Over the past two weeks, U.S. defense secretary Leon Panetta and his key officers, including Admiral Robert Willard, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, have actively explained details of President Barack Obama’s January 5 announcement about the new defense budget and its implications for the Asia Pacific. Southeast Asian counterparts want to clearly understand U.S. intentions so they can calibrate China’s response and be able to translate joint plans with the United States into their domestic political discourse.

Comprehensive Engagement

As the United States takes steps to fulfill Obama’s promise of a policy “pivot” toward Asia, U.S. policymakers should invest ample time briefing colleagues throughout the Asia-Pacific region regarding U.S. intentions. In so doing, it will be vital to point out that the enhanced U.S. presence in the region is part of a comprehensive strategy that includes robust economic and political engagement. In other words, the United States must be clear that its Asia-Pacific strategy is not a security-dominated approach but instead a broad and long-term commitment. The United States is reemphasizing long-standing security and economic commitments to the region and adding new political focus.

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CSIS named secretariat for U.S.–ASEAN Eminent Persons Group

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The Week That Was

• Yingluck reshuffles Thai cabinet
• Philippines, U.S. discuss U.S. military presence in region
• CSIS launches new South China Sea policy tool

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Looking Ahead

• Lecture on investing in Asia at Georgetown University
• “The Singapore Conference @ CSIS” on February 8

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THE EVOLVING U.S. FOOTPRINT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

By Ernest Z. Bower, Senior Adviser & Director, Southeast Asia Program, CSIS

Over the past two weeks, U.S. defense secretary Leon Panetta and his key officers, including Admiral Robert Willard, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, have actively explained details of President Barack Obama’s January 5 announcement about the new defense budget and its implications for the Asia Pacific. Southeast Asian counterparts want to clearly understand U.S. intentions so they can calibrate China’s response and be able to translate joint plans with the United States into their domestic political discourse.

Comprehensive Engagement

As the United States takes steps to fulfill Obama’s promise of a policy “pivot” toward Asia, U.S. policymakers should invest ample time briefing colleagues throughout the Asia-Pacific region regarding U.S. intentions. In so doing, it will be vital to point out that the enhanced U.S. presence in the region is part of a comprehensive strategy that includes robust economic and political engagement. In other words, the United States must be clear that its Asia-Pacific strategy is not a security-dominated approach but instead a broad and long-term commitment. The United States is reemphasizing long-standing security and economic commitments to the region and adding new political focus.

Balance Is Key

Balance is the most important ingredient in this recipe. If Asian countries are not convinced that the United States intends to step up its game in terms of economic competitiveness, they will not embrace the security aspect of the “pivot.” Specific actions in this regard are important and include the following: continued progress and leader-level focus on trade, specifically the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations; talking to Americans about the contribution of Asian trade to U.S. economic recovery and long-term growth; welcoming investment from Asia; demonstrating a willingness to table economic and financial issues at the East Asia Summit (EAS); and organizing presidential- and/or cabinet-level business missions by U.S. CEOs to the region. Understanding these linkages and broadening the talking points of senior U.S. officials is important and should become a mantra supported by actions.

Reassure on China

Southeast Asia needs the United States to be clear about its intentions. It needs to understand that the U.S. endgame is to have good relations with China. An effective and sustainable grand strategy for the United States should aim to convince China that it can meet its energy, food, and water security goals and expand its economic might within regional security and trade frameworks.

The region is anxious because it does not know what China wants. It does not know how China will define itself in the coming decades. Economic power and growth are welcome, but using that new muscle to try to define sovereignty in disputed regions such as the South China Sea, China-India border, and elsewhere has raised alarm among China’s neighbors. Looking ahead to this year’s Chinese leadership transition, even the best China experts cannot say for sure which elements will define the country’s new posture in 2013 and beyond.

Paradoxically, while Southeast Asia’s uncertainty about China has motivated countries to encourage a more proactive U.S. role in the region, it also heightens Southeast Asian concerns that U.S. reengagement not be construed as trying to contain or oppose China.

