Category Archives: NEWS DIGEST

The Trump administration is slowly  coming around to see the importance of US-ASEAN relations, but will downplaying human rights and democratization produce unintended consequences? The Philippines hosted the thirtieth ASEAN summit last weekend. Despite the opposition in China, THAAD became operational. Today, the MRC holds its second regional consultation on the Pak Beng Dam.

 EXSE FOCUS

The Thirtieth ASEAN Summit: Winners – Asia Unbound Over the weekend, the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations held the Thirtieth ASEAN Summit, in Manila—the Philippines is the chair of ASEAN this year. As has become usual, much of the discussion before the summit centered on a potential joint statement about the South China Sea, which has become one of the most divisive issues in Southeast Asia. Countries growing closer to China, like Cambodia and Thailand (which also have no direct claims in the South China Sea), and those that have direct claims and are increasingly suspicious of Beijing’s activities, like Vietnam, have faced off over South China Sea statements at many ASEAN meetings. In addition, the summit provided an opportunity for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to play up his role as a statesman and host.

Related: Duterte stresses non-interference policy at ASEAN summit (full speech) – Invistine

Philippines Sends Defense Chief to Disputed South China Sea Island – NYT Even before officials reached the island, which is also claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan, the Chinese challenged the flight on the radio several times.

Related: The Truth About Duterte’s ASEAN South China Sea Blow – The Diplomat

Related: After Summit, ASEAN Remains Divided on South China Sea – The Diplomat

Tillerson urges ASEAN to cut North Korea funding, minimize ties – Reuters U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Thursday to do more to help cut funding streams for North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and to minimize diplomatic relations with Pyongyang. In his first ministerial meeting with all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Tillerson also called on nations with competing claims in the South China Sea to cease all island building and militarization while talks aimed at creating a maritime code of conduct were under way.

Donald Trump builds relations with authoritarian Asian leaders – The Guardian US president invites controversial leaders of Thailand and Philippines to the White House amid growing North Korean tensions. Donald Trump has revived US relations with two of Asia’s most authoritarian heads of state – the leader of Thailand’s junta and the president of the Philippines – by inviting them to the White House.

Related: After Trump’s Phone Call to Philippines Leader, China’s President Calls Him – NYT

It’s Official: THAAD Missile Defense Is Up and Running in South Korea – The Diplomat The controversial missile defense system has become operational, days ahead of South Korea’s 2017 presidential election.

Striking a Fair Balance on Mekong Dams – Bangkok Post This Friday, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) will hold their second Regional Stakeholder Forum under the Prior Consultation procedure for the Pak Beng dam, the third hydropower project proposed for the lower Mekong River mainstem. For Pak Beng, the information put forward by the developers for the Prior Consultation process is similarly inadequate to assess environmental and social impacts on the Mekong. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) and supporting documents demonstrate major gaps in baseline data, which is essential in designing mitigation measures targeted to the local context. Much of the data is taken from studies conducted in 2011 and earlier, failing to take account of the projects along the Mekong that are now under construction. That the Prior Consultation process was initiated on the basis of this limited information is in itself questionable.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

ASEAN and North Korea: Strange Bedfellows? – The Diplomat North Korea asked ASEAN to take its side against the United States.

China ready to mediate between Burma, Bangladesh over refugees row – DVB China offered on Tuesday to help tackle a diplomatic row between Bangladesh and Burma over the flight of minority Rohingya Muslims from the latter, two Bangladesh foreign ministry officials said.

More Signs of Refugee Repatriation on the Thai-Burma Border – The Irrawaddy Community workers are busy with meetings, travel, and workshops as Burma prepares for the repatriation of some 98,000 refugees living on the Thai-Burma border.

Belt and Road Initiative bringing tangible benefits to Laos: Official – China Economic Net Laos strongly supports China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the initiative has been producing tangible benefits for the country, a high-ranking Lao official has said.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Make or break time for the Mekong – SEA Globe As drought lingers and unfettered dam construction plugs the Mekong river, managing the life-giving waterway becomes ever more crucial. All eyes are now on a new China-led initiative that claims to have the region’s best interests at heart

Blackening the Mekong Delta – Mekong Commons Up to 14 coal fired-power plants are set to be built in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta as part of Vietnam’s Power Development Plan (PDP). Nguyen Thi Ha looks at how the coal plants already operating in the delta area are affecting the health, salt and fish farms, and local livelihoods of thousands of communities living in the delta.

Smooth flows: some benefits of dams, water diplomacy –Vietnam News Viet Nam News published an article titled “Mekong water diplomacy vital”. The article quoted several statements by Dr Lê Anh Tuấn, Deputy Director of the Research Institute for Climate Change at Cần Thơ University. The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat takes this opportunity to respond to some of the statements in the article and highlight where water diplomacy is influencing outcome.

Hydropower boom in China and along Asia’s rivers outpaces regional electricity demand – The Third Pole For the past two decades, China has been in the midst of an unprecedented dam-building boom, developing over 300 gigawatts (GW) of hydropower. But coal-fuelled development in many of its cities has left them choking from air pollution and lent urgency to alternatives such as solar, wind, nuclear and hydropower. China has the world’s largest potential hydropower resource and could develop around 540 GW, as part of efforts to decarbonise the country’s economy.

ADB dedicates $4.2B to water resource projects – Phnom Penh Post The Asia Development Bank (ADB) raised it water operations budget to $4.2 billion for projects mitigating effects of rapid population growth and climate change in the Asia Pacific region, the bank said yesterday. The new budget nearly doubles last year’s $2.4 billion allocated to water management.

CHINA

Thousands Protest Chemical Plant Pollution in China’s Hebei – RFA Thousands of people protested in the northern Chinese province of Hebei on Wednesday after a leak at a chemical plant releases toxic gases into the air.

Trump’s indifference to climate change has not changed China’s view – The Economist RESIDENTS have found something else to blame for the toxic smog that envelops many Chinese cities for much of the year. Until recently the culprits that were usually fingered were the obvious ones: emissions from coal-fired power plants, exhaust fumes from cars and dust from building sites. This year, however, reports began to appear in state-run media that climate change is now reckoned to be a factor, too. Chinese scientists say that in eastern China global warming is resulting in less rain and wind to clear the pollutants. The government’s weather bureau illustrated its online account of the discovery with a picture of zombie-looking figures in hazmat suits shrouded by haze.

China’s Environmental Woes, in Films That Go Viral, Then Vanish – NYT Wang Jiuliang’s documentaries on topics like unregulated garbage dumps are internet sensations in China, but they are short-lived online.

The Silk Roads, Past and Future – The Diplomat If China’s ambitious initiative can recapture the magic of the ancient Silk Roads, it will change the world.

Chinese economy cools as key sectors continue to slow – The Guardian Manufacturing and services fall as Beijing tries to rein in property and credit boom. China’s economy has shown more signs of cooling with key barometers from its manufacturing and services sectors dipping in April. The latest data comes as Beijing attempts to rein in a booming property market and rapid credit growth.

China bans religious names for Muslim babies in Xinjiang – The Guardian List of banned baby names released amid ongoing crackdown on religion that includes law against veils and beards. Many couples fret over choosing the perfect name for their newborn, but for Muslims in western China that decision has now become even more fraught: pick the wrong name and your child will be denied education and government benefits.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Thailand

Egat looks to ride renewable wave – Bangkok Post The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) plans to overhaul its long-term business strategy to tap into the rising renewable energy trend, says its chairman of the board. The plan is due to be discussed by the company’s executives next weekend, said chairman Areepong Bhoocha-oom. Egat, which is focused on generating power mostly from fossil resources, will start diversifying into other energy fields and businesses, he said.

Govt allays concerns over China’s Mekong channel – Bangkok Post

It is too early to worry about China’s survey of the Mekong River in Thailand in connection with a plan to facilitate its cargo boat navigation there, authorities said on Tuesday. Chinese officials are surveying the Thai section of the Mekong River in Chiang Rai province for a feasibility study and no decision has been made nor has any action been taken that should justify public concerns.

China’s Silk Road push in Thailand may founder on Mekong row – DVB China’s plan to blast open more of the Mekong River for bigger cargo ships could founder on a remote outcrop of half-submerged rocks that Thai protesters have vowed to protect against Beijing’s economic expansion in Southeast Asia.

Chinese Environmental Protester Seeks Refuge in Thailand Ahead of Earth Day – RFA A Chinese rights activist involved in recent environmental protests in the southern province of Guangdong has fled the country to seek political refugee status in Thailand. Wang Xili had been giving help and advice to residents of Junpu village near Guangdong’s Chaozhou city who were protesting pollution from a battery recycling plant near their homes and plans to build other factories nearby. But the February protests ended in violent suppression by police, who detained 12 people. A string of formal arrests on public order charges followed earlier this month.

PM accepts Trump’s invitation to Washington – Thai PBS Government deputy spokesman Lt Gen Weeracon Sukhothapatipak said today that President Trump talked on the phone with the prime minister yesterday and invited him to Washington to discuss the regional situation and economic cooperation.

Related: Thai-American ties to be the ‘closest’ – Bangkok Post

Myanmar

Environmental Challenges Confronting Northern Chin State – The Irrawaddy TEDIM and FALAM TOWNSHIPS, Chin State — Chin State is considered one of Burma’s least-developed and most impoverished areas, but it is also a region of great natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Locals protest copper company’s building of fences – Myanmar Times The unhappy locals, who were already having disputes with the company, staged a protest over the matter on Sunday. A local Ko Tint Aung Soe said the locals had already asked for the fences to be removed via Hluttaw representative U Thein Naing. The company, which was expanding its premises, had been told early last week in a meeting with regional government officials not to build the fences without solving the land issue with the locals.

