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Daily News on the Southeast Asian Region
15 May 2020
(pm) - 18 May 2020 (am)
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Greetings
This issue of Daily News Alert includes the following articles with citations attributed to
researchers at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. You can click on their names to go to these articles directly.
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Country Studies
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Southeast Asia Countries
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Laos
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Timor-Leste (East Timor)
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Region
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Special Interests (A-Z)
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Brunei Darussalam
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Asian Development Bank and Brunei Darussalam: Fact Sheet: Updated yearly, this ADB Fact Sheet provides information on Brunei Darussalam's contributions to ADB in terms of capital subscription and funding, the country's delegates in ADB, and involvement of Brunei Darussalam companies and consultants in ADB projects.
[2-page PDF document]
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Cambodia
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Cambodia considers how to cope with its first tourism catastrophe: Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, told Khmer Times the Ministry's measure will provide an important input to restore the sector to its previous increasing health... This is the first catastrophe we have encountered, with as many as 99 percent of tourism based-businesses closed. "We have nothing to say now. We are stalled," she said. According to Sivlin, only 1 percent of businesses remaining open are mostly in Phnom Penh and they are serving only long-stay expats and investors.
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PM places boundaries on Supreme Council's work: ...Prime Minister Hun Sen restricted members of the Supreme Council for Consultation and Recommendation from addressing disputes being handled by the courts or those already solved by the government. He also said the Council cannot address any notices released by the Council of Ministers and ordered it to tighten its issuing of mission letters, which are used to permit officials to investigate cases.
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How COVID-19 has changed Cambodia and how the Kingdom can move into the future: An analysis: Regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia will be affected mostly by slowing growth in China and globally, affecting its trade and investment, says Jayant Menon, visiting senior fellow of ISEAS in Singapore. "It's the tourism that will also be affected as regional and international travel slows. Cambodia should use this opportunity to diversify its export markets and investment sources, as well as domestic production to reduce its vulnerability to shocks," Menon sais. "For 2020, growth in ASEAN is likely to be flat (0 to 1 percent) or slightly negative (minus1 percent), in line with projections of the IMF and ADB," Menon added.
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Eyeing a new dawn in Kingdom's political development: Preap Kol is a former executive director of Transparency International Cambodia (TI Cambodia), an organisation leading the fight against corruption. Prior to this role, he has worked for several international and inter-governmental organisations, including UNDP, the World Bank, NDI, EU and CWS... The anti-corruption advocate, professional trainer and life coach speaks to Khmer Times in a Q & A session.
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Cambodian Opposition Member Urges King Sihamoni to Intervene in Political Deadlock: Speaking to RFA on Thursday, social and political analyst Meas Nee said the CPP is "losing" by refusing to return to the negotiating table. He said that within the context of the coronavirus outbreak and its economic impact, any attempt to prevent a national reconciliation will benefit the opposition while the public grows increasingly frustrated with the ruling party's inability to improve living standards. "Avoiding dealing with social crisis leads to revolt-there should be a national reconciliation and then the people will continue to support the government," he said.
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Indonesia
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Amien Rais prepares new party amid PAN internal rift: PAN cofounder and former party executive board member Agung Mozin told The Jakarta Post on Friday that Amien's new party would accommodate groups that were critical of the government. Amien, a PAN icon, lost his influence in the party after his leadership candidates lost to current party chairman Zulkifli Hasan.
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Regulatory reform needed to anticipate shift in global trade: Indonesia should further reform its investment regulations so that it can attract foreign companies that would want to further diversify or relocate their investments from China due to the change in global trade trends, said Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) researcher Andree Surianta.
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Indonesian terrorists 'wait for end of world' as coronavirus bites: The IPAC [Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict] said some ISIS supporters felt the pandemic presented the "best opportunity" to strike, with the government preoccupied in containing the disease. A possible method of attack would be for virus-strickened militants to deliberately infect those they consider their enemies, such as the police, the report added.
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Kepercayaan Terhadap Informasi dari Pemerintah di Masa Pandemi COVID-19 [Trust in Information from the Government in the Pandemic Period COVID-19]: ...kami menyimpulkan adanya urgensi untuk memperbaiki strategi komunikasi pemerintah pusat di masa krisis. Permasalahan utama yang kami temukan adalah tidak adanya integrasi dan sinkronisasi kebijakan, intervensi, dan pesan-pesan dari pemerintah secara vertikal lintas tingkatan pemerintahan, maupun secara horizontal lintas lembaga.