Southeast Asia is now convinced that the United States is not in a spiraling economic decline: signs of recovery have encouraged leaders and policymakers that the U.S. model continues to work and produce results. On the other hand, fear of a U.S.–China condominium, or “G-2,” has also been put to rest. The United States and China have normalized and stabilized relations, but they are clearly not yet aligned on a preponderance of global issues. What no one in Southeast Asia wants is direct competition in a nouveau Cold War between the United States and China. Fortunately, both Beijing and Washington seem to agree on that point.

Rotations, Not Bases

Straight talk and following through on what is said is tactically the winning formula for the United States. Strategically, the United States must continue to deepen its relationships around Asia. It has to listen to and understand what traditional and new partners want and need. That posture is being reflected in the new defense approach in Asia. Admiral Willard has said that the focus is on “rotations, not bases,” signifying a lighter but likely more omnipresent footprint for the United States in Asia.

That is a smart and sustainable approach if executed well and consistently. Asia will likely see a new U.S. presence “inside the horizon” in the next decades—sharing facilities, emphasizing interoperability, conducting joint exercises, and, importantly, providing public goods such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Expect this effort not only to include treaty allies such as Australia, the Philippines, and Japan, but to expand to Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and possibly Indonesia in the future.

The end goal is to engage China in these efforts. A significant benchmark would be to see China accept the invitation that has been tabled several times in the past to participate in regional exercises such as Cobra Gold. Building trust and expanding relationships with China’s military is a long-term goal for the United States. Doing so will put our partners in Southeast Asia at ease and provide a possible double dividend of peace and prosperity in the world’s most dynamic region.

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CSIS named secretariat for U.S.–ASEAN Eminent Persons Group

The CSIS Southeast Asia program was named secretariat for the U.S.-ASEAN Eminent Persons Group (EPG) January 31 by the U.S. Department of State.

The U.S. members of the EPG were announced by President Barack Obama in November 2011 during the third U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting in Bali, Indonesia. The role of the group is to provide specific, technical recommendations to leaders on how to significantly enhance ASEAN capacity, including in areas such as economic and social development, integration among ASEAN member countries, and the strengthening of ASEAN trade readiness.

The three U.S. members of the EPG are Charlene Barshefsky, former U.S. trade representative; Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO, Coca-Cola Company; and J. Stapleton Roy, former U.S. ambassador to China, Indonesia, and Singapore. The ASEAN nations each named one member to the EPG.

The CSIS Southeast Asia program, led by Ernest Bower, will provide research and technical support to the EPG. CSIS expects to coordinate closely with leading think tanks in each of the ASEAN countries to support the effort.

The EPG will meet in May at the U.S.-ASEAN Dialogue meeting in Manila to prepare an interim report for review by the relevant leaders at the time of the July ASEAN Regional Forum meeting in Phnom Penh. It will hold a further meeting later on to prepare the final report and recommendations for presentation to the leaders at the fourth U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting in Cambodia in November.

For more information on the U.S.-ASEAN EPG, its mission, members, and calendar of events, please go to its website at csis.org/program/us-asean-eminent-persons-group.

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The Week That Was

Thailand

Yingluck reshuffles cabinet. Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra moved 6 cabinet ministers to new positions and replaced 10 others January 18 following approval by King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Yingluck said the shake-up, which included the ministers of defense, education, transportation, energy, industry, and commerce, was meant to improve government efficiency. The most controversial new appointees include former “Red Shirt” leader Natthawut Saikua as deputy minister of agriculture and Nalinee Taweesin, who is under U.S. sanctions for alleged dealings with Zimbabwe’s Mugabe family, as minister in the prime minister's office.

Democrat Party MPs seek to remove Yingluck and foreign minister from office. One hundred forty-five members of Parliament from the opposition Democrat Party filed a petition with the Senate January 24 seeking the impeachment of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul. The petition was filed in response to Surapong’s reissuing of a passport to Yingluck’s brother, fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, December 16. The Democrats claim issuing the passport was illegal because Thaksin was convicted of corruption and is prohibited from leaving the country.

