Regional Round-up for Week of 10.18.19

EXSE FOCUS

Peace through development: China’s experiment in Myanmar Frontier Myanmar When viewing the domestic conflicts of a sovereign nation, China sees development and stability as two mutually reinforcing concepts. Instead of focusing on the fair and just distribution of political and economic rights, China prioritizes making the economic pie larger so that everyone gets a bigger share. // The shift in CMEC plans will bring economic development and investment to ethnic minorities that have previously been excluded from Myanmar’s development. Through this China wants to reduce conflict, better facilitating development projects and trade, and bring at least the northern regions into their orbit. Hopefully, these efforts will bring greater integration for Myanmar resulting than exacerbating the regional divide. 

Dams destroy the Mekong and damage tourism TTR Weekly Every day thousands of tourists soak up life on the Mekong River, the seventh longest river in Asia. They take cruises, stay at boutique hotels or tuck into a grand lunch at a riverside restaurant.  The river is the most compelling reason they travel to a string of destinations in the six Mekong Region countries. //  Clean energy sourcing, such as extensive SolarPV development in Vietnam is an important common interest between tourism and energy in protecting the region’s most precious assets.

Two Large Mekong River Dams in Laos to Start Operations by End of Year Radio Free Asia The first two of five planned large-scale Lao dams on the Mekong river are set to go online before the end of this year, amid controversy over their impact on the environment and people’s livelihoods. Read more about the tests at the Don Sahong Dam here. 

REGIONAL RELATIONS

The Young Activists Fighting Southeast Asia’s Climate Crisis The Diplomat Bold, coordinated, and effective, young people across the world have been uniting to amplify their message about the climate crisis. The global protests inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg are empowering a new generation of activists in Southeast Asia too. Despite the risks of protesting in parts of the region, young people are leading the call for their governments to act urgently and stop environmental catastrophe.

Less traffic, trash and cash: Japan leads SE Asia to smart cities Nikkei Asian Review Some 200 Japanese companies and organizations will take part in an initiative to develop smart cities in Southeast Asia, as Tokyo battles for influence with its Chinese and South Korean rivals.

ASEAN Starts to Notice China’s South China Sea expansion Asian Sentinel The growing influence of the Chinese military across Southeast Asia and beyond is compelling the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, which have traditionally shied away from collective regional security, to look at the issue with a new focus. 

Chinese Support Gives Laos an Edge Over Powerful Neighbor Vietnam Voice of America A Mekong River hydropower dam scheduled to open this month worries Vietnam because the country sits just downriver from it and would be threatened by lower water flows.

Indonesia, South Korea move closer to signing bilateral trade deal – The Straits Times Indonesia and SouthKorea move forward with Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to reduce tariffs and boost current trade volume of USD$9 billion 50% by 2022, aiming to sign by November. Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita and his South Korean counterpart Yoo Myung-hee signed a document marking the conclusion of talks in Jakarta toward the economic partnership.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Representatives to Asean human rights commission call for action on transboundary haze The Straits Times Representatives to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights from Singapore, Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand have called for stronger collaborative action among the bloc’s members to mitigate transboundary haze and prevent it from occurring again in future. Read more recent updates about Indonesia’s continuing fight with air pollution here.

Oil and gas supply tussle clouds Southeast Asia’s economic outlook Nikkei Asian Review When Saudi Arabia announced on Oct. 3 that it had fully restored crude oil production and capacity to where they were before the devastating drone attacks on its facilities on Sept. 14, countries around the world, especially in Southeast Asia, breathed a sigh of relief.

DBS urged not to fund Vietnam coal plant The Straits Times A future coal-fired power station in central Vietnam may soon be funded by Singapore’s DBS Bank, according to environmental groups familiar with the matter. This is despite DBS announcing in April that it will stop financing new coal-fired power plants after honouring existing commitments.

The Necessity of Climate Economics – Project Syndicate Economics must recognize the central role of negative externalities in the growth process, and integrate the costs and benefits of environmental stewardship and climate action. The economics profession has failed to anticipate the rapidly escalating climate crisis, just like it missed the looming global financial crisis back in 2008. 