[5-page PDF document]
Ika K. Idris, PhD Direktur Riset, Paramadina Public Policy Institute (PPPI),
Abdul Malik Gismar, PhD Penasihat Senior, Paramadina Public Policy Institute (PPPI) dan
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Pakar Ungkap Mengapa Ada yang Ngotot Pilkada Tetap 2020 [Experts explain why some insist on elections in 2020]: Peneliti Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Arya Fernandes, menduga, ada beberapa hal yang menyebabkan pemilihan kepala daerah (Pilkada) dipaksakan dilakukan pada akhir 2020. Salah satunya, terdapat potensi banyaknya pelaksana tugas (Plt) kepala daerah yang tidak dikehendaki partai politik jika pelaksanaan Pilkada dilakukan pertengahan atau akhir 2021.
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Skema Prabowo vs Anies, Politikus PAN: Masih Bisa Berubah [Prabowo-Anies scenario can still change, says PAN politician]: [Ketua DPP Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN) Saleh Partaonan Daulay] mengingatkan para politisi agar membuktikan kinerja sebelum melangkah ke ajang Pilpres. Hal ini berlaku bagi Prabowo yang wajib memuaskan sebagai Menteri Pertahanan dan Anies yang harus memperbaiki Jakarta.
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Without intervention, model shows COVID-19 will drag at least 3.6 million Indonesians into poverty: If the rate of economic growth slows to zero, our results indicate the poverty rate will rise to 10.54%. At least 3.6 million people will be plunged below the poverty line, adding to the 24.79 million people recorded in September 2019.
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Can Jokowi Step Beyond 'Trumpian' Playbook in Pandemic?: When Joko "Jokowi" Widodo got elected as the sixth president in 2014, his position as a political outsider made him Southeast Asia's instant democratic poster boy. However, six years later, the leader Times dubbed "a new force of democracy" would follow the playbook of President Donald Trump - the political wrecking ball of Barack Obama's legacy - in the fight to combat COVID-19, the biggest crisis of his presidency.
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Malaysia
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Cabaran menanti MB Kedah baharu [Challenges await new Kedah chief minister]: Sebagai antara negeri mempunyai ramai penduduk miskin dan miskin tegar di luar bandar seperti Sik, Baling dan Padang Terap, kerajaan perlu meningkatkan usaha membantu anggota masyarakat yang terjejas teruk kerana tidak dapat bekerja atau kehilangan kerja. Ramai mereka ini peniaga kecil, petani, pesawah dan pekebun kecil yang hanya bergantung pendapatan terhadap hasil padi, getah, kelapa sawit atau buah-buahan.
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Sabah next to fall to PN? A string of statements in support of Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal has fuelled speculation that his government could be the next to collapse following his allies' fall from power in Putrajaya in February. But Sabah political observer Lee Kuok Tiung questioned the need for leaders to deny the "rumours unless there's truth in them".
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In royal address, Agong reveals failed attempt to convince Dr M against resigning during political crisis: The King, in his opening address of the first meeting of the Third Session of the 14th Parliament, detailed how he found out Dr Mahathir's intention to resign after consenting to have an audience with the former prime minister on the evening of February 24. Following Dr Mahathir's resignation, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong said he then had to appoint a new prime minister as required under the Federal Constitution - someone who commands the support of the majority of Parliamentary lawmakers.
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Virtual parliaments: Can they become a reality? Can a virtual Parliament sitting take place?The question that needs to be answered next is, can a virtual Parliament sitting take place in Malaysia? The short answer is yes, but there are some changes that need to be made first. From a legal perspective, the Constitution and the Parliament Standing Orders are silent on this matter. However, this can be changed with an amendment to the Standing Orders.
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Muhyiddin has a majority of 3: The seating arrangement for the Dewan Rakyat sitting today showed that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin commanded majority support of the House. The plan, produced by the Parliament staff, indicated that there are 114 MPs aligned to the government. This meant that Muhyiddin (Bersatu-Pagoh) commanded a wafer-thin majority of three.
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PM and Parliament Speaker to be served cause papers - Lawyer: On Friday last week at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Registry, the law firm filed the originating summons on behalf of two plaintiffs, lawyer R Kengadharan and social activist D Arumugam. The lawsuit named Muhyiddin and Ariff (below) as first and second defendants respectively.
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50 tahun mencorak kegemilangan [50 years of glory]: Penubuhan UKM pada tanggal 18 Mei 1970 dengan misi memartabatkan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa ilmu telah melalui banyak onak dan duri termasuklah tentangan pelbagai pihak kerana bagi mereka adalah mustahil sebuah universiti kebangsaan yang memartabatkan bahasa Kebangsaan berdiri gagah setanding dengan universiti-universiti yang lain.
