Grasp the pattern, read the trend

No. 10, March/2022, 2

Brought to you by CPG

Dear Readers, 

Welcome to this week’s Asia in Review issue which continues be dominated by the war in Ukraine in the international relations and geopolitics section.

I wish you an informative read and extend special greetings to everyone celebrating Lithuania’s and Mauritius’s Independence Day in this week.  

With best regards,

Henning Glaser

Editor in Chief

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

Main Sections

• Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in East Asia

• Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in South Asia

• Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in Southeast Asia

• International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia

• Announcements

Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in East Asia

China: 5.5 percent growth rate announced at Two Sessions

(dql) Last Saturday, March 5, China’s so-called Two Sessions kicked off with the presentation of the government’s work report by Premier Li Keqiang in the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s top legislature, in which he announced a growth target of around 5.5 percent and a deficit-to-GDP ratio at 2.8% for 2022. The government seeks to create over more than 11 million new urban jobs while targeting an unemployment rate of no more than 5.5 percent. 

The growth target is the lowest in decades, with Li conceding that shrinking demand, disrupted supply and weakening expectations would make it difficult to reach the target. [South China Morning Post] [Business Standard]

Despite a full-year growth of 8.1 percent in 2021, the fourth quarter growth softened to 4% year-on-year increase. And while China was the only major economy which saw growth in 2020 amid the pandemic, sluggish consumer spending has not fully rebounded, and fallout from Beijing’s regulatory crackdown on tech and real estate have affected growth. In addition, the strict “zero-Covid” policy including abrupt lockdowns and travel restrictions, has also burdened the economy. [CNBC]

Exceeding the growth target, China’s military spending this year will be at USD 230 billion, an increase of 7.1 percent compared with 2021 aimed at, according to Li, enhancing military training and combat readiness for the People’s Liberation Army, including the development of an array of weapons ranging from stealth fighters to aircraft carriers. [Reuters]

The sessions are under special scrutiny as they come ahead of this year’s National Party Congress where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to be confirmed an unprecedented third term in office. 

They also come at a time when Beijing is facing international pressure to condemn Russia’s attack on the Ukraine, but has so far refused to do so and instead to walk a diplomatic tightrope between its alignment with Russia and protecting its interests in the face of anti-Moscow sanctions of the US and its allies.  

“Two Sessions”, or Lianghui, refers to the annual week-long back-to-back meetings of two of China’s major political bodies: on the one hand, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which is a political advisory body consisting of delegates from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its allied front organizations, eight legally-permitted political parties as well as nominally independent members, and on the other, the National People’s Congress (NPC). The sessions gather some 5,000 of China’s political, business, and social elite.

The sessions will run until the end of the week. Further coverage will follow in the next AiR issue.

China: Senior law enforcement official under corruption investigation

(dql) Chinese anti-corruption authorities have put Wang Dawei, vice governor of northeast China’s Liaoning Province and head of the provincial public security department, under investigation over suspicion of corruption.

Wang is among at least 11 senior officials from the country’s police and judicial system who have been investigated or jailed since 2017, including the former Interpol president Meng Hongwei, former vice-minister of public security Sun Lijun, former justice minister Fu Zhenghua and Deng Huilin and Gong Daoan, the former chiefs of police in Chongqing and Shanghai. In Liaoning, Wang’s two predecessors as police chief – Li Wenxi and Xue Heng – are also in detention and are currently awaiting trial on corruption charges. [South China Morning Post 1]

Meanwhile, Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Communist Party’s top disciplinary watchdog has released latest data of its campaign in 2021 on Tuesday, March 1, according which over 5,000 people accused of paying bribes last year. More than 2,800 case were sent to prosecutors for trial.

Furthermore, the Commission suggested to introduce harsher punishments for bribe givers who has been so far treated more lenient than bribe takers as investigators leaned towards striking deals with the bribe-givers in exchange for receiving information that allowed them to convict those taking the bribes. [South China Morning Post 2]

China: Campaign tackling trafficking of women and children launched

(dql) In response to uproar across the country over the case of a woman who was chained her husband and – following an investigation – turned out to having been trafficked and sold for marriage [see AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1], China’s Ministry of Public Security announced on Tuesday, March 1, to immediately launch a year-long campaign to combat the trafficking of women and children. Running until end of this year the campaign, will mobilize police and the departments of civil affairs and health as well as women’s federation organizations to establish a reporting mechanism to . It will be directed towards women and children with unknow origin, including homeless people, street beggars, and those mentally impaired, mentally ill or disabled. [Reuters] [South China Morning Post]

China: Ex-chairman of Hong Kong bar association leaves city after meeting police

(dql) Veteran lawyer Paul Harris, former chairperson of the Hong Kong Bar Association, on Tuesday, March 1, left Hong Kong, shortly he was summoned to a meeting with national security police on the same day. 

His departure has raised speculations that he has been put under pressure to leave the city as he was reportedly questioned about Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, an NGO Harris founded in 1997. The rights group has been facing accusations of colluding with foreign forces and playing a “major role” in protests in 2019 that opposed the government’s push for the extradition bill, that allowed to extradite suspects in Hong Kong to mainland China for prosecution.  

A prominent human rights lawyer, Harris – who was representing former lawmakers Helena Wong and Andrew Wan – has been the subject of attacks over the last year. Shortly after his election as chairperson of the Hong Kong Bar Association in January 2021, Harris voiced concerns over the erosion of rule of law in the city and criticized that the national security legislation, imposed by Beijing in June 2020, was inconsistent with the Basic Law, the city’s mini constitution. [Hong Kong Free Press]

Japan: Prosecutors to indict more than 30 people involved in vote-buying scandal

(dql) Japanese prosecutors are set to indict more than 34 people, including local politicians in Hiroshima Prefecture, on bribery charges in the context of a vote-buying scandal that forced two lawmakers, including a former Cabinet minister to resign. 

In July 2021, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office declared that no charges would be pressed against 100 individuals for violating the Public Offices Election Law after accepting money from former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai to help his wife, Anri, win a seat in the 2019 Upper House election.

However, in December 2021, a prosecution inquest panel concluded that of those 100 individuals 35 should be indicted as they accepted a larger amount of money in the vote-buying scandal and refused to return the money and to resign from their positions after the scandal become known.

According to the sources, prosecutors will indict 34 of them, excluding one person who is ill. [The Asahi Shimbun]

Japan: Taro Aso’s decline as he loses support and liabilities

(cm) Former Prime Minister Taro Aso, leader of one of the largest factions of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and accredited as a power broker for the past decade, has seen a gradual shrink of his power base since the advent of Fumio Kishida last October. 

Aso’s rise was benefitted by his dynastic ties to one of the most prominent postwar politicians, Shigeru Yoshida, and by being from one of the constituencies under the LPD’s stronghold; he then achieved a leading position and ensured benefits for both him and his supporters. After losing his prime ministership in 2009 when the Democratic Party of Japan got control of the government, the LDP was later regrouped under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, while Aso served as the deputy prime minister and minister of finance roles. 

However, in the last LDP presidential election Aso found himself with no allies to support and was nominated vice president of the party, largely considered a pre-retirement task for elder statesman, by Kishida after the election. Since then, members of the party have started distancing themselves from Aso, and last week four LDP Diet members notified him that they would sever ties with his faction, while at least one of them will be joining Yoshihide Suga in a quasi-faction to compete against Abe’s in the party. [The Japan Times]

Japan: Nuclear debate continues with Japanese public’s aversion

(cm) Prime Minister Kishida has recently reiterated Japan’s commitment to the three non-nuclear principles dating to the end of World War II – to not develop, possess or permit the deployment of nuclear weapons – after former PM Shinzo Abe suggested a discussion on nuclear sharing, a principle that allows a nuclear state to share nuclear weapons with allies who do not possess such arms, and involve them in the decision-making process of their use [see No. 9, March/2022, 1].

However, it has been observed how this national policy does in fact present loopholes, as US forces have hosted atomic weapons aboard warships docked in Japanese ports and stored on bases in Okinawa prefecture in the past, with the Japanese government overlooking their actions by not asking whether nuclear arms were present on their soil. 

In the debate on nuclear deterrence triggered by the recent invasion of Ukraine, opinion polls show that between 80 and 90 percent of the Japanese public is opposed to the deployment of such weapons. [South China Morning Post]

Japan: To relax country borders and give priority to students

(cm) Prime Minister Kishida announced on March 3 that the daily entry limit for overseas arrivals in Japan will be raised from the current 5,000 to 7,500, shortly after the end of the ban on foreigners on February 28 started last November.

In case business travel demand is low, priority entry will be given to students by allowing them to make us of vacant seats, especially on weekdays, and granting entrance to around 1,000 on top of the daily cap; the easing of entry regulations follows demands for giving the 150,000 foreign students who have been waiting for about two years for the chance to enter the country before the start of the academic year in April. [The Mainichi] [Bloomberg]

South Korea: Main opposition candidate to win presidential election?

(mpk) In what is widely seen as a possibly decisive move for the presidential election on South Korea this Wednesday, March 9, Ahn Cheol-soo, presidential candidate of the minor opposition People Party, on Thursday, March 3, announced to withdraw his candidacy and to back Yoon Suk-yeol, candidate of the main opposition People Power Party. [Reuters]

Latest polls last week saw Yoon narrowly leading against his main contender Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party, with 46.3 percent against 43.1 percent in a Realmeter survey, and 44.6 percent against 43.7 percent in a survey of Ace Research and Consulting Group. Ahn follows in third place with 6.7 percent. [Korea Herald 1].

Early voting, conducted on March 4 and 5, saw a record high turnout, with over 16.3 million, or 36.93 percent, of 44.2 million eligible voters casting their ballots, indicative of the high interest in the election and the neck-and-neck race between Yoon and Lee among the population. The two-day advance voting, however, caused a backlash against the National Election Commission (NEC) which was blamed for poor preparation to accommodate voting of Covid-19 patients leading to voting booths running much longer than scheduled and immense trouble for huge number of voters across the country. [The Straits Times] [Korea Herald 2]

With regards to the platforms of the two main candidates, Lee has presented himself in his campaign as an advocator of the working class and public welfare, while Yoon, a former attorney general who has just entered politics, promised to market-led solutions and aims to decrease the role of the government towards deregulation of the real estate market to remove government impediments on small and medium-sized businesses. He also vowed to investigate the failures of economic policies of the current administration of President Moon Jae-in, if elected. 

In the field of foreign policy, Lee plans to continue the existing policies of the Moon administration, attaching particular importance to the neutrality between China and the United States and focusing on policies towards Japan in order to denuclearize the region. Yoon, on the other hand, believes that South Korea can achieve greater international leadership by collaborating closer with America while also attaching importance to maintaining relations with Japan in a stable manner and cooperating with China against the North Korean threat. [Council on Foreign Relations]  [Yonhap News Agency 1] [Yonhap News Agency 2]

South Korea: Blue House appeals court ruling on disclosure of spending on ceremonious and special activities 

(mpk) The Blue House, South Korea’s presidential office, appealed on Wednesday, March 2, a ruling of the Seoul Administrative Court last month under which it is ordered to disclose details of expenses for ceremonious and special activities by President Moon Jae-in and the First Lady. The office cited for the appeal concerns over harming national interests by releasing those details which contain sensitive information about national security, defense and foreign policies.  

In 2018, the Korea Taxpayers’ Association filed a suit requesting the disclosure of information about how much of the government budget was spent on clothing of the president and his wife and on lunches the Blue House held for cabinet members. [Yonhap News Agency]

South Korea: New radar system to be tested 

(mpk) On Friday, March 4, South Korea’s State Arms Procurement Agency (SAPA) announced that it will start running tests of the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system in mid-March which will be installed on the B-737 jet. Next year, testing of the system will continue by placing it on the KF-21 aircraft. 

Aimed at identifying and reducing unforeseen operational risks through software optimization, the performance tests, are part to South Korea’s KF-21 jet development project aimed at replacing the aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets. [Yonhap News Agency 1]

The SAPA also announced plans to conduct checks on potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities of 85 local defense firms, beginning in May, in response to continued cyberattacks targeting those companies. USD 2.18 million have been allocated for testing internet servers, security, and communication equipment until the end of the year. [Yonhap News Agency 2]

Taiwan: Executives of state-run electricity company resign over massive blackout 

(eb) According to Taiwan News, it was a human error in the Hsinta Power Plant operated by TaiPower was the cause for the blackout that occurred between March 2 and 3, which left more than 5 million households without electricity for a few hours. As a result, Chairman Yang Wei-fuu and General Manager Chung Bin-li of the State-run Taipower resigned from their position. [Taiwan News 1] 

Further investigation was demanded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the President herself apologized for the blackout. [Taiwan News 2]

Taiwan: Massive military funding passed in parliament, new drill for reservists started

(eb) A budget to enhance anti-sea and anti-air defense systems has been passed by the Legislative Yuan on March 3. The plan will allow Taiwan to begin mass production of eighteen different types of weapons from now until 2026, when the production will be completed. However, the production for the unmanned attack platforms, Hsiung Sheng surface-to-surface missiles, and Wan Chien air to ground missiles could be completed ahead of schedule, between 2024 and 2025. [Taiwan News 1] A more immediate budget enhancement however will be directed at doubling the yearly production of the Hsiung Feng missiles, that will spike from 207 to 497 each year. The Hsiung Feng missiles also have an extended range that could allow them to strike targets in inland China. [Reuters]

Furthermore, it was announced that the American firm Boeing will supply Taiwan with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, more specifically 100 Launcher Transporter Units, 25 Radar Units, and HCDS training equipment. The cost of the equipment amounts to almost USD 250 million. [Navy Recognition]

Meanwhile, the very first batch of reservists had started its new 14-days training program. Approximately four-hundred reservists will be focusing on the defense of the coastline in New Taipei City’s Linkou District. The training regime for reservists has been recently upgraded to better perform against a hypothetical attack by China. [Taiwan News 2] 

Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in South Asia 

India: State elections enter home stretch; Modi’s party to keep hold in Uttar Pradesh, exit polls say

(lm) In India, a high-stakes election season is entering the home stretch. Last week saw a second round of voting in the northeastern state of Manipur and a seventh round in India most populous state and political nerve center, Uttar Pradesh. Final results are expected on March 10, when the votes in all five state elections will be tallied.

Many experts say the elections will likely determine the political direction of the country, and the fortunes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which currently controls all but one of the five states.