China is raring to move ahead with the Kyauk Phyu SEZ – BNI China is eager to get the Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone off the ground as soon possibly and is waiting only for Myanmar’s green light, an official from the Communist Party of China’s central committee told Rakhine State residents this week.During a local consultation in Kyauk Phyu on April 24, Wang Yajun, assistant minister of the CPC central committee’s international department, said, “China is ready to implement this project. We will start as soon as Myanmar is ready.”

Public skips meeting on Tigyit coal-fired power plant – BNI Slamming the government for a lack of transparency, local residents boycotted an April 29 meeting to discuss the Tigyit coal-fired power plant. The southern Shan State locals said only a small number of people were invited to take part in the last minute, closed-door meeting. “The invitation was sent on the 27th. Thirty-nine villages will be affected by the Tigyit project but only 70 people were invited,”

Rampant nationalism in Myanmar leaves Rohingya without allies – SEA Globe Nearly 100,000 people, overwhelmingly from the long-suffering Muslim Rohingya community, have been displaced in the five months since a security operation began in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State. The tens of thousands who streamed across the border to take refuge in Bangladesh have offered harrowing testimony of killings and mass rapes allegedly committed by security forces, while a review of satellite footage commissioned by Human Rights Watch appears to implicate soldiers in the razing of entire Rohingya villages.

Aung San Suu Kyi rejects UN inquiry into crimes against Rohingya – The Guardian Myanmar leader says resolution for the investigation is ‘not in keeping with what is happening on the ground’

Media Experts Say Access to Information ‘More Difficult’ Under Current Govt – The Irrawaddy RANGOON — Members of the Burmese media on Wednesday urged the government to avoid complacency in trying to advance press freedom in the country after it climbed 12 places on a recently released Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) index, but dropped 3.66 points in comparison to 2016.

Cambodia

Dam to bring power, pain – The Phnom Penh Post Set Nhal, 89, remembers when the French colonisers ruled in Stung Treng, when the Vietnamese invaded in the late 1970s after the bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge.  But soon, Nhal’s whole life, and his traditions, will be quite literally washed away. The Lower Sesan II hydropower dam, a 400-megawatt hydropower project, lies on the Sesan River, a tributary of the larger Mekong River just 25 kilometres from Stung Treng.

Lack of Incentives Leaves Low Carbon Energy in Question – The Cambodia Daily Cambodia’s possible pursuit of lower carbon-emitting energy sources appears to have waned after government officials this week cited a lack of incentives and higher-priority energy goals, a stance that a researcher and an activist respectively said was “short-sighted’ and the “wrong decision.”

ADB gives Kingdom $9.2M loan for solar farm – The Phnom Penh Post The Asia Development Bank (ADB) announced yesterday that it will provide a $9.2 million loan to Singapore-based energy provider Sunseap Group for the construction of Cambodia’s first large-scale solar farm.

General Electric signs sales agreement for 135Mw coal plant – The Phnom Penh Post Us-based energy giant General Electric (GE) signed a sales agreement yesterday to outfit the new 135-megawatt coal-fired plant in Preah Sihanouk province that is being constructed by a subsidiary of Japanese electronics manufacturer Toshiba.

Pulling the plug on power in Cambodia – Bangkok Post A crop of modern buildings has sprung up in the past five years in Phnom Penh. The construction of roads, malls and high-rise residences has become a ubiquitous sight. According to the Council for Development of Cambodia, China is the country’s biggest source of foreign direct investment. Despite a global economic slowdown, the country’s gross domestic product has grown at a rapid average of 7% since 2011. The tourism market is growing rapidly too, with the number of tourist arrivals tripling between 2006 and last year.

Power to the provinces – Khmer Times People in Svay Rieng, Prey Veng and Kandal provinces are to benefit from stable electricity supplies after a $75 million project to expand the national grid went online yesterday. Under the project, 115 kilovolt transmission lines will link Phnom Penh to Bavet in Svay Rieng province via a sub-station in Prey Veng orovince’s Preah Sdach district. The power will travel along a network of power lines, able to transmit 150 megawatts at first. The lines will later be upgraded to transmit up to 300MW.

Vietnam

Vietnam Turns to Technology to Solve Energy Dilemma –VOA Vietnam is facing a power dilemma, with officials in Hanoi trying to figure out how to supply all of its surging energy needs without destroying its environment in the process. Southeast Asia in general will see energy use jump 80 percent in the next two decades, according to Trilliant, a software firm for electricity grids. But for Vietnam, that number is closer to 200 percent. Some stakeholders believe the remedy is a combination of technology, renewable power, and greater energy efficiency. But the answers aren’t so simple to decision makers in Hanoi.

Vietnam Delta faces erosion threat –  Vietnam Net Dr Dao Trong Tu from the Vietnam River Network said climate change was not the main and only cause of the erosion in the Mekong Delta. He blamed rapid urbanisation in coastal areas and bad practices. “The three and four-storey houses that weigh tens of tonnes put huge pressure on the land. The hydropower plants prevent alluvial soil from getting downstream. Moreover, illegal sand exploitation in this area is worsening the situation,”

PM applauds Binh Thuan development plan – Vietnam News Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc lauded plans to develop the southern coastal province of Bình Thuận into a green, clean and sustainable economy during a local investment promotion conference yesterday. In his speech to more than 240 local and foreign businesses and investors, he said the province’s progress in infrastructure, export-import, vocational training and investment climate have attracted more businesses and investors to the locality.

Laos

Lao Government Should Grant Concession Leases Based on Investments: Former Official – RFA The Lao government must grant land leases based on type of investment, according to a former official, who said a recently amended law that limits leases to 50 years would do little to curb the ill effects of gambling at concessions where casinos are located. He said that while economic zones with factories, such as Savan-Seno, bring employment opportunities, those featuring casinos do more damage than good to local communities.

Chinese company to build modern agricultural industrial park in Laos  – Mekong Eye Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China’s Xuanye (Lao) Co., Ltd/AVIC International Beijing Co., Ltd on a modern agricultural industrial park project in Laos.

Nam Ou 7 Hydropower Project 10% Complete – Lao News Agency The ongoing Nam Ou 7 Hydropower Project in the northern province of Phongsaly is reportedly 10 percent complete since the project was launched in May 2016. The dam is being constructed by Sinohydro, a Chinese contractor. The progress of the project construction was reported last week to Deputy Prime Minister Mr Sonexay Siphandone as he was on a working visit joined by Phongsaly Governor Mr Khamchen Vongphosy. The project is expected to divert the river to pave the way for the construction of a barrage by the end of this year.

ADB Reaffirms Long-Term Commitment, Partnership with Lao PDR – ADB ADB, through its Lao PDR Resident Mission, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly organized an event to celebrate 50 years of development partnership between the country and ADB.

YUNNAN

Dam-building threatens endangered green peacock – The Third Pole It only took a feather to send my team flying to Yunnan in southern China. Specifically, a tail feather from a green peacock spotted in a image taken by an amateur wildlife photographer. Peacocks in general aren’t rare. Those seen in China are usually blue peacocks (pavo cristatus), which originate in India. But the green peacock (pavo muticus) is a different species and much less common. So much so that it’s listed on the IUCN Red List as endangered. There are less than 20,000 worldwide.

Bigger fish to fry: Yunnan looks to supply world tilapia craze – GoKunming People familiar with Yunnan may be surprised to find the province is in the process of nurturing an aquaculture industry. The niche market increasingly involves raising tilapia in reservoirs originally created to produce hydropower. While still in its infancy, farming of the freshwater fish is being hailed as an industry for the future, one that can help diversify local economies and help supplement the incomes of poor farmers.

Scientists show rising mountains compel and incubate plant evolution – GoKunming As a region, western Sichuan and Yunnan encompass one of the most spectacular repositories of wildlife remaining in China. This environment is partly a product of historical remoteness, but a study published earlier this month links species diversification in alpine areas to the geological age of mountains. Of specific focus was the Hengduan range (横断山脉), a sprawling collection of peaks significantly younger and more biodiverse than its towering neighbor to the west, the Himalayas.

 This week’s news digest was curated by Sonya Zhao

Last week, China resumed a survey of blasting rocks in the Mekong river more than 200 kilometers from its border – and aroused protests. An Indian court has recognized the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers as living entities. Could the Mekong receive similar official recognition? Also, complexities ensure for the China- N. Korea-U.S. relationship. Finally, Blackwater’s Erik Prince is opening a forward base in China’s Yunnan province.

EXSE FOCUS

Chinese survey boats arrive in Chiang Rai to resume survey of Mekong river – Thai PBS Chief of the Chinese survey team, Mr Lieu Jian, said the team would survey 15 points in the Mekong river from the Golden Triangle in Chiang Saen district downstream to Wiang Kaen district. The entire task would take 55 days.

Related: Mekong survey draws protests – Bangkok Post

What Rivers With Rights Mean for the Mekong | The Interpreter – International River In what should be welcome news for the many concerned about the future of the Mekong, an Indian court has recognised the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers as living entities. The decision means that polluting or damaging these rivers will be legally equivalent to harming a person.

Criticism of Beijing’s North Korea Policy Comes From Unlikely Place: China – NYT A rare challenge by a well-known historian shows the renewed debate over China’s longstanding patronage of its unpredictable neighbor.

