Regional Roundup for Week of 8.17.2018

Hun Sen’s 33-Year Rule of Cambodia:
This week Hun Sen cemented his complete control over Cambodia when the National Election Committee announced that his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) won all 125 seats in the Cambodian National Assembly in the recent “election”. This is just the latest chapter in Hun Sen’s 33-year rule of the country. In 1985, Hun Sen became Prime Minister of the Vietnamese sponsored “People’s Republic of Kampuchea”, which was fighting a civil war against a coalition of opposition forces until 1991. In 1993, as part of the Paris Peace Accords of 1991, the United Nations administered a national election to decide the new government of Cambodia. Despite his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) winning fewer seats than the FUNCINPEC Party, Hun Sen refused to step down. A compromise was then struck so that Cambodia would have two Prime Ministers, Norodom Ranariddh (FUNCINPEC) and Hun Sen (CPP). In 1997, Hun Sen ousted Ranariddh after clashes broke out between FUNCINPEC and CPP forces. Hun Sen then became the sole Prime Minister of Cambodia and gradually consolidated his control over the country. ~KR.

EXSE FOCUS

The ‘Battery of Asia’ could face a short-circuit –The Nation
Shaken by a deadly dam collapse, Laos needs to reconsider its long-term strategy. Laos has made the right move in ordering a review of its major “Battery of Asia” development strategy in the wake of last month’s dam collapse at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project in southern Attapeu province. What remains to be seen is how serious the review will be. Water from the dam inundated 13 villages, killing at least 34 people and leaving more than 100 missing. The disaster displaced thousands of residents, a terrible black mark on the brief history of hydroelectric pursuits in Laos.

MRC ready to support review and update of Lao hydropower strategy and plan –MRC

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has welcomed the highly applauded and progressive decision of the Prime Minister of Lao PDR, following an extra-ordinary meeting of his cabinet on 6 August 2018, that the country will review all existing and under-construction dams and suspend the consideration of all new hydropower investments considering the Xepian Xenamnoy dam break. According to the press release by the Lao government, the review and suspension will also afford the country to update its hydropower strategy and plan.

Related: Mekong River body welcomes Laos’ decision to suspend new dam projects –Channel NewsAsia

Final poll results confirm first single-party Assembly –Phnom Penh Post
IN an unprecedented situation in Cambodian politics, the official results of the July 29 national elections have declared that the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) will take all 125 seats in the National Assembly on the back of it receiving 76 per cent of the votes. The National Election Committee (NEC), which on Wednesday released the official figures that did not differ much from the preliminary numbers, also said no complaints were made during the 72-hour window after the earlier count was announced. //Hun Sen’s Cambodia is now effectively a one-party state. 

      Related: Cambodia’s ruling party won all seats in July vote – election commission –Reuters

China’s solar industry is at a crossroads –Chinadialogue
China’s solar manufacturers are unhappy with recent government policy changes that have put a brake on the sector. “We’ve already halted work on 11 megawatts of industrial and commercial distributed solar PV projects,” says the marketing director for one solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer in Guangdong province. “Without subsidies there’s no return on investment for over a decade, so investors and property owners aren’t interested in distributed solar. With subsidies it only takes seven years to recoup the investment,” he adds.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Can Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad achieve economic balance with China on upcoming visit? –South China Morning Post
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will be seeking greater balance in economic ties between China and Malaysia when he visits Beijing this week, while both sides will be keen to remove any uncertainty in their relationship, diplomats and observers said. Mahathir is expected to arrive in China on Friday and stay until August 21. It will be his first visit since he returned to power in May, and comes as Beijing remains locked in a trade war with the United States, and eager to win support from and strengthen ties with its neighbours.

Malaysia, Indonesia agree on joint production of new ASEAN car –Investvine
Indonesia and Malaysia have reached a deal to set up a joint venture to produce the first fully local-made vehicle for domestic use and sale in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and pledged to jointly further develop both nations’ automotive sectors. Government representatives of the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in Jakarta on August 10 to begin respective cooperation on what is a brainchild of Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and has the support of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo. //This can further economic integration between the two countries. This is a notable achievement given that Indonesia and Malaysia are normally very protective of their automotive industries.

