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May
Finnish PM says NATO decision will focus on safety of citizens
Written by Nur Yasmin
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday that if her nation takes the historic step of applying to join the NATO military alliance, it would be for the security of its own citizens and would also strengthen the international community.
Marin spoke after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, a day before Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is expected to say whether his country, which shares a long border with Russia, will apply to join NATO. read more
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed Finland and neighbouring Sweden to the verge of applying for NATO membership, abandoning a belief held for decades that peace was best kept by not publicly choosing sides. Both countries have taken part in allied exercises for years.
"I told Prime Minister Kishida about our plans to possibly apply for NATO membership," Marin told a news conference after the two leaders met in Tokyo.
"If Finland makes this historic step it is for the security of our own citizens. Joining NATO would strengthen the whole international community and stand for our common values."
Marin also said Russia's actions in Ukraine - which Moscow calls a "special military operation" - openly violated international law and the United Nations charter.
"The atrocities against civilians continues. This cannot be accepted from any nation and less from a permanent member of the Security Council," she said, adding that veto power in the council was being abused and it needed to be reformed.
Russia denies its forces have carried out abuses against civilians in Ukraine.
Kishida said the two had agreed that changing the status quo by force was unacceptable in any part of the world, a veiled reference to China, and both said their discussions included North Korea, said to be preparing for another nuclear test.
"Russia's war against Ukraine has not only changed the European security environment but the global security environment," Marin said at the start of discussions.
"This visit is very timely, our nations face similar challenges." (Reuters)
May
New Zealand to open international borders fully to visitors from end-July
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday the country will fully reopen its international borders from 11:59 p.m. on July 31, with cruise ships also welcome back to local ports on the same day.
The end-July opening of the border is two months earlier than the government's previous time frame and will mean visitors who need visas will now be able to come to New Zealand.
Ardern said in a speech to a Business NZ lunch in Auckland that opening the borders would help to relieve urgent skills shortages, open up tourism and put immigration settings on a more secure footing.
"We are building on our proven plan to secure New Zealand's economic future," Ardern said. (Reuters)
May
S.Korea's Yoon faces early challenge amid hints of N.Korea nuclear test
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's plans to offer economic aid in return for denuclearisation could face an early challenge amid signs of an imminent North Korean nuclear test - and such proposals have been rebuffed before, analysts say.
Yoon has warned of a "tense" security environment, citing the possible nuclear test, which U.S. and South Korean officials have said could occur as early as this month after Pyongyang broke a 2017 moratorium on long-range missile testing in March. read more
Analysts say such a test, the North's first in five years, would be a reality check for Yoon's plans to incentivise denuclearisation with "audacious" economic benefits, unveiled in his inauguration speech on Tuesday. read more
Yoon and his team have given few details on how they would bring back Pyongyang to the negotiating table. But some analysts said North Korea is unlikely to accept any aid-for-denuclearisation deal, as its nuclear and missile programmes are mature and still advancing.
"It was a somewhat conciliatory message, but North Korea would never accept this line of reasoning that the South would help develop its own economy if it denuclearises," said Park Won-gon, a North Korea expert at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. "To them, that formula means to deny their regime."
Pyongyang has said several times in the past decade that it would not abandon its nuclear programmes in exchange for economic rewards, Park added.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, noted a similar offer by former conservative President Lee Myung-bak.
Lee, under his "Vision 3000" initiative, had promised economic assistance to help the North achieve a $3,000 per capita income within 10 years if it abandoned its nuclear and missile programmes and opened up to the outside world.
Pyongyang called it a plot to overthrow its regime, and inter-Korean ties remained icy throughout Lee's five years. Many of Yoon's senior aides, including his national security adviser and his deputy, served in the Lee administration.
"The new government's offer could induce backlash from the North," Yang said. "He does leave open the door for dialogue but did not actually propose talks, and the idea would have slim chances of succeeding as it's passive and unrealistic."