Related: China urges North Korea and US to step back from brink of war – The Guardian

The American mercenary behind Blackwater is helping China establish the new Silk Road – Quartz As China pushes ahead with president Xi Jinping’s ambitious $1 trillion One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative—which reimagines a historic trade network as an overland Silk Road Economic “Belt” and a Maritime Silk “Road”—protecting Chinese business executives and other personnel and their rapidly growing investments in the region is more important than ever. Enter Erik Prince.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Asean’s role with N Korea – Bangkok Post While Thailand has been partying, the first winds of war in years have been stirred in Northeast Asia. US President Donald Trump has effectively warned North Korea that further nuclear or ballistic missile tests will have physical consequences. Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-un has replied with predictable threats of military retaliation.

China Gifts Military Equipment to Laos – The Diplomat Transfer of unspecified equipment typifies the defense relationship between the two countries.

China to Welcome Burma, Other Nations for Biggest Summit of Year on New Silk Road – The Irrawaddy Foreign Minister Wang Yi announces a list of those attending the conference, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Related: China’s biggest Silk Road summit plans omit Thai leaders – Bangkok Post

Cambodian youth: shaping relations with Vietnam – New Mandala Cambodia youth have crucial roles to play in improving and strengthening Cambodia-Vietnam relations, write Kimkong Heng & Sovinda Po.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Climate change is undermining sustainable development in Myanmar. Here is what can be done about it. – Mekong Eye Myanmar’s national government and some international development groups are adopting different but complementary approaches to tackling what many in the country consider to be one of the biggest threats to achieving sustainable development: Climate change. Government officials are working on implementing a new country-wide climate action plan, while several foreign aid groups are going straight to local communities and helping them adapt to the realities of a warming world.

From black gold to wind and solar: How China is turning its back on coal – Mongabay XI’AN, China — On bad air days, Cao Yiyang doesn’t take his 3-month-old daughter out for a stroll. It’s too dangerous. Staying inside, near the air purifier he recently bought, is better. “The air pollution is something my children’s generation will have to live with,” the 27-year-old IT technician said.

CHINA

China’s Economy Grows 6.9%, but Warning Signs Persist – NYT Underlying figures back up the view that Chinese growth is humming along, but a government forecast suggests that economists expect slower growth later in the year.

As Zeal for China Dims, Global Companies Complain More Boldly – NYT International firms still fear retaliation but are escalating their behind-the-scenes rhetoric as China becomes a more difficult business environment.

Ivanka Trump brand secures China trademarks on day US president met Xi Jinping – The Guardian Donald Trump’s daughter sparks ethics concerns after gaining approval in country where US business feels increasingly unwelcome

The US-China Fight Over Trade: The Ultimate Test of the WTO Framework – The Diplomat How the U.S.-China fight over market status and antidumping will test the limits of the WTO framework.

China Plans Winter Smog Shutdowns – RFA China’s government is hoping to avoid another smog-blackened winter in Beijing by cracking down on emissions in surrounding cities and cutting production during the cold weather months.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Thailand Takes Small Steps Forward After Longtime King’s Death – NYT Thais are beginning to accept the king’s disappearance from their lives and the succession of his son to the throne.

‘They Do Not Count Us’: Resisting the Myitsone Dam Beyond China, the US, and Big Geopolitics – The Irrawaddy Laur Kiik talks with a Kachin elder who was at the root of the Myitsone resistance.

Australian Mining Firm Abandons Exploration Bid in Contested Karenni State Area – The Irrawaddy The firm, which is undergoing a restructuring and name change, had been seeking to explore for minerals in an area beset by decades of conflict.

Nearly 170 Houses Relocated As Irrawaddy River Bank Erodes – The Irrawaddy Locals in nearby villages raise concerns as riverbank erosion forces houses and a high school in two villages to move.

Suu Kyi plans visit to Europe, China – DVB Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi will pay official visits to four European countries at the end of April, followed by a trip to China in May, according to Zaw Htay, the deputy director general of the Office of the State Counsellor.

Burmese magazine publisher killed in his office – DVB A Burmese publisher whose magazine has criticised the military, political and business establishment was found stabbed to death in his office at the weekend, police said on Tuesday.

4 killed as Cyclone Maarutha hits Irrawaddy Delta – DVB Four people have been killed and about 60 houses destroyed as storms caused by Cyclone Maarutha wreaked havoc in the Irrawaddy Delta.

Stop the Suu Kyi Blame Game in Myanmar – The Diplomat Don’t rush to judgement on Aung San Suu Kyi just yet.

Tepco, Toshiba to manage power grids in Cambodia – Nikkei Asian Review Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings will team with Toshiba to manage power grids in Cambodia, hoping to secure a new earnings source as the utility grapples with soaring cleanup costs for the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster.

Rice exports show slow growth – Phenom Penh Post Cambodian rice exports declined dramatically in March, causing the average export growth of the Kingdom’s dominant cash crop to increase by only 3 percent during the first quarter of this year, nearly wiping out the double-digit growth seen in January and February.

PM: More roads, bridges – Khmer Times Prime Minister Hun Sen has highlighted his government’s achievements in building new infrastructure as part of a message to commemorate Khmer New Year.

Vietnam’s Quiet Human Rights Crisis – The Diplomat A dearth of coverage, competing global interests, and an omnipresent police state render violations largely unnoticed.

Vietnam Farmers Free 15 Police Detained Amid Land Clash – RFA Farmers involved in a land dispute in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi freed 15 riot police Tuesday held in the aftermath of a clash with authorities over the weekend and said they are preparing to release around 20 additional local officials, according to state media.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister halts $10.6 bln steel plant over questions of demand, pollution – Mekong Eye Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has halted work at a $10.6-billion steel plant that had previously been vouched for by the trade ministry, calling for more studies to be conducted into demand and environmental impacts.

Natural disasters cost Vietnam $1.7 billion – VietNamNet The PM made the statement at a meeting to review disaster prevention and control in 2016 and layout tasks for 2017. Nguyen Xuan Cuong, head of the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said, 2016 saw multiple extreme weather phenomena such as droughts, extreme cold weather, floods and storms, causing losses of VND39.7 trillion (US$1.75 billion).

What’s Behind Laos’ China Banana Ban? – The Diplomat Recent reports are yet another testament to the growing scrutiny over Beijing’s influence in the Southeast Asian state.

Field Report on Laos’ Nam Theun 2 Dam – Mekong Eye From 5-7 January 2017, Mekong Watch visited villages affected by the Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project in Lao PDR. We visited and conducted interviews with 16 households in 6 villages relocated from the reservoir area on the Nakai Plateau, as well as 11 households of the 2 villages downstream on the Xe Bang Fai River.

Xamtay to Vietnam road construction expects delays – Vientiane Times Construction of a new road connecting Xamtay district in Huaphan province to Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam will not be finished according to plans, say officials of the project.

Maximum concession period cut to half century in investment promotion overhaul – Vientiane Times A newly-amended Investment Promotion Law has moved to cut by half the maximum investment period for new concession projects to 50 years, down from previous maximum period of 99 years.

YUNNAN

Yunnan’s Myanmar borderlands becoming more accessible – GoKunming There are places which seem so close, but remain hard to reach. Kengtung, the main town in the far east of Myanmar’s most eastern Shan state, is one of those places. It is less than 150 kilometers from Jinghong (景洪), the main city of Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna Prefecture, and it shares many similarities, yet there is one barrier — the border. Currently no foreigners can go across from Dalou (打洛) to Mongla, though there is talk that soon that border might allow access as part of Myanmar’s process of opening up.

This week’s news digest was curated by Sonya Zhao.

This week we heard different opinions about the Pak Beng dam in Laos.  South Korea-China relations have worsened as the US deploys THAAD in South Korea. Also, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson started his first Asia trip.

EXSE FOCUS

The proposed Pak Beng dam in Lao PDR: Is the “transboundary impact assessment” adequate? – Sumernet The 1st Regional Stakeholder Forum on the Pak Beng Hydropower Project organized by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) last month debated whether the transboundary social and environmental impact assessment done for the proposed Pak Beng is adequate given the serious environmental and social concerns surrounding this mainstream Mekong dam. ///The first regional stakeholder forum was no doubt an improvement of the MRC to engage stakeholders to discuss dam projects in the region. However, the transparency of the ESIA process and the effectiveness of the assessments were not some issues that could improve over night. The MRC should keep playing its leading role during the technical review process. Many stakeholders are watching and looking forward to seeing the results in the second regional stakeholder forum in May.

 Rebuttal to MRC CEO Statement: “Hydropower Development Will Not Kill the Mekong River” – The Mekong Eye In this commentary submitted to The Mekong Eye, the Viet Ecology Foundation responds to MRC CEO’s recent interview on the future of the Pak Beng dam project.

 South Korean Stores Feel China’s Wrath as U.S. Missile System Is Deployed – NYT Anti-South Korean sentiment has broken out across China after the South’s embrace of a U.S. missile defense system that China says can be used to spy on its territory. ///An interesting point about the patriotism and nationalism raised in this article. China has one of the world’s largest populations. It is powerful when this population unite to boycott another nation’s business. But is it real patriotism? And what are the consequences and at what cost? Perhaps, each person has their own answer to that.

Related: THAAD and the Future of Strategic Stability in East Asia – The Diplomat

Tillerson Goes to Asia: What’s on the Agenda – The Diplomat U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Asia on his first trip to the region as the top U.S. diplomat.

Why Rex Tillerson Must Bring Up Human Rights on His First Asia Trip – The Diplomat As Rex Tillerson prepares to head to China, Japan, and South Korea on his first major trip, he can’t forget about human rights.

Related: Why and How Tillerson Should Address Human Rights on China Visit – The Diplomat

Related: Tillerson Travels to Asia Amid Rising Tensions in Region – WSJ

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Regional Security Stakes In Southeast Asia – The Diplomat Insights from Joseph Chinyong Liow.

