percent of China-South Korea trade and being the largest market for Korean businesses in China.
Currently there are 8,680 South Korean invested companies in Shandong, which is 30.5 percent of the total number of Korean businesses in China. According to the Ministry’s data the trade volume between South Korea and Shandong was USD 42.3 billion in 2022, making it the third-largest province in China for trade with South Korea.
The two parties discussed ways to boost future economic cooperation, including logistics and supply chain, with Seoul requesting the Shandong provincial government to create a stable business environment for South Korean investments and strengthen cooperation in various fields, such as supply chains, based on geographical advantages.
This was the first meeting between the two parties since 2019 with Vice Minister Song Junji being the highest-ranking Chinese local government official to visit Seoul post the pandemic. [South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, in Korean]
South Korea-EU: 19th Korea-EU Joint Committee
(ge) On March 10 South Korea and the EU held the 19th South Korea-EU Joint Committee as they celebrated their 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. The two sides acknowledged their deepening strategic partnership and agreed to collaborate more closely on regional, international, and bilateral issues.
The parties discussed a range of topics covering economic security, supply chain cooperation, climate change, energy, digital partnership, and health cooperation.
In terms of global cooperation, the two sides discussed topics such as strengthening the WTO multilateral trade system, cooperation on international events, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, humanitarian strategy, human rights, and development.
Additionally, Director-General Lee met with the Deputy Director General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Growth to discuss the EU's recent plans for economic legislation and explore opportunities for cooperation between Korea and the EU. [South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Korean]
South Korea–ASEAN+3: Cooperation in various areas discussed
(ge) On March 8, Vice Foreign Minister Choi Young-Sam attended the ASEAN+3 and East Asia Summit Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) in Jakarta, Indonesia, and discussed cooperation plans with other countries in areas such as regional supply chain, finance, and cybersecurity.
He also expressed the importance of a united response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation among countries that share the same values.
Moreover, Choi held bilateral meetings with representatives from Indonesia and Vietnam and emphasized the importance of ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN perspective on the Indo-Pacific.
On the same day he also had a meeting with Nong Rong, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China. During talks the parties acknowledged the importance of ASEAN cooperation mechanisms and agreed to further develop cooperation, committing to support the centrality of ASEAN in the Asia Pacific region. Additionally, they pledged to continue working closely together for the development of trilateral cooperation.
Finally, the parties affirmed their will to boost economic and people-to people cooperation, and to promote mutual friendship. [South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1, in Korean] [South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2, in Korean]
South Korea-UN: 5th UN General Assembly of Least Developed Countries
(ge) Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon of South Korea attended the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries in Doha on March 8-9, where he joined over 140 leaders to discuss ways to help less developed countries amid crises like COVID-19 and climate change.
During the conference, Lee pledged that South Korea would continue to expand its official development activities and provide support to regions like Asia-Pacific and Africa.
The attendees adopted the “Doha Political Declaration,” which outlines goals and action plans to support least developed countries (LDCs) over the next decade. The South Korean government plans to continue participating actively in international efforts to help LDCs achieve the sustainable development goals.
In addition to attending the conference, Lee held bilateral meetings with leaders from Tuvalu, Kiribati, Haiti, and Lesotho to discuss cooperation on development projects, renewable energy, and infrastructure.
Tuvalu and Kiribati recognized South Korea as a key partner in the region and agreed to continue working together to build a free, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
The Haitian government expressed appreciation for South Korea's support and expressed a desire to expand cooperation projects to improve the quality of life of the Haitian people.
Lee also emphasized the need to revitalize high-level exchanges with Lesotho and invited the foreign minister to visit Korea to promote bilateral practical cooperation. [South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1, in Korean] [South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2, in Korean]
South Korea-US: Large-scale military drills
(ge) On March 13, South Korea and the US started their largest joint military exercise in five years, named Freedom Shield, which will last for 11 days.
The exercise focuses on responding to North Korea’s increased nuclear and missile threats. The drills include computer simulations and field training exercises involving troops from the South Korean military, US Forces Korea, U.N. Command, and subordinate units under the Combined Forces Command.
