We’re back this week with lots of content to roll out. Spring 2015 orientation has come to an end at the IES Kunming Center, so it’s time to get blogging on ExSE. Last week saw the end of the MRC sponsored regional consultation on the Don Sahong Dam with little progress made. No news is likely to be bad news despite deepened protestations from Cambodia, Vietnam, and the international NGO sector. In addition the headlines suggest the price of oil in Kunming and Southwest China has dropped a bit with the opening of the Kyaukphyu pipeline running from Myanmar’s coast to Kunming. However, Kunming’s oil refinery has yet to commence operations so it will be a while until true effects are felt. The controversial project runs through large swaths of Myanmar’s war-torn Kachin state.
EXSE FOCUS
Mekong River Commission to Consider Lao Don Sahong Dam at Ministerial Level – Radio Free Asia An intergovernmental body which supervises development along the Mekong River on Wednesday referred a decision on the much-criticized Don Sahong Dam in Laos to the ministerial level after Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam were unable to agree on how to proceed with the project.
Related: PR- Regional Dispute Continues over Don Sahong Dam – International River
Related: Vietnam, riparian neighbors exert pressure on Laos over second Mekong dam – Thanh Nien
Chinese logging firms seek intervention over seized staff and equipment in Myanmar – South China Morning Post Dozens of Chinese logging operators have petitioned local authorities in Yunnan to intervene over the arrests of more than 150 logging workers in Myanmar’s Kachin State and the seizure of equipment worth hundreds of million yuan, the Beijing Times reported.//The initial reports said the Chinese workers are “trapped” or “kidnapped.” The story has since been corrected, but most Chinese migrants working abroad in extractive industries or infrastructure development do not have official papers for employment abroad. The Chinese working on the bridge leading to the Don Sahong dam, all employed by Sinhohydro, still do not have working permits – a 10,000 USD bribe to local officials took care of that problem.
Madae Islanders to Protest Inauguration of Kyaukphyu Pipeline – The Irrawaddy The oil pipeline linking the Arakan State port of Kyaukphyu and China will commence operations on Jan. 30, with local residents planning a demonstration against land seizures and environmental damage at the project’s official inauguration.//Again Kunming’s oil refinery yet to open – perhaps later this year is anyone’s guess.
Vietnam approves power grid development project – Thanh Nien The Asian Development Bank has provided funds to strengthen the capacity of the power infrastructure in Hanoi and HCMC.
REGIONAL RELATIONS
ASEAN to Intensify South China Sea Response Amid China Concerns – The Guardian Grouping to accelerate efforts to conclude an elusive code of conduct.
Related: China’s Lawful Position on the South China Sea – The Diplomat
Related: Philippines, Vietnam upgrade ties in show of unity against China – Thanh Nien
Related: Asean seeks early conclusion of a maritime pact for South China Sea – South China Morning Post
China and Indonesia Under Jokowi: Show Me The Money! – The Diplomat Sino-Indonesian relations appear to be off to a good start. But it is still early days.
Burma ‘Not Ready’ for Asean Single Market by End of 2015 – The Irrawaddy The Asean goal of creating a single business market among the regional grouping’s 10 member countries is unlikely to happen for some years and certainly not by the target start date of the end of this year, analysts warn.//It’s best to view the end of 2015 as the beginning of the process rather than a new era for Southeast Asia.
Laos, Thailand move forward with border demarcation – The Nation Laos and Thailand have made progress in the demarcation of their shared border, with the Joint Border Committee agreeing on several issues relating to the placement of border posts.
Full backing for Maritime Silk Road – The Star Malaysia fully supports the concept of the 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) initiated by China, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
Eighteen More Montagnards Cross Into Ratanakkiri – The Cambodia Daily Eighteen Montagnard asylum seekers crossed into Ratanakkiri province from Vietnam on Wednesday morning, according to a rights group and a local villager, the fourth such group to arrive in the country this month.
Myanmar nationals falsely claim to be workers of Thais – The Nation An unknown number of Myanmar nationals have crossed into Ranong to register as workers of Thai employers merely to obtain access to Thailand’s superior and free public-health services, Office of the Prime Minister inspector-general Orawan Khumsap revealed yesterday.