TPP Signatories to Meet in Chile to Explore the Future of the Agreement – The Diplomat The meeting will be the first high-level summit between the 12 countries since the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement.

What’s Behind the New China-Philippines Coast Guard Exercise? – The Diplopmat New bilateral engagements appear to be on the horizon despite lingering challenges.

Related: Philippines in new spat with China over sea territories – Southeast Asia Globe Magazine

How Did Myanmar’s Reforms Change Its Relations With China? – The Diplomat Public opinion in Myanmar has turned increasingly negative toward China.

Vietnam protests Chinese cruise ships in South China Sea – Southeast Asia Globe Magazine Earlier this month, a Chinese cruise ship made a stop at the Paracel Islands, an archipelago in the heavily contested South China Sea. With more than 300 passengers on board, the ship has now become the centre of a public spat between Vietnam and China, as Vietnam has publically demanded on Monday that China stop sending cruise ships to the Paracel Islands.

Will the North Korea-Malaysia Crisis Cause a Shift in Southeast Asian States’ Relationships with Pyongyang? – Asia Unbound Malaysia is but one of many Southeast Asian nations that have relatively robust diplomatic ties with Pyongyang. Or at least—Malaysia had relatively robust ties with Pyongyang. Those ties existed before the brazen killing in Kuala Lumpur’s international airport, the travel ban by Pyongyang on Malaysian citizens in North Korea and Malaysia on North Korean citizens in Malaysia, and the increasingly hostile rhetoric between Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur.

Duterte on first presidential visit to Thailand – Investvine Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will pay an official state visit to Thailand from March 20 to 22, the Thai government announced on March 15. It is the first official visit of Duterte after he became President of the Philippines

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

AIIB plans to “conditionally” support coal power – The Third Pole The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is led and largely funded by China, has closed its second public consultation on its future energy strategy.

Water-saving Technology Grows Hope in Burma’s Dry Zone – The Irrawaddy Farmers in Burma’s Dry Zone will bear the brunt of climate change, but water-saving technology could stave off disaster.

Myanmar’s toxic legacy of large dams – The Third Pole The country’s first strategic environmental review provides a chance to demand more from investors and dam builders, but is still being seen as too little, and leading to fierce resistance by marginalised communities.

Indonesia’s clean coal dreams – Mongabay The Indonesian government is relying on so-called “clean coal” technology to help reconcile its climate goals with plans to rapidly expand coal-fired energy. But even in countries with far greater resources than Indonesia, clean coal is often called a pipe dream or an oxymoron. The most advanced technologies can, in theory, remove some 90 percent of carbon and harmful particulates from coal exhaust. But they drive up the cost of building a coal-fired power plant by about 70 percent.

CHINA

China says first draft of South China Sea code of conduct ready – Reuters A first draft of a code of conduct for behavior in the disputed South China Sea has been completed, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday, adding tension in the waterway had eased notably.

U.S. May Soon Increase Pressure on China to Constrain North Korea – NYT A senior administration official said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would warn China to restrain North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

Trump, China’s Xi Planning to Meet Soon – WSJ President Donald Trump is tentatively set to meet in coming weeks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, officials from both nations said.

China’s Premier, Li Keqiang, Strikes Upbeat Tone Amid U.S. Tensions – NYT Mr. Li stressed common interests at his annual news conference despite differences over hot spots in Asia and President Trump’s anti-China rhetoric.

Related: Li Keqiang warns Donald Trump against trade war with China – The Guardian

‘Airpocalypse’ smog events in China linked to melting ice cap, research reveals – The Guardian Stagnant weather caused by fast-melting Arctic ice helped create conditions for China’s recent extreme air pollution events, scientists say. Climate change played a major role in the extreme air pollution events suffered recently by China and is likely to make such “airpocalypses” more common, new research has revealed.

China: Xi Jinping wants ‘Great Wall of Steel’ in violence-hit Xinjiang – The Guardian Authorities blame apparent increase in bloodletting on Islamic extremists and separatists. Chinese president Xi Jinping has urged security forces to erect a “Great Wall of Steel” around the violence-hit western region of Xinjiang after an apparent spike in bloodletting that authorities blame on Islamic extremists and separatists.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

National power plan revisions afoot – Bangkok Post Energy policymakers will revise the national power development plan (PDP 2015-36) in order to generate sufficient power for the country if plans to develop the two coal-fired power plants in the southern region — in Krabi and Thepha district in Songkhla province — are further delayed or scrapped.

Fisheries expert suspects something wrong with the Thai sea – Thai PBS The latest casualty is a 12-metre Bruda whale weighing about two tonnes washed ashore in Village 9 of Tambon Thongchai, Bang Saphan district of Prachuab Khiri Khan. Thorn said that this latest Bruda whale which was not an aging whale appeared to have died from unnatural cause – an indicative that there was something wrong with the sea.

Egat fires up coal plant plans – Bangkok Post The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) says it will launch a new environmental and health impact assessment (EHIA) for the planned coal-fired power plant in Krabi and an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for its deep-sea port within three months.

Groups march against EIA, projects in South – The Nation A 101-KILOMETRE march was launched yesterday to highlight the flaws of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and protest against the planned Songkhla-Satun Landbridge project and the proposed Pak Bara seaport.

Myanmar’s Rohingya Crackdown ‘Crimes Against Humanity’: Top UN Official – The Diplomat Rapporteur says Aung San Suu Kyi must answer for atrocities.

Related: What’s Next for Myanmar’s Rakhine State? – The Diplomat

Rising Intimidation in Cambodian Politics Calls for Urgent Solidarity – The Diplomat The worries continue to grow as elections approach.

Cambodian Villagers Displaced by Dam Complain of Nonarable Land, Access to Fishing – RFA Cambodian villagers who have been relocated by the government from areas near the U.S. $781 million Lower Sesan 2 hydropower dam project on Mekong River tributaries said Thursday that they cannot eke out a living in their new locale.

Villagers affected by dam meet with government officials – Phnom Penh Post Villagers from Stung Treng whose homes stand to be flooded by the Lower Sesan II dam met with representatives of the Ministry of Mines and Energy at an NGO Forum-sponsored meeting in Phnom Penh yesterday, in hopes of establishing a dialogue towards a long-awaited compromise.

Climate change to challenge Mekong River Delta in 2017 – Vietnamnet Signs of growth stagnation in the Mekong Delta in recent years have been blamed on climate change, which has contributed to drought and saline intrusion.

South to see less drought, more dry season rain – Vietnamnet Weather experts expect the southern region to  experience less drought and salinity and more unseasonal rain during this year’s dry season.

Mekong Delta takes urgent steps to prevent drought – Vietnamnet Last year’s drought devastated crops and caused serious losses for farmers in the Mekong Delta. This year, authorities are restructuring crops, building dykes and erecting sluices in anticipation of continuing weather disasters.

Gov’t Plans to Promote Transport Infrastructure – Lao News Agency (KPL) The Lao government is preparing to initiate investment promotion for developing and improving transport infrastructure through the Public Private Partnership mechanism, which is considered as a favorable option.

YUNNAN 

Myanmar conflict crosses into Yunnan as refugee numbers swell – Go Kunming Fighting in northeastern Myanmar once again spilled over the border last week, leaving one Chinese man dead and several others injured. More than a week of intensified mortar and small arms exchanges near the Yunnan town of Nansan (南伞) have also sent tens of thousands of Burmese refugees into makeshift camps maintained by the People’s Liberation Army and staffed by villagers from both sides of the border.

Related: Refugees surge into China as Kokang border conflict escalates – DVB

This week’s news digest was curated by Sonya Zhao.

This week, China had ‘Two Sessions’ addressing the country’s economic and political concerns. Also, March 8 was the International Women’s day with the theme of “women in the changing world of work”. So, let’s take this opportunity and look at women – their achievements, struggles and future, in the region.

EXSE FOCUS

China’s ‘Two Sessions’ and the 2017 Economic Outlook – The Diplomat Li’s work report was light on new economic reforms, indicating that stability remains the government’s main goal.

Chinese premier warns world entering period of political and economic upheaval – The Guardian Li Keqiang urges China to brace for ‘graver situations’ ahead in apparent reference to President Donald Trump. China’s premier has warned the world is entering a period of profound political and economic upheaval as the spectre of Donald Trump hung over the opening day of the country’s annual national people’s congress.

China’s economic concerns mount as thousands gather for congress – The Guardian Premier Li Keqiang will deliver his annual report against the backdrop of a falling currency and an ever-growing housing and debt bubble. China’s rubber-stamp legislature convenes this weekend with the script focused on containing economic risks while president Xi Jinping consolidates power ahead of a pivotal Communist party meeting later this year.

International Women’s Day: How a “changing world” can affect equality in decision-making – Mekong Eye The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is “women in the changing world of work,” which aims to right the inequalities that currently exist in the global labor force. This is a worthy cause, but what happens when the change in work comes about due to more major livelihood changes that transform the gender dynamics of work and decision-making in whole communities? /// In the Mekong region, relocation of a family may have strong impact on traditional gender norms, practices and decision-making, and therefore influence women and men differently because of their different roles in the household. Gender division of labor, as a very important factor, is always overlooked by policy makers in the resettlement policies. The good sign is that more researches focusing on  Mekong issues are starting to look through a gender lens. Hopefully, these voices can be heard by policy makers. 

Thailand ranks third in Asia Pacific for having high ratio of women in senior management positions – Thai PBS This was revealed today in the Grand Thornton’s annual survey of 36 countries of senior management roles held by women, to mark the International Women’s Day today.The survey by the professional services firm Grant Thornton showed that women in Asia Pacific held a wider management role, with the ratio increasing to 25% from 23% in 2016.

