AsiaWatch - 9 Oct 2020
Anwar takes the next step in ouster of PM; Indonesian protests new labour law; Latest Rohingya crisis reports plight of 130,000 in Rakhine state
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim at a news conference on 23 Sep. Photo credit: Reuters
Good morning.
Malaysia’s Anwar announces the next step in his bid to oust PM Muhyiddin, seeking to convince the King that the opposition has sufficient majority to unseat the PM. Indonesia’s protests erupt following the rushed labour bill. A report from Human Rights Watch says about 130,000 Rohingya live under ‘squalid and abusive’ conditions. In today’s slightly different Tea Time, we look at cybersecurity in Asia.
Today in Asia
(7 min read)
Malaysia's Anwar says he will meet king Tuesday in bid to oust PM
Malaysia's parliamentary opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says he will meet the country's king next Tuesday to prove he has the support of a majority of lawmakers, doubling down on his attempt to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
Protests intensify in Indonesia over contentious omnibus bill
Police and protesters clashed in Jakarta on Thursday on the third day of demonstrations across Indonesia against the contentious "job creation" omnibus bill.
Cambodia Says Naval Base Open For All, Not Just China
A slew of claims and counterclaims followed, amid ongoing speculation that China had signed a secret agreement giving it access to Ream Naval Base, through a deal struck with Defense Minister Tea Banh.
‘Scorched Earth’: Vietnam Arrests Leading Dissident Activist and Blogger
Vietnam arrested a prominent dissident journalist and human rights activist, just hours after holding its annual human rights dialogue with the United States.
Rohingya living in ‘open prison’ in Myanmar: Human Rights Watch
Approximately 130,000 Rohingya Muslims remain in refugee camps in Myanmar’s conflict-torn Rakhine state in “squalid and abusive” conditions.
China Brazenly Issues Taiwan Guidelines for Indian Media
Demanding that it “stick to Indian government’s position on Taiwan question and do not violate the One-China principle,” the letter went on to add – astonishingly enough – “Taiwan shall not be referred to as a ‘country(nation)’ or ‘Republic ofChina’ or the leader of China’s Taiwan region as ‘President.'”
Japan to launch 3 electronic warfare units in East China Sea
Japan will establish three electronic defense units on islands facing the East China Sea by March 2022, bolstering the country's ability to monitor and respond to Chinese military activity in the waters.
With Suga's full-court press, optimism grows that Tokyo will hold Games
Aggressive lobbying by Japanese premier Yoshihide Suga has bolstered expectations within the government that the Olympic Games will go ahead next year, multiple insiders said, marking a sharp turnaround from just a few months ago.
S. Korea voices criticism over Japan's call for removal of comfort woman statue in Berlin
The comfort woman statue in Berlin (Yonhap) South Korea voiced criticism Thursday over Japan's call for the removal of a statue erected in Germany of a girl symbolizing Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery, calling it an act that goes against the spirit of its own apology.
Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US reaffirm commitment to alliance
During the upcoming meeting, the two defense chiefs will discuss various pending security issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul, the ministry said.
India and France Partner for Expedition to Venus
The recently announced partnership between India and France on the Venus mission comes against the backdrop of a long-standing and robust cooperation between the ISRO and CNES.
India: UNSC should not be misused with ‘retaliatory intent’ to name innocent civilians as terrorists
India made the comments referring to Pakistan’s failed attempt to get four Indian nationals listed under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.
COVID-19 Quick Look
Military officials secure a checkpoint in Manila. Photo credit: Flickr/ILO Asia-Pacific
Hong Kong mulls mandatory tests after infections surge over the past two weeks. Thailand delays hosting first foreign tourists since Apr 2020, while launching a new visa programme for extended-stay visas for Hong Kong and Macau. The Philippines report a slight downturn in new cases, but warned against complacency. In Indonesia, observers say that pandemic surveillance “remains lacking”, as clusters emerge in Java.
Opinion
We share what experts and insiders are saying about key issues in Asia.
Commentary: Indonesia’s clean energy ambitions hit fresh obstacles
The government needs to pay attention to alternative forms of finance for renewable energy development to ensure that the projects would complement rather than compete with existing land uses and livelihood strategies.