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Menggerakkan ekonomi akar umbi [Mobilize the grassroots economy]: Untuk melindungi rakyat kerajaan menyediakan pelbagai dana antaranya Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPN) - pemberian tunai - sebanyak RM10 bilion kepada golongan B40 serta buat pertama kali juga disalurkan kepada golongan M40. Jumlah keseluruhan penerima bantuan ini ialah sebanyak 13.61 juta rakyat Malaysia.
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社论
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国盟州政府应维护多元特征
[PN state governments should maintain multiculturalism]
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基于维护多元种族国情，自联盟和国阵执政以来，就在政府委任内各种族代表，以落实各族共享政权概念，并且让国家因为互相包容而成为典范。然而，伊党执政的吉兰丹及登嘉楼，以及国阵执政的彭亨州都委任清一色巫裔行政议员，而且变天后的霹雳和马六甲也是如此，仅有柔佛州委任一名华裔行政议员，即柏玛尼斯区州议员张发虎，过后柔大臣委任马华笨珍区会主席拿督郑修强为柔州务大臣顾问，专司处理州内华社事务。
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Domino effect of Pakatan's collapse: NOW that the Pakatan Harapan state governments of Johor, Melaka, Perak and Kedah have fallen, which state is next? The fall of the four Pakatan-ruled states was a domino effect after the Pakatan ruling coalition self-destructed in February. It was replaced by Perikatan Nasional consisting of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, Barisan Nasional (Umno, MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah), PAS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Sabah Star and Parti Bersatu Sabah. The question now is - will the domino effect happen in Selangor, Negri Sembilan or Sabah?
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Tick a box': Malaysia MPs to meet two months after power grab: Amid the machinations, Francis Hutchinson, the coordinator of the Malaysian Studies Programme at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, estimates Perikatan can count on 107 members of Parliament. In a commentary published with research associate Kevin Zhang on May 14, Hutchinson said with the backing of a handful of non-aligned MPs the grouping could manage a "narrow and unstable majority".
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PN parties ink MoU ahead of Dewan Rakyat sitting: Six parties today signed a memorandum of understanding in support of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance, in a sign that the two-month old ruling coalition is consolidating power ahead of tomorrow's Dewan Rakyat sitting.
The six include Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's PPBM, Barisan Nasional, PAS, Sarawak's GPS, Sabah's PBS and STAR. A joint statement by leaders of all six parties listed five objectives of the agreement, including to ensure a "good, inclusive and world-class" governance at the federal and state levels.
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BN, Bersatu, PAS and three others agree to form Perikatan Nasional: Two coalitions and four parties have agreed today to officially be part of Perikatan Nasional (PN), formerly an ad hoc arrangement to form a federal government. The decision was announced in a joint statement by coalitions Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, PAS, Parti Bersatu Sabah and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR).
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2 more states could fall to PN, says Annuar: [BARISAN Nasional secretary-general Annuar Musa] said the government's transition was part of the process of strengthening PN politics. Annuar did not name the states but it is understood that he was referring to Selangor and Sabah, which are governed by Pakatan Harapan and Parti Warisan Sabah.
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Why racism, religious extremism were rife under Pakatan: ...racism and religious extremism increased during Pakatan's rule not because the now fallen government supported or endorsed them. Pakatan wanted a complete departure from the oppressive days of BN, and that's exactly why they firmly upheld democratic freedoms - of which freedom of speech and expression were cornerstones of their administration.
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Apa sudah jadi tujuan asal Bersatu ganti Umno? [Is Bersatu's purpose now to replace Umno?] Bersatu wujud (dan menang) kerana Umno mengalami krisis defisit kepercayaan orang melayu. Sekiranya Umno bangkit balik, dan pengundi Umno-BN mula berpatah balik kepada parti tradisi mereka, Bersatu akan bermasalah besar. Masalah ini lagi jelas terlihat melalui kegagalan Bersatu untuk menambahkan keahlian dan cawangan mereka selepas memenangi PRU14.
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Najib is the real protagonist, Mukhriz claims: Mukhriz believed there were only two reasons why he was ousted - his decision to challenge Muhyiddin as Bersatu president and his father, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's proposed motion of no-confidence against the prime minister in the Dewan Rakyat. He said there were no other reasons why the six assemblymen would lose confidence in him except that they received orders from the higher-ups to do so.
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Muhyiddin and Mahathir rekindle feud as Malaysia looks beyond virus: While overseeing the battle against the coronavirus, which has infected nearly 7,000 people in the country, Muhyiddin has been actively shoring up his position, aiming to hold his ground at least until the next scheduled election in 2023. Plum appointments at state-linked companies have gone to key politicians from the government's two biggest coalition partners -- the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).