Women workers in Thailand’s caring economy – New Mandala To mark International Women’s Day, Kriangsak Teerakowitkajorn reports on the challenges facing working women in Thailand, and the critical need to change gender norms and recognise caring and reproductive labor.

Rights Group Chides Vietnam For Treatment of Women, Human Rights Defenders – RFA The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights called on the Vietnamese government on Tuesday to release all women detained for demanding human rights and revise provisions of the criminal code routinely used to imprison female activists.

I went to jail for handing out feminist stickers in China – The Guardian The backlash is painful, but it coexists with progress as women activists manage – slowly – to bring about a change in attitudes.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Encourages Women to Participate in Peace Process – The Irrawaddy Speaking at an International Women’s Day celebration, the state counselor says she wants 50 percent participation for women in Burma’s peace process. /// Yes, women’s participation is extremely important for peace process in a country like Burma. BUT, where are they? Businesswomen cannot present the majority women that have been, for a very long time, discriminated by the society, or sexually and physically violated by their husbands at home or by military forces during conflicts. Sadly, the group who will have the strongest voice in peace process are still invisible in the country.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

ASEAN readies to boost fight against transnational crime – DVB The first­-ever regional centre set up to fight transnational crime in ASEAN and share information could be up and running by next year. Suriya Jindawong, deputy director-­general of the Thai Foreign Ministry’s department of ASEAN affairs, said an anti­transnational crime centre will support information-­sharing to prevent several kinds of cross­-border threats.

Is Indonesia Choosing the Indian Ocean Rim Association Over ASEAN? – The Diplomat Indonesia’s substantial involvement in IORA signifies a stage of crisis for ASEAN.

Govt adopts ‘defence diplomacy’ with China – Bangkok Post The current military government has adopted “defence diplomacy” when it comes to handling international relations. Such a diplomatic approach has helped it forge closer ties with China, resulting in strengthened cooperation on a new defence and weapons industry in Thailand along with planned purchases of Chinese armaments and armoured vehicles including submarines.

Where Are India-Myanmar Naval Ties? – The Diplomat A visit by a Myanmar Navy delegation to India is just the latest sign of deepening defense cooperation between both sides.

Beijing says over 20,000 people from Burma seeking refuge in China – DVB China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday more than 20,000 people from Burma are seeking refuge in China from fighting in northern Shan State, as fighting threatens Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s top goal of reaching peace with minorities.

Related: 20,000 Refugees Flee Myanmar’s Kokang Conflict Across The Border Into China – RFA 

Church underpins Cambodia-Vietnam ties – Phnom Penh Post For decades, political and economic upheaval in Southeast Asia separated ethnic Vietnamese communities in the United States from those in Asia, as their lives followed radically divergent trajectories.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Solar power growth leaps by 50% worldwide thanks to US and China – The Guardian UK leads Europe for solar growth despite drop in installations after government cut subsidies. The amount of solar power added worldwide soared by some 50% last year because of a sun rush in the US and China, new figures show.

A look inside Xayaburi dam – Mekong Eye The Xayaburi dam, with installed capacity of 1,260 MW, is the first one among 12 mainstream dams on the Mekong river. Located approximately 30 kilometers east of Xayaburi district, in northern Laos, this $3.2 billion dam is a controversial case: while Laos and dam-developers are steadily confirming that Xayaburi is a run-of-river (ROR) project, the dam’s water retention is 1-2 days, meaning it does not qualify as a real ROR dam.

Source of Mekong, Yellow and Yangtze rivers drying up – Chinadialogue In 2015, the Chinese government announced plans to set up a new nature reserve in the Sanjiangyuan (“three river source”) region of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. This area is a key source of fresh water for Asia and is known for the rich biodiversity of its high-altitude, arid ecosystem. It is also one of the areas in the world most vulnerable to climate change.

‘Parched’ Chinese city plans to pump water from Russian lake via 1,000km pipeline – The Guardian Urban planners in Lanzhou have drawn up proposals to pipe water into the chronically dry region from Siberia’s Lake Baikal.China is reportedly considering plans to build a 1,000km (620 mile) pipeline to pump water all the way from Siberia to its drought-stricken northwest.

CHINA

Building Trade Walls – NYT The Trump administration faces the problem that China’s high trade barriers are allowed by the World Trade Organization, because China entered the group as a developing country and insists it still is one.

The future of Xi’s Belt Road Initiative – New Mandala China’s One Belt One Road initiative will shape global politics in years to come. But, at the moment it is a vision lacking strategy, writes Jacob Mardell. Xi Jinping’s signature development strategy for Eurasia and beyond, the Belt Road Initiative (BRI), means different things to different observers. At the same time as being an economic strategy for boosting China’s flagging exports, it is also a geopolitical power play, and a bid for energy security.

As Leaders Argue, South Korea Finds China Is No Longer an Easy Sell – NYT China, long a major customer of Korean companies, is emerging as a competitor — showing the cracks in South Korea’s decades-old economic growth model.

Related: China Warns of Arms Race After U.S. Deploys Missile Defense in South Korea – NYT

          Related: North and South Korea Give China a Double Headache – NYT

 China gives initial approval of Trump trademarks for hotels and escort services – The Guardian Ethics lawyers raise alarm over constitutional violation if president given special treatment in quickly securing 38 new trademarks to develop potential businesses.

China’s premier unveils smog-busting plan to ‘make skies blue again’ – The Guardian Li Keqiang promises to intensify battle against air pollution as he unveils series of measures at annual people’s congress.

Xi Jinping’s Failed Promises Dim Hopes for Economic Change in 2nd Term – NYT As China’s president prepares for another five years in power, critics of his record are asking whether he was ever really serious about liberalizing the economy.

China to Raise Military Spending, but Less Than in Recent Years – NYT The defense budget would rise by about 7 percent, suggesting that China’s leaders do not plan to engage President Trump in an arms race.

       Related: China Slows the Pace on Its Defense Spending Growth in 2017 – The Diplomat

BBC crew attacked in China and forced to sign confession – The Guardian Journalist says crew trying to interview villager about land reform had cameras smashed and confiscated.

The Islamic State Just Threatened China. What Will Beijing Do? – The Diplomat A recent Islamic State video featuring Uyghurs threatening China shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

Overseas NGOs in China: Left in Legal Limbo – The Diplomat As many feared, the new law in practice seems designed to make life difficult for international organizations.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Southeast Asia’s $3.5 trillion infrastructure crisis – Southeast Asia Globe Rapid economic growth, a skyrocketing population and devastating climate change mean Southeast Asia will need to ramp up its investment in infrastructure if it is “to maintain its growth momentum [and] eradicate poverty”, according to a recent report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

UN Agencies Turn to New Technology to Tackle Old Problems in Southeast Asia – RFA Shortly after Jonathan Rivers arrived in Cambodia in 2014 to work as a technical officer for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), he noticed how much time he and his colleagues spent retrieving data from different departments for their food security analysis work.

Govt pushes Krabi coal plant forum – Bangkok Post The government has pressed ahead with its plan to improve the public’s understanding about new environmental and health impact assessments needed for the Krabi coal-fired power plant project, saying they have to be completed within a month from now.

Thailand tops “happy country” list for low unemployment, stable inflation – Investvine Thailand is the world’s happiest country, and Venezuela is the most miserable – this is the result of Bloomberg’s newly released Misery Index which ranks 65 countries globally and was released on March 3.

Attacks by Rebels in Myanmar Leave Dozens Dead – NYT The assaults by an ethnic Chinese group were said to have targeted a hotel, casinos and police and army posts in an escalation of a long-running conflict.

Why Myanmar’s New Peace Process Is Failing – The Diplomat So far, the NLD government efforts to end armed conflicts have failed.

Thousands of Rohingya refugees return to Burma – DVB Thousands of Rohingya who took refuge in Bangladesh after fleeing violence in Burma have returned home because of a Bangladeshi plan to house them on an uninhabited flood-prone island, community leaders said Wednesday.

Related: Burma set to dodge full UN probe on Rohingya abuse – DVB

ADB to Support Yangon Region Through PPP Promotion – ADB ADB and the Yangon Region Government have agreed to partner up in promoting public-private partnerships (PPP) in the urban infrastructure sector.

Lao Police Confirm Arrest of ‘Major Drug Trader’ – RFA Police in Laos have confirmed the arrest of one of the country’s biggest drug kingpins as part of a crackdown on dozens of suspected smugglers over a five-month period ending in late January.

Hanoi’s iconic lakes need urgent clean-up help – Mekong Commons Hanoi: A city of lakes that could soon become a city of rubbish.

‘Environmental refugees’ in Mekong River Delta expected in future, experts say – Vietnamnet An environmental refugee is defined by Prof Essam El-Hinnawi as someone forced to leave their traditional habitat, temporarily or permanently, because of a marked environmental disruption. Vietnam, instead of ‘environmental refugees’, uses the world ‘resettlement’ or ‘migration’, because ‘refugee’ proves to be a ‘sensitive word’ in Vietnamese.

Cambodia’s Ruling Party Threatens Lawsuit Over Opposition Slogan – RFA Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodia People’s Party (CPP) has threatened the opposition with legal action for suggesting ruling party commune chiefs have neglected the interests of their constituents ahead of local elections in June.

PM Hun Sen leaks more chats – Phnom Penh Post The steady stream of purported leaked conversations among Cambodia’s political elite continued to flow yesterday. The latest batch casts the spotlight on opposition lawmaker Mao Monyvann and his relationship with the premier, who openly boasted about sending the latest round of messages to a local media outlet.

The Importance of Timor-Leste’s 2017 Elections – The Diplomat The March 20 presidential election in particular is a big test for the Southeast Asia’s youngest country.