The exercise, based on realistic scenarios of North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, aims to practice wartime procedures to repel potential North Korean attacks and conduct a stabilization campaign in the North.
South Korea also revealed that its troops and the US were conducting “Take Knife “special exercises, focused on simulating precision strikes on key North Korean facilities. The US and the Philippines also started their own army-to-army exercises simultaneously.
North Korea responded with missile tests, claiming to fire “strategic” cruise missiles from a submarine, while accusing the allies of preparing for invasion.
South Korea and the US maintain that the exercises are routine training to maintain peace and security. [The Straits Times] [NK News] [The Korea Times]
Meanwhile, on March 14 the South nKorean Military reported that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the southwest Jangyon area. This is North Korea's sixth launch event in the last month, after repeatedly warning South Korea and US to interrupt their joint military activities to avoid the North’s strong military response. [Nk News]
Despite North Korean warnings the US has declared that it will increase its joint defense capabilities with South Korea adding that another nuclear missile test from North Korea would require the UN Security Council to take action. [Yonhap]
Sri Lankan Navy seizes Indian fishermen poaching within the state territory
(sn) While conducting the special operation to chase away the Indian poachers from the ocean territory of Sri Lanka on March 12, 2023, Sri Lankan Navy seized a group of Indian fishermen in the northeast Veththalakeni and Analativu Island areas. The caught trawlers get transferred to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for forthcoming legal procedures. In 2022, 36 poaching trawlers from India were captured in the island's water territories. [Sri Lankan government official news portal]
Sri Lanka gets wind project support opportunity from Indian Adani Group conglomerate
(sn) The Indian Adani Group which formerly received permission from Sri Lanka to set up onshore wind power projects of 340 MW asked the government to approve the 500 MW power capacity enhancement in those initiatives. While the Sri Lankan Power and Energy Minister considered the request, the group seeks to bring its 5.2 MW turbines to the island state.
As estimated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sri Lanka has a substantial wind power generation potential on both offshore and onshore sites due to the climate conditions. While analysts predict that the South Asian nation would need approximately 10 GW to sustain itself, Sri Lanka has a prospective capacity to produce up to 45 GW, according to a recent assessment. [The Hindu Business Line]
Will play 'positive role' in helping Sri Lanka fight bankruptcy, China says
(lm/sn) China on March 8 reiterated that it was committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s debt reorganization, saying that it is willing to "play a positive role" in helping the island nation tackle bankruptcy and emerge through its debt crisis. [WION]
Earlier this month, the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) told Sri Lanka it will try to finalize in the months ahead how it treats debt owed by Colombo, in addition to a two-year debt moratorium agreed upon previously [AiR No. 10, March/2023, 1]. By end-2020, Sri Lanka owed EXIM USD 2.83 billion, or nearly 9 percent of external central government debt, according to International Monetary Fund data.
Against this backdrop, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgievna, published a post on Twitter on March 7 welcoming the progress of the Sri Lankan government in obtaining financial assurances from its primary creditors – China, India, and the so-called Paris Club of major creditor countries. She also expressed anticipation of the upcoming program presentation to the Executive Board on March 20. [IMF Managing Director Twitter]
Sri Lanka receives an additional USD 6.6 million in aid from Japan through UN WFP
(sn) The government of Japan provided USD 6.6 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to further assist more than a million Sri Lankan nationals with crucial nutrition during the current economic crisis. The program supplies families with food baskets consisting of rice, pulses, and cooking oil to provide them with some essential stock over a 2-month period. In addition, the funds will go towards the production of fortified food product developed for breastfeeding and pregnant women to target the malnutrition risks of young children. According to the recent WFP report, 7 out of 10 households experience food insecurity and adopt negative coping strategies such as reducing protein consumption. [The Island]
Taiwan-Micronesia: Start of diplomatic relations discussed
(sw) The President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), David Panuelo, reported that in February the FSM discussed with Taiwan about switching diplomatic ties from China for USD 50 million in assistance. If the two countries establish diplomatic ties, FSM will receive this over a three-year period.
