Grasp the pattern, read the trend
No. 49, December/2022, 1
Brought to you by CPG
Dear Readers,
The Asia in Review (AIR) team is pleased to present you this week´s AiR issue with 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 celebrating Burkina Faso’s, Finland’s and Tanzania’s Independence and Thailand’s National Day in the week.
With best regards,
Henning Glaser
Editor in Chief
Webpage: www.cpg-online.de, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPGTU
Main Sections
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in East Asia
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in South Asia
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in Southeast Asia
International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia
Announcements
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in East Asia
China: Former President Jiang Zemin dies at the age of 96
(ms) Jiang Zemin, China’s party leader from 1989 to 2002 and President from 1993 to 2003, died on November 30 at the age of 96 due to leukemia and multiple organ failure.
Personally selected by Deng Xiaoping, Jiang came to power in 1989 after the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protest. He succeeded Zhao Ziyang, who was purged for his sympathies with protesters and subsequently placed under house arrest for life.
Under his leadership, China saw a decade of economic opening that resulted in average growth of 10 percent per year. Jiang also oversaw the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, followed by that of Macao two years later. Under him China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 and entered the global economy arena.
His theory of “Three Represents”, enshrined in both the country’ and the party’s constitution, allowed entrepreneurs to join the party and opened the party to a more market-oriented economy, widely seen as reflecting Jiang’s pragmatism that puts economy before ideology.
He is also responsible for the heavy-handed crackdown on the religious sect Falun Gong in 1999, for which the party established the so-called 610 Office, a security agency for the coordination of the elimination of Falun Gong. The agency is accused of being involved in or ordering the torture of adherents of the sect in custody.
After he was succeeded by Hu Jintao, Jiang retained much influence in the party as leader of the Shanghai clique, the informal group of CCP officials who rose to prominence under him while he served as the party chief and mayor of Shanghai. The Shanghai clique has long rivaled the other two factions within the CCP, Hu’s Chinese Communist Youth League faction and the Xi Jinping faction.
Jiang’s death, along with Xi’s third term as party leader secured at the recent party congress and the removal of Hu from the congress hall there as well as the exclusion of Wang Yang and Hu Chunhua, who all belong to Hu’s faction, from the Politburo Standing Committee of the CCP indicate that power is now completely in the hands of Xi, uncontested by any rival within the party. [CFR] [Foreign Affairs] [Reuters] [South China Morning Post] [Xinhua] [European Interest] [Radio Free Asia]
China: Signs of relaxation of zero-COVID policy after protests
(ms) Last week’s anti-zero-COVID policy protests during which even demands for the resignation of President Xi Jinping were voiced [see AiR No. 48, November/2022, 5] appear to have made an impact, as dozens of cities across the country have eased lockdowns, testing requirements, and quarantine rules.
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, one of the country’s most senior pandemic response officials, announced on December 1: “The country is facing a new situation and new tasks in epidemic prevention and control as the pathogenicity of the omicron virus weakens, more people are vaccinated and experience in containing the virus is accumulated.” The statement is widely seen as indicative of a shift in China’s zero-COVID policy that has prevailed for nearly three years.
Over the weekend, videos appeared on social media from the Chinese capital Beijing, for example, in which test stations distributed throughout the city were dismantled and transported away. From December 5, a negative test no longer has to be shown when entering supermarkets, and the same is to apply in the coming days for transport by public transport. Meanwhile, mandatory testing in public transportation has already been dropped in Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Tianjin.
Despite the easing, the Chinese government still retains the option of reintroducing the restrictions and including a lockdown, if the number of infections or deaths is too high, or the hospitals are overloaded. [Deutsche Welle] [Global Times] [Reuters 1] [South China Morning Post]
China: National security case of Jimmy Lai adjourned
(ms) On the day of the trials’ scheduled start, the high profile case of Hong Kong entrepreneur Jimmy Lay was postponed to December 13th, after Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu invited the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) to examine the legal situation regarding the authorization of British royal counsel Timothy Owen as Lai's legal representative [see AiR No. 48, November/2022, 5].
Although three Hong Kong courts confirmed that the work permit granted to Owen as legal representative in Lai's case is legal, dismissing repeated concerns of the Department of Justice, Lee’s move indicates that the permit will now be withdrawn.
Legal experts fear that this will massively restrict, if not completely prevent, the work of foreign lawyers in Hong Kong, specifically in National Security Law cases, if not in general.
This fear was also fueled by Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong's sole delegate to the NPC, who said on December 4 that National Security cases in Hong Kong could be transferred to China in the future if no suitable Hong Kong lawyer could be found. According to him, the issue is expected to be discussed at the end of December at the next meeting of the NPC Standing Committee. [South China Morning Post]
Jimmy Lai, the former founder and owner of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, which was closed down after several raids by the Hong Kong police in mid-2021, faces three national security charges including two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign countries or external elements and one count of collusion with foreign forces. He is additionally charged over allegedly seditious publications under the sedition law, which goes back to the colonial time, but was revived during the anti-government protests in 2019. [Hong Kong Free Press] [Radio Free Asia]
China: Three taikonauts embark on mission to complete Chinese space station
(ms) On the night of November 29, three more taikonauts were sent into space with the Shenzhou-15 to complete the construction of the Tiangong, China’s own space station.
The three new taikonauts replace those who have been on the station since early June [see No. 23, June/2022, 1] and which have already successfully landed back on earth on December 4th. Like their predecessors, the Shenzhou-15 taikonauts are expected to stay for about six months. The goal of their stay is to complete the construction of the Tiangong and raise the space station up to full operational readiness with a capacity of six taikonauts. [Deutsche Welle] [Xinhua]
Furthermore, China is aiming to send the first methane-fueled rocket into space in the next two weeks. Chinese company Landscape, which develops the rocket, would thereby assert itself against its US rivals Space X and Relativity Space which also work on such a start.
The launch, which was originally planned for 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now scheduled for December 4-15 in the Gobi Desert. [South China Morning Post]
Japan: Lower house approves USD 208 billion extra budget
(dql) Japan’s lower house has passed a USD 208 billion extra budget for the current fiscal year that seeks provides an economic package to mitigate the fallouts of an accelerating inflation and boost the country’s pandemic-hit economy.
Now with the House of Councillors for deliberation, the extra budget comes at a time when core consumer inflation has hit a record high in four decades and resurging COVID-19 cases cloud the prospects the country’s economy whose national debt surpasses the annual economic output by more than twofold making it the world’s largest national debt. [The Mainichi] [Reuters]
Japan: Government approves bill to help victims of donation practices of religious groups
(dql) The Cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has endorsed a bill that seeks to provide financial assistance to victims of donations practices of the religious organizations.
Under the bill, followers and their relatives would be allowed to cancel such donations if they were solicited maliciously, while banning religious corporations would be barred from requesting believers to borrow money for donations.
The move comes after members and former followers of the Unification Church revealed their financial ruin due to donations to the religious, a matter that has seen approval ratings of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plummeting over his administration’s indecisive handling of issues surrounding the Unification Church, including links of members of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party with the religious group.
A latest survey found out that not less than 334 out of 2,570 prefectural assembly members have had dealings with the Unification Church or its affiliates. More than 80 percent of them are member of the LDP. [The Mainichi] [Kyodo News] [See also AiR No. 46, November/2022, 3]
Founded by a staunch anti-communist in South Korea in 1954, Japan was the first country in which the Unification Church set up an overseas branch. It has come under heightened scrutiny over its “spiritual sales,” in which people were threatened to suffer negative "ancestral karma" if they would not buy certain items for exorbitant prices.
The suspect of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reportedly confessed that he shot him because of bitterness after his mother went bankrupt due to donations to the religious group of more than USD 700,000. Abe is believed to have had ties with the group [see AiR No. 47, November/2022, 4]
Japan: Lawmaker of ruling party under fire over suspicion of underreporting political funds
(dql) Fifth-term House of Representatives lawmaker Kentaro Sonoura of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has come under pressure over allegations that an organization which he belongs to has failed to properly report nearly USD 300,000 in political funds.
Investigators are looking into the question whether Sonoura, who in 2016 served as Foreign Minister under the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was aware of the underreporting. [The Mainichi]
Japan: Absence of legal protection for same-sex families a human rights violation, court decides
(dql) In a November 30 ruling, a Tokyo court declared Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage as constitutional. However, it decided that the lack of legal protection for same-sex families constitutes a violation of their human rights.
The eight plaintiffs in the case expressed satisfaction over the ruling calling it a move toward aligning the East Asian country with other nations of the Group of Seven, of which Japan is the only one which does not recognize same-sex marriage. According to the Japanese constitution marriage is defined by the mutual consent of both sexes.
In earlier rulings, the court in Sapporo ruled in 2021 that ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, while the Osaka court in June found the opposite. [CNN] [BBC]
Japan: Teachers arrested over allegations of abuse in nursery
(dql) Three female teachers have been arrested on December 4 on suspicion of abusing toddlers at a nursery school in the city of Susono in central Japan in June. A criminal complaint has been filed against the school’s director, accused of covering up the abuses.
A day earlier, police raided the school after 15 counts of abuse was revealed from June to August was revealed in an investigation last week. [The Guardian]
In an immediate response, the government announced that it has order a nation-wide probe into child mistreatment cases at nurseries and the way how municipalities have handled them. [The Mainichi]
Japan: Number of missile defense units in remote islands to be tripled
(dql) Japan is reportedly planning to nearly triple the number of Self-Defense Forces units that are to be equipped with ballistic missile interception capabilities in the Nansei Islands, an island chain stretching southwest from Kyushu toward Taiwan,
Under a draft plan, the current four units are to be increased to 11 by the end of fiscal 2031 which closes in March 2032. The plan is going to be part of the government’s National Defense Program Guidelines that lays out a 10-year defense buildup policy and is expected to be updated by the end of the year.
This comes as Japan is seeking to strengthen its defense capabilities in southwest Japan, a strategically important area that has come under growing scrutiny amid given China’s military muscle-flexing in the East China Sea and North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches. [Kyodo News]
In a related move, Japan’s ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and junior partner Komeito reached agreement on acquiring an enemy base strike capability, marking a major shift in the country’s security policy. Komeito, known as a pacifist party, had been so far reluctant to follow the LDP in this shift, but said that the country would “maintain the exclusively self-defense posture of the (war-renouncing) Article 9 of the Constitution, even after Japan has a counterstrike capability,” after agreeing with the LDP on the conditions under which for the enemy base strike capability would be utilize and on the potential targets for such a strike. [The Mainichi]
Further, Japan is reportedly considering purchasing up to 500 U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles by the end of fiscal 2027, in a bid to boost the country’s counterstrike capability. This news comes after on November 28 Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for the first time confirmed that he is eying 2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) for defense spending in the extra budget that the lower house approved a day later (see entry above). Japan has traditionally kept its defense budget at 1 percent of the GDP. [The Japan Times]
South Korea: Strikes in the transport sector multiply before the end of the year
(sm) The massive trucker strike launched on November 24 by the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union finally shows signs of waning as truckers return to work due to the government’s hard stance. The number of strikers has decreased from 20,000 at its peak to some 5,100 on December 2.
Shipments from cement production sites and major ports had recovered to 82 percent of normal traffic as of December 3, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. At its minimum, only 21 percent of normal traffic was occurring before the government issued a return-to-work order for the striking truckers. The cement industry reported shipments below ten percent of their average, incurring losses of KRW 18 billion (USD 13,5 million) per day. Petrochemical daily shipments decreased to 30 percent of their average with KRW 68 billion (USD 52 million) in damages per day. The auto industry and national gas supply have also been affected, as gas stations run out of fuel. In total, the strike is estimated to have caused KRW 1,6 trillion (USD 1,23 billion) in lost shipments. [Reuters] [Yonhap News Agency_1]
Nevertheless, the strike is continuing for its tenth day, with no compromise between the Union, government, and business associations in sight. Negotiations took place on November 28 and 30, without much success. No new date has been set yet. Unionized workers demand an extension of the freight rate system, which currently guarantees a minimum wage for all truckers and helps deal with rising fuel costs. In contrast, the business community and the government argue that the system had not overall improved working conditions, only raised shipment costs. South Korean Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik refused the union’s demand of permanently establishing the freight rate system: laborers no longer need to be unconditionally protected, he stated, as the measure dates to COVID-19 times. [Korea Times_1] [Yonhap News Agency_2] [Yonhap News Agency_3][see AiR No. 48, November/2022, 5]
The government started sanctioning striking trackers from the beginning of the week, suspending workers for up to 30 days for a first non-compliance and suspending their license for a second one. The Korean International Trade Association stated it would file a compensation lawsuit on December 2, as it las lost more than KRW 1 trillion (USD 768 million) from the strike. [Korea Times_2] [Yonhap News Agency_4]
In addition to the trucker strike, both the Seoul Metro workers and the Korea Rail Corporation (KORAIL) Labor Union have demanded reforms from the government and have threatened to strike.
The Seoul Metro workers briefly went on strike on November 30, protesting the plan to downsize its workforce. For the first time in six years, 5000 union members gathered and asked for the employment of new workers out of safety concerns both for workers and passengers. The strike ceased as the company agreed to stop downsizing the workforce, employ additional safety-related staff, and to enforce a pay raise of 1,4 percent. [Korea Times_3] [Korea Herald]
KORAIL and its workers held last-minute negotiations to avoid a strike on December 1. An agreement has not yet been reached but prospects are pessimistic as the labor union has demanded a massive pay rise and better working conditions. KORAIL has refused wage raises, citing the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s guidelines. [Yonhap News Agency_5]
South Korea: Supreme Court rules violent suppression of 2009 strike illegal
(sm) On November 30, the South Korea Supreme Court ruled the violent breakup of a 2009 strike as illegal, putting an end to the compensation suit after more than ten years.
In May 2009, Ssanyong Motor workers occupied the company’s Pyeontaek assembly plant for some ten weeks to protest their management’s restructuring plan. A police commando stormed the place and forcefully broke up the strike.
The state had then filed a compensation suit against the striking workers for the alleged damage of some police equipment such as a helicopter. While lower courts ruled in favor of the state, concluding that the damages inflicted had been planned by the unionists, and ordered the union to pay KRW 1,1 billion (USD 834,000), the Supreme Court overruled this decision.