Unlocking Timor-Leste’s road to ASEAN – New Mandala The longer Timor-Leste’s membership is delayed will only reflect negatively on ASEAN’s decision-making process, writes Khoo Ying Hooi.

YUNNAN

Report: Kunming to add two Metro lines — GoKunming Only a few days after reports surfaced regarding at least some progress on the city’s under-construction subway lines, Kunming officials once again upped the development ante. On Sunday March 5, the Kunming Municipal Transportation Bureau (昆明市交通运输局) announced plans to build two new Metro lines.

REVIEWS

Book Review: Why Govern? Rethinking Demand and Progress in Global Governance – The Diplomat The transition to multipolarity may be destabilizing, but it is undoubtedly a democratic one.

This week’s news was curated by Sonya Zhao. 

This week, there still are concerns in the region about Pak Beng dam after last week’s regional consultation in Luang Prabang. However, Laos does not see the need to address all concerns. Coal power is another issue as Thailand has not yet settled the Krabi dispute while Vietnam continues to double down on coal. Also, Australia announced ASEAN-Australia Special Summit to be held in 2018. Finally, the Malaysian female suspects in the Kim Jong-Nam assassination were charged with murder.

EXSE FOCUS

Laos Sees Little Problem With the Pak Beng Dam – RFA Laos is pushing ahead with the controversial Pak Beng dam as the government has found little reason to delay the project on the Mekong River’s mainstream, a senior government official told RFA./// In terms of local affected by the project, there is a huge gap between the numbers posted by the Government of Lao (1000 affected) versus International Rivers (6700 affected).

Related: Pak Beng meet begins in Laos – Phnom Penh Post

 The Mekong Deserves Better – Bangkok Post Last week, a regional forum was held in Luang Prabang for countries in the Mekong River Basin to discuss the Pak Beng hydroelectric dam planned by Laos. It was organised by the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the only organisation that works directly with the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam to jointly manage the shared resources and sustainable development of the river.

Krabi coal plant to start anew – Bangkok Post Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has insisted that new environmental and health impact assessments are needed for the Krabi coal-fired power plant project and the public must be allowed to have their say.

Related: Krabi plant study ditched – Bangkok Post

Related: Set zero: The Krabi power plant is ded-sa-molay – Bangkok Post

Related: A fresh chance to boost renewable energy – Bangkok Post

Related: Anti-coal group issues deadline to halt EHIA – Bangkok Post

Vietnam Develops Coal Power Despite Environmental Concerns – VietnamNet A report from the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) released in 2015 showed that hydropower accounted for 43.2 percent of installation capacity and made up 34.15 percent of total electricity output. Meanwhile, the figures were 33.7 percent and 34.37 percent, respectively, for coal thermal power.

What’s Behind the First ASEAN-Australia Special Summit? – The Diplomat A closer look at what the agenda will look like when both sides meet next year.

Women Suspected in Killing of Kim Jong-nam Are Charged – NYT Word of the charges came as North Korea sent diplomatic delegations to Beijing and Kuala Lumpur, a rare outreach to repair frayed ties caused by the death.

Related: Woman Held in Death of North Korean Leader’s Kin Says She Was Duped – NYT

Related: Women charged with murder in airport assassination – Bangkok Post

Related: Kuala Lumpur airport declared free from toxic contamination – Bangkok Post

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Vietnam’s Energy Exports Could Help Rebuild Ties With China – The Diplomat Can oil and gas diplomacy be Vietnam’s strategic map to re-establish normal relations with China?

China and Vietnam: Thoughts From a Chinese Sojourner in Ho Chi Minh City – The Diplomat Different interpretations of history showcase hidden tensions in the China-Vietnam relationship.

Indonesia and the Philippines hobble the mining industry – The Economist IN THE more rugged, poor and far-flung areas of the vast archipelagoes of Indonesia and the Philippines, mining is one of the few industries that shows much promise. Last year the Philippines exported nearly $1.7bn of minerals and ore—4% of the country’s exports. Mining employs over 200,000 people. By the same token, the Indonesian unit of Freeport McMoRan, an American firm that operates Grasberg, a vast copper and gold mine high in the mountains of Papua, has paid more than $16.5bn in taxes over the past 16 years. Freeport plans to expand Grasberg; over the next 25 years it expects to cough up a further $40bn. Yet the governments of both countries are imperilling this bonanza.

The Philippines pivots to China – The Economist FOR some relief from the congestion, fumes and hustle of Manila, take a day-cruise to the island of Corregidor. Guarding the entrance to Manila Bay, the “Gibraltar of the East” has seen the junks that brought Chinese trade and Islam, galleons that brought Spanish Catholicism and, in 1898, the warships of Commodore George Dewey that brought American rule. In 1941 came Japanese invaders who, as tour-guides tell it, made sport of throwing Filipino babies in the air and catching them on bayonets.

Rohingya refugees sucked into booming Bangladesh drug trade – DVB Rohingya Muslim refugee Ali Hasan is desperately looking for a bride for his 14-year-old son, jailed last year in Bangladesh for carrying the popular drug “ya ba.” He hopes the girl’s family would pay the $620 needed for Mohammed Hasan’s bail as dowry.

Chinese-owned factory attacked in Myanmar, straining bilateral ties – GoKunming Myanmar is in the midst of extremely tumultuous times caused by a quick jump to representative democracy coupled with a slew of historical problems. At times, such multifaceted concerns have put the Southeast Asian country’s government at odds with that of its largest trade partner and longtime benefactor. The newest incident — the destruction of property and brief detainment of Chinese nationals in Yangon — highlights simmering anger in Myanmar over China’s influence in the country.

Unlikely Partners: Cambodia and the Eurasian Economic Union – The Diplomat Why is Cambodia buying crocheted fabric from Belarus and leather saddles from Kyrgyzstan? In its efforts to bolster trade and forge new international alliances, the Southeast Asian Kingdom has opted to increase ties with some unlikely partners: the members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

Thai mine ‘destroyed Myanmar water sources’ – The Nation PEOPLE in Heinda district in Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region have been deprived of clean water, amid claims that a tin mine operated by a Thai firm has contaminated the river and water sources with heavy metals.

Related: Thai-owned mine allegedly polluted creek – Bangkok Post

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Sand mining: the global environmental crisis you’ve never heard of – The Guardian From Cambodia to California, industrial-scale sand mining is causing wildlife to die, local trade to wither and bridges to collapse. And booming urbanisation means the demand for this increasingly valuable resource is unlikely to let up

China turns to energy storage to push renewables – ChinaDialogue Despite another banner year for renewables growth in China, the country’s grid is still struggling to bring clean electricity to consumers. The problem is so serious in China’s north and west that turbines were forced to sit idle for much of 2016.

Why do hydro-hegemons cooperate? China’s and India’s transboundary river policies – Global Water Forum Hydro-hegemons are states which assert power over other riparian states in a shared river basin.  In Asia, both China and India are hydro-hegemons. China is the upstream riparian on many of Asia’s most important international rivers, including the Mekong, Brahmaputra, Sutlej, Indus, Salween, and Irrawaddy. India is middle riparian on the Brahmaputra and the Ganges, and upstream from Pakistan on the Indus and Bangladesh on the Ganges.

Siem Reap hotel is aiming for solar sustainability – Phnom Penh Post The Templation Hotel, located just north of Siem Reap town, claims to be the first in the Kingdom to try to supply the majority of its electricity from solar power, and is testing a model in sustainability that the MAADS hotel group may scale out to other non-urban properties. The group owns seven hotels, three shops and several restaurants.

CHINA

Did Trump Get Something Out of Xi in Exchange for Affirming ‘One China’? – The Diplomat “The president always gets something.”

Related: ‘The president always gets something’: Spicer suggests Trump gained concession from China – The Guardian

Related: High-Ranking Chinese Envoy Visits Trump’s Washington: What’s on the Agenda? – The Diplomat

U.S. Wary of Its New Neighbor in Djibouti: A Chinese Naval Base – NYT With tensions between the rivals increasing, American strategists worry that operations at the Pentagon’s Camp Lemonnier will be observed once China completes its military port.

Is Beijing outflanking the United States in the South China Sea? – Reuters For much of the last week, the U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson has been patrolling the South China Sea. It is just the kind of display of Washington’s power and global reach that the U.S. Navy excels at – both to reassure allies and, in this case, send a message to potential foes.

Britain concerned over challenges to Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ deal – The Guardian Bi-annual report on former colony saying confidence in its systems is under threat comes after repeated interventions from Beijing. Developments in Hong Kong have affected confidence in the city’s autonomy, though its rule of law remained robust “despite challenges”, the British government has said.

North Korea Accuses China of ‘Mean Behavior’ After It Tightens Sanctions – NYT The criticism focused on China’s decision to suspend coal imports from North Korea, which depends on China for 90 percent of its external trade.

Related: China and North Korea Reveal Sudden, and Deep, Cracks in Their Friendship – NYT

China’s coal consumption drops for third year in a row – ChinaDialogue New research reveals that China burned 4.7% less coal in 2016 than in the previous year, meaning that annual coal consumption has dropped for the third consecutive year since 2014.

Only China Can Save the Planet – Foreign Policy The United States is lost in the delusions of climate change deniers. Fortunately, Beijing could be up for leading the fight.

U.N. Human Rights Experts Unite to Condemn China Over Expulsions of Tibetans – NYT A half-dozen experts have banded together to condemn China for the expulsions of monks and nuns from major religious enclaves in a Tibetan region.

China ‘anti-terror’ rallies: thousands of troops on streets of Urumqi – The Guardian Thousands of troops have poured on to the streets of one of west China’s most important cities for the second time in just over a week, as a senior Communist party leader heralded an “all-out offensive” against terrorism in the violence-stricken region.

