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  • Xi’s France Visit Met with Protest, Tibet, Xinjiang Rights in Focus

    Xi’s France Visit Met with Protest, Tibet, Xinjiang Rights in Focus

    Activists advocating for Tibet and Xinjiang, regions where the United Nations has raised concerns about potential crimes against humanity, were also present on the streets of the capital….reports Asian Lite News

    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in France, Paris on Sunday witnessed a display of activism as campaigners for Tibet and Xinjiang gathered to highlight concerns over human rights abuses in these regions.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping is on his first journey to Europe in half a decade, with the visit expected to revolve around Russia’s war in Ukraine and economic tensions between Beijing and Brussels. His itinerary commences in France, where he is scheduled to engage in discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday in Paris, before proceeding to the Pyrenees region, Al Jazeera reported.

    Following his time in France, Xi will journey to Serbia and Hungary, nations that have preserved strong connections with Russia despite its extensive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

    Chinese state media reported on Xi’s arrival in Paris, depicting streets adorned with both Chinese and French flags and groups of Chinese nationals welcoming their president. However, amidst the festive atmosphere, campaigners for Tibet and Xinjiang, where the United Nations has raised concerns about potential crimes against humanity, also took to the streets of the capital.

    Activists advocating for Tibet and Xinjiang, regions where the United Nations has raised concerns about potential crimes against humanity, were also present on the streets of the capital.

    The European Union’s imposition of targeted sanctions on certain Chinese officials and companies over the situation in Xinjiang in March 2021 elicited strong reactions from Beijing.

    Human Rights Watch urged French President Macron to publicly address these issues during Xi’s visit to Paris, calling for the release of individuals arbitrarily detained, including Ilham Tohti, an Uyghur economist and recipient of the Sakharov Prize.

    The organisation emphasised that Macron should also raise concerns about Tibet and Hong Kong, highlighting the repression faced by Tibetan children in boarding schools and the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong due to draconian security laws.

    “President Macron should make it clear to Xi Jinping that Beijing’s crimes against humanity come with consequences for China’s relations with France,” Maya Wang, the acting China director at Human Rights Watch said in a statement. “France’s silence and inaction on human rights would only embolden the Chinese government’s sense of impunity for its abuses, further fuelling repression at home and abroad.”

    In a meeting at the Elysee Palace on April 30, Macron was pictured with Penpa Tsering, the president of the Tibetan government-in-exile, who urged him not to forget Tibet. The agenda between the two presidents was expected to address various international crises, but advocates stressed the importance of including discussions on human rights issues.

    “We understand that the agenda between the two presidents will be dense given the many international crises such as in Ukraine and in the Middle East, but this must not be done at the expense of exchanges on human rights, which are in a deplorable state throughout the country as well as in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, where a latent conflict has been going on for over 60 years and poses a threat to regional and international security,” Vincent Metten, the EU policy director for the International Campaign for Tibet said in a statement, as reported by Al Jazeera.

    Freedom House’s 2024 report on Freedom in the World revealed Tibet’s dismal score of zero out of 100, indicating a severe decline in freedoms over the past eight years.

    Maryse Artiguelong, the vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), said: “The conflict in Ukraine highlights the threat posed to international order and security by authoritarian regimes such as Russia and the People’s Republic of China. Their aggressive foreign policies and repressive domestic policies are inextricably linked: Anyone who does not oppose China’s human rights violations risks one day facing its aggressive foreign policy.”

    France has emphasized that the conflicts in Ukraine and other regions, including Beijing’s neutral stance on Ukraine but failure to condemn Moscow’s invasion, will be significant topics of discussion during the talks, Al Jazeera reported.

    Macron, known for his assertive stance on European security, will urge Xi to exert influence on Russian President Putin regarding the situation in Ukraine.

    To underscore European unity, von der Leyen will participate in Monday’s discussions, scheduled to commence shortly after 11 am (09:00 GMT). Besides the Ukraine conflict, Europe is troubled by Chinese commercial activities, prompting an inquiry into China’s subsidies for electric vehicle makers amid worries about unfair competition and adverse effects on European firms.

    Prior to Xi’s departure last week, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Beijing was ready to “work with France and the EU to take this meeting as an opportunity to make the China-EU relations more strategic, stable, constructive and mutually beneficial, promote steady and sustained progress in China-EU relations, and contribute to the prosperity of both China and Europe and a peaceful world.”