ADB Invests 3 Billion Thai Baht in Energy Absolute’s Green Bond for Wind Farm Development Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will invest 3 billion Thai baht ($98.7 million) in Energy Absolute’s maiden green bond issuance, proceeds from which will help support the long-term financing of the company’s 260-megawatt (MW) Hanuman wind farm in Thailand. The investment will contribute to Thailand’s renewable energy objectives and its ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Nearly 4,000 plastic waste containers clogged in Vietnam’s ports Vietnam Plus More than 3,800 plastic waste containers have piled up for more than 90 days at Vietnam’s three major ports of Hai Phong, Vung Tau and HCM City’s Cat Lai, according to the latest report by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

CHINA 

Chinese banana plantations bring work and pollution to Laos China Dialogue Chinese banana plantations first started cropping up about six years ago in Bokeo province, northern Laos, which borders Thailand and Myanmar. Nowadays they cover more than 11,000 hectares, provide US$100 million in annual exports, and make up 95% of Bokeo’s exports, according to a 2017 report by Plan International.

‘Our River Was Like a God’: How Dams and China’s Might Imperil the Mekong New York Times When the Chinese came to the village of Lat Thahae, perched on a muddy bend of a Mekong River tributary, they scrawled a Chinese character on the walls of homes, schools and Buddhist temples.

Water war risk rising on the Mekong Asia Times The Mekong River, a waterway that originates in China and snakes through five Southeast Asian countries, is emerging as a new security flashpoint, similar in dynamic to escalating conflicts in the South China Sea.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Vietnam skilled labour squeezed by US-China trade war The Straits Times A new front has opened in the US-China trade war as companies shifting manufacturing to Vietnam engage in a fierce battle for skilled labour, aggravating an existing shortage and prompting calls for education reforms to address the problem.

Trade war rejuvenates ‘Silicon Valley’ firms in Malaysia Channel News Asia Years after resisting pressure to move to China, Lee Hung Lung says his bet has paid off. Sales at his Malaysia-based Hotayi Electronic are surging, it’s hiring more workers, considering an expansion, and picking and choosing orders.

Malaysia aims to lure investments amid sluggish economy and US-China tensions The Straits Times Malaysia is rolling out incentives to lure foreign investors seeking shelter from the persistent US-China trade war. “The protracted trade war creates a unique opportunity for Malaysia to again be the preferred destination for high value-added Foreign Direct Investments,” said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in presenting the annual budget speech on Friday (Oct 11).

Villagers block energy company staff from promoting dam on Nam Ma River in Hsipaw Mizzima This week local residents blocked the entrance to Nam Ma village to stop UNIENGERY company staff from coming to promote the building of a hydroelectric dam on the Nam Ma River in Hsipaw township, northern Shan State, according for Action for Shan State Rivers.

A Review of “The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century” – Council on Foreign Relations New book by former advisor to president chronicles the impacts of history on modern Myanmar as well as the policies that left “indelible scars on society”. In the run-up to Myanmar’s elections next year, there is little positive news to report about a country that seemed like a democratic success story less than five years ago. 

Indonesia needs bold vision for new capital, Swedish architect says – Nikkei Asian Review Updates on the relocation of Jakarta to East Kalimantan.  On the face of it, Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, a sprawling megacity of 10 million people, and Sweden’s Kiruna, a town of only 20,000, couldn’t be more different. But they have one thing in common: Both are sinking.

Crafting a 2020 budget for Indonesia – East Asia Forum Indonesian government recently announced its 2020 fiscal year budget with reserves, increase in education spending, and ambitious predictions for tax revenue. The phrase ‘global growth slowdown’ is currently dominating international headlines. A rising wave of uncertainty has sent a series of quakes across global financial markets, as yield-seeking activities create increased volatility. 

Dying for land in Lao? The ASEAN Post Reports recently surfaced revealing that 69-year-old Thitphay Thammavong had been arrested in Lao last month on 16 September. His crime? According to his family members, he had refused to sign papers that would give up control of his 1.5-hectare plot of land near Viengkham village in Bolikhamsai province’s Pakkading district so authorities could build a health centre on it. Thitphay Thammavong’s family members say the land has been in his family since 1965.

For the Philippines, a warming world means stronger typhoons, fewer fish  Mongabay Climate change to impact coral reef buffers, fish stocks, and frequency of typhoon weather events. The Philippines gets hit by an average of 20 typhoons a year, according to the national weather agency. During extreme El Niño events, when the surface waters of the Pacific warm up, the number of typhoons that make landfall drops to 11 — but these storms are more intense, bringing stronger winds and larger volumes of rainfall.

Weekly Round-up compiled by Jean Joo and Alessandro Lee