Category Archives: NEWS DIGEST

EXSE FOCUS

Prayut announces 2019 Asean theme – Bangkok Post Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday introduced “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability” as the official theme for the Asean chairmanship next year. Gen Prayut made the announcement at the handover ceremony after the conclusion of the 33rd Asean Summit and related summits held in Singapore, attended by leaders from 18 countries who are also members of the East Asia Summit (EAS) — which includes 10 Asean members, and its dialogue partners, Russia and the United States.//Losing its edge? Formed in 1967 at the height of the Cold War, ASEAN managed to anchor itself as a regional player and rule-maker in the space between competing superpowers. Today, the geopolitical landscape is becoming eerily similar to that time as tensions rise between China and the US on trade and the South China Sea, but ASEAN leaders are no longer showing the same political will to push for ASEAN centrality and regionalism, as evidenced by its failure to push back on Myanmar’s handling of the Rohingya crisis and China’s maritime assertiveness.

Related: Thais take Asean chair, haunted by past summit chaos – Bangkok Post

Genocidal justice finally served in Cambodia – Asia Times Two senior former Khmer Rouge officials were today (November 16) found guilty of genocide and other crimes against humanity after a closely watched four year trial. Nuon Chea, 92, deputy to deceased Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, was found guilty of genocide against Vietnamese and the Cham, a Muslim minority group. Khieu Samphan, 87, the regime’s head of state, was found guilty of genocide against Vietnamese but not the Cham.//The court found that Samphan was not in a senior enough position to have stopped the Cham genocide. The Khmer Rouge killed at least 1.7 million people and singled out ethnic minorities. Notoriously difficult to prosecute in international courts, the UN defines “genocide” as action pursued in the eradication of a “national, ethnical, racial, or religious group”, which means that Khmer Rouge crimes against other Khmer do not qualify.

Bringing Vietnam Into the ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ – The Diplomat The Trump administration can make the Free and Open Indo-Pacific idea work in Southeast Asia – with Vietnam as a model. For many Southeast Asian states, the Trump White House’s new strategy for the region, the Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept, is a hard idea to sell — at least right now. The strategy vows to promote a rules-based security and economic order in Asia, while also encouraging closer cooperation among regional U.S. partners. But the concept has been questioned by even close U.S. partners like Singapore, which has not yet expressed clear support for the idea.

China offers Myanmar support over Rohingya issue after US rebuke – The Straits Times China supports the Myanmar government’s efforts to protect domestic stability and approach to resolving the Rohingya issue, Premier Li Keqiang told the country’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi, after US Vice-President Mike Pence offered a strong rebuke. Mr Pence on Wednesday (Nov 14) voiced Washington’s strongest condemnation yet of Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya Muslims, telling Ms Suu Kyi that “persecution” by her country’s army was “without excuse”. Meeting Ms Suu Kyi on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Singapore, Ms Li said China attaches great importance to its ties with Myanmar and would build on their tradition of friendship, China’s Foreign Ministry said late on Thursday.//Ties that pay: It is common practice for China not to let politics or human rights violations get in the way of business, and Myanmar is no exception. Just last week China signed a deal to construct a deep sea port in Kyaukpyu. China agreed to fund 70% of the initial investment worth $1.3 billion. Once completed, the port is expected to have a gross output of $3.2 billion.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Join Asean in push for RCEP by next year, PM Lee tells India PM Modi – The Straits Times Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday (Nov 15) urged India to join Asean in a push to create the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest free trade area, next year. The proposed pact between 16 nations, including the 10-member Asean grouping and its six free trade agreement partners Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, South Korea and India, comprises 45 per cent of the world’s population and a combined gross domestic product of about US$25 trillion (S$34.4 trillion), exceeding that of the United States.

Dialogue Eases Sino-US Relations, for Now – VOA A frank dialogue between Chinese and U.S. defense chiefs has taken the two countries into a temporary calm period after a series of rival military moves in the contested South China Sea. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis agreed with his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, on Friday to continue progress on a “crisis communications and deconfliction framework to reduce risk,” the Defense Department said in a statement. Their meeting touched on Beijing’s military expansion in the South China Sea, which is claimed by five other governments.

US Vice President Presses Asian Leaders on Rohingya, Maritime Dispute – VOA While leaders from 10 Southeast Asian countries largely discussed trade in Singapore Wednesday, participating U.S. Vice President Mike Pence focused on keeping Asian seas open internationally despite Chinese expansion. He also sought help in checking North Korean nuclear ambitions and pressed Myanmar on its treatment of Rohingya refugees. At an annual summit for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), heads of state talked business throughout the day with one another as well as with officials from larger countries, including India, Russia and China. But Pence steered most of his talks Wednesday toward geopolitics.

Related: 33rd ASEAN Summit: Analysis and key takeaways – The ASEAN Post

What is the CLV Development Triangle Area? – The ASEAN Post Back in March, the Prime Ministers of three neighbouring ASEAN countries Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam (CLV) met and endorsed an action plan to connect their economies until 2030. The three leaders committed themselves to building “integrated, sustainable and prosperous CLV economies” which would be located in the larger regional plan of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. The meeting took place in Hanoi as part of the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Summit on Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA).

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Climate change in Asia: Why collective welfare comes before individual rights – Asian Correspondent When governments look at efforts to address climate change and ensure sustainability in Asian countries, collective welfare should take precedence over individual rights, an independent think tank said. Chandran Nair, the founder and chief executive of Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT), said Asia must find its own model based on strong government policies instead of a Western-style free market and small government model to tackle these issues. In other words, Chandran believes that in tackling problems unique to Asia, the West isn’t always best.

TBC and AC Energy to build 1.5GW wind projects in South East Asia – Power Technology  Singapore’s renewable energy developer and operator The Blue Circle (TBC) has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Ayala Corporation’s power subsidiary AC Energy. Under the new partnership, the two companies will jointly develop and construct TBC’s pipeline of nearly 1,500MW of wind projects across South East Asia, more than 700MW of which will be built in Vietnam.

Thailand’s Gulf Energy and Mitsui to start working on 2.5GW combined-cycle power plant – Asian Power Thailand’s energy producer Gulf Energy Development (Gulf) and the Public Japanese conglomerate Mitsui have agreed to start works on the 2,500MW Chonburi combined-cycle (CCGT) power plant in the Chonburi province of Thailand before the end of 2018. Approximately JPY170b ($1.5b) will be invested in the project, which will include four units of 625 MW each slated to become gradually operational between March 2021 and October 2022. The four M701JAC gas turbines will be supplied by Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) as per a contract signed in February 2018

Central province to pilot ‘green’ energy for fishing boats – Vietnam News The central district of Núi Thành in Quảng Nam Province, in co-operation with SolarBK Holdings, has commenced a pilot project to develop a solar power system for its off-shore fishing fleet to supply ‘green’ energy for use during long trips. The district said the project aims to equip fishing vessels with renewable energy generators to save fuel and supply ‘clean’ energy. It said solar panels and batteries had been installed on several fishing boats from the district’s fishing fleet, and are working well during off-shore fishing trips.

How climate change drives debt bondage in Cambodia’s booming brick industry – Southeast Asia Globe As the Phnom Penh construction boom begins to permeate secondary cities, demand for locally produced clay bricks has seen full kilns selling out at unprecedented rates. But a transformation to Cambodia’s rural economy – led in part by remittances from construction workers on these sites and microfinance loans – has increased costs in the countryside, leaving the most vulnerable in a constant state of financial keep-up and feeding some into the growing brick sector and its toxic debt bondage

Sustainability reporting: 4 things companies get wrong – Eco-Business Southeast Asia is witnessing a rapid increase in sustainability reporting with 500 per cent growth in the number of companies producing reports over the last six years, according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a standards organisation that helps companies report their impacts. The region is the biggest and fastest growing market for GRI, but companies can be more efficient and effective in the way they do their reporting, said chief executive Tim Mohin.

CHINA

Xi Arrives in Papua New Guinea for First-Ever Visit by a Chinese President – The Diplomat Xi Jinping hopes to defend – and expand – China’s role in the Pacific. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Thursday, marking the start of his first state visit to the Pacific Island country – and indeed, the first visit to PNG ever by a Chinese head of state. Xi’s visit is tied to the upcoming APEC leaders’ meeting, which will be hosted in Port Moresby from November 17 to 18. Xi will spend the two days before that on his official state visit, and will also fit in a meeting with the leaders of eight Pacific Island countries.

Chinese Nationalism: The Dog That Barks in the Night – The Diplomat It comes up often in conversations about where China is heading – the reference, often sotto voce, to that great emerging global force, Chinese nationalism. We see small clues to what it looks like when we eavesdrop on social media conversations within China, or watch when China comes up against issues around its own region. But framing the precise threat that Chinese nationalism poses to the wider world proves surprisingly challenging.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

EC to monitor Pheu Thai, Thaksin meet – Bangkok Post The Election Commission (EC) is keeping a close watch on Pheu Thai Party members who will reportedly meet former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Singapore, its secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma said. Pol Col Jarungvith said the agency will need a great deal of time to look into whether the party lets Thaksin control its affairs. Pheu Thai is under EC investigation for alleged violations of the organic law on political parties.

Thai proposal for all-powerful cyber agency alarms businesses, activists – The Straits Times A proposed cyber security law in Thailand would give a new government agency sweeping powers to spy on Internet traffic, order the removal of content, or even seize computers without judicial oversight, alarming businesses and activists. Civil liberties advocates, Internet companies and business groups are protesting the planned legislation, saying it sacrifices privacy and the rule of law, according to interviews and documents reviewed by Reuters.

How Thailand’s “Father of Democracy” is being erased from history – Southeast Asia Globe Thailand’s first popularly elected prime minister, Pridi Banomyong, was instrumental in the overthrow of the Kingdom’s absolute monarchy and the creation of the nation’s first constitution. But as the palace-backed military junta continues to pave the way for the long-promised return to elections, Pridi and his fierce struggle for democracy are being increasingly written out of Thailand’s chequered history

At Least 10 Vietnamese Arrested Amid Forced Evictions in Land Grabs in Danang – Radio Free Asia Authorities in central Vietnam’s coastal city Danang on Friday ordered the detention of at least 10 protesters who opposed being forcibly evicted from their homes in the latest development in a long-running land grab case in Con Dau parish, one of the evictees told RFA’s Vietnamese Service. About 500 people, including policemen and security guards, were mobilized along with an ambulance, a fire truck, and a digger to forcibly evict seven families and demolish their homes in the Catholic community in Cam Le district to make way for an ongoing ecotourism development project, said evicted resident Huynh Ngoc Truong.

EU Prepares to Withdraw Cambodia From Trade Scheme – VOA The European Union, Cambodia’s largest export market, is making preparations for the country’s expulsion from a preferential trade scheme that guarantees tariff-free access to EU markets for Cambodian goods, according to the EU ambassador. George Edgar, EU ambassador, said in an email on Tuesday that starting the procedure for removing Cambodia from the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme reflected the concerns in Brussels over the deterioration of human rights and basic freedoms.

PM Hun Sen Creates Task Force to Address Civil Society Concerns – VOA Prime Minister Hun Sen has created a task force to deal with complaints from civil society groups over government suppression of their activities. The premier made the announcement on Friday, assigning eight officials to the group, which will be led by Interior Minister Sar Kheng. “Gather information; study the requests and proposal and share ideas with government, ministries and relevant stakeholders to resolve it. Promote and raise civil society’s awareness and relevant stakeholders [awareness] about associations and NGOs law and regulations,” he wrote. The statement came as Rhona Smith, the UN’s rights envoy to Cambodia, was visiting the country on a fact-finding mission and amid continued criticism from the United States and European Union over the suppression of basic freedoms in the country.

Related: Cambodia’s Court of Appeal Routinely Fails to Explain Verdicts: Rights Group – Radio Free Asia

Seeing red: ‘Cambodia doesn’t have anti-China nationalism – yet’ – Southeast Asia Globe China is investing billions in Cambodia’s economy, outspending even the Kingdom’s national budget. But as more and more Cambodians raise fears of crime, corruption and colonial ambition, could rising public resentment lead the nation back to its dark days of racially motivated violence?

Myanmar blames Bangladesh for repatriation failure – Myanmar Times Myanmar yesterday accused the Bangladesh government of failing to repatriate the first batch of over 2000 refugees to northern Rakhine State. The start of the repatriation was supposed to start yesterday as agreed by the two countries, but no refugees returned to Myanmar, where authorities were waiting to receive them.  U Myint Thu, permanent secretary of Foreign Affairs, told a press conference in Nay Pyi Taw the Bangladesh government had failed to abide by the agreement on repatriation, and those who were on the repatriation list were not informed. “Bangladesh failed to make the arrangements to which both countries agreed. The Myanmar side followed the arrangements,” he said.

More Southeast Asian Dam Disasters Likely Unless Funders Ensure Higher Standards – Radio Free Asia The Lao dam disaster in July that resulted in heavy flooding in two provinces that left at least 40 people dead and displaced 7,000 others has drawn both regional and international attention to the potential dangers of Southeast Asia’s current dam-building spree. With plans for 11 large dams either proposed or under construction on the mainstream of the lower Mekong River in Laos and Cambodia, and for about 140 dams on Mekong tributaries in Laos, more disasters are likely to occur, experts say.

Is the Philippines’ Pro-China Policy Working? – The Diplomat There are mixed views on whether and to what extent the country has achieved a truly independent foreign policy, yet one can credit the Duterte administration for its audacity. The Philippines’ relationship with China — even given the territorial disputes — could still be a fruitful one, economically. One question, however, is whether this approach has necessarily yielded more economic benefits for the country.

Indonesia’s campaign for centrist Islam goes global – East Asia Forum Ma’ruf Amin is vice-presidential running mate for incumbent President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo in the 2019 presidential election. While Amin was a surprise choice, his ideas on the role of Islam in Indonesia are proving to be a potential vote-getter. Amin’s value for Jokowi is not his personality per se, but what he symbolises or represents. The coming together of the duo reflects the symbiosis of the two main streams of Indonesian politics — nationalism as manifested in Jokowi and Islam in Amin.

Related: Indonesia’s 2019 Election: Food (Prices) for Thought – East Asia Forum

Indonesia’s opposition wants to review China-led rail project – Nikkei Asian Review If the opposition wins Indonesia’s presidential election next year, it will review the Chinese-led construction of a high-speed rail line and may cancel the project, vice presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno told reporters on Thursday. The rail line connecting Jakarta and the city of Bandung is a signature policy for President Joko Widodo. But construction has been beset by delays and rising costs amid difficulties in land acquisition.

Vietnam’s New Bamboo Airways Can Finally Take Off – Investvine Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport on November 12 officially granted an aviation business license to Bamboo Airways, the latest airline in the country to take to the skies. The airline now plans to make its maiden flight before the end of this year.The license was granted after a long wait. Bamboo Airways was founded by Vietnamese private firm FLC Group, a property conglomerate owned by Trinh Van Quyet, one of Vietnam’s richest men, in mid-2017 with a starting capital of $30 million, which it increased to around $55 million recently.

A lost history: how the Great War shaped Southeast Asia’s century – Southeast Asia Times World War I introduced nations around the world to deadlier weapons, bloody battles and each other. Though Southeast Asia was left relatively unscathed by the war, which ended 100 years ago this month, the reverberations of the conflict were felt in the region for decades

EXSE FOCUS

Cambodia’s Hun Sen Denies Plan to Free Opposition Leader Kem Sokha – Radio Free Asia Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen denied on Wednesday he has plans to free opposition leader Kem Sokha, rejecting comments made on Facebook by former opposition chief Sam Rainsy, who said the move will be made in December. “No, I won’t release him,” Hun Sen said, addressing a gathering of hundreds of workers in southwestern Cambodia’s Takeo province and adding that the former opposition leader, now living in exile in France, believes Kem Sokha will be freed in response to international pressure. Because Kem Sokha has not yet been convicted of a crime, the prime minister has no power to apply to Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni for a pardon that would free him, Hun Sen said.//Tough talk: In a separate interview Hun Sen phrased it more pointedly, saying that Sokha’s release will come when the “horse grows horns” and that Rainsy “doesn’t understand the law [and] posts only to attract ‘likes’.”

Related: Cambodian strongman Hun Sen defends promoting sons – The Straits Times

Anti-Chinese Sentiment on the Rise in Cambodia – The Diplomat When a Chinese national crashed his military number-plated SUV into a stone erected in Phnom Penh in the 1990s to celebrate Cambodian-American friendship, many commented on how it was the perfect metaphor for Cambodia in 2018. “Chinese nationals have come to invest in Cambodia, prompting so many problems to Cambodia and making the people suffer,” commented one Facebook user under a post using the #ChineseAgain! hashtag on a popular page focused on highlighting social issues.//”Loved by few, hated by many.” A curious dichotomy exists in Cambodia’s relationship with China: Cambodia’s PM Hun Sen has emphatically embraced China and welcomed its investments in the developing nation in the face of Western criticism and sanctions. However, the close political and economic ties have not translated into any public support for China and the growing number of Chinese workers and tourists in Cambodia. In particular, in cities like Sihanoukville where China has invested heavily in casinos and hotels, the local population complains of being “overrun” by the Chinese.  