The court has judged the actions of the striking workers as self-defense, acknowledging the police’s use of tear gas and other anti-riot weapons as an act of excessive force against the strikers. It continued that the use of such tools to suppress strikes was illegal, judging the police took an unnecessary risk by flying their helicopter very low over the plant. The case has been sent back to Seoul’s High Court for revision.
The court’s decision comes amid the ongoing trucker strike which has disrupted supply chains and caused USD billions of lost shipments and orders. As the government issued a back-to-work executive order for the strikers on November 29, the use of force to suppress the protests cannot be ruled out. [see AiR No. 48, November/2022, 5] [Korea Times]
South Korea: Amendment of workplace safety policy
(sm) According to officials from the Ministry of Labor and Employment, South Korea plans to amend the current workplace safety policy, shifting the focus from sanction to prevention and self-regulation.
The ministry plans to revise the country’s controversial 1981 Occupational Safety and Health Act and the 2022 Serious Accidents Punishment Act and divulged a comprehensive plan targeting workplace risk management and serious accidents at work especially in smaller companies. The focus in the past has mostly been on regulations and punishments leading to de jure but not de facto compliance with important safety guidelines, a ministry official explained.
The idea behind the new plan relies heavily on self-regulations within companies, where employers and employees cooperate to constantly improve their health and safety guidelines by incorporating diverse feedback. The efforts of companies to put effective prevention measures in order will be considered by courts to determine liability in the case of a serious work-related accident or death.
For smaller enterprises (less than 50 employees) the government will provide active support through manpower, facilities, and equipment (AI cameras, fall protection clothing, etc.) to help them meet satisfactory safety standards. For companies with 30 to 100 workers, the establishment of an occupational safety committee including workers will be mandatory. Companies with more than 100 employees will be encouraged to partner with subcontractors specializing in occupational safety.
The business sector has generally been opposed to the reforms, calling the liability measures to be too strict. Owners and top management could face more than one year of prison and fines up to KRW 1 billion (USD 754,000), if a court recognizes insufficient safety measures as a cause for a work-related accident.
The reform comes as the public has been increasingly concerned with safety measures after the Itaewon incident in which some 158 partygoers died in a crowd. South Korea ranks 34th out of 38 OECD members in workplace fatality (0,43 per 10,000 workers in 2021). [see AiR No. 45, November/2022, 2] [Korea Times]
South Korea: Justice Ministry to abolish foreign residents’ right to vote
(sm) The South Korea government may be planning to abolish foreign residents’ voting rights, as indicated by the correspondence between minor Transition Korea party representative Cho Jung-hun and the Ministry of Justice on November 30.
Cho had asked the ministry in a questionnaire if it planned on abolishing the foreign residents’ voting system. The ministry stated that while South Korea currently gives foreign residents the right to vote in local elections, a lot of other countries do not extend the same courtesy to their South Korean residents and thus called the maintenance of the system unreasonable. According to the international legal principle of reciprocity, the ministry concluded that a restructuring of the current permanent residency system is needed.
Currently, foreign residents who are legal adults (older than 18) and F-5 permanent residency visa holders for at least three years are allowed to vote in local elections. This right applies to some 126,000 foreigners in South Korea, mainly Chinese passport holders.
The ministry’s view that reciprocity is not respected has been challenged as a report by the National Assembly Budget Office showed that over 40 other countries in the world give foreign residents similar voting rights, including EU member states. [KBS World]
South Korea: Contestation of LGBTQ+ rights in school curriculum and military
(sm) On December 1, South Korea military authorities decided not to acknowledge the death of a transgender soldier who had been discharged in 2021 as having occurred on duty. In addition, the Ministry of Education announced its plan to remove the term “sexual minority” from the school curriculum after refuting criticism from the National Human Rights Commission on November 29.
A transgender woman named Byun Hee-soo had expressed her desire to continue serving the military as a female soldier after undergoing surgery in Thailand in 2019. The South Korean army than decided to forcefully discharge her in January 2020, against which Byun decided to file a lawsuit, but allegedly committed suicide only one month later.
The justice ministry urged the military to stop challenging a court decision ruling Byun’s discharge as discriminatory and unjust in October 2021. Nevertheless, the army decided to classify her death as a general death, referring to death due to negligence or misconduct rather than death on-duty or death in action, even though the presidential committee on military deaths requested Byun’s case to be filed as death on-duty in April 2022.
The nine-member panel including civilians and soldiers found Byun’s death to have no causal connection with her military service, granting the designation of general death in acknowledgment of her death as a soldier. This will allow her family to receive financial support and compensation. The decision has been attacked by some 33 civic groups, calling the decision discriminatory and accusing the military of avoiding its responsibility because of her transgender status. [Yonhap News Agency]
Besides the army’s decision on the death of transgender people, the Ministry of Education has also announced its plan to remove the expression “sexual minority from the curriculum”, a decision which is heavily criticized by the country’s Human Rights Commission.
Song Doo-hwan, chairman of said commission, explained that the decision represented a retreat from the human rights discourse in South Korea which is likely to lead to more discrimination against sexual minorities. The Korean Teachers and Workers’ Union has also criticized the move.
The ministry responded that the inclusion of controversial terms in elementary and secondary education needed to be approved by public consensus. “People who suffer from discrimination due to sex, age, race, nationality, disability, etc.” will be used instead of sexual minorities as not to unnecessarily confuse teenagers establishing their gender identity. If the plan passes, the term will gradually be omitted from the curriculum from 2024 to 2025.
A 2018 Korea Women’s Development Institute report showed that 80 percent of middle school students welcomed an increased access to information about sexual minorities in their curriculum. 79 percent considered such an education necessary, while only 21 percent had learned about sexual minorities in school before. [Korea Herald]
Taiwan: New acting leader of ruling party elected
(dql) Chen Chi-mai, the mayor of the southern city of Kaohsiung has been elected acting chairperson of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on November 30.
The move comes on the heels of President Tsai Ing-wen’s resignation as DPP chairperson in response the party’s crushing defeat in the November 26 local government election, with only five out of 21 cities and counties won [see AiR No. 48, November/2022, 5].
Upon his election, Chen, who formerly served as Vice-Premier from 2019-2020 before becoming Kaohsiung mayor, announced that the party would undergo an introspection in which criticisms and suggestions from the public would be heard and heeded. [Focus Taiwan]
Taiwan: Revision of mental health law approved
(dql) Taiwan’s legislature has approved amendments to the Mental Health Act on November 29 under which mandatory hospitalization of at-risk individuals will require approval by a court approval after a court hearing participated by psychiatrists and representatives of patients’ rights groups.
Further, the revised law, to enter into force two years after promulgation, limits the duration of mandatory hospitalizations to 60 days, applies also to foreigners and orders the establishment of community mental health facilities.
The legislative move comes against the backdrop of high-profile crimes that has triggered fears that over those with mental illness are slipping through the cracks of the current treatment system. In 2016, a 4-year-old girl was decapitated in Taipei by a man diagnosed with schizophrenia. [Focus Taiwan]
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in South Asia
Bangladesh: Prime Minister to strengthen Bangladesh military with modern weapons
(az) In order to professionalize and strengthen the military, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced to supply the country´s armed forces with more modern weapons and military hardware in the framework of the government´s ‘Forces Goal 2030’ plan. As part of the plan the government already formed three new infantry divisions, three brigades and 58 small and large units across the country. Main priority is to build a three-dimensional force capable of conducting multi-dimensional warfare. [bdnews24]
Bangladesh: Home Minister warns of necessary steps if oppositional leader Khaleda Zia joins demonstrations
(az) While the oppositional BNP called for a final rally in Dhaka on December 10 amid a series of countrywide protests against price hikes and the killing of 5 party members, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has warned of necessary actions in case that BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia would join the protests. [The Business Standard]
Bangladesh: Supreme court judge criticizes the banks for taking no action against big loan defaulters
(az) A Supreme Court judge criticized the behaviors of banks that went after farmers who failed serve loans of some hundred USD, while big loan defaulters would stay safe due to inaction from the same banks. At the same time, the country´s banks are suffering from huge loan defaults. This follows, in parts, the financial institutions´ practice to provide loans without sufficient due diligence. [bdnews24]
India: Polls see Prime Minister Modi’s party victorious in Gujarat Assembly elections
(wr) The two-phase Gujarat Assembly elections have been carried out on December 1 and on December 5, with results expected to be announced on December 8.
In the last elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi won 99 seats in the 182-member assembly while Congress took 77. It is expected that BJP this time would be able to secure 119 to 139 seats approximately while Congress 31 to 39 and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) up to 15. [Strait Times]
India: Uttarakhand parliament passes stricter bill against religious conversion
(wr) The Uttarakhand Assembly passed two significant bills on November 30.
Following the adoption of the Uttarakhand Religion Freedom (Amendment) Bill 2022, a rigorous rule governing religious conversions in the state is now in effect. The bill designates unauthorised and forced religious conversion in the state as a cognizable, non-bailable offence that is punished by a minimum three-year sentence and a maximum ten-year prison term.
The parliament also approved the Uttarakhand Public Services (Horizontal Reservation for Women) Bill 2022. This bill provides horizontal reservations for women in state-owned services. A horizontal quota, in contrast to a vertical reservation, is applied selectively to each vertical category rather than uniformly to each group designated by law. Hence 30 percent of women should necessarily be in each vertical classification. The bill is passed to increase the role of women in the formation of hill-states and utilise the women power to maximum. [Indian Express] [Outlook India] [The Print]
India: Supreme Court cancels bail of 4 accused in ISRO espionage case
(wr) The Supreme Court (SC) has set aside the anticipatory bail granted by the Kerala High Court to four people accused in the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) spy scandal, including former top cops.
The 1994 espionage case involves the framing of former Indian ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan along with others by falsification of evidence. The framed scientist welcomed the decision.
The accused in the case include former Kerala Director General of Police, former Gujarat Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and three others for framing Nambi Narayanan. However, the SC has sent the case back to the Kerala court for fresh considerations of the anticipatory bail pleas of the accused individually.
The ISRO espionage case refers to the falsely implicated scientist in November 1994, charged with transferring confidential documents on India’s Space Program to foreign countries, notably Pakistan. Narayanan had to spend two months in jail before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concluded that the allegations against him were false, after a probe conducted by the State and the CBI. [Hindustan Times] [NDTV]
India: Congress leadership response to the fresh extension of term of E Enforcement Directorate director
(wr) In an appeal to the Supreme Court, the leader of the Madhya Pradesh Congress, Dr. Jaya Thakur, contested the Central government's decision to extend Sanjay Kumar Mishra's term as Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The argument in the petition was that the Central government's move to extend Mishra's term was contrary to the ruling of the Supreme Court from September 2021, which had barred Mishra from receiving further extensions. It is the third extension.
Previously, Mishra was chosen to serve as the ED's director for two years on November 19, 2018. Later, the central government retroactively changed the appointment letter, increasing his two-year term to three years, by an order dated November 13, 2020. The second extension was granted from November 17, 2021, to November 17, 2022.
According to Thakur, the central government is undermining democracy’s fundamental tenets by retaliating against its political rivals with the aid of law enforcement. [Indian Express] [Economic Times]
India: Central government rejects names recommended by collegium for elevation as high court judges
(wr) The government has rejected the names of senior advocates recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium for elevation as High Court Judges. While sending 20 names files back to the top court, the Centre has urged it to reconsider the proposal for the elevation of senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal as a judge in the Delhi Court. His association with the LGBT community stands as the reason for the government’s strong reservation.
The tussle grows as the Supreme Court has begun to criticize the central government over delays in the appointments of the collegium as the names are being reconsidered for a third time. On the other side the Law Minister has criticised the whole mechanism of the collegium system being practised. [Outlook India] [Zee News]
India: National Investigation Agency arrests main conspirator of Ludhiana Court Bomb blast
(wr) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested terrorist Harpeet Singh, the main conspirator of the Ludhiana court bomb blast case that took place in Ludhiana Court in December 2021. One person died while six people were injured in that explosion.
Investigations have revealed Harpeet Singh’s association with the Chief of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). He, along with another conspirator, coordinated the delivery of the custom-made improvised explosive device which had been sent from the Pakistan. The accused was also found to be involved in cross-border arms and drugs smuggling. [Hindustan Times] [Economic Times]
India: Government to proceed with construction of port despite continued protests
(wr) The Kerala State will proceed with implementation of the USD 900 million Vizhinjam port project and fully grab the potential business from the port, irrespective of growing resistance by locals, according to a government minister.
The statement comes after more than 80 protesters and police were injured as villagers from a fishing community in Kerala state clashed with law enforcement during demonstrations against the construction of the port by India’s multinational Adani Group conglomerate, the latest escalation in a months-long strike.
Building at Vizhinjam port has been halted for more than three months after villagers blamed the port’s development for coastal erosion and depriving them of their livelihoods. The protests have forced Adani’s USD 23 billion ports business to stop work at the port, which seeks to plug into lucrative east-west trade routes, and thus, is seen as a potential and lucrative rival to those in Dubai, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.
Over the weekend, police arrested some protesters who blocked Adani’s construction vehicles from entering the port, despite a court order for work to resume. The arrests prompted hundreds of protesters, led by Catholic priests, to march on the police station on November 27, leading to clashes with personnel and leaving police vehicles damaged.
The Adani Group has said the project was in full compliance with all laws and has repeatedly sought relief from the Kerala state court, but locals have refused to relent. [Strait Times] [see AiR No. 48, November/2022, 5]
India’s 3rd generation nuclear submarines taking shape
(wr) India plans to have four operational nuclear-powered, ballistic missile-carrying submarines by 2026.
India’s nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines so far included the INS Arihant 1st generation launched in 2009. The 2nd generation is expected to be launched in 2023.
Its 3rd generation S5 class, a 13000-ton displacement submarine program, started in 2015 and the model was tested in 2019, will eventually enter force around 2027. [Defence]
Nepal: Nepali Congress wins parliamentary election
(dql) The Nepali Congress of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has secured 57 seats under direct voting in Nepal’s November 20 parliamentary election. It is followed by the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML) with 44 seats. In third place comes the CPN-Maoist Centre with 18 seats, while the CPN-Unified Socialist won 10 seats.
Under Nepal’s electoral system, out of the 275 seats in the House of Representatives 165 are elected through direct voting and the remaining 110 seats through a proportional electoral system. 138 seats are needed for a majority.