    Following his visit to France, Xi will travel to Serbia, arriving in Belgrade on the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy. He will engage in discussions with President Aleksandar Vucic. The bombing occurred during the NATO air campaign against Serb forces in Kosovo, resulting in three casualties and sparking outrage in China.

    Despite not being an EU member, Serbia has attracted substantial investment from China, which is now its largest single source of investment. Ahead of the trip, Lin, the MOFA spokesperson, described the relationship between the two countries as “ironclad,” according to Al Jazeera.

    “The bombing remains a significant topic for Chinese officials, who use it to support narratives that question the values of liberal democracies,” Stefan Vladisavljev, programme director at Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society wrote in an online analysis, adding, “For Serbia, the visit presents an opportunity to strengthen its position as China’s main partner in the Western Balkans.”

    Xi will proceed to Budapest on May 8, marking the conclusion of his Europe trip. There, he will hold talks with Hungarian President Viktor Orban, known for his close ties with Russia within the EU.

    Hungary’s policies, which have drawn concern from other EU members, have seen the country aligning more closely with Beijing and Moscow. Recently, Hungary signed a security cooperation agreement with China permitting Chinese police officers to operate in areas with significant ethnic Chinese populations or popular Chinese tourist destinations. This move has sparked apprehension, particularly among exiles and dissidents elsewhere in Europe.

    Additionally, Hungary is a member in China’s Belt and Road Initiative since 2015. Discussions between Xi and Orban are expected to cover topics such as the ongoing construction of a high-speed rail link between Budapest and Belgrade, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)

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  • Return the ASEAN Sea to Southeast Asia

    Return the ASEAN Sea to Southeast Asia

    Geographically, the nomenclature ‘South China Sea’ makes no sense, as the territories comprising South China are not fronting the waters of that important waterway, writes Prof. Madhav Das Nalapat

    In its relentless effort to ignore international law and expand its boundaries, the CCP (or Chinese Communist Party, as the organisation prefers to be known) uses any excuse that it can either locate or invent to justify such aggression. Sometime in the past, almost certainly as a consequence of other countries going by maps originating from within China, what ought to be known as the ASEAN Sea was named the South China Sea.

    Geographically, such a characterisation makes no sense, as the territories comprising South China are not fronting the waters of that important waterway. Instead, it is countries comprising ASEAN that front its waters, which is why the term “ASEAN Sea” ought to be adopted by cartographers in place of “South China Sea”. Given the wariness that members of ASEAN barring the Philippines deal with CCP expansionism, it comes as no surprise that even that group of countries avoids the suggestion that the so-called “South China Sea” be more accurately renamed as the ASEAN Sea.

    In fact, such a shift would be entirely consistent both with the facts as also with international law. Whenever the CCP talks of “upholding international law”, what that means in practice is the PRC doing whatever the CCP decides is in its interest, and ignoring any other consideration, including international law. After the Philippines succeeded in getting a verdict from the relevant international body that a swathe of ocean and island space was within its territorial rights, that judgment was swept aside by Beijing as being of no consequence. It is unfortunate that in effect, not just other members of ASEAN but the broader international community ignored the manner in which the PRC was trampling on international law in the matter.

    In effecting a change in nomenclature of the nature suggested above, it is the US that ought to take the lead, and perhaps the day is not far off when the House of Representatives and the Senate votes affirmatively in favouring of giving the ASEAN Sea its correct name, and sends the legislation up to the President of the US for his signature. At the very least, such a move would draw more attention by major powers of the need to roll back the manner in which the PLA has sought to establish a chokehold over the ASEAN Sea. Should there be any blockage of commerce in that waterway by the PRC military, the same would constitute a hostile act towards the international community. It would need to be met with countervailing force so as to ensure that the waters of the sea remain open to all countries, including of course the PRC.