Vietnam Arrests Former Deputy Minister as Part of Graft Crackdown – US News Police in Vietnam arrested a former deputy labor minister on Friday on allegations of economic mismanagement, as the communist-led government presses on with a crackdown on corruption. Le Bach Hong, a former deputy minister of labor, invalids and social affairs, and former head of Vietnam Social Security, was accused of “deliberate violations of state economic management regulations, causing serious consequences”, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement. Hong’s arrest is part an effort to widen investigations into wrongdoing at Vietnam Social Security, which runs social insurance operations, and at a bankrupt state-owned finance leasing firm, said the ministry, which is in charge of the police.//Xi through a glass darkly? While Trong is consolidating his power atop the Vietnamese government in much the same way as Xi’s anti-corruption campaign in China, the two have discernably different personalities. As opposed to Xi’s overt embrace of supreme, and possibly life-long, power in China, Trong’s persona is much more subdued and humble. While the strategy by Xi and Trong to crack down on corruption may appear to outside observers as a ploy to solidify their own hold on power, an Asian Barometer survey in 2017 suggests that there is widespread public support for their strategies: In Asia, domestic corruption was viewed as one of the biggest threats to society and future development.

Loyalists of deposed Thai PMs Yingluck, Thaksin form new political party – Asian Correspondent In a strategy to win more seats, relatives and allies of deposed Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her brother, Thaksin, have formed a new political party ahead of the general election expected to be held early next year. Yingluck and Thaksin’s nephew and niece are among the members of the new Thai Raksa Chart Party, which also comprised close aides and the younger generation of the influential clan’s political loyalists. An ex-member of parliament from the Shinawatra clan’s Puea Thai Party, Peechapol Pongpanich, will be heading the new offshoot.//The forming of the Thai Raksa Chart Party (Thai National Protection Party) can be viewed as a safeguard in case that the junta should decide to dissolve or impose restrictions on the Puea Thai Party, as next year’s elections get closer. The new party is expected to pursue largely the same policies as the Puea Thai Party.

Thai Junta Says No Need for Foreign Observers at Next Year’s Election – The Irrawaddy Thailand does not need international observers to monitor next year’s general elections, the foreign minister said on Tuesday, despite criticism from pro-democracy activists that the junta has restricted fundamental civil rights. The government has promised to hold elections between February and May after repeated delays, a contest between supporters of the military and royalist establishment and the populist political forces now led by the Puea Thai Party that was ousted by the military in a 2014 coup. Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said past elections in the Southeast Asian country have been credible.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Vietnam condemns China for weather stations on Spratlys – Asia Times Vietnam has protested against China’s recent announcement that it will erect weather stations on the disputed Spratly Islands. The Chinese government revealed last week that three islands will have weather stations built on them that will offer forecasts to fishermen operating in the South China Sea and nearby countries. In response, Le Thi Thu Hang from the Foreign Ministry in Hanoi told the press that Vietnam has a solid legal claim, including historical evidence that will allow them to assert their claim over the Spratly and Paracel Islands, the Associated Press reported.

Thailand the missing link in China’s Maritime Silk Road – Asia Times After demurring for years, Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha last week ordered national planning and security agencies to look into building a possible canal across the narrow Isthmus of Kra in the kingdom’s southern region. Indeed, the order came a month after China’s ambassador to Thailand confirmed the canal as part of his country’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Beijing’s US$1 trillion flagship project for global economic expansion. Although the BRI — including a “Maritime Silk Road” — is a logical undertaking for the most relentless economy in history, less discussed is its possible role under a concurrent security-driven policy.

Japan’s Belt and Road Balancing Act – The Diplomat There is an old saying: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Japan seems to be well aware of this adage, because it is oscillating between fellow democracies and China in order to strengthen its position in the race for influence in Asia. Japan used to be one of the most vehement critics of the Belt and Road Initiative, together with the United States, but lately its stance on the BRI seems to be changing.

Related: China and Japan’s power struggle is good news for Southeast Asia – Southeast Asia Globe

Time for Asean to drive the Indo-Pacific process: Jakarta Post writers – The Straits Times Asean is making significant progress in deliberating over the new regional Indo-Pacific architecture, but the bigger challenge is yet to come: convincing the big powers, particularly China and the United States, to come on board. Also, there is an unresolved issue with the term “Indo-Pacific”, with China harboring suspicions that it is part of a containment policy against its rise in the region and the world. The “Indo-Pacific Outlook” concept paper, drafted by Indonesia, provides the 10-member Asean the intellectual leadership to discuss the future of the wide region that is already becoming the main driving force of the global economy.

US v China: don’t mock Asia’s divisions – Europe’s no better, says Singapore’s Lee – South China Morning Post Southeast Asian countries should not be singled out for failing to take a unified stance on the escalating US-China rivalry – other regional blocs such as the European Union are grappling with mixed allegiances, too. That’s what Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Tuesday evening, just days before a summit of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) that will include its key global partners including the US and China.

Related: Commentary: The rebirth of the ASEAN miracle growth model – Channel News Asia

Brexit is bringing the UK back to Southeast Asia – East Asia Forum As the United Kingdom proceeds to leave the European Union, the Conservative Party government is busy promoting an international identity for itself under the banner of ‘Global Britain’. It is enunciating an ‘All of Asia’ policy — ostensibly to signal that London is keen to engage all countries in the wider East Asia region, big and small. Emboldened by the belief that it already has strong bilateral relations with many Southeast Asian countries, London envisions a future in which the United Kingdom makes a meaningful contribution to regional security, prosperity and development. The problem is that Southeast Asia does not yet seem to care much.

Deadly swine virus in south-west China threatens Asian neighbours – The Straits Times Animal health authorities in South-east Asia have beefed up border surveillance for African swine fever after a third outbreak of the deadly pig virus was reported in China’s south-western Yunnan province. The fast-spreading virus was found in a “backyard” operation last week in Guanfang village, within about 200km of China’s border with Myanmar and Laos and near Thailand. Some countries have taken measures at the border to control the introduction of people, animals, and products from China, said Laure Weber-Vintzel, the Bangkok-based deputy regional representative for the World Organisation for Animal Health.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Why is Asia so food insecure? – Eco-business One in nine people around the world is hungry—a total of 821 million people worldwide. But global food security is actually improving, with over 70 per cent of countries strengthening their scores in this year’s Global Food Security Index (GFSI). But only two countries from Asia-Pacific feature in the index’s top 10, with Singapore topping the list for the first time and Australia ranking sixth. At the bottom of the rankings, Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Myanmar are positioned among the world’s least food-secure countries, most of which are in Africa.

The Blue Circle completes 40-MW wind farm in Vietnam – Renewables Now Singapore-based renewables developer The Blue Circle has completed the construction of the second phase of the 40-MW Dam Nai wind farm in Vietnam’s Ninh Thuan province. Dam Nai Project Phase 2 is yet to be commissioned this month, with commercial generation scheduled to start in December. Comprising 12 turbines, this wind farm is now the largest of its kind in the Southeast Asian country as well as the firm’s first to reach completion, The Blue Circle said.

Related: Germany willing to support Vietnam in wind power development – Vietnam Plus

Cambodia to Boost Clean Energy Use — But Coal Plants Planned Too – Eco-Business Cambodia will push ahead with plans to use hydropower and coal to electrify the entire country by 2020, but solar energy will play some role, especially in remote areas, an energy ministry official said on Wednesday. The Southeast Asian nation has electrified rapidly since 2000, when only 16 percent of the population had access to power, according to the World Bank. Today, 87 percent of villages and 73 percent of households are connected to the grid, said Victor Jona, a spokesman for the department of energy at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

Related: Clean coal clean enough? – The ASEAN Post

 Stringent measures afoot to tackle air pollution – The Nation Thailand aims to reduce the health impacts from air pollution by 25 per cent by 2030, while there will be stricter monitoring of air pollution and prevention measures this year during the haze season in the North and Bangkok. Health Department director-general Dr Panpimol Wipulakorn said Thailand had pledged at a World Health Organisation conference that it would firmly place the air pollution problem on the national agenda and lower the prevalence of sickness and fatalities from pollution.

“Space data offers instant clues to cause of deadly Laos dam disaster”: Stanford Professor – The Laotian Times Bangkok-based professor Richard Meehan from Stanford University in the United States’ has been investigating the dam’s failure from Bangkok using new space technologies, according to a report published via the Blume Earthquake Engineering Center website on October 26. “The failure hypothesis goes as follows: on the first filling of the reservoir, a wave of groundwater from the main reservoir pushed southwest eventually filling the dry basin behind the saddle dam with 20 m of water,” Professor Meehan wrote.

Large hydropower dams ‘not sustainable’ in the developing world – BBC A new study says that many large-scale hydropower projects in Europe and the US have been disastrous for the environment. Dozens of these dams are being removed every year, with many considered dangerous and uneconomic. But the authors fear that the unsustainable nature of these projects has not been recognised in the developing world.

Better technologies needed for rice production – The Phnom Penh Post Rice production in the Mekong Delta needs more modern technologies and better cooperation among farmers, experts said during a conference in Can Tho city on Friday. The rate of machinery use in agriculture in the delta is higher compared to other regions in Vietnam. However, the area’s rice processing capability is only average when compared to other Asian regions, which makes it harder for Vietnamese rice to compete with other rice exporting countries, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Agro Processing and Market Development Authority.

CHINA

The Environment in China: Inside the Middle Kingdom – Asia Sentinel Given widespread concern about China’s depredations on the global environment, what is going on inside China itself in terms of environmental conservation and wildlife protection? The picture is complex, unpredictable, and perhaps without structure. It is perhaps a mosaic of competing interests and forces, some of them genuinely in favor of conservation, others more insidious.

Civil Society Space Changing, Not Shrinking: Report – ChinaFile Berthold Kuhn of Freie Universitat Berlin has published a new paper looking at “Changing Spaces for Civil Society Organisations in China.” This framework explicitly pushes back against the notion that civil society space is uniformly shrinking, instead positing that the space available is highly dependent on the individual organization and the type of work it seeks to do: Analysis based on interviews and talks with experts in China and abroad shows that advocacy-oriented organisations and those receiving foreign funding tend to face more difficulties. Larger international nonprofits with a long track-record in China, however, are seen to continuing or even expanding their activities.

Offshore wind projects hasten Asia’s renewable shift from solar – Nikkei Asian Review China is starting to build its largest offshore wind-power facility in the latest move in an accelerating shift in Asia away from solar to wind and other renewable energy sources. Work began in late October on the facility off Nanpeng Isle in China’s southern Guangdong Province. The project has a planned capacity of 400,000 kilowatts, and its developer, China General Nuclear Power Corporation, expects it to generate about 1.46 billion kilowatt hours of power annually when it goes on stream in 2020.

Is China targeting the wrong chemical in effort to cut winter smog? – China Dialogue If Beijing wants to tackle severe winter smog then it may have to adjust policies to account for formaldehyde, according to recent research. Chinese policymakers have typically thought that smog-causing particulate matter came from sulphates, prompting the government to target sulphur dioxide emissions in its ongoing crack-down on air pollution. But the new research, carried out jointly by scholars from Harvard, Tsinghua and Harbin Institute of Technology, finds air monitoring tools have confused sulphate with hydroxymethane sulphonate (HMS) – a chemical which is formed when formaldehyde and sulphur dioxide react. In other words, for years the role of formaldehyde in smog formation has been overlooked.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Illegal sand mining discovered along Đong Nai River – Vietnam News Authorised agencies of southern Bình Phước Province have discovered 15 cases of illegal sand mining so far this year along the upstream section of Đồng Nai River that flows through the province, provincial police announced on Tuesday. Authorised forces temporarily seized 11 sand exploitation boats and over 431cu.m of sand. Violators were fined over VNĐ500 million (US$21,400).

Is Hun Sen’s long-time rival really a ‘democratic alternative’? – Southeast Asia Globe Cambodia’s Interior Minister Sar Kheng has long been hailed by Western diplomats as a more liberal alternative to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s decades-long strongman rule. But with the factional heavyweight growing increasingly strident in his criticism of corruption and incompetence within the ruling party, just what has the former Khmer Rouge cadre done to deserve this reputation?

Cambodia’s Hun Sen Eases Pressure on Unions, as EU Sanctions Threat Looms – The Irrawaddy Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told his ministers to ease pressure on labor union leaders on Wednesday, after threats by the European Union to remove the Southeast Asian country’s duty-free trading access. The EU began a formal procedure last month to strip Cambodia of its “Everything but Arms (EBA)” initiative, following a July general election that returned Hun Sen to power after 33 years in office and gave his party all parliamentary seats. In a speech to 20,000 factory workers on Wednesday, Hun Sen urged his ministries of justice and labor to speed up or drop any pending court cases against union leaders.

First large-scale gold project in the Kingdom in early 2020 – The Phnom Penh Post Emerald Resources, the Australian-listed mining firm behind Cambodia’s Okvau gold project in Mondulkiri province, will start its first large-scale gold project in the Kingdom in early 2020. Ministry of Mines and Energy spokesman Yos Monirath who said this, added that the firm obtained an industrial mining licence in July and actively raised funding to develop the project. Emerald Resources, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), said in an ASX filling last Thursday that it has raised A$27 million ($19.5 million) to fund development activities at its Okvau operations.

Laos-China railway opens doors for establishment of SEZs – Vientiane Times The government’s top economic research agency has suggested that investment focus in areas which would make use of and maximise the benefits of the Laos-China railway. There is the possibility of building Special Economic Zones (SEZs) along the 409-km route of the high-speed railway, with a focus on developing industrial zones, the National Economic Research Institute (NERI) recommended in its latest survey which was revealed recently. The think tank also suggested creating a free trade zone, a logistics park, a smart city, an ecocity, and a high tech park along the under-construction railway, which is slated for operation in 2021.

Rohingya Crisis, Suu Kyi Under the Microscope at Southeast Asia Summit – The Irrawaddy The customary cordiality of Southeast Asian summits may be missing when the region’s leaders meet next week due to sharp differences over Myanmar, whose military has been accused of genocide against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is due to attend the Nov. 11-15 Singapore meeting, and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, a doyen of the group, has served notice he has lost faith in the Nobel peace laureate because of the Rohingya issue.

Newly built bridges in Kachin damaged – Myanmar Times The two seven-month-old bridges and their embankments collapsed in Kachin State allegedly due to substandard construction, a Lower House legislator told The Myanmar Times yesterday. U Larmarlay, a member of  Pyithu Hluttaw, said the two bridges are located in Hsawlaw Township. The bridges had been built by the winner of a tender called under last year’s budget for the Ministry of Security and Border Affairs, he added. “The failure of the bridges is believed to have been caused by substandard construction,” said U Larmarlay, representative of the Lisu National Development Party said.

Golden Triangle’s Drug Production Expands, Diversifies Amid Opioid Concerns – The Irrawaddy Organized crime groups are expanding and diversifying drug production in Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle amid fears the region could emerge as a hub for synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Asia Pacific counter-narcotics police met in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyitaw, on Wednesday to negotiate a new strategy to strangle the supply of chemicals used in synthetic drug production. The Golden Triangle, centered on Myanmar’s conflict-ridden north, has exported illicit drugs to the world for decades. While opium cultivation and heroin trafficking has slumped in recent years, synthetic drug manufacturing — especially methamphetamine — has soared.

REVIEWS

Dead in the Water: book charts failings of Laos’ World Bank-funded hydro dam – Southeast Asia Globe Dead in the Water delves into what lessons can be learned from the development of the World Bank-funded Nam Thuen 2 (NT2) hydropower dam in Laos. Drawing on research and analysis conducted by experts before, during and after the dam’s completion in 2010, the book highlights the systemic failures to properly address the social and environmental impacts the dam has had on local populations and ecosystems, resulting in the project being widely regarded as failing to better the lives of the people of Laos.

The many flaws and failures of the United States in the Vietnam War – The Washington Post Max Hastings’s “Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975” reads like a gripping work of fiction. The storyline is as fluid as it is riveting, and the main characters are finely delineated. Part political, part social and part oral history, the book advances that events unfolding in Vietnam after World War II constituted predominantly an Asian tragedy “upon which a US nightmare was overlaid.” Consistent with that theme, Hastings endeavors to relate the Vietnamese perspective, underscoring the roles played by leaders and combatants from both North and South. The suffering and losses endured by civilians are vividly illustrated, humanizing them to a degree few accounts have.

EXSE FOCUS

Exclusive Report: Bureaucratic Chaos Rife in Hours Before Laos Dam Burst – Radio Free Asia On the night of July 23, water poured over a saddle dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy (PNPC) hydropower project in Champassak, Laos, sweeping away homes and causing severe flooding in up to 12 villages downstream in Champassak and neighboring Attapeu province. More than 40 villagers were killed and dozens were listed as missing, in what has been described as Laos’ worst flooding in decades. The collapse of saddle dam D (one of 5 such structures at the dam complex) was not sudden. The government had been made aware that the dam was cracked earlier in the day.

Related: Collapsed Lao dam ‘was built on a sinkhole’ – Asia Times

Chinese dams ramp up Lao external debt – Nikkei Asian Review In its rush to become the “battery” of Southeast Asia, Laos is accepting more Chinese loans to build dams, ensuring the already debt-strapped country falls ever deeper into China’s pocket. The landlocked country’s latest dam project is the groundwork for the $2.1 billion Pak Lay hydropower scheme on the Mekong. It is being built by state-owned Power China Resources, a leader in dam construction, and financed with a $1.7 billion loan from China’s Export-Import Bank.//Living on borrowed money: With public debt climbing to more than 60% of GDP, Laos’ Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said earlier this year that he “is not concerned much about the burden of debt.” A recent IMF report warned that Laos’ debt will continue to climb to over 70% unless changes are made immediately.