In light of this, the BJP wants to maintain its dominance in Uttarakhand despite rumours of party infighting. In Goa, the outcome will be difficult to predict: Elections there are often tight. In Punjab, the only of the five states not governed by the BJP, the ruling alliance hopes to hold on to power, buoyed by public anger at New Delhi [see AiR No. 8, February/2022, 4]. One of the country’s breadbasket states, Punjab was also a hotbed of anti-government farmers’ protests last year [see AiR No. 47, November/2021, 4]

And in Manipur, the opposition Indian National Congress party seeks revenge after earning more seats than the BJP in the last election only to see it take power with a post-election alliance. At the same time, it is uncertain whether the incumbent chief minister, N Biren Singh, will continue to occupy the state’s top post – notwithstanding a BJP victory – because the party has not formally announced a chief ministerial candidate. [AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]

However, the election in Uttar Pradesh deserves especially close attention. Uttar Pradesh sends 80 representatives to India’s 543-member House of Representative — more than twice as many as any other, barring Maharashtra. Furthermore, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is seen as a potential successor to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi [see AiR No. 7, February/2022, 3].

At least eight exit polls said the BJP would win a majority in the state’s 403-seat assembly. However, the party’s victory margin is expected to be tighter from five years ago when it won 312 seats. [The Straits Times]

India: At least two dead, more than 35 injured in grenade attack in Kashmir

(lm) Two civilians were killed and more than 35 others injured on March 6 when an assailant threw a grenade at a market in the main city in India’s Jammu and Kashmir union territory. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Srinagar, which is believed to have targeted security personnel in the area. [South China Morning Post] [The Indian Express]

Pakistan: Prime Minister Khan faces intraparty rebellion as another confidant joins dissident faction

(lm) As Pakistan’s opposition parties gear up to topple the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government through a vote of no-confidence, Prime Minister Imran Khan this week had to face another setback. Some 30 members of Punjab’s state assembly, including ten ministers, this week announced that they would be joining a key breakaway group of the party. [The Express Tribune]

Former Punjab senior minister Aleem Khan, while making the announcement on March 7, said the move sought to “save” the PTI party after “loyalists were sidelined” following Prime Minister Khan's rise to power. He also said the faction would seek to introduce a no-confidence motion in Punjab’s state assembly to oust incumbent Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar. [Geo News]

Crucially, Khan was making these remarks after attending a meeting at the residence of businessman and sugar tycoon Jahangir Khan Tareen. Tareen, one of the wealthiest people in Pakistan, is widely seen as a kingmaker known to have wooed many politicians to join Khan's PTI prior to the general election in 2018. He is also considered as having played a vital role in putting together the PTI’s government in Punjab in 2019, efforts that were lauded as instrumental by the prime minister.

In 2020, when Tareen’s name came up in a money laundering scam, the relations between the prime minister and Tareen turned sour; though Tareen did not leave the PTI, in May last year, he formed a breakaway faction of “like-minded” 30 plus lawmakers in both House and Punjab’s state assembly [see AiR No. 21, May/2021, 4].

Late last month, Tareen flew to the United Kingdom, ostensibly to seek medical treatment. But some observers believe that he went to London to meet Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been residing in the UK since 2019, to discuss the opposition’s no-confidence move against Prime Minister Khan’s government.

Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Khan directed the incumbent governor of Sindh province, PTI founding member Imran Ismail, to meet with Aleem Khan in Punjab’s capital Lahore shortly after the latter’s announcement on March 3. [Dawn]

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s second-largest opposition party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), on March 8 concluded its so-called Awami March in the capital Islamabad, supported by thousands of supporters [see also AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]. Addressing the rally just outside the city, PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto again called on Prime Minister Khan to resign, dissolve the assembly or get ready to be ousted via a no-confidence motion. [Business Standard] [Reuters]

Pakistan: With eye on upcoming elections, Prime Minister Khan announces price cuts

(ha/lm) Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on February 28 announced a cut in gas and electricity costs, despite a steep rise in the global oil market, pledging to freeze the new rates until the next budget in June. [Reuters]

The cuts are relatively modest, but they are significant in a poor country that has lately been under pressure due to a widening current account deficit and depleting foreign reserves.

The move, however, is risky, given that both commodities have risen in the past under directions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a reform agenda the multilateral lender had agreed upon with Islamabad in 2019 and which is set to continue with a $6 billion rescue package. Considering that the IMF expects Pakistan to carry out austerity measures to stabilize the economy. Economists note that the move could worsen Pakistan’s debt problems.

In light of this, there is reason to believe that Prime Minister Khan wanted to preemptively relieve common citizens before the consequences of global sanctions on Russia bring fresh economic misery for Pakistanis.

That said, some political observers argue that, ultimately, the move was guided by political considerations, as a divided political opposition has mobilized around the inflation issue. Pakistan’s second-largest opposition party, the Pakistan Peoples Party, on February 28 kicked off a 10-day march from the southern city of Karachi towards the capital Islamabad [see AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]. Another main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) of former two-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, plans to bring a no-confidence motion against Khan in Parliament in the coming days to oust him. [Atlantic Council]

Almost exactly one year ago, after the Pakistani finance minister was defeated in a crucial contest for the Senate seat representing Islamabad, Prime Minister Khan ordered a confidence vote, which he won and the opposition boycotted. AiR No. 10, March/2021, 2]

Pakistan: High court prepares to hear petitions challenging contentious amendment of cybercrime law

(ha/lm) The Islamabad High Court on March 4 served a notice to Pakistan’s attorney-general on petitions filed by four bodies representing electronic and print media organizations challenging recent amendments country’s contentious cybercrime law. [Geo News]

President Arif Alvi on February 20 had signed an ordinance, approved by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan, to amend the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA). Under the amendment, provisions criminalizing defamation are expanded to include criticism of government bodies and the powerful military. Furthermore, the amendment makes defamation a nonbailable and cognizable offense, and increases the maximum prison term, if convicted, from three to five years. It also expands the definition of those who can initiate criminal proceedings for defamation, allowing any person or institution to register the complaint. [AiR No. 8, February/2022, 4]

Last month, the Islamabad High Court restrained the Federal Investigative Agency, the main investigative body for PECA, from making any arrests under the ordinance, after hearing a petition filed by a faction of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists. The Court had also warned that the ordinance would pressure journalists and members of the public into self-censorship and potentially stifle the free flow of information. [AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]

Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Khan in his address to the nation on February 28 rejected criticism of the presidential ordinance that amended PECA, saying it was made to tackle the “filth of child pornography and harassment of women” on social media. [Dawn]

But in a surprise move, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on March 2 announced that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party was ready to withdraw the ordinance, which needs to be passed by the country’s parliament within 90 days after being ratified by the president. Earlier, Chaudhry called the speaker of the assembly of Punjab state, Pervaiz Elahi, and offered him to mediate between the Khan administration and media bodies. [ARY News]

Meanwhile, opposition parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party on March 4 separately submitted resolutions disapproving the ordinance to amend PECA in the National Assembly Secretariat. [The Express Tribune]

Pakistan: High Court declares marriages in Capital Territory under 18 as illegal

(lm) The high court in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on March 1 ruled that any marriages under the age of 18 years will be unlawful. The announcement came during the hearing of a case related to a 16-year-old girl who had been allegedly kidnapped and married off in May last year. [Geo News]

Crucially, the High Court’s judgement is only applicable in the Islamabad Capital Territory, which houses approximately 3 million of Pakistan’s more than 220 million people.

Pakistan: Islamic State claims bombing that kills at least 63 at Shiite mosque in northwestern Peshawar

(ha/lm) An Afghan suicide bomber trained by the Islamic State (IS) on March 4 carried out an attack on a Shia mosque in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar that killed at least 63 people and wounded nearly 200. The Islamic State’s regional affiliate, known as the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) and headquartered in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the bombing, the deadliest terrorist attack in Pakistan since July 2018, when a strike carried out by the IS killed 149 people in the city of Quetta. [The New York Times, $]

In majority Sunni Pakistan, minority Shiites has long been the target of violence by Sunni Muslim Islamist militant groups, which consider Shiites heretics. In May 2019, ISIS-K created a separate Pakistani chapter, which has carried out attacks in Baluchistan Province, targeting ethnic Hazara Shiites. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, of which Peshawar is the capital, security forces have accused the terrorist group of targeting members of other religious minorities, including Sikhs and a Christian priest. [The Washington Post, $] 

Last week’s bombing adds a new complexity for law enforcement agencies, as the country has experienced a significant increase of violence in recent months: Dozens of military personnel have been killed in scores of attacks on army outposts along the border with Afghanistan. Many attacks have been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, who analysts say have been emboldened by the Afghan Taliban seizing power in Kabul last August [see latest AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]. Baluch separatists in the country’s southwest have also carried out attacks. [Associated Press]

Pakistan: Bombing targets police van in southwestern Quetta, killing 3

(lm) A bomb exploded near a police van in southwestern Pakistan on March 2, killing an officer and two other people and wounding 27. [ABC News]

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, but previous such attacks have been blamed on outlawed ethnic Baluch militant groups and the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). The natural resources-rich province is at the center of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a multi-billion-dollar mega development program funded by Beijing under its Belt and Road Initiative. [Voice of America]

Last month, two major Pakistan army bases came under attack in the sparsely populated province and the ensuing clashes had lasted three days, killing nine soldiers and 20 assailants [see AiR No. 6, February/2022, 2]. The Baluch Nationalist Army, a previously unknown group, took responsibility for the simultaneous assaults, indicating that not only the TTP feel emboldened and even enabled by the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in neighboring Afghanistan.

Sri Lanka: Cardinal seeks United Nations probe into 2019 Easter Bombings, ‘a grand, political plot’

(lm) The head of Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, on March 7 demanded a United Nations (UN) mechanism to investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 270 people and have been blamed on local Islamic radicals, calling the attacks a “political plot”. [South China Morning Post]

The Church had previously suggested that the attacks, which targeted three Christian churches and four hotels across the Indian Ocean island in April 2019, helped Gotabaya Rajapaksa win the presidential elections in November the same year. However, members of the Church – including Cardinal Ranjith, who had initially supported Rajapaksa’s election as president – have since voiced concern. They criticized the lack of progress in the probe — a key campaign pledge of President Rajapaksa — and even suggested that the attacks were likely carried out with a political or electoral motive [see AiR No. 17, April/2021, 4].

Speaking against this backdrop, in an address to the ongoing 49^th session of the UN Human Rights Council this week, Cardinal Ranjith alleged that there were attempts by Rajapaksa’s government “to harass and intimidate those who clamour for justice”. His address to the UN Council came a week after meeting with the pope.

Last month, Sri Lanka’s High Court acquitted two top security officials accused of “crime against humanity” for failing to act on repeated intelligence warnings in the lead-up to the Easter Sunday bombings. [AiR No. 8, February/2022, 4]

Sri Lanka: Rifts within ruling coalition emerge following ousting of two cabinet ministers

(lm) Sri Lanka’s president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on March 3 sacked two of his ministers after they had openly criticized his younger brother, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, as the island nation continues to face the dual challenge of managing overseas debt repayments while meeting domestic needs.

Sri Lanka needs about USD 500 million a month to source fuel, as nearly a third of the country’s electricity is generated by oil-fired power plants. But the central bank has stopped releasing funds to pay for fuel shipments after foreign exchange reserves shrank 70 percent to $2.36 billion this January, leaving President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government struggling to pay for imports. Furthermore, importers are struggling to source gas and fuel as banks are declining to open letters of credit. [Reuters 1]

In light of this, the Rajapaksa administration on March 2 introduced daily power cuts of up to ten hours and restricted fuel selling to not more than LKR 3000 (about USD 14) per vehicle. They were also warnings that water supplies might also soon be disrupted. [The Guardian]

Later the same day, Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa launched a scathing attack on Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa who he accused of not heeding experts’ advice despite the gravity of the economic crisis. The remarks caused a snap cabinet reshuffle that saw Weerawansa and his colleague Udaya Gammanpila, hitherto minister for power, being removed from President Rajapaksa’s Cabinet. [Daily Mirror 1] [Daily News] [Reuters 2]

Shortly after being sacked, the ousted ministers again strongly criticized the finance minister, calling him an ‘[u]gly American’ – a thinly veiled reference to Basil Rajapaksa’s dual citizenship – and said he should take full responsibility for the present economic crisis. Notably, Weerawansa also alleged a rift within the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna alliance, the political vehicle for Rajapaksa’s return to power in the presidential election 2019. [Daily Mirror 2]

Lending further credence to the claim of deep-rooted fissures within the ruling coalition government, Sri Lanka’s Water Supply Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara on March 7 announced he would boycott future Cabinet meetings to protest the ouster of two of his former colleagues. [The Hindu]

Adding to this are signs that the economic crisis is turning President Rajapaksa’s core voting base, the Buddhist Singhalese majority, against him. An editorial in the daily newspaper Daily Mirror on February 23 ran with the headline “Empty treasury, power cuts, fuel shortages and nonsense”.

The country’s central bank governor, however, on March 7 expressed optimism the country would be able to pull through, while also stressing the importance of measures that “may be not very palatable.” The officials also said fuel had already been priced “very, very low,” and that the crisis would propel the government to finally fast-track its renewable energy plans. [CNBC]

Sri Lanka: Central bank devalues currency; seen as step towards getting IMF help

(lm) The central bank of crisis-hit Sri Lanka on March 8 effectively devalued the local currency by up to 15 percent, just days after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned Colombo that its foreign debt was “unsustainable”, and called on the Indian Ocean island to tighten its monetary policy to contain rising inflation. [Channel NewsAsia]

In a statement on March 7, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said that “greater flexibility in the exchange rate will be allowed to the markets with immediate effect.” The institution also said it’s “of the view” that transactions would be capped at LKR 230 per USD compared to a limit of 200-203 that had prevailed since last October. Analysts believe the devaluation was likely done to encourage remittances, a key foreign-exchange source, which dropped to a 10-year low of less than USD 5.5 billion last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. [Al Jazeera] [Reuters] 

The depreciation comes as the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa grapples with the dual challenge of managing overseas debt repayments while meeting domestic needs. Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves dwindled to less than USD 2.4 billion at the end of January, inflicting deep economic pain on the import-dependent nation, which typically spends about $1.6 billion every month for imports of fuel, essential food and medicine. Moreover, Colombo it is due to repay more than USD 6 billion in debt this year, including a sovereign bond of USD 1 billion maturing in July.

Against this backdrop of an economic crisis, local news outlets reported earlier this month that Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa is scheduled to hold discussions with officials of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington this April to initiate talks on potential financial support [see AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]. Prior to this, the country’s energy minister had indicated that a majority of cabinet ministers had advocated to approach the IMF for assistance – – a move that might force Colombo to undertake painful reforms [see AiR No. 8, February/2022, 4].