    It needs to be said that in its response to the ongoing Cold War 2.0 with CCP-controlled China, the US establishment has been hesitant, almost timid, in a manner that is the opposite of its approach towards Cold War 1.0 with the USSR. The recent passage by the US Congress of legislation involving Tibet is an indication that such timidness may finally get replaced with an approach essential not to lose but to prevail in the new Cold War, just as took place in the previous Cold War. The CCP has taken away two-thirds of the territory of Tibet and affixed it to provinces in China. Hence the international community needs to ensure that maps produced within major democracies reflect the correct boundaries of Tibet rather than what the CCP claims to be the boundary of what it ironically terms the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

    What is meant by the use of the term “autonomous” is that the region is governed autonomously from the Tibetan people. Indeed, the demographics of the whole of Tibet have been altered in a transparent effort to ensure that the Tibetan population gets reduced to a smaller and smaller minority in their own land, exactly as is happening in other parts of the PRC where ethnic minorities once formed the majority of the population. Mahatma Gandhi advised the British people to open their island to Hitler rather than resist him, for, in his view, Soul Force would ensure that the dictator of Germany during 1933-45 would undergo a conversion in his approach to humanity, and rediscover the humanity in himself.

    Where Tibet is concerned, the gentle approach of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet, since the exile of His Holiness in 1959, has been met not by reciprocity from the CCP but in a steady erosion of the territory, traditions and the very identity of Tibet. The flame of the ancient and wondrous culture of Tibet has however been continuing to give its light in Dharamshala, where His Holiness has been residing since 1959, a flame that is to the benefit of human civilisation. The CCP has insisted that His Holiness acknowledge the new, much diminished boundaries of Tibet before holding talks, a condition that it knows would be impossible for the Dalai Lama to accept.

    Beijing, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at the New Year gathering held by the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 31, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Peng/IANS)

    President Biden will need to sign into law the legislation on Tibet that has been passed in the US House of Representatives a short while ago, assuming the Senate stands by the Tibetan people in the way the House of Representatives have. Both the Senate and the White House are on test in the matter, and countries that are alarmed by PRC expansionism are looking to see whether Washington has the same resolve in the new, and deadlier, Cold War as was shown in the previous contest with the USSR.

    People in the PRC have seen the way in which the economic situation has been worsening as a consequence of the aftershocks generated by the international and domestic aftershocks caused by the numerous acts of expansionism and other forms of aggression by the CCP leadership. Such aggression is entirely contrary to the innate culture of the Chinese people, yet so far, lack of resolve on the part of the US in particular has allowed the CCP free rein. Cold War 2.0 with the PRC requires even more of the same commitment and strength of will that was needed to win Cold War 1.0 with the Soviet Union. Giving the ASEAN Sea its rightful name would be a good way to strengthen the process of resisting rather than indulging CCP expansionism and contempt for international law.

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  • Myanmar Grants Amnesty to 3,000 Prisoners for New Year

    Myanmar Grants Amnesty to 3,000 Prisoners for New Year


    Included in the released group were 3,303 citizens of Myanmar and 36 individuals from other countries, comprising 13 Indonesians and 15 Sri Lankans….reports Asian Lite news

    Myanmar’s State Administration Council granted amnesty to more than 3,000 prisoners on Wednesday, the first day of the traditional Myanmar New Year.

    Among them were 3,303 Myanmar nationals and 36 foreign prisoners, including 13 Indonesian nationals and 15 Sri Lankan nationals, the council said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

    The amnesty is to mark Myanmar’s traditional New Year’s Day, bringing joy to the people and looking forward to positive relations with respective countries, while addressing humanitarian concerns, it added.

    In a separate pardon order, the council reduced the sentences by one-sixth for some prisoners jailed across the Southeast Asian country.

    It’s a customary practice for Myanmar to pardon prisoners annually to celebrate its traditional new year.

    Last year, more than 3,000 prisoners were released on Myanmar’s traditional New Year’s Day.

    ALSO READ: India Urges Immediate Evacuation from Myanmar’s Rakhine State

  • India Urges Immediate Evacuation from Myanmar’s Rakhine State

    India Urges Immediate Evacuation from Myanmar’s Rakhine State

    The MEA spokesperson said that there is a lot of fighting happening there, underscoring that the security situation is not conducive at all in Rakhine State….reports Asian Lite News

    Amid the deteriorating security situation in the Rakhine state of Myanmar, the Ministry of External Affairs said that it has told all the Indians to evacuate and move away from there.

    “We had issued an advisory for the Rakhine State, where the situation there is very delicate, the security situation has deteriorated. We told all Indian nationals to evacuate themselves and move away from there and we also told our nationals who are there or otherwise from anywhere else not to travel to that part,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a media briefing on Friday.