Government looks to amend constitution but will not touch lèse-majesté law. Thailand’s People’s Council submitted a people’s bill January 25 seeking to amend the country’s 2007 constitution to allow the creation of a constitution drafting assembly. The ruling Pheu Thai party has said it would support the amendment but would not respond to other proposals seeking to change the country’s lèse-majesté law, which punishes offenses deemed to offend the dignity of the country’s king. A Pheu Thai spokesperson claimed January 26 that a group of opposition elites paid protestors $16 each to protest the decriminalization of the lèse-majesté law in order to destabilize the government.

Central bank cuts key interest rate to spur recovery. Thailand’s central bank cut the country’s repurchase interest rate a quarter of a percent, to 3 percent, January 25, to help curb inflation and stimulate recovery following devastating floods in December. The Federation of Thai Industries had urged the bank to lower the rate by up to 2 percent to reduce operating costs, lower debt, and stimulate consumption.

Myanmar

McCain says no moves to lift sanctions until after April by-elections. U.S. senator John McCain said January 21 that he was “very encouraged” by the ongoing reforms in Myanmar but that the United States should not rush to lift sanctions until after parliamentary by-elections planned for early April. Senator McCain, accompanied by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, made the comments in Bangkok while en route to Myanmar for a two-day visit.

Myanmar president says changes will be gradual but irreversible. Myanmar president Thein Sein said his country’s democratic reforms are irreversible and urged the West to lift sanctions on his country in a January 20 interview with the Washington Post. He noted that the pace of change will be gradual, but said his government has no intentions of going back. Thein Sein said that he would welcome the participation in Parliament of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi if she is elected in the April by-elections.

Talks with Kachin rebel groups conclude with no breakthroughs. Myanmar government officials and representatives of the Kachin Independence Organization met for cease-fire talks January 19 but were unable to reach an agreement to end months of fighting. Both parties agreed to continue talks at a later date and, in the meantime, to inform one another before deploying troops. Ending armed clashes between the government and ethnic groups is one of the preconditions set by the United States for lifting sanctions on Myanmar.

Aung San Suu Kyi campaigns, advocates constitutional amendment. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi toured the countryside January 29 for the first time since she and her National League for Democracy registered to participate in April parliamentary by-elections. Suu Kyi drew a large crowd of supporters at a rally in the southern coastal district of Dawei, during which she reiterated the need to amend the 2008 constitution that gives the army far-reaching powers.

EU loosens travel restrictions on Myanmar leadership, considers aid package. European officials announced during a foreign ministers’ meeting January 23 that the EU would suspend a visa ban on Myanmar’s top leaders, describing the recent push for reforms in the country as “remarkable.” The ministers also said they were considering a nearly $200 million aid package for the country that would focus on education, institutional capacity building, health, and agriculture.

Indonesia

Fitch and Moody bond rating upgrade expected to spur foreign investment in infrastructure. Ratings agency Moody’s upgraded Indonesia’s credit rating to investment grade January 19 following a similar move by Fitch in December. The upgrades will make it easier and cheaper for Indonesia to borrow money for much-needed infrastructure improvements, which the country’s chamber of commerce cites as a major hurdle to GDP growth.

Civil servant beaten and arrested for blasphemy via Facebook. A 31-year-old civil servant in the Dharmasraya district of West Sumatra was beaten and arrested on his way to work January 20 for a Facebook post on his personal page questioning the existence of God. The man faces blasphemy charges that carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Atheism is illegal in Indonesia and is considered antithetical to the official Pancasila ideology, the first principle of which is belief in one God.

Mob burns local government offices in mineral rights protest. A mob attacked and burned a local government building and nearby elections office January 26 after a mineral rights protest turned violent. The crowd demanded that a mining contract held by Australia’s Arc Exploration Limited be revoked due to fears that mining will damage local lands. The mob freed several activists from the local prison who had been jailed December 24 after a deadly scuffle with police. The government released a statement indicating that the license would be revoked but said that the process would take time.

ICG warns of growing trend toward Islamic “vigilantism.” An International Crisis Group briefing released January 26 warns of the growth of poorly armed bands of men who use violence to enforce their interpretation of Islam in several regions of Indonesia. The report says the distinction between “vigilantes” and terrorists is becoming less clear as the scope and complexity of attacks grows. For example, a group in Cirebon went from using “sticks and stones” to firearms and explosives. The report also discussed the generational shift from foreign-trained jihadists to locally grown extremists.