Southeast Asia to double renewables with help of experts – Nikkei Asian Review The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will accept know-how from the International Renewable Energy Agency to advance the use of such renewable sources as solar and wind power under a memorandum of understanding signed on Tuesday. ASEAN aims to increase renewables to 23% of its energy mix by 2025 from 12.4% as of 2016. IRENA will dispense advice on system design and overcoming technological challenges, for example, toward the end of setting up large-scale green power facilities as the region works to reduce its dependence on environmentally unfriendly coal.//Projections by IRENA indicate that employment opportunities created by renewable energy technologies will triple by 2030, from 611,000 in 2016 to around 2 million jobs. A majority of these jobs will be connected to solar power, liquid biofuel, and hydropower.

Wind, Sun to Strand $60 Billion of Coal Assets in Southeast Asia – Bloomberg Keep pouring money into coal-fired plants and it won’t be just the fuel that’s getting burned. As much as $60 billion of coal power assets may be stranded in the next decade across Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, according to a new study by Carbon Tracker, which cited tighter environmental policies and competition from cheaper renewable energy. That analysis is aimed to caution those contemplating new coal plants.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

‘Xi pushing further Preah Sihanouk investment’ – Phnom Penh Post As China continues to invest in Preah Sihanouk province, despite fears raised by residents over the recent influx of its nationals, an official from the Asian giant on Monday said President Xi Jinping is pushing for further investment in the coastal area. Preah Sihanouk has seen huge growth in the manufacturing, tourism and gambling sectors, and a local real estate agency director said further investment in manufacturing would “help transform Cambodia from an agricultural to an industrialised nation”.

Japan joins to shape China’s Belt and Road – East Asia Forum On the first state visit to China by a Japanese leader in 11 years, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Xi Jinping announced 50 joint infrastructure projects. This embrace of joint infrastructure investment cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative in all but name is on a scale even larger than was anticipated before Abe’s arrival in Beijing. There was also a raft of other announcements that will help normalise the political relationship between the two Asian giants that share one of the largest economic relationships in the world. But the most consequential of those could be the joint investment in infrastructure projects.

What does Chinese ‘reciprocity’ mean for Mekong’s dams? – The Third Pole It is now two and a half years since the first Lancang Mekong Cooperation (LMC) leaders’ summit was held in Sanya city on Hainan Island, China. The aim of the LMC – a China led multilateral body involving all six Mekong countries – is to deepen economic, cultural and political ties between China and mainland Southeast Asia. Leaders have repeatedly declared the importance of the Lancang-Mekong River to this cooperation. Reflecting this, on 1-2 November, the LMC will host the “1st Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Forum” in Kunming, China.

Philippines hints at compromise on South China Sea dispute pact – Nikkei Asian Review The Philippines on Monday said a set of rules intended to prevent conflict in the South China Sea need not legally compel countries to follow it — an issue of importance for the Chinese government. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. raised this possibility during a joint news conference with Wang Yi, his Chinese counterpart, in Davao City where they held bilateral talks to firm up preparations for President Xi Jinping’s visit to Manila next month.

The New US Hard Line Toward China Is Worrying Southeast Asia – The Diplomat Analysts are feverishly debating whether the United States and China are on the brink of a modern version of their own “Cold War.” It is of course too early to tell and there are many reasons why that may not happen. But the “soft war” for the hearts and minds of Southeast Asian countries is clearly intensifying and the United States has suffered some recent setbacks.

Related: ASEAN — finding middle path in the US-China conflict – Nikkei Asian Review

China-Vietnam Joint Patrols in the Spotlight – The Diplomat Last week, China and Vietnam held another iteration of a joint patrol around the Gulf of Tonkin. The patrol spotlighted an ongoing activity that both sides have continued to develop in spite of the lingering differences they have, including in the maritime realm. Vietnam and China have long managed a relationship that has been fraught with challenges even amid the opportunities it offers.

Myanmar, Thailand to Jointly Upgrade Highway from Border to Dawei SEZ – The Irrawaddy Myanmar and Thailand signed an agreement to jointly upgrade a highway linking the Thai-Myanmar border with the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a USD8 billion project that includes a deep seaport. The project in southern Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region is set to be Southeast Asia’s largest industrial complex. Under the Record of Discussion (ROD) agreement inked on Thursday, the Ministry of Construction will allow Thailand’s Neighboring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA) to conduct survey and design work in preparation for upgrading the two-lane highway. The route will connect the border crossing point at Htee Kee to the SEZ via Myittar.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Combating climate change through industrial efficiency – Khmer Times The TEST programme, which aims to fight the effects of climate change by helping corporations adopt efficient and environmentally friendly processes, was launched yesterday in Phnom Penh. ‘TEST’ stands for ‘transfer of environmentally sound technology’. The project, set to run for four years between 2018 and 2021, is a collaboration between the United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft and the Ministry of Environment. With a budget of $1.8 million, TEST aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 500,000 tonnes through more efficient energy consumption, innovation, technology transfers and environmental management.

Việt Nam pledges to contribute to Paris Climate Agreement – Vietnam News Việt Nam had set itself ambitious climate targets to contribute to the global Paris Climate Agreement it ratified in 2016. Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Lê Công Thành made the statement on Tuesday at a workshop themed the “Creation of an Overarching Framework for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) in Việt Nam.” “The NAMA project is vital for us to formulate these targets and respective policies and prepare for their implementation. Continued support has enabled us to strengthen Việt Nam’s position in international climate policy,” said Thành.

Banks race to fund green energy projects – Vietnam News Commercial banks are rushing to provide loans for green energy projects amid a wave of investment in the growing industry, dubbed a landmark for the country’s renewable energy outlook. Vietcombank has recently approved a VNĐ785 billion (US$33.55 million) loan for the BP Solar 1 project, which has total investment capital of VNĐ1.2 trillion with designed output of 46MW in the south central coast province of Ninh Thuận.

Related: Socio-Economic Benefits of a Sustainable Energy Future in Southeast Asia – Modern Diplomacy

Thailand paves the way for renewables – The ASEAN Post Similar to many other growing Southeast Asian countries, Thailand is facing an increase in energy demand. According to the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), energy demand in Southeast Asia in 2040 is expected to increase between 110- to 130 percent. Meanwhile, due to Thailand’s good economic performance and population growth, energy demand is forecasted to rise by almost 80 percent in the next 20 years. Data from the Ministry of Energy shows that Thailand has about four or five years left before it runs out of either oil or natural gas. To overcome a crisis in its energy sector, Thailand has developed a plan to diversify its energy mix.

Jinko Solar: ‘solar is going to become the new primary energy in the world’ – Southeast Asia Globe China-based Jinko Solar is the largest solar panel manufacturer in the world. The company is supplying solar panels for the huge Dau Tieng solar plant in Vietnam, and also recently came to an agreement with SchneiTec to build a 60MW solar plant in Cambodia.

CHINA

Through the looking glass: the institutions behind Chinese aid – East Asia Forum In the last two decades, China has emerged from its position as a net aid recipient to become one of the world’s ten largest providers of development assistance. In OECD-DAC Official Development Assistance (ODA) comparable flows, China ranked seventh in 2016. How China delivers aid is subject to speculation and critique, not least because of the perceived opaqueness of China’s aid system. Chinese observers also criticise its lack of transparency. They do not attribute this opaqueness to deliberate secrecy but to the system’s complexity and fragmentation.

A circular economy could save China five trillion dollars – China Dialogue China could see big improvements in air quality, a reduction in carbon emissions and huge savings for business and households worth 32 trillion yuan (US$5.1 trillion) by 2030 if it moved to a circular economy, according to a recent report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. As China’s economy grows people are consuming a lot more. In urban areas, the amount people spent increased four times in real terms from 1995-2014 to about 17,000 yuan (US$2,700) a year, says the report. This will grow even more as rapid urbanisation continues.

Chinese officials call for objective reporting of BRI – The Straits Times The press should present a truthful, objective and multifaceted picture of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), top Chinese officials stressed yesterday at an annual gathering of international media organisations here. Beijing also called on news outlets to adhere to the “correct and objective reporting direction” of the Chinese-initiated, globe-spanning infrastructure building initiative, even as top editors from various news agencies said there needs to be more localisation and better management of individual BRI projects.//Many of the negative stories have come out of neighboring Southeast Asia, where governments are becoming wary of adopting BRI projects due to fears of incurring debt and losing sovereignty to China. This points to the importance of winning the hearts and minds of your partners, rather than merely showering them with dollars and renminbi.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Thailand to fully lift ban on political activities by December – Asian Correspondent Political activities will no longer be banned in Thailand by December following four years of strict military rule, ahead of the kingdom’s general election next year. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said made the major announcement on Tuesday, reversing a strict ban imposed since the 2014 military coup that removed the civilian government under then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The removal of the ban also comes after the government relaxed some restrictions last month to allow political parties to begin organising ahead of the polls due before May next year.

Thailand’s post-coup foreign policy – The Diplomat Thailand’s foreign policy in the aftermath of the 2014 coup has been based on bamboo diplomacy, whereby it befriends undemocratic states in Asia to reduce its dependency on Western governments. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is continuing to seek political recognition from Thailand’s partners, both in Southeast Asia and further abroad. His desperation has contributed to foreign policy based primarily on appeasement and compliance.

Cambodian Villagers Say Authorities Failed to Honor Promises For Flood Relief – Radio Free Asia Nearly 100 families in two communes affected by flooding from the reservoir of the controversial Lower Sesan 2 mega-dam in northeastern Cambodia’s Stung Treng province said Tuesday that authorities have failed to honor promises they made to rebuild their submerged communities and provide much-needed supplies and services. Forty-seven families in Kbal Romeas commune and 50 in Sre Kor commune, who refused to relocate for the hydropower project, have turned down compensation from the joint venture that built Cambodia’s largest dam on the Sesan River, a major tributary of the Mekong River, after the facility went online in November 2017 and submerged their homes.

Cambodia’s King Sihamoni Transfers Court Officials in ‘Reshuffle’ – Radio Free Asia Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni has moved almost 60 court officials, judges, and prosecutors to new posts across the country in a move welcomed by NGOs and legal experts, who said that more still needs to be done to restore judicial independence in the autocratic Southeast Asian state. The transfers were enacted by royal decrees signed by the king on Oct. 27 in his role as head of Cambodia’s Supreme Council of Magistracy, Cambodian media said on Tuesday. Aimed at reducing corruption in the country’s judicial system, the transfers—a “routine procedure” authorized every four years—still fall short of reforms needed to ensure fair and honest dealings in the courts, one rights activist told RFA’s Khmer Service.

Asian MPs urge halt to Rohingya repatriation plan amid safety fears – The Straits Times Myanmar is not safe enough for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in camps in Bangladesh, said Asian parliamentarians on Friday (Nov 2), urging both governments to halt plans for repatriation scheduled to begin this month. More than 700,000 Rohingya people crossed into Bangladesh in the four months after deadly attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in August 2017, which were followed by military operations that the United Nations said targeted civilians. Myanmar has denied most of the allegations.

Related: Bangladesh, Myanmar to Begin Repatriating Rohingya in November – Radio Free Asia

Displaced villagers in Myanmar at odds with UK charity over land conservation – The Guardian A British conservation charity has become embroiled in a row with villagers displaced by civil war in Myanmar over plans to protect pristine forests housing wild Asian elephants, tigers and sun bears. Fauna and Flora International (FFI) is helping to finance the $21m (£15.8m) ridge to reef project, which is led by the UN’s development programme and aims to protect up to 800,000 acres of the country’s south-eastern Tanintharyi region from threats like poachers, loggers and palm oil companies. But the project faces widespread opposition from ethnically Karen people who depend on the forests for their livelihoods.

Related: ‘We feel like hermit crabs’: Myanmar’s climate dispossessed – The Guardian

Myanmar Fails to Advance in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business List – The Irrawaddy Myanmar showed no improvement in its overall ranking in the World Bank’s latest ease of doing business index, retaining the No. 171 spot it held last year—and remaining the least favorable ASEAN member country in which to conduct business. Illustrating the ambitious nature of the government’s goal of reaching the top 100 by 2020, Myanmar ranked 171st out of 190 economies (tied with Iraq) on the World Bank’s 2019 index in terms of overall ease of doing business. To compare Myanmar’s performance with its ASEAN neighbors, Laos ranked 154th, the Philippines 124th, Cambodia 138th, Indonesia 73rd, Thailand 27th and Malaysia 15th.

Related: Myanmar Presents Plan To Attract Over $200 Billion In Foreign Investment – Investvine

Philippines: Most dangerous place for journalists in Asia – The Straits Times The Philippines was the most dangerous country in Asia for journalists last year. It has been that way in recent years, and it is unlikely to change soon, especially with a government targeting journalists criticising its policies. Four journalists were killed there last year. That brought to nine the number of journalists killed since President Rodrigo Duterte was sworn into office in June 2016.

The Complex Interdependence of China’s BRI in the Philippines – Brink Asia Since the Belt and Road Initiative came into being, most analyses have largely focused on infrastructure development. The BRI not only has the potential to impact a host government’s socioeconomic agenda, but also its overall bilateral relationship with China. The case of the Philippines demonstrates that to examine the progress of the BRI, it is imperative that it not only be measured through hard infrastructure, but also against the four other major areas of cooperation—policy coordination, trade and investment facilitation, financial coordination and integration, and people‐to‐people ties and connectivity.

First Formula 1 Race In Hanoi Starts With 2020 Season  – Investvine Vietnam’s capital Hanoi will start hosting Formula 1 races by April 2020, the Hanoi People’s Committee said on November 1 in a statement. That way, Vietnam is becoming the third Southeast Asian nation – after Singapore and Malaysia – to welcome the F1 racing circus as the franchise seeks to move into new markets. The circuit set to be unveiled at a gala next week.

EXSE FOCUS

New Vietnam President Nguyen Phu Trong sworn in after 99.8% vote – Straits Times Vietnam lawmakers on Tuesday (Oct 23) elected as president, Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, the only candidate on the ballot, making him the most powerful man in the country where consensus leadership has traditionally kept strongman rule in check. Trong was ushered into his new role as head of state with 99.8 per cent of the vote from Vietnam’s Parliament members a month after former president Tran Dai Quang died at age 61after a prolonged illness. Though the president’s role is seen as largely ceremonial, 74-year-old Trong will maintain his position as party head – the first person to hold both roles since revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh in the late 1960s.//Internationally, the role as President carries greater weight than at home as it will give Trong increased access to heads of state, and allow him to shape Vietnam’s economic and foreign policy. His appointment has drawn comparisons to Xi Jinping’s growing power in China, which is not entirely without warrant, especially considering Trong’s power move in 2016 when he ousted former PM Nguyen Tan Dung from politics.

Singapore Launches Agency to Broker Asian Infrastructure Deals – Jakarta Globe Singapore has launched a government agency on Tuesday to support infrastructure projects across Asia, which need billions of dollars in funding, and make them more appealing to financial institutions and private investors. The global financial hub’s decision to position itself as a broker for regional infrastructure investment came in after China ramped up efforts to fund and build transport and trade links in dozens of countries as part of its Belt-and-Road Initiative. Flagged earlier this year, Singapore’s Infrastructure Asia agency will be led by its central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and Enterprise Singapore, an arm of the trade ministry.

Hun Sen: Claim that China is ‘invading’ Kingdom is crazy – The Nation Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday slammed critics over claims that China is “invading” Cambodia, calling the argument “crazy”. Speaking to members of Cambodian diaspora in Geneva, Switzerland, Hun Sen said some people were concerned about the influx of Chinese nationals who live and work in the Kingdom, particularly in Preah Sihanouk province. He argued that the Chinese are in Cambodia to “fill the gap in the Kingdom’s construction labour market”.//Place your bets: Invasion or no invasion, Chinese money is transforming large parts of Cambodia, in particular the once-sleepy beach town of Sihanoukville. In the last year alone, the city saw $1.1 billion worth of Chinese investments, much of it in the form of flashy casinos, restaurants, and hotels to serve the rising number of Chinese arrivals. Some estimate that Chinese make up around 20% of the city’s population.

ASEAN: Shaping the Future of Regional Development in Southeast Asia – Asia Foundation Development cooperation is taking on new geopolitical significance. Earlier this month, the U.S. Congress passed legislation create the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, which is intended to help stimulate private-sector infrastructure investment in the developing world. Asia is one of the primary targets for this new institution, which will have $60 billion in new assistance funds. Also this month, Japanese Prime Minister Abe hosted the leaders of Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, announcing a major new infrastructure initiative focused on Southeast Asia.

                Related: Dynamics of cooperation mechanisms in the Mekong – Khmer Times

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Cambodia Strengthens Tourism Cooperation With Thailand, Vietnam – Investvine Cambodia will further strengthen its tourism sector cooperation with Thailand and Vietnam as the country seeks to attract ten million international tourists in 2025 and up to 15 million in 2030. These numbers should be reached from 5.6 million international tourists last year, which translated in earnings of $3.6 billion or 12 per cent of the country’s GDP. With Thailand, Cambodia will facilitate travel, improve the visa process and border crossings, promote the potential for reciprocal tourism, single-visa use and participation in tourism exhibitions. Cambodia Association of Travel Agents president Chhay Sivlin said strengthening cooperation with Thailand was “critical” for the sector.

