Professor Surya Subedi appointed as an Honorary Queen’s Counsel by Her Majesty, the Queen of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty, the Queen of the United Kingdom, has appointed Professor Surya Subedi as an Honorary Queen’s Counsel (QC) in recognition of his contribution to the development of international law and to the advancement of human rights. The announcement was made on 13 January 2017 by the British Government in London. Professor Subedi is the…
Read MoreASEAN a ‘more open market’ than EU, US: World Economic Forum (Channel News Asia, 1 December 2016)
ASEAN a ‘more open market’ than EU, US: World Economic Forum (Channel News Asia, 1 December 2016) ASEAN, the 10-state Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a more open market for international trade than either the European Union or the United States, according to a World Economic Forum report released on Wednesday (Nov 30). The…
Read MoreEU blames China for WTO environmental trade talks collapse (Channel News Asia, 5 December 2016)
EU blames China for WTO environmental trade talks collapse (Channel News Asia, 5 December 2016) Europe’s trade negotiator Cecilia Malmstrom has blamed China on Sunday for scuppering a global environmental trade deal by submitting impossible late demands at World Trade Organization talks aimed at scrapping import tariffs on exports worth more than US$1 trillion. “China…
Read MoreChina urges US to abide by WTO anti-dumping agreement (Channel News Asia, 2 December 2016)
China urges US to abide by WTO anti-dumping agreement (Channel News Asia, 2 December 2016) When China joined the WTO in 2001, it agreed to let WTO members treat it as a non-market economy when assessing dumping duties for 15 years. That gave trade partners the advantage of using a third country’s prices to gauge…
Read MoreMalaysia: Myanmar pursues ethnic cleansing of Rohingya (Al Jazeera, 4 December 2016)
Malaysia: Myanmar pursues ethnic cleansing of Rohingya (Al Jazeera, 4 December 2016) Malaysia has accused Myanmar of engaging in “ethnic cleansing” of its Rohingya Muslim minority, as former UN chief Kofi Annan visits a burned-out village in violence-hit Rakhine state. Tens of thousands of Muslim Rohingya have fled their homes since a bloody crackdown by…
Read MoreVivian reiterates S’pore’s firm belief in ASEAN integration (Business Times, 30 November 2016)
Vivian reiterates S’pore’s firm belief in ASEAN integration (Business Times, 30 November 2016) Speaking to some 350 guests at the Straits Times Global Outlook Forum event at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia hotel, Dr Balakrishnan urged ASEAN to stay united in the face of global challenges. He stressed that Singapore is a “staunch believer” in the need…
Read MoreCambodian court upholds life sentences for Khmer Rouge leaders (Guardian, 23 November 2016)
Cambodian court upholds life sentences for Khmer Rouge leaders (Guardian, 23 November 2016) Cambodia’s UN-backed court upheld life sentences for two top former Khmer Rouge leaders on Wednesday for crimes against humanity, delivering a blow to their hopes of release as they face a second trial for genocide. “Brother Number Two” Nuon Chea, 90, and ex-head of…
Read MoreASEAN legal website set to launch (Bangkok Post, 23 October 2016)
ASEAN legal website set to launch (Bangkok Post, 23 October 2016) An online legal site offering information about the laws and regulations of the ASEAN member countries will be launched with free access early next year, Office of the Judiciary deputy secretary-general Sarawut Benjakul said. The site, which will be launched in all 10 countries,…
Read MoreThe Philippines, China, the U.S., and ASEAN in 2017 (Asia Foundation, 19 October 2016)
The Philippines, China, the U.S., and ASEAN in 2017 (Asia Foundation, 19 October 2016) The Philippines will serve as ASEAN Chair in 2017, at which time ASEAN will mark its 50th anniversary. Having successfully served as host of APEC in 2015, the country has demonstrated that facilitating massive, significant international events is well within its…
Read MoreWhat the China Trade Warriors Get Wrong (WSJ, 26 October 2016)
What the China Trade Warriors Get Wrong (WSJ, 26 October 2016) After three intense presidential debates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump managed to agree on at least one thing: The Trans-Pacific Partnership is bad for America, in part because many trade deals have supposedly caused trade deficits. Unfortunately, they’re both wrong. The country would be better…
Read MoreVietnam’s reluctance to ratify the TPP is bad news for Washington (Nikkei Asia, 27 October 2016)
Vietnam’s reluctance to ratify the TPP is bad news for Washington (Nikkei Asia, 27 October 2016) Vietnam’s decision to hold off ratifying the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a further blow to the beleaguered trade pact and a setback for American economic ambitions in Asia. The 12-nation TPP is aimed at liberalizing trade and investment in the…
Read MoreAs 3 African Nations Vow to Exit, International Court Faces Its Own Trial (NYT, 26 October 2016)
As 3 African Nations Vow to Exit, International Court Faces Its Own Trial (NYT, 26 October 2016) The International Criminal Court has begun investigating war crimes in Georgia, is looking into British soldiers accused of torture in Iraq and, in one of its most politically delicate missions yet, sent a team to Israel to discuss crimes…
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