After Panuelo lost his seat in the general elections on March 7, Panuelo argued in a letter for strengthening diplomatic ties with Taiwan. He accuses China of political warfare in his country as Beijing committed espionage in FSM waters, bribed local politicians and tried to weaken the nation’s sovereignty. Therefore, ending diplomatic relations with China could protect the lives of Micronesian citizens, and strengthen the island’s sovereignty and independence.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced on March 10, that Taiwan is willing to support the development of FSM and to expand bilateral relations between the two countries. [Reuters][Australian Broadcasting Corporation] [Taiwan News]
Taiwan-St. Lucia: Strengthening relations
(sw) From March 13-17, St. Lucia’s Minister of External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation Alva R. Baptiste is visiting Taiwan.
On March 14, he met with President Tsai Ing-wen. Both leaders expressed their commitment to deepen bilateral relations and witnessed the signing of an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
Baptiste is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Joseph Wu as well as the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, the Civil Aeronautics Administration and a local flight academy during his five-day visit. [Focus Taiwan]
Taiwan, Benelux Union lawmakers create friendship group
(sw) On March 10, Taiwan’s legislation formed with Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg (Benelux Union) a parliamentary friendship association to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy in the post-COVID-10 era.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) initiated the Taiwan-Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg Parliamentary Friendship Association that includes 27 cross-party legislators.
Through friendship groups, Taiwan reinforces ties with democratic allies and promotes its international status. In the past, the three countries supported Taiwan with bills aimed at improving economic, scientific and cultural relations. [Taipei Times] [see AiR, No. 8, February/ 2023, 3]
Taiwan, Japan, US to hold strategic talks
(sw) A Japanese parliamentary group plans to hold strategic meetings with Taiwan and the United States (US) in Taipei this summer. Several European countries are also expected to join, but which ones exactly have not been announced yet.
The Japanese parliamentary group argues to support Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict. [Taiwan News]
Taiwan-China: Beijing protests planned meeting between US House speaker, Taiwan President
(sw) On March 8, the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed strong opposition to the planned meeting between United States (US) House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in the US later this year.
McCarthy stressed that the meeting in the US does not mean that he is ruling out a trip to Taiwan in the future. After the previous House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022, China launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan. [Taiwan News 1] [Taiwan News 2]
Taiwan-China: Cyber-attack on Taiwan Mandarin learning center in Paris
(sw) The Minister of Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), Hsu Chia-ching, confirmed on March 9, that the website and Facebook page of a Taiwanese Mandarin education center in Paris was hacked by China in 2022.
The French police accuse the overseas police stations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of cyber attacking the education center.
According to Hsu, the attack is part of the CCP’s agenda to influence the opinions of overseas Taiwanese communities and to push political narratives in its favor. He reported that similar incidents occurred in Australia, Canada, and Latin America. [Focus Taiwan] [Taiwan News]
Taiwan-US: Congress introduces lend-lease weapons act
(sw) On March 8, the United States (US) Congress introduced the Taiwan Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act which authorizes Washington to lend or lease defense equipment to Taipei.
In the bill, Chinese aggression is defined as a full or partial naval blockade of Taiwan, an amphibious assault and ground invasion, and a seizure of one or more of the outlying Taiwanese islands. Moreover, the bill requires the Congress to examine Taiwan’s defense needs and to ensure the rapid supply of weapons and other materials.
The legislation shows that the US supports Taiwan in case of preemptive aggression by China. Furthermore, it was introduced amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. [Taiwan News] [Focus Taiwan]
Taiwan-China: Chinese ships suspected of cutting internet cables of Taiwanese islands
(sw) Taiwan’s National Communications Commission suspects that two Chinese ships cut internet cables that connect the outlying island Matsu with Taiwan in February. However, the government of Taiwan hesitates to call it a deliberate act of China, as no hard proof shows that Chinese ships are responsible.
In the last five years, the cables have been cut a total of 27 times, which is according to Geoff Huston, a chief scientist at Asia Pacific Network, a very unusual level of breakage.
Taiwan’s authorities assume that Chinese vessels are responsible for the incidents in February since they were seen in the area where the cables were cut. Also, according to research only China and Russia have the technical capabilities to cut the cables.