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Menyusun catur politik Muhyiddin [Organizing Muhyiddin's political chess]: Kelebihan Muhyiddin ialah beliau mempunyai bargaining power bagi menarik sokongan ahli Parlimen dan memperkukuhkan kerajaan. Selain pelantikan Kabinet, jawatan di syarikat berkaitan kerajaan dan agensi utama juga akan digunakan bagi menstabilkan kerajaan itu.
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Kemiskinan multidimensi dalam era Covid-19 [Multidimensional poverty in the Covid-19 era]: Umumnya, Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara yang kononnya telah mencapai kemajuan besar dalam usaha membasmi kemiskinan. Namun pada hakikatnya, realiti kemiskinan di negara kita adalah masih sangat ketara.
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Sidang Parlimen sehari cetus kontroversi [One-day Parliamentary session triggers controversy]: Walaupun ada sebahagian pemerhati politik dan rakyat berpendapat sekarang ini bukanlah masa paling sesuai untuk pemimpin negara baik di blok kerajaan atau pembangkang untuk bertegang urat, sementelah masa dan tenaga lebih wajar difokus untuk melawan Covid-19, namun persidangan Dewan Rakyat esok tidak boleh dielakkan untuk melengkapkan syarat demokrasi negara.
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Mukhriz Mahathir, son of Malaysia's former PM, remains defiant despite being forced to quit as Kedah chief minister: Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, on Sunday stepped down as chief minister of the Malaysian state of Kedah, vacating the role for the second time in his career and dealing a further blow to his father's attempts to return his ousted Pakatan Harapan coalition to power. "I would rather die standing than live on bended knees," Mukhriz said during a press conference where he announced his decision after losing the support of the state legislative assembly.
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Opinion: Bersatu civil war: Tun versus Tan Sri - THE word "bersatu" - meaning unite - in the name of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia is ironic at the moment. There is disunity in Bersatu. It is a civil war between Bersatu chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the fourth and seventh Prime Minister, and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the eighth Prime Minister. What is the root cause of the disunity? It is the proverbial different schools of thought, according to Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff, a Bersatu supreme council member. Both Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin agree that Bersatu needs to be in the leadership role of the government. But their methods of ensuring that are different.
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News Analysis: United again, but Anwar still second fiddle to Mahathir - Just as they did four years ago, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim have set aside differences to jointly affirm their intentions of toppling a Malaysian government they claim lacks a mandate....Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) president, Mr Anwar, 72, will sit as opposition leader when Parliament reconvenes tomorrow by virtue of leading the 92-strong PH coalition. However, his hopes of ascending to the premiership appear no greater now than in the 22 years since his controversial sacking as deputy to then Prime Minister Mahathir in 1998.
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Kedah set to welcome new chief minister to replace Mukhriz: Yesterday, 23 of the 36 legislators pledged their allegiance to the formation of a new PN government when they met Kedah's ruler, Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah. The ruler had personally met each of the 36 elected men and women to determine who commands the confidence of the majority in the assembly.
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Will PPBM campaign for Umno in Chini? Two political analysts have made opposing predictions on whether high profile PPBM leaders will campaign for the Umno candidate in the upcoming Chini by-election. Azmi Hassan of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said he believed they would not, but Kamarul Zaman Yusoff of Universiti Utara Malaysia said he did not see PPBM considering it a problem to have figures like Muhyiddin Yassin and Azmin Ali going to the ground to support Barisan Nasional's campaign.
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A parliament vote against Muhyiddin just won't do: It's on the idea that Parliament, which sits (laughable) on Monday, should be allowed to endorse Muhyiddin Yassin's tenure as prime minister as indeed it should his Perikatan Nasional (PN) regime. Given the manner in which the PN regime snatched power at the end of February from a perfectly legitimate Pakatan Harapan regime - never mind all of its ills and faults - the Muhyiddin regime has resoundingly, undeniably zero legitimacy.
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Former A-G seeks to set the record straight on Riza acquittal: ...no decision had been made by prosecution on Riza's representation as late as April 2. This was more than a month after I resigned from my post. It follows that the decision to accept Riza's representation that resulted in the granting of his DNAA, must have been made between April 2 and May 14, when I was no longer the A-G.
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Pengkhianatan bos GLC terhadap orang Melayu miskin [GLC bosses' betrayal of poor Malays]: Pada tahun 2018 selepas PRU14, ahli lembaga pengarah Tabung Haji yang baharu terpaksa berhempas pulas membawa institusi keramat itu ke landasan yang betul. Institusi itu telah dirompak berkali-kali ketika zaman BN, kerugiannya berbilion ringgit. ... Akibat kerakusan perompak ketika itu, rakyat terpaksa menerima padah. Hasilnya, hibah untuk pencarum Tabung Haji untuk tahun 2018 hanyalah 1.25%, yakni terburuk dalam sejarah negara.