ASEAN business is not keeping up with digital transformation – Asian Correspondent Digital transformation is something that every board in every region, including ASEAN, is prioritizing. It moved from being a key differentiator to an enabler (of innovation) sometime last year, and is now something that is purely driven by customer demand and market forces. Fail to transform and you’ll lose your customers. However, the question is, are businesses in ASEAN prepared to digitally transform? It doesn’t seem like it according to a new study published by Cisco.

China, Myanmar look into railway project linking Muse to Mandalay – South China Morning Post Two state-owned companies, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group and Myanmar Railways, signed an agreement on Monday to begin the study on a proposed rail line from Muse to Mandalay. Muse – a town in Myanmar’s northeastern Shan state that borders Yunnan province in southwest China – is the biggest land route for trade between the two nations, while railway service to central Mandalay could create a transport lifeline for the country’s north. The route was first proposed under a high-speed railway deal signed in 2011, but the Myanmese government suspended the project three years later, citing public objections.//All aboard: While the West has been re-imposing sanctions on Myanmar for its human rights abuses, China is taking advantage of the vacuum by increasing its investments in the country. Pipelines for oil and gas have already been built from the coast near Kyaukpyu to Yunnan, and an MoU was recently signed for the construction of a new port at Kyaukpyu.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

How UK universities are building flood resilience in Vietnam and Peru – Environment Journal A major study from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently warned the world is on the brink of a climate disaster unless global warming stays under 1.5%. In many countries, the catastrophic effects of climate change are already acutely felt. To help understand these effects, the UK has partnered with Vietnam and Peru on the Newton Fund, which is a Government programme that links the UK up with 17 countries around the world, acting as a bridge between universities who can share scientific knowledge and expertise around environmental issues.

In pursuit of a paradigm shift in development – Khmer Times Development is not only about economic growth – mainly measured in the form of GDP – but increasingly also the need to enhance social justice, social welfare, and environmental protection. Now it is a paradigm shift in development strategy, from a traditional linear economy to a circular economy and sustainable development. Asian countries have experienced remarkable economic development over the past five decades. Hundreds of millions of people have managed to escape from poverty. The living standard has been improved significantly. However, the quality of life, measured in terms of happiness and social values, is in decline.

Milestone solar deal reached – Khmer Times Shanghai-based Jinko Solar, one of the world’s leading solar module manufacturers, will participate in the construction of what will become the Kingdom’s largest solar plant by supplying more than 200,000 solar modules to local firm SchneiTec Group. The 60-megawatt solar plant will be raised in Kampong Speu province. New York Stock Exchange-listed Jinko Solar announced Tuesday the signing of the deal with SchneiTec Group.

Modern slavery and climate change are in a vicious cycle of degradation, according to experts – Phys.org The relationship between climate change, environmental degradation and modern slavery needs to be better understood in order for the interconnected crisis to be tackled, according to a new report. The report, which is released today by experts from the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab, Royal Holloway University of London and the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC), critically reviews what is currently known about the relationship and assesses the academic research that has already been done.

World hunger has risen for three straight years, and climate change is a cause – The Third Pole World hunger has risen for a third consecutive year, according to the United Nations’ annual food security report. The total number of people who face chronic food deprivation has increased by 15 million since 2016. Some 821 million people now face food insecurity, raising numbers to the same level as almost a decade ago. The situation is worsening in South America, Central Asia and most regions of Africa, the report shows. It also spotlights a troubling rise in anemia among women of reproductive age. One in 3 women worldwide are affected, with health and developmental consequences for them and their children.

Impact of renewable energy on rural health – The ASEAN Post Renewable energy is set to change the energy landscape of the region and its benefits are plentiful. The regional goal is to ensure 23 percent of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) primary energy mix is made up of renewable energy by 2025. However, many of those living in Southeast Asia’s remote villages are still reliant on traditional biomass like firewood for heating and age-old diesel generators for intermittent electricity supply. Hence, the solution has to, in effect, accomplish two things – provide rural areas with access to electricity and alternative energy, whilst ensuring the environment isn’t harmed. In doing so, rural villages enjoy the health benefits that accompany their use of renewables.

CHINA

China struggles to end coal habit despite climate pledges – Aljazeera China’s appetite for coal is rising again despite a surge of investment in alternative energies, limits on coal use, and the establishment of “no-coal zones” throughout the country designed to help it meet climate pledges. “China embarked on an energy transformation in terms of cutting coal and developing renewables, but we are now facing difficulties on both fronts,” Li Shuo, senior climate adviser with Greenpeace, told the Reuters news agency. Though some studies have suggested China’s total climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions peaked at 9.53 gigatonnes in 2013, well ahead of its official target of “around 2030”, the environmental group said they could reach a new high this year or next.

Melting glacier in China draws tourists, climate worries – Phys.org The loud crack rang out from the fog above the Baishui No. 1 Glacier as a stone shard careened down the ice, flying past Chen Yanjun as he operated a GPS device. More projectiles were tumbling down the hulk of ice that scientists say is one of the world’s fastest melting glaciers. “We should go,” said the 30-year-old geologist. “The first rule is safety.” Chen hiked away and onto a barren landscape once buried beneath the glacier. Now there is exposed rock littered with oxygen tanks discarded by tourists visiting the 15,000-foot (4,570-meter) -high blanket of ice in southern China. Millions of people each year are drawn to Baishui’s frosty beauty on the southeastern edge of the Third Pole—a region in Central Asia with the world’s third largest store of ice after Antarctica and Greenland that’s roughly the size of Texas and New Mexico combined.

China’s action on air quality is saving lives – Eco-business Air quality in China has substantially improved over the last three years with a 20 per cent reduction in small particulates, the most dangerous form of pollution that has been causing more than one million deaths a year. The figures show that Chinese government policies designed to improve air quality are working, and that life expectancy in the country will increase as a result. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters by the University of Leeds in England, is based on air quality readings taken at 1,600 locations in China from 2015 to 2017.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Coup warning by new army chief casts cloud over Thai election – Asia Times The new commander-in-chief of the Thai army has warned in a veiled threat that he may unleash a coup if people “create riots” over the results of next February’s promised election. The polls are expected to be won by allies of the current military regime, itself installed by a putsch four and a half years ago, but a surprise victory could be achieved by their civilian enemies. Army Commander-in-Chief General Apirat Kongsompong’s remarks coincided with the first visit to Thailand by Admiral Phil Davidson, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command.

For VN firms, ready or not, here the CPTPP comes – Vietnam News Most Vietnamese enterprises are unprepared to take advantage of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a senior trade official has said. Speaking at a meeting titled “CPTPP: Opportunities and Challenges for Việt Nam” on Thursday in HCM City, Phạm Quỳnh Mai, deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Multilateral Trade Policy Department, said with its supporting industries remaining weak and rules of origin being strict in many countries, it is difficult for Vietnamese exporters to fully capitalise on the CPTPP. However, the clothing and leather and textile sectors, among others, would see the biggest growth under CPTPP, she said.

Nghệ An to scrap hydropower projects – Vietnam News Local authorities in central Nghệ An Province have decided to stop granting licences to new hydropower projects in the province, highlighting the damage caused by the plants. During rainy season, water discharged from the plants along with flooding from upstream inundate a number of areas, causing landslides, sweeping away homes and bridges, and damaging roads. Local residents have complained about the issue and proposed authorised agencies stop granting licences to hydropower projects.

Related: Vietnam’s southern provinces want environmentally-friendly LNG power, not coal power – Vietnam News

Viet Nam signs deal with EU to fight illegal logging – Vietnam News Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc witnessed the signing of the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) between Việt Nam and the European Union which aims to fight illegal logging, in Brussels yesterday on the sidelines of the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit. The core of the deal is the Việt Nam Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS), which ensures that wood and timber products exported from Việt Nam to the EU have legal origins.

Why Cambodia’s Poverty Statistics Dispute Matters – The Diplomat How many Cambodians are living in poverty? According to the government’s figures, using income as the only indicator, poverty stands at 13.5 percent, a considerable feat given that it was in the realm of 40 percent only two decades ago. However, at the end of September, another figure was put forward in an annual report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. This figure, which took into consideration health, education, and living standards – as well as income – put Cambodia’s poverty rate at 35 percent.

Investigator: Dam Project Killing Dolphins, Hurting Fishing and Tourism Industries – Radio Free Asia A member of Cambodia’s Supreme Council for Recommendations on Wednesday told RFA’s Khmer Service that local authorities are utilizing legal loopholes to avoid adhering to regulations that would protect the biodiversity of the Mekong River. Kong Monika led the Council’s team in investigating the impact of the Don Sahong Dam, currently under construction near the Laos-Cambodia border. He said the purpose of the investigation was to find out if the endangered freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins are being protected according to the laws of Kratie and Stung Treng provinces. Monika said that authorities are doing nothing to restrict illegal fishing during times when the activity is supposed to be banned. He also highlighted how illegal fishing nets are killing the dolphins and other marine animals.

Minister pushes for energy efficiency – Khmer Times Environment Minister Say Samal yesterday urged people to use energy more efficiently and enjoy benefits such as lower costs and a greener environment. Mr Samal, who is also chairman of the National Council for Sustainable Development, told participants at a conference on improving energy efficiency in Cambodia that more information on climate change should also be disseminated. He noted that promoting energy efficiency is one of the main drivers of sustainable economic development.

Govt needs over 6 trillion kip for flood recovery – Vientiane Times The government estimates it will need at least 6 trillion kip to recover from the damage done by floods around the country this year, with the greatest need being in the transport and agriculture sectors. The recovery effort will take place in the short, medium and long term with a focus on the social, productive and infrastructure sectors and crosscutting issues. The findings were reported at a meeting held on Tuesday to assess Post Disaster Needs, with the aim of preparing a report to submit to the Round Table Meeting next month.

Related: Govt presses for progress in dam collapse enquiry – Vientiane Times

In Laos, a World Bank ‘model’ dam and the myth of sustainable hydropower – Devex  It wasn’t a flood. It was a tsunami, Premrudee Daorung said of the wall of water that tore through the forests of Laos’ Attapeu province, snapping timber like matchsticks and flattening entire villages. The July collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy saddle dam in southern Laos and the widespread disaster that followed made international headlines. But Premrudee, coordinator of the Lao Dam Investment Monitor — along with several other development and water experts — says many other mega-hydropower projects in Laos are little more than quiet, slow-moving disasters.

Myanmar’s ‘Genocidal Acts’ Demand UN Action – The Diplomat At a dramatic meeting of the United Nations Security Council on October 24, the anniversary of the founding of the UN in 1945, the chair of a special independent investigative commission on Myanmar starkly outlined a campaign of atrocities by the government’s security forces against the country’s Rohingya Muslims. Marzuki Darusman, the chairperson of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (FFM) that the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva set up last year, briefed council members on the “human rights catastrophe” faced by the Rohingya from military “clearance operations” in northern Rakhine State beginning in August 2017. He detailed his mission’s comprehensive documentation of murder, mass rape, enforced disappearance, arson, looting, torture, and “large-scale massacres including of women, children, and elderly,” among other brutalities.

The shifting landscape of Myanmar’s politics – The ASEAN Post Ever since the military-backed government of Myanmar embarked on a series of political reforms back in 2011, the country’s political landscape has never been the same. The political reforms carried out by Myanmar’s then government included the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, general amnesties for more than 200 political prisoners and many others. The culmination of such reforms was seen in 2015 when the country held its first openly contested elections since 1990. There were also general elections held in 2010, however that election was widely discredited as fraudulent.

Myanmar government readies additional supply of electricity to meet demand – Myanmar Times Arrangements have been made to prepare sufficient electricity to meet rising demand next year, according to the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE). The rate of increase in electricity consumption typically rises by 15 percent per year on average. This fiscal year though, demand is expected to increase by 19pc. As such, the MOEE is aiming to raise supply to 3700 megawatts during the period, from 3400MW this year.

Indonesia To Review China’s Belt And Road Projects If Prabowo Beats Widodo In Presidential Election – South China Morning Post Infrastructure projects Indonesia signed up to as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative are likely to be reviewed if former general Prabowo Subianto wins next year’s presidential election, his brother and campaign leader has said. “Indonesia and China have a good relationship, but I think there are certain [belt and road] projects that we want to look at,” Hashim Djojohadikusumo said of China’s ambitious infrastructure investment plan, after a recent media briefing for foreign correspondents. “I’m sure there are some projects that are very good, and I’m sure some projects are not necessary.” Djojohadikusumo, a wealthy businessman, is helping to fund his older brother’s bid to lead Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, just like he did in 2014, when Prabowo lost to current president Joko Widodo.

EXSE FOCUS

Army chief’s refusal to rule out another coup draws ire – Bangkok Post New army chief Gen Apirat Kongsompong is the focus of attacks by key Pheu Thai Party members after his controversial statement that he could not rule out another coup after the promised general election. He said if the political situation warranted it, with renewed rioting and unrest, he could not rule out another military coup. Outspoken Pheu Thai member Watna Muangsook branded the army chief an “authoritarian” who sees himself as being above the law by virtue of his position.//18 and counting: Since Thailand adopted a constitutional monarchy in 1932 it has seen 18 coups by its armed forces. General Apirat is no stranger to coups himself. He played a key role in the 2014 coup that installed Prayuth in power, and he lead the suppression of the 2009 deadly street protests by the pro-Thaksin movement.

Is Hydropower the Answer for Southeast Asia? – American Security Project The Mekong is ingrained in the identity of the diverse groups of people who utilize it because of the food resources and economic stability it provides. In addition to its value for livelihoods, it has often been regarded as a potential resource for hydropower dams. Eleven dams already exist on the Mekong mainstream and over one hundred are on its tributaries. Proposed dams would generate about 8% of the area’s power demands for 2030, but neighboring communities downstream have already experienced negative externalities from existing ones. Plans for another dam, Sambor, which would be the largest dam on the Mekong, has raised new concerns.

Related: The road is clear for solar energy in Cambodia, says UNDP director – Southeast Asia Globe

Southeast Asian power plants fail to meet UN carbon targets designed to combat global warming – South China Morning Post Almost 84 per cent of Southeast Asia’s planned and existing fossil fuel power plants are incompatible with future scenarios that avoid catastrophic damage from climate change, according a new study from the University of Oxford. The report, which comes on the heels of a major United Nations-backed study of the impacts of global temperatures rising 1.5 degrees Celsius, is based on analysis of the amount of carbon expected to be emitted over the lifespan of the plants. Those estimates are then compared to how much carbon can be released without the planet reaching certain temperature-increase limits.

Is Hun Manet Cambodia’s next strongman? – East Asia Forum The perception that Hun Sen is establishing a family dynasty in Cambodia has been reinforced with the promotion of his eldest son Hun Manet to the second highest rank in the nation’s military last month. The move came after several of the military’s top leaders, including then commander in chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) General Pol Saroeun, resigned in order to stand for political office in the July general election.//Family ties: Hun Manet is not the only family member to climb the ranks of power under Hun Sen. His son-in-law Dy Vichea was appointed as deputy national police chief in January. Interior Ministry spokesperson Khieu Sopheak defended the move, saying that “there is no law that says we cannot appoint him” and compared the move to how Donald Trump made his daughter Ivanka Trump his informal advisor.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

China and ASEAN to hold joint naval exercises – Asia Times China and Southeast Asian nations will hold their first joint maritime exercises next week in a move aimed at easing tensions in the region. Despite disagreements over Beijing’s territorial ambitions, China is trying to strike a more conciliatory tone in an effort to stop a new Cold War erupting in the region. As part of this, the navies of China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, are set to hold their first joint drills, which will take place in the South China Sea.

ASEAN Appoints Cambodian Official as Deputy Secretary-General – VOA Cambodia  The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has announced it is appointing a Cambodian official, Kung Phoak, as its deputy secretary-general. Based in the headquarters of the grouping, better known as ASEAN, in Jakarta, Phoak, 36, will be in charge of assisting the current secretary-general, Lim Jock Hoi. In a statement, ASEAN said Phoak was chosen for “providing leadership” and to oversee projects that focus on forging a common identity and building a caring and sharing society.”

Cambodia accuses Vietnam of complicity in illegal cross-border logging – Mongabay Cambodia has asked Interpol to investigate Vietnam after accusing its neighbor of knowingly accepting fraudulent permits for rare, illegally logged rosewood timber for transport across their shared border. Siamese rosewood (Dalbergia cochinchinensis) is one of the most valuable species of tree in the world to timber criminals. A single cubic meter can sell for as much as $5,000 in Cambodia, although that amount goes up significantly once it’s smuggled into Vietnam or China. The potential illegal profits are tantalizing: a single, ornately carved bedpost has been known to sell for as much as $1 million in Shanghai.

Vietnamese firm offers aid to Lao dam-collapse victims – Vietnam Plus Representatives from the branch of Indo Tran Logistics Corporation of Vietnam in Laos on October 17 handed over 12,300 USD to Laos’s Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to support Lao people affected by the July dam collapse in Attapeu. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Director of the branch Nguyen Xuan Minh Tuan expressed his hope that the aid will contribute to helping Lao people stabilize their life.

Ensuring stability of Mekong nations – Phnom Penh Post Japan and five countries in the Mekong River Basin, including Thailand and Vietnam, have held a summit in Tokyo and adopted a joint statement titled “Tokyo Strategy 2018”, which outlines a three-year cooperation plan. The strategy gives priority to strengthening connections within the region, cultivation of human resources and environmental conservation. Sandwiched by China and India and located close to the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, the Mekong Basin is a strategic zone for land and maritime transportation.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Asia’s climate arsenal: are biofuels back? – Eco-business Bioenergy made up half of all renewables consumption in 2017 – four times solar PV and wind combined – and has a huge untapped potential, says the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its new annual report on renewables. Bioenergy from liquid biofuels and biogas will continue to lead growth in renewable energy consumption to 2023, due to its rising use in the heating, shipping and aviation. “Modern bioenergy is the overlooked giant of the renewable energy field,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA’s Executive Director.