Yoon on Wednesday nominated Kim Kyou-hyun, a former veteran diplomat with expertise in North Korea and U.S. relations, to be director of the National Intelligence Service, overseeing oversee inter-Korean affairs and denuclearisation talks.
Yoon's new defence minister, Lee Jong-sup, held his first meeting online with key commanding officers after taking office on Tuesday, calling for airtight readiness posture against "omnidirectional security threats."
"The security situation on the Korean peninsula is extremely grave due to North Korea's advancing missile threats and possibility of a nuclear test," he told the meeting.
Lee ordered the military to respond "sternly and immediately" if the North presses ahead with a "direct provocation," the ministry said in a statement. (Reuters)
May
India's top court puts colonial-era sedition law on hold for review
Written by Nur Yasmin
India's Supreme Court on Wednesday barred the government from using a colonial-era sedition law, that critics say is often used to stifle dissent, pending a review.
The 152-year-old law, which the British colonial government used against Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders of a campaign for independence, remained on the books after India's 1947 independence and has been used by governments since then.
"It will be appropriate not to use this provision of law until further re-examination is over," Chief Justice N. V. Ramana told the court after it ruled that all proceedings under the law, known as Section 124-A, "shall be kept in abeyance".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government had told the court this week it was reviewing the law, which says anyone bringing hatred or contempt, or incites disaffection towards the government, can be punished with up to life in prison.
The Law Commission of India and even the Supreme Court have at various times commented on what they have said was rampant misuse of the sedition law against social activists, writers and students.
The constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression as a fundamental right to all its citizens. (Reuters)
May
No quiet retirement for Philippines' Duterte when Marcos takes over presidency
Written by Nur Yasmin
A quiet retirement for Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is unlikely when he makes way for successor Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but efforts to put him on trial for thousands of killings in his "war on drugs" appear unlikely to prosper.
Duterte's daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, helped get Marcos elected by agreeing to be his vice presidential running mate, allowing the son of the late dictator to tap her father's huge support to seal a comeback for the disgraced Marcos dynasty.
Though there has been no formal quid-pro-quo, political experts say it is unlikely Marcos would risk burning crucial bridges by allowing the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Duterte over the alleged execution-style killings in his war on drugs.
Duterte, 77, will be stripped of the legal armour shielding him from legal action once he becomes a private citizen next month, making him an open target. Unbowed, he has said he will search for drug peddlers after he retires and "shoot them and kill them".
At least 6,200 people have been killed in the war on drugs during Duterte's six-year rule. Rights groups and critics say law enforcers summarily executed drug suspects, but police say those killed were armed and had violently resisted arrest.
The ICC in September approved an investigation into the killings, but temporarily suspended it in November at Manila's request. The ICC did not immediately respond when asked for an update on the probe's status. read more
"He will be safe, untouchable. Worse, even as ex-president, he could still weigh in on policy," said Carlos Conde, senior Philippines Researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Marcos, during the campaign, has already intimated what he might do with the ICC investigators. "I will let them into the country, but only as tourists," he said in January.
"We have a functioning judiciary that is why I do not see the need for a foreigner to come and do the job for us," Marcos said, mirroring the position of Duterte, who has repeatedly said he will not cooperate with the ICC.
POLITICS IN HIS DNA
However, it is not only the ICC that Duterte would have to contend with but also families of victims and human rights groups demanding accountability for the killings and other violations in the past six years.
Randy delos Santos, an uncle of high-school student Kian delos Santos, whose death in 2017 led to rare convictions of police officers in the drug war, hoped the ICC would resume its probe.
"There are so many families of drug war victims, not just me," said Delos Santos, who cited many other cases belying government claims the victims had fought back.
Cristina Palabay of human rights group Karapatan said: "We are also preparing cases to file against Duterte after he steps down from office."
Spokespersons for Rodrigo Duterte and Marcos did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Duterte has only given hints on his future plans. He said this week he will return to his hometown of Davao city, where he served as mayor for more than two decades before becoming president in 2016.