Five Papuan independence activists charged with treason. The trial of five Papuan activists, including pro-independence leaders Forkorus Yaboisembut and Edison Waromi, started January 30 and could result in sentences of life in prison. The activists are charged with illegally raising the Papuan “Morning Star” flag—a symbol of the independence movement—at an October 19, 2011, celebration. Human Rights Watch issued a press release January 29 decrying the charges.

Former Indonesian central bank deputy governor charged with bribing lawmakers. Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) January 26 charged Miranda Swaray Goeltom, who served as central bank deputy governor from 2004 to 2009, with bribing lawmakers to support her nomination. The KPK has charged 31 lawmakers in a wider vote-buying scandal, but the “mastermind” of the operation has not yet been revealed. Ongoing corruption scandals threaten to sully President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his Democratic Party.

Philippines

Philippines, U.S. discuss U.S. military presence in region. U.S. and Philippine officials proposed closer military relations during their second bilateral strategic dialogue January 26–27 in Washington, D.C. Options discussed include more joint exercises, rotating U.S. troops through Philippine bases, and increased U.S. Navy operations in the Philippines. No final decisions were made, but both countries said that the United States would not seek to establish a permanent base in the Philippines. Higher-level talks are planned for March. In response to the proposals, protestors picketed the U.S. Embassy in Manila January 28 and newspapers in China called for sanctions to be imposed against the Philippines.

Communist insurgency shows signs of decline. The Philippine military reported January 22 that communist rebel attacks in the country’s restive south declined 11 percent in 2011. A military spokesperson said there were 8 percent fewer Marxist rebels and 55 percent fewer military deaths than during the previous year. He noted, however, that the rebels’ strategy has increasingly turned to “soft targets”—kidnappings and small assaults—which earned the rebels $7 million in extortion funds in 2011.

Philippine government to appeal dismissal of $1 billion suit against Marcos family. The Philippine government said it will appeal the dismissal January 20 of $1 billion in anti-graft charges against the Marcos family and former officials. The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court dismissed the case against the late Ferdinand Marcos, his widow, family, and officials, including former trade minister Roberto Ongpin, due to a lack of evidence. Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz questioned the court’s integrity following the decision.

World Bank demands refund of loan to Philippine Supreme Court. The World Bank demanded January 18 that the Philippine Supreme Court refund $199,000 of a $21.9 million loan intended to support judicial reforms. The bank made the request after a December report revealed funds were misused for travel and computer purchases. Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez and Chief Justice Renato Corona, currently facing impeachment proceedings, are implicated in the scandal.

Philippines-China bilateral trade increases 22 percent in 2011. The Philippine Embassy in Beijing reported January 21 that Philippine-China bilateral trade increased 22 percent in 2011 over the year before, surpassing $32 billion. The Philippine government ran an overall trade surplus, led by strong electronics exports. Both countries aim to expand their bilateral trade to $60 billion by 2016. China is now the Philippines’ third-largest trading partner.

Vietnam

U.S. withdraws demand that Vietnam forgo right to produce nuclear fuel. U.S. officials announced January 25 that the United States was withdrawing a demand for Vietnam to forgo the right to produce nuclear fuel as a precondition for a pact governing nuclear relations between the two countries. Some U.S. lawmakers say this policy shift sets the wrong precedent as the United States begins renegotiating its 1974 nuclear cooperation agreement with South Korea, which is seeking technology to reprocess spent fuel. Some fear the concession could undercut efforts to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Hmong woman accuses Vietnam of human trafficking abuses in congressional testimony. An ethnic Hmong Vietnamese woman accused the Vietnamese government of supporting human trafficking during testimony before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs subcommittee January 25. She claimed she and 270 others were trafficked to Jordan where they worked more than 16 hours a day for $1 a day and were beaten by Jordanians and threatened by Vietnamese officials when they went on strike. The Vietnamese-American group Boat People SOS alleges that the Vietnamese government regularly sides with state-owned labor export companies over workers, sending officials to “trouble-spots” to silence victims.