Counting of the direct voting concluded on December 5, while the vote counting for the proportional voting system for two constituencies is still going on. It is expected that under the proportional voting system, the CPN-UML will win 33 seats followed by the Nepali Congress with 32 and CPN-MC with 14.
Therefore, the Nepali Congress is likely to emerge as the largest party with 89 seats in the House of Representatives, followed by CPN-UML with 77 seats and CPN-MC with 32 seats.
With regards to the provincial elections, held on the same day, the Nepali Congress won 111 out of 330 constituencies that were out for grabs under the direct voting system. The CPN-UML secured 91 seats, CPN-Maoist Center 53, CPN-Unified Socialist 15 seats. [The Print]
Pakistan: Election Commission begin process to remove Imran Khan from post of chair of his party
(dql) Pakistan’s Election Commission has officially initiated the process for the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from the post of leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the political party Imran founded in 1996.
The move came after he was found guilty of buying gifts at a discounted price from the Toshakhana (state depository) to sell them for higher prices. [Hindustan Times]
Sri Lanka: 2019 Easter Sunday terror attack suspect killed
(sn) A man suspected in the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019 has been hacked to death in a Colombo suburb on November 28, 2022. The suspect was earlier released on bail.
A group of 3 individuals attacked the victim at his residential area. The man died at the hospital to which he was rushed to.
According to his family, the Easter Sunday attack suspect got release because the court found no evidence of his involvement in the terrorist operations. The case remains under investigation.
The Easter Sunday terror attacks took place on April 21, 2019, and occurred in several cities across Sri Lanka, wounding 500 people, and killing almost 300 people died. They were carried out purportedly by a small band of Islamist extremists that identified with Islamic State (IS) ideology. [The Island] [Daily Mirror] [Economy Next]
Sri Lanka: Oppositional member of parliament accuse Election Commission of delaying local elections
(sn) On December 2, 2022, oppositional MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People’s Power (NPP) argued in parliament that the Election Commission (EC) conspired with the government to delay local government elections in Sri Lanka.
As local government bodies are expected to begin their sessions before March 20 next year, the EC must publish a gazette calling nominations by late December or early January. However, the fact that it fails to call for nominations and even asked the Attorney General for advice, is proof of this “conspiracy” in the eyes of Dissanayake. He demanded that President Ranil Wickremesinghe declare before the parliament that the government “was not planning to take any decision that would infringe on the EC’s right to hold local government elections on schedule.” [Economy Next]
Sri Lanka: President Ranil Wickremesinghe proposes the bill on gender equality
(sn) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed the largely anticipated Bill on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. It seeks to increase the number of female lawmakers. Current among the 225 parliamentarians only 12 are women. The bill also orders the establishment of an independent administrative body that will give recommendations to parliament to intervene in matters relating to gender equality and women’s rights.
Analysts, commenting on the President’s move, stress that under existing practices in Sri Lanka, women are not only considered equal while their rights are usually violated by men due to gender insensitiveness. [Economy Next]
Sri Lanka: Medical doctors fleeing the country
(sn) The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) revealed that over the first 8 months of 2022, 477 doctors left Sri Lanka raising fears that this will lead to a national crisis in the public health sector. [News Wire]
Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in Southeast Asia
Cambodia: First Commercial Court to be launched in 2023
(sn) The Ministry of Justice of Cambodia has confirmed that it is preparing to officially launch the country's first Commercial Court in 2023 to resolve trade disputes. Initially, the Commercial Court was scheduled to begin hearings in 2022, but challenges associated with project investments led to the delay.
The vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), Lim Heng, commented that the court will encourage more investment trough increased confidence in the justice system. [Construction Property] [Khmer Times]
Cambodia: Courts seize the property of Candlelight Party vice-president over defamation compensation
(sn) The opposition Candlelight Party (CP)was sentenced pay USD 750,000 in damages to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to cover defamation allegations. CP’s vice-President, Son Chhay, had claimed that the 5th Commune Council Election held on June 5, 2022, failed to reflect the genuine will of the people and featured intimidation and fraud. In response, the National Election Committee (NEC) stated that the allegations made by Son Chhay are faulty and that the Commission considers the remarks to be defamatory and, thus, affecting the dignity of the NEC. Following the statement, the electoral institute sought to take legal action against the vice-president of CP. [EAC News]
Son Chhay refused the credibility of the received allegations, and a Phnom Penh court ordered to temporarily confiscate the property of the CP vice-President. The verdict came on demands of CPP lawyers to reassure the payment of compensation in the case. While the CP vice-president is currently appealing the court’s decision, the assets will remain confiscated. Son Chhay expressed that he would continue his appeal and will pay nothing to the CPP. [Camboja News] [The Star] [VOD News]
Cambodia: World Vision Cambodia to launch ‘’Baby-friendly Health Care” to fight acute child malnutrition
(sn) The National Maternal and Child Health Centre (NMCHC) and the Cambodian branch of World Vision International announced the launch of the “Baby-Friendly Health Centre.” The one-year pilot program will promote breastfeeding in treatment of acute malnutrition in various Siem Reap province health centers. The agenda originated from a collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. It is a part of the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting developed by the UN Cambodia in 2021. [The Star]
In addition, on November 29, the World Food Programme (WFP) published a Brief Situation Report and Market Monitoring Updates for Cambodia, October 2022. Despite the remarkable economic growth within the last twenty years, 22 percent of children under 5 live with chronic malnutrition.
The country falls on the lower middle-income level. The Cambodian Ministry of Planning and WFP examined ways to introduce the fortified rice among the general population and plan to publish it in the beginning of 2023. In addition, the Cambodia Rice Federation and WFP plan to organize marketing strategic workshops to help rise the demand of fortified rice in local markets.
The monitoring update shows that for Cambodia, the cost of the basic food basket (BFB) increased by 7 percent from September to October 2022. The rise is substantially caused by renewed uncertainties around the Black Sea Grain initiative and the Russian war with Ukraine. However, the access to fertilizers and floods caused by substantial rainfalls also caused significant loses to the agricultural crop production in the county. Cambodia is among the countries most exposed to rising energy prices in the Asia Pacific region. [WFP Cambodia Country Brief], [WFP Market & Seasonal Monitoring Update]
Cambodia: NGOs demand release of NagaWorld union leader
(sn) On November 28, 2022, almost 70 Non-Governmental Organizations made a statement in Cambodia calling for immediate and unconditional release from prison and an end to the judicial harassment of the union’s leaders and members.
The demands statement was triggered by the most recent conviction case of November 26, 2022. The court ordered to arrest and detain the leader of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of the NagaWorld casino workers. Mrs. Chhim Sithar was returning from the Trade Union World Confederation in Australia when police arrested her at the airport. Thereafter, she was sent to prison.
The US side also expressed concern about her detention and called for the release of the defendant. [Radio Free Asia]
Cambodia: Ministry of Health to tackle illegal abortion procedures following a botched operation
(sn) The Ministry of Health launches a national mission to combat illegal abortion procedures. The Health Minister, Mam Bun Heng, ordered the ministry agents to probe private clinics and other potential facilities across Cambodia that could facilitate illegal abortion practices. The agenda developed following the investigation that found a midwife at Doeum Angkorng Maternity Clinic guilty of conducting an illegal abortion operation on November 2, 2022.
As a result of practice, a patient suffered extensive injuries. The nurse had a midwife license but was not trained to conduct an abortion. The clinic will be prosecuted according to the provisions of the Cambodian legislature. The court will also temporarily suspend the license of a midwife. However, the investigation is still ongoing. [Khmer Times]
Cambodia: Trade Unions criticize CENTRAL for disrupting the unity of Cambodian workers
(sn) Cambodian trade unions accused the NGO of labor welfare, Center for Alliance, and Human Rights (CENTRAL), of activities aiming to break the unity and solidarity of Cambodian workers. Representatives of almost 200 unions wrote a joint letter to the director of CENTRAL, criticizing the NGO’s officials for weakening the shared voice of the unions, and for programs that inhibit new union formation in Cambodia. The letter demands CENTRAL to stop technical and financial support of activities undermining the interests of workers and terminate all projects of CENTRAL with the unions that representatives contend.
The Executive director of CENTRAL denied the accusations and said that the goal of their organization is to help workers form unions and associations. He also noted that CENTRAL doesn’t plan to provide workshops to protesting Cambodian workers. [Khmer Times]
Cambodia: Government releases USD 30 million from savings to fund mine-free Cambodia by 2025
(sn) On November 1, 2022, the Royal Government of Cambodia settled the release of an additional USD 30 million for mine and UXO clearance from its reserves. PM Hun Sen announced this decision and added that the Ministry of Economy and Finance is set to manage this Mine Action Fund. The Initiative is a part of the ‘mine-free Cambodia by 2025’ target. [Khmer Times]
Indonesia: Parliament expected to pass new criminal code
(os) The House of Representatives is expected to pass a new criminal code into law on December 6. The revision contains controversial articles that are feared to set back democracy and civil liberties in Indonesia. [BBC] [Reuters] [Tempo] [The Guardian] [The Jakarta Post 1]
The new code would replace the country’s old criminal code, which stems back to the colonial era. The changes would affect Indonesian citizens as well as foreign visitors. Initially, the Indonesian parliament wanted to pass a new draft code in September 2019. However, nationwide protests delayed the ratification of the draft code. Since then, several changes have been made to the draft. But even after the changes, the new draft code draws a lot of flak. Its most contentious articles would penalize sex outside of marriage, prevent unmarried couples from living together, and forbid insulting the president and expressing views that run counter to the prevailing national ideology.
Sex outside of marriage would, under the new criminal code, carry a maximum sentence of one year of imprisonment. After changes to the draft code, an offense could now only be reported by close relatives. Cohabitation of unmarried couples would also be prohibited. Activists warn that this might expose same-sex couples to particular risk since they are not allowed to marry. The majority-Muslim country already boasts strict laws on sex and relationships. Recently, two soldiers have been given a seven-month prison sentence for having gay sex, which is banned in Indonesia’s military [The Jakarta Post 2].
Insulting the president would lead to up to three years in prison. Under the new code, such an offense could be reported solely by the president. Insulting state institutions and expressing views counter to the national ideology, the Pancasila, would also be banned. Previously, only communism and Marxism-Leninism were banned. The draft code extends the ban to any other ideologies except Pancasila. Disseminating such other ideologies could lead to 15 years in prison if the action triggers public unrest that causes deaths. [The Jakarta Post 3]
Activists claim that the new criminal code could harm political freedom in Indonesia. Amnesty International Indonesia warned that a plethora of articles under the new code could be misused by authorities to restrict peaceful assemblies and peaceful expression of opinions. Moreover, they stated that the new code would be discriminatory against women, religious minorities, and LGBTQ+ people. Human Rights Watch also warned that the overhaul would harness Indonesian democracy. Business experts fear that the ratification of the new code might be detrimental to Indonesia as a destination for tourists and investments. The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), among others, called for the parliament to delay the passing of the bill to revise any contentious articles that might threaten democracy.
Indonesia: Families sue health ministry, drug regulator after death of children related to kidney failure
(os) Indonesian families are suing Indonesia’s health ministry and the country’s Food and Drugs Agency (BPOM) for not preventing the import of medications related to acute kidney injury.
Kidney failure has killed nearly 200 children in Indonesia this year. Authorities link ingredients, found in paracetamol medications, to the deaths. The licenses of some pharmaceutical firms producing the medications have been temporarily suspended, and the companies are being investigated. However, the affected families call for compensation payments. The health ministry stated they are going to “study” the lawsuit. [Reuters] [The Jakarta Post]
Laos: National Day celebrated with mass pardons
(ih) In celebration of National Day, which took place on December 2., Laos has decided to reduce the sentences of 1,882 prisoners and fully pardon 318 prisoners. The prisoners were selected based on recommendation made by justice officials to the president, and the decree granting the amnesty was released on November 30. [Vientiane Times]
Laos: Country commences fourth ordinary session of the National Assembly
(ih) The 4th Ordinary Session of the 9th National Assembly opened on December 5. The three weeklong session is expected to include consideration of the state budget plan, the previous six months’ monetary plan, the Prime Minister's report regarding the implementation of the national socio-economic development plan, and the targets that have been set for the first half of 2023. The implementation of the National Agenda on Addressing Economic and Financial Difficulties and the National Agenda on Addressing Drug Issues will also be discussed. Lawmakers are additionally expected to discuss the potential adoption of several laws, including new laws on passports, waterways and museums. Amendments to existing laws on lawyers, court registry, the prevention and control of infectious diseases, enterprises, science and technology, military prosecutor's office, and electronic transactions will also be discussed at the Ordinary Session. [KPL]
Laos: Government expected to exceed revenue collection target
During his briefing to the 4th Ordinary Session of the 9th National Assembly, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh announced that the government would likely exceed the target in its revenue collection for 2022 by 2 percent over the next two years. During the past 11 months the government has managed to collect KIP 28.4 trillion (approximately USD 1.65 billion), 90.06 percent of the planned collection for 2022. This amounts to a 26 percent increase year-on-year in revenue collection. The government has also implemented cost-cutting measures, resulting in Kip 34.5 trillion (approximately USD 2 billion) of predicted government expenditure for 2022.
In addition, the government has taken measures to control inflation and the kip’s exchange rate more tightly by enforcing the requirement that foreign exchange shops be operated by commercial banks, reducing the number of such shops from 419 to 113 over the course of 2022. The government has also announced its intentions to reform several state enterprises, including Electricite du Lao, State Fuel enterprise, EDL Gens, and Lao Airlines, to improve their economic performance. [KPL]
Malaysia: Johor Pakatan hopeful new unity government will benefit Malaysia’s development, health, and economy
(gc) Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders are convinced that the newly established unity government will bring a new approach to enhancing the system of federalism so that Putrajaya and the state governments are balanced and fair.
Johor PH stated that they are willing and dedicated to cooperating with both the state and federal governments. In that respect, Johor PH leaders requested Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi to improve cross-party collaboration in the state legislative assembly as part of the agenda for the welfare of the people. [MALAYMAIL]
Malaysia: Selangor exco on state reserve funds to be utilized for disaster relief and economic development
(gc) Datuk Teng Chang Kim, the executive councilor for industry and trade in Selangor State, stated on December 2. that the state currently has RM 3.354 billion in reserve funds, which will be utilized for state economic growth, administrative expenditures, and disaster relief activities.