    “The situation in Myanmar remains a cause of concern because of the deterioration in the security situation,” he said.

    The MEA spokesperson said that there is a lot of fighting happening there, underscoring that the security situation is not conducive at all in Rakhine State.

    Asserting that India wants peace and stability in Myanmar, Jaiswal asserted by saying, “There is a lot of fighting happening there, and the security situation is not conducive, but we call upon all sides.”

    “We want peace and stability in the country, we want constructive dialogue in the country, and we want inclusive federal democracy to be established through dialogue and through constructive engagement…” he went on to say.

    In February, India issued an advisory for Indian citizens, advising them not to travel to the Rakhine state of Myanmar amid a deteriorating security situation.

    The Ministry of External Affairs cited the deteriorating security situation, disruption of means of telecommunications, including landlines, and severe scarcity of essential commodities in Rakhine State.

    “In view of the deteriorating security situation, disruption of means of telecommunications, including landlines, and severe scarcity of essential commodities, all Indian citizens are advised not to travel to the Rakhine State of Myanmar,” the MEA advisory had stated.

    It also advised the Indian citizens who are in Rakhine State to leave the state immediately.

    Notably, a fresh uptick was noticed in incidents of violence in Myanmar recently. This came after three ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive last October, capturing some towns and military posts. The experts called it the ‘biggest test’ for junta since taking power in 2021.

    This also led to a huge influx of people from Myanmar into the state of Mizoram along the Indo-Myanmar border after the Myanmar army launched airstrikes in the bordering areas.

    Myanmar marked the third anniversary of the military coup on February 1, where the military seized power in a coup three years ago. (ANI)

    ALSO READ: Martial Law Imposed in Eastern Myanmar Townships

  • Martial Law Imposed in Eastern Myanmar Townships

    Martial Law Imposed in Eastern Myanmar Townships

    According to the media report, the council said on Wednesday in its order statement that the martial law was imposed to ensure security…reports Asian Lite News

    Myanmar’s State Administration Council imposed martial law in Momeik and Mabein townships in Shan state of eastern Myanmar, media reported.

    According to the media report, the council said on Wednesday in its order statement that the martial law was imposed to ensure security, uphold the rule of law, and maintain peace and stability in the region, Xinhua news agency reported.

    Subsequently, in its separate order, the council granted administrative and judicial power for the townships to the commander of the northern command to effectively carry out the works on security, law enforcement, and peace and stability of the region, the report added.

    Myanmar has remained under a state of emergency, which was initially declared in February 2021 for one year and subsequently extended five times, each for six months, until end of July this year.

    ALSO READ: MHA scraps Free Movement Regime with Myanmar

  • Prabowo Subianto claims victory in Indonesian polls

    Prabowo Subianto claims victory in Indonesian polls

    Despite no official declaration, Subianto holds a significant lead in preliminary tallies, positioning himself to lead the world’s third-largest democracy….reports Asian Lite News

    Indonesia’s Defence Minister, Prabowo Subianto, claims victory in presidential election based on unofficial counts, sparking controversy. His opponents remain defiant, refusing to concede defeat.

    Despite no official declaration, Subianto holds a significant lead in preliminary tallies, positioning himself to lead the world’s third-largest democracy.

    However, his candidacy evokes memories of Indonesia’s authoritarian past, with allegations linking him to human rights abuses during his military tenure.

    Despite controversies, Subianto aligns himself with the current popular President Joko Widodo, emphasizing continuity.

    Criticisms persist regarding his military record, including accusations of kidnappings and human rights violations. Unofficial tallies suggest Subianto secured a substantial majority, raising concerns among his detractors.

    Prabowo’s running mate, 36-year-old Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is also considered a “controversial” candidate, as per Al Jazeera.

    Prabowo is the head of Gerindra, a nationalist, right-wing populist political party, and has the backing of a coalition of other parties including Golkar and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

    Although Prabowo and Gibran do not have Jokowi’s explicit endorsement, as the incumbent president is supposed to remain neutral, they are seen as the “continuity” candidates.

    Prabowo has also said he plans to build three million new homes in rural, coastal and urban areas, and launch a free lunch programme for schoolchildren in a policy designed to combat stunting.

    Meanwhile, Indonesians’ main concern continues to remain the cost of living and being able to provide for themselves and their families.