India-Thailand Military Ties in the Spotlight with Joint Exercise –The Diplomat
On August 6, India and Thailand kicked off this year’s iteration of their joint army exercise in the latest defense interaction between the two Asian states. The exercises once again shed light on the ongoing security collaboration that is underway between the two countries as part of their wider bilateral relationship despite lingering challenges. //

Vietnam, Australia look to tighten defence ties –Nhan Dan
Deputy Minister of Defence, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, hosted a reception for Stephen Moore, head of the International Policy Division under the Australian Department of Defence, in Hanoi on August 14. Addressing the meeting, Vinh underscored that 2018 marks an important milestone in the Vietnam-Australia relations, with a joint statement on the establishment of a strategic partnership and the celebration of 45 years of Vietnam-Australia diplomatic relations and 20 years of their defence ties.

Myanmar, Thailand working together in security, economy –The Nation
Myanmar and Thailand are working together in security, economy and other beneficial issues, said State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The remarks of the State Counsellor came after the opening speech of the commemoration ceremony of the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Myanmar and Thailand held in Nay Pyi Taw on August 14. In her opening speech to the commemoration ceremony, Aung San Suu Kyi said Thailand is not only a friendly neighbor of Myanmar but also an important partner.

The U.S. Is Expanding Cambodia Visa Bans Over Last Month’s ‘Flawed’ Election –Time
The U.S. announced new visa restrictions against Cambodian officials responsible for “anti-democratic” actions taken in the run-up to the country’s election last month, which was widely condemned by rights groups and international observers as flawed and illegitimate. The State Department said Wednesday that it was extending a previous round of travel bans passed against an undisclosed number of Cambodia officials in December.

       Related: Cambodia ruling party shrugs off ‘useless’ US visa sanctions –Channel NewsAsia

MoU for Dala Industrial Development Project Signed –The Irrawaddy
The Yangon regional government and South Korea-based Myanmar Company Wooree signed a memorandum of understanding for the Dala Industrial Development Project on Saturday, a project to be implemented on the west bank of Yangon River near the ongoing Yangon-Dala bridge project in one of Yangon’s undeveloped townships according to the Yangon regional government. The Yangon government has not announced details of the Dala Industrial Development Project or estimations of cost.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Mekong Commission starts Laos new-dam consult same week as govt announces freeze –The Nation
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has kicked off a consultation process on Laos’s latest proposed hydropower project on the mainstream of the river even though the government in Vientiane last week announced a review of dams after the recent disaster. The MRC’s Joint Committee Working Group (JCWG) for the Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA) on Wednesday agreed on the starting date for a six-month prior consultation process for the proposed 770-MW Pak Lay hydropower project on the Mekong mainstream.

Deal struck to curb Thai, Lao car fumes –Bangkok Post
The Thai and Lao pollution control agencies have agreed to work together to reduce air pollution caused by vehicles in the two countries, especially at border checkpoints. A meeting attended by officials from the two countries was held last Thursday near the border post in Nong Khai province, the busiest border crossing between Thailand and Laos that 1.3 million cars cross annually, 70% of which are registered in Laos.

Indonesia’s ‘one-map’ database blasted for excluding indigenous lands –Mongabay
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was marked on Aug. 9 in Jakarta by musical performances and traditional cuisine. But the festive mood was tempered by news that a much-anticipated government database meant to unify all the disparate land-use maps in Indonesia would not include customary land maps, at least initially. The Ancestral Domain Registration Agency (BRWA), an organization set up by a number of NGOs to pool the results of customary land mapping, has marked out 96,500 square kilometers (37,300 square miles) of indigenous territory.

Coal production at 37.11 percent of full-year target –Jakarta Post
Indonesian coal production was recorded at 180 million tons on Wednesday, or 37.11 percent of the government’s 485 million target this year. However, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said he wanted Indonesia to further increase coal production to 585 million by year-end as part of efforts to narrow the current-account deficit (CAD). “Yesterday [Tuesday], during the limited Cabinet meeting, the President said that we needed foreign exchange. He raised the possibility of increasing coal production by 100 million tons,”  Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry spokesman Agung Pribadi said on Wednesday. 

CHINA

China-US Trade Spat Is Just a Start to the Economic Cold War –Bloomberg

China is not just another front in President Donald Trump’s war on trade. Unlike Mexico, Canada, Europe and other targets of the president, China will be a source of economic conflict for years to come, long after the tariff level on soybeans has been settled. Like the rivalry with the Soviet Union, economic competition with China may form a cold war that shapes American politics and economic policy for a generation or more.

Why other countries are giving China a licence to print money –South China Morning Post

China is printing foreign currencies on a massive scale as Beijing seeks to increase its influence on the world economy and geopolitics. Multiple sources in the China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation confirmed to the South China Morning Post last month that money production plants across the country were running at near full capacity to meet an unusually high quota set by the government this year.