According to Selangor exco, the RM 3.354 reserve funds originate from the Consolidated Fund (RM 1.234 billion) and Consolidated Trust Account (RM 2.12 billion). [MALAYMAIL]
Malaysia: GE15: Three early voting locations for the Padang Serai and Tioman seats will open
(gc) On December 3., a total of 76 early voters who are members of the police will cast their ballots for the Padang Serai parliamentary seat in Kedah, while 243 policemen will do the same for the Tioman state seat in Pahang.
Dr. Mohamad Sofee Razak of Pakatan Harapan (PH), Datuk C. Sivaraajh of Barisan Nasional, Datuk Azman Nasrudin of Perikatan Nasional, and Hamzah Abd Rahman will compete for the Padang Serai parliamentary seat (Pejuang).
As for the Tioman state seat, it will be contested by Nor Idayu Hashim of Perikatan, Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Hussain of the BN, Osman A. Bakar of Pejuang, Sulaiman Bakar (Independent) and Mohd Fadzli Mohd Ramly, from PH. [THE STAR]
Malaysia: Anwar revealed composition of his Cabinet
(gc) The 28-person Cabinet for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's unity administration was announced on December 2. It is a smaller Cabinet than his predecessor, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as promised.
The Cabinet's political breakdown is as follows: Pakatan Harapan (15 seats), represented by PKR, DAP, Amanah, and Upko; Barisan Nasional (6 seats), represented by Umno; Gabungan Parti Sarawak (5 seats), represented by PBB, PRS, and PDP; and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (1 seat), represented by Sabah Bersatu.
Only five women have been selected as ministers, as the Pakatan Harapan Cabinet of 2018.
Four ministers who have been appointed must first be appointed as senators since they are not members of the House of Representatives. They are Zambry Abd Kadir, Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Saifuddin Nasution, and Na'im Mokhtar. [FREE MALAYSIA TODAY]
Malaysia: 20 percent wage decrease for ministers until nation's economy rebounds
(gc) Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that until the nation's economy rebounds, his Cabinet members had agreed to accept a 20% pay reduction. [MALAYMAIL]
Malaysia: Fahmi formally starts serving as Minister of Digital Communications
(gc) On December 5, Minister of Digital Communications, Fahmi Fadzil, started performing his official duties at the ministry.
Preceding reports indicated that Fahmi will primarily concentrate on 5G deployment and challenges with internet access, as well as personal data protection to prevent online fraud.
Fahmi will meet with social media service providers, on his first day in office, to discuss concerns around the proliferation of false information and offensive and violent content. [BERNAMA] [BERNAMA]
Malaysia: Fadilla Yusof formally starts serving as Minister of Plantations and Commodities
(gc) On December 5, Minister of Plantations and Commodities, Fadilla Yusof, commenced his official responsibilities at the ministry.
The implementation of numerous projects to enhance closer ties between Sarawak, Sabah, and the peninsula will be the main emphasis of Fadillah’s duty. This focus will be directed also on addressing issues related to the cost of living and promoting good governance. [BERNAMA] [BERNAMA]
Malaysia: Cabinet and Finance Ministry to modify the budget for 2023
(gc) According to Prime Minister Anwar, the Budget 2023 will be evaluated and adjusted in light of the opinions of the Finance Ministry and the newly elected Unity Government Cabinet.
Anwar emphasized that he would concentrate on running the economy of the nation and fostering investor’s confidence. [BERNAMA]
Myanmar: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on students sentenced to death
(jp) The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, issued a statement on December 1. stating that at least seven male college students had been sentenced to death by a military court on November 30. The proceedings of the military court took place behind closed doors. [channelnewsasia] [UN News]
The Insein Prison Martial Court handed down its verdict on November 30. and sentenced seven students from Dagon University to death and four youth activists who had protested the military coup. According to Section 302(a) of the Penal Code, the Insein Prison Martial Court found the seven students guilty and sentenced them to death. The students were accused of murdering Lt. Col. Saw Moe Win, the manager of the World Treasure Bank, on April 18, 2022, in the Dagon Myothit (South) Township.
Since the coup, a total of 13340 people has been detained, with 1680 serving sentences. As of December 2., 2022, there were 97 post-coup death row inmates. In absentia, 121 people have been sentenced, 42 of whom have been sentenced to death. This brings the total number of people sentenced to death to 139. 23 people have been released on bail, for a total of 3447 people already released. [AAPP]
Philippines: Department of Labor and Employment rejects calls to abolish Wages Boards
(jd) The Department of Labor and Employment has rejected calls made by some labor groups to abolish the Regional Wages and Tripartite Boards in order to let the minimum wage be determined by the Congress.
The labor secretary said that although they recognize the authority of the Congress, an employer- employee dialogue remains fundamental in the determination of wage, as they are the main actors of their workplace.
He also added that the wage board remains the most practical option since all sectors, workers, employers and the government have a representative in the board. [The Manila Times]
Philippines: Lawmakers propose sovereign wealth fund to invest in development projects
(tjb) House representatives are pushing a policy in the Philippines that would create a P275 billion sovereign wealth fund seeded from state pension funds and banks. [Nikkei Asia]
The Maharlika Wealth Fund (MWF) is a bill in the lower chamber authored by family members of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. His cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and his son Senior Deputy Leader Leader Sandro Marcos introduced the proposal to promote investment and grow the country’s revenue. [Manila Times]
The sovereign fund will be managed by a 15-person board of directors. The president of the Philippines will take the helm and lead the board to oversee the wealth fund. Unlike other countries that use excess wealth or profits from the extraction of natural resources, the MWF will be financed using capital from state institutions including the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS). [Rappler]
While allies of the president in the House of Representatives support the bill, the Senate is more cautious. The president’s sister, Senator Imee Marcos questioned the timing of the MWF. warning that the measure is a high-risk proposal. [Philippine Star]
Other critics, including economists and business groups, denounced the use of state insurance funds to finance MWF. They argue that the funds belong to its members instead of investing them in a risky policy like a sovereign wealth fund. Instead of the MWF, they stated that the government should focus on managing public debt and the country’s fiscal deficit. [Philippine Daily Inquirer]
Philippines: Members of a Protestant church seek Supreme Court Protection from red-tagging
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) has asked the Supreme Court to provide protection to three of its members who had been tagged by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as supporters of communist rebels.
The three have filed a temporary protection order against the military and a petition for writ of amparo, a legal remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee.
The UCCP members said that they were also included in a list of alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and stated that the allegations were made despite the lack of evidence. [The Manila Times]
Philippines: National Democratic Front consultant killed in clash with Philippines Army
(jd) On Wednesday a National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant and his companion were killed in an encounter with the Philippine Army in Negros Occidental.
The Army confirmed that one of victims was Ericson Legaspi Acosta, allegedly a top New People's Army (NPA) leader on Negros island.
NDF-Negros spokesman said that the two were initially captured alive and became victims of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' “no prisoners” policy in their counter-insurgency campaign, while the Philippine Army denied the claims [The Manila Times]
Philippines: Two criminal gang members killed in shootout
(jd) Two members of a criminal gang, the "Salvador Group," were killed during an armed encounter in Bulacan.
The criminal group is famous for being involved in robbery and illegal drug operations, and the shootout happened during the service of a warrant.
The provincial director of the Bulacan police stated that one of the killed suspects was listed for violating the Dangerous Drugs Act.
Two police officers were also injured, and the suspects' companions were arrested. [The Manila Times]
Philippines: New People’s Army members surrender in Oriental Mindoro
(jd) Oriental Mindoro’s Police Regional Office Director eulogized the surrender of four members of the New People's Army (NPA).
The four are currently being assisted in their enrollment in the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program. [The Manila Times]
Singapore: Government launches new public prosecutor's office
Singapore launched a new Public Defenders’ Office (PDO) on December 1. The office, a fully government-funded department of the Ministry of Law, will provide free legal aid for Singaporeans and permanent residents facing non-capital offences who earn incomes up to the 35th income percentile. The PDO will supplement the already-existing Criminal Legal Aid Scheme run by Pro Bono SG, which covers defendants who earn incomes up to the 25th income percentile. The office currently includes 11 public defenders, with two more expected to join in the coming weeks. [Straits Times 1] [Straits Times 2]
Thailand: Three new ministers appointed in minor cabinet reshuffle
(fj) The appointment of three new cabinet ministers has been announced in the Royal Gazette on November 30. The move is seen to aim at stabilizing the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) ahead of the general election scheduled for May 2023.
Appointed were Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana as Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Sunthorn Pansaengthong as Deputy Agriculture Minister, both members of PPRP, and Naris Khamnurak, a member of the Democrat Party (DP) as Deputy Interior Minister. [Thai PBS World]
The new PPRP cabinet ministers fill vacancies left after Prayut sacked their predecessors, supposedly for their role in a no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister in September last year while Naris takes up the position previously held by another DP member who stepped down amidst malfeasance charges. [Bangkok Post]
Thanakorn’s appointment as Minister of the Prime Minister’s office has been deemed the most surprising of the nominations, as he is not as well-established as some other potential candidates, having run for parliament unsuccessfully three times already, making him the only one of the newly appointed cabinet members who is not a member of parliament. Yet, he has long proven his loyalty to Prayut as a vocal defender of the government line in his role of spokesman of the Centre for Economic Situation Administration. [Bangkok Post]
Thanakorn has further been identified as a member of a political faction from Samut Prakan province, which had publicly been promised a cabinet post by Deputy Prime Minister and PPRP leader Prawit Wongsuwon. [Bangkok Post]
Thailand: Security to be tightened further across southern region following rail explosion
(td) Thai security authorities will further step-up security across the wide southern region of Thailand following an explosion in Songkhla province that derailed the freight train loaded with para rubber destined for Malaysia. Up to date, the blame has been cast on deep-south insurgents who carried out a sabotage against the train No. 707 in question with a view to disrupt the direct train service between Hat Yai district in Songkhla province and Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur thus weakening the economy according to local officials. Overall, no deaths or injuries were reported right after the incident, and the military would, therefore, hand the investigation over to the police after having cleared the site of the explosion. Nonetheless, as the festive season is approaching to celebrate the New Year, all the fourteen southern provinces will be placed under tight security to ensure public order. Given that the fresh sabotage took place outside the southernmost provinces, including Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, all of which are now covered by the state of emergency, Thai officials have since been put on alert. [Thai PBS World 1] [Thai PBS World 2]
Thailand: Poll in northeastern provinces suggests Prayut central for PPRP's electoral support
(fj) As speculations around Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha turning his back on the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and joining the United Thai Nation Party (UTNP) continue, an opinion poll in Thailand’s northeastern provinces shows that the PPRP’s popularity would decrease significantly if the incumbent PM was to decide to run for another party.
Conducted by the E-Saan Centre at Khon Kaen University, the poll shows that only around 5 percent of participants would vote for PPRP in the absence of Prayut. In October, when rumors of the PM parting ways with the PPRP under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon were less acute, a poll by the same institute still found almost 15 percent of participants in support of the governing coalition’s central party. The personal appeal of Prayut is further borne out by the fact that the survey found “any party led by Gen Prayut” to be favored by almost 11 percent of participants.
Notable is that in contrast to the relatively low numbers for the government parties, the three main opposition parties in the northeast command around 62 percent of participants’ support, with Pheu Thai Party (PTP) favored by around 36 percent. Regarding prime ministerial candidates, the poll found Paetongtarn Shinawatra to be the most preferred choice with around 24 percent. In contrast, Prayut only garnered 11 percent. [Bangkok Post]
As the next general election scheduled for May 2023 is drawing nearer, the challenge for the government coalition parties remains how to leverage the role of the appointed 250-member senate in insulating them against their relative unpopularity with the electorate.
Thailand: Pheu Thai Party rejects speculations on supposed link between investments of the Shinawatra family and Chinese crime syndicate
(fj) The Pheu Thai Party (PTP), the strongest force in the opposition, has denied speculations supposing a business link between members of the Shinawatra family and the Chinese businessman Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant who is being investigated for supposedly heading a crime syndicate involved in drug trafficking.
A police probe suggests that houses that were allegedly bought by a Thai nominee on the behest of Tuhao formed part of a real-estate development owned by a company to which former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s daughters Paetongtarn and Pintongta hold over 50 percent of shares. PTP has refuted the allegations by stating that in their role as shareholders, the Shinawatras were not involved in the operative proceedings of the company and hence had no tangible connection to Tuhao or his potential nominees. PTP stated that dragging down the party’s image ahead of the upcoming general elections is the likely motive behind the allegations. [Bangkok Post 1]
The allegations against the involvement of the Shinawatra family, who play the central role in PTP’s power structure, are only the most recent spillover of the investigations into Tuhao’s role in ostensibly heading a ring of Chinese businessmen engaged in grey businesses in Thailand. Previously, related inquiries had shown that Tuhao had donated more than USD 85,000 to the Palang Pracharath Party, the main member of the governing coalition. It has also been reported that he is married to a Thai policewoman who is the niece in-law of Pol Gen Pracha Promnok, who had been the Justice Minister under Jingluck Shinawatra’s government. [Bangkok Post 2]
Thailand: Future Forward Party trio under prosecution for sedition
The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) announced the prosecution for sedition of the trio of the former Future Forward Party and the now-Progressive Movement, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and Pannika Wanich.
The sedition charge was first brought up by the former yellow-shirt activist Suwit Thongprasert, known as Buddha Isara. Following the allegation, the case was dismissed by public prosecutors in the Criminal Court. However, it was later directed to the Royal Thai Police (RTP) where an apparent contradiction was seen. The police thus forwarded the case to the OAG to finalize. To this end, Naree Tantasathien, the first woman and seventeenth attorney-general of the country, decided that the trio is liable for their past seditious acts and apropos approved the prosecution on November 30.
The trio’s alleged acts are declared under Section 116 of the Criminal Code. The essence of the Section is the offense against internal security in the Kingdo” that is made public by words, writings, or any other means. [see iLaw] Piyabutr is charged for his published written pieces supporting sedition and monarchy reform.