U.S. ties future arms sales to improvements in Vietnam’s human rights record. U.S. senators Joseph Lieberman and John McCain announced January 21 after a visit to Vietnam that the United States will not sell or grant Vietnam anything on its long list of desired weapons systems until it makes progress on human rights. Lifting the 1984 U.S. ban on lethal weapons sales to Vietnam would boost military links between the former adversaries as they seek to strengthen bilateral ties, but Vietnam’s human rights record has been a point of contention in light of a recent crackdown on dissidents, protesters, and bloggers.

Prime minister orders investigation into standoff with farmers. Vietnamese prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung called January 17 for an investigation into a clash between 100 authorities and a family of seafood farmers who fought a land eviction order with landmines and shotguns, injuring six policemen and army officers. The incident has stoked debate in Vietnam about the use of force to evict families and whether farmers should be allowed to extend their leases, most of which were granted in 1993 for 20 years and are due to expire soon. Land disputes are a common source of complaints and protests in Vietnam.

Malaysia

Malaysian attorney general appeals Anwar acquittal. Malaysian attorney general Gani Patali on January 20 appealed Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal on sodomy charges. On the same day, an appeal was filed in the case of Anwar’s lawyer and Democratic Action Party chairman, Karpal Singh, who was acquitted of sedition in 2010. Anwar and Karpal are leading figures in the opposition coalition.

Malaysia and Indonesia agree to set up regional secretariat for marine development. Malaysian and Indonesia ministers met in Jakarta January 20 and agreed to set up the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) regional secretariat in Manado, Indonesia. The CTI regional secretariat will seek to foster and institutionalize closer cooperation between the two countries on maritime development, research, resource management, and income improvement for their respective coastal communities.

Cambodia

Cambodia ruling party wins Senate elections, Sam Rainsy Party gains seats. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) won an expected majority of seats in the country’s January 29 Senate election, taking 78 percent of votes according to preliminary results. The opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) won 11 seats with 22 percent of the vote, up from just 2 seats in 2006, while no other party fielded candidates. Only members of the National Assembly and local officials vote for the Senate, which is considered a rubber-stamp legislature. Official results will be released February 4.

Phnom Penh residents protest evictions. Residents gathered outside the Phnom Penh Municipality building January 11 to protest the eviction January 3 of approximately 300 families from the poor Borei Keila neighborhood. Twenty-two women and 6 children were arrested during the protests, and more than 64 people were reported injured and 8 arrested during the evictions. Phan Imex, the company developing the site, agreed in 2003 to build 10 apartment buildings to house the residents, but asked for permission in April 2010 to renege on that pledge after completing only 8 buildings.

Cambodia’s royal family visits China. Cambodia’s king, Norodom Sihamoni, accompanied his parents to Beijing January 19 for routine medical care for his father, former king Norodom Sihanouk. Sihanouk, 89, suffers from a variety of health problems and frequently travels to China for treatment. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao visited the family January 20 to wish them good health in the Lunar New Year that began January 23.

ASEAN

ASEAN members begin to prepare for possible ASEAN-Hong Kong FTA. ASEAN members have begun to research the possibility of implementing a free trade agreement (FTA) with Hong Kong. The ASEAN-Hong Kong FTA would be included as part of the already-implemented China-ASEAN FTA. Hong Kong’s trade with ASEAN members totaled $79 billion in 2011, with the majority being between Hong Kong and Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Cambodian prime minister vows larger role for ASEAN in the region. Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen said January 24 that as ASEAN chairman for 2012, his country will seek to play the role of a neutral mediator in regional disputes such as the South China Sea and the Korean peninsula. He also said that Cambodia would continue to push for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

IMF predicts lower growth for ASEAN. The International Monetary Fund lowered its prediction for GDP growth in the ASEAN-5 (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam) in its World Economic Outlook (WEO) released January 23. The grouping is expected to grow 5.2 percent in 2012 and 5.6 percent in 2013, down 0.4 and 0.2 percentage points respectively compared to September 2011’s WEO.