Can agriculture be profitable and sustainable? – The Third Pole Hunger and poverty are global issues and two UN Sustainable Development Goals – no poverty and zero hunger – remind us of the huge task ahead. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, around 815 million people in the world are deprived of food that is required to lead a healthy life. Asia has the largest number of hungry people, roughly two-thirds of the population. 35% of children below five years of age in South Asia are stunted due to malnutrition and poor sanitation.

Renewable energy high priority for Mekong region: scientists – Vietnam News Cambodia, Laos and Việt Nam must work closer together to make the shift to using more renewable energy. VASS’s scientists and researchers gathered with their peers from the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), the Lao Academy of Social Sciences (LASS) and the Korea Environment Institute at a conference themed “Green movement for energy and water security for the Mekong region” in Quảng Ninh, Việt Nam. RAC President Eap Ponna said while a number of reserves built on the Mekong River were bringing certain benefits, the consequences on nature and communities might be unpredictable as the management of such reserves was still a new area of expertise to the region, which would require time to carefully study.

Vietnam strives to ease energy pressure – Vietnam Net Statistics show Vietnam uses a great deal of energy, with the industrial sector consuming the most at 47.3 percent of the total. The southern region faces a severe shortage of electricity as it uses up to 85 billion kWh each year compared with its production capacity of only 70 billion kWh. Nguyen Phuoc Duc, Deputy General Director of the Southern Power Corporation, said the region is expected to lack about 1.2-1.6 billion kWh each year during 2021-2022, warning the figure may climb higher. Against this backdrop, experts suggested restructuring power resources in each region and setting up a transmission connectivity system.

Calls for removal of energy obstructions – Vietnam Investment Review Last Wednesday, Hanoi hosted an event of high significance: the launch of the “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius” by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report was approved only a few days prior, and Vietnam was selected as the first country to share this important research. According to the IPCC, the event was important for Vietnam, as the country is one of the countries in the world to be hit hardest by climate change. It also remains at a slow pace in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enabling private investors to invest heavily into renewable energy (RE) projects. It is acknowledged the country can attract more of this type of investment if it removes obstructions against investors.//While Vietnam does show a commitment to renewable energy in some areas, it lags severely behind in others. The report states that Vietnam has the largest fleet of fossil fuel-fired assets in the Southeast Asian region, and almost 87% of its 314 current and planned plants are incompatible with the 1.5 degree scenario.

Related: Việt Nam committed to global green growth – Vietnam News

CHINA

Caution, Cancellations, Protests as Concerns Grow on China’s Belt and Road – VOA Cambodia Concerns about debt diplomacy on China’s expansive infrastructure megaproject — the Belt and Road — have become an increasing source of debate from Asia to Africa and the Middle East. In recent weeks, more than $30 billion in projects have been scrapped and other loans and investments are under review. Public opposition is also testing the resolve of ruling authorities from Hanoi to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, as concerns about Chinese investment build.

Related: China’s Belt and Road Hits Bumps in Laos – Foreign Policy in Focus  

China says it will ‘take care of’ debt issues of BRI projects – The Straits Times China’s vice-finance minister Zou Jiayi on Saturday (Oct 13) acknowledged debt issues with some of its Belt and Road projects, saying the government will strengthen macro supervision on the debt sustainability aspect of its overseas investments. “The debt sustainability issue of Belt and Road (projects) is a complicated issue, but we will take care of it,” Zou told a panel on the sidelines of annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in the Indonesian island of Bali.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

EU-Vietnam Trade Agreement To Eliminate 99% Of All Tariffs – Investvine The European Commission on October 17 adopted the long-planned trade and investment agreements between the European Union (EU) and Vietnam, paving the way for their signature and conclusion “as soon as possible.” The trade agreement will eliminate virtually all tariffs on goods traded between the two sides over certain time periods. Almost all machinery and appliances will be fully tariff-free at entry into force, and the rest after five years.

What Does Mattis’ Visit Reveal About US-Vietnam Defense Ties Under Trump? – The Diplomat This week, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis embarked on a visit to Vietnam. Though the headlines focused on the development itself, its significance should be understood in the broader context of U.S.-Vietnam defense ties, which have continued to deepen during the Trump administration despite lingering concerns.

Legislature to elect State President at beginning of sixth session – Vietnam Net The National Assembly (NA) will elect the State President at the beginning of the sixth session, said NA General Secretary and Chairman of the NA Office Nguyen Hanh Phuc at the NA Standing Committee’s 28th meeting on October 16. Besides the election of the State President, the scheduled agenda includes ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and related documents, a resolution on extending the pilot issuance of e-visas for foreigners entering Vietnam, and vote of confidence on Government members.

Is Cambodia ready for the post-EBA era? – Khmer Times On October 5, the EU notified Cambodia that it was initiating the temporary withdrawal procedure of its trade preferences under the Everything but Arms (EBA) scheme. For the temporary withdrawal to take effect, it requires a six-month period of monitoring followed by another six months of report-making before the European Commission makes its decision to withdraw the tariff preferences – which will require another six months to take effect once the decision is adopted. To simply put it, the EU will require at least 18 months to effectively withdraw EBA “temporarily” from Cambodia.

Related: Cambodia’s Hun Sen Aims to Dodge Trade Sanctions in Brussels Talks – Radio Free Asia

Multimillion-dollar assistance for dam collapse victims – Vientiane Times Developers of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Hydropower project have extended a multimillion dollar aid to the victims of the dam collapse for relief and recovery operations in Sanamxay, Deputy Prime Minister said this week.
The flash floods in Southern Attapeu province were caused by the collapse of an auxiliary dam of the project on July 23. The dam is being constructed by four investors – two companies from South Korea, one each from Thailand and Laos.

Country’s first solar power plant to start operations in Magwe – Myanmar Times The country’s first solar power plant will start operating in November, U Maung Maung Kyaw, chief engineer of the Electric Supply Enterprise, said.The power plant, in Minbu township, Magwe Region, is expected to produce 40 megawatts initially but will produce 170MW once fully operational, according to U Maung Maung Kyaw. “Because this is our first project, we have to carefully monitor the system for weaknesses, correct these, and then we will produce more than 40MW,” he said. The Electricity and Energy Ministry signed a public-private partnership agreement with the companies to set up plants that produce at least 150MW each in Mandalay’s Wundwin and Myingyan townships.

Statement categorically opposes dam construction in Thanlwin River – Eleven Myanmar A statement has been issued over the press conference on a documentary video titled “Let’s save the Thanlwin River for future greening held at Orchid Hotel in Yangon on Tuesday. According to the statement, China Datang Investment, Three Gorge Corporation, Sinohydro, Authority of Thailand (EGAT), local Shwe Taung Company and other local and foreign companies will invest in building dams in the river in those townships to general 16,493 megawatts of electricity. But locals and experts strongly oppose to the dam construction as it could jeopardize the lifestyles of local residents. National races living in Myanmar consider the Ayeyawady River and Thanlwin River to be their lifeblood.

Related: Photo story: A journey down Myanmar’s Chindwin River – The Third Pole

Duterte’s bloody war on drugs ‘vindicated’ by UN human rights win – Asian Correspondent The United Nations Human Rights Council will be monitoring the Philippines’ commitment to rights closely after the country won a new term on the council despite human rights groups accusing President Rodrigo Duterte of overseeing a “killing spree” as part of his war on drugs. The Southeast Asian nation won the three-year term with 165 out of 193 votes at the UN General Assembly on Friday. Rights groups were quick to criticise the move, calling it “unconscionable” given Duterte’s flagrant abuse of human rights, which Human Rights Watch believe amount to crimes against humanity.

Southeast Asia swapping opium with coffee – Geographical The infamous ‘golden triangle’, once the capital of Southeast Asia’s illegal opium trade, is in the middle of a transition. Hundreds of farmers in Myanmar and Laos are, with the help of the UN, switching from growing opium to growing coffee beans. It is hoped the new crop will be a route out of poverty for local farmers, as well as provide more stable livelihoods in the face of new, synthetic opiates.

EXSE FOCUS

Cambodia Faces Potential Economic Collapse – VOA Cambodia Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is facing economic pressure to reverse a recent crackdown on opposition groups and basic freedoms in his country. Cambodia faces an economic collapse from the slated withdrawal of crucial European Union trade preferences that will likely force its leader to walk back a prolonged political crackdown, observers and labor groups say.

Related: Cambodia calls EU trade threat ‘extreme injustice’ – Aljazeera

Beware the Thailand King’s New Power Play – The Diplomat The recent reorganization of the Privy Council of Thailand – long held as a key body serving the monarchy in Thailand – may not have been on the radar of outsiders with so many other headlines about Thailand’s wider politics as well as regional developments more generally. Yet the developments in this respect warrant attention. The king’s decision to evict old members of the Privy Council close to his late father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the stripping of the power from its president, General Prem Tinsulanonda, as well as the appointment of his close confidants as new Privy Councilors, suggests that, more than just a process, this is part of the growing aggrandizement of political power of Thailand’s new King Maha Vajiralongkorn, or King Rama X.

Related: What’s Behind the Thailand King’s Rising Security Force? – The Diplomat 

Japan and Mekong countries to boost economic cooperation – Nikkei Asian Review Japan agreed to deepen cooperation with countries in the Mekong region, as Tokyo aims to maintain its influence in Southeast Asia with more and more countries falling under the sway of China. Ahead of a Japan-Mekong summit on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held individual meetings Monday with leaders of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

7 ways to speed up Southeast Asia’s switch to renewable energy – Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis The evidence is getting harder to dispute. Clean energy can provide 100 per cent of society’s electricity needs. Current renewable energy technology is reliable 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and industries’ insistence on using coal and other polluting sources for fear of intermittency—the inability of renewable energy to ensure an uninterrupted supply—no longer has a basis. So why does Southeast Asia continue to be a global laggard in renewable energy deployment?

REGIONAL RELATIONS 

China-Thai Project Seeks to Strengthen Cooperation Mechanism on Water Power Projects – Mekong Institute The Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), the Government of the People’s Republic of China through the Embassy of P.R. China in Thailand, and Mekong Institute (MI), are signing today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a landmark project that endeavors to strengthen cooperation on hydropower projects and the mitigation of associated climate change impacts.

India-Vietnam Coast Guard Ties in the Spotlight with First Visit – The Diplomat This week, a Vietnamese coast guard vessel paid its first visit to India. While this is just one of a series of scheduled defense engagements by the two sides expected this year, it nonetheless put the spotlight on the growing security ties between the two Asian powers in general and between their two coast guards in particular.

Vietnam wants Japan to boost real estate, infrastructure investments – VN Express Vietnam has pledged to create ‘the best opportunities’ for Japan to increase investments in real estate and infrastructure. Addressing the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo that opened Tuesday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the country would provide the best opportunities via new policies for Japanese firms to invest into Vietnam’s real estate and infrastructure. He highlighted the need for building houses for manual laborers and the poor; large-scale urban planning; applying new technologies and materials for construction projects.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 

‘Unprecedented’ action needed to control climate change – Chinadialogue Restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could limit the most disastrous impacts of climate change, but doing so will require “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society,” according to a new scientific report commissioned by the United Nations.For this, the world must reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 45% by 2030 (from 2010 levels), and reach “net zero” by 2050, according to a study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Hydropower: Giving more than a dam – The ASEAN Post As Southeast Asia continues to grow at a phenomenal rate, so too does its demand for energy. This demand must be met efficiently and at low costs. One such way of achieving this is to turn to hydropower which – if the country in question is geographically blessed – is a cheaper and relatively cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), hydropower capacity in the region grew almost threefold from 16 gigawatts (GW) to 44 GW between 2000 and 2016. The major users of hydropower technology are Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) member states in the Indochinese region and the Philippines. Numbers by the World Energy Council indicate that in terms of installed capacity, Vietnam leads the way in Southeast Asia with 15,211 megawatts (MW).

Myanmar Launches First Inquiry into Agricultural Chemicals and Their Effects – The Irrawaddy The Upper House of Parliament’s agriculture committee has launched its very first parliamentary inquiry into chemicals used in agriculture and their effects on the health and quality of life of farmers, workers and consumers across the country, according to the committee chair. Myanmar’s Upper House of Parliament and chair of the Agriculture Committee, U Aung Kyi Nyunt, told The Irrawaddy, “we will [make an] inquiry into agriculture chemical products used by farmers and how they have been using the chemical products which were imported legally or illegally. We will also [investigate] the chemical residues effects on agriculture.”

Why Vietnam ranks best in world for living greener and better – Southeast Asia Globe Vietnam performed the best of 151 countries in a study that assessed quality of life versus environmental sustainability. But researchers tell Southeast Asia Globe that, despite its achievements, the best-performing nation on the list still fails to meet the sustainability demands of an increasingly dire ecological outlook

CHINA 

Chinese ODI needs to get its act together – East Asia Forum China has become one of the world’s biggest investors. The explosive growth of its outward investment is helping China connect to world business, absorb advanced technologies, upgrade its traditional industries and stimulate exports. But as China steps up its outward investment, foreign governments are also tightening their regulatory and security review regimes, making the hurdles even higher for Chinese firms looking to invest overseas.

Is the BRI a corruption magnet? – The ASEAN Post China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was intended to empower developing countries with improved infrastructure and trade relations. In the five years since it was mooted, the BRI is now being demonised as a debt-trap that ensnares poor nations into subservience to China. Another unintended consequence is its alleged connection to corruption.

Related: BRI debt trap: An unintended consequence? – The ASEAN Post

China-SE Asia’s cultural ties are as binding as economic ones – South China Morning Post Cultural exchange is just as important to ties between China and Southeast Asia as economic links and investments in technology and science, according to former United Nations under-secretary-general Noeleen Heyzer. “Building the infrastructure, economic corridors and so on won’t have the spirit of humanity if we only have the hardware of roads and rails. What is actually the pulse of the bloodline that will keep this whole thing going and sustainable is actually the cultural exchanges, people to people,” she said.

China investors still keen on Malaysia, says chamber president – Free Malaysia Today The interest of investors from China in Malaysia is still very strong despite decisions by Putrajaya to review several deals, Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce president Tan Yew Sing said today. Tan noted that in general, there were still investors from China coming to Malaysia and they were waiting for a clear signal on a more pro-business policy. “There is still a lot of investment from China, and there is a lot of interaction going on. A lot of investors from China are still here. The interest (in Malaysia) is still very strong.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Govt urged to ramp up action on greenhouse gas emissions – Bangkok Post Thailand will have to balance economic, social and environmental concerns to achieve the country’s climate change policy and related action plans, according to Phirun Saiyasitpanich, a senior official on climate policy at Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

UN ‘Apologizes’ to End Row With Cambodia Over Poverty Level Measurement – VOA Cambodia The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Cambodia has reportedly “apologized” to the Cambodian government for publishing poverty statistics almost three times as high as the official estimate. Pauline Tamesis, UN resident coordinator in Cambodia, reportedly made the apology to Chhay Than, planning minister, on Monday during a meeting.

Chinese Influx Brings Trash, High Prices to Cambodia’s Sihanoukville – Radio Free Asia A surge in Chinese investment and in the numbers of migrant workers in Cambodia’s port city of Sihanoukville has left local beaches polluted and Cambodian residents struggling to meet higher prices as the cost of living rises, Cambodian sources say. Speaking to RFA’s Khmer Service on Wednesday, Muong Sony—a youth leader in the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association—said following a recent visit that conditions in the city have declined dramatically over the last year. The presence in the city of over 100,000 Chinese nationals, many of them workers brought in from China as Chinese firms set up casinos or operate power plants and offshore oil platforms in the area, has only made matters worse, Muong Sony said.

The train of opportunities as Laos builds rail link with China – The Straits Times Laos is speeding up construction of the high speed railway link with China hoping this historic and major investment project will be completed and operational over the next two years. The railway line, from the Chinese border in the northern province of Luang Namtha to the capital Vientiane, will serve as a key link in the land transportation system between southern China and Asean.

Japan pledges 900 mil. yen for Laos bomb removal – The Mainichi Japan pledged Monday to give 900 million yen ($8 million) toward removing unexploded bombs in Laos that were scattered there during the Vietnam War and continue to threaten locals. An estimated 80 million bombs dropped by the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s remain throughout the Southeast Asian country. The project, which will run through 2020, will cover the southern provinces of Sekong, Salavan and Champasack and increase the number of unexploded ordnances that are removed yearly from 29,000 in 2017 to 35,000, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

China to hold 70% stake in Myanmar’s planned strategic seaport – The Mainichi Myanmar will hold a 30 percent stake in its strategic deep-water seaport project led by cash-rich China, giving Beijing a 70 percent interest, under their final agreement reached during recent talks between the two countries, according to a visiting senior Myanmar official.