Thanathorn is being charged for raising issues involving the budget for the monarchy. Against Pannika is the allegation on the protest rally. Thanathorn yet expressed to the media in response to the OAG’s decision, saying he and his team are ready to fight in court with unvarying political will. [Bangkok Post]
Thailand: Constitutional Court favors the 100 formula for party-list MPs
(ts) Constitutional Court settles the formula of 100 divisors for party-list seats pertaining to the number of Members of Parliament (MP), ending active cries over the calculation method. This formula is believed to benefit big parties, in particular, the Pheu Thai Party, most, ahead of the election next year.
The court ruling comes to endorse the validity of the Organic Bill in using 100 as the divisor to calculate party-list MPs. The calculation method was questioned after the charter had been amended in 2021. The amendment saw the party-list seats at 100 (instead of 150) out of the total number of MP seats and 400 constituency seats (instead of 350). Counted together is the two-ballot system that allows 400 and 100 to be separated instead of the 350:150 on one ballot. The then-debate was whether the totals of the party-list vote should be divided by 500, the total of all seats, or by 100, the total of party-list seats. To this point, the organic bill was challenged as 105 parliamentarians, including appointed senators, submitted a petition asking for the court to consider if the calculation by 100 was “unconstitutional.”
As the court stipulates the “constitutional” use of 100 as a divisor, rejecting the previous use of 500, it means that the party needs to win a minimum of 350,000 votes to gain one party-list MP. The number is beyond the manageable grasp of small parties. It is assumed that Pheu Thai Party will be the big winner under the ratified calculation formula for the election next year and fewer parties will enter the new parliament as a consequence. This nevertheless gives small parties likely room for merging and partnerships.
Upon the ruling, Ravee Maschamadol, leader of the New Palangdharma Party and an advocate for the division by 500 formula claimed that he will no longer oppose the bill. The parliament accordingly submits the bill to Prime Minister and it will see a hold of 5 days. If no challenge arises in between, it will proceed to the King’s endorsement to come into force. [Prachatai] [Bangkok Post 1] [Bangkok Post 2]
Timor-Leste: New port backed by foreign investment unveiled
(tjb) A new deepwater port, run by a French corporation, opened in Timor-Leste, a project that will open the country to shipping lines in Asia. Located at Tibar Bay near the capital of Dili, the USD 490 million is expected to expand trade for the nation. The development of the port, the largest foreign-funded construction project in Timor-Leste so far, was also part of the government’s public-private partnership venture with transport giant Bollore. [The Jakarta Post]
Vietnam: DPM's assistant arrested as part of investigation into Covid-19 test kit producer
(ih) On November 30., The Investigation Police Agency of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) arrested Nguyen Van Trinh, an assistant to Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam of the Ministry of Science and Technology, on charges of abuse of power in supporting the registration and sale of Viet A Technologies’ COVID-19 test kits. The MPS stated that Nguyen Van Trinh had aided Viet A Technologies in illegally obtaining a registration number for its test kits, and had assisted them in selling the kits to a number of government agencies and local governments.
The investigation into Viet A Technologies’ corrupt practices surrounding its test kits has so far resulted in over 90 individuals being investigated, including former Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and former Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh. US$ 69.35 million has been returned by those involved to the government so far, according to the MPS. [Bloomberg] [Vietnam+ 1] [Vietnam+ 2]
Vietnam: Politburo extends HCMC autonomy trial
(ih) On December 2, the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam approved a one-year extension of Ho Chi Minh City’s (HCMC) pilot autonomy program. The decision follows an October 2022 request by the government to the National Assembly for an extension of the program. The pilot program, passed into law as Resolution 54 by the National Assembly in November 2017, was intended to expand the city’s ability to make autonomous decisions from January 2018 to the end of 2022. However, the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the ability of the city to implement the planned mechanism and policies developed under this program, leaving much of the work unfinished. [VN Express]
Vietnam: PM stays the course on bond fraud crackdown
(ih) At a government meeting on December 1., Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh responded to concerns about the turbulence in the Vietnamese bond markets caused by the government’s crackdown on bond fraud. The government’s arrests of high-profile business people in the real estate sector has spooked investors, resulting in reduction of both issuance of new bonds and capital available for lending. The PM stated that this turbulence is a short-term phenomena, and that the crackdown on malfeasance in the property, corporate bond, and capital markets would ultimately resolve these issues by restoring investor confidence. [VN Express 1] [VN Express 2]
International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia
Bangladesh receives USD 200 million loan from ADB
(dql) The government of Bangladesh and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have concluded an agreement for a USD 200 million loan that seeks to boost microfinance in the South Asian country Bangladesh by supporting microenterprises, with a focus on businesses owned by women and those located in regions with high climate risks. [United News of Bangladesh]
EU-US Dialogue on China
(ms) On December 1 and 2, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and European External Action Service Secretary General Stefano Sannino met for the fourth U.S.-EU Dialogue on China and the third meeting of the U.S.-EU High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific.
Both parties reiterated the need for coordination in the approach to relations with China and stressed the importance of diversifying the economy in order not to fall into a relationship of dependence with China. Both sides also agreed to continue to urge China to use its influence in Russia to persuade the Kremlin to end the war.
They also shared concerns about China’s more aggressive behavior in the waters around China, particularly with regards to Taiwan, and about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Hong Kong. [European External Action Service]
European Council President meets Xi Jinping
(ms) On December 1, European Council President Charles Michel, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The meeting is said to have bene dominated by a discussion on the future trade relations between the EU and the world’s second largest economy, in which Michel addressed the lack of openness and market access for European businesses on the part of China.
Further, Michel is also said to have addressed the war of aggression against Ukraine and stressed China’s obligation to make use of its influence Russia to stop the war in Ukraine. Also discussed were the human rights situation in China and the tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Xi, for his part, called on EU institutions and member states to “gain an objective and correct perception of China, and rise above ideological antagonism, transcend confrontation of systems, and reject a new cold war, whatever form it takes.” He reaffirmed China’s openness to European companies and expressed hopes “that the EU would reject interference and provide Chinese companies with a fair and transparent business environment.”
Xi statement comes as the EU is facing a looming trade dispute with the US in the wake of U.S. President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a massive USD 350 billion investment plan to build a new green economy, particularly in clean energy production, providing subsidies and tax credits linked to companies using US products or producing in the US. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned of distortions of competition caused by the IRA. [European Council] [Global Times] [Politico] [Euro News]
China and Russia conduct joint aircraft patrol
(ms) The Chinese and Russian militaries completed a joint air patrol on November 30, the two respective defense ministries announced.
The joint exercise consisted of H-6K bombers of the People's Liberation Army Air Force and Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers, escorted by Russian Su-30 SM and Su-35S fighter jets. During the flight, which lasted about eight hours, the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the West Pacific were overflown, but no airspace of the surrounding countries was violated, which has already been confirmed by South Korea.
Even though the maneuver is merely a classic exercise, it certainly exudes significance. According to Chinese state media, the exercises are intended to "demonstrate further growth in high-level military cooperation and mutual trust between China and Russia," despite the West's heavy sanctions against Russia due to the war of aggression against Ukraine. [Global Times] [Radio Free Asia]
US House of Representatives approves Uyghur Policy Act
(ms) On December 1, by a clear majority of 407-17, the Uyghur Policy Act of 2021 passed the U.S. House of Representatives and, if passed by the Senate, would strengthen U.S. engagement regarding human rights abuses China’s northwestern Xinjiang region.
The bill [see full text] would require the State Department to appoint a special coordinator for Uyghur affairs, require State Department officials to complete training in the Uyghur language, and assign an official with Uyghur language skills to a U.S. diplomatic and consular mission in China. If confirmed by the Senate, the U.S., along with other countries, would develop a strategy to put more pressure on the Chinese government to give in on its treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority. [Radio Free Asia 1]
Another initiative was taken up by two US politicians, Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Jim McGovern, who in a letter called on the UN to investigate the forced placement of Tibetan children in government schools. According to the politicians, forced school closures would force Tibetan parents to send their children to boarding schools, and the "highly politicized curriculum" taught in government schools’ risks "serious human rights violations and cultural and linguistic erasure." [Radio Free Asia 2]
China hopes for gas supply from Kazakhstan
(ms) China's Premier Li Keqiang and his Kazakh counterpart Alikhan Smailov met via video on November 29 to discuss the import of gas from Kazakhstan to China.
In the statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry after the meeting, Li expressed hope that Kazakhstan will provide the gas volumes specified in the present supply contracts, especially in the face of the upcoming winter.
This statement comes against the backdrop of the June order of the government of Kazakhstan, the largest exporter of gas to China, to reduce of export volumes, including that to China, to meet the needs of its own population.
In addition to exporting gas, Li also announced that China is interested in importing agricultural products and livestock from the Central Asian country, announcing the signing and implementation of a related trade agreement between the two countries. [Eurasia Net] [South China Morning Post]
China suspected of setting up 102 police stations abroad
(ms) The report "Patrol and Persuade" [see full report], published in early December by the human rights organization "Safeguard Defender" raises strong accusations against the Chinese government of running covert overseas police service stations (OPSS) around the world.
To the already 54 known stations, Safeguard Defenders has now identified 48 new OPSS in its newly released report, bringing the total to 102 stations in 53 different countries. The exact mission of the OPSS has already been elaborated in another Safeguard Defenders report published this year [see full report], according to which the stations are used to pressure citizens or former citizens of China who are abroad to return to China. Their methods range from intimidation, threats of persecution of relatives still in China, to kidnapping people and forcing them to return to China. The stations are said to be used by China "to crack down on dissent everywhere in the world, to threaten people, harass people, make sure that they are fearful enough so that they remain silent or else face being returned to China against their will."
In response to the newly released report, the Canadian government summoned the Chinese ambassador and expressed concern over the findings, which include Canada as a location of the newly identified OPSS. Among other things, the locations in Canada are said to have been used to coordinate the US operation of the Chinese government.
Other countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands but also the USA announced, or already started Investigations into such OPSS of China.
The Chinese side denies the allegations of the report and asserted that the public security agencies "strictly abide by international law and fully respect the judicial sovereignty of other countries." The locations in Canada mentioned are said to be private buildings, or to be used by Chinese citizens to apply for documents such as driver's licenses. Other locations in Asia and Africa are supposed to have been built with the coordination and agreement of the local governments. [CNN]
India, South Korea discusses economic development cooperation
(wr) The Ministry of External Affairs hosted a bilateral meeting with a parliamentary delegation from South Korea on December 1. Two sides expressed confidence in the “special strategic partnership” between their countries and reaffirmed the commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation including parliamentary exchanges, trade, investment, and people-to-people ties.
Earlier Indian Naval ships, Shivalik and Kamorta, participated in multiple maritime exercises with South Korea confirmed by the Ministry of Defence on November 25. The interaction quoted as “Maritime Partnership Exercise” included officials' cross-participation and discussions to further enhance bilateral maritime cooperation.
India is South Korea’s seventh-largest export market and so-called "natural partner". Both intend to revitalise ties ranging from energy to security to the economic realm. Both are considered as key regional partners of the United States and share complex relations with China. [ANI] [PIB]
India assumes presidency in UNSC
(wr) India on December 1 assumed the monthly rotating Presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC), for the second time in its two-year tenure as an elected member of the UNSC.
India is going to utilise this position to push forward reforms of multilateralism, especially of the UNSC to make it “more representative and fit for purpose.” An equitable representation reform at the UNSC reflects emerging geopolitical reality, New Delhi asserts, adding that “the longer the reform is stalled, the greater its deficit in representation and representation is an inescapable precondition for its legitimacy and effectiveness."
In addition, India will seek to build a consensus on the principles of a global counter-terror architecture, upholding the Delhi Declaration unanimously adopted by UN Counter Terroism Committee (CTC) earlier in October, that called for Member States to assist countering the threat posed by the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes. [Economic Times] [ANI]
India urges unity on climate change, terrorism, pandemics as G20 president
(wr) India has officially taken up its role as chair of G20, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling on the international community to join hands in tackling the greatest challenges of climate change, terrorism, and pandemics. He pledged that the Indian Presidency will struggle to build consensus on these matters.
Modi added India's G20 priorities will be shaped in consultation “with not just our G20 partners, but also the fellow-travellers in the Global South - Asia, Africa and Latin America - whose voice often goes unheard”. [MSN] [Economic Times]
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on December 1 added that India intends “to be very much a champion of Global South,” adding that India puts climate at the top of the group's priorities and promising to emerging economies with assistance in climate sustainability, finance and energy transitions, to help them combat global warming. [MSN]
India also extended its wish for Russia to be part of all the processes of G20, as the fallout of Russia remains “most difficult issue” to cope for the group proceedings that works on the principle of consensus. [Hindustan Times]
Sanctions-hit Russia turns to India for help
(wr) The Russian trade ministry had reportedly sent a list of more than 500 products for delivery to India, as sanctions hit Russia's ability to keep industries running. The fourteen pages list of required items constitute products ranging from raw materials to cars, trains and aircrafts spare parts-landing gear components, fuel systems, communication systems. However, the report did not confirm whether the required items are to be used for military or civil function.
The Indian foreign and commerce ministries and the prime minister’s office did not officially respond to requests till now.
The Indian government has multiple times conveyed its interest to boost bilateral trade with Russia and to balance the purchases of Russian oils soared in the wake of the war in Ukraine, amid a growing trade deficit with Russia. However, some exporting companies have shown reluctance to export to Russia over fears of being sanctioned.
Moreover, the Moscow outreach was not limited to India but to corresponding ministries and state agencies in other countries. [Strait Times] [Moscow Times] [Reuters]
India has given a list of products ready for access to Russian markets as demanded by Russia, as per reports. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on December 5 in a media briefing confirmed that “we have also given the Russians a set of products which we believe we are very competitive in and which we feel should be getting access to the Russian market”. He asserted the market will largely determine our supply and demand direction because private sectors will directly be involved to carry out trade with Russia. He called India’s approval as “legitimate expectations of any trading country” to increase its trade. [Reuters]
Russia has been the largest arms supplier to India for decades. The war in Ukraine has seen a notable boom in the Indian purchases of oil, coal and fertilisers from Russia.
Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) passed to come into force
(wr) Indian and Australian government officials have confirmed formal completion of necessary ratification processes on Indian sides and announced that the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) will enter into force on December 29, 2022.