More recently, the IMF, in its so-called Article IV consultations, stressed the urgency of implementing a credible strategy to restore the country's macroeconomic stability and reduce debt. The Washington-based lender also said Colombo’s fast-dwindling foreign reserves were inadequate to service the country’s current foreign debt of USD $51 billion, and suggested that authorities should reform state-owned enterprises and adopt cost-recovery energy pricing. [IMF]

Sri Lanka has previously entered 16 programs with the IMF, but about half of those were not completed. Moreover, observers say the decision for Colombo to approach multilateral lenders for financial support will to an extend depend on political considerations, not least because the finance minister is the younger brother of the president and of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Moreover, the presence of a wide range of creditors — particularly the heavy borrowing from China — could complicate attempts to restructure the debt.

Constitutional Law and –Politics, Human Rights and National Security in Southeast Asia 

Brunei: Government announced new defense budget

(bs) Brunei’s new defense budget for the period 2022-2023 amounts to USD 440.3 million, said the Ministry of Defense (MINDEF). It added that the budget has suffered a 2 percent decline compared to the budget allocated in 2021. The government of Brunei will allocate the funds to interoperability, joint operations, military equipment, counterterrorism, territorial disputes in the South China Sea, climate change, and transnational crime in line with the country’s 2021 Defense White Paper, a comprehensive document that provides defense guidelines for the MINDEF and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. Brunei will also use the funds to support the national Armed Forces' work in the fight against COVID-19. [Janes] 

Cambodia: Opposition activists face criminal allegations

(bs) Over twenty people linked to the Cambodia National Heart Party (CNHP), an unrecognized opposition party that was removed from the political party list following a Supreme Court decision, are facing criminal allegations of using fraudulent thumbprints in its membership list. The party is urging the Ministry of Interiors to drop the charges against the activists since the party is dissolved. 

The Interior Ministry refused to recognize the party, alleging the perpetration of illegal activities among its members and advocates. The Ministry’s decision, upheld by the Supreme Court on December 24, was followed by a lawsuit against CNHP activists for acting with “malicious intent” to falsify their identities. 

The CNHP is one of the seven opposition parties that rose from the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). The seven parties are aiming to defeat the ruling Cambodian People’s Party which has been in power since 1979. [Khmer Times 1] 

Meanwhile, a CNRP activist has denied all the charges of incitement before a municipal court. While she admitted that she wrote a post on Facebook in 2019 mentioning political opposition leader Sam Rainsy, she denied any plotting or incitement intentions. The activist was charged with “incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest and plotting” under Articles 494, 495, and 453 of the Cambodia Criminal Code. The hearing will resume on March 10. If found guilty, she could be sentenced to five to ten years in prison. [Khmer Times 2] 

Cambodia: Former opposition party president urges court to drop treason charges against him

(bs) Former president of the now-defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Kem Sokha has asked the court to drop treason charges against him after no evidence was found in the 31 court sessions on the case since September 2017. 

Sokha is facing charges of “conspiracy with foreign powers” in violation of Article 443 of the Cambodian Criminal Code, according to which the Kingdom’s courts can sentence anyone to 15 to 30 years in prison for “having secret agreements with a foreign state or its agents, with a view to fomenting hostilities or acts of aggression against the Kingdom of Cambodia.” The trial will continue on March 9. [Khmer Times] 

Soka was arrested in 2017 for allegedly plotting with the United States to overthrow the ruling government of Hun Sen. The arrest was immediately followed by the dissolution of his opposition party CNRP by a Supreme Court decision. [Radio Free Asia] 

Cambodia: Environment activists might face charges of plotting against the government

(bs) Three environmental activists are waiting for a court ruling on their alleged plotting against the government after being released on bail from 10 months in jail for incitement. They were sentenced to 18 to 20 months in jail in May 2021 for participating in the organization of a march against the degradation of a natural lake in the northwestern area of Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. Two other people were sentenced in absentia on the same occasion. If charged for plotting against the government, the activists may face up to 10 years in prison. The activists denied all the charges claiming to have simply exercised their right to freedom to protect the environment.

The environmentalists linked to Mother Nature Cambodia, an organization for the protection of the environment that advocates for greener policies, made harassment accusations against the jail authorities and the precarious conditions they were kept in while in prison, including overcrowded cells, a lack of proper food and hygiene facilities. 

In 2017, the Ministry of Interior Affairs removed Mother Nature Cambodia from its list of civil society organizations, but that did not stop the organization’s work on environmental issues. In fact, in 2021, the organization was recognized with the Frontline Defenders Award 2021 by human rights Non-Governmental Organization Frontline Defenders. 

The environmental organization accuses the government of violating the constitution and both national and international legal frameworks on environmental rights by allowing and encouraging forest, land, and water exploitation in Cambodia. [Fair Planet] 

Cambodia: Authorities arrested 180 casino strikers

(bs) On March 7, Cambodian authorities arrested another 180 people for striking at NagaWorld casino demanding higher wages, the reinstatement of over 300 workers unfairly fired, and the immediate release of 36 union leaders from unjust detention. 

According to the authorities, the strike, which began in December 2021, is “illegal” as it is allegedly supported by foreign donors making it a risk for the national security. [Radio Free Asia] 

Since the beginning of the strikes, the police arrested 36 people and took into custody over a 100 of strikers for allegedly violating COVID restrictions. Rights groups have condemned the enforcement of ‘special’ restrictive measures for the casino workers speculating a government’s attempt to “thwart the rights to freedom of association, expression, and assembly.” 

Those arrested are currently in pre-trial detention. If convicted, they could face up to two years in jail under Cambodia’s Criminal Code. [AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1] 

Indonesia: Country representatives opposed to international statement of ‘shocking abuses’ against Papuans

(bs) The Indonesian permanent mission to the United Nations (UN) objected to the UN statement of “shocking abuses” against indigenous people in Papua claiming that the UN human rights experts in charge reported outdated information. Indonesia claims that the country has already taken charge of the issue. 

Three independent UN human rights experts released a report calling for urgent humanitarian access to Papua after having received several petitions in 2021 to investigate extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, torture, and the forced displacement of over 5,000 Papuans. In the statement, the experts said that the escalation of violence in the region since 2018 has caused the internal displacement of 60,000 to 100,000 people. They also added that violent attacks saw a surge in 2021 when the Indonesian government increased the number of raids against armed separatists. [Reuters] [United Nations] 

Separatist movement attacks began with the incorporation of Papua province in the island of New Guinea into Indonesia in 1969 and have become increasingly violent throughout this time. In response, the Indonesian authorities have made attempts to repress the protests that led to ongoing extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, restrictions on movement and freedom of expression, and accusations of genocide. [The Diplomat] 

Laos: UNPD launched new five-year national development program 

(bs) The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Laos launched its 2022-2026 Country Program Document (CPD) to strengthen the implementation of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan, which aims at increasing Lao socio-economic development by 2030 and ensuring the country’s readiness for the graduation from Least Developed Country status. 

The UNDP worked in collaboration with the National Ministry of Planning and Investment and through consultations with both government and local stakeholders. Together, they drafted the new five-year strategy which focuses on three key fields: environment, climate change, and resilience. The CPD also includes development projects on good governance and rule of law. A UNDP representative said that the country will receive support to enhance the quality of technical support in all the key areas. [Lao UNDP] 

Laos: Court issued death penalty sentence for drug trafficking

(bs) A Lao Court has issued a death sentence against Sisouk Daoheuang for drug trafficking, money laundering, and illegal firearm trading. Sisouk was arrested in northern Thailand in March 2017 after fleeing the Bangkok authorities that arrested his accomplice, Xaysana Keopimpha, two months earlier. Eight people were sentenced to death in 2020 for crimes in connection with Xaysana Keopimpha’s major drug ring. Four other people were sentenced on drug charges to four to seven years in prison. [Radio Free Asia] [The Laotian Times 1] 

Under the 2015 Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Laos committed to reviewing the list of offenses subject to the death penalty and aligning with Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which the country is a signatory party, according to a report filed to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 2018 by Harm Reduction International, a non-governmental organization for the reduction of the negative health, social and legal impacts of drugs. However, no reforms have been implemented yet. Moreover, the Lao government has not carried out any of the UPR recommendations, which include the ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, establishing an official moratorium on executions, and restricting or abolishing the application of the death penalty. National sources, however, reported that a de facto moratorium on the death penalty has been applied, while a de jure moratorium has not yet been considered. Lao representatives reported that the country has reduced the number of crimes subject to the death penalty from 18 to 12.

Although Laos remains one of the countries that still retain the death penalty for major drug offenses, the last recorded execution was in 1989, classifying Laos as abolitionist in practice. However, due to the lack of data released by the Lao government, it remains unknown if the country carried out an execution in 2017 against a 29-year-old man convicted for drug trafficking. [The Laotian Times 2] 

Malaysia: Age lowered to 18 for elected representatives in Melaka

(gl) The State Assembly of the Malaysian state of Melaka unanimously passed the Melaka State Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2022 that lowers the qualifying age of elected representative to 18 from 21 previously. [Free Malaysia Today] 

Khaidhira Abu Zahar (BN-Rim) stated during the debate session that this bill would allow young people to become more involved in Malaysia’s politics. He described the young people of today as mature enough to be involved in the policymaking process 

The bill was passed with the support of 25 representatives. Three representatives did not vote as they were not present at the time. [Daily Express] 

Malaysia: Bill aimed at limiting Prime Ministers’ term to ten years to be tabled in March

(gl) It is expected that a bill limiting the term for the office of prime minister to ten years will be tabled in March at the next parliamentary meeting, says Malaysian Law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar. [The Star]

The bill would amend the federal constitution to specify a maximum of two terms for a prime minister in a bid to prevent potential abuses of power and corruption. This comes after former Prime Minister Najib Razak served for nearly three terms and currently faces dozens of money laundering and graft charges over allegations of his involvement in the 1MDB scandal. 

The proposed limit is one of the items in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between current prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his party, Pakatan Harapan. [Free Malaysia Today] The MoU refers to the agreement between the government and opposition party to establish bipartisan cooperation with the aim of achieving political stability. This was deemed necessary after the power struggles that occurred following the 2018 general election. [Channel News Asia] 

Anti-hopping laws, which prevent elected MPs from changing parties, are also planned to be introduced. The goal of these reforms would be to improve the country’s standing after Malaysia fell from 57th to 62nd in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021 of 180 countries. [Straits Times]  

Malaysia: Women’s right group led peaceful protest on gender rights

(bs) A Malays women’s rights group, the Women’s March Malaysia led a picnic protest asking for gender equality, freedom of expression, and freedom of sexual identity. The group gathered about 200 participants

The protest aimed at drawing the government’s attention to nine demands including ensuring the right to bodily autonomy and freedom of choice, equal pay for work of equal value, a ban on child marriage, equal political participation of all genders and sexual identities at all levels and establishing and ensuring accessible and safer spaces for all. 

The group also called for an end to all forms of gender-based violence and inequalities against new sexual identities. [Malay Mail] 

Myanmar: Military junta revokes citizenship to members of opposition government

(bs) Myanmar’s military junta has revoked the citizenship of 11 members of the National Unity Government (NUG), the shadow government led by now-in-detention democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The NUG was established two months after the military overthrew the democratically elected government with a coup in February 2021. The junta also condemned the NUG as a terrorist organization for allegedly violating national laws and “committing acts that could harm the interests of Myanmar,” according to a notice published in a national newspaper. [Bangkok Post] 

Myanmar has a long history of revoking citizenship of dissidents and minority groups. Since the repression of pro-democracy protests in 1988, thousands of dissenters became stateless, while members of the Rohingya Muslim ethnic minority were denied citizenship in 1982. In December 2021, the military junta also revoked the passports of almost 70 people from opposition groups by sending a letter to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. [The Diplomat] [UNHHCR] 

Myanmar: Junta uses messaging app to track down its opponents

(bs/ny) Myanmar’s military junta has been tracking down sensitive information on its opponent through Telegram, a messaging and social media platform based in Russia, political and human rights activists said. 

According to the sources, key junta supporters gather names from the social media platform and inform the military government of their profiles. Since the military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government on February 1, 2021, Facebook has removed pro-military supporters from the platform. The junta then began utilizing Telegram for its propaganda and to track down pro-democracy activists and journalists in order to arrest them. [Radio Free Asia] 

Since the coup, Myanmar’s authorities killed over 1,500 people and arrested more than 8,000, according to a Thai association for political prisoners. It has also arrested over 115 journalists in an escalation in the repression of media freedoms forcing journalists to silence. [AiR No. 6, February/2022, 8] 

Myanmar: Military government pardons celebrities arrested for anti-junta protests while political prisoners sentenced to prison

(bs/ny) The military junta has issued a pardon for a number of Myanmar celebrities who were arrested for opposing the February 2021 military coup. The celebrities were charged for incitement under Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code and for joining anti-military movements in violation of Section 17 (1) of the Unlawful Associations Act. [Mizzima 1] 

Meanwhile, a military tribunal sentenced six political prisoners to two years in jail, and junta authorities arrested a souvenir vendor for allegedly sending money to a resistance militant and denied medical treatment to three women in need of life-saving health treatments while held in prison. [Mizzima 2] [Myanmar Now 1] [Myanmar Now 2] 

Since February 1, 2021, the junta arrested 12,466 people, 9,400 of whom are currently in detention, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a human rights group. Over the same period, the government has issued more than 100 warnings against celebrities for “spreading the news to affect state stability,” and arrested approximately 15 of them. [AP News] 

Myanmar: Children abandon studies fearing safety threats

(bs) The military junta has told families to not send children to state-run schools or the family will be punished as traitors and members of the anti-military movement. 

Following the junta’s threats, thousands of parents decided to withdraw their children from school. Around 12 million children have not been in school for the past 18 months, partly due to COVID-19 restriction, and partly due to ongoing clashes between the military forces and resistance groups, according to a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report. 

In an attempt to discourage families to enroll their children in military-run schools, the National Unity Government (NUG), the shadow pro-democracy government, has decided to not recognize degrees, diplomas, and education certificates issued by those schools. The decision had drastic effects on the low rate of children attending schools as families find themselves with little or no choice. Moreover, armed attacks and power cuts have caused thousands of children to face further challenges in attending school, forcing many of them to drop out. [DW] 

Myanmar: Junta plans ‘kill all, torch all’ approach in Sagaing region amidst clashes across the country

(bs/ny) The military junta is planning to adopt a “kill all, torch all” tactic against the opposition People’s Defense Forces (PDF) in the Northwestern Region of Sagaing. The objective is to eliminate resistant forces in the region before March 27, the National Armed Forced Day. 