This week’s news digest was curated by Michael De Martino Jensen/

EXSE FOCUS

ASEAN raps Myanmar for Rohingya ‘disaster’ – Bangkok Post Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have urged Myanmar to hold all those responsible for atrocities in Rakhine State fully accountable, Singapore’s foreign minister said Tuesday. At their informal meeting in New York on Sept 29, the ministers urged Myanmar to hold all those responsible for the violence in the Rakhine state “fully accountable,” Vivian Balakrishnan told parliament. //It’s about time. After a seemingly endless radio silence from ASEAN member states, this is a small step in the right direction for ASEAN centrality and the region’s ability to project a unified stance on third party issues and regional security challenges.

Related: From Hero to Pariah, Aung San Suu Kyi Dashes Hopes About Myanmar – NYT

Regime denies rumours of poll delay – Bangkok Post The government on Wednesday denied rumours that the much anticipated general election will be postponed for another two months, from Feb 24 next year to April 28. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon insisted the election is to be held on Feb 24 as previously stated, adding reports of a delay have no substance. “The majority of members of the public want an election. So, let those who think the election will be postponed do whatever they like. But [as for me], there is no reason to have the election deferred,” he said.

Western governments and philanthropists pump $20m into Southeast Asian clean energy – Eco-Business The governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom and the world’s biggest philanthropic organisations have launched a new funding platform that aims to lend a minimum of US$20 million to boost renewable energy investments in Southeast Asia, particularly in solar, wind, and storage. The funding platform aims to boost the early stage of renewable energy project developments particularly in Southeast Asia’s major coal-burning countries—Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Cementing Cambodia’s future, but at what cost? – Southeast Asia Globe As the Kingdom’s construction boom continues, the local production of cement has evolved alongside it. But potential environmental issues may prove costly. The demand for cement is propelled by the country’s continued construction boom and its reliance on concrete, of which cement is a key ingredient. Last year, the value of development projects rose year-on-year by $6.4b, or 22%, from the year before. After a slight lull in investment plans at the start of the year ahead of a July general election – internationally critiqued as a sham – the trend is likely to continue.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Japan, Mekong leaders to adopt new cooperation strategy in Oct. – The Mainichi The leaders of Japan and five Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong River, when they meet in Tokyo next month, plan to adopt a new strategy that is more relevant in the current regional and global situation. The new plan, called “Tokyo Strategy 2018 for Mekong-Japan Cooperation,” will establish three new main pillars of cooperation, diplomatic sources said. The three pillars, namely, connectivity, people, and the environment, are to be established with the aim of contributing peace, stability and prosperity to the region and beyond, the sources said.

Related: China-Japan Rivalry Intensifies in Asia’s New Growth Region – In-depth News

Mekong communities urged to organise emergency plans – The Nation A communities-led emergency response plan is being advocated to cope with water hazards and dam disasters on the entire Mekong River Basin, as climate change magnifies the threats of water disasters posed by dams.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

The West Is Missing Asia’s Coal Opportunity – East Asia Forum Western governments should look at coal as an opportunity to lift a significant proportion of the world’s population out of poverty. The region is already leading the world in plant construction. Between 2016 and 2017, for example, China commissioned more than twice as much coal-fired capacity as the rest of the world combined. Several of these are planned to go online region-wide in the coming years, creating the basis for the 100 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired capacity envisioned to be built by 2040; most are high-efficiency, low-emission (HELE) plants relying on supercritical (SC) and ultra-supercritical (USC) technologies that reach up to 50 percent net efficiency in coal combustion compared to 30 percent of standard plants.

Satellite images reveal humanity’s abusive relationship with Earth’s most precious resource – Business Insider Rivers are veins that nourish human civilization. They fill our glasses with drinking water, irrigate our fields, nurture our livestock, and generate electricity. But our reliance on these crucial waterways is rarely harmonious. “I think rivers are treated as a renewable resource when they’re really not,” John Bolten, a hydrologist and the associate program manager of water resources at NASA’s Applied Sciences Program, told Business Insider. “It’s remarkable how many people are dependent on access to clean water. If rivers are not conserved and used properly, it’s a detriment to everyone.” To keep an eye on the planet and its most precious resource, Bolten and other researchers study image data from advanced satellites that orbit Earth.

Germany commits EUR 4 million to strengthen Mekong transboundary water cooperation – Mekong River Commission The government of Germany has committed EUR four million (approximately US$ 4.6 million) to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to strengthen Mekong cross-border water cooperation. The German support aims to increase dialogue and cooperation on transboundary water resource planning and management among the lower Mekong countries – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam – who are members of the MRC.

Installation of the First Hybrid Solar/Micro-Hydro Grid Project in the Philippines is Complete – Bio Friendly Planet History has been made. The installation of the first hybrid solar/micro-hydro grid project in the Philippines is now complete! After much work, Helios Altas and its partners in the Philippines have officially set up an energy grid using the company’s proprietary Helios PowerBall™ (micro hydro generators), an array of solar panels and a bank of batteries. Representatives from Helios Altas, the local community, DA Green Power Consultancy and the Philippines National Irrigation Administration were all on hand for the launch event on August 13th, 2018.

Dak Lak’s wind power potential attracts investors – Vietnam Plus Tens of Vietnamese and foreign investors are asking for permission to survey the wind power potential in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak to build wind power plants here, according to a local official. Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade Pham Thai said since the beginning of 2018, 11 investors have asked for permission to make surveys for 25 projects. They have examined possible locations for wind turbines of five of those projects. Thai said Dak Lak currently houses one wind power project which is under construction and expected to complete the first phase in the fourth quarter of this year.

Environmental fuel tax rise may be delayed – Vietnam.net The Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed rescheduling the environmental protection tax rise on fuels to a more suitable time as concerns over inflation increase. Under the National Assembly Standing Committee’s approval, the environmental protection tax for oil and petroleum products will be implemented from January 1, 2019. However, according to Hai, the effective date of the hike will coincide with the 12th lunar month near the Tet holiday, and will increase fuel prices, thus impacting the consumer price index. He recommended the tax application at a more suitable time.

Renewable energy firm launches floating solar power farm in Rizal – ABS-CBN News Sustainable energy firm Winnergy Holdings Corp on Friday said it inaugurated its pilot floating solar power farm in Baras, Rizal on Thursday, intended to supply the town with free and clean energy. The 10kWp project, designed to last for 25 years, utilizes solar panels on top of water to generate enough energy to power the Kasarinlan Park in Baras, Winnergy President Janina Bonoan told ABS-CBN News. A connecting station was also built allowing residents to use the power generated for charging gadgets, powering sound systems and lighting up the river, she said. Compared to traditional solar power facilities, floating farms are “technically more efficient” since no agricultural forest lands are disrupted.

A sustainable transportation policy for ASEAN – The ASEAN Post Southeast Asia’s roads are home to over 20 million cars. This number is expected to rise to 62 million by 2040 according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). At the same time, new high-speed rail systems are being built all over the region, resulting in the recent infrastructure boom. The potential downside to growth in the region’s transportation sector is that it could drive up demand for oil. To lower its dependency on oil, Southeast Asia needs to strengthen its renewable energy policy for transportation. One of the steps countries can take is to improve efficiency in their respective transport sectors.

CHINA

Do Chinese people care about climate change? – The Third Pole China has had an eventful summer marked by record-setting heatwaves, deadly flash floods, and typhoons. The impacts of climate change have been felt in cities and the countryside alike, and seem to have triggered greater public interest in discussing climate change. But will this outburst of curiosity be short-lived? In other words, do Chinese people really care about climate change? Yes, they do. As the government tries to position itself as an international leader in responding to global warming, recent surveys show that the public supports the government’s actions. A reassuring 94.4% of respondents to a national survey in 2017 said that climate change is happening, and 66% believe it is mostly caused by human activities. //In the United States, only 64% think that global warming is caused by human activities. Among climate scientists, however, that number climbs to a demonstrative 97%, according to a 2017 Yale study.

Is China becoming the next big colonial power? – Asian Correspondent If we thought that the colonial era was more or less over, we may need to think again. Countries of the Indo-Pacific should start taking seriously the possibility of China becoming a new type of colonial power in the region. Decades of fiercely anti-imperialist rhetoric in China might seem to make the country an unlikely candidate for a neo-colonial power. Nevertheless, we could soon see “colonialism with Chinese characteristics.” In recent weeks, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad pushed back against China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), ringing alarm bells about what he called China’s “new colonialism.” This shouldn’t be dismissed as just rhetoric. The sheer size of China’s economic footprint gives it obvious influence. But there are other ways that China’s presence and role can grow.

Related: Beijing faces growing challenges to its South China Sea claims – South China Morning Post

China’s local governments issue fresh wave of bonds to fund infrastructure – Nikkei Asian Review Chinese local government authorities, under pressure from Beijing to counter an economic slowdown, are likely to issue over 740 billion yuan of special bonds by the end of October to fund more infrastructure spending, on top of 2.1 trillion yuan in regular borrowing, FT Confidential Research indicates. The wave of fresh paper will complicate efforts to refinance existing local government debt. It also muddies long-running central government attempts to rein in borrowing by free-spending local governments.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Population growth fuels deforestation: PM – Khmer Times Prime Minister Hun Sen has accused villagers and supporters of the now-defunct opposition party of cutting down trees and encroaching on protected forests. During a meeting in New York with thousands of Cambodians living in the United States and Canada, Mr Hun Sen said that suspected forestry offenders should be shot from a helicopter. “It’s correct that we are losing our forests, many are being replaced by rubber plantations. I acknowledge that thieves have illegally cut down timber and I am ordering them to be shot from helicopters in the sky,” he said.

Cambodia Has a Big Problem With Small Loans – Bloomberg Assets and credit at MFIs in Cambodia have risen more than 10-fold since 2010, according to the World Bank. The average loan size in Cambodia is now among the highest in the world, growing from $200 to $1,000 in the decade to 2014 — twice the pace of per-capita income. About 2 million borrowers owed a record $2.8 billion at the end of 2017, National Bank of Cambodia data shows. As many as 10 percent of borrowers can’t pay their debts, said Ou Virak, director of Phnom Penh-based think-tank Future Forum. “While incomes have risen in the past 10 years, an economic decline could create an unsustainable environment while people are losing their jobs.”

Dam Collapse May Slow, but Not Stop, Laotian Hydropower Projects – Power The Laotian government in August said the approval process for new hydroelectric dams in the country should be suspended as it continued to review construction practices. The move came after more than three dozen people were killed, and thousands of residents were displaced, by the July 23 collapse of an auxiliary dam that was part of the 1,880-MW Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy power project in the southern province of Attapeu. Officials in September said more than 90 people remain missing. But even as the government said new projects should be put on hold, developers of two large proposed hydropower dams said they are moving ahead with plans for so-called “mega-dams” on the Mekong River.

Analysts: Myanmar Government Statue Drive Risks Alienating Ethnic Groups – VOA A nationwide drive in Myanmar to build statues of independence hero General Aung San risks further alienating ethnic minority groups in the country, and could impact the ruling party’s performance in upcoming elections, analysts say. Aung San, who is the father of National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi, is popular in large parts of the country, particularly in the Bamar-majority heartlands. However, in the ethnic minority-dominated border regions, critics say the statues are a sign of continued “Burmanization” and that they would prefer to see statues depicting heroes that belong to their own ethnic group.

Civic Groups, Villagers Want Myanmar to Drop Controversial Dam Project – Radio Free Asia Civil society organizations and local residents have called on the Myanmar government to cancel the U.S. $3.6 billion Chinese-financed Myitsone Dam on the Irrawaddy River in Kachin state, put on hold in 2011 following public opposition to the controversial hydropower project. More than 1,000 environmentalists and villagers urged officials to abandon plans for the 6,000-megawatt dam during a ceremony on Sunday at the confluence of the Mali and N’Mai rivers to mark the seventh anniversary of the temporary suspension of the project by former President Thein Sein.

Indonesia earthquake and tsunami: How warning system failed the victims – BBC Hundreds of people have been killed and many still remain missing after a tsunami struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday, triggered by a powerful earthquake. A tsunami warning was sent out – lasting just over 30 minutes – but it appears to have drastically underestimated the scale of the tsunami that would follow. So what went wrong?

Indonesian elections: Conservatism versus moderation – The ASEAN Post Indonesia’s coming election has its heavy-metal-fan president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo – widely perceived as a moderate Muslim – in one corner and Prabowo Subianto, a former lieutenant general, in the other. This is the second time they will go head to head since 2014 when Prabowo held the support of the conservative Muslims in the country. But something integral has changed this time around.

Related: Indonesian democracy creaking at the 20-year mark – East Asia Forum

EXSE FOCUS

Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang dies aged 61 – BBC

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died in a military hospital at the age of 61, state media report. Reports say he had been suffering from a serious illness for several months and had received medical treatment abroad and in Vietnam. He was sworn into office in the communist country in 2016, following a stint as public security minister. The role of president in Vietnam is largely ceremonial. But it is one of the top four posts in the country, along with the prime minister, National Assembly chairman and communist party head. Vice-President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh will take over as acting president until a new president is chosen by the communist party’s Central Committee and voted on by the National Assembly.

Related: Who is Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh? Vietnam’s first female president takes over after Tran Dai Quang dies at 61 – Newsweek

Cambodia’s PM Hun Sen Denies Claims Foreign Pressure Led to Bail For Opposition Chief Kem Sokha – Radio Free Asia

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday lashed out at critics who claimed opposition chief Kem Sokha was released on bail as a result of international pressure on his regime, saying the head of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was freed due to concerns about his health. Kem Sokha was arrested in September last year on treason charges widely seen as politically motivated and the Supreme Court dissolved his CNRP two months later for its part in an alleged plot to topple the government, banning its candidates from taking part in a July 29 general election that Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) steamrolled without any viable opponent.

Related: What’s Behind the Release of Cambodia’s Opposition Leader? – The Diplomat

Democratic Transition in Myanmar ‘at Standstill’: UN Rights Panel – The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s democratic transition has ground to a standstill as authorities seek to silence critics while allowing hate speech, particularly against Muslim Rohingya, the head of the UN human rights mission said on Tuesday. Marzuki Darusman, chair of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, denounced what he called “the extreme brutality of the military” known as the Tatmadaw as he presented a report that Myanmar’s envoy dismissed as one-sided. The panel was presenting its full 440-page report to the UN Human Rights Council after a summary issued on Aug. 27. That said Myanmar’s military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya with “genocidal intent” and called for commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and five generals to be prosecuted for the gravest crimes under international law. //While some blame the military, Aung San Suu Kyi, or the clergy for Myanmar’s enduring authoritarianism, a 2015 Asia Barometer Survey yielded some striking findings that reveal why open democracy is having a difficult time gaining a foothold in Myanmar: Nearly two-thirds of its  citizens opposed checks on the executive branch; Over 80% said that religious authorities should have say in lawmaking and that citizenship should be tied to religion.

Electricity sector a hotbed for investment – The ASEAN Post

Southeast Asia is a growing region with countries here averaging growth rates of 5.1 percent. This situation has rightly prompted a rise in energy demand within the region. Between 2000 and 2016, economic growth in the region spurred a 70 percent increase in primary energy demand. To that end, governments in Southeast Asia have implemented a host of policies to ensure energy demand is met. The expansion of the regional electricity grid cannot be undertaken without foreign investment, thus presenting a lucrative win-win opportunity for foreign investors. Numbers by the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicate that the region would require US$1.2 trillion in investments between now and 2040 in order to modernise and expand its electricity grids. //ASEAN member states are still saddled with inefficient regulations and permit procedures for renewable energy (RE), as well as outdated understandings of RE technologies, both of which need to be addressed for RE projects to feature prominently in ASEAN’s future energy mix.

Laos Accused of Copy-Pasting Dam Impact Survey – Voice of America

An official impact assessment for a controversial new Lao dam on the Mekong river has been directly copied and pasted in parts from a previous project, a coalition of groups fighting to protect the river has alleged.   The allegation came as Mekong River Commission (MRC) member countries met Thursday in Laos’s capital, Vientiane, to discuss the study in question, the Pak Lay Transboundary Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and Cumulative Impact Assessment.   Save the Mekong alleged in statement that large sections of that study “are simply copied directly from the Pak Beng [report]” – a 2015 assessment for a different project that an MRC review found was inaccurate.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

USEA, USAID Release Roadmap For Electricity Trade Between South And Southeast Asia – USEA

Regional coordination on energy policy, legal and regulatory frameworks, and resource management would improve energy security, and accelerate economic growth of South and Southeast Asia, according to an analysis released recently by the U.S. Energy Association (USEA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Linking South Asia with Burma & Southeast Asia to Advance Cross Border Electricity Trade: A Political Economy Study was funded through USAID’s South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy Integration (SARI/EI) program and serves as a roadmap to improve electricity trade between South and Southeast Asia.

ASEAN, ROK forge closer cooperation on sustainable infrastructure – ASEAN

ASEAN and the Republic of Korea (ROK) agreed to strengthen cooperation on sustainable infrastructure and regional connectivity at the 1^st ASEAN-ROK Infrastructure Ministers Meeting in Seoul on 17 September. The ministers discussed the priorities and development plans of each ASEAN Member State on sustainable infrastructure and smart cities. They recognised the importance of developing smart infrastructure technologies related to transport and water resources. As an initial step for pragmatic and substantive cooperation on sustainable infrastructure, the ministers identified 20 ‘Key Cooperation Areas’ and encouraged regular exchanges between ASEAN Member States and ROK at different levels of government and across sectors, including through existing platforms, to promote cooperation in the field of infrastructure.