The agreement being pursued for nine months is expected to increase investments, tariff-reduced trade, and employment opportunities among relevant stakeholders. Bilateral trade is expected to boom up to USD 45-50 billion in five years from currently USD 25 billion. [Hindustan Times] [IBEF] [The Hindu]
Delhi dismisses Beijing objections to the ongoing joint India-US military exercise
(wr) Indian and American troops carried out high altitude military exercises not far from the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC) near Auli in Himachal Pradesh. It marks the 18th-edition of the exercise, 100 kilometres from the LAC. The drills aim to enhance interoperability and share military tactics especially in the areas of peacekeeping and disaster relief.
China objected to this joint activity saying it “violates the spirit of the agreement between China and India in 1993 and 1996,” border agreements dealing with maintaining peace and Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) among deployed militaries along LAC.
India has dismissed Beijing’s objections arguing that the exercise was taking place in Auli that is not a disputed area. India also called on China to reflect violations of the border agreement in its multiple attempts to change the status quo in Eastern Ladakh while assuring its commitment to the border agreements and no intention to unilaterally alter it. [Indian Express] [VoA] [Deccan Herald]
Taliban government requests Indian investments revival
(wr) The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has sought financial help from India to revive its failing economic structure. The Taliban urged the head of the Indian Technical Mission in Kabul, to invest in Afghanistan urban infrastructure building via private allocations. India had invested around USD 3 billion in the war-torn country in the last two decades for infrastructural development. [Daily Observer] [The Hindu]
The Taliban also called for the revival of Delhi-initiated infrastructure projects. Previously, India has voiced its concern over “slowed projects,” amid the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan under Taliban. Given its neighbouring position, India has direct stakes in ensuring peace and stability in the state of Afghanistan. It reaffirmed its commitment towards humanitarian assistance and concerns regarding terrorism [see AiRNo. 47, November/2022, 4].
India halted its diplomatic operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. However, in June 2022 it deployed its technical team in Kabul.
India, Portugal hold consultations to facilitate bilateral labour mobility agreement
(wr) To review the mechanisms for orderly and regular migration, India and Portugal held talks on November 29. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) facilitated the talk between delegations from two sides.
With an aim to foster safe migration pathways for the Indian workers, both sides signed a Bilateral Labour Mobility Agreement that provides a framework for subsequent labour migration schemes. It also provides access to information and connectivity at all stages to migrants.
Indian Joint Secretary for Overseas Indian Affairs called the initiative significant for India as its large population has been a subject of global labour markets. [MSN] [The Print]
India, Germany sign bilateral agreement
(wr) India and Germany signed an agreement on Comprehensive Migration & Mobility Partnership during a two-day visit by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to India on December 5.
The pact ensures secure and simplified travel of individuals “to work, study and do research” in one another’s countries
Moreover, the visit allowed exchanging views about the situation in Afghanistan, cross-border terrorism, and Indian concerns regarding Pakistan. Both parties held intense talks to ramp up bilateral cooperation especially in areas of energy, trade and climate change. Baerbock, furthermore, expressed the wish to “bolster security cooperation with India”. [DW] [The Dispatch]
Previously, Germany unveiled its EUR 1 billion funding proposal towards India on November 28 to support India’s energy transition efforts. The initiative will unfold in 22 projects that seek to make India’s growth climate resilient. [Financial Express] [Hindustan Times]
Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe, and has heavily invested in sectors of transportation, construction, automobiles, electrical equipment. India hosts 1700 German companies.
India hosts officials from Central Asia
(wr) India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Davol met Central Asian counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on December 6. India highlighted regional obligations to counter terrorism, terror-financing and promoting regional connectivity.
The Afghanistan crisis dominated the agenda, with presence of UN-designated terrorist groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (LeT) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Al Qaeda, ISIS-K & TTP posing a deep shared concern. The parties agreed on eradicating terrorism Afghanistan as pre-condition of making it stable and peaceful. They also agreed on the dire need of humanitarian assistance for Aghanistan.
India has strong economic interest in the region and has proposed establishing a Joint Working Group on Chabahar Port, to enhance regional trade, transparency, and connectivity. [Tribune India]
India, Indonesia discusses radicalism prevention
(os) Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Both discussed cooperation for radicalism prevention. In particular, the two countries expressed their willingness to cooperate in the fields of education, disaster handling, radicalism, and extremism prevention. [Antara News]
Indonesia eager to increase job opportunities for Indonesians in South Korea
(os) Indonesian Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah carried out a working visit with South Korea’s Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik in Seoul on December 2. She called for the renewal of a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance job opportunities for Indonesians in South Korea.
Fauziyah expressed her hope that the construction, agriculture, and services sectors would be included in the Employment Permit System (EPS). This would enhance the number of Indonesians that could work overseas in South Korea to gain knowledge and skills that they might now acquire while working in Indonesia, according to Fauziyah. She also stressed that such a move would further government-to-government cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea. [Antara News]
Indonesia, Saudi Arabia to strengthen partnership in tourism sector
(os) Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which encompasses Saudi Arabian investments in the field of tourism infrastructure in Indonesia.
The MoU is aimed at promoting economic revival and job creation in Indonesia. It comprises data exchange, best practice exchange, and joint promotion between both countries. Furthermore, the MoU includes investments, publications focusing for instance on research and training in the tourism sector, and cooperation in international forums and organizations. It is hoped to increase the number of Saudi Arabian tourists in Indonesia. [Tempo]
Indonesia to appeal WTO ruling on nickel export ban
(os) Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated that Indonesia will file an appeal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement body (DSB) after losing a nickel export ban lawsuit to the European Union.
Indonesia introduced the ban on nickel exports to gain added value. On November 20, the WTO published a report stating that the ban runs counter to Article XI:1 of the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT), which prohibits WTO members to implement restrictions on exports and imports apart from duties, taxes, and other levies. President Jokowi, however, pointed out that the ban is beneficial for Indonesia’s economy. He also expressed his plans to extend the ban to a host of other commodities, such as bauxite or coffee. [Tempo] [The Jakarta Post]
Indonesia, Sweden to play leading role in bloc-to-bloc cooperation
(os) As Indonesia and Sweden will be taking over the chairs of ASEAN and the EU respectively in 2023, the countries are likely to lead the two blocs to a larger cooperation in the green transition.
At the Sweden-Indonesia Sustainability Partnership (SISP) event in Jakarta on December 5, a Swedish envoy highlighted that the green transition will probably be a large part of the cooperation between the two countries as upcoming bloc chairmen. It was also pointed out that the two presidencies could further political and business relations. [Jakarta Globe]
Indonesia Investment and Networking Forum in Hong Kong
(os) The Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong, in conjunction with the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing and the Indonesian Ministry of Investment (BKPM), held the Indonesia Investment and Networking Forum in Hong Kong on December 3.
The event was organized with the view to strengthening economic relations between Indonesia and Hong Kong. Indonesia wants to court investors from Hong Kong to invest in a vast variety of areas, such as in the project of the new capital of Indonesia. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia]
Japan joins G7 in price cap on Russian crude oil, but excludes imports from Sakhalin-2 plant
(dql) Japan’s government has announced that it has introduced a price cap on Russian crude oil, starting from December 5, in line with an agreement of nations of the Group of Seven, the European Union and Australia December 2 under which to limit the price of Russian crude oil at USD 60 per barrel. The decision seeks to squeeze Moscow’s revenues over its war in Ukraine.
At the same time, Tokyo confirmed that crude oil from the far eastern Russian-government governed Sakhalin-2 project, in which Japanese energy operators hold stakes, are to be excluded from the cap, citing the vital these imports play for the country’s energy security. [Kyodo News]
Japan to deepen cooperation with EU, U.S., Belgium on clean energy transition
(dql) Japan and the European Union (EU) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to advance an international hydrogen market. Under the agreement both sides will cooperate in sustainable and affordable production, trade, transport, storage, distribution, and use of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen.
This is in line with the EU-Japan Green Alliance that was adopted in May last year and in which Tokyo and Brussels pledged their commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and to speeding up the clean energy transition. [European Commission]
Meanwhile, Japan and the U.S. launched the inaugural Japan-U.S. Energy Security Dialogue on December 1-2 during which two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their cooperation in advancing energy transition. They especially highlighted the importance of this transition for the Asia Pacific region and the need to strengthen the resilient supply chain of critical minerals as key to clean energy transition through the framework of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), the Washington-led, 11-member partnership initiative that was launched in June. MSP members include – next to Japan and the U.S. – Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan 1]
Further, on December 5, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met his Belgian counterpart Hadja Lahbib to discuss ways to deepen bilateral investment, trade, and cooperation in various areas, such as offshore wind power, hydrogen fuel, and next-generation semiconductor. The meeting took place first day of the five-day working visit of Princess Astrid of Belgium to Japan. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan 2]
Japan’s House of Councillors endorses China-critical resolution on human rights
(dql) A resolution, that voices concern over the human rights situations in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet and Inner Mongolia and calls on “the government of the country concerned” to allow the international community to look into accusations of human rights abuses in these regions, has been adopted by Japan’s Upper House on December 5.
Commenting on the resolution, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi reaffirmed that Japan was ready to work with other nations to improve of the human rights situations in China. [Kyodo News]
Beijing was quick to condemn the resolution, saying that it contains “nothing but disinformation,” and accusing the House of Councillors of “interfering in China’s internal affairs and violating international law and norms in international relations.” [Global Times]
Japan, South Korea, US issue new sanctions for North Korea, Pyongyang fires artillery shells back
(sm) Japan, South Korea, and the US issued new sanctions on North Korean officials linked to its illegal weapon programs. In retaliation, Pyongyang launched some 130 artillery shells into its maritime buffer zones with South Korea on December 1, violating a 2018 bilateral agreement.
Japan chose three new entities and one person as targets for new sanctions, including the Lazarus Group known for its alleged cyberattacks. Seoul designated eight entities and seven individuals, one Taiwanese and one Singaporean among others, which were already sanctioned by the US previously. Finally, the US imposed sanctions on three individuals also pointed out by the EU earlier this year by freezing their US-held assets. Two of them, Jon Il-ho and Yu Jin, played significant roles in the development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) for the Pyongyang regime, while Kim Su-gil was responsible for taking decisions about the North Korean WMD program.
While the sanctions remain of symbolic nature, there is a small hope that they will at least slow down North Korea’s nuclear weapons development.
In retaliation, North Korea sent the artillery shells into its maritime buffer zone with South Korea, as the US and South Korea were conducting their own firing drills near the inter-Korean border.
More global sanctions have been blocked by the deadlock between the US, Russia, and China in the UN Security Council. The latter refused to issue any further sanctions against Pyongyang under the pretext of humanitarian concerns.
The trilateral sanctions were issued as North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile over Japan on November 18 and has launched more missiles than any year before, reaching a record of more than 60 missiles, some landing in South Korea’s territorial waters. [Al Jazeera] [see AiR No. 47, November/2022, 4] [Yonhap News Agency]
Laos, Russia hold counter-terrorism drills
(ih) Laos and Russia are currently holding their third annual Laros drills counter-terrorism drills last week. The drills, which began on November 29., include joint exercising involving armoured units and mechanized infantry and involve more than 800 soldiers from the two countries. The active phase of the drills began on monday, involving reconnaissance and search operations designed to target bandits and irregular forces. [Tass 1] [Tass 2]
President, General Secretary of LPRP meets with Chinese President Xi during state visit
(ih) On November 30., President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping met with President and General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Thongloun Sisoulith during the latter’s state visit to China. The two leaders committed to continued deepening of the partnership between the two countries, and to work together on implementing the action plan on China-Laos friendship signed in 2019. Upon conclusion of the talks, they also witnessed the signing of documents on cooperation between the two nations in the fields of political parties, economic development, trade, finance, culture, education, and local government. [PRC State Council Information Office] [China Daily]
US Ambassador Cindy McCain visits Laos
(ih) Cindy McCain, US Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), concluded her visit to Laos on November 30. The purpose of the visit was to learn more about the country’s mechanisms for coping with the current global food crisis, and to visit with and examine the various programs the FAO, WFP, and IFAD have put in place in the country. Many of these programs receive considerable funding from the US, including from the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and the USDA. [KPL] [WFP]
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg visits Laos, four agreements signed
(th) Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the county's head of state, and Luxembourg's Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs arrived in Laos on 5 December for a visit to celebrate 25 years of bilateral relations between the two countries [RTL]. During their stay, they met with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith and Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh. Luxembourg and Laos signed a total of four agreements on support and expanded partnership in health, administration and regulation in the provision of legal services and politics, promotion of skills development and employment to improve labor standards in the tourism industry, and conditions for improved local development in the targeted provinces [Vientiane Times].
Laos: European delegation visits Thanaleng Dry Port
(th) The Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Laos, Ms Ina Marčiulionytė, as well as diplomats and businessmen from European countries have visited Thanaleng Dry Port. Thanaleng Dry Port is where the Laos-China and Laos-Thailand railway lines meet. This makes the dry port an important hub of the Belt and Road Initiative.
On one hand, the dry port is of interest to Europe as it offers excellent business opportunities due to the 11.2 million tons of cargo handled there last year. On the other hand, the Lao government is on the verge of not being able to service the loans granted by China for the construction of the Laos-China railway line, which gives China a considerable leverage in the country. This lends geopolitical relevance to the dry port. [Vientiane Times] [NZZ]
Tensions increase over Myanmar's representative to the UN
(th) Russia and China may complicate the decision on Myanmar's representation at the United Nations (UN). If the UN's Credentials Committee, which includes Russia and China, does not reach a conclusion, the issue will have to be voted on in the General Assembly.
The UN has postponed its decision on who should represent Myanmar. Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar's current permanent representative to the UN, who remained in office after the 2021 coup, voted to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to suspend Russia's membership of the UN Human Rights Council. It is backed by Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), which was formed by the country's elected and now deposed lawmakers. In light of this, there is concern that both Russia and China, which support the military government, may pick a fight in favor of Myanmar's internationally isolated military, which could lead to the UN's Credentials Committee failing to reach a decision on the question of who should represent Myanmar [AlJazeera].
Pakistan-Afghanistan meeting amid border tensions and in the wake of terrorist attack
(tj) Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar met Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul amid tension over cross-border violence.
The parties discussed a range of bilateral issues, including cooperation in education, health, trade and investment, regional connectivity, people-to-people contact and socioeconomic projects.