“Asean should definitely intervene in human rights” – SEA Globe With the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting taking place today, human rights consultant Wathshlah Naidu gives her thoughts on the region’s social issues and the adequacy of Asean in addressing them
3-nation forum urged to boost rubber prices – The Nation Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told Malaysia yesterday that a tripartite meeting should be held as soon as possible between Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia to find urgent ways to tackle the falling price of rubber.
Work on 2nd bridge in Mae Sot to start in Sept – The Nation Construction of a second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sot is expected to start in September, Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong has said.
From caravan to the summit, GMS youth make their voice heard — by Civil Society Team – ADB Thirty-six youth leaders from the Greater Mekong subregion (GMS) embarked on an opportunity of a lifetime when they were selected to be part of the GMS Youth Caravan, an eight-day trip around the GMS countries that culminated in the 2nd GMS Youth Forum (YF2) and GMS Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on 19-20 December 2014.
SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Tsinghua chief ‘to be environment minister’ – South China Morning Post The head of one of the mainland’s most prestigious universities is tipped to take over the country’s top environmental job with Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian, reaching retirement age.
Harnessing Disruption for Sustainability – Project Syndicate The inevitable shift toward sustainable development will increasingly disrupt lifestyles, livelihoods, and economies. But these disruptions, and the short-term crises they may cause, can serve a valuable purpose, providing the world with a powerful incentive to guide the shift toward a more sustainable, inclusive future.
China’s renewables to shrug off oil price plunge – chinadialogue A plunge in the price for oil has prompted predictions that investment in renewable energy will be scaled back, but how will this impact China, which last year added more capacity in low-carbon energy than any other country?//unlikely to slow the building of dams.
China coal production falls for first time this century – The Guardian Coal production fell 2.1% in 2014 against 2013, with further decreases expected this year, BusinessGreen reports. The impact of China’s clean air and renewable energy policies are beginning to have an impact on the country’s coal industry, according to reports suggesting domestic coal production fell last year.
Ivory traders, owners must register – The Nation Traders, owners or people acquiring ivory extracted from domesticated elephants and relevant products are required to register the ivory with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) from March 22 until April 21.
Burma Tallies 1,114 Bird Species, 20 Previously Unrecorded – The Irrawaddy An extensive survey of birds in Burma has revealed nearly two dozen not known to have existed in the country, including a large black seabird with a ballooning red neck sack and a tiny black and white falconet with a surprised, panda-like expression.
Mon Rebels Prohibit Controversial Coal Plant – The Irrawaddy Local communities and the state’s ethnic leadership voiced skepticism about claims that it would benefit local communities, positing instead that most or all of the energy produced would be exported to neighboring Thailand.
Illegal Wood Found Near Military Police Base – The Cambodia Daily Environment Ministry officials on Thursday found a cache of more than 400 pieces of illegally logged first-grade wood in Ratanakkiri province’s Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary, which the ministry oversees, and suspect officers from a nearby military police base of being involved.
WWF Calls for Halt to Proposed Road in Mondolkiri – The Cambodia Daily A proposed new road and border crossing with Vietnam, which cuts straight through Mondolkiri Protected Forest, will cause irreversible damage to one of the country’s most important conservation areas and could ruin plans to re-establish Cambodia’s tiger population in the forest, environmental group WWF said Thursday.
CHINA
With Obama in India, China Hosts Pakistan’s Army Chief – The Diplomat China pledged greater defense cooperation with its “iron brother,” especially on counter-terrorism.
China to Tally Suicides by Civil Servants – NYT A spate of suicides last year has raised questions about the effects of the country’s continuing campaign to root out corruption.
Alibaba Profit Surges, but a Revenue Gain of 40% Still Misses Forecasts – NYT The company, which had a huge initial public offering in September, is now facing trouble with China’s government regulators and an economic slowdown.
Related: Alibaba in row with Chinese regulator over fake goods – The Guardian
Communist cadres in Tibet punished for helping Dalai Lama – The Jakarta Post Investigators have found that 15 Communist Party officials in Tibet joined underground Tibetan independence organizations, provided intelligence to the Dalai Lama and his supporters or participated in activities deemed harmful to China’s security, a party agency said Wednesday.