    Economic growth slowed to 5.05 per cent in 2023 compared with 5.3 per cent the year before, mostly as a result of weak exports and lower commodity prices, Al Jazeera reported citing Statistics Indonesia.

    With people under 40 making up about half the total number of registered voters, employment is a key concern.

    According to Statistics Indonesia, the unemployment rate in August 2023 was 5.32 percent and the average monthly wage across Indonesia was 3.18 million rupiahs (USD 203).

    As per Al Jazeera, other issues include human rights and democratic decline in Indonesia, with student protests flaring across university campuses in recent weeks as staff and students at some of Indonesia’s largest and most prominent universities including Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta and Universitas Indonesia have spoken out about the need for fair and transparent elections.

    The process at the polling stations was overseen by about seven million election officials and independent workers.

    In a stark fact, more than 890 election workers died following the exhaustive polls in 2019.

    There are more than 8,20,000 polling stations across Indonesia, an archipelago made up of some 17,000 islands, and the count starts as soon as voting closes.

    Many polling stations used a “quick count” – based on a sampling method – to give an early indication of where things are headed.

    Any legal complaints by any of the candidates involved, including the three sets of presidential and vice presidential hopefuls, will need to be filed within 35 days of the election.

    On his previous two outings, Prabowo challenged the result through Indonesia’s Constitutional Court.

    Among the voters, about 52 per cent of registered voters are under the age of 40, and about a third of the total are under the age of 30, making the “youth vote” an important one.

    This year, 49.91 per cent of registered voters are male and 50.09 per cent are female.

    Members of the Indonesian police and the military were banned from voting.

    Presidential candidates need 50 per cent of the overall vote and at least 20 per cent of votes in each province in order to claim victory. Political parties need four per cent of the vote in order to enter parliament.

    If no single candidate passes the 50 per cent threshold, the top two candidate pairs will go into a second and final round on June 26. The new president will take oath in October.

    ALSO READ: ASEAN Invites India Back to RCEP

  • ASEAN Invites India Back to RCEP

    ASEAN Invites India Back to RCEP

    ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn is leading the ASEAN Secretariat delegation on a working visit to India….reports Asian Lite News

    The door for India to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) remains open, said ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on Wednesday, expressing hope that New Delhi will reconsider its participation in the world’s largest trade deal.

    When asked whether ASEAN sees any willingness on India’s part to reconsider the trade deal, the ASEAN Secretary General enunciated that he does not think there is an absolute no from the Indian side on the matter and that the two sides would continue to engage with each other.

    ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn is leading the ASEAN Secretariat delegation on a working visit to India.

    In an interview with ANI, the secretary general shared the progress of RCEP and the discussion with India on this matter.

    Signed in 2020, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is a free trade agreement among the Asia-Pacific nations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

    India, which took part in the initial negotiations, later decided to opt out.

    “…The door remains open (for India) and we believe that there’s an opportunity to work together, of course, through bilateral FTA, between ASEAN and India on the one hand, but of course, also the opportunity to do so…And of course, we still welcome in the house and we hope India will continue to look at ourselves ourself. You know, in the long term,” Kao Kim Hourn said.

    “I don’t think that India is an absolute, no matter if it is all about flexibility. It’s about practicality. It’s about mutual interest. So I think as long as we continue to engage with one another, this engagement approach is important,” he added.

    The RCEP was conceived at the 2011 ASEAN Summit in Bali, Indonesia, while negotiations were formally launched during the 2012 ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.

    The RCEP Agreement, which entered into force on January 1, 2022, is an ASEAN-led initiative that creates the world’s largest free trade area in terms of the parties’ combined gross domestic product (GDP), which is almost a third of the world’s GDP, and the market size, as the parties’ combined population accounts for almost one-third of the world’s population.

    Moreover, RCEP comprises the ten ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand. (ANI)

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  • Indonesia gears up for crucial polls

    Indonesia gears up for crucial polls

    Along with local and parliamentary representatives, the elections on Wednesday will choose a new president and vice president….reports Asian Lite News

    Tens of thousands of supporters of Indonesia’s presidential candidates have descended onto the country’s streets, including in Jakarta and other cities, to see their last-ditch campaigns before heading to the polls in the world’s biggest single-day election, according to Al Jazeera.