Khar was the first high-level Pakistani delegate to visit Kabul since Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took office in April. Her travel to Kabul indicates a need of both sides to step up communication after bilateral relations between the countries have been strained. Until now, Pakistan has not officially recognized the Taliban government in Kabul, which has been facing diplomatic isolation for more than a year and a half since it took power.
Meanwhile, Pakistan reopened the southwestern Chaman border crossing, a major crossing connecting Balochistan to the Afghan province of Kandahar, which was shut down last month after a gunman shot dead a Pakistani security officer at the border crossing.
Most notably, however, the meeting came a day after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - the Pakistan Taliban - ended a ceasefire agreement with the Pakistani government which was mediated by Kabul and vowed to launch new attacks across the country. A first attack last week in the Western city of Quetta killed four and injured< many more. The move rung alarm bells especially in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area which is home to and partly controlled by TTP groups.
The TTP which is ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban has been fighting the Pakistani state for more than a decade demanding imposition of its readings of Islamic law and the release of its fighters. It also demands the semi-autonomous status of the former Federal Administered Tribal Areas in the border region to Pakistan are to be restored.
Pakistan says the TTP finds safe haven in Afghanistan, a charge denied by the Afghan Taliban, which has been facilitating peace talks between the TPP and the Pakistani government.
The high-level meeting in Kabul also came a day after General Asim Munir took charge as Pakistan’s new army chief, a change of guard in an institution that plays an immensely influential role in Pakistan´s governance structure in general and in relations to the Taliban in particular. [Al Jazeera]
Short before Khar´s visit, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah Khan, claimed the recent TTP attack in Quetta indicated that Afghanistan threatened to turn into a safe haven for militants and asked Kabul to help prevent terrorist attacks coming from Afghan soil. The Afghan Taliban’s Defense Ministry in Kabul has rejected the allegations and assured that Afghan soil would never be used to attack other countries. [The Diplomat]
Shortly after Khar´s visit, Pakistan’s chief diplomat in Kabul, barely survived an assassination attempt while his security guard was critically injured.
Chargé d’Affaires, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani was on a routine afternoon walk on his residential lawn inside the embassy compound when unknown gunmen from a nearby building opened fire on him, hitting his security guard with three bullets.
The Taliban Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the incident for which ISIS claimed responsibility. [Reuters]
Pakistan summoned the Afghan Chargé d’Affaires to convey its deep concern and anguish over the attack. It was underscored that perpetrators of this attack must be apprehended and brought to justice urgently.
Pakistan, along with China, Russia, Turkey, Qatar and several other countries, kept its embassy in Kabul open. [VOA]
Pakistan-Turkiye summit: leaders agree to enhance bilateral cooperation
(tj) At a one-day meeting, the leaders of Pakistan and Turkiye, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reaffirmed their commitment to enhance bilateral relations and cooperation after they had jointly launched a third of four Turkish MILGEM Corvette Ships for the Pakistan Navy.
Both leaders agreed to take follow-up action for the implementation of a Trade in Goods Agreement signed in August this year.
Both sides reviewed bilateral relations, with particular emphasis on ongoing cooperation in diverse fields, including trade and investment, defense, education, connectivity, and health, and explored avenues of furthering cooperation in the area of renewable energy. [Pakistan Observer]
Pakistani minister urges world to step up against climate change at Socialist International Congress
(tj) Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Atta Marri emphasized that the future of earth in all aspects depends on addressing the issue of climate change.
Speaking at the meeting of the 26th Socialist International Congress held in Madrid, she expressed solidarity with the women and children affected by wars and conflicts globally and highlighted the catastrophic impact of climate change in Pakistan.
Saying that climate change was probably the greatest threat planet earth and mankind would face, she underlined climate change was not just an environmental issue but a threat to health, livelihood, agriculture, peace, security and the overall economy of the world. [Daily Times]
Philippines' President Marcos Jr. to continue balancing act between US and China
(jd) Philippines’ President Marcos Jr. plans to continue applying a foreign policy of balance in the diplomatic relations with the United States and China, as the two countries aim to increase their regional influence in South-East Asia.
This strategy differs from the previous administration’s pro-China approach that created tensions with Washington, and seeks to develop a stronger military alliance with the US and solid economic ties with China.
This balancing act was again visible in the way the government has handled the rocket debris incident with China while hosting US Vice-President Kamala Harris. [The Star]
Philippines’ government pushes for West Philippine Sea joint exploration
(jd) Philippines President Marcos Jr. said that if government talks with China don’t work out, the Philippines will find alternative ways to proceed with the joint exploration of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
China’ territorial claims over the West Philippines Sea have represented a “roadblock” for the Philippines in the exploration of oil and gas, and have sparked a debate on which country’s laws should be applied in a joint exploration.
While the previous administration had terminated joint-exploration negotiations with China, the current one affirms that the country still needs to develop oil and gas resources.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said that although the two governments are currently discussing the issue, “working-level talks” were not reached until now.
Last month, during their first bilateral meeting in Thailand, both country leaders agreed that concluding the negotiations for the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea should be a priority in their discussions during the Philippines’ president state visit to China in January. [The Inquirer] [The Manila Times]
Philippines to import fertilizer from Indonesia
(jd) The undersecretary of agriculture of the Philippines said that the country is seeking to import fertilizers from Indonesia and that the government is open to discussions related to the joint development of high-value crops.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the 4th Meeting of the Philippines-Indonesia Joint Agriculture Working
South Korea, US discuss chip cooperation and Inflation Rate Act
(sm) On November 30, the virtual working group under the Korea–US Supply Chain and Commercial Dialogue (SCCD) held a meeting to discuss further cooperation in the semiconductor industry and on supply chain security. A day later on December 1, Seoul sent another written opinion on the US Inflation Rate Act (IRA), which promises tax advantages to companies assembling their electric vehicles in the US.
The chip meeting was headed by South Korean senior industry official Lee Yong-pil and US commerce department official Bart Meroney. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, the two countries exchange information on the policies and research projects concerning the chip industries in South Korea and the US respectively. One of the main topics was the US Chips and Science Act which promises tax advantages for companies who invest in the US Chip Industry. Said companies are however not eligible for tax credits if they also invest in the Chinese chip industry over the next ten years.
The SCCD was created in May 2022 to ease cooperation on supply chain security, digital economy, health care tech, and export controls. [Yonhap News Agency_1]
Simultaneously, South Korea is trying to win concessions on the controversial IRA, which is widely considered as discriminatory and against WTO regulations by the South Korean business sector. Most importantly, companies such as Hyundai and Kia expressed their concerns about losing a significant market share due to the act. The US had requested input from South Korean major businesses and officials to adequately implement the legislation. [Yonhap News Agency_2]
China, Japan, South Korea consult over climate change
(sm) A virtual meeting on climate change took place between China, Japan, and South Korea’s top environmental officials on December 1. The main focus of the discussion was on ways to reduce fine dust air pollution and carbon neutrality goals.
China’s Ecology and Environment Minister Huang Runqiu, Japan’s State Minister of Environment Miki Yamada and South Korea’s Environment Minister Han Wha-jin took part in this 23rd trilateral meeting on the matter. The three countries signed an agreement signifying their willingness to cooperate on climate change action.
While Huang requested more cooperation on the implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, Han asked for Tokyo and Beijing’s attendance of the second UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Korea Global Adaptation Week set to take place in August 2023.
Ahn met with European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and discussed the US Inflation Reduction Act, which offers tax advantages to electric vehicle makers who assemble their cars in the US and use a certain percentage of natural resources provided by the US and its FTA partners, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the EU’s Critical Raw Material Act. They also talked about reforms in multilateral and digital trade in general, as well as WTO reforms. [Yonhap News Agency]
South Korea, Vietnam sign agreement on key resources and energy supply chain
(sm) On November 5, South Korean Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Hong Dien met in Seoul and agreed on signing three memorandums of understanding on increased cooperation on key mineral supply chains and renewable energy.
According to the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, the first agreement concerned cooperation on the exploration and development of key minerals and supply chain security. The second upgraded agreement focuses on electric power generation by jointly exploring options such as ammonia, wind power, and other green energies. The third agreement loosened regulations on Korean textiles in the context of the Vietnam–Britain Free Trade Agreement.
South Korea Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho and Vietnamese Investment Minister Nguyen Chi Dung furthermore signed a framework on financial cooperation, which aims at developing high-value transport projects with South Korean funding through its economic development cooperation fund.
South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc also held a summit in Seoul earlier in the day discussing national security, economy, development, people-to-people exchanges, and education, in commemoration of the 30th year of their ties. [Korea.net] [Yonhap News Agency]
South Korea scrambles jets as Chinese, Russian planes conduct joint drill
(sm) The South Korea army scrambled fighter jets on early November 30 as some six Russian and two Chinese warplanes entered its Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ).
While the planes – two Chinese H-6 bombers, four Russian TU-95 bombers and two SU-35 fighters – flew across the KADIZ repeatedly without prior notice in an apparent joint air drill, they did not enter South Korea’s territorial airspace. The South Korean army sent F-15K jets in response, in case of a contingent threat.
China and Russia previously had announced their aircrafts were conducting joint routine drills over the Sea of Japan and East Chinese Sea. Russian and Chinese aircrafts landed in each other’s airfields for the first time.
While the KADIZ is not considered territorial airspace, it is customary for foreign planes to identify themselves when they enter it. There are, however, no international rules governing air defense zones in contrast to territorial air. While Russia does not recognize the KADIZ, China highlighted the fact that the aircrafts had acted in strict accordance with the provisions of international law. [South China Morning Post]
Tokyo similarly scrambled some fighter jets after the Russian and Chinese aircraft, joined by two Russian drones, neared Japanese territorial airs. This is also not the first time that Chinese and Russian warplanes enter the KADIZ, as they have done so previously in May and August 2022. In 2019, South Korean jets had fired warning shots after a Russian incursion.
The air drill comes amid South Korea’s increasing alignment with the US over matters of regional security, especially concerning North Korea and its open stance against the Russia–Ukraine war. [Korea Times] [Reuters]
South Korean Prime Minister meets Mozambican and Ghanaian leaders
(sm) After promoting South Korea’s bid for the 2030 World Expo in Paris on November 29, Prime Minister Han Duk-soo first met with Mozambican President Felipe Nyusi on December 1 and before visiting Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo on December 3.
In Mozambique, Han and Nyusi discussed increased energy and mineral resource cooperation and Han explained South Korea’s plan to invite African leaders to a 2024 summit to strengthen cooperation between the region and Seoul. Han highlighted the Korea Gas Corporation and Samsung Heavy Industries gas development projects in the country and asked for Mozambique’s support as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council concerning recent tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Nyusi commented on South Korea’s contribution to Mozambique becoming a key gas manufacturer, its development aid, and disaster relief.
A Mozambique Embassy in Seoul should be established from 2023 on the occasion of the 30th year of bilateral ties. Han also promoted South Korea’s plan to host the 2030 World Expo to the Mozambican president. [Yonhap News Agency_1] [Yonhap News Agency_2]
The South Korean Prime Minister then met with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo on strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, and development. Marking 45 years of bilateral ties, Han invited Akufo-Addo to Seoul to meet with Yoon and presented South Korea’s plan to host the 2030 World Expo. Like Mozambique, as Ghana is a non-permanent UNSC member, South Korea asked for support to normalize its regional tensions.
This was the first high level trip of a South Korean official to Mozambique and Ghana since 2012 and 1977 respectively. and is part of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s broader agenda to strengthen cooperation with African countries through increased development aid and new free trade agreements. [Korea.net]
Sri Lankan foreign minister meets with Antony Blinken in the US
(sn) Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry held talks with his US counterpart in Washington on December 3. The meeting focused on way to further deepen diplomatic relations between the two countries as well as on a wide range of topics, including debt restructuring and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal.
Sabry expressed his country’s gratitude to the US for facilitating the USD 2.9 billion four-year loan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of the IMF. [News First] [Tamil Guardian]
Taiwan’s President Tsai meets UK, Polish parliamentary delegations
(dql) Following her meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, visiting U.K. parliamentarian and chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee Alicia Kearns emphasized the importance of deterrence in safeguarding status quo in the cross-Taiwan Strait.
The meeting took place in the frame of the visit of a seven-member parliamentary delegation to Taiwan last week from November 29 to December 3 during military conflict, cyber threats, defense cooperation and a range of security issues were discussed.
Meanwhile, delegation member and chair of the defense select committee Tobias Ellwood confirmed that he discussed Taiwan submarine program, adding that Britain should provide Taiwan with military support, including weapons and intelligence sharing.
The visit came on the heels of a statement of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in which he said that the so-called “golden era” of U.K.-China ties was “over,” adding that China’s systemic challenge to British values and interests has become “more acute.” [Focus Taiwan] [Taiwan News 1]
Further, on December 6, Tsai met with Waldemar Andzel, Poland-Taiwan Parliamentary Group Chairman, who heads a parliamentary delegation that is visiting Taiwan in this week.
Andzel reaffirmed Poland’s for Taiwan in the face of China’s pressure and expressed hopes for deepening bilateral cooperation, referring especially to areas of semi-conductors and education. [Taiwan News 2] [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan]
Meanwhile, President of Taiwan’s Control Yuan, the supervisory and auditory branch of the government, and National Human Rights Commission Chair Chen Ju suggested closer cooperation between Taiwan and France France on gender equality issues, in a meeting with French Senator Alain Richard on December 5.
The meeting is part of Taiwanese delegation that is visiting France in this week. [Taiwan News 3]
US proposal for missile sale to Taiwan
(dql) The U.S. State Department has reportedly submitted a proposal for the sale of up to 100 Patriot PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles and related equipment to Taiwan.
The total value is estimated at USD 2.8 billion and is said to include also M903 Launcher modification kits, training missile rounds, and software upgrades to accommodate the new missiles. [Taiwan News]
Taiwan bans Chinese video hosting service Tik Tok
(dql) Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) has decided to ban TikTok, the short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese company ByteDance, from public sector communications devices.
