Southeast Asia

On July 24, 2016, Laos hosted a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the ASEAN member states. At the closing of the meeting, the Islamic Republic of Iran acceded to the organization. Several days later, on July 29, a meeting between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific Affairs Ibrahim Rahimpour and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was held in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

Washington’s friends in Southeast Asia, with only a few exceptions, have had a difficult time in recent years. Their favourite billionaire-politician Thaksin Shinawatra has been repeatedly ousted from politics in Thailand, Anwar Ibrahim now resides in jail in Malaysia and prospective friends in The Philippines and Indonesia appear more interested in doing business, or at least in smoothing over relations with Beijing, than investing too deeply in Washington’s various and risky regional projects.

Like all countries with rapidly growing economies, Indonesia is experiencing a serious power shortage. As the industry grows, power consumption grows with it, which means that there must be more electricity to be produced. However, this issue hasn’t been adressed properly so far in Indonesia, since the electrification of the country hasn’t been completed yet.

Just as the Western media attempted to hide the true nature of violence unfolding in Libya and Syria during the opening phases of the so-called “Arab Spring,” it is now attempting to do likewise regarding the Southeast Asian country of Thailand.

Uncharacteristically, Myanmar’s Ministry of Information-run newspaper, the Burmese-language Myanma Alinn Daily, levelled commentary toward neighbouring Thailand. It is uncharacteristic, because until of late, the paper and the Ministry of Information itself has generally refrained from commenting on the politics of other nations.

Thailand faces an upcoming referendum regarding a new national charter meant to put the country back on track after over a decade of political conflict revolving around US-backed proxy Thaksin Shinawatra. Shinawatra and his foreign sponsors have increased pressure on the Thai government as the vote in early August nears. 

As the US loses ground in Asia, between its failure to coerce states to adopt its Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, and its inability to garner greater support for its manufactured crisis in the South China Sea, it has doubled down on efforts to undermine and replace governments in the region it perceives as obstructive to its regional “primacy.” 

The world news was all abuzz over The Hague tribunal’s unanimous ruling in favor of the Philippines in rejecting all of China’s far reaching claims over the South China Sea. It seems that Marco Polo’s historic testimony of his travels with the huge Chinese trade fleets throughout the South China Sea and beyond was airbrushed from history with The Hague’s ruling of “no historical title” over the waters.

At the end of this June, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration has finally appointed the date when the ruling in the suit filed by the Philippines will be announced. Ultimately, the Philippines questions the legitimacy of China’s claims of islands and reefs within about 90 percent of the South China Sea. The ruling that is expected to shatter China’s “historical claim” should be made public on July 12, 2016.

The recent referendum on Britain’s exit from the EU has caused concern around the world, including the countries of Southeast Asia. This is not surprising, given the high level of their integration into the world economy, which was stirred up by the results of the last vote.