    Popular former governors Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, as well as former special forces commander Prabowo Subianto–who has surged in opinion surveys with the president’s tacit support and the incumbent’s son as his running mate–are the contenders to head the third-largest democracy in the world.

    Along with local and parliamentary representatives, the elections on Wednesday will choose a new president and vice president.

    On Saturday, over 80,000 supporters of opponent Baswedan flocked to a stadium in the megalopolis of Jakarta, while about 100,000 people flocked to the main stadium in the capital city of Jakarta to demonstrate in favor of front-runner Subianto, reported Al Jazeera.

    The 72-year-old former military dictator Subianto, who serves as Indonesia’s current minister of defense, is attempting to change the perception of him as a ruthless army leader with a track record of violating human rights.

    With the backing of several other parties, Subianto, the leader of the right-wing Gerindra political party, has chosen the controversial 36-year-old Gibran Rakambuming Raka as his running mate.

    Thousands of Subianto fans gathered at a Jakarta stadium wearing his trademark light blue clothing.

    Alongside Subianto in the race is Mahfud MD, 66, a former coordinating minister for political, legal, and security matters. Both men have positioned themselves as individuals with modest backgrounds who are familiar with Indonesian culture.

    The former Jakartan governor, Baswedan, is also a contender; he is running as an independent. After receiving his schooling in the US, the 54-year-old entered academics before entering politics to serve as an education minister, reported Al Jazeera.

    The 57-year-old leader of the National Awakening Party, who leads Indonesia’s largest Muslim political party, Muhaimin Iskander, is his opponent.

    During a grand final rally on Saturday, supporters of Baswedan crowded an 82,000-seat stadium in Jakarta while reciting Islamic prayers. To guarantee a seat to view the politician, some people spent the night.

    From Sunday to election day, there will be a cooling-off period during which candidates and their running mates will attempt to become the next president of Indonesia after the outgoing leader, Joko Widodo, who has served two five-year terms and is not eligible to run again.

    While voting is not required, according to the nation’s election commission, 81 per cent of Indonesia’s 270 million citizens are registered to vote, and over 204 million of them cast ballots in 2019. There are 18 national political parties in Indonesia, and candidates are able to run for 575 parliamentary seats.

    Supporters also turned out in their tens of thousands for the final rallies of his rival candidates — former provincial governors Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo — in the battle to lead the massive, Muslim-majority nation.

    Third-time candidate Subianto, the current defense minister, is leading Baswedan and Pranowo by double digits in polls ahead of Wednesday’s vote.

    “Me, my father and mother have supported Prabowo continuously since 2014,” said Novita Agustina, a 24-year-old first-time voter who traveled four hours to see the ex-general speak.

    She lauded his work as defense minister and shrugged off rights groups’ concerns about his track record, saying criticism was “just attacks from opponents… I don’t want to hear anything bad.”

    Others praised his tenacity in running a third time for the presidency.

    The crowd at the national stadium cheered as the 72-year-old Subianto launched into a characteristically fiery address.

    “We will fight to bring prosperity for all people of Indonesia,” he said. “We will continue what was already being built by previous presidents.”

    Many Subianto supporters wore blue shirts, some emblazoned with an AI cartoon image of his face that has become synonymous with his campaign.

    Subianto has campaigned on a pledge to eradicate extreme poverty, provide free school meals to children and milk to pregnant women, and continue President Joko Widodo’s development drive. The capital’s streets were brought to a standstill by throngs of scooters and cars heading to the rallies.

    The entrances to the stadium in north Jakarta where Baswedan addressed supporters became so packed that several people fainted, according to an AFP journalist there. Many had camped overnight for the event.

    “We want to witness change,” said Endang Pujiati, a retired school teacher who drove hours to attend Baswedan’s rally. “Anies is a trustworthy person, that’s why he could be a good leader.”

    Pranowo was holding two events on Saturday in the cities of Semarang and Surakarta, Central Java province, which he used to govern.

    More than 204 million Indonesians will choose their next president, parliamentarians and thousands of local officials on February 14.

    They will cast their ballots at more than 800,000 polling booths across the volcano-dotted archipelago. After Saturday’s rallies the candidates will observe three quiet campaign days before the vote.