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As Mahathir plots, Muhyiddin faces a twist in Malaysia's Shakespearean drama: Mahathir Mohamad may have been dethroned, but even at 94 his leadership ambitions aren't over yet. His usurper Muhyiddin Yassin looks vulnerable, but even among Mahathir's former allies, there are those who say time is finally up for this giant of politics
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Final Report of the Pakatan Harapan Government's Performance: In summarising PH's performance during their administration, it must first be acknowledged that most promises in the Buku Harapan are meant to be fulfilled within one term in government, that is over the span of 5 years. Thus, our analysis takes into account that their term in office was cut short due to the change in government when the then former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir resigned on 24th February 2020, triggering a realignment of political parties that resulted in the Perikatan Nasional coalition gaining power.
[20-page PDF document]
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We are already in a global recession. Here's what we can do: ..everywhere you look, economic data trickling in since the start of the MCO suggests that the Malaysian economy is already in the midst of a recession. But perhaps what's more worrying is that this downturn may prove to be stubbornly long-lasting....economic policy can play an important role. Truly, despite numerous shortfalls, the three stimulus packages announced since the beginning of the year have done a lot of good. But more needs to be done, especially if incoming data over the next few weeks show that the Malaysian economy continues to deteriorate.
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Strange case of Muhyiddin, part 2: As an opposition leader without any privileges, Muhyiddin said he felt good that people appreciated our struggle. When he was in Barisan Nasional, he did not experience random members of the public paying for his meals at coffee shops or warung to show their support. The public enthusiasm was very encouraging.
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Umno dan Bersatu: Yang untung, yang rugi pada PRU15 nanti [Winners and losers at the upcoming GE-15]: Jika Bersatu bersama Muafakat Nasional, Bersatu hanya akan bergantung kepada kekuatan Umno-PAS, itupun jika benar mereka mahukan Bersatu secara 'en bloc', bukan hanya menyokong individu tertentu dalam Bersatu seperti Perdana Menteri sahaja. Jadi persoalan yang lebih penting untuk Bersatu tanyakan kepada diri sendiri, adakah hanya ini yang Bersatu mahu?
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巫统想要并吞土团党
[Umno intends to swallow Bersatu]
:
慕尤丁现在的处境也是怪可怜的，在土团党内受到敦马哈迪的压力，党外又面对巫伊的要胁。虽然土团党在政府内扮演主导角色，但失去的越来越多，柔佛和吉打大臣职分别给了巫统及伊党；巫统也分到霹雳州
6
个行政议员职，可以在行政议会否决土团党的决定，使阿末法依沙沦为
"
跛脚鸭大臣
"
。
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Myanmar
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Govt to create agri and rural jobs to support farmers under CERP: To yield jobs, MoALI will harness a total of 400,000 acres of farmland on which it will work under a a joint venture with the Myanmar Rice Federation to produce seeds for planting. This will take up half the land. The remaining half will be used for the growing and harvesting of crops. Funds are expected to come from the government budget as well as international financing. The land will mainly be used to cultivate monsoon rice, U Myo Tint Tun said.
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Myanmar Begins Probe of WHO Staff Killing in Rakhine Amid Skepticism: An investigative team formed by the Myanmar government to probe the shooting death of a local World Health Organization worker in volatile Rakhine state last month has begun its probe, local lawmakers said, but witnesses say they are afraid, and rights activists say they believe the government will use the process to blame its foe, the Arakan Army.
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Philippines
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Battling The Pandemic With Relocation Strategy: In its fight to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Philippine government's move to decongest the National Capital Region (NCR) through its Back to the Province (Balik Probinsya) Program has become a key strategy. The NCR or Metro Manila, with a limited land area of around 636 square kilometres, is home to around 11 million dwellers. President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Executive Order (EO) No. 114, "Institutionalizing the Balik Probinsya, (Back to the Province), Bagong Pag-Asa (New Home) Program as a Pillar of Balanced Regional Development on 6 May, 2020. A critical look at Metro Manila reveals that it is a metropolitan area overwhelmed by massive slums packed with many people living in houses with only "elbow to elbow" room.
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Coronavirus threatens Philippines' 'economic lifeline' of OFW remittances: An estimated UD$30 billion was sent home by overseas Filipino workers in 2019 - a figure that could be set to plummet by up to 20 per cent. Thousands of workers who lost their jobs in the wake of the pandemic are now returning home to uncertainty and economic hardship
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If Philippine tycoons are back in Duterte's good books, what happened to ABS-CBN?: After coming to power in 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared he wanted to 'destroy the oligarchs that are embedded in government'. He made peace with three tycoons who contributed to the Covid-19 fight, but sidelined the Lopez family - whose ABS-CBN network was forced off the air
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Asian Development Bank and the Philippines: Fact Sheet: ADB's partnership strategy for the Philippines focuses on accelerating infrastructure and long-term investments, promoting local economic development, and investing in people.