How China’s New Aircraft Carriers Will Shape Regional Order –The Diplomat
The sea trials of China’s first domestically-constructed aircraft carrier have sparked a fresh debate about Chinese naval power. Some have argued that the carriers, while still vulnerable in a clash of major powers, would cement Chinese leadership if the United States withdraws from the region. Others have pointed to growing Chinese amphibious capabilities as being the naval point to watch. It would be better to expect that China’s new aircraft-carrying fleet need not await a major conflict to be valuable – indeed it may be most valuable in the absence of war.

China and US will hold the next round of trade talks in late August –CNBC
China said on Thursday it will hold a fresh round of trade talks with the United States in Washington later this month, offering a glimmer of hope for progress in resolving a conflict that has set world markets on edge. A Chinese delegation led by Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen will meet with U.S. representatives led by Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs David Malpass, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website.

Related: China to send delegation for US talks to avert trade war –The Guardian

China blasts US solar tariffs, takes WTO action –Bangkok Post
China has blasted US tariffs on solar panel imports, filing a complaint at the World Trade Organization in the latest salvo of the trade battle between the world’s two economic giants. US President Donald Trump approved steep tariffs on solar panel imports in January to protect US producers, triggering an outcry from China, South Korea and even protests from the US solar industry. China’s commerce ministry accused Washington of erecting trade barriers while subsidising its domestic industry.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Indonesia’s Presidential Race Takes Shape, in Shadow of Hard-Line Islam –New York Times
Indonesia’s presidential election next year will be a rematch of the contentious 2014 contest, and analysts fear it will see a return of the smear campaigns and appeals to sectarian intolerance that marred that vote. On Friday, President Joko Widodo and his 2014 opponent, the former army general Prabowo Subianto, both filed paperwork declaring their intent to run in the election next April. Friday was the deadline for candidates to register, and no others did.

Thailand prepares for ASEAN chairmanship in 2019 –The Nation
The integration story of Southeast Asian nations, widely known as “ASEAN”, began in 1967 and has since brought about significant changes to the Southeast Asian region. For decades, ASEAN has played an instrumental role in maintaining political stability, fostering economic, trade and investment cooperation, as well as facilitating technology transfer and greater mutual understanding among its member nations. It also serves as a cultural melting pot through intra-regional immigration. //Continuing political uncertainty in Thailand will no doubt have an effect on Thailand’s chairmanship in 2019.

Scores of Lao Families Facing Displacement by Dam Project Await Compensatory Land Titles –Radio Free Asia
Scores of families that will be displaced by dam construction in Laos are waiting for the Chinese developer to pay the fees necessary to relocate them, while another group of villagers already relocated by the project say they have yet to receive vocational training they were promised as part of their move. More than 70 families from the villages of Pakcheak and Hatsoua, in Luang Prabang province’s Ngoy district, have been ordered to make way for Nam-Ou Dam 1—one of a series of planned dams that make up the second phase of construction for a U.S. $2.8 billion project overseen by Chinese developer Sinohydro. //Hopefully they will get their money soon. Many Laotians have yet to receive compensation from other projects.

Thailand scraps new economic zones and plans regional linkups –Nikkei Asian Review
The Thai government is revamping its special economic zone strategy and pushing for links with those in neighboring countries, hoping to improve access within the region and secure tariff-free entrance for its goods into the European Union. Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak recently said government agencies are drafting plans to develop some border areas, with the goals of boosting exports and providing jobs to narrow the urban-rural inequality gap. //This move will further economically integrate Thailand with its neighbors.

Malaysia’s new leaders have found their first 100 days tough –The Economist
IT IS about 100 days since the leadership of Malaysia changed hands after 61 years of rule by one party. The electoral victory in May of Pakatan Harapan (PH), a coalition of parties, startled many people in Malaysia and beyond. The upset also surprised PH itself. Most members of the cabinet are still struggling to get the hang of what being in power entails. Malaysia’s nonagenarian new prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad (pictured), is an exception. He already has plenty of form as a national leader.

YUNNAN

Yunnan’s Yuxi Prefecture struck by earthquake, tremors felt in Kunming –GoKunming
If you live in central Yunnan, you may have been rudely awoken in the early morning hours of Monday, August 13. That’s because an earthquake struck east of Yuxi at approximately 1:44am. Authorities report few injuries and no deaths, and are busy assessing peripheral damage to schools and other buildings located near the epicenter. The United States Geological Survey and the China Earthquake Network both label the quake 5.0 on the Richter Scale. The region directly affected sits in Tonghai County (通海县), on the shores of Qilu Lake (杞麓湖).

This week’s news digest is curated by Kevin Rutigliano.