Related: Is China’s Counterterrorism Policy in Xinjiang Working? – The Diplomat

Related: Officials Ban Dozens of Religious Practices, Foreign Missionaries in China’s Xinjiang – RFA

China considers paying couples to have a second child – The Guardian After abolishing the one-child policy, Communist party mulls financial incentives to parents who have more than one baby. China is considering introducing birth rewards and subsidies to encourage people to have a second child, after surveys showed economic constraints were making many reluctant to expand their families, the state-owned China Daily has reported. /// From birth penalties to birth rewards, it took three decades at the expense of the 80s generation labeled “loneliest generation” in China. These children of the one child policy are carrying the burden of competitive jobs, unaffordable housing, providing for two parents (and four grandparents), and (possibly) two children and their future schooling. It’s going to take much more than the birth rewards to solve that.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Vietnam

‘Black Holes’ in the South China Sea: Vietnam Commissions 2 New Attack Submarines – The Diplomat The Vietnamese Navy commissioned the last two of six Russian-made diesel electric attack submarines this week.

Trump’s Trade Retreat Could Hurt Push for Labor Rights Abroad – NYT The T.P.P. and other trade deals required tougher labor and environment measures. Some call them fig leaves, but others bemoan their loss.

In Kim Jong-nam Killing, a Common Migration Tale Takes a Dark Turn – NYT Before being accused in the death of Kim Jong-un’s half brother, Doan Thi Huong was one of millions of Southeast Asians living abroad in search of work.

Cambodia

Donald Trump’s media ban inspires Cambodian attack on press freedom – The Guardian And so it has happened. Less than 100 days into his presidency, Donald Trump is being cited by a corrupt and despotic regime to justify new restrictions on rights and freedoms. On Saturday, Cambodia’s council of ministers spokesman Phay Siphan vowed to “crush” media entities that endanger the “peace and security” of the kingdom, calling on all “foreign agents” to self-censor or be shut down. He justified this threat by citing Trump’s recent expulsion of critical media outlets from a White House briefing (Report, 25 January).

Related: Cambodian Government Cites Trump in Threatening Foreign News Outlets – NYT

Who are Cambodia’s new deputy opposition leaders?  – Southeast Asia Globe Magazine On Tuesday, the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) announced that three of its politicians – Mu Sochua, Eng Chhay Eang and Pol Ham – would replace Kem Sokha as vice presidents of the party after he was made the new party president. The announcement came a little over two weeks after CNRP figurehead Sam Rainsy stepped down as president of the party in the face of threats from Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to dissolve the opposition.

Faith in flux: wealthy Middle Eastern donors bring uncertainty to Cambodia’s Cham Muslims – Southeast Asia Globe Magazine Islamic organisations from the Middle East are pouring money into Cambodia’s Cham Muslim communities, spreading hardline teachings and threatening to drive a wedge between the Muslim minority and their Buddhist neighbours

Tep Vanny hit with 30-month jail sentence – Phnom Penh Post Violence marred the trial of prominent land activist Tep Vanny, who was sentenced earlier this morning to two years and six months for aggravated intentional violence in relation to a 2013 protest outside Prime Minister Hun Sen’s residence in Phnom Penh.

Myanmar

Governing Myanmar – The Diplomat The NLD government’s first year in office was difficult, and more challenges remain ahead.

Legal advocacy group urges halt to SEZ expansion – DVB An international legal association is calling for a moratorium on expansion work at Burma’s special economic zones (SEZs), a key component of the country’s development agenda.

Related: Thilawa SEZ Commences Second Phase of Project – The Irrawaddy

Army defends operation against Rohingya, denies reports of abuses – DVB Burma’s military defended its crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority as a lawful counterinsurgency operation at a rare news conference on Tuesday, adding it was necessary to defend the country.

Suu Kyi breaks silence on killing of top lawyer – DVB Burma’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has broken a month long silence on the daylight assassination of her advisor, calling his killing a “great loss” for the country’s democracy struggle.

Related: Suu Kyi legal advisor Ko Ni killed by extremist patriotism, says Burmese police – DVB

Related: Police Chief: Assassination of U Ko Ni Was Driven by ‘Personal Grudge’ – The Irrawaddy

Ethnic Militias Decide Not to Sign Myanmar Government’s Cease-fire Agreement –RFA A group of ethnic militias decided on Friday not to sign the Myanmar government’s nationwide peace pact on the last day of their three-day summit at the headquarters of the country’s strongest ethnic rebel force, but instead formed a committee to discuss a “new path to peace,” a military official from the conference said.

Leaders from seven ethnic militias that have not signed the government’s October 2015 nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA)—including the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)—and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), attended the conference which began Wednesday.

YUNNAN

China’s Domestic Dams: Hydropower not only an export for world’s biggest dam builder – Mongabay YUNNAN, China — The building site of the Wunonglong hydropower dam is not ringed by barbed wire fences and security guards as one might expect. Instead, visitors to this remote northern stretch of China’s Yunnan province find themselves standing on a specially built viewing platform surrounded by a small but tidy ornamental garden and informative signage about the dam’s projected output. Though the dam is more than a year from completion, manicured bonsai trees and imported wild grasses have already been planted.

This week’s news digest was curated by Sonya Zhao.

The US has retreated from the TPP, but the multilateral trade deal may still be alive.Laos’s Pak Beng dam is likely to start within months, however, residents in the area still know little about it. Also, Trump finally spoke to Xi by phone and agreed to support ‘One China’ policy. South China Sea disputes still go on. And North Korea could not let Trump and China take all the headlines – the Hermit Kingdom launched a missile test earlier this week; two days later Kim Jong-un’s old half-brother was assassinated in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

EXSE FOCUS

While Trump and Abe Eye Bilateral Pact, Australia Keeps TPP Alive – The Diplomat Tokyo and Washington look to take the bilateral track but a slimmed-down TPP may still live on.

Related: How the TPP could survive without the US – Southeast Asia Globe Magazine

Despite the risks, Laos goes ahead with Pak Beng dam -Asia Times With construction likely to start within months, the people most affected still have little information on the hydropower project. /// Environmental impact is not always the only concern raised by hydropower projects. 60 million people’s livelihoods depend on the Mekong river, and therefore are affected by dams. It is concerning that the majority people who live in the area do not have necessary and enough information regarding the Pak Beng dam. And if we look at the numbers given by the article – 26 villages and 4,726 people are directly affected, but there is only US$10.28 million of the US$2.7 billion project cost for their compensation and support over 25 years. It looks to be a terrifying future for someone who does not even know that their livelihoods are about to be largely affected.

Trump Tells Xi Jinping U.S. Will Honor ‘One China’ Policy – NYT President Trump and Mr. Xi, the Chinese leader, spoke by phone on Thursday evening after an extended chill in the two countries’ relationship.

Related: Trump agrees to support ‘One China’ policy in Xi Jinping call – The Guardian

Related: Trump and ‘One China’: Two Phone Calls, Many Interpretations – The Diplomat

Related: China’s Xi Finally Speaks to Trump, Who Affirms US ‘One China’ Policy: Major Takeaways – The Diplomat

Related: ‘The Chinese Learned that Trump Blinks’ – Foreign Policy

South China Sea: US reports ‘unsafe encounter’ with Chinese military aircraft – The Guardian Navy surveillance aircraft and Chinese military aircraft come within 1,000ft of each other near contested reef in apparently unintentional encounter, US says.

Expect a Heavier US Presence in the South China Sea, But What Can It Achieve? – The Diplomat Administration objectives are still unclear, but maintaining the regional status quo may be the most realistic.

Related: More FONOPs Coming Soon to the South China Sea? – The Diplomat

Related: How the South China Sea Could Heat Up Again in 2017 – The Diplomat

North Korea claims missile test success as China rejects US criticism – The Guardian US calls for it to press Pyongyang to ditch nuclear programme are pointless unless Washington looks at own role, Beijing says.

Related: Trump’s Muted Tone on North Korea Gives Hope for Nuclear Talks – NYT

The Guardian view on North Korea: the real cause for concern – The Guardian The death of Kim Jong-un’s brother in Malaysia raises questions about North Korea’s instability. But the pressing issue is the country’s nuclear programme – and how Donald Trump might respond to it

Related: Why Was Kim Jong-un’s Older Half-Brother Reportedly Assassinated? – The Diplomat

Related: Burmese woman detained in probe into death of N. Korea leader’s half-brother – REUTERS

Related: Kim Jong-nam death: Malaysian police arrest female suspect – The Guardian

Related: There Are No Ordinary North Korean Aristocrats– Foreign Policy 

Top Opposition Leader in Cambodia Resigns as Election Nears – NYT The move by Sam Rainsy came after the government began a series of actions that would allow it to dissolve the party he led.

Related: What’s Next for Cambodia’s Sam Rainsy? – The Diplomat

Related: With Sam Rainsy gone, what’s next for Cambodia’s opposition? – Southeast Asia Globe Magazine

Related: Why Did Cambodia’s Opposition Leader Quit? – The Diplomat

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Thai-Cambodian border trade up in January – Bangkok Post Border trade between Thailand and Cambodia through the eastern province rose by 12.71% month-on-month in January, with a 3.34% decline in Thai exports to the neighbouring country and an 89.48% increase in imports.

Malaysian Ship With Aid for Rohingya Arrives in Yangon – NYT A Malaysian ship carrying 2,300 tons of food and medicine to help members of Myanmar’s persecuted Muslim Rohingya minority arrived in Yangon.