[4-page PDF document]
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Why Duterte won't lift world's longest lockdown: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has extended one of the world's longest and strictest Covid-19 lockdowns until June, a controversial move that is out-of-step with regional easing trends and promises to intensify the nation's economic and human suffering....The lockdown has arguably done more damage to Filipino livelihoods, with more than one million jobs expected to disappear. Emergency rule has also taken a toll on the nation's standing as democracy, raising questions if curbs on civil liberties will ever be restored.
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57
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Communist Rebels Fight Hard as Ever in Philippines As COVID-19 Distracts Government: Armed communist rebels are exploiting the Philippine government's fight against COVID-19 to launch attacks, intensifying a violent 50-year-plus struggle with no solution in sight. The New People's Army, active for 51 years in impoverished rural parts of the archipelago, has sustained the ambushes for which it's best known while publicly condemning President Rodrigo Duterte's administration over its handling of the disease outbreak. "That's part of their basic doctrine. Wherever they have a chance to strike on the enemy, they do it," said Enrico Cau, Southeast Asia specialist researcher at the Taiwan Strategy Research Association.
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Singapore
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58
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Singapore-Beijing ties keep a steady course at 30-year milestone: This is a year of particular significance to China in its relations with South-east Asian nations. The Asian superpower is marking 70 years of relations with Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia. Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping's first foreign visit this year was to Myanmar in January. "In this context, China-Singapore relations is a piece of this picture," says Mr Lye Liang Fook, senior fellow at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute. Both countries were proactive in laying the groundwork for this year's celebrations with high-level visits, he notes.
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Thailand
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59
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SEZ plan ignores local ideas of development: Back in January, the government earmarked 19 billion baht for the SEZ, which aims to transform Chana's coastal area into an industrial and logistics hub. Spanning 6,000 rai, the project includes a deep-sea port, energy plant, high-tech factories hosting both light and heavy industries. The project's proponents claim the project would eventually create more than 100,000 jobs. Kaireeya questioned the cost of the development, the environmental destruction and the loss of resources that she and her fellow villagers would have to bear if the SEZ is implemented. She sees this development in another light.
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60
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Thai political reconciliation elusive due to lack of wider public participation: academics: The campaign for truth demonstrates the unresolved and deep political divide in the prolonged political conflict between the military and conservative faction on one side and the pro-democracy groups on the other."Neither political reconciliation, nor reform have made any progress," said Gothom Arya, adviser to Mahidol University's Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies.
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61
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Thai Activist Arrested on Covid-19 Pretext: Thai authorities are using Covid-19 regulations as a convenient rationale to silence peaceful critics of the government. On the evening of May 13, Bangkok police arrested prominent pro-democracy activist Anurak Jeantawanich for violating the ban on public assembly - one of the emergency measures imposed to prevent the coronavirus outbreak. The arrest was triggered by a remembrance service that Anurak held earlier that day with about 40 supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship - known as the "Red Shirts" - demanding justice for those killed and wounded by the military during the crackdown on the 2010 political protests.
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Vietnam
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62
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Why Vietnam embraces multilateralism at this uncertain time: Vietnam's recent activism in multilateral forums appears to demonstrate that Hanoi does not believe that cooperation is a faded luxury. Support from Vietnam for institutions such as the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations continues to increase. Despite this faith in international cooperation, Hanoi is acutely aware of the challenges facing multilateralism.
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63
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Vietnam nominates candidates to next term, increasing ratio of youth: More candidates for the five-year leadership are young, women, and from ethnic minority groups.
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64
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Foreign investors call for greater flexibility in Vietnam's upcoming PPP law: A lack of a unified legal framework governing PPP is the main factor that Vietnam's infrastructure sector growth potential is capped at 6.1% per year through 2029.
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ASEAN/Southeast Asia
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65
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Reinventing Asia's Tourism Sector: The impact of the loss of international tourism will be different in each country within the region. Least affected will be Vietnam and Laos. Malaysia and Indonesia have large domestic markets that can partly compensate for the loss of international tourists. Thailand and Cambodia are the most vulnerable countries. There have been a number of challenges facing sections of the tourism industry that existed before the Covid-19 crisis. Speculative investment in hotels resorts, homestays, restaurants and other tourist attractions have been made across the region without adequate due diligence in regards to these enterprises' true market opportunities. As a result, a large number of underperforming, cash-strapped projects were already floundering. In many places, hotels and resorts are in oversupply.