New Rules in China Upset Western Tech Companies – NYT Stringent regulations, including a requirement to share secret codes, are another form of economic protectionism, Western technology companies say.
U.S.-India Ties Deepen; China Takes It in Stride – NYT The reaction to the breadth of issues discussed during President Obama’s visit to New Delhi, and to the participants’ mutual anxiety about China, has been cool but controlled.
Related: China’s Navy to Send More Ships to the Indian Ocean – The Diplomat
China to Force Authors to Provide Real Names When Publishing Online – NYT Linking the offline identities of authors with their online writings, new guidelines say, will encourage writers to “better take responsibility” for their works and bolster “moral education and training.”
Related: China to force buyers of computers and phones in Xinjiang to register names – The Guardian
China: Embracing Africa, But Not Africans – The Diplomat The next step for Beijing in its Africa relations is better people-to-people relations.
Related: China’s ‘Maritime Silk Road’: Don’t Forget Africa – The Diplomat//See our perspective here.
Labour unrest: Out brothers, out! – The Economist As China’s economy slows, and labour-intensive manufacturing moves elsewhere in search of cheaper workers, anxious and angry employees are becoming ever bolshier.
Chinese universities ordered to ban textbooks that promote Western values – South China Morning Post The move marks the latest step in an ideological campaign that has already brought the media and internet under even tighter controls
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Volunteers take on human trafficking gangs in Thai south – South China Morning Post Bullet-proof vest, shotgun, sunglasses: Kompat Sompaorat could be mistaken for a member of a SWAT team.
Malaysia formally declares MH370 crash an accident, passengers presumed dead – South China Morning Post Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was formally declared an accident, the Malaysian government announced on Thursday, paving the way for victims’ relatives to be compensated.
Related: MH370: Chinese families refuse to accept declaration – The Star
Related: Navy ends AirAsia jet recovery efforts with 92 bodies still missing – South China Morning Post
‘Highly likely’ Malaysian militant was killed in Philippine raid that left 44 police dead – South China Morning Post There is a “high likelihood” a Malaysian militant who is suspected of being behind the 2002 Bali bombings was killed in the Philippine police operation that left 44 police commandos dead, a senior official said today.
Related: Most wanted terrorist Marwan suspected killed – The Star
Thailand’s military junta forces cancellation of press freedom conference – The Guardian Thailand’s junta has forced a German foundation to cancel a prominent forum on media restrictions imposed since the military toppled an elected government last May.
Related: Ex-Thai PM’s Party Promises Calm Following Indictment – The Irrawaddy
Students: ‘Our voice has been heard’ – DVB Student groups and observers have welcomed the news that four-way negotiations on the National Education Law have been agreed following a meeting in Naypyidaw on Wednesday.
Related: Confrontation looms as students approach Taungtha – DVB
North Korea’s Own Pivot to ASEAN – The Diplomat Like China, Japan, and the US, North Korea is looking toward Southeast Asia — but with a different goal in mind.
Cambodia: Justice Delayed – The Diplomat Lawyers for Pol Pot’s henchmen are proving skillful at delaying their clients’ trials.
Self-Criticism at Center of CPP Congress – The Cambodia Daily As it began a three-day party congress in Phnom Penh on Friday, the ruling CPP blamed internal dysfunction and corruption for shock losses in the July 2013 national election, which was followed by a turbulent year marked by a political deadlock, mass opposition demonstrations and the government’s brutal suppression of dissents.
Myanmar’s commercial capital: The square mile – The Economist The journey makes Yangon, or Rangoon, seem small and backward. In fact it is booming.
KNU, Govt to Build ‘Model Village’ for IDPs – The Irrawaddy Karen rebels have teamed up with the Burmese government to build a new “model village” for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in southeastern Karen State.
Cambodian casinos threaten Vietnam’s social security: police – Thanh Nien Gamblers avoid the ban at home by crossing the border into Cambodia where dozens of casinos are waiting.
Regional Roundup for Week of 3.8.2015
Regional Roundup for Week of 3.15.2015
Regional Roundup for Week of 3.29.2015