With a Submarine, Japan Sends a Message in the South China Sea – NYT

A Japanese submarine participated in war games in the South China Sea last week and is now visiting Vietnam, signaling a more assertive pushback by Japan against China’s territorial claims in the region. Japan took the unusual step on Monday of announcing that it had carried out the drills, which also involved two destroyers and a helicopter carrier. The Ministry of Defense said the exercises were not targeting a particular nation, but analysts said they were an unequivocal message to China.

Related: Why Japan’s First Submarine Visit to Vietnam Matters – The Diplomat

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

ADB Sells $750 Million 10-Year Global Green Bond to Support Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation in Asia and Pacific – Asian Development Bank

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has raised $750 million to help finance climate change mitigation and adaptation projects with an issue of a 10-year green bond. Proceeds of the green bonds will support low-carbon and climate-resilient projects funded through ADB’s ordinary capital resources and used in its non-concessional operations.

Host nations must drive China’s Belt and Road towards sustainability. Here’s how – Eco-Business

The biggest infrastructure project of the 21st century promises economic prosperity, but only if host nations ensure that development does not destroy the natural environment or uproot communities. What can be done?

Water stress giving renewables a bad name – The ASEAN Post

The renewable energy sector in Southeast Asia has progressed by leaps and bounds. From the harnessing of biomass to the use of water in generating electricity, there is room for tremendous economic growth as well as the obvious positive of caring for an ailing environment. However, one question remains; are mechanisms put in place for the harnessing of these resources truly safe for the environment?

Climate Risk Informed Crop Calendar developed for the 13 provinces in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam – CCAFS.

In a recent conference, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development presented strategies for crop production improvement in the Mekong River Delta, including Climate-Smart Maps and Adaptation Plans for rice, to key stakeholders. Dubbed the ‘rice basket’ of Vietnam, the Mekong River Delta (MRD) contributes 56% of the total domestic rice production and more than 90% of the country’s rice export.

Groundbreaking ceremony held for first solar energy plant in Bình Thuận – Vietnam News

The groundbreaking ceremony for the first solar energy project in the coastal province of Bình Thuận was held [on Wednesday]. The Power Plus Việt Nam Company pledged to invest VNĐ1 trillion (US$44.4 million) in the Tuy Phong Solar Energy Project, which will be built on 50ha in Tuy Phong District. The plant will use machinery and technology provided by top international providers such as Jinko Solar, Power Electronic and Daihen. It is expected to produce a maximum of 63 million kWh a year for Bình Thuận Province.

After Laos dam collapse, Korea funds off-grid prototype town – Global Construction Review

A South Korean energy consultant will try and develop an energy self-sufficient town in Laos after the fatal collapse of a dam being built by a Korean firm. The $3.3m project will be funded by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to help the country recover from the collapse in July that left 36 people dead, 98 missing and 6,600 displaced. Following an alternative model of decentralised, local energy generation, the new town will provide all its own power from solar and small hydro schemes.

Workshop held for Lao hydropower plant – Vietnam News

The Mekong River Commission organised a consultation workshop in HCM City yesterday for the Pak Lay hydropower project proposed on the Mekong’s mainstream in Xayaburi Province in north-western Laos. “The prior consultation process has distinct value in that it is the only basin-wide water diplomacy platform for publicly evaluating hydropower projects proposed for the Mekong mainstream with potential adverse trans-boundary impacts,” Lê Đức Trung, head of the commission office in Việt Nam, said. The proposed project sits downstream of the currently under-construction Xayaburi hydropower station and is 241km upstream of Vientiane, the country’s capital. The run-of-river dam will operate year-round and produce 770MW of electricity.

Renewable Energy Law in the Works to speed up Development – Myanmar Times

The Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) is drafting a renewable energy law to develop the sector, said U Maung Maung Kyaw, Chief Engineer from the Department of Renewable Energy and Hydropower Plants under the MOEE. The ministry is aiming to generate 8 percent of the country’s electricity through renewable sources of energy by 2021. By 2025, the target is for 12pc of all electricity generated in Myanmar to be renewable. “We have plenty of natural resources such as solar and wind power. What’s lacking is legislation to govern the development of renewable energy. Without the law, investors are not protected and we do not have a system for providing incentives,” said U Maung Maung Kyaw.

CHINA

China ‘protects environment’ in its Belt and Road initiative – The Nation

China has been ensuring high environment protection standards in all its projects under the Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, the leader of a Chinese government environmental agency said. Shi Feng, deputy division director of the China-Asean Environmental Cooperation Centre, told a UN Environment Sustainable Development Forum in Bangkok yesterday that the Chinese government worked in close collaboration with other countries. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, every Chinese investment project – both regional and bilateral – follows best business practices and ensures proper environmental protection, Shi insisted.

A Chinese Company Reshaping the World Leaves a Troubled Trail – Bloomberg

CCCC, Belt and Road’s biggest builder, is besieged by allegations of fraud, corruption, and environmental damage. State-owned CCCC, one of the world’s largest companies with annual revenue greater than Procter & Gamble Co. or FedEx Corp., says its portfolio of 700 projects in more than 100 countries outside China has a value of more than $100 billion. That makes it the largest Belt and Road contractor, according to RWR Advisory Group in Washington, which tracks Chinese investments abroad for government and corporate clients. It is also one of the most vexed. //Blacklisted by the World Bank, and having its construction projects blocked on suspicion of corruption in Malaysia and Bangladesh, CCCC is no stranger to controversy. It has also been linked to the construction of Chinese military bases in the disputed territories of the South China Sea.

Energising China’s renewable power tariffs – East Asia Forum

Widespread use of renewable energy is a real solution for China’s energy supply problems. Increasing the share of renewable energy in the total energy supply not only enhances energy security but is also good for the environment and health. China has set targets for alternative energy sources to meet 15 per cent of its energy requirements by 2020 and for the share of non-fossil fuel use to be 20 per cent by 2030. The Chinese government initially supported solar energy through ‘golden sun’ investment subsidies. After years of simply taking advantage of overseas orders to drive down the cost of manufacturing solar panels, feed-in tariffs for solar power were enacted in July 2011 to create China’s own solar power market.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Chinese Initiatives Threaten Mekong River – Mekong Eye

China’s Belt and Road Initiative promises to improve regional trade routes including the expansion of the Mekong, using explosives to blast the rocks and sandbars along a 1.6 kilometer stretch to make way for large 500-ton Chinese riverboats. Environmental protests put the plan on hold last year, but despite evidence of impending harm to fish breeding grounds and farmland, many of the activists fear the expansion will proceed. But China is adamant the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Following Tragic Dam Collapse, Mekong Nations Talk Hydropower at Forum – VOA Cambodia

Leaders of the Mekong nations have raised concerns over the development of hydropower along the river system following the collapse of a major dam in Laos in July. The leaders met on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum on Asean to discuss their vision for the region’s development, which was live streamed. The Lower Mekong Basin is home to some 60 million people and has a gross domestic product of about $800 billion, according to official figures. About 40 percent of the population lives within a 15-kilometer-wide corridor along the river banks and depend on the river to support four-fifths of their food and other livelihood needs, according to the Mekong River Commission.

Thailand sees shortcut to Belt and Road with Sri Lanka trade deal – Nikkei Asian Review

Thailand sees a planned trade deal with Sri Lanka as an opportunity to tap into China’s signature Belt and Road Initiative while hedging against fallout from the escalating global trade war. Representatives of the Sri Lankan government are in Bangkok on Thursday for two days of talks regarding the pact with their Thai counterparts. This follows Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s state visit to Colombo in July, when the two countries agreed to seek ways to triple bilateral trade to $1.5 billion by the end of 2020.

Related: Beijing insists its generosity over Belt and Road is genuine – Nikkei Asian Review

Thai cabinet gives nod to over 60 mega projects to facilitate EEC – Thai PBS

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved more than 60 large-scale investment projects in the lower North and upper Northeast designed to facilitate and to connect with the government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme. These projects are grouped into six areas of development including a project to connect Thailand’s economic corridor with Luang Phrabang in Laos, Indo-China, and Mawlamyine in Myanmar, said government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

Vietnam’s clean energy in need of a just transition – Vietnam News

In two years time, Việt Nam could stop building new coal plants, while maintaining a safe, affordable and secure energy system. This is a result of a draft report themed “Ensuring justice in the energy transition in Việt Nam” composed by the Việt Nam Sustainable Energy Alliance (VSEA). The report was published on Tuesday in cooperation with Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID) under the framework of the International Conference: Fostering Cooperation to Ensure a Just Energy Transition hosted by GreenID and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Vietnam (FES Vietnam) and Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA).

Can Vietnam weather Trump’s trade storm? – East Asia Forum

Vietnam has become one of the most open economies in the world. Any development resulting in a shrinkage in world trade and growth such as the US–China trade war will inevitably affect its economy. The current trade tensions are restricted to US–China bilateral trade. In the short term, this could lead to more foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing to Vietnam as multi-national companies diversify their supply chains away from China. Instead of producing parts and components of electronic goods in Southeast Asian countries and doing the final assembly in China, multi-national companies may move their entire operations to neighbouring countries like Vietnam.

The Cambodian Port City on China’s 21st Century Silk Road That’s Becoming the New Macau – Inter Press Service

The new Macau. That’s what the Cambodian coastal city Sihanoukville is called nowadays. Chinese investors are building casinos there on a massive scale. The southern port city lies on the new Silk Road (the so called ‘One Belt, One Road’) and is therefore interesting for China. The Cambodian government is happy to accept the money. And Beijing never asks difficult questions.

ADB to Improve Environmental Services in Two GMS Corridor Towns in Lao PDR – Asian Development Bank

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Board of Directors has approved a $48 million grant to help improve urban environmental services and enhance economic connectivity in Paksan and Thakhek, two of the least developed towns along the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Central Corridor in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Along with the Mekong River, the 1,600-kilometer (km) GMS Central Corridor—which includes 13 towns in the Lao PDR and Cambodia with about 20 million residents and serves as the backbone of the Lao PDR—has the potential to generate more than $20 billion in regional economic output.

Agreement signed to build China-Myanmar Economic Corridor – Investvine

Myanmar and China signed a memorandum of understanding to set up the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, according to a statement from the China National Development and Reform Commission. The estimated 1,700-kilometer-long corridor will connect Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan Province, to Myanmar’s major economic checkpoints—first to Mandalay in central Myanmar, and then west to the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone. //Hoping to avoid the mistakes by Sri Lanka who could not afford the loan repayments to China for the Hambantota port, Myanmar is looking to scale down the size of the BRI funded Kyaukpyu port project from $7.3 billion to $1.3 billion.

Timber deal undermines Myanmar’s forestry reform: EIA – Mekong Eye

A UK-based non-profit has warned that a timber trade deal in Kayah State represents “a significant step backwards” for the government’s commitment to forestry reform and urged the authorities to revoke the agreement. Local media in Kayah State recently reported on an unclear agreement to allow the trade of 5,000 tons of valuable hardwoods, including 3,000 tons of teak, from logging operations in the conflict-torn state. London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) yesterday said that if the deal proceeds it will further undermine Nay Pyi Taw’s stated policy of improving forest governance after decades of mismanagement which resulted in Myanmar suffering from one of the highest rates of forest loss in the world.

Related: Analysis: ‘Debt Trap’ Alert Rises in Myanmar as More Belt and Road Projects Scrapped – The Irrawaddy

Parliament Approves $300M ADB Loan to Upgrade Power Grid – The Irrawaddy

Minister of Electricity and Energy U Tun Naing told lawmakers that the loan would be used to improve the national grid in Yangon, Irrawaddy, Bago and Tanintharyi regions and in Mon, Karen and Rakhine states. Work is scheduled to begin in 2019 and finish in 2025. The project is expected to increase electricity distribution to 84,850 households in Irrawaddy Region, 151,667 households in Bago Region, 42,747 households in Mon State, 27,820 households in Karen State and 27,820 households in Rakhine State.

Arroyo’s return: what the former president’s comeback means for the Philippines – Southeast Asia Globe Magazine

Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has survived corruption accusations, a four-year detention and a serious illness to become house speaker of the parliament. But can she bring her power to bear to fulfil President Rodrigo Duterte’s dream of a new Philippines?

EXSE FOCUS

Kem Sokha, Cambodia’s Jailed Opposition Leader, Is Released – New York Times Cambodia’s imprisoned opposition leader was freed on bail Sunday night after spending a year locked up on charges of treason widely seen as designed to neutralize his political power during a crucial election year. His bail was granted on grounds of ill health, according to a statement released by a Cambodian court. The opposition leader was arrested at midnight on Sept. 3, 2017, and subsequently accused of conspiring with the United States in a plot to bring down Cambodia’s government. Mr. Kem Sokha has maintained his innocence and said he was only trying to take power through legal means, by winning elections.

Cambodian Politics Enters Its Post-Election Phase – Council on Foreign Relations The July election appears to have ended Cambodia’s flirtation with some kind of hybrid regime, and the country now is fully a one-party state. The few small opposition parties that contested the election won no seats, and had little following. But, in the wake of the election, Hun Sen appears ready to try to co-opt some leading opposition members, while also offering gestures of goodwill that are probably designed to prevent leading democracies, which are considering imposing new sanctions on Cambodia, from going forward.

Related: Interview: Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia Program – VOA Khmer

Energy-hungry Cambodia shows no sign of backing down on coal – Eco-Business As Cambodia’s economy goes through a rapid expansion with foreign investments pouring in, the country is turning to polluting coal power to meet growing energy demands, risking the health of the people and the welfare of the environment. In 2017, Cambodia consumed up to 8.15 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, with 30 per cent of it from fossil fuels. While energy consumption hikes, the government now considers hydropower and coal power plants as the most preferred and reliable sources of energy for the country’s sustainable future.//Cambodia’s current energy policies do not provide a very clear signal for investors, and with the exception of one pilot solar project, renewable energy projects are still not allowed to connect to the national grid.

Related: Cambodia juggles energy need V risk new Chinese dam could ‘kill the Mekong’ – AECNews 

Welcome to ‘Tourism Vacation Town’: China to build $1.2bn holiday hotspot in Cambodia – The Guardian A $1.2bn Chinese-built “luxury city” is being built in Cambodia, accelerating what critics concerned about Beijing’s influence in the south-east Asian country call the region’s “Chinafication”. Chinese developer Tianjin Union Development Group (UDG) says Tourism Vacation Town will feature high-end hotels, offices and theme parks on 1,200 hectares of land in Cambodia’s southwestern Koh Kong province. Details are scant, but building work is expected to begin next year.

China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative meets resistance in Southeast Asia – Southeast Asia Globe There’s talk of China essentially colonising Cambodia economically, which could lead to physical “colonisation” as more Chinese people are expected to settle in Cambodia in the coming years. This is the latest headline concern about Chinese people settling in the Asean zone. Cambodia has the $3.8 billion Koh Kong port/airport/city project on 45,000 hectares (0.25% of the land area), with a significant 20% of the country’s coastline [with an expected capacity of 10 million tourists a year]. There are questions about [this and] several [other] large-footprint China-related projects.

Laos to keep building dams despite negative impacts – Al Jazeera Laos is pushing ahead with plans to build more dams along the Mekong River in spite of a deadly collapse in July and the negative impact dams have had on the environment and people who make their living off the rivers.

Related: Laos considers future hydropower plans after dam burst – Reuters 

China Debates the Belt and Road – The Diplomat The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is hailed by Chinese officials and academics as an unprecedented panacea for global needs, a multilateral proposal to upgrade infrastructure, improve China’s bilateral ties, and international institutions, as well as drive much needed global development. On the other end of the spectrum, Western and English language sources discuss BRI with suspicion and mistrust, raising accusations of “debt diplomacy,” neocolonialist ambitions, or that China is undertaking a “new Marshall Plan.” What is lost in these extremes is the diversity of voices within China that express nuanced thoughts on implementation of the BRI, its strengths, weaknesses, and ideal next steps.

        Related: Beijing insists its generosity over Belt and Road is genuine – Nikkei Asian Review

Related: China’s belt and road project can’t cover Asia’s infrastructure needs by itself, never mind the world’s – South China Morning Post   

Myanmar President Requests Approval of $298M Loan to Improve Electricity Network – The Irrawaddy Magazine President U Win Myint has asked Parliament to approve a $298.9 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to be used to improve the electricity network in seven of the country’s states and regions. Deputy Minister for Electricity and Energy, U Tun Naing, told lawmakers during the parliamentary session on Tuesday that the loan is expected to fund a six-year project (2019-2025) that will be implemented in Yangon, Irrawaddy, Tanintharyi and Bago regions and Mon, Karen, and Rakhine states. He said the project aims to meet an increasing level of power consumption, to electrify rural areas, as well as to improve the existing system. //Myanmar has planned to double its electric power capacity by 2021 and achieve universal access to electricity by 2030. Currently, only one-third of the country’s 60 million people have access to electricity. 

Related: Electricity subsidy is wrong, Pun tells minister – Myanmar Times

REGIONAL RELATIONS

ASEAN and the challenge of a multipolar world – East Asia Forum At no time since the Cold War has there been a greater demand for an effective, functioning ASEAN. Yet today’s ASEAN seems far from able to live up to its full promise at a time when its members need it most. In a more contested world, the group is one of the few channels that can enable Southeast Asian states to stand their ground. New uncertainties over the trajectories of the United States, the PRC, India and Europe mean that the conditions to which ASEAN members are accustomed may no longer be reasonable to expect. ASEAN needs to adapt or it will atrophy.  