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66
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Interview With Igor Driesmans, EU Ambassador To ASEAN
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67
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US keen for Asean to stand up to China moves amid Covid-19 pandemic: Amid deepening tactical and strategic competition with China, the United States wants Asean to stand up to what it calls "outside coercion" in the regional bloc's own backyard. The US is moving across a broad front, from technology to tariffs to visas, in what some analysts call "full-spectrum competition" with China. As relations reach a low point, the question of where it leaves South-east Asia re-emerges. Seeing the two global powers at loggerheads makes the South-east Asian region nervous. The region needs both - but not at each other's throats.
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68
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How South-east Asia views growing US-China power play amid the Covid-19 pandemic: In South-east Asia, the Covid-19 pandemic has accentuated the strategic rivalry of China and the United States. It would seem that China and the US, strategic rivals in South-east Asia, are in a contest to provide help to the region to combat the pandemic to win hearts and minds. While such aid is certainly appreciated by the governments and peoples of these countries, much less welcome is the heightened tensions between the two great powers in the South China Sea - as China has acted to consolidate its claims in the contested waters and the US has sought to counter these actions.
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69
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Healthy Oceans Needed To Keep ASEAN Afloat: Despite a seascape celebrated in our collective imaginations, research shows that our picture of the ocean is remarkably shallow. [...] Data is available for only two out of 10 targets for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Below Water. Due to limitations in methodology and national statistical systems, information gaps have persisted at uneven levels across countries. Defeating COVID-19 has been a numbers game and we need similar commitment to data for the state of our shores.
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70
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OPINION: Are ASEAN countries really ready to reopen? Beware of bumps and curves ahead: As some countries step forward, others in the region may wish to follow suit. But while efforts have been considerable, risks remain and indeed may be increasing. Easing up on the lockdowns will be a complex process. While many are keen to reopen, the more apt emotions are caution and even anxiety.
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71
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OPINION: The trends that endure: Old problems of international politics in the time of COVID-19 pandemic: ...the best that countries can do seems to be building up strategic reserves, identifying specific bottlenecks in production and distribution, and proceeding with trade liberalization. It is encouraging that ASEAN leaders agreed to establish an ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, even though its funding is not from new sources but redirecting around 10 percent of resources from the ASEAN Development Fund.
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72
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Asean must face up to deadly mix of virus, conflict in Myanmar: Some leaders from Asean have called for more action to help those whose lives had already been shattered by conflict and human rights violations prior to Covid-19. But collectively, the bloc has yet to address this challenge. Despite conflicts in Rakhine and elsewhere and millions of people displaced across South-east Asia, regional efforts to confront the virus, including the Special Asean Plus Three Summit on Coronavirus Disease last month, have failed to deliver. South-east Asian leaders must...take this opportunity to demonstrate their political leadership, and whether they do so is a test of Asean integration and action beyond trade and economics.
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73
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BeiDou and BRI: Dependence Masked as Independence? One core component of the Belt and road Initiative (BRI) is the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). BDS, while largely a benign satellite navigation system, has a key component of entrapment for economically weaker countries. What exactly are the malign components of the BDS that have the potential to entrap countries in technology dependence on Beijing?
[...] agricultural systems in several parts of Southeast Asia, as discussed earlier, have been enhanced based on BDS technology. Sustaining this expansion is also based on BDS, as it is used to plan cropping seasons, adjust water distribution, and compensate for climate. Indeed, once even basic and traditional activities like agriculture become technology-dependent, their extraordinary increase in productivity and resistance to climactic variation also depend on the usage of this technology. Denial of BDS would therefore prove catastrophic given how critical subsistence agriculture is to these countries.
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74
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OPINION: Southeast Asia's energy transition needs to accelerate as COVID-19 highlights gaps in resilience: As ASEAN member states collectively work towards updating the "ASEAN Action Plan for Energy Cooperation", the cascading effects of COVID-19 underscore the need to design and implement mechanisms for robustness and resilience of energy transition in the long-term. This includes the presence of strong political commitment, stable capital markets and access to investment, a steady pipeline of innovations, modernization of infrastructure, training human capital for future energy systems.
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75
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Southeast Asia Beset by Flood of Cheap Methamphetamines, Synthetic Opioids: UN Report: The synthetic drug market in East and Southeast Asia is expanding and diversifying with the price of methamphetamines dropping to its lowest level in the past 10 years, while supplies of synthetic opioids have risen sharply, according to a new report issued Friday by the United Nations drug crimes agency.