    ALSO READ: ASEAN Secy-General Due In India

  • ASEAN Secy-General Due In India

    ASEAN Secy-General Due In India

    This will be the first official visit by Kao to India since assuming charge in January 2023…reports Asian Lite News

    Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, will be on an official visit to India from February 11 to 15, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

    This will be the first official visit by Kao to India since assuming charge in January 2023.

    During the visit, Secretary-General of ASEAN is scheduled to have meetings with the External Affairs Minister and other dignitaries in Delhi. He will deliver the Sapru House Lecture organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) on the theme “The ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the Evolving Regional Architecture,” MEA also said.

    At the invitation of the Government of India, Secretary-General of ASEAN will visit the Mahabodhi Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Gaya.

    He is scheduled to deliver an address on “The Future of ASEAN: ASEAN’s Relevance and Resilience in the Evolving Strategic Environment” at the Nalanda University in Rajgir.

    Students from ASEAN Member States pursue higher education at the University under ASEAN-India cooperation projects. The Nalanda University also leads the ASEAN-India Network of Universities (AINU), it added.

    Engagement with ASEAN is an important pillar of India’s Act East Policy, which has entered into its 10th year in 2024, as well as its vision for the wider Indo-Pacific. In 2022, the ASEAN-India relations were elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. India firmly supports ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

    India also supports the priorities set by Lao PDR in its ASEAN Chairmanship for the year 2024 under the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Conectivity and Resilience,” the MEA release concluded. (ANI)

    ALSO READ: India, ASEAN Launch Five-Day Millets Festival

  • MHA scraps Free Movement Regime with Myanmar

    MHA scraps Free Movement Regime with Myanmar

    This comes just two days after the Home Minister’s statement that the government has chosen to erect a fence along the entire 1643-kilometer India-Myanmar border….reports Asian Lite News

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced for “immediate suspension of Free Movement Regime (FMR)” between India and Myanmar to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern states bordering Myanmar.

    “Since the Ministry of External Affairs is currently in the process of scrapping it, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR,” Shah said.

    The Home Minister in a post on X, made the announcement, saying that the aim of abolishing the FMR between India and Myanmar is to safeguard the internal security of the nation and preserve the demographic composition of India’s North Eastern states that share borders with Myanmar.

    “It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to secure our borders. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar. Since the Ministry of External Affairs is currently in the process of scrapping it, MHA has recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR,” Shah said in the post.

    This comes just two days after the Home Minister’s statement that the government has chosen to erect a fence along the entire 1643-kilometer India-Myanmar border.

    On February 6, Shah announced that a patrol pathway will also be constructed along India-Myanmar border in order to enhance surveillance capabilities. Furthermore, the Minister had said, two pilot projects of fencing through a Hybrid Surveillance System (HSS) are under execution, and they will fence a stretch of 1 km each in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

    “Additionally, fence works covering approx 20 km in Manipur have also been approved, and the work will start soon,” Shah had stated further.

    The fresh announcement to scrap FMR is significant in an effort of the government to curb the influx of illegal migrants and insurgents.

    The plan is part of consideration to end a point of contention as local residents complain that the FMR policy has become a major subject of contention as it is often misused and facilitates “illegal immigration, drug and arms trafficking”.

    Manipur government as well as other northeast states facing the issue has also raised the matter with the Central government earlier.

    The 1,643-km-long India-Myanmar border, spanning Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, currently operates under the FMR, which permits individuals living near the India-Myanmar border to travel 16 km into each other’s territories without a visa. Initiated in 2018, the FMR policy was a component of India’s Act East policy.

    As per FMR policy, those belonging to the hill tribes, being citizens of either India or Myanmar and residing within a 16 km radius on either side of the border, can cross with a border pass valid for one year, allowing a stay of up to two weeks per visit.

    “We plan to terminate the FMR along the Indo-Myanmar border shortly. Our aim is to install fencing along the entire border, a project expected to be completed in the next four-and-a-half years. Individuals entering will be required to obtain a visa,” stated an official privy to the plan being prepared by the Ministry of HomeAffairs.

    “The objective is not only to halt the misuse of the FMR, which insurgent groups exploit for attacks on the Indian side before escaping to Myanmar, but also to stop the inflow of illegal immigrants and disrupt networks involved in drug and gold smuggling.”

    Another official shared that the process of “tendering for an advanced smart fencing system covering 300 km of the India-Myanmar border is already in progress, and the project’s implementation will commence shortly.” (ANI)

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