As a consequence, Taiwan has to increase investments in resources to repair and protect the cables. The head of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Matsu, Wen Lii, demands that the Chinese ships be held accountable and pay for the repair of the cables which costs approximately USD 1 million.
Now, the 14.000 residents of Matsu only have very limited internet, and many tourists canceled their bookings due to that. Because only a few ships can lay internet cables, the internet will be earliest restored on April 20. [Taiwan News] [see AiR, No. 8, February/2023, 3]
China, Taiwan increase direct flights
(sw) Taiwan’s government agreed to resume flights to 23 cities in China. Direct flights were stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic and the aim of the reintroduction is to improve bilateral ties amid rising tensions in cross-strait relations.
According to an official from Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, Taipei shows “most sincere goodwill” and hopes to restore official exchanges after China suspended them since 2016.
The decision occurs after China accused Taiwan in February of using the pandemic as an excuse to avoid reopening transport links between the two countries. [Deutsche Welle] [South China Morning Post]
Taiwan-US: New engines for Taiwanese military tanks
(sw) Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense signed a contract of USD 236 billion with RENK America to provide the aging M60A3 Patton tanks with new engines. It is expected that the process is completed by 2028.
The tanks currently have an engine with 750-horsepower, but their overall performance is lower due to their age and long use. Therefore, their capacity will be improved with the new engines that have 1000 horsepower.
Moreover, for USD 500.000 the tanks’ firing, gun control, and sighting system will be upgraded.
Currently, Taiwan has 460 M60A3 tanks and they are the main mobile artillery force on Kinmen, Penghu, Taitung, and Hualien. Between 1994-1996, Taiwan’s military purchased the tanks second-hand from the US. [Taiwan News]
Taiwan official, FBI Director warn that China uses TikTok for disinformation
(sw) A Taiwanese government official warned that China spreads disinformation in Taiwan through influencers on social media like TikTok and YouTube. China aims to create suspicion and to harm Taipei’s relations with the United States (US). However, for the government it is challenging to create an agency that regulates online activities.
Moreover, on March 8, the FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that the Chinese government is able to control the data of millions of users in the United States (US) through TikTok. This poses a threat to the national security of the US, since China can influence the public discourse and therefore discussions concerning Taiwan. [Taiwan News]
To address the threat to national security, the Taiwanese government has already called for cross-ministerial meetings in 2022. But due to the Cabinet reshuffle this year, such meetings have not been held. The use of the short video platform Duoyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, is banned on government devices, but no other methods were discussed to combat the threat.
It is difficult to regulate online activities with only one agency, because the Information and Communication Security Management Act and the Personal Data Protection Act are covered by several ministries. Moreover, it involves issues of free speech censorship and content management.
The Mainland Affairs Council said that the government collects opinions about whether to change the Anti-Infiltration Act to require social media influencers to make the source of their funding public. Through that national security and social stability could be maintained. [Taipei Times]
US, Lithuania statement supports Taiwan
(sw) On March 6, the United States (US) and Lithuania announced in a joint statement to support economic cooperation between Taiwan and Lithuania and Taipei’s international participation. Also, Lithuania aims to strengthen people-to-people ties with Taiwan and projects in semiconductors, lasers, and other areas. Moreover, the two countries committed to promote an Indo-Pacific region that is free, secure, and resilient.
China imposed several political and economic sanctions on Lithuania, after it agreed to open the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius in November 2021. [Taipei Times]
Kosovar delegation in Taiwan to meet President
(sw) A Kosovar cross-party delegation is visiting Taiwan between March 11-16 to meet President Tsai Ing-wen and to attend the Parliamentary Openness and Monitoring Forum. It is the first time that politicians from Kosovo visit Taiwan and thus shows solidarity and cooperation between the two countries.
The Kosovar group will discuss with Taiwanese government officials and non-governmental organizations Taiwan-EU relations, the cross-strait situation, bilateral economic and trade ties, and exchanges in the areas of science, technology and education.
In 2021, the Kosovar Assembly and Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan established the Kosovo-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Taiwan-Kosovo Parliamentary Group.
The aim of the Parliamentary Openness and Monitoring Forum is to exchange ideas about strengthening parliamentary openness and democracy. It is organized by the Citizen Congress Watch (CCW) from Taiwan, the National Democratic Institute from the United States and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy from the United Kingdom.