The move follows a warning issued by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on December 2 according to which TikTok, the world’s most popular app, raises national security concerns, citing Chinese government’s potential capability to manipulate the app’s recommendation algorithm. [Taiwan News]
Vietnam protests Taiwanese military drill in Spratly Islands
(ih) On December 2., Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a public statement condemning Taiwan's recent live-fire drill in the Spratly Islands. The drill, which occurred in the waters around Taiwan administered Itu Aba Island, took place on November 29. [VN Express]
Timor-Leste: Minister Fidelis takes part in a high-level international ministerial roundtable on battling big corruption in the Netherlands
(gc) The Dutch Foreign Minister extended an invitation to Fidelis Manuel Leite, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, to attend a high-level ministerial roundtable in The Hague in order to forge a cooperation to fight against big corruption together.
This ministerial gathering is being held in recognition of the leadership efforts made by several nations to advance good governance and reduce corruption.
At this gathering, Timor-Leste stressed the significance of involving both the global South and the global North in a constructive approach that may more effectively address the present issues with the transnational character of massive corruption, including enhancing bilateral and regional collaboration with partners. [GOVERNMENT OF TIMOR-LESTE]
Announcements
Upcoming Online Events
6 December 2022 @ 9:30-11:00 a.m. (GMT+0), Chatham House, UK
Europe’s response to refugees: Break-through or dead-end?
At this online event, experts in international migration discuss recent developments in EU refugee and asylum policies.
If you want to join this event, you can register at [Chatham House].
7 December 2022 @ 2:00-3:30 p.m. (GMT+0), Chatham House, UK
Sudan’s gold boom: Connections to conflict and transnational impacts
This online discussion on Sudan as one of the largest gold producers on the African continent focusses on the country’s gold trade, its connections to conflict, and transnational impacts, such as the international politics of Sudan’s gold extraction and role of armed groups. The event will also address the environmental and socio-economic dimensions of gold in Sudan’s border areas.
[Chatham House] has more about the event.
7 December 2022 @ 3:00-4:30 p.m. (GMT+1), German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Germany
The Fight for Equal Rights and Freedom in Iran
This online forum examines the root causes of the protests and their significance at the domestic, regional, and international levels. The event also assesses the role of key players in this crisis and their potential strategies in the short- to medium term, including international support for the protest movements in Iran.
Learn more about the event at [GIGA].
7 December 2022 @ 9:00-9:55 a.m. (GMT-5), Brookings Institution, USA
South Korean foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific
This webinar discusses South Korea’s first Indo-Pacific strategy expected to be releases by the Yoon government by the end of 2022. Among the issues addressed at this event is the role South Korea will play in the Indo-Pacific, the relations with the U.S. and other U.S. allies see South Korea, and Seoul’s position in the U.S.-China competition.
If you are interested, find more event details at [Brookings Institution].
7 December 2022 @ 2:00-3:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA
A Modern Alliance in a Changing World: A Conversation with Penny Wong
At this hybrid talk, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaks about her country’s foreign policy and role in the world.
More event details are available at [Carnegie Endowment for International Peace].
7-8 December 2022, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA
Reverberations of Multiple Crises: What to Expect in 2023
This two-day webcast – the 6th annual conference of the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center – features ten discussions which will address the most significant and challenging global issues for 2023, including the global economy; climate change and its ramification for conflict and food security; populist trends around the world and the rise of authoritarianism; the intensifying space competition between superpowers; the shifting power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region; and the dynamics among Middle East regional players.
Follow [Carnegie Endowment for International Peace] to learn more about the conference.
8 December 2022 @ 10:00-11;30 a.m. (GMT-5), Brookings Institution, USA
Why Africa matters to the United States: Top 5 reasons
This webcast examines different strategies the U.S. could apply to boost trade and investment in Africa. It will also explore pathways to advance shared values on issues of food security, the climate crisis, global health, and infrastructure.
Visit [Brookings Institution] for further information.
8 December 2022 @ 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (GMT+1), Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Brussels
Is the European Green Deal gender-sensitive?
This hybrid event discusses how far and to what extent policies under the European Green Deal are being designed and implemented in line with a gender-sensitive approach and how further gender and social inequalities can be mitigated.
[CEPS] has more about the event.
8 December 2022 @ 3:00-4:00 p.m. (GMT+0), Chatham House, UK
Next steps for EU-US cooperation on trade and technology
This online seminar explores pathways for deepening EU-US cooperation in on AI, semi-conductors and information communication technology services?
For more information, visit [Chatham House].
8 December 2022 @ 9:00-10:00 a.m. (GMT-5), Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), USA
The Impact of Domestic Politics on the US-Taiwan-PRC Relationship
This online event explores the future of the relationship between the United States, Taiwan, and the PRC against the backdrop of the recent National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, the midterm elections in the U.S., and the local elections in Taiwan.
For more information, see [CSIS].
8 December 2022 @ 2:00-3:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), USA
Unpacking EU-China Relations in 2022: Prospects for the Year Ahead
This online debate discusses recent developments in EU-China relations and outlooks for 2023. One of the key the questions addressed is: What challenges and opportunities does Xi Jinping face in improving relations with Europe nearly a year on from his no-limits partnership with President Vladimir Putin?
More event details are provided at [CSIS].
8 December 2022 @ 3:00-4:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), USA
Understanding the Broader Transatlantic Security Implications of Greater Sino-Russian Military Alignment
At this online event, CSIS’s Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program presents findings of its latest report on “Understanding the Broader Transatlantic Security Implications of Greater Sino-Russian Military Alignment”.
Learn more about the event at [CSIS].
8 December 2022 @ 12:30-2:00 p.m. (GMT+1), Bruegel, Belgium
Fleeing the flood: is the EU ready for climate migration?
This hybrid event explores EU policy options to address the growing problem of climate migration for which current projections say that the numbers of climate migrants will soar in the coming decades as the effects of climate change intensify.
If you want to know more about the event, follow [Bruegel].
9 December 2022 @ 10:00-11:30 p.m. (GMT-5), Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), USA
The China Innovation Challenge: A Conversation with Professor Jonathan Barnett
This virtual event features a talk with Jonathan Barnett, Professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law on China’s policy on patent enforcement and licensing through patent law, competition law, and standardization initiatives.
If you want to join this event, you can register at [CSIS].
9 December 2022 @ 10:00-11:15 p.m. (GMT-5), Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), USA
Have U.S.-China Tensions Hurt American Innovation?: A Big Data China Event
This online discussion focusses on the effects of U.S. policies toward China on academic collaboration between the two countries.
Find more information about the event at [CSIS].
9 December 2022 @ 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (GMT+1), Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Brussels
Roma rights and the fight against antigypsyism
This hybrid event examines Europe’s fight against antigypsyism and related polices aimed to promote Roma rights.
Follow [CEPS] to learn more about the event.
12 December 2022 @ 2:00-4:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA
Advancing Synergies Between the U.S. and African Countries in Just Energy Transitions
This hybrid event (in-person and live online) sheds light on the United States’ global leadership in clean energy technology and what that can mean for African priorities for a just energy transition.
See [Carnegie Endowment for International Peace] for further event details.
13 December 2022 @ 10:00-11:30 a.m. (GMT-5), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA
How Can the U.S. Support an Inclusive Digital Transformation in Africa?
At this online seminar, African policymakers and U.S. government representatives explore ways in which the U.S. and African countries can work together to promote innovation and build an inclusive digital economy for the African continent.
Find more information about the event at [Carnegie Endowment for International Peace].
12 December 2022 @ 10:00-11:30 a.m. (GMT+8), ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
Monarchy, Nation-Building and Struggle in Thailand: Past, Present and Future?
This hybrid seminar examines the latest development in politics in Thailand.
See [ISEAS] for more information.
13 December 2022 @ 11:00 a,m. - 2:30 p.m. (GMT-5), Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), USA
China at Home and Abroad: Opportunities and Fears (Big Data China 2022 Annual Conference)
This online conference explores China’s economic policy, exit strategies for China’s Covid-19 policy, and the potentials for an improvement of the US-China relationship.
Visit [CSIS] for more information.
Recent book releases
Luke Harding, Invasion: The Inside Story of Russia’s Bloody War and Ukraine’s Fight for Survival, Vintage, 336 pages, published on November 29, 2022, reviewed in [The Guardian].
Jeremy Horowitz, Multiethnic Democracy: The Logic of Elections and Policymaking in Kenya, Oxford University Press, 224 pages, published on June 3, 2022, with a review in [Foreign Affairs].
Peter J. Katzenstein and Jonathan Kirshner (eds.), The Downfall of the American Order?, Cornell University Press, 246 pages, published on May 15, 2022. For a review see [Foreign Affairs].
Ehud Eilam, Israeli Strategies in the Middle East: The Case of Iran, Palgrave Macmillan, 224 pages, published on April 14, 2022. A review is available at [Wavell Room].
Calls for Papers
Istanbul Topkapı University invites paper proposals for its Annual International Conference on Literature, to be held from May 12-13, 2023. This year’s conference theme is “Human Rights and Literature”. Abstract submission deadline is February 10, 2023. For more information, see [Istanbul Topkapı University].
The American Graduate School (AGS) welcomes submissions for its 2023 International Graduate Student Conference, dealing with the theme “Russia’s Military Operation in Ukraine: The Implications, Aftermaths, and Possible End,” scheduled for April 28, 2023. Closing date for abstract submission is January 9, 2023. More details are available at [AGS].
The online conference “Ugly Modernity: Its Unseen Sides” (June 8-9, 2023) seeks paper proposals on a wide range of topics including (ab)use of nature/capitalism, cultural hierarchy and barriers, gendered and raced bodies, and institutions and colonial/imperial histories, among others. Submission deadline is February 8, 2023. Further information is provided at [Ugly Modernity].
Jobs and positions
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is looking for a Project Associate – Women’s Economic Resilience to be based in Quetta, Pakistan. Application deadline is December 15, 2022. For more information, visit [UNDP].
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is recruiting a National Coordinator for Developing Vanuatu Malaria Programme Review. The position is based in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Applications are accepted until December 13, 2022. Further details are provided at [UNDP].
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is hiring a Programme Specialist – Democratic Governance, Human Rights and Justice, to be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Closing date for applications is December 14, 2022. Find more about the job offer at [UNDP].
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is seeking a Regional Programme Specialist. The position is based in Amman, Jordan. Applications can be submitted until December 13, 2022. If you are interested, see [UNDP] for more details.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is looking for a Senior Child Protection Specialist to be based in New York, USA. Application deadline is December 14, 2022. See [UNICEF] for more information.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is recruiting a Programme Specialist – Local Governance. The position is based in Lebanon. Closing date for applications is December 16, 2022. Learn more about the vacancy at [UNICEF].
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is hiring a Child Protection Specialist with expertise and experience in Prevention of Sexual Exploitation & Abuse (PSEA), to be based in Nairobi, Kenya. Applications can be submitted until December 11, 2022. Follow [UNICEF] to find more details.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) welcomes applications for the position of Legal Program Director, to be based in Dallas, USA. Deadline for applications is February 23, 2023. If you are interested in the position, you can find further information at [IRC].
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is recruiting up to three Senior Directors of Leadership Development. The positions are based in New York, USA, and Nairobi, Kenya. Application deadline is January 16, 2023. See [IRC] for more details about the positions.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is looking for a Director for its Resettlement Aylum and Integration (RAI) US Business Development, to be based in New York, USA. The closing date for application is January 28, 2023. Details are provided at [IRC].
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is seeking a Senior Advisor – Planning and Partnerships. The position is based in Amman, Jordan. Application can be submitted until December 14, 2022. Visit [UNOPS] for more information.
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is looking for a Capacity Building Specialist – Coordinator, to be based in Yangon, Myanmar. Application deadline is December 21, 2022. If you want to know more about the position, visit [UNOPS].
Action Contre La Faim is accepting applications for the position of Country Director – Iraq. Applications are to be submitted until December 21, 2022. Follow [Action Contre La Faim] to find more details.
Action Contre La Faim welcomes applications for the position of Deputy Country Director – Programs. The position is based in Yemen. The closing date for applications is December 31, 2022. Follow [Action Contre La Faim] to find more details.
Action Contre La Faim is recruiting a Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy Expert to be based in Afghanistan. Deadline for applications is December 21, 2022. See further information at [Action Contre La Faim].
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is looking for a Senior Regional Liaison and Policy Advisor to be based in Cairo, Egypt. Applications are accepted until December 13, 2022. In you are interested, you can find more about the vacancy at [IOM].
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is hiring a Senior Movement Operations Manager. Duty station is Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. If you are interested in the position, the application must be submitted by December 13, 2022. Further details are available at [IOM].
The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) is recruiting a Tech Policy and Geopolitics Advisor. The position is based in Brussels, Belgium. Application deadline is December 15, 2022. Find more about the job offer at [TBI].
The Migration Policy Group (MPG) is seeking a Research Officer to conduct qualitative and quantitative (statistical) analysis of policies and outcome indicators, among other responsibilities. The position is based in Brussels, Belgium. Application deadline is December 14, 2022. Visit [MPG] to find further details.
The Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) is looking for a Digital Policy Analyst to lead the organization’s thematic field on Digital Economy and Society. The closing date for applications is December 20, 2022. Follow [FEPS] to learn more about the vacancy.
The University of Southampton, UK, welcomes applications for a Lectureship in Politics and International Relations, with a focus on International Security, Comparative/British politics, and Democratic and global governance. Deadline for applications is December 20, 2022. For more information, go to [University of Southampton].
The Department of Government at the University of Bergen seeks applications for a 7-year term position of a tenure-track associate professor in political science/public administration, with focus on research on China as a global actor, on Chinese politics and government in the 21st century, and broader China-related topics from a political science, public policy and/or public administration perspective. Application deadline is January 10, 2023. Details of the vacancy are provided at [University of Bergen].
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is offering an Associate Professor position in Political Behavior, with a focus on research. The closing date for application is February 1, 2023. If you are interested in the position, find more information at [NTNU].
Team:
Duc Quang Ly (dql), Felix Jonas Jantz (fj), Gabriela Cestino López (gc), Henning Glaser (hg), Hsu May Maung, Ian Hollinger (ih), Jennifer Marie Domenici (jd), Jessica Pierre (jp), Lucas Meier (lm), Natalie Svinina (ns), Ole Stark (os), Peer Morten Strantzen (ms), Sheikh Afif Bin Zaman (az), Silke Marian (sm), Thammasorn Sangiamjit (ts), Theerapon Damrongruk (td), Tim Hildebrandt (th), Tomwit Jarnson (tj), Tristan James Biglete (tjb), Venus Phuangkom, Wardah Rehman (wr)
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