The PDF chief said that the militia will defend the region and especially civilians, among which the elderly, women, and children are the most vulnerable to the junta attacks. Resistant forces and civilians are expecting a violent escalation of attacks following the issuing of an order to cut off the internet in 23 townships in the region. The internet cuts off are frequently followed by an escalation of military raids, according to local sources. Saganing Region has been fighting ground and target of multiple airstrikes since the February 2021 coup killing over 100 civilians, torching 5,000 houses, and forcing more than 3,000 people to flee. [AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1] [Myanmar Now 1] 

Following the announcement, the junta has threatened immediate execution for being PDFs insurgents all Internally Displaced People who do not return to their villages in Sagaing region within four days. [Mizzima]  

In late February, the military killed over nine people and used some of the 80 primary school children detained as human shields during armed attacks with the PDF. [The Irrawaddy 1] The Myanmar shadow government, National Unity Government, has openly condemned the event accusing the junta of grave violation of international law. [The Diplomat] Moreover, the junta, by torching villages, is also depriving local farmers of work in the fields to provide for their families. Farmers are then forced to either join the army or flee the region. [Radio Free Asia] [Myanmar Now 2] 

The junta forces have also continued torching houses in Magaway region, in central Myanmar, where within one week, it torched more than 200 homes forcing 1,700 people to flee the village. [Myanmar Now 3] 

Meanwhile, in Kayah State, in eastern Myanmar, the PDFs have allegedly killed around 85 junta soldiers in a nine-hour-long attack by 200 national military troops. The clashes were immediately followed by eight bomb attacks. [The Irrawaddy 2] 

Fighting resumed also in the Northern Shan State after a two-week break after the death of the armed resistant group Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army’s founder. [Myanmar Now 4] 

More airstrikes followed the February attacks in Chin State, in Western Myanmar. The junta also bombed a township in Kachin State, the northernmost state of Myanmar, with fighter jets fighting the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) the People’s Defence Force (PDF), which joined their forces in early February against the military junta. Over a month, more than 1,600 people fled their villages following the continuous violent clashes. [Myanmar Now 5] 

The Philippines: Presidential candidates discuss government opting for nuclear power to replace coal

(dvr) On February 28, President Duterte signed an executive order to introduce nuclear power to the nation’s power supply as they prepare to transition away from coal and meet growing energy demands. Stating that highly developed countries have proven nuclear power to be reliable, cost effective, and an environmentally friendly energy source. Duterte believes that having a reliable power source would be key to the Philippines productivity and economic growth. [Manila Bulletin 1]

The executive order assigned the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee to conduct studies on the possible use of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). Construction occurred under former Dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1984, but the plant was never fueled and the BNPP was subsequently shutdown in 1986 by President Corazon Aquino following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine and the exile of Marcos. 

Greenpeace campaigner Khevin Yu claims the planned introduction of nuclear power would set the country up for another “horror story” along the lines of the Chernobyl and the 2011 Fukushima Daichi incident in Japan and burden the Filipino people by exposing them and country to health hazards. [Reuters] 

Carlo Arcilla, director of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, stated that seven countries have offered to help the Philippines in its pursuit of nuclear power. The United States, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, France and the United Kingdom have all produced offers. The most serious is said to be South Korea offering USD 1 Million to rehabilitate the BNPP. [Inquirer]

Department of Energy Undersecretary Gerardo Erguiza Jr stated that legislation on a regulatory framework for nuclear power will fall to the next administration following the elections on May 6.

Presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr, said he is open to the BNPP project. Last January, Marcos attributed its earlier shutdown to politics and that the decision should “just follow the science” and not be politicized. Marcos Jr’s running partner, vice president candidate Sara Duterte – daughter of President Duterte – believes nuclear energy is the fastest solution to the power supply insufficiencies in the Mindanao region and is key for further industrialization in the country.

Moreover, current vice president and presidential candidate Leni Robredo stated that she is open to discussion about nuclear power and to revisiting the reasons behind BNPP’s closure, although it is not her priority since she wants to fulfill the Philippines commitment to the COP26 agreements of carbon neutrality by 2050. Robredo further stated that the administration’s priority is to create a roadmap for closing current coal power plants and shift to Liquid Natural Gas or renewables, suggesting indigenous sources of energy.

Presidential candidate and Manila mayor Francisco Isko Moreno stated his disagreement with the BNPP suitability for power generation claiming that nuclear power should only be considered as a last resort. [Manila Bulletin 2] [Manila Bulletin 3] [Rappler] [Philstar]

The Philippines: Age of consent raised from 12 to 16

(dvr) On March 7, President Duterte signed a bill changing the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 years hoping the move would protect minors from rape and sexual abuse. The law exempts criminal liability for consensual sexual activity between parties with a maximum age difference of three years if neither is below the age of 13 years.

The law also aims at strengthening the efficacy of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act. 

A 2015 study by UNICEF and the Center for Women’s Resources found that seven out of ten rape victims in the Philippines were children. One in five respondents aged between 13-17 reported experiencing sexual violence and one in 25 experienced forced consummated sex during childhood. Until now, the Philippines had the second lowest age of sexual consent, Nigeria remaining at first with an age of consent of 11 years old. [Rappler][Reuters]

Philippines: Foreign investor laws reviewed

(dvr) President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Republic Act 11647 on March 2 to end restrictions and requirements on foreign business ownership and help the Philippine economy exit Covid-19.

The new law revises the stricter Foreign Investment Act of 1991, and allows foreign investors to set up and own 100 percent of small and medium sized enterprises. There will be limits on certain critical industries, only allowing for 40 percent ownership of public utilities such as seaports, electricity, petroleum, and sewerage. The law also creates the Inter-Agency Investment Promotion Coordination Committee (IIPCC) to promote and facilitate foreign investment. [Philstar]

Ebb Hinchliffe, the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines believes that this new law will increase jobs for Filipinos and bring much needed technology.  Representative Joey Salceda added that the new law will reduce “monopoly or oligarchy power” and “encourage local players to improve efficiency”. 

Analysts are warning that this new law will only be effective if it coincides with investigations to counter corruption and with reform of the stifling bureaucracy which has factored in investors past avoidance of investing the Philippines. Other potential hindrances to foreign investment are human rights worries and fears of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, winning the upcoming elections. [Global Finance]

Philippines: Second appeal to repeal Anti-Terror Laws

(dvr) On March 2, a group of 27 lawyers have filed a new appeal of the Anti-Terror Laws (ATL), introduced in 2020, for a reconsideration before the Supreme Court on grounds of being unconstitutional. 25 of these lawyers were the original 37 petitioners who filed a failed appeal of the ATL in 2021 on a narrow ruling by the Court.

The petitioners assert that Section 10 covering recruitment and membership in a terrorist organization, provides insufficient context for determination and needs to be considered in conjunction with Section 4 (terrorism).

Meanwhile, Section 25 gives the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) power to designate individuals, groups of people, organization, or associations as terrorists without a hearing. The petitioners claim that this is a reduction of freedom of expression and the deferment of such rights must not be based on hypothetical facts. Furthermore, Section 29 gives the ATC judicial power to issue arrest warrants, powers that normally reside solely with judges. Under this section a detainee can be held for up to 24 days without concrete evidence, violating the constitution which only allows for maximum three days under martial law. This aspect of martial law was introduced to prevent the dangers of torture and coercion towards the manufacturing of evidence and was applied in response to the regime of dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. [Rappler]

This petition comes after ATC designated 16 left-aligned organizations as terrorist, believed to be sub-groups of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and allies of the National Democratic Front (NDF). [ABS-CBN1] [ABS-CBN2]

The lawyers have asked for the temporary restraint of ATC power to designate terrorists due to the potential harm it brings to those individuals or groups labeled as terrorists (‘red tagged’). Petitioner Tony La Viña referencex the recent death of Chad Booc, a volunteer teacher for indigenous people, arrested last month on suspicion of recruiting child soldiers and dismissed by the court. Chad and his colleagues who are deemed to be rebel forces were killed in a firefight when the military encountered rebels from the New People Army, although there is controversy surrounding the incident. [AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1] [Philstar]

Philippines: Army attack on military camp kills three as military identifies new regional IS leader 

(dvr) On March 1, government troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) launched an airstrike followed by a ground offensive against Dawlah Islamiya members in the town of Maguing in Lanao del Sur province. It has been reported that three members of the terrorist group were killed and one solider. 

The AFP claim to have identified the new regional leader of the pro-Islamic State (IS) militants as Abu Zacharia, replacing Owaida Marohombsar who was killed in 2019. Zacharia is believed to have taken part in the Dawlah Islamiya group that seized Marawi in 2017. This attack led to a five-month long engagement with government troops that killed estimated 1200 people, including 1000 Islamic militants, and destroyed the city. It is believed that Zacharia escaped the city when it was conquered by the AFP. Since then, the members of Dawlah Islamiya have been living in the jungle waging guerrilla warfare. [AP News] [BenarNews]

The AFP stated that the Mindanao is a region that is plagued by endemic poverty, failed governments, lack of education and job opportunities. Moreover, Lanao del Sur is the poorest province in the Philippines and many of the residents turn to terrorist groups that offer money in return for recruitment. [The Diplomat]

Civic organization Moro Consensus Group chairperson Drieza Lininding questioned the military on why they did not inform the local communities before their actions. He called for warning systems to be in place so people would not be frightened and queried if the bombings were to terrorize the people in the region. Many of the communities surrounding the assault are still due to the government bombs that destroyed Marawi in 2017. [GMA Network] 

Singapore: Appeal Court rejects bid to overturn same-sex ban

(bs) The Court of Appeals dismissed a bid by three LGBT+ activists to overturn the same-sex ban. According to the court ruling, the ban does not violate the plaintiff’s constitutional rights as the statute was not enforced against the three activists. The court also advised appealing to the Parliament to discuss this matter and other calls for social change.   

The plaintiff aimed to overturn Section 377A of the Penal Code, introduced with a penal code amendment bill in 2007, which states that “any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years.”

A few days ahead of the parliamentary decision on the 2007 amendment, a group of LGBT+ advocates submitted a petition to the parliament and sent a letter to the prime minister arguing that the new Section 377A was discriminatory and an “unconstitutional derogation” of Article 12 (1) of the Constitution, which stated equality of all persons before the law. However, the parliament rejected the petition claiming that the new legislation reflected current and past social norms in Singapore.

Following the latest dismission of a bid to decriminalize same-sex relationships, an LGBT+ advocacy group in Singapore shared its “profound disappointment” saying that “the acknowledgment that Section 377A is unenforceable only in the prosecutorial sense is cold comfort.”

Human Rights Watch reported in 2020 that Singapore was among the countries that “severely” restricts LGBT+ rights. [Independent] [Singapore Infopedia] 

Thailand: Thai government to speed up legislation allowing cannabis cultivation

(ay) Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced the pursuit of a legislative bill to legalize cannabis cultivation for both medical and economic purposes following the recent delisting of cannabis and hemp as narcotic substances.

On February 8, Anutin signed a ministerial announcement officially recognizing the delisting and stating that cannabis and hemp can be grown for personal consumption and sold in limited quantities once delisting is implemented because they are considered economic or commercial plants under the law. Cannabis cultivation will no longer be limited to six plants per household, but growers will need to seek permission first if they intend to use it for industrial purposes

The bill specifies the manner and methods of growing, harvesting, extracting, researching and using cannabis and hemp. The delisting will take effect 120 days after the announcement is published in the Royal Gazette. However, no date has been set for this. [Bangkok Post] 

Thailand: Democrat Party deputy leader elected chairman of the joint parliamentary committee

(ay) Democrat Party deputy leader Sathit Pitutecha was elected chairman of the joint parliamentary committee to examine two organic bills necessary to implement a new electoral system. 

On February 4, the two bills were passed on first reading by a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate, from which a committee was selected to vet them. The committee will meet every Wednesday and Thursday beginning next week, with the goal of completing the review by May, in time for the bills' second and third readings in a joint session of parliament.

The proposed changes would decrease the number of list Members of the Parliament (MPs) from 150 to 100 and increase constituency MPs seats from 350 to 400. Subsequent elections will use two ballots, one for selecting a constituency MP and the other for a list MP, a change from the single-ballot method used in the 2019 general election. [Bangkok Post]

Thailand: Ex-PM suggests lèse-majesté law be amended, military coups have held back Thai democracy

(gl) In a recent interview on the parliament’s YouTube channel, former prime minister Anand Panyarachun has stated he believes that Section 112 of the Criminal Code, which refers to the lèse-majesté laws, should clearly specify who can press legal action on a suspected offender.

Currently, the law allows anyone to make a complaint against someone they suspect to have violated the law and police are required to process it or else they risk facing legal action for dereliction of duty. These police investigations usually make their way to the court, the two-time prime minister said. [Bangkok Post 1]

While having no problem with the law in principle, the former prime minister noted that while other countries have similar laws, they are treated as civil cases rather than criminal and are rarely used against citizens. [Thai PBS]

In November 2021, Thailand’s lèse-majesté law was center stage at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which assesses the human rights situation of UN members. The international community voiced their beliefs that Thailand needed to reform the law due to the increasing use against Thai citizens. [The Diplomat]

On March 4, a Thai man was sentenced to two years in jail for defacing a portrait of the king with a sticker during a protest, another in a long list of charges under the lèse-majesté law. [Reuters]

In the same interview, Anand Panyarachun commented on the many military coups since 1932, when Thailand adopted the constitutional monarchy, stating that these coups have left a legacy of failed or corrupt administrations. The governments installed after the coup tend not to listen to the people, misuse power and do little for Thailand's democratic development, said the ex-PM. [Bangkok Post 2]

Thailand: Speculations on early dissolution of House dismissed

(bs) Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister, said that the House of Representatives is not likely to be dissolved as it retains the support from the parliamentary coalition. He claimed that the decision to dissolve the House remains under the Prime Minister’s authority dismissing any speculation from the opposition of an early dissolution of the House, including the report saying that a number of Members of the Parliament were offered THB 30 million to vote against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. [Bangkok Post] 

Thailand: Protester sentenced to two years in prison for royal insult

(ay) On March 4, a man was sentenced to two years in prison under the royal defamation law. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Mr. Narin placed a satirical sticker on a portrait of the king while attending a rally outside the Supreme Court in September 2020. 

This was the first sentencing linked to dozens of lèse-majesté charges against protesters stemming from the mid-2020 protests demanding the Prime Minister's resignation and a reform of the monarchy. Narin is one of more than 160 activists facing charges under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, which carry a maximum prison sentence of 15 years for whoever defames, “insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent.”