After the forum, the participants will sign a joint statement in which they commit to sharing their experiences to facilitate transparency and monitor the legislative process. [Taiwan News] [Taipei Times] [Focus Taiwan]
Chinese military around Taiwan
(sw) Since February 8, 63 aircraft and 26 vessels of the Chinese army have been detected around Taiwan. Ten of the aircrafts crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone. Taiwan’s military monitors the situation and responds with aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems. [Ministry of National Defense, Taiwan]
Thailand hosts Bay of Bengal discussions
(aj) Thailand chaired the most recent iteration of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) virtually. Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai moderated the talks, which focused on regional security for countries encircling the Bay of Bengal — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. BIMSTEC aims to make member-states into a more cohesive regional player and facilitates multilateral goals for peace, security, and development in the region. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] [The Nation Thailand]
Thailand, Japan to begin first phase of Thai high-speed rail
(aj) Thai and Japanese officials met for a technical meeting to discuss the economic and financial details of the first phase of the Bangkok-Chiang Mai high-speed rail (HSR). The HSR runs for 668 kilometers (415 miles) from Bangkok to Thailand’s largest northern city, Chiang Mai with 12 stations along the route. Construction of the HSR will be divided into two phases, with the first phrase running for 380 kilometers (236 miles) from Bangkok to Phitsanulok and the second phase along the 288 km (179 mile) stretch from Phitsanulok to Chiang Mai.
Feasibility studies of the HSR conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have been ongoing since 2017, with the most recent meeting before March being in December 2022. JICA has been researching the social and economic benefits of such an undertaking, for example, the return on investment and reduced carbon emissions.
Japan and Thailand signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) for the first phase of the project on May 27, 2015. [Bangkok Post] [Pattaya Mail]
Thailand, Saudi Arabia signs MoU to promote future bilateral cooperation
(aj) Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Waleed El Khereji made an official visit to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 7-9. The Saudi foreign affairs official signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Thailand’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijavat Isarabhakdi to make a visa exemption for Saudis holding diplomatic or official/special passports traveling to Thailand, with the larger goal of increasing contact between representatives of the public and private sectors.
This meeting follows Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud visit to Thailand in November 2022, which began talks of bilateral cooperation between the two kingdoms in the areas of trade, investment, and tourism, as well as discussion on multilateral goals. This March visit concluded with Saudi-Thai plans to organize formal meetings to develop a framework for bilateral relations for the next two years. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
Thailand hosts ASEAN talks on border management
(aj) In early March, Thailand hosted ASEAN talks on border coordination in Pattaya. The ‘Border Management Cooperation Dialogue for the ASEAN Region’ was jointly organized by ASEAN and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the goals of sharing information, capacity building, and discussing implementation for multilateral cooperation regarding transnational crimes, especially those related to human trafficking and online scamming. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
Thailand bids to buy F-35 stealth jets from the United States
(aj) At a press conference on March 9, Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Commander-in-Chief Alongkorn Vannarot stated that Thailand has a ‘50-50’ chance of buying American fifth-generation stealth jets Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. RTAF has a budget of USD 212 million to buy stealth jets and is currently in the bidding process for the F-35s. Commander-in-Chief Alongkorn says Thailand is considering other alternatives in the case the United States (US) does not accept the bid and affirms that if Thailand’s bid does not go through, it will not affect Thai-American relations.
Analysts suggest that the US may be withholding their decision on the bid because they do not want information of the F-35 to be leaked to China, especially due to Thailand’s proximity and deepening of relations with Beijing. [The Nation Thailand]
Vietnam: State media commemorates Johnson South skirmish
(ih) Vietnamese state media and government officials are publicly commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Johnson South skirmish in the South China Sea, where Chinese Navy troops shot dead 64 Vietnamese soldiers, sank two Vietnamese transport ships, and captured nine soldiers. The commemoration of the event indicates a shift in Vietnam's domestic approach to the historical event. For years, the Vietnamese government was careful not to fuel anti-China sentiment among the population and offend its neighbor, avoiding commemorating the event and dispersing public rallies memorializing it. Recently, however, Vietnamese media has begun using more confrontational language, and there have been noticeable changes in the country's approach to commemorating the event. [RFA]
Announcements
Upcoming Events
15 March 2023 @ 10:00-11:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA
Did the U.S.-India Civil-Nuclear Deal Work?