‘Duterte legacy hinges on COVID recovery’
Amid the record-high performance and trust ratings of President Duterte in the latest Pulse Asia survey, a political analyst said the President’s popularity may soon hinge on the country’s economic recovery postpandemic and the eventual rollout of the coveted COVID-19 vaccine, hopefully by next year.
Shedding light on the limits of Chinese power
Everything about United States-China relations hinges on the result of the upcoming US presidential election.
Why America’s economic war on China is failing
By attempting to reorient world trade away from China and to the United States, the US is therefore attempting to lock other countries into subordination to its own very low growth instead of the much more rapidly growing economy of China. This will be strongly damaging for other countries’ economies.
‘This is a guy who is a thug’: how the US elite became hawks on Xi’s China
The tensions between Washington and Beijing reflect a fundamental shift in how America views the Asian superpower
China, India standoff an opportunity in crisis
All eyes will thus be on the next India-China senior commanders’ meeting on October 12, an occasion that will help to set the diplomatic tone and perhaps reach a high-level understanding ahead of Modi and Xi’s expected meeting next month in Russia.
Yoo Myung-hee: Glass ceiling-breaker aiming for WTO chief
South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, one of two women vying to be the next head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), is known at home as a glass ceiling-breaker in a still male-dominated society.
Despite shutdown, North Korea to stage huge parade
Eight months into a strict, coronavirus-triggered border shutdown, nuclear-armed North Korea is widely expected to stage an attention-grabbing display of its latest and most advanced weaponry at a mass military parade in Pyongyang on Saturday.
India Needs a Digital Lawfare Strategy to Counter China
Lawfare, a term coined by Charles Dunlap Jr., is broadly understood as the strategic deployment of international and domestic law by a state or non-state actor against an adversary.
Commentary: Why TikTok is a social media unlike anything seen before
TikTok’s recommendation system is unlike anything we have seen before. Older platforms rely solely on our active online behaviours (e.g., following, friending, subscribing, liking or clicking) to gauge our preferences. But TikTok captures even our passive and subtle behavioural patterns to teach its algorithms about us in real time, as we consume videos.
Tea Time
The humble tea leaf is one of Asia’s best known exports, best shared in the company of those who love it. With Tea Time, we take a break from politics to share the stories that give a glimpse into the lives of peoples of Asia.
Image credit: Microsoft
Cybersecurity in Asia. Something a little unusual topic-wise, something on my mind recently.
I had the opportunity to run the marketing strategy and operations for a cybersecurity firm in the recent past. Part of the work was understanding, as a layman, the task that was at hand was that of convincing companies in Asia that cybersecurity was a major concern. Until they are a victim of hackers, most companies in Asia settle for a base level of cybersecurity directed by local laws. While it’s generally improving, there’s still a lot of room to improve. Consider this:
Hackers are 80% more likely to attack organizations in Asia
$81 billion in business revenues lost to cyberattacks
Asian organizations take 1.7 times longer than the global median to discover a breach
78% of Internet users in Asia have not received any education on cybersecurity
(Source: Marsh & McLennan Companies, 2017, via Myanmar Institute of Directors)
The important statistic here is that most people in Asia — businesses and consumers — are unfortunately far less aware of the needs for personal data protection than they should be (present company included). This stems from a general lack of awareness toward cybersecurity and data protection.
Here are the implications to society in general. I’m halfway through “The Social Dilemma”, and the warnings in the drama-documentary are something that we in the technology industry have been struggling with for years. I’m glad that it’s out in the open now, so that we can talk about it, especially in Asia.
What’s come to mind for me is the fact that many people in Asia experience the Internet through the lens of this new wave of technology. With Asia’s population leap-frogging into the digital age faster than any other region, perhaps it’s time for us to address cyber-awareness more seriously. If we’re not careful, the only Internet experience that many will know is one with all the addiction with little of the mental nutrition — pretty much like raising millions of babies on fast food on day one. The danger is that we become non-chalant about the need to protect and respect our data than we should. This leads to exploitation in all forms in our digital lives, and in the 21st century, this will have more implications on our personal lives than ever. It’s something we need to have a serious discussion on, the sooner the better.