"I will stay here in Davao. Even as a civilian, I will still help you. Just like what I promised when I first became mayor," Duterte said after casting his vote on Monday.
Earl Parreno, author of a biography of Duterte entitled "Beyond Will & Power", said he finds it difficult to imagine the president totally dropping out of politics. "Will he really retire quietly?" he said.
Duterte may decide to run for local office in the mid-term polls in 2025, Parreno said. It is not uncommon for former presidents in the Philippines to seek lower posts in office.
"If you have politics in your DNA, it would be difficult to stay away from it," he said.
True to form, Duterte did not mince words when telling supporters of his plans after the presidency.
"I will go riding on a motorcycle and roam around...and I'll search for drug peddlers, shoot them and kill them," he said. (Reuters)
May
Biden seeks to keep China in focus by welcoming ASEAN leaders
Written by Nur Yasmin
President Joe Biden will host Southeast Asian leaders in Washington this week as his administration seeks to show it can maintain its focus on the Indo-Pacific and the long-term challenge of China despite the immediate crisis in Ukraine.
A two-day summit with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) begins with a White House dinner on Thursday before talks at the State Department on Friday.
Up to eight of the 10 ASEAN leaders are expected. Myanmar's leader has been excluded over a coup last year and the Philippines is in transition after an election.
It will be the first time leaders of ASEAN, created in some of the darkest days of the Cold War, have gathered as a group at the White House. President Barack Obama was the last U.S. leader to host them, at Sunnylands in California in 2016.
The summit comes ahead of Biden's May 20-24 visit to South Korea and Japan, which will include meetings with the other leaders of the Quad grouping of countries - India, Australia and Japan - who share U.S. concerns about China's ambitions to expand its influence in the region and globally.
Kate Rebholz, acting U.S. ambassador to ASEAN, told Washington's Stimson Center the summit would result in "an ambitious and forward-looking U.S.-ASEAN vision statement" and new initiatives, including partnerships in public health, climate and economic growth.
However, analysts and diplomats do not expect dramatic advances in what is shaping up to be a largely symbolic summit. They say a key headline is likely to be elevation of the current U.S.-ASEAN "strategic partnership" by adding a word to make it a "comprehensive" strategic partnership, bringing it into line with the description of ASEAN's ties with Australia and China.
But the fact the summit was being held at all despite the huge distraction of Ukraine was aimed squarely at China, which Washington says remains its key long-term foreign policy challenge, regardless of Russia's actions.
"The meeting is the message ... that the U.S. is in fact capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time, and it's not distracted," Bilahari Kausikan, a former permanent secretary of Singapore's foreign ministry, told the Stimson event.
U.S. officials say the White House will be seeking more support for its Ukraine efforts and looking ahead to Biden's trip to Japan and South Korea this month, as well as expected visits to Southeast Asia later in the year.
White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Monday there would be "substantial" discussions with ASEAN on technology, education, infrastructure, and that Washington would soon announce plans to better battle illegal fishing in the Pacific. read more
ASEAN countries, several of which have competing claims with China in the South China Sea, will likely welcome such initiatives and are broadly keen to boost ties with Washington.
U.S. 'FALLS FLAT' ON ECONOMICS
However, they have been frustrated by the U.S. delay in detailing plans for economic engagement since former President Donald Trump quit a regional trade pact in 2017.
At a virtual summit with ASEAN last October, Biden said Washington would start talks about developing a regional economic framework, but diplomats say this is likely to feature only peripherally this week.
Japan's Washington ambassador said Biden's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is likely to be formally launched in Japan, but its details were still under discussion.
Analysts and diplomats say only two of the 10 ASEAN countries - Singapore and the Philippines - are expected to be among the initial group of counties to sign up for the negotiations under IPEF, which does not currently offer the expanded market access Asian countries crave, given Biden's concern for American jobs.
There has also been some frustration that ASEAN leaders will get little personal time with Biden, with no bilateral meetings announced.
An adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, in office since 1985 but making his first White House visit, told Reuters Biden should spend more time with leaders if he was serious about elevating ties with the region. read more
Kao Kim Hourn said Cambodia, which has close economic ties to China, would not "choose sides" between Washington and Beijing although U.S. investment in his country was growing. ASEAN, likewise, worked with both under its principle of "inclusiveness," he said.
Analysts say that even though ASEAN countries share U.S. concerns about China, they remain cautious about siding more firmly with Washington, given their predominant economic ties with Beijing and limited U.S. economic incentives.
"The U.S. does a pretty solid job on politics and security, but it falls flat on economics," said Gregory Poling of Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"It cannot effectively compete with China If it only brings guns and diplomacy to the table. It has to bring cash to put it bluntly, and we've not been good at doing that." (Reuters)
May
Japan says South Korea wants to work on improving ties
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan and South Korea have agreed that their frayed relationship can be improved, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday after meeting Yoon Seok-yeol, the new president of the neighbouring nation.
Yoon was sworn in at a time when Washington is seeking to boost three-way security co-operation with Tokyo and Seoul amid renewed missile and nuclear threats from North Korea.
Ties between the key U.S. security allies in North Asia have been dogged by the bitter legacy of Japan's 1910-1945 occupation, with recent disagreements on issues ranging from wartime forced labour to export controls. read more
Yoon said he would like to improve ties by maintaining close communication, Hayashi told reporters.
"South Korea is an important country and cooperation ... is indispensable for the stability of this region, including response to North Korea," Hayashi said after attending Yoon's inaugural ceremony in Seoul.
"We agreed that we should not leave the Japan-South Korea relations getting worse," he added, making specific mention of co-operation between Japan and South Korea as well as Japan, the United States and South Korea.
Yoon told Hayashi he hoped to meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida soon, and work with him to improve ties, according to a pool report from the South Korean presidential office.
On Monday, Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Tokyo, said he viewed Hayashi's trip to Seoul as "significant" since it could place their relations on a "better footing". (Reuters)
May
Taiwan activist says did forced labour in China but not tortured
Written by Nur Yasmin
A Taiwanese activist jailed in China said on Tuesday that he was subjected to forced labour and endured stale food while serving a five-year sentence, but that he was not tortured.
Li Ming-che, a community college lecturer and activist at a human rights non-governmental organisation in Taiwan, disappeared while visiting China in 2017.
Later that year, a Chinese court found him guilty of subversion. He was released from jail and returned to Taiwan last month.
Speaking to reporters at Taiwan's parliament, Li said he was forced to make clothing including shoes and gloves during his time in jail, working 11-12 hours a day with few days off, and he was not allowed to speak to most other prisoners.
"It was totally a sweat shop," he said.
While the food was also stale, Li said he was neither tortured nor "whipped", but that he had considered himself to have been "kidnapped" by the Chinese government.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Li admitted during his trial to having criticised China's ruling Communist Party and to having shared articles and arguments promoting Taiwan's multi-party democracy.
Li said he was only trying to help Chinese political prisoners and their families to ensure they were not left destitute, and that he was not allowed to defend himself during his trial, adding he thought the charges against him were "laughable".
Asked if he had anything he wanted to say to China's government now he was back in Taiwan and free, Li answered: "Taiwan and China are each one country on either side" of the Taiwan Strait.
"It's that simple."
Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of China and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control, while democratic Taiwan has shown no interest in being governed by the Communist Party rulers in Beijing.
Li stood trial alongside Chinese national Peng Yuhua, who confessed to creating instant messaging groups and founding an organisation that sought to promote political change in China. (Reuters)
May
South Korea's Yoon suggests 'audacious' economic plan if North Korea abandons nukes
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea's new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, said on Tuesday that North Korea's weapons programmes pose a threat but that he is ready to provide an "audacious" economic plan if the North is committed to denuclearisation.
Yoon gave the remarks in his inauguration speech after being sworn in at a ceremony in Seoul. He won a tight election in March as the standard bearer of the main conservative People Power Party, less than a year after entering politics following a 26-year career as a prosecutor. read more
Yoon, 61, will face two major problems as he takes office: a belligerent North Korea testing new weapons and inflation threatening to undermine an economic recovery from two years of COVID-19 gloom.