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76
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ASEAN Secretariat, Infrastructure Asia hold inaugural ASEAN Infrastructure Discussion Series: The ASEAN Secretariat and Infrastructure Asia launched the inaugural session of the ASEAN Infrastructure Discussion Series through a webinar. Over 150 participants, including representatives from the ASEAN Member States, financiers, multilateral development banks, private investors, and other infrastructure solution providers, participated in the webinar held on 14 May. The platform offers opportunities for dialogue on the initial pipeline of ASEAN infrastructure projects with the private sector. The key focus of the first session was on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway project.
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77
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Joint Statement of ASEAN Labour Ministers on Response to The Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Labour and Employment
[7-page PDF document]
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ASEAN-China
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78
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中国与东盟经贸划出美丽弧线
[The beautiful arc of China-ASEAN trade]
:
今年前
4
个月，东盟反超欧盟成为我国第一大贸易伙伴。虽有疫情影响，东盟在我国对外经济合作中的地位持续上升，双方经济依存更加紧密。但有些外媒仍片面解读中美贸易摩擦以及疫情蔓延对全球供应链布局的冲击和影响，把近年来一定程度上的外资向东南亚转移夸大成中国与东盟经济竞争加剧，甚至提出东南亚某某国家将
"
代替中国
"
。
唐奇芳是中国国际问题研究院国际战略研究所副研究员
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Asia Pacific
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79
.
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OPINION: Indo-Pacific network must evolve to meet changing threats: As an Indo-Pacific nation, the U.S., alongside our allies and partners, knows this all too well. Threats in the Indo-Pacific have evolved to have greater regional and cross-domain implications, testing the durability of the peace and security we have enjoyed for more than 70 years. But as the threats have evolved, a more integrated and coherent regional network to address these threats has yet to be fully developed. Now is the time to change that.
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80
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Coronavirus: China signalling it is 'done giving face' to US - Whether the state of US-China relations can finally cement what has been called "Cold War 2.0" is still up for debate, but a bellicose Beijing is increasingly signalling that it has had enough of the Trump administration and is done giving face. Its foreign ministry has been kept busy scolding the United States for lobbing a multitude of accusations at China over the pandemic, from a cover-up to cybertheft, and insisting on calling the coronavirus the "Wuhan virus" and "Chinese virus". Compounding the problem are the US' support for restoring Taiwan's observer status at the World Health Organisation (WHO) at a key meeting tomorrow, its clampdown on Chinese journalists in the US, and US warship patrols in the South China Sea.
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81
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Pitfalls of competitive connectivity in Asia: Geopolitical competition between the United States and China is most tangible in Asia. In 2011, Washington responded to China's growing influence in the region with its 'Pivot to Asia'. Two years later, Beijing countered with its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) - a USD1 trillion infrastructure development program connecting Asia with Europe via land, sea and the polar route. Although promoted as a way to improve regional integration and economic growth, the BRI is widely viewed as China's grand strategy to maximise its global clout.
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82
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OPINION: China wants to know if you are with it or against it: As the coronavirus crisis continues to reshape geopolitics, the rivalry between China and the U.S. has deteriorated markedly. At issue is whether the international community is prepared to accept China's virus-fighting assistance and its post-COVID position in the world or not. The proposition that "you are with us or against us," not long ago brandished by Washington, is coming more now from Beijing.
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East/South China Sea
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83
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Why is the US escalating its presence in the South China Sea amid the coronavirus pandemic?: Both US air force sorties and freedom of navigation operations have risen substantially in the region in the first quarter of the year. Reasons range from an overall deterioration in US-China relations to the US' need to show allies that its capabilities have not weakened despite the pandemic.
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84
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China isolates itself by defying international law in East Sea: The world has closely watched China's illegal moves in the East Sea (aka the South China Sea). Observers say China, by defying international law, is isolating itself from the international community.
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85
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Asean stays on the sidelines as South China Sea tensions mount: Vietnam and the Philippines have lodged protests against China's activities but other Southeast Asian states have been restrained. While Washington's presence is welcome, Asean countries will not publicly admit it and neither will they attempt a collective response, says an analyst.
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86
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Safeguarding the Shared Maritime Domain between Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia: This event report summarizes a limited, online focused group discussion (FGD) organized by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Indonesia on April 29, 2020. The FGD examined the common maritime security challenges surrounding the shared maritime domain between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam located at the Southern end of the South China Sea..... moving forward, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia must find a balance between persistently and sufficiently responding, defending, and reaffirming their lawful rights at sea, while avoiding extra burden and risks. Some of the policy proposals that were discussed tried to start with the shared position of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam on the importance of the 1982 UNCLOS.
[10-page PDF document]
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