The U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Deal has been hailed as cornerstone in the U.S.-India bilateral relationship, However, it has challenged the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. Fifteen years after the conclusion of the deal, India has become an even more important U.S. partner, while the non-proliferation regime has frayed. Against this backdrop of this development, this hybrid event will discuss the question: How should we assess this controversial agreement and its impact today?
If you want to know more about the event, visit [Carnegie Endowment].
15 March 2023 @ 3:00-4:35 p.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
The Philippine Economy amid Disruptive Transitions
This webinar will provide an overview of where the Philippine economy stands and ask how fast the Philippines will recover from the pandemic’s economic impact. It will also address the recovery trajectory across different socio-economic groups to look into whether the government’s budget process and legislation have adapted to the new challenges, how various sectors of the economy are faring, and what solutions can be explored by the private and public sectors.
For more information see [ISEAS].
15 March 2023 @ 2:00-3:30 a.m. (GMT-5), The Brookings Institution, USA
ChatGPT and the future of work
Against the backdrop of the rapid development of artificial intelligence, this webcast will discuss the future of work in light of the development of language models like ChatGPT.
Visit [Brookings] for more details.
16 March 2023 @ 12:00-1:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA
Making AUKUS Work for the U.S.-Australia Alliance
As AUKUS is confronted with problems, including barriers to information sharing and technology transfers and uncertainties about combined military operations, this hybrid event will discuss ways for Washington to ensure the deal’s success and make use AUKUS’ - and Australia’s - full potential.
If you are interested in the event, find more information at [Carnegie Endowment].
16 March 2023 @ 9:30-10:30 a.m. (GMT-5), The Brookings Institution, USA
Middle Eastern maze
This webinar will discuss the Arab Israeli relationship taking into consideration the larger context of Middle Eastern regional and international politics and analyzing new dynamics including Iran’s and Turkey’s new roles in the region, the Abraham Accords, the full-fledged Syrian civil war, and the lengthy domestic political crisis in Israel.
Further information can be found at [Brookings].
16 March 2023 @ 3:00-4:35 p.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
Change and Continuity in the Politics of Patronage in Thailand
This webinar explores how patronage politics operates and how it has adapted to changing contexts in Thailand, including under a hybrid military-authoritarian regime. Less than two months before the general election, the event will also address how patronage politics will impact the upcoming ballot.
Learn more about the event at [ISEAS].
16 March 2023 @ 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (GMT-5), Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), USA
ROK-US Defense Industrial Cooperation for a Resilient Global Supply Chain
This webcast conference will address the question of how the U.S. and the Republic of Korea are maturing into greater defense-industrial cooperation, the third generation of the U.S-ROK defense industrial partnership effort.
Follow [CSIS] to know more about the event.
17 March 2023 @ 10:00-11:15 a.m. (GMT-5), The Brookings Institution, USA
Iraq 20 years later: The war’s legacy for Iraq, the Middle East, US policy, and beyond
2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. This hybrid event will explore the legacy and lessons of the war, including the nearly nine-year military operation and its devastating death toll, the destabilization of the country and the region, and a power vacuum that enabled the rise of the Islamic State
Find more about the event at [Brookings].
17 March 2023 @ 10:00-11:00 a.m. (GMT-5), Wilson Center, USA
Taiwan and Its Partners Beyond the Silicon Shield
Against the backdrop of intensifying geopolitical risks and pressures that Taiwan faces, this online event will discuss prospects for collective action to ensure Taiwan’s continued prosperity and the outlook for its economic resilience.
More event details are available at [Wilson Center].
17 March 2023 @ 4:00-5:15 p.m. (GMT-5), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA
Disaster on the border: Politics, aid and demography in the aftermath
This online event will explore the potential impact of the 6 February earthquake on both Turkey and Syria form the humanitarian, demographic, and political perspective.