He has signalled a tougher line on North Korea, warning of a preemptive strike if there is a sign of an imminent attack and vowing to strengthen the South's deterrent capability. But his speech was seen as focused more on his willingness to reopen stalled denuclearisation talks with Pyongyang. read more
"While North Korea's nuclear weapon programs are a threat not only to our security and that of Northeast Asia, the door to dialogue will remain open so that we can peacefully resolve this threat," Yoon said.
"If North Korea genuinely embarks on a process to complete denuclearisation, we are prepared to work with the international community to present an audacious plan that will vastly strengthen North Korea's economy and improve the quality of life for its people," he added.
Yoon did not elaborate on his re-engagement or economic plan for the North. But his national security adviser, Kim Sung-han, told Reuters in February that his team would devise a roadmap in early days in which Pyongyang could quickly earn sanctions relief or economic aid in exchange for denuclearisation measures. read more
Yoon could face a security crisis if North Korea carries out its first nuclear test in five years, as U.S. and South Korean officials warned, after it broke a 2017 moratorium on long-range missile testing in March. read more
NO MORE BLUE HOUSE
Yoon won the election on a platform of fighting corruption and creating a more level economic playing field amid deepening public frustration with inequality and housing prices, as well as simmering gender and generational rivalry.
South Korea's inflation hit a more than 13-year high last month as Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent commodity prices soaring, which could dampen growth prospects. read more
Yoon did not mention inflation, but cited low growth, rising unemployment and wage gaps as key economic challenges, pledging to address those by focusing on developing science, technology and innovation.
Some 40,000 people attended the ceremony on the front lawn of parliament, including about 300 foreign guests, including Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Douglas Emhoff, the husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
Wang, at a meeting with Yoon, relayed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s letter and invitation to China, and expressed Beijing’s hopes for stronger cooperation on North Korea, bilateral and global issues.
Yoon separately met Hayashi and thanked him for conveying a letter from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, saying he hoped to meet him soon and work together to improve relations.
Yoon promised stronger support for the U.S. alliance to Emhoff, who also delivered a letter from President Joe Biden and said Biden was looking forward to their first summit, scheduled for this month, and was hoping for closer cooperation.
After the inauguration, Yoon moved to a new office at a former defence ministry building, holding his first meeting with aides and appointing seven cabinet nominees who had passed their confirmation hearings, including finance and defence ministers.
He has moved the presidential office and residence from the traditional Blue House under a $40 million plan, though his predecessor Moon Jae-in criticised it as rushed and a national security risk. read more
A separate event was held at the Blue House, where 74 citizens selected by lottery entered the long enclosed complex, which was opened to the public for the first time in 74 years.
Yoon had called the office a "symbol of absolute power," and said it would be used as a public park and cultural space. (Reuters)
May
Finnish Parliament's defence committee recommends NATO membership
Written by Nur Yasmin
Joining NATO is the best option for Finland to guarantee its national security, the Finnish Parliament's defence committee said on Tuesday, ahead of Finland's official decision on whether or not to join the Western defence union in the coming days.
Finland's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would significantly increase the deterrent for becoming a target of Russia's aggression, the defence committee concluded in a statement.
Finland, which shares a 1,300 km (810 mile) border and a difficult past with neighbouring Russia, is reconsidering its long-standing position to refrain from joining NATO in order to maintain friendly relations with its eastern neighbour. read more
Finland's President Sauli Niinisto is expected to announce on Thursday his stance on joining NATO, a move that would mean a major shift of security policy for the Nordic country in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Parliament's defence committee provided its view on the matter in response to the government's white paper update of its foreign and security policy. read more
"Membership in NATO is the best solution for Finland's security. It strengthens Finland's national defence capability with the support of the union's significant military resources," the committee's chairman and main opposition leader Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition party said. (Reuters)