Narin's sentence was reduced to two years from the original three-year sentence. According to his lawyer, he has 30 days to appeal and is still facing at least two additional lèse-majesté charges. [Bangkok Post] [France 24] 

Thailand: Corrections Department to eradicate forced prison labor

(gl) Thailand’s Corrections Department has promised to ban forced prison labor and raise the wages for inmates who opt to work. [Bangkok Post] 

This follows an expose by the Thomas Reuters Foundation, a global news company, which was published in December 2021. The reports found that prisoners were being forced into making fishing nets for private companies, fulfilling high-value contracts for Thai manufacturers. If the inmates did not meet targets, they were threatened by prison authorities with beatings, loss of shower privileges, or delayed releases. [Thomas Reuters Foundation] 

Prisoners were either paid a fraction of the minimum wage or not at all for their efforts, according to former inmates interviewed by the Thomas Reuters Foundation. 

A report in March 2021 by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) found that Thai prison conditions remained below international standards amid ongoing overcrowding, with a majority facing drug charges. [FIDH] 

The work program within the prisons has been promoted by the Department as on-the-job training that could assist inmates to find work after they were released. However, the FIDH, along with other rights groups, states that it has become exploitative due to the threats, pay, and working conditions. [Reuters]

In a statement on March 1, the Corrections Department said it will come up with measures to ensure that prisoners’ work is voluntary. New committees will be formed that oversee Thailand’s 143 prisons and ensure each prisoner is paid in accordance with the minimum wage. [The Thaiger]  

Timor-Leste: Incidents during first five days of presidential campaign 

(bs) On March 6, the National Election Commission appealed to the citizens for a calmer approach to the upcoming elections as several incidents marked the first five days of the presidential campaign, including verbal attacks and physical blocks to presidential candidates’ caravans. 

The Election Commission appealed to candidates to strictly follow the rules and ensure the safety of the citizens in every meeting and avoid the participation of children in the campaign. [RTP, in Portuguese] 

On February 28, in order to ensure a peaceful presidential campaign, 11 out of 16 candidates have signed a national unity pact with which they committed to ensuring a free, fair, and peaceful electoral process. [UCA News] 

Timor-Leste: Court of Appeal petitioned to challenge Election Commission’s decision to not allow presidential voting in Australia

(bs) The National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), a political party founded in 2007 by former President Xanana Gusmão, which currently supports the presidential candidacy of José Ramos-Horta, filed a petition to the Court of Appeal challenging the decision by the National Elections Commission (CNE) to not allow voting in Australia. CNRT called the CNE’s deliberation impaired and in violation of the constitution and the fundamental right to vote. 

The party has also appealed to the court to question the competence of the CNE to deliberate on such a matter. The president of the CNE defended the commission’s decision saying that it was taken unanimously in a plenary session, and it does not violate the constitution as the Chart determines that the voter registration must be updated. [RTP Noticias, in Portuguese]  

The CNE decision to not hold voting in Australia because of outdated electoral rolls would allegedly prevent Timorese citizens residing in Australia from voting in the presidential election scheduled for March 19, CNRT representatives said. Following the decision, the CNA ordered the elimination of Australia's voting centers for the first round of presidential elections. 

The appeal alleges that the CNE's deliberation concerns the failure of carrying out two acts within the competence of the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE), namely census and establishment of voting centers. [Notícias ao Minuto, in Portuguese] 

Vietnam: Unidentified attackers crack down on peaceful protest on land rights

(bs) A group of 30 unidentified attackers wearing civilian clothes stormed against over 100 people who were gathered in front of a town’s People’s Committee headquarter demanding their right to have a land for which they had allegedly already paid.  

The assailants bit not only the petitioners but also children and elders who were in the area, local sources reported. 

It is speculated that the group of attackers was associated with the Vietnamese authorities, a technique that has often been utilized by the police in past to crackdown land-rights protests, to attack political dissidents or members of religious groups.

The villagers were urging the authorities to release ownership documents for lands they had purchased from Bach Dat An Stock Company in 2017. [Radio Free Asia] 

International Relations, Geopolitics and Security in Asia

More Chinese banks freeze businesses with Russia

(xh) In light of the new developments of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on Thursday, March 3, more Chinese-based banks such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank decided to halt businesses and economic lending to Russia and Belarus to maintain their financial integrity. This follows last week’s decision of the Bank of China and the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China of putting on hold their deals with Russian companies [see AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]. [Financial Times] [Al Jazeera] 

These moves appear to suggest that the mutual support and friendship between China and Russia which was praised in the joint statement of February 4 as having “no limits”, could reach limits on the Chinese side as it walks a diplomatic tightrope between its alignment with Russia, its rivalry with the US and own national and economic interests in the ongoing war in the Ukraine.

The day after Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, China’s state-owned banks restricted their financial lending for Russian products. Moreover, when on February 25 the UN Security Council voted on a resolution to condemn Russia and to request Russia to withdraw its military forces, China abstained from the vote instead of vetoing it. Similarly, on Wednesday, March 4, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to condemn Russia with 141 countries in favor of and five against the resolution. China, again, was not among those five, but abstained from the vote, along with 34 other countries. On Friday morning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry declared that it was “gravely concerned” over Russia’s attack on a Ukrainian nuclear power plant on that day, calling on “relevant parties to keep calm and exercise restraint, prevent further escalation of the situation and ensure the safety of relevant nuclear facilities." [Reuters] [Business Insider 1]

Nevertheless, China appears to continue to send strong signals of its alignment with Russia, including taking strong censorship measures on Chinese social media against supporters of Ukraine. [NPR] Also, one day before cutting off Russian deals from AIIB and other banks, China claimed that it wanted to maintain normal trade relationships with Russia, despite Western pressure on Moscow, and expressed strong opposition to Western sanctions, deeming them “illegal” and harmful only to the population. Also, on Monday, February 28, Russian energy giant Gazprom affirmed that it had signed a contract to start working on the Soyuz Vostok gas pipeline. China and Russia both agreed to a 30-year gas deal on February 4, by which Russia will provide gas to China passing through Mongolia. [Business Insider 2] [South China Morning Post 1] [South China Morning Post 2]

Furthermore, on Tuesday, March 1, Chinese Foreign Minster Wang Yi held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba during which he urged both Ukraine and Russia to find a solution through diplomacy, but also made clear that “the security of one country should not come at the expense of the security of other countries, still less should regional security be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs.” [Foreign Ministry, China]

In a latest development, Wang declared in a statement made on Monday, March 7, on the sidelines of the ongoing annual meeting of the National People’s Congress that China was ready to “constructive role” as dialogue facilitator in the conflict in the Ukraine, while continuing to abstain from condemning Russia’s invasion, calling Russia China’s “most important strategic partner” and accusing the US to suppress and encircle China. [South China Morning Post 3] [South China Morning Post 4]

WTO dispute-settlement panel established for Australia’s anti-dumping tariffs against China

(xh) On Monday, February 28, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has agreed to address China’s complaints against Australia anti-dumping tariffs before a dispute-settlement panel. Australia announced that it will “robustly defend” itself, citing its compliance with its WTO obligations and adding that it was willing to find a resolution with China through further bilateral talks. [South China Morning Post] 

Beijing claims that Australia has unfairly imposed three anti-dumping tariffs on imports of wind towers, stainless steel sinks and railway wheels from China that were put in place between 2014 and 2019. China and Australia held talks in August 2021 to solve the matter without any success and therefore, Beijing requested arbitration from the WTO. 

Trade relations between the two countries has been spiraling downward since Australia requested an investigation on the origins of Covid-19 in China in response to which Beijing has been posing tariffs and trade restrictions on Australian goods worth billions of USD. [South China Morning Post] [Trade Minister, Australia] [WTO]

China strengthens ties with Somalia to counter the Taiwanese-Somaliland alliance

(xh) On Monday, February 28, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Somalian counterpart Abdisaid Muse Ali agreed to tighten their relationship and to push back against the Taiwanese-Somaliland relationship. During the phone call both ministers also reaffirmed their policy to consider Somaliland as part of Somalia and Taiwan as part of China. 

According to Wang Yi, Somaliland’s claims of independency threaten the “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity” of Somalia as much as Taiwanese claims of independency threaten China’s. The Somalian foreign minister, for his part, vowed to push back against Taiwan’s relationship with Somaliland.

Furthermore, during the phone call the Chinese minister confirmed that China will provide food to the countries affected by the drought in the Horn of Africa, considering it a new step of the “Initiative of Peaceful Development in the Horn of Africa” proposed last January. 

Somaliland split from Somalia 30 years ago, but it is still not internationally recognized as a country, even though it has representative offices in the US, the United Arab Emirates, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sweden and Britain. In 2020 Taiwan and Somaliland opened mutual representative offices.  

Somalia’s geographic position is also strategically important for China’s interest in the Horn of Africa region, one of the world’s most conflicted regions where Beijing operates a naval base in Djibouti. Last week, China had sent a new ambassador for the region whose role will be to reach long-term peace and stability there through economic aid. [CGTN] [South China Morning Post] [See also AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]

In a separate statement during a press conference on Monday, March 7, Wang announced that China will start to implement deliverables of the nine programs of cooperation with Africa set out by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in last November, with priority given to three areas, including advancing cooperation in fighting the pandemic, speeding up Belt and Road cooperation and supporting efforts of African countries to combat terrorism and deliver military assistance to the African Union (AU). Wang also strongly rejected allegations that China’s cooperation programs in Africa would push involved countries into debt traps. [CGTN Africa]

United Nations IPCC report says China will be heavily affected by global warming

(xh) According to a new report published by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), China will be one of the countries hardest hit by climate change. 

Without proper response taken now, the report warns, China will suffer the world’s largest economic losses caused by rising sea levels and subsequent floods. Chinese megacities along the coastline, which accounts for much of China’s economic activity, are at high risk for storm surges and high waves caused by tropical cyclones of higher intensity. A warmer climate will also threaten China’s food security as it is expected to affect China’s yields of wheat, rice, maize and fish. [Sixth Tone] [The Print]

Japan: Revision of National Security Strategy, Russia’s status to change to “security challenge”

(cm/dql) Japan is considering a revision of the status of Russia from “partner” to “national security challenge” in its National Security Strategy (NSS), which is to be reviewed at the end of the year. The guidelines for foreign and security policy were approved in December 2013 and were designed to be in use for a period of ten years. 

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the government plans to reconsider strategic relations with Russia, which is expected to be placed in the same category as China and North Korea in the strategy document given the repeated violations of international law. Prior to the recent developments in Europe, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intended to strengthen ties with Russia in view of China’s rise and to promote cooperation in the Russian Far East and energy industry. [The Japan News]

The NSS currently refers to North Korea as a “threat” because of the country’s development of nuclear weapons and missiles before 2013; last Saturday, March 5, Japan’s defense ministry stated that North Korea launched the ninth ballistic missile of this year, which fell outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The launch was strongly condemned by Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo, as it threatens the peace and security of the country. [NHK]

In a latest development, Japan’s government announced on Tuesday, March 8, that further sanctions against Russia and Belarus will be imposed over Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

Under the new sanctions, 32 Russian and Belarusian individuals including government officials and business magnates, as well as 12 entities – among them companies with links to the military, are put on the list of those facing asset freezes in Japan. Furthermore, Japanese exporters from March 15 on are banned from receiving payments from the Belarusian Defense Ministry and  a Minsk-based military semiconductor manufacturer. [The Mainichi]

Japan protests suspected incursion in airspace by Russian helicopter

(cm) In response to a suspected incursion in Japan’s northern airspace above the waters off of the island of Hokkaido on March 2, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled jets and issued warnings for the aircraft to leave. 

Tokyo also lodged a protest through a diplomatic channel. [The Straits Times]

Russia’s activity in Japanese waters is cause of concerns not only due the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, but also because of the deep-rooted territorial dispute between the two countries over the four Kuril Islands stretching north of Hokkaido. 

Japan to accept Ukrainian refugees

(cm) On March 2 Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that Japan will accept Ukrainian refugees displaced after Russia’s invasion of the country, breaking with the country’s usual reluctance to welcome humanitarian arrivals. As a matter of fact, Japan usually only accepts a few dozen refugees per year out of thousands of applicants. Ukrainian refugees arriving in Japan will be processed outside of the current border regime of the country.

Kishida’s announcement followed talks with Mateusz Morawiecki, the PM of Poland, where more than 800,000 people fleeing Ukraine have been hosted so far. [Japan Today]

In addition to this, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno presented the government’s plan to host the family members and acquaintances of about 1,900 Ukrainian residents in Japan. More help to Ukraine will be given by providing bullet-proof vests and other relief goods such as clothes, helmets, tents, food items and power generators.

The Japanese government, however, asked the Ukrainian embassy in Tokyo to refrain from recruiting Japanese nationals to fight against the Russian military, after 70 volunteers applied to join an “international legion”. [NDTV] [The Mainichi] [Kyodo News]

Quad cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to prevent repetition of the Ukraine crisis

(cm) Leaders from the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) grouping of countries, Japan, the US, India and Australia, reaffirmed during a virtual meeting Thursday, March 4, their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, in order to prevent any unilateral changes to the status quo with force, while assessing the potential broader implications of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine at a time of heightened alert level in Taiwan, where China could take advantage of the situation to move by force. Japan-China tensions are growing as well over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, a group of uninhabited islets that are controlled by Japan and claimed by China. [The Mainichi]

Of the Quad countries, only India has not criticized Russia’s moves in Ukraine, given the two countries’ long-standing ties, with Russia being the main supplier of weapons to the Indian military. India has also abstained from voting on a nonbinding resolution at the U.N. General Assembly condemning the invasion.

The four countries agreed to launch a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism as a channel of communication ahead of future humanitarian challenges, and planned an in-person summit in Tokyo in the first half of the year. [Reuters]

Japan to release oil reserves with IEA members amid Ukraine war

(cm) On March 4, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Koichi Hagiuda stated that Japan will contribute with 7.5 million barrels from private reserves to the coordinated release agreed upon by the 31 member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The release of 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves aims to ensure stability for oil markets and to compensate the supply disruptions during the conflict in Ukraine. [CNA]

The organization stated that they will continue to monitor the situation and eventually consider further releases and discussed Europe’s reliance on natural gas coming from Russia, suggesting alternatives such as liquefied natural gas, to reduce this dependence in case energy exports will be used as means of threat or political coercion. [South China Morning Post]

Japan and more countries to target Russian cryptocurrency escapes 

(cm) After recently blocking major Russian banks from the SWIFT payment network, which sent the value of the ruble down 30 percent, the US, the European Union and Japan and other countries rushed to block Russian cryptocurrency transactions used by individuals and businesses looking to escape the sanctions. Cryptocurrencies are a way of Russian access to foreign currency and Russia is the third-largest crypto miner after the US and Kazakhstan, as well as a source of ransomware attacks demanding payments in cryptocurrency. 

The Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association (JVCEA) discussed banning transactions involving Russia even if mediated by exchanges, in order to prevent the transfer of digital assets, and freezing crypto assets held by government personalities. This, however, is extremely difficult as the targeted assets are decentralized, do not have a single administrator or fixed location and direct transactions between cryptocurrency wallets cannot be regulated. [Nikkei Asia]

Japan condemns Russia’s attack on Ukrainian nuclear plant with G7 and EU 

(cm) On Friday, March 4, Group of Seven countries and the European Union urged Russia to stop it attacks in vicinity of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. The Russian military seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, in southeastern Ukraine early Friday morning and the attack started a fire in one of the buildings of the complex. 

Although the assault is believed to not have caused any radiation leaks, concerns over a second nuclear catastrophe in Ukraine after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 were raised. Japan denounced the shelling as a country that experienced the meltdowns of nuclear reactors in Fukushima after the massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. [Kyodo News 1] [South China Morning Post]

Along with other G7 members, Japan supports the initiative announced by the International Atomic Energy Agency for an agreement to be reached between Ukraine and Russia to ensure the security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine. [Kyodo News 2] 

Japan’s PM Kishida to visit India and Cambodia soon

(cm) Prime minister Fumio Kishida is planning a visit to Cambodia and India later this month to meet with their leaders. 

During his visit in India Kishida intends to discuss a shared approach to the Indo-Pacific region with fellow member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and talk over with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the two countries’ approach to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This would be the first trip to a South Asian country by a Japanese prime minister since Shinzo Abe’s in 2017.

In Cambodia Kishida is set to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen to request the country’s support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as the country is now holding chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations, as well. [The Japan Times]

North Korea: Ninth round of missile test 

(mpk) Shortly after the ballistic missile test carried out on February 27 and a few days ahead of the presidential election this Wednesday, North Korea fired a new ballistic missile on Saturday, March 5. According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the missile, which flew approximately 270 km at a maximum height of 560 km, was launched from North Korea's Sunnan airfield.

The latest test was the ninth in this year, indicative of Pyongyang’s continued efforts to develop a hypersonic warhead, a "super-large" nuclear warhead and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) using an "underground or ground solid-fuel engine," as laid out at the congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in January last year, according to the JCS. [Yonhap News Agency 1] [The Korea Herald]

On the other hand, North Korea stated that the test was part of its plan to develop a reconnaissance satellite [The Korea Times] [See also AiR No.9, March/2022,1]

Meanwhile, the US and ten other countries – including Albania, Australia, Brazil, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, and the United Kingdom – adopted a resolution on Monday, March 7, to condemn North Korea’s latest missile launch and to call on the UN Security Council to respond, arguing  inaction would erodes the credibility of the UN’s most powerful body while at the same undermining global efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. [ABC News]

Reflecting hardened stances, China, for its part, commented on the test by reaffirming North Korea’s “reasonable security concerns,” that “have not been fundamentally resolved,” yet, adding that to advance towards such a resolution would depend on whether the Biden administration “will take concrete action for a resolution to the problem or continue seeking to use it as a ‘geopolitical strategic card’.” [Yonhap News Agency 2]

For concerns of former US Forces Korea chiefs that the Ukrainian crisis will increase Pyongyang’s reluctance to give up its nuclear weapons, see [Yonhap News Agency 3].

South Korea to release over 4.4 million barrels oil to secure energy security amid Russia’s attack on the Ukraine

(mpk) Following the agreement of 31 member states of the International Energy Agency (IEA) to release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves in response to concerns  over a potential shortfall in global energy supplies and a further spike in prices in the wake of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, South Korea announced on Friday, March 5,  to contribute more than 4.4 million barrels.[Yonhap News Agency]

Meanwhile, on March 4, South Korea’s Industry Ministry announced that South Korea was exempt from export restrictions imposed by the US States on Russia under the US Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR) that the US  in an earlier move announced for "all of Russia" to block Russia's access to global high-tech products and other foreign-produced major items, such as semiconductors, over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [The Korea Herald] [See also AiR No.9, March/2022,1]

On the other hand, South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges will join international sanctions to completely isolate Russia from the global financial system. On March 4, Bithumb, Upbit, Coinone and Korbit – the country’s top four digital currency exchanges – blocked Russian IP addresses. 

In addition, the Korea Exchange announced on Friday, March 4, that trading of KINDEX Russia MSCI, the only Russian exchange-traded listed in the Korean Exchange will suspended from March 7 on. [The Korea Times 1] [The Korea Times 2]

In a latest development, Seoul announced on Monday, March 7, that it plans to suspend transactions with the Russian Central Bank as well as two sovereign wealth funds and Rossiya Bank, which is among those seven Russian banks that will be excluded from the SWIFT global payment system under the EU sanctions. [Yonhap News Agency 2]

South Korea imposes sanctions against Belarus

(mpk) South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday, March 6, to will implement export restrictions against Belarus, citing Moscow’s ally’s ‘effective support’ of the invasion of Ukraine. While not disclosing details of the measures, taking effect on Monday, March 7, the ministry said they resemble those taken against Russia. 

This would mean a ban of the export of strategic materials to Belarus – such as conventional weapons, goods and technologies that could make weapons of mass destruction and missiles – and blacklisting the Belarusian Defense Ministry.  

In 2021, South Korea's exports to stood at are USD 70 million, imports at USD 80 million. [The Korea Herald] [Yonhap News Agency] 

South Korea provides humanitarian aid to Ukraine 

(mpk) In a phone talk with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on March 3, South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, affirmed that protective equipment, first aid kit, medical gloves, masks, and blankets worth USD 10 million will be delivered upon Ukraine's request. [Yonhap News Agency] 

South Korea: Free trade agreement negotiations with Mexico to be resumed

(mpk) South Korea’s Trade Ministry and Mexico’ Economy Ministry announced on Wednesday, March 2, that both countries agreed to resume negotiations of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) after a hiatus of 14 years. Talks on an FTA begun in 2006, but have been stalled since 2008 amid opposition from Mexican businesses. 

The talks are expected to set up an institutional framework for lowering barriers of trade in goods and services, and for enhancing investment and technology exchange between the two countries. Both sides also seek to work together in emerging trade-related areas including supply chains, environmental sustainability and digital transformation.

Preliminary talks are scheduled for this month. Mexico is South Korea’s largest export partner in Central and South America. [Yonhap News Agency] [Nasdaq]

South Korea to deepen trade cooperation with Hungary, Australia, Africa and Saudi Arabia

(mpk) During a video conference on March 3, South Korean Industry Minister Moon Sung-wook and Hungarian Finance Minister Varga Mihaly agreed to strengthen industrial cooperation in the field of trade, green growth, and digital transition. Both sides also agreed they would improve investment conditions. In November last year, the two countries decided to elevate their relations to a strategic level. Bilateral trade rate stood at a record USD 4.8 billion in 2021. [Yonhap News Agency 1]

South Korea and Australia, meanwhile, also reached agreement on Friday, March 4, to expand their cooperation in the field of e-commerce and digital trade. [Yonhap News Agency 2]

Furthermore, South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and ministerial-level officials from member states of the African Union (AU) – including Senegal, Malawi, Libya and Chad – agreed at the 5th Korea-Africa Forum, held on Thursday, March 3 in Seoul, to foster cooperation in public health, trade and investment, as well as peace and security. They also agreed to establish a framework for cooperation aimed at speeding up industrialization in Africa and expanding South Korea's global supply chain by 2026. [The Korea Times]

Former US officials visit Taiwan 

(eb) Last week saw visits of former high-ranking US officials to Taiwan to reassure that Washington is willing to defend one of its most strategic allies in the Indo-Pacific amid discussion whether Taiwan could be next and be attacked from China in light of the war in Ukraine.

Firstly, a delegation of former defense and security officials led by former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen met with President Tsai Ing-wen for talks on Wednesday, March 2, during which Mullen reaffirmed that “the US will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo” in the Taiwan Strait. [Anadolu Agency] 

Secondly, Michael Pompeo, former US Secretary of State, speaking at a think tank in Taipei on Friday, March 4, called on the US government to diplomatically recognize Taiwan. The statement came shortly of he was conferred with the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon, a civilian order that is awarded for outstanding contributions to the development of the Republic of China. [Focus Taiwan 1] [Asia Nikkei] 

In responding to Mullen, Premier Su Tseng-chang declared that Taiwan must remain strong to deter a Chinese invasion and that, like Ukraine is doing, the whole population must defend as one against tyranny. [Focus Taiwan 2]

Former Senior Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia at the US Department of Defense Dan Blumenthal, meanwhile, warned that Beijing might be studying how the reaction of the international community towards Russia’s invasion is unfolding and believes that Beijing might look for a way to show the US that is not worth defending Taiwan. [Radio Taiwan International]

The issue of Taiwan has been addressed in the US Senate as well. Senators Rick Scott, Kevin Cramer, and John Kennedy proposed on March 2 the “Deterring Communist Chinese Aggression Against Taiwan Through Financial Sanctions Act”, that would force the president to implement sanctions 30 days after a triggering event. According to the proposed bill, all financial transactions between the US and China would be interrupted in case of an attack alongside other penalties such as revoking the visas of Chinese nationals involved in an attack against Taiwan. [Taiwan News]

Taiwan donates 150 tablets to children of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

(eb) Taiwan donated to the representatives of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a small nation in the Caribbeans and diplomatic ally of Taiwan, 150 tablets for the children affected by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano that are not able to return to school. The tablets were handed out to Deputy Prime Minister Montgomery Daniel and Education Minister Curtis King on the March 2. [Taiwan News]

Chinese airplanes entering Taiwan’s ADIZ, Chinese Navy spotted in proximity of Taiwan’s waters

(eb) Seven Chinese airplanes, including two People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane, and one Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter entered the Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) of Taiwan on March 1. [Taiwan News 1] One more PLAAF Shenyang J-16 fighter jet entered the ADIZ on March 7. [Taiwan News 2]

Furthermore, ships of the Chinese Navy were spotted for the third time in four days on March 2 not far away from the southeast coast of Orchid Island. [Taiwan News 3]

Australia’s defense minister backs down from direct military involvement in China-Taiwan war

(eb) Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton took a step back from his previous statement on a possible direct intervention by Australia in a hypothetical Chinese attack against Taiwan. Back in November 2021 he said that it “would be inconceivable that we wouldn’t support the US in an action if the US chose to take that action”, being accused of violating the longstanding bipartisan policy of its country. However, he changed his words and now believes that Australia will “do whatever we can to deter China from acts of aggression in our region.” [The Guardian]

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared that it is not certain that events like those in Ukraine will happen in Taiwan as well, as the situation in the Indo-Pacific is “more stable” according to what he said during an interview at the Lowy Institute on March 7. However, he also called out China for “surreptitious malign activities” in the South China Sea and for the support offered to Russia, which could undermine the efficacy of the economic sanctions imposed by numerous countries as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [Taiwan News]

Pakistan continues delicate balancing act following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

(ha/lm) Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan last week continued his country’s balancing act as Islamabad is trying to carefully avoid criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while at the same time not edging too close to Moscow.

On the day Russian forces entered Ukraine, February 24, Prime Minister Khan met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, a long-planned meeting that – while overshadowed by the invasion – represented a key milestone for a relationship that has quietly grown in recent years. At that time, Khan expressed concern about the fallout from the invasion but stopped short of condemning it. [AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1].

On February 28, Khan defended the trip, the first by a Pakistani leader to Russia in more than two decades, in a televised address, saying that Islamabad’s foreign policy is “independent”. Later last week, the Pakistani leader announced that his country will import about 2 million tons of wheat and supplies of natural gas from Russia, saying Islamabad’s economic interests “required it”. [Daily Mail] [France24]

Also on February 28, Pakistan also abstained from a United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council vote calling for an urgent debate on the invasion, which was nevertheless pushed through. Islamabad was among the 12 countries that on March 4 abstained from the Council’s vote for a resolution on the establishment of a commission to investigate violations committed during Russia’s military attack on Ukraine. [UN News]

In light of this, the top diplomats of 22 countries, including European Union (EU) nations, on March 1 jointly appealed for Islamabad to support an emergency resolution in the UN General Assembly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. [Al Jazeera]

The following day, however, Pakistan was among the 35 states that abstained from the vote, along with Asian powerhouses China and India. In a carefully drafted speech, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the UN emphasized Islamabad’s commitment to the UN Charter’s fundamental principles – self-determination, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and peaceful settlement of disputes. The ambassador further avoided mentioning Russia in his speech, instead stressing the universal application of the UN charter principles. [inews.co.uk] [The Express Tribune]

Speaking against this backdrop, Prime Minister Khan on March 6 lashed out at the Islamabad-based Western envoys for their letter in which they had sought Pakistan's condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Addressing a political rally in Punjab province, Khan said “[d]id you write such a letter to India?”, noting that Pakistan's arch-rival had also abstained. The prime minister also reiterated that Pakistan did not want to join any bloc. [Gulf News 1]

In a surprise turn of events, however, Khan spoke with European Council President Charles Michel via phone the following day and agreed that countries like Pakistan could play a facilitating role in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The Pakistani leader also again stressed he favors “dialogue” as a solution to the crisis. [Geo News]

Adding to the impression that the move was aimed at protecting commercial relationships with the EU, Prime Minister Khan is said to embark on Europe tour soon. If that trip was to materialize, it would follow on a visit to Brussel by Pakistan's powerful military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, in the lead-up to Khan’s Moscow trip. [The News International]

India puts national interests first in Ukraine crisis, as Prime Minister Modi speaks to Russian, Ukrainian counterparts

(lm) Driven by the need to secure the support of both the United States and Russia to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, India continued to play both sides over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Last week, New Delhi abstained from a United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council vote calling for an urgent debate on the invasion, which was nevertheless pushed through. Furthermore, India was among the 12 countries that on March 4 abstained from the Council’s vote for a resolution seeking a probe into rights violations during Russia’s military attack on Ukraine. [UN News]

Previously, India had already abstained from two votes taken in the UN Security Council – one deploring Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and another procedural vote calling for an emergency session of the UN General Assembly, along with China and the United Arab Emirates. [AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]

In light of this, the United States on March 2 called on India to distance itself from Russia and to support a new emergency resolution in the UN General Assembly condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Later that day, however, India was among the 35 states that abstained from the vote, along with China and Pakistan. [inews.co.uk] [The Straits Times]

On March 7 then, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate phone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin – the second such conversations – and reiterated the hope for a cessation of violence and a return to dialogue. Considering that Russia earlier that day announced a ceasefire to create humanitarian corridors across cities for civilians to evacuate safely, there is reason to believe that India continues to prioritize evacuation operations for its stranded citizens from Ukraine. [South Asia Monitor] [The Indian Express]

FATF retains Pakistan on ‘grey list’, asks it to do more on terror prosecution

(lm) The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental organization that sets standards to curb money laundering and terror financing, has decided to retain Pakistan on its terrorism financing ‘grey list’ for failing to meet some of its targets under additional criteria. [Kashmir Reader]

Pakistan has been on the FATF’s list of Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring June 2018. Although it doesn’t entail sanctions or other punitive measures, Islamabad’s presence on the grey list does generate reputational costs and often discourages investors.