Fore further details, see [Carnegie Endowment].
20 March 2023 @ 4:00-5:30 p.m. (GMT-5), Wilson Center, USA
The Ends of Modernization: Nicaragua and the United States in the Cold War Era
This webinar will offer insights into the relations between Nicaragua and the United States in the crucial years during and after the Cold War.
If you are interested, find further information at [Wilson Center].
21 March 2023 @ 3:00-4:35 p.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
China’s Confucianism and Its Transformation in Indonesia
This webinar will shed light on the origins of Confucianism in Indonesia and its transformation into a religion with Indonesian characteristics. Further, the event will compare the similarities and differences between Confucianism in China and Indonesia and address the problems and prospects of the religion.
Visit [ISEAS] for more event details.
21 March 2023 @ 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (GMT), (GMT-5), Wilson Center, USA
The Arctic Ocean and Climate Change in a Time of Tension
This webcast will address the uncertainty in Arctic governance that resulted from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has extended beyond geopolitical effects in the region. It will discuss crucial question about the future of cooperation in ocean and climate issues in the Arctic.
Learn more about the event at [Wilson].
21 March 2023 @ 6:30-8:00 p.m. (GMT), London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK
Nationalism and the Return of Geopolitics
This hybrid event will bring scholars in the field of international conflict research to explore the link between nationalism and conflict in relation to the Ukraine war.
For more information, see [LSE].
Recent Book Releases
Helen Ting M. H., and Donald L. Horowitz (eds.), Electoral Reform and Democracy in Malaysia, NIAS Press, 288 pages, published on December 31, 2022, reviewed in [Asian Review of Books].
Raffaello Pantucci, and Alexandros Petersen, Sinostan: China’s Inadvertent Empire, Oxford University Press, 336 pages, published on July 14, 2022. To read a review, visit [Los Angeles Review of Books].
Ko Unoki, Racism, Diplomacy, and International Relations, Routledge, 258 pages, published on February 22, 2022, with a brief review in [Foreign Affairs].
Eliane Brum, Banzeiro Òkòtó: The Amazon as the Centre of the World, Indigo Press, 420 pages, published on March 9, 2023. For a review, see [Kirkus].
Phil Klay, Uncertain Ground: Citizenship in an Age of Endless, Invisible War, Penguin Press, 272 pages, published on May 17, 2022. The book is reviewed at [Los Angeles Review of Books].
Calls for Papers
The Institute of Contemporary History, Czech Academy of Sciences, invites paper proposals for its conference “Precarious Constitutionalism: The Ambiguities of Liberal Orders and the Rise of Illiberalism in Central Europe and Latin America,” to be held on October 12-13, 2023 in Prague, Czech Republic. The deadline for abstract submission is March 20, 2023. For more information, see [Institute of Contemporary History].
The Law and Development Institute (LDI) and the Centre for Asian Legal Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), welcome paper proposals for the 2023 Law and Development Conference on “Law and Development Post the Pandemic,” scheduled for December 8-9, 2023. Abstract submission deadline is May 1, 2023. Find further details at [LDI].
Jobs and positions
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) seeks an United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Youth and Adolescents Advisor to be based in Bogota, Colombia. Core responsibility is to substantially contribute to the effective management of UNFPA activities in the area of Adolescence and Youth in contexts of development, peace and humanitarian response. Applications are accepted until March 17, 2023. More information is provided at [UNDP].
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of UN Women seeks an Administrative Associate to be based in Abuja, Nigeria. Core responsibility is to perform a variety of standard administrative and procurement processes. Applications are accepted until March 20, 2023. More information is provided at [UNDP].
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) seeks a National Consultant on Civil Society Engagement and Administration of the Platform “Equal Rights and Opportunities”, to be based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Core responsibility is to coordinate the work on engaging civil society organizations and to formulate and implement the state policy on gender equality at the national, regional and local levels. Applications are accepted until March 17, 2023. More information is provided at [UNDP].
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) seeks a Project Analyst (Institutional and Capacity Development) to be based in Tbilisi (Georgia). Core responsibility is to manage and provide content inputs and to lead the planning and implementation of the project activities related to Advanced institutional and technical capacities of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the Inter-Agency Coordination Council of Georgia. Applications are accepted until March 25, 2023. More information is provided at [UNDP].