When Asean just isn’t Asean enough – Bangkok Post  China’s bullying may be the first of Asean’s headaches to come to mind, but its weakest links are those that have been gnawing away at its insides — and undermining its members’ own “Asean-ness”. So while Asean’s 50th birthday bash was just a year back, it might as well have been a decade ago. These days, there is talk, among believers and sceptics alike, of Asean being rather rudderless against the backdrop of big powers’ rivalry outside it, and lack of Asean leadership, and the mix of authoritarianism, narrow nationalism and populism within its ranks.

ASEAN and China should seize the opportunity in the South China Sea – East Asia Forum ASEAN and China–US relations in the South China Sea have trended in opposite directions since 12 July 2016. On that day, the Philippines and ASEAN set aside the near-term implementation of the South China Sea arbitration award supporting the case against China’s maritime infringements and opened a new chapter in relations with China. China–ASEAN ties have gradually improved as the two sides have matched word with deed.

‘Limited’ progress at Bangkok climate talks – The Guardian An international meeting in Bangkok fell short of its aim of completing fruitful preparations to help an agreement be reached in December on guidelines for implementing the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. The six-day meeting, which ended on Sunday, was scheduled to step up progress in the battle against rising global carbon emissions by adopting a completed text that could be presented at the COP24 conference in Katowice, Poland, three months from now.

Environmental Defenders Under Pressure Across Southeast Asia – The Diplomat A lack of U.S. engagement is contributing to a “declining, dictatorial and more dangerous environment” in Southeast Asia, where the abuse of fundamental rights is increasing alongside the killing of land activists, Human Rights Watch says.  A recently released report by NGO Global Witness documented the killing around the world last year of 207 environmental defenders – the term includes ordinary citizens, often from indigenous or ethnic minority groups, who peacefully protect their land, together with more organized activists or advocates.  It was the sixth such annual report by the organization and shows numbers which continue to climb – in the last four years doubling from an average of two to four deaths per week as a “global rush” for land and resources gathered pace, Global Witness said.

Redundancy and Risk Management: Lessons from Japan’s Disasters for Southeast Asian Infrastructure – The Diplomat Japan’s sophisticated rail networks demonstrate the value of redundancy during post-disaster recovery, whereas the recent closure of the Kansai Airport, and lack of adequate alternative options, serves as a cautionary tale. In both cases, Japanese experiences with infrastructure development and disaster planning can be helpful for Southeast Asia.

The Key to Securing the Indo-Pacific: Japanese Constitutional Reform? – The Diplomat The legal structure governing Japan’s use of force continues to evolve, albeit slowly. The process deserves more attention, especially in light of the uncertainty of U.S. policy toward the Indo-Pacific, and of the growing power and assertiveness of the People’s Republic of China. The increasingly expansive scope of Japan’s military authority is both the reflection of changes in the regional strategic environment, and potentially a driver of those changes in the future.

Related: Japan adds Malaysia to list of Indo-Pacific security partners – Nikkei Asian Review 

US economic exclusiveness should encourage Asian inclusiveness – East Asia Forum Asia needs to adjust to US protectionism by introducing appropriate and effective counter-measures. More specifically, Asia must rebuild international trade via the promotion of regional integration and reduce its dependency on the US dollar. To promote regional integration, Asian countries need to harmonise regulations and standards in trading, banking and accounting to create larger markets. Free trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) should be advanced to help Asia remain competitive in global value chains and to replace the United States as the global consumer market.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 

Technological innovation is a game-changer for agricultural statistics – Asian Development Blog  Improving the welfare of Asian farmers depends on strategically investing in collecting “good data”. Most of Asia’s poor live in rural areas and rely on agriculture as their main source of income. Enhanced agricultural productivity will go a long way toward reducing rural poverty and boosting incomes of small-scale farmers – it is key to achieve Sustainable Development Goal no. 2. This will require major investments in new types of data collection. This year’s Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2018 Special Supplement includes new research demonstrating how technological innovations can improve the quality, timeliness, and granularity of agricultural statistics, while reducing overall collection costs.

How China’s plastic ban has Southeast Asia scrambling for solutions – Southeast Asia Globe With China refusing to accept the low-grade plastic waste that the West once poured there, the developing nations of Southeast Asia are buckling beneath the weight of the world’s redirected refuse. And while mobilising hordes of waste pickers may hold back the tide, experts say sustainable waste management can only come by abandoning our throwaway culture. From the start of 2018, China has no longer been accepting the low-quality waste that once laid the foundation of its own flourishing plastic goods industry – a decision that, by some estimates, may leave as much as 111 million metric tonnes of plastic bags, food packaging and single-use straws struggling to find a place in this world outside the gullet of a seagull by 2030.

Rich Nations Vowed Billions for Climate Change. Poor Countries Are Waiting – New York Times When industrialized nations pledged in 2009 to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020 to help the poorest countries deal with climate change, it won over some skeptics in the developing world who had argued that rich nations should pay up for contributing so much to the problem. But the money has been slow to materialize, with only $3.5 billion actually committed out of $10.3 billion pledged to a prominent United Nations program called the Green Climate Fund. President Trump’s decision last year to cancel $2 billion in promised aid did not help.

New tariffs could recharge Vietnam’s wind power projects  – VN Express Higher tariffs for Vietnam’s wind power projects will make investments more commercially viable, experts say. However, even with the latest feed-in-tariff (FIT) increase approved by the Prime Minister, the rates are lower than in other ASEAN countries. The Prime Minister approved the amendment and revision of the wind tariffs as per Decision No. 37/2011/QD-TTg issued on September 10 on support mechanisms for the development of wind power projects in Vietnam. Under the revision, the FIT for wind power projects will be increased to 8.5 US cents/ kWh for onshore and 9.8 US cents/kWh for offshore respectively. As of now, Vietnam has just 200 MW of installed wind power capacity and another 100 MW is under construction.

Related: Hanoi to host ASOCIO Smart City Summit 2018 this month – Vietnam News 

Waste energy – an opportunity wasted – Mekong Eye Every year, Vietnam’s 27 million pigs generate emissions equivalent to around 4.3 million tons of CO2, with strong smells and negative effects on human health. What many do not know, is that these pernicious emissions could be used to generate electricity. “Up to now, Vietnam has not had a comprehensive mechanism for supporting the development of renewable energy, aside from the subsidies for wind power and waste-generated electricity, approved in 2011 and 2014 respectively,” Tran Van Khai, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Biogas Association (VBA), wrote in a biogas energy report from 2014. “Biogas energy is an attractive investment, if we have appropriate policies for it.

Enercon enter Vietnamese market – Windpower Monthly Enercon has entered the Vietnamese wind market with two orders for projects with a combined capacity of 77MW. The German manufacturer will also establish a “service station” in the south-eastern province of Ninh Thuan and is currently in talks with the same customers for a further 152MW of orders, the company added. It had previously set up a national subsidiary in the south-east Asian country, Enercon Vietnam Company, with an office registered in the country’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh.

Related: Renewable Energy Integration Faces Challenges – Vietnam News  

Thailand seeks to lure more electric vehicle makers – Investvine Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) has announced new packages and privileges for electric vehicle companies to establish operations in the Eastern Economic Corridor, a new economic priority zone for the country’s manufacturing and industry. Electric vehicle production is one of the Thai auto industry’s fastest growing subsectors. According to analysts, the number of electric cars to be produced in Thailand is expected to grow to 1.2 million by 2036, the BOI said in a release.

In Posh Bangkok Neighborhood, Residents Trade Energy with Blockchain – Voice of America Residents in a Bangkok neighborhood are trying out a renewable energy trading platform that allows them to buy and sell electricity between themselves, signaling the growing popularity of such systems as solar panels get cheaper. The pilot project in the center of Thailand’s capital is among the world’s largest peer-to-peer renewable energy trading platforms using blockchain, according to the firms involved. The system has a total generating capacity of 635 KW that can be traded via Bangkok city’s electricity grid between a mall, a school, a dental hospital and an apartment complex.

Climate mitigation has an ally in need of recognition and land rights: indigenous peoples in tropical countries – Conservation News As global warming continues to outpace the tepid international response, a range of environmentalists are raising their collective voice to demand full rights and recognition for those long associated with land stewardship connected to climate mitigation: indigenous peoples. On Monday, September 10, researchers released what they called “the most comprehensive assessment to date of carbon storage” on forested lands occupied by indigenous peoples and local communities in 64 tropical countries. One of the main findings of the research is that indigenous peoples are far better stewards of the land than their countries’ governments.

CHINA

 China’s belt and road projects ‘narrow economic inequalities within countries’ – South China Morning Post Beijing’s trillion-dollar “Belt and Road Initiative”, which aims to expand China’s trade routes around the globe, has attracted accusations of “white elephant” projects that are politically motivated and economically unsustainable. However, amid international scrutiny of how cost-effective the Chinese projects are, AidData – a US-based project that tracks development assistance – has said Chinese government-financed connective infrastructure projects have been able to narrow economic disparities within a country in a way that traditional Western donors may have failed to achieve.

China ‘may let provinces set own winter pollution curbs’ – South China Morning Post China is considering allowing its northern provinces to decide individual output cuts by heavy industry to rein in emissions during the winter, ditching an earlier plan for blanket cuts, a source said. Talk of the move drove down prices of steel and steelmaking raw materials and comes as Beijing looks to end its “one size fits all” fight on pollution, devising more nuanced policies reflecting local conditions to limit economic disruption.

China Expands Its Footprint in Sri Lanka – The Diplomat China’s role in Sri Lanka, which has grown remarkably in recent years, is poised to expand geographically as well. Hitherto, Beijing’s projects were confined to the southern parts of the island. It is now making inroads into the Northern Province and the rubber, tea, and coconut plantations of the central highlands. In April, state-run China Railway Beijing Engineering Group Co. Ltd. won a more than $300 million contract to build 40,000 houses in Jaffna district in the Northern Province, which suffered extensive damage during Sri Lanka’s 26-year-long civil war.//Despite these developments, as well as the transfer of control of the Hambantota Port, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe insists that Sri Lanka is not falling into a debt trap with China, nor is the country under threat from US-China trade tensions. 

As trade war escalates, China intensifies role of state-owned enterprises – South China Morning Post Beijing has affirmed the leading role of state firms in China’s technological and economic progress amid the escalating trade war with the US with a major nationwide conference planned for the end of September. Two sources have confirmed to the South China Morning Post that the conference will be chaired by China’s top economic adviser and showcase Beijing’s strong support for state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Washington’s strong objection to the prominent role of SOEs in the Chinese economy is at the heart of the trade conflict.

SOUTHEAST ASIA 

Mekong River faces a damming issue – TTG Asia As part of Laos’ bid to be the “battery of Asia”, the government has been constructing dozens of dams across the landlocked country to export to its power-hungry neighbours like Thailand. In Cambodia, several more hydropower plants are under construction or being planned, including the country’s largest dam at Sambor in Kratie. A leaked report of a study commissioned by the Cambodian government and carried out by the US-based research and consultancy firm National Heritage Institute states that “a dam at this site could literally kill the river, unless sited, designed and operated sustainably. Sambor is the worst possible place to build a major dam.”

Has Thailand’s deep south insurgency reached a tipping point? – East Asia Forum Recent reports of a leading insurgent surrendering to the Thai military authorities have raised hopes that the insurgency may be reaching a tipping point in favour of the government. Yet one expert on the situation in southern Thailand, Don Pathan, suggests Thailand’s Muslim insurgency has roared back to life. So which way is it really heading?

Thai king passes last bill that paves way for election by end-May – Nikkei Asian Review Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun endorsed the last two bills that were required for the country to hold a general election which is now expected to take place between February and May next year. Initially, the junta had promised to hold an election by October 2015. But the dates have repeatedly been pushed back and it is remains to be seen if the latest promise will be kept. Prayuth said earlier said that the election will be held only after the coronation ceremony of King Vajiralongkorn but that date has not yet been announced. Some political experts say that Prayuth could even resort to using his special powers provided under the constitution to delay the election if he sees more time is required to establish a solid support base for a pro-military party.

Thailand’s PTT seeks bidding partner for $7bn rail project – Nikkei Asian Review Thai oil and gas group PTT is in discussions with potential partners about a joint bid for an estimated $7 billion high-speed train project linking three major airports, as part of the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor plan to promote high-value manufacturing. The move would pave the way for Thailand’s largest company by market value to make its first investment in railway operations.

Malaysia: Public protests force Chinese builder to live up to its eco-friendly tag – Asian Correspondent On Jan. 1, 2014, fishermen near Kampong Pok, a village on Malaysia’s southern shore, were alarmed to find a fleet of barges and dredgers dumping sand on their fishing ground. Up until that moment, they’d heard nothing about land reclamation planned for their neighborhood. Over the next few months, they would begin to learn about the scope of the development scheme planned for this shallow expanse of shellfish beds and seagrass. Country Garden Pacificview, a unit of one of China’s largest real-estate developers, had quietly partnered with the Johor state government and Ibrahim Ismail, the sultan of Johor, to build a “21st century city” on a 19-square-kilometer (7.3-square-mile) man-made island in the Strait of Johor.

How sand dredging in Koh Kong bled the fishing community dry – Southeast Asia Globe After about a decade of heavy sand dredging in the waterways of Cambodia’s Koh Kong province, a fishing community once recognised internationally for its rich ecosystem is struggling to fill its nets and crab cages. In response, villagers have been forced to find new work or leave their homes behind in what is now a daily fight to feed their families. According to UN records, Cambodia reported exporting 5.9 million tonnes of sand in 2008, compared to less than 20,000 tonnes three years prior. Nearly 16 million tonnes of sand were reported to have been exported from Cambodia between 2007 and 2016, the last available UN records from Cambodia. //Despite a 2016 ban on sand dredging, researchers and villagers say that the practice has continued and could escalate following Hun Sen’s re-election in July. 

Floods to slam seven Cambodian provinces – Khmer Times The Water Resources Ministry yesterday warned that seven provinces will face floods again this week. In a statement, it said that the provinces of Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Kampong Thom, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat and Kampong Chhnang will experience heavy rain throughout the week. “These provinces will face floods again from the rain,” the statement said. “The Mekong river will also cause floods.”

Investor Interest Remains Steady as FDI Drops: MIC – The Irrawaddy Magazine The Rakhine issue has no impact on foreign investors’ interest in Myanmar, said U Aung Naing Oo, the secretary of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC). The interest of potential foreign investors in Myanmar has not declined, U Aung Naing Oo told reporters, citing the record turnout at the Myanmar Global Investment Forum 2018 held in Naypyitaw on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Rakhine issue, however, did impact foreign direct investment, which declined by some US$900 million in the 2017-18 fiscal year compared to the previous year. Lawmaker U Aung Kyaw Kyaw Oo, secretary of the Lower House Investment and Industrial Development Committee, said that the investment of EU countries has declined primarily due to the Rakhine issue and that Myanmar must look to the east to attract investors.

Four Dead in Magwe Coal Mine Explosion – The Irrawaddy Magazine At least four people are dead, one seriously injured and four are still trapped after an explosion in a coal mine in Saw Township, Magwe Region, on Thursday. According to police, a methane gas explosion trapped 12 coal mine workers on Thursday morning at Htun Yarzaw coal mining company in Kyauke Myaung, a village in Saw Township about 130 kilometers north of the city of Magwe. According to the police, the incident is under investigation and a lawsuit has been opened against U Min Min Oo, the manager of the coal mining company, for the negligence of safety at the mine and for the death of the miners. //Despite holding the title as “the most polluted country in Southeast Asia” (WHO) coal features prominently in Myanmar’s future energy plans. Amid local and international protests, a 1,280 MW Japanese and Thai funded coal plant is still underway in Kayin State. 

Is Indonesia the Next Emerging-Market Domino to Fall? – Wall Street Journal Indonesia is no Turkey or Argentina. That doesn’t mean bottom-fishing is a good idea, juicy government debt yields aside. Investors who gorged themselves on Turkish delight and Argentine beef have had a rude awakening in 2018—the two countries are at the heart of a broadening crisis that has sent emerging-market currencies tumbling. In Asia, one name keeps coming up: Indonesia, which also has a growing trade deficit – and lots of foreign debt. // Indonesia’s growing debt is a big issue in the upcoming 2019 national elections with opposition leader Prabowo Subianto claiming that the rising debt is likely to bankrupt Indonesia by 2030.  

Duterte claims opposition planning coup based on tip from a foreign power – South China Morning Post Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday revealed what he said was a plot to unseat him hatched by the opposition, Maoist rebels and a group of former soldiers who had mounted failed coups in the past. In a conversation with his lawyer, shown on national television, Duterte said he had asked the military to “declassify” information about the plot which he said was gathered by a third country he did not identify. “We have the evidence and we have the conversation provided by a foreign country sympathetic to us,” Duterte told Salvador Panelo, presidential legal counsel, in an hour-long conversation.

YUNNAN  

Weekend earthquakes shake Yunnan’s Pu’er Prefecture – GoKunming Residents of Mojiang County (墨江县) in southern Yunnan’s Pu’er Prefecture continue to dig out and clean up following multiple damaging earthquakes over the weekend. The most intense was a 5.9 magnitude temblor that shook the region on the morning of September 8. Although a few dozen people sustained injuries during the tremors, no one was killed. The original quake shook products from supermarket shelves, shattered windows and collapsed walls in homes made from mud bricks. Emergency response teams say more than 5,000 people have been relocated as inspectors assess the damage to determine if structures remain inhabitable or need to be reinforced or demolished entirely.

This week’s news digest was curated by Michael Di Martino Jensen