The FATF’s Plenary on March 4 decided against exonerating Islamabad from the list, as the country again failed to meet the last two out of a total of 34 actions points. At the same time, Pakistan’s robust progress on its global commitments to fight financial crimes was appreciated at the concluding session of its hybrid plenary meeting. [FATF]

Islamabad had previously completed 26 of the 27 items on the FATF action plan it first committed to in 2018, as well as six out of seven action items of the 2021 action plan of the FATF’s regional affiliate, the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering [see AiR No. 23, June/2021, 2]. But during its previous Plenary meeting in October last year, the FATF urged Islamabad to do more to investigate and prosecute leaders and commanders of UN-listed terrorist groups involved in terror financing [see AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]

Special ASEAN summit in the United States scheduled for March 28-29

(bs) On March 28-29, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet in Washington D.C. with President Joe Biden of the United States (US) for a special ASEAN summit. The announcement from the White House press secretary was followed by speculations on the alleged exclusion of Myanmar from the invitation list as the country is ruled by a military junta that overthrew the democratically elected government with a violent coup in February 2021. However, the US has immediately followed with a statement sharing its intention to invite to the summit non-political representatives of Myanmar. [Reuters] 

The US will host ASEAN representatives to strengthen the US presence in the Indo-Pacific region and enhance political ties with ASEAN countries on the 45th anniversary of US-ASEAN relations, according to the Presidential press secretary. 

The US has been working to develop closer partnerships in Southeast Asia since mid-2021 in the fields of trade, politics, and energy and also to counter China’s rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region. [The Diplomat] 

ASEAN Police called to continue to combat transnational crime

(bs) Cambodian Prime Minister and current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Hun Sen encouraged the ASEAN National Police (ASEANAPOL) to continue its work on countering terrorism in the region through stronger multilateral cooperation. The organization is comprised of ASEAN Chiefs of National Police in charge of the regional cooperation against transnational crime. Thanking the Australian police delegation for delivering effective police training to the ASEANAPOL officials, the Cambodian Interior Minister also encouraged the organization to utilize the training to combat cross-border cybercrime and money laundering.

Hun Sen met with ASEANAPOL representatives on March 1-5 at the 40th ASEANAPOL conference to discuss potential ways to enhance regional harmony and stability. Cambodia, the ASEAN chair in 2022, is aiming at strengthening regional resilience and unity to combat transnational crimes, according to Hun Sen. [Khmer Times] [The Phnom Penh Post] 

ASEAN special envoy to visit Myanmar

(bs) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) special envoy on Myanmar will pay a four-day visit to Myanmar on March 20-23 to discuss potential solutions to the crisis that has affected the country since the military junta overthrew the democratically elected government in a violent coup on February 1, 2021.  

According to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the visit aims at breaking “the current deadlock and pave the way for further progress in implementing the ASEAN five-point consensus (5PC),” a regional plan to end violence in Myanmar through peaceful means. Moreover, the ASEAN special envoy on Myanmar is also seeking to engage in diplomatic talks with “key parties,” including representatives of the National Unity Government (NUG), the democratically elected shadow government, and Myanmar’s military chief and chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC), the ruling military junta.

The military government has not been recognized by the international community. It has been cracking down on protests and demonstrations through violence, arrests, and killings since the February coup, and over the year since the coup, its militia has killed around 1,570 people and arrested another 12,300, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Thai human rights organization. [AiR No. 9, March/2022, 1]

Myanmar’s “non-political” representatives rejected the invitation to participate in the last ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on February 16-17 after Myanmar’s military junta was excluded from the summit for failing to implement the ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus peace plan.  [The Diplomat] [The Phnom Penh Post] 

Philippines: China assures no meddling in Philippines Elections

(dvr) On March 5, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian stated that the Chinese are not about to meddle in the Philippines elections on May 9. In a webinar hosted by the Philippine Association of Chinese Studies (PACS), Xilian noted that China is respectful of countries internal affairs and denied that China has puppet politicians or candidates in smaller countries. [CCNPhilippines]

The Ambassador explained that Philippines-China relations have improved relations under President Duterte despite the tensions in the South China Sea, and that China wishes to maintain the good bilateral relations that have evolved over the last five years. [Manilla Bulletin]

Cambodia, Czech Republic to strengthen bilateral, regional trade ties

(bs) Cambodia and the Czech Republic have agreed to enhance bilateral ties in trade and import-export cooperation. On March 1, the Cambodian Minister of Commerce met with the Czech Ambassador to Cambodia to discuss the potential of Czech markets in Southeast Asia, especially within the framework of bilateral and multilateral agreements between Cambodia and other countries in the region. The Czech Republic would be able to take advantage of the regional market network to expand its investment projects and trade partner in Southeast Asia, according to the Cambodian Minister of Commerce.  [Khmer Times] 

Thailand: Labor deals with Saudi Arabia endorsed by cabinet

(gl) The cabinet has approved two draft agreements allowing Thai nationals to work in Saudi Arabia, further normalizing the relationship between the two countries, a government spokesman said. [Thai PBS] 

The agreements between the Thai Labour Ministry and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development aim to allow Thais to legally work in Saudi Arabia and concerned two areas: laborers and housemaids. [Bangkok Post] 

This decision is the latest step in mending the relationship between the countries after Saudi Arabia downgraded relations in response to the fall out that became known as the "Blue Diamond Affair". In 1989, a Thai janitor stole USD 20 million worth of jewels from the palace of a Saudi prince. A year later, three Saudi officials were assassinated in separate incidents in the same night.

The theft is one of Thailand’s biggest unsolved mysteries, as many of the jewels were never recovered, and has led to the loss of tens of thousands of Thai jobs and billions in trade and tourism. [Straits Times]

The two current labor deals come after Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha visited Saudi Arabia in January, with the two countries agreeing to reestablish relations. [Reuters] 

Cambodia, Malaysia to boost military cooperation

(bs) On March 2-3, head commanders of the Royal Cambodian Army met with the Malaysian Chief of Army to discuss current cooperation agreements and future plans for the countries’ military partnership in cybersecurity and human resources development. The parties have also discussed effective ways to ensure security in the region and cooperate in peacekeeping operations, 

Malaysia has been training the Cambodian military since 2002 in the framework of the Malaysian Defense Cooperation Program, which allowed 138 Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, troops, to train in Malaysia. [The Phnom Penh Post] [Khmer Times] 

Southeast Asian countries divided in responses to Russian war in Ukraine

(bs) Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Southeast Asian countries have been divided in their response to the event. Despite the release, on February 26, of a  joint statement by foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), originally, only Timor-Leste and Singapore issued an open condemnation to Russia by signing a United Nations (UN) resolution. However, while the resolution failed, but Russia continued the attacks, Singapore reiterated its stance by imposing strict unilateral sanctions against Russia. [The Diplomat]

The Philippines also shared their stance against Russia by saying “yes” to the UN General Assembly resolution during the Emergency Special Session on Ukraine held on February 28. The condemnation was immediately followed by Cambodia and Laos, in which high country representatives openly called for an immediate end of the war. [VOA News] [The Laotian Times] 

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has issued an informal statement on social media calling for an end of the conflict and the Indonesian UN Permanent Representative, in a talk on February 28, encouraged “all parties to ensure a peaceful solution through dialog and diplomacy”. At the same time, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob opted for a more reserved approach, claiming that an official stance should be agreed upon among all members of the ASEAN. While Thailand, after having maintained a low profile on the matter and receiving critics from the international community for its decision, decided in early March to sign the UN resolution and join 140 other countries in condemning the invasion of Ukraine. Laos and Vietnam abstained from voting the resolution. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia] [Bangkok Post] 

The only open support for Russia within the ASEAN framework came from Myanmar’s military government, which called the invasion “justified.” On the other hand, the country’s shadow government has condemned the aggression and voted “yes” to the UN resolution against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [France 24] [Global Voices] 

On February 24, Russian troops invaded Ukraine firing missiles and starting Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. The Russian government had acted in violation of the international principles of state sovereignty by attempting to redraw the borders of the former Soviet Union that included Ukraine and the other Eastern European countries. The European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States have immediately issued strict economic sanctions on Russia in an attempt to encourage its military retreat from Ukraine. [The Wall Street Journal] 

More terrorist attacks with fewer deaths over the past decade, the Global Terrorism Index 2022 reported

(bs) The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) has released the ninth edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), a comprehensive overview of the presence of terrorism in the world and its patterns over a ten-year period. Among the key variables are the number of deaths, incidents, hostages, and injuries from terrorism. 

The report pointed out that in 2021 the number of terrorist attacks increased but the number of deaths from the attacks decreased by 1.2 percent. Moreover, while 48 percent of the world's terrorism deaths can be linked to the region of Sub-Saharan Africa, Myanmar saw the highest rise in terrorism over the same period of time. according to the document. The report also foresaw an increase in cyberterrorism over the next decade as terrorists have been reported to use more advanced technologies for their attacks. [Vision of Humanity] 

China continues drilling near Vietnam’s coast

(bs) A Chinese maritime safety body announced the halt of maritime traffic from March 4 to 15 for military drilling operations in an area between the Chinese southern province of Hainan and the Vietnamese coast in the South China Sea.

The announcement was followed by spread criticism on the alleged violation of Vietnamese sovereignty over a part of the maritime territory which is within 200 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast and thus within its exclusive economic zone. Tensions between the countries escalated in 2014 when China began oil drilling operations in waters claimed by Vietnam. [ANI News] [Reuters] 

Myanmar refugees seeking protection in neighboring countries

(bs) About 6,000 people fleeing from Myanmar were arrested in Thailand for illegally entering the country between January and early March. Thousands of Myanmar citizens have been fleeing the ongoing attacks by the military junta that took over power in Myanmar with a coup in February 2021. Each refugee reportedly pays almost USD 800 to smugglers to cross into Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia and seek for employment in those countries. [Eleven Myanmar] 

On March 6, over 2,000 refugees arrived at the Indian border in Mizoram after their villages have been attacked by the military junta. [The Times of India] 

On the following day, March 7, Indonesian authorities began investigations into a refugee smuggling ring allegedly responsible for the arrival of 114 Rohingya refugees in the Aceh Region. Members of the Rohingya Muslim minority have been fleeing Myanmar since 2017 when the government began a deadly crackdown against them as an unrecognized ethnic minority in the country. [Radio Free Asia] 

Indonesia met Crown Prince of United Arabic Emirates 

(bs) Indonesian President Joko Widodo met with the Crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arabic Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to witness the signing of the UAE-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the current relations between Indonesia and the UAE in trade, energy, and infrastructure, and agreed to further improve their bilateral cooperation. [Emirates News Agency] 

Laos, Vietnam discuss security cooperation

(bs) On March 3, Vietnamese representatives met with their Lao counterparts at the 12th security cooperation conference to discuss strengthening bilateral ties in the fields of security and social order. The parties agreed to maintain comprehensive cooperation and implement security mechanisms on a cross-border level. They also committed to coordinating their efforts at international and regional cooperation forums. [Vietnam News] 

The meeting also marked the 60th anniversary of Laos-Vietnam bilateral cooperation and 45 years of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, a regional peace treaty established by the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). [Vietnam Plus] 

Malaysian government to pay millions to Sulu sultan 

(lb) The Malaysian Government has been instructed to pay USD 14.92 billion to the descendants of the Sultanate of Sulu.  An international court of arbitration in Paris handed down the ruling following a violation of an 1878 agreement signed by Sultan Jamal Al Alam, Baron de Overbeck, and the British North Borneo Company guaranteeing payment of 5000 Malayan Dollars per annum if the region of Sabah was ceded or leased. 

Malaysia had been paying the heir’s rental money annually but stopped the payments after Sulu Sultanate soldiers attacked Lahad Datu Island in 2013 asserting a claim over Sabah. The court ruled the Malaysian government’s action was a breach of an “international private lease agreement.” [TRP]

The descendants of the Sulu sultan filed the claim in Spain as the original agreement was signed in the country. The case was moved to Paris after the Madrid High Court refused to hear the case. The descendants originally asked for USD 32.2 billion for the missed payments and compensation for natural resources discovered in the region. [Malaysia Today] 

Indonesian navy to procure Scorpene submarines  

(lb) The Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff told the media on March 2 that the Indonesian Navy has agreed to procure Scorpene submarines from French shipbuilder Naval Group following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in early February. 

Indonesian shipbuilder PT Pal concluded the MoU for two Scorpene submarines, support, weapons, and training. The Republic of Korea Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) had met with Indonesia’s Navy Chief of Staff on February 21 and spoke about Indonesia purchasing the second order of submarines from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME). The naval group, however, met Indonesian Ministry of Defence requirements for operating and PT PAL plans to work with both companies’ capabilities to meet the provisions of the Indonesian Navy. [Naval News1] [Naval News2] 

2022 global climate report released 

(lb) The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which provides scientific climate change assessments for policymakers, has released the Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability report which is the Working Group II’s contribution to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report that evaluates the impacts of climate change and reviews the capacities, vulnerabilities, and constraints of the natural world and its human societies. The Working Group II’s contribution was completed on February 14 from 34,000 studies, 270 authors from 67 countries. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres released a statement on the release of the report saying it is “an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership.” [Durango Herald]  

The report is one of a series released by the IPCC every four years detailing the latest global consensus on climate science. [Reuters] [IPCC Sixth Assessment Report] 

Indonesia, Saudi Arabia explore alternatives for recruitment of domestic workers 

(lb) The Indonesian Ministry of Labor and the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development are undertaking studies to explore resuming recruitment of Indonesian house workers in Saudi Arabia under an alternative system. Indonesian domestic workers will be recruited by companies that will deploy workers into the labor market instead of being hired directly by individual employers. 