ASEAN lacks plan to halt violent extremism – The Bangkok Post Last year was one of rising terrorist activity for Southeast Asia. Arrests and deaths of terrorist suspects in Indonesia more than doubled to 170.

Thais seek closer ties through bilateral business council – The Bangkok Post Thai businesses are ramping up ties with their Burmese counterparts in five main areas — agriculture, border trade, energy, industrial development and tourism — to tap into vast investment opportunities in the neighbouring country.

Keeping Chinese relations on the rails – The Nation Having been posted in Bangkok for three-and-a-half years, Chinese Ambassador Ning Fukui discusses collaboration between China and Thailand in a Facebook Live interview

Sources say Chinese Authorities Meet KNU Leadership in Kunming – The Irrawaddy KNU Chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe believed to be invited by Chinese authorities to discuss China’s role in Burma’s peace process. /// Ethnic issues in Myanmar contribute largely to the country’s long-lasting subnational conflicts. Would NCA be able to stop the conflicts if all relevant players signed it? And what does China’s involvement in Myanmar’s peace process imply? It is worth following the development of this story. 

Will Japan Join Trilateral ASEAN Patrols in the Sulu Sea? – The Diplomat A closer look at a move that has been subject to much speculation.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Striking a balance between conservation and development at the heart of Mekong struggle – The Nation DEPENDING on who you speak to, there are naturally differing perspectives in regard to the future of the Mekong River, as most people living along the river look for a sustainable future through conservation of the existing ecosystem, while governments seek balanced resource usage and benefit-sharing arrived at via diplomacy and negotiation.

Poor households see few benefits from Qinghai solar pilot – The Third Pole The Chinese government is spending 30 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) to reduce poverty in remote areas by installing solar power. One area seeing investment is Qinghai province in China’s north-west where solar panels are increasingly joining the herders’ tents on the high meadows.

Counterintuitive: Global Hydropower Boom Will Add to Climate Change – Mongabay For many years new hydropower dams were assumed to be zero greenhouse gas emitters. Now with 847 large (more than 100 MW) and 2,853 smaller (more than 1 MW) hydropower projects currently planned or under construction around the world, a new global study has shown that dam reservoirs are major greenhouse gas emitters.

A Thai oil firm, Indonesian seaweed farmers and Australian regulators. What happened after the Montara oil spill? – Mongabay During 74 days in late 2009, a leak in the Montara offshore drilling platform gushed tens of thousands of barrels of oil into the Timor Sea, a body of water shared by Australia and Indonesia. The spill is considered Australia’s worst offshore petroleum accident, and the third-worst spill by volume in the country’s history.

CHINA

‘We had to sue’: the five lawyers taking on China’s authorities over smog – The Guardian In an unprecedented legal case, a group of Chinese lawyers have charged the governments of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei with failing to protect their citizens from air pollution, which is linked to a third of all deaths in the country. /// Smog has become a life and death issue in China. But everyone seems to be playing a wrong game: trying to find someone else to blame. A clean air is everyone’s responsibility, from the government to companies to exports, and to each citizen. Imposing car restriction on citizens won’t work if the authorities don’t realize they fail to protect the citizens. Using NGOs to hold corporate accountable won’t work if exports don’t help provide solutions. Suing the government? Well, good luck. It is always hopeful to see courageous souls. To tackle the smog problem, all stakeholders, starting from the government, should take their own responsibility and hold each other accountable. There is still a long way for China’s Northern residents to see the blue sky. But can millions of lives wait?

China to establish environmentally protected areas nationwide – GoKunming The Chinese government last week issued sweeping yet vague changes to the country’s development policy, outlining a nationwide program to protect the environment. Of central concern are “natural areas with important ecological functions”, which, according to the new policy, must be identified and protected in every corner of China by 2020.

Trump, Changing Course on Taiwan, Gives China an Upper Hand – NYT In pledging to honor the “One China” policy, the president may have averted confrontation with Beijing, but some said he also sullied his reputation there.

Why Donald Trump can’t bully China on trade – The Guardian Beijing holds trillions of dollars in US debt and any trade disruption could lead to huge price rises in the budget stores on which many Americans rely

China Reshuffles Top Military Posts – The Diplomat Xi Jinping’s military reforms as seen from personnel reshuffle in the PLAN.

U.S. Eyes New Tactic to Press China – WSJ The White House is exploring a new tactic to discourage China from undervaluing its currency to boost exports, part of an evolving Trump administration strategy to challenge the practices of the U.S.’s largest trading partner while stepping back from direct confrontation.

China expels South Korean missionaries amid missile defence tensions – Reuters Beijing believed to be retaliating against Seoul’s plan to host Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system of the US military. China has expelled 32 South Korean Christian missionaries, a Seoul official has said, amid diplomatic tension between the two countries over the planned deployment of a US missile defence system.

How Xi Jinping’s global ambitions could thrive as Trump turns inward – The Guardian As Donald Trump steers the US towards isolationism and protectionism, China’s leader is casting himself as a champion of internationalism and free trade. But are Xi’s values really compatible with those of the rest of the world?

Related: China: The Accidental World Leader? – The Diplomat

China’s Prices Rise at Fastest Clip in More Than Two Years – WSJ Prices in China climbed at their fastest pace last month in over two years, boosted by rising energy prices and Lunar New Year demand for food, though economists expect the momentum to wane before midyear.

Thousands Protest Aluminum Plant in Chinese Oil City of Daqing – RFA Thousands of people took to the streets of northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province on Tuesday in protest over plans to build an aluminum plant near their home, protesters told RFA.

China Claims Coal Cutback Despite Doubts – RFA China has cut coal production for the third year in a row, according to government figures, despite a host of reasons to doubt that it did. Based on official data, China’s mines produced 3.36 billion metric tons of coal last year, down sharply by 9.4 percent from 2015. The decrease marked the biggest annual drop so far since production peaked in 2013.

SOUTHEAST ASIA 

Southeast Asia is in the grip of a biodiversity crisis – Chinadialogue Rich in wildlife, Southeast Asia includes at least six of the world’s 25 “biodiversity hotspots” – the areas of the world that contain an exceptional concentration of species, and are exceptionally endangered. The region contains 20% of the planet’s vertebrate and plant species and the world’s third-largest tropical forest.

Anti-coal protesters shrug off PM’s threat – Bangkok Post Once again, Bangkok is to become a scene of protests for anti-coal activists, as the top energy policy agency will meet and make a decision on the contentious coal-fired power plant in Krabi

Related: Kill all coal energy plans – Bangkok Post     

Co-ops seek lucky draw for solar power grid plan – Bangkok Post Agriculture cooperatives nationwide will submit a petition to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha Tuesday asking the government to use a lucky draw to select solar farm projects which will supply electricity to the national power grid, instead of bidding as proposed.

Trump and the US-Thailand Alliance – The Diplomat The new chapter some are hoping for may not read the way Bangkok would like it to.

Related: US, Thailand to Launch 2017 Cobra Gold Military Exercises – The Diplomat

Manhunt Scours Laos for Accomplices in ‘Mr. X’ Drug Ring – RFA Lao and Thai authorities have launched a manhunt for five people believed to be part of a major drug gang that operated in the Mekong River region, according to Thai authorities.

Xayaboury to Halt Banana Plantations mid This Year – Lao News Agency The northern province of Xayaboury has decided that as of mid-this year, no more Chinese investments in banana plantations will be allowed.  Currently, there are over 520 ha of banana plantations in the province.

Vietnam plans large warehouses at border – Phnom Penh Post The Vietnamese government has launched a trade-development scheme that aims to construct 116 warehouses to store imports and exports along the Cambodian and Lao borders with a tentative completion date of 2035, a Vietnamese government official said.

A Race to Document Rare Plants Before These Cliffs Are Ground to Dust –NYT The species native to Cambodia’s limestone karsts exist nowhere else. Now these unique environments are being pulverized for cement.

Government Delays New Studies on Dams Backed By Kith Meng – The Cambodia Daily The Mines and Energy Ministry has yet to sign a memorandum of understanding with business mogul Kith Meng to undertake studies of three new hydropower dams, more than three months after the Council of Ministers gave it permission to do so.

The Rohingya Insurgents: Myanmar Creates Its Own Frankenstein – The Diplomat Harakah al-Yaqin, a new insurgent group in Rakhine state, is different that its predecessors.

Burma to probe police over alleged crimes against Rohingya – Reuters Burma is to investigate whether police have committed abuses against Rohingya Muslims, the government has said, after officials promised that allegations of atrocities against members of the Muslim minority would be looked into.

Related: Myanmar Investigation Commission Says it Cannot Verify UN Report on Rakhine Violence – RFA

Former army officer suspected in killing of Ko Ni – Reuters The President’s Office on Wednesday said a former military officer is suspected to have hired the killer of a prominent lawyer advising Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling party, in a likely bid to destabilise the country.

Related: Myanmar Says Ex-Army Officer Ordered Prominent Lawyer’s Murder – NYT

Government earns $20 million in Letpadaung mine revenues – DVB The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation said Tuesday that the government has netted almost $20 million in revenue from the Letpadaung copper mining project through the first 10 months of the current fiscal year.

Dawei SEZ development loan on track – The Bangkok Post Plans for the Dawei special economic zone have inched ahead after the Burmese government agreed to borrow 4.5 billion baht ($128 million) from Thailand to finance the construction of a 132­-kilometre road from Dawei’s proposed deep-­sea port to Ban Phu Nam Ron in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province.

Foreign Direct Investment Goal Reached Ahead of Schedule – The Irrawaddy The Myanmar Investment Commission expects to surpass its annual goal of US$6 billion in foreign investment before the fiscal year ends.

This week’s news digest is curated by Sonya Zhao.