ASEAN haze meeting ends on ‘disappointing, bewildering’ note (Today, 4 May 2016)
ASEAN haze meeting ends on ‘disappointing, bewildering’ note (Today, 4 May 2016) A meeting of five Association of South-east Asian (ASEAN) nations in Singapore on Wednesday (May 4) to discuss transboundary haze pollution ended on an unexpected note, when a senior Indonesian official declined to take questions at a media conference after the meeting, saying there…
Read MoreNon-trade issues at WTO, lack of legal experts worry India (The Hindu, 3 May 2016)
Non-trade issues at WTO, lack of legal experts worry India (The Hindu, 3 May 2016) Developing nations, including India, are facing a double disadvantage at the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), according to Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia said these nations are challenged not only by the lack of a sufficient pool of…
Read MoreASEAN focuses on removal of non-tariff barriers in 4 sectors (The Star, 5 May 2016)
ASEAN focuses on removal of non-tariff barriers in 4 sectors (The Star, 5 May 2016) ASEAN will focus on the removal of non-tariff barriers in four sectors this year, Asean Business Advisory Council Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Munir Majid has said. He identified the sectors as agrifood, healthcare, logistics and retail, including e-commerce. “We are…
Read MoreIndia’s different stands on South China Sea lead to confusion (Economic Times, 4 May 2016)
India’s different stands on South China Sea lead to confusion (Economic Times, 4 May 2016) On April 18, foreign ministers of India, China and Russia stated after an RIC meeting in Moscow that “Russia, India and China are committed to maintaining a legal order for the seas and oceans based on the principles of international law,…
Read MoreWest Papua: UN must supervise vote on independence, says coalition (The Guardian, 3 May 2016)
West Papua: UN must supervise vote on independence, says coalition (The Guardian, 3 May 2016) In a meeting in London on 3 May, the West Papuan independence leader, Benny Wenda, joined parliamentarians, lawyers and humanitarians from the UK and the Pacific region to demand the United Nations pass a resolution for an independence referendum, in…
Read MoreTimor-Leste tests the waters of UN law in maritime dispute with Australia (Channel News Asia, 23 April 2016)
Timor-Leste tests the waters of UN law in maritime dispute with Australia (Channel News Asia, 23 April 2016) Amid the tension of other ongoing maritime disputes in the region, particularly over the South China Sea, Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister Hernani Coelho told Channel News Asia that this test of international maritime law would set an interesting…
Read MoreASEAN Commission to release report on women’s rights, gender equality (Jakarta Post, 29 April 2016)
ASEAN Commission to release report on women’s rights, gender equality (Jakarta Post, 29 April 2016) The ASEAN Commission on Women and Children ( ACWC ) plans to release a report on women’s rights and gender equality this June, examining the progress and disparities experienced by Southeast Asian women in politics, education, health and the community.…
Read MoreThailand: UN human rights chief concerned over growing military role in Government (UN News, 22 April 2016)
Thailand: UN human rights chief concerned over growing military role in Government (UN News, 22 April 2016) The United Nations human rights chief has expressed growing concern about the military’s deepening role in Thailand’s civilian administration, as well as tight curbs on dissent, as the country prepares to vote on a final draft Constitution. “An…
Read MoreUnderestimating the economic power of ASEAN would be a mistake (The Nation, 30 March 2016)
Underestimating the economic power of ASEAN would be a mistake (The Nation, 30 March 2016) To underestimate the region, however, would be a mistake. The GDP of its ten members now totals more than $2.5 trillion – about 25 per cent more than India’s. If ASEAN were one economy, and current growth trends continue, it could be…
Read MoreUS Upgrades Economic Ties With ASEAN Amid China’s Growing Influence (The Diplomat, 30 March 2016)
US Upgrades Economic Ties With ASEAN Amid China’s Growing Influence (The Diplomat, 30 March 2016) ASEAN has become the strategic focus in the U.S. “rebalance to Asia” strategy. China enjoys comparative advantages in historic, geographic, and geo-economic terms, and has been ASEAN’s largest trading partner for six consecutive years since the bilateral free trade agreement…
Read MoreChina’s actions in South China Sea far bigger than other claimants, says US official (Straits Times, 30 March 2016)
China’s actions in South China Sea far bigger than other claimants, says US official (Straits Times, 30 March 2016) China’s campaign of land reclamation and military construction on features in disputed waters of the South China Sea “vastly outstrips what all other claimants have done over the past several decades”, a senior US official has…
Read MoreIndonesia and Malaysia protest ‘trespass’ of Chinese boats (Asian Correspondent, 30 March 2016)
Indonesia and Malaysia protest ‘trespass’ of Chinese boats (Asian Correspondent, 30 March 2016) Indonesia has demanded that the Chinese government explain the “encroachment” of its coast guard vessel, claiming that it had interfered with Indonesia’s seizing of a Chinese boat that was fishing illegally in its waters. According to the Jakarta Post, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno…
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