In 2011 the Indonesian government banned domestic workers from working in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region after a housemaid was executed following a conviction for killing her Saudi employer. Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Indonesia has commented on discussions that the two countries are having regarding resuming the recruitment of domestic workers.  [Saudi Gazette] 

Thai Navy defends purchase of Chinese submarines 

(gl) An opposition Member of Parliament has criticized the Thai government over its procurement of Chinese submarines, prompting the Thai navy to defend its purchase. Deputy Pheu Thai Party leader Yutthapong Charasathian raised concerns for the deal’s legitimacy and the possibility that the submarines may come without engines after China encountered problems purchasing them. [Bangkok Post 1]

Navy spokesman, Vice Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin, stated that the contract is a legitimate government-to-government deal and has been vetted by Office of the Attorney-General and the Budget Bureau. The submarines were initially to be outfitted with German diesel engines, but because the Chinese purchase is pending approval from the German government, the engines may be manufactured in China. Pokkarong explained that the Navy has remained firm on engine specifications and the contract would be honored by China. 

One submarine has been purchased for THB 13.5 billion (USD 406.7 million) and is scheduled to be delivered in 2023. The other two submarines are yet to be confirmed and could be put on hold due to financial constraints relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. Similar constraints delayed the purchase of two Chinese submarines in July 2021 in response to considerable public backlash.  [Bangkok Post 2] [AiR No. 29 July/2021]

Philippines to strengthen strategic ties with Australia, Canada

(dvr) On March 3, Philippine and Australian Foreign Affairs Ministers met at the second Foreign Ministry Consultations (FMC) to discuss defense, security, trade, investment, market access to Philippine’s agricultural products, development, labor, education, and human rights.

The meeting discussed the 2021-2022 Plan of Action (POA) on regional cooperation and security issues within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its regional forum. The POA received support at the Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting in August 2021 and is to be implemented later this year. Representatives of the Philippines and Australia also signed a program expanding bilateral cultural exchanges under the 1977 Cultural Agreement between the Philippines National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Australian office of Art. [Manila Bulletin 1]

In a virtual meeting the same day, the Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) expressed interest in establishing a Defense Cooperation Agreement with Canada that would establish legal frameworks facilitating increased collaboration. During the meeting, both sides expressed support for a rules-based international order. Canada expressed its interests in engaging the region while the Philippines voiced the importance of the ASEAN outlook regarding cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions and ASEAN Centrality. [Manila Bulletin 2]

Philippine’s Department of Energy, German firm study Liquid Natural Gas Projects

(dvr) The Philippine’s Department of Energy is partnering with German manufacturing firm MAN Energy Solutions in an effort to establish the country as a regional hub for Liquid Natural Gas (LNG). On February 22, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding to study the feasibility of facilities for the importation and regasification of LNG, including developing small scale manufacturing capabilities in Visayas and Mindanao.

DOE Chief Alfonso Cusi stated that this study could lead to a recalibration of the Philippine’s LNG strategy, calling it the ‘fuel of the future’. Currently 20 percent of Philippines electrical power is supplied by a single gas field with the offshore Malampaya gas-to-power project that is estimated to be depleted by 2027. Earlier this week, Cusi affirmed his support for the revival of nuclear power in the Philippines calling it ‘very safe’ and will help the Philippines achieve energy security. [Daily Tribune] [Manila Times] [Philstar]

Vietnam, Singapore signed trade cooperation agreement

(bs) The Vietnamese and Singaporean ministries of trade and industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on economic and trade cooperation. The countries have increased their two-way trade by 23 percent between 2020 and 2021 and they are aiming for further cooperation by the end of 2022.

To meet the objectives, the parties agreed to establish specialized working groups in each field to effectively implement the MoU document, according to official statements from both sides.

They also discussed measures to further expand cooperation in developing digital economy optimizing free trade agreements in which the two countries are members; and focusing on encouraging investment in electronics, telecommunications, furniture, and agro-fishery processing. 

Singapore is the fifth biggest trading partner of Vietnam and the third largest foreign direct investor in the country. [Channel News Asia]

Announcements

Upcoming Online Events 

9 March 2022 @12:00-1:15 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Sandford University, USA

Shadow Banking and State Finances in China

This webinar will analyze the consequences of China’s and the U.S.’s responses to the global financial crisis and explore the shadow banking system in China and its effects on the country’s finance.

Follow [FSl] to learn more about the event.

9 March 2022 @ 10:00 a.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA

A Look at America’s Policy Challenges for the Next Decade

This one-day symposium, cohosted by the Atlantic Council and the Concordia Forum, will feature a panel of leading experts who will provide insights on the future direction of America’s policy and its priorities for the next decade.

Visit [Atlantic Council] to learn more about the event.

9 March 2022 @4:00-5:15 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Sandford University, USA

Integrating Nature into Policy & Finance for Transformation in China with Professor Ouyang Zhiyun

China has pledged to reform its economic order and construct an ecological civilization that synchronizes with humanity and nature amid the increasing ecosystem deterioration. In support of this vision, Dr. Ouyang Zhiyun will address science-based policy strategic framework at achieving three critical goals.

Further information about the event is provided at [FSI].

9 March 2022 @ 8:30-9:45 a.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA

Taiwan’s Role in Global Supply Chains

In recent years, countries’ prosperity and business sectors have been heavily affected by the consequences of disruptions in global supply chains. As a result, supply chain security is becoming more widely recognized as a critical component of national security. This webinar will look at how the U.S. and Taiwan can improve their bilateral cooperation in this area.

For more information, see [BROOKINGS].

9 March 2022 @ 6:00-7:00 p.m. (GMT+10), Australian Institute of International Affairs, Australia

An Indonesian Perspective on the Indo-Pacific

This webinar will feature a conversation with the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Australia, HE Dr. Siswo Pramono, who will take the opportunity of his first public address to talk about the Indo-Pacific policy of Indonesia and joint diplomatic cooperation with Australia.

For more details of the event, see [AIIAACT].

9 March 2022 @ 10:45 a.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA

Pandemic detection and surveillance data roundtable

This virtual roundtable, presented by the GeoTech Center and SICOA, will explore ways to assist governments in bridging key technology and data gaps that hinder variant identification and tracking.

Visit [Atlantic Council] to learn more about the event.

9 March 2022 @ 1:30-2:30 p.m. (GMT-5), Wilson Center, USA

Canada and the United States in the New Quantum Tech Era

This webinar will discuss the upcoming quantum revolution and Canada’s and the U.S.’s approaches to tackling the potential difficulties and utilizing opportunities.

If you wish you attend this event, register at [Wilson Center]

9 March 2022 @ 5:30-6.45 p.m. (GMT+10), Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Australia

ASPI Webinar: Women, Peace and Security - Reflections on Afghanistan

Following the withdrawal of international forces, the future of women and children in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly dubious as the women face more difficulties due to a limited access to education, work, and traditional norms. This webinar will feature a wide range of leading experts who will discuss how Australia, NATO, the United Nations, and other allies can provide assistance to Afghan women.

Visit [ASPI] to learn more about the event.

10 March 2022 @ 7:00-8:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA

South Korea’s National Security Policy After the 2022 Election

This webinar will feature a wide range of experts who will offer insights on the direction of South Korea's presidential election, explore potential policy implications under the next president, and consequences of the election results on the nation’s foreign and defense policies, as well as its bilateral partnership with the U.S.

Further information is accessible via [CARNEGIE].

10 March 2022 @ 12:00-1:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA

Political Violence and Our Democratic Future

This webinar will feature a panel discussion based on Barbara Water's "How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them." The panelists will discuss the themes of the book and explore whether it is possible to predict the form of violence and to avoid a more political violence in the future.

If you interested in the answers to these questions, register at [CARNEGIE].

10 March 2022 @ 9:00-10:00 a.m. (GMT-5), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA

China Goes Local: How Chinese Players Engage Outside National Capitals

China’s attempt in expanding its influence is not limited to government-to-government ties, but outside national capitals, China also engages with the local community. This webinar will discuss China’s adaptive strategies with local communities in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and South Asia and will compare and contrast the strategies among these three regions.

Learn more about the event at [CARNEGIE].

10 March 2022 @ 3:00 p.m. (GMT+5.30), Observer Research Foundation, India

India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement: Opportunities and Areas of Cooperation

Recently, India and the UAW have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which is India’s first MENA bilateral trade agreement. This virtual conference will discuss the CEPA’s benefits to Indian companies and its significance to the country’s prosperity in the post-pandemic economic recovery.

Find more at [ORF].

10 March 2022 @ 9:30 a.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA

Revolutionizing Agriculture through Emerging Technologies

This webinar will feature a conversation with John Decree, a leading actor in sustainable farming technology, to explore how innovative technology can be implemented to improve and modify farming methods in a more climate-friendly agricultural system and, ultimately, ensure global food security.

If you wish you attend this event, register at [Atlantic Council].

10 March 2022 @ 12:00-1:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Wilson Center, USA

Roadmap at One: Progress Report on a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership

After the U.S.-Canada Roadmap in July 2021, this online session will present a one-year update on the two countries’ collaboration roadmap through a conversation between Canadian Ambassador Kristen Hillman and United States Ambassador David Cohen.

For more details of the event, see [Wilson Center].

10 March 2022 @9:00 a.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Sandford University, USA

The Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Voices from Kyiv

This online forum will feature a panel of experts from the Kyiv School of Economics who will discuss and offer insights on the current developments in Ukraine.

If you want to know more about the event, visit [FSI].

10 March 2022 @11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Sandford University, USA

New Cold War at Sea?

In this webinar, the author of “To Rule the Waves”, Bruce Jones, will examine how sea power dynamics are altering global security, the economy, and the environment. The speaker will focus on China’s power restoration to the high seas, as well as its maritime and navy expansion, which is concentrated in the Western Pacific but extends into the Arctic and Indian Oceans.

For more information, visit [FSI].

10 March 2022 @5:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Sandford University, USA

What Lies Ahead for Korea's New President? Post-Election Analyses and Reflections

This virtual event will feature a conversation between a group of experts who will assess the election results and their potential consequences on policy in the aftermath of South Korea’s presidential election.

Visit [FSI] to find more details of the event.

11 March 2022 @ 5:00-6:30 p.m. (GMT+10), Australian Institute of International Affairs, Australia

War in Ukraine: Choices for the EU and NATO

This webinar will feature a wide range of experts who will address the implications of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine and will debate the future outlook of Europe.

To find more about the event, click on [AIIAACT].

14 March 2022 @ 10:00-11:00 a.m. (GMT-5), Atlantic Council, USA

The future of Section 230 Reform

Section 230 of the law protects websites from civil liability for user-generated content. However, the statue has become controversial as it faces increasing public criticism. This online forum will discuss Section 230 reform and its future direction, while also providing suggestions on how past mistakes in internet legislation can be prevented.

Visit [BROOKINGS] to find more event details.

14 March 2022 @ 10:00-11:30 a.m. (GMT-5), Wilson Center, USA

Ukraine and the Arctic: Perspectives, Impacts, and Implications

Cohosted by the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, this online panel discussion will look at Russia's invasion of Ukraine and how it affects the affairs of Arctic states. If you wish you attend this event, register at [Wilson Center].

15 March 2022 @1:00-2:00 p.m. (GMT-5), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Students, Sandford University, USA

Mother Nature, Bioweapons and Lab Accidents: Guarding Against the Next Global Biological Catastrophe

In light of the ongoing pandemic, it is obvious that governments and the international community are not ready to counter and prevent any biological threats. This webinar will feature Dr. Jaime M. Yassif, who will present two priority NTI initiatives that aim to help the world be better prepared to deal with catastrophic biological events in the future.

More information is available at [FSI].

15 March 2022 @9:00 -10:15 a.m. (GMT-8), Hoover Institution, Stanford University, USA

The Strategic Value of Embracing India

The US-India relationship over the past two decades has been rather challenging. In this webinar, experts will examine the relationship between the two nations and argue that the U.S. must acknowledge India's strategic value. Stronger ties will promote wealth and peace and may also result in preferential treatment on the part of the U.S.

Find more about the webinar at [Hoover Institute].

15 March 2022 @ 6:00-7:30 p.m. (GMT+10), Australian Institute of International Affairs, Australia

AIIA NSW AGM

This 47^th Annual General Meeting of the Australian of International Affairs New South Wales will be held to update and the organizations’ development.

For further event details, see [AIIAACT].

Recent Book Releases 

Zeynep Pamuk, Politics and Expertise: How to Use Science in a Democratic Society, Princeton University Press, 256 pages, published on December 21, 2021, reviewed in [LSE].

Mukulika Banerjee, Cultivating Democracy: Politics and Citizenship in Agrarian India, Oxford University Press, 256 pages, published on October 1, 2021. For a discussion of the book see [LSE].

Calls for Papers

The Istanbul Gelisim University invites paper proposals for its VII International Middle East Symposium to be held on May 10-11, 2022. Conference theme is “Political and Social Stability in the Middle East”. Closing date for submission is March 28, 2022. For more information see [Gelisim University].

The Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies is seeking paper proposals for the 4th International Conference “Between the Worlds: Narratives and Notions of Pandemics” scheduled for June 7-8, 2022 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Deadline for abstract submission is March 30. Vist [Conference Worlds] for further details.

Jobs and Positions

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is looking for a Project Manager to be based in Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan. Closing date for applications is March 23, 2022. For more details, see [UNDP].

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is hiring a Senior Protection Associate to be based in Bogota, Colombia. Application deadline is March 18, 2022. If you are interested, visit [UNHCR] for further information.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union’s bank, is offering the position of Managing Director for its EIB Global Directorate, at its headquarters in Luxembourg. Deadline for applications is March 16, 2022. If you are interested, find more about the vacancy at [EIB].

Team:

Anawil Yodprasit (ay), Beatrice Siviero (bs), Chiara Mohammadvalizadeh (cm), Dominique van Rossum (dvr), Duc Quang Ly (dql), Enrico Breveglieri (eb), Grace Laird (gl), Henning Glaser (hg), Hira Akram (ha), Jidapa Eagark, Kevin Downey (kd), Lois Barker (lb), Lucas Meier (lm), Melis Pektaş Kim (mpk), Sally Dobie, Tomwit Jarnson (tj), Ulrike Immler, Venus Phuangkom, Xhesjana Haxhiu (xh), Yin Nyein Myat (ny)

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