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) seeks a Project Associate to be based in Belgrade, Serbia. Core responsibility is to support the administration and implementation of project activities. Applications are accepted until March 25, 2023. More information is provided at [UNDP].
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) seeks a Chief (Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation) to be based in Damascus, Syria. Core responsibility is to set standards for programme performance planning and monitoring and to support the preparation of evaluations and the integrated monitoring and evaluation plan (IMEP). Applications are accepted until March 20, 2023. More information is provided at [UNICEF].
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) seeks a Social & Behavior Change Specialist to be based in N'Djamena, Chad. Core responsibility is to coordinate the design and implementation of strategies and action plans in the UNICEF country program and humanitarian response plan. Applications are accepted until March 24, 2023. More information is provided at [UNICEF].
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) seeks a Project Officer to be based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Core responsibility is to contribute to the development of capacity building activities in countries related to demand forecasting, strategic procurement, vaccine shipment and delivery and supply planning via the global and regional Vaccine Procurement Practitioners Exchange Forum. Applications are accepted until March 26, 2023. More information is provided at [UNICEF].
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) seeks a Chief (Advocacy and Communications) to be based in Burkina Faso. Core responsibility is to develop, manage, coordinate, network, implement and monitor communication and partnership strategy and associated products and activities. Applications are accepted until March 16, 2023. More information is provided at [UNICEF].
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) seeks a Chief (Child Survival & Development) to be based in Dakar, Senegal. Core responsibility is to manage and supervise all stages of the child survival and development-related program/projects within the country program. Applications are accepted until March 26, 2023. More information is provided at [UNICEF].
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) seeks a Ukrainian Peer Support Specialist to be based in Seattle, USA. Core responsibility is to promote mental health and psychosocial support within affected communities.Applications are accepted until May 10, 2023. More information is provided at [IRC].
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) seeks a Survivors of Torture (SOT) Community Navigator to be based in Denver, USA. Core responsibility is to receive and review incoming referrals for prospective clients, to schedule for first available intake, and to assess eligibility and needs at intake, complete enrollments, and develop service plans. Applications are accepted until May 10, 2023. More information is provided at [IRC].
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) seeks a Women’s Economic Empowerment Specialist to be based in San Diego, USA. Core responsibility is to serve as economic empowerment coach for female-identifying clients who face higher barriers to employment and financial independence. Applications are accepted until May 10, 2023. More information is provided at [IRC].
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) seeks a Refugee Youth Mentoring Program (RYMP) Specialist for Afghan Youth to be based in Seattle, USA. Core responsibility is to support the Youth Mentorship Program and create safe and healing learning spaces and build supportive relationships with newcomer Afghan youth. Applications are accepted until May 10, 2023. More information is provided at [IRC].
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) seeks a Deputy Project Director to be based in Commune Urbaine de Niamey, Niger. Core responsibility is to Lead Project Management team and develop tools and processes for tracking project performance. Applications are accepted until April 8, 2023. More information is provided at [IRC].
Action Against Hunger seeks a Head of Department (Food Security and Livelihood) to be based in Ukraine. Core responsibility is to define the Food Security and Livelihood strategy of the mission and supervise its implementation. More information is provided at [Action Against Hunger].
Team:
Amanda Jaroen (aj) , Chanon Atom (ca), Dania Malik (dm), Duc Quang Ly (dql), Eric Schmal (es), Farnaz Mughal (fm), Gaia Esposito (ge); Giovanni Puglisi (gp), Henning Glaser (hg), Ian Hollinger (ih), Loong Dien Min (ldm), Lucas Meier (lm), Manmehak Kaur (mk), Miftahul Choir (mc), Natalie Svinina (ns), Peer Morten Strantzen (ms), Priyankka Araasu (pa), Sheikh Afif Bin Zaman (as), Sophia Wesenberg (sw), Tristan James Biglete (tjb), Valentina Pellegrino (vp); Venus Phuangkom, Waheed Mansoor (wm), Wardah Rehman (wr)
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