Press Freedom Index shows mixed results for ASEAN. Reporters Without Borders released its 2011 Press Freedom Index January 25 with mixed results for the ASEAN countries. Indonesia dropped 29 spots to 146 out of 179 countries as Cambodia took its place as the freest country in ASEAN for journalists. Myanmar improved 5 spots and ceased to be the lowest-rated ASEAN member. That title went to Vietnam, which slipped seven spots to 172.

Most ASEAN countries improved in the 2011 Press Freedom Index, with the exceptions of Vietnam and Indonesia.

South China sea

CSIS launches new South China Sea policy tool. The CSIS Southeast Asia Program previewed its newest policy tool on January 28 with a video presentation on the South China Sea at the annual pre-Alfalfa lunch in Washington, D,C. The project, “The South China Sea in High Resolution,” consists of a comprehensive geospatial database covering all major aspects of the South China Sea dispute—maritime claims, territorial disputes, fisheries, hydrocarbons, and trade. The database was built with assistance from GeoEye, a leading geospatial information company, and support from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Torkel Patterson, senior associate in the CSIS Southeast Asia Program and former senior director of Asian affairs on the National Security Council, served as a consultant to the project.

The CSIS Southeast Asia program recently previewed its latest policy tool, “The South China Sea in High Resolution,” which explores all aspects of the South China Sea dispute, including the implications of classifying the Spratlys and Paracels as habitable (pictured here).

China enrages Vietnam by imposing annual fishing ban. The Vietnamese government has expressed outrage at China for its plans to impose a fishing ban in the disputed South China Sea from May 16 to August 1. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture announced the ban January 12, noting it will stymie overfishing and will punish violators. A Vietnamese government spokesman criticized the ban on January 25, saying it violated Vietnamese rights to the disputed Spratly and Paracel Islands. China has imposed the unilateral fishing ban annually, resulting in hundreds of run-ins with Vietnamese fishermen each year.

Singapore

Heads of Civil Defense and Central Narcotics Bureau under investigation for corruption. Singapore’s government announced January 25 that the heads of the country’s non-military Civil Defense Force and its Central Narcotics Bureau had been removed from their positions and placed under investigation for “serious personal misconduct.” The corruption scandal, rare in Singapore, comes as the ruling People’s Action Party struggles to mollify critics and bolster its popular support after disappointing showings in last year’s parliamentary and presidential elections.

“Singapore Conference @ CSIS” on February 8. The CSIS Southeast Asia program will host a Singapore Conference on February 8 with a select and high-level group of experts and senior policy officials. The conference will bring together several ministers from Singapore’s new cabinet and other Singaporean and U.S. officials, thought leaders, business executives, and journalists to discuss a range of issues from the political changes taking place in Singapore to cooperation between Singapore and the United States on regional and global priorities.

Singapore’s ambassador to the United States, H.E. Chan Heng Chee, sat down recently with Southeast Asia Program senior fellow and deputy director Murray Hiebert to discuss the “Singapore Conference @ CSIS.” Watch the video here.

All of the keynote speeches will be on the record, but the panel discussions that follow will adhere to Chatham House rules. More information, including a full agenda and list of participants is, is available at the “Singapore Conference @ CSIS” page. Please click here to RSVP by Monday, February 6. You must log on to register.

NOTE: The link for RSVPs only works if you do NOT have a language pack installed on your computer. If you have language packs on your computer, please RSVP directly to the Southeast Asia Program. When you RSVP, please include the panels you wish to attend.

Agenda:

0830 Registration of Participants
0900 Welcoming Remarks
0915 New Directions: Singapore Politics and Foreign Policy
1100 Strengthening the Trade Partnership: Recovery through Growth in the Asia Pacific
1230 Luncheon: Building Security Partnerships in Asia
1400 Partnerships in Education: Preparing Students for a 21st Century
1530 Coffee Break
1600 Defining a 21st Century Strategic Partnership
1730 Reception
1830 Closing Remarks and Adjournment

Brunei Darussalam

Offshore oil spill quickly contained. An oil spill near the North Gannett oil platform was sighted January 22 within 32 nautical miles of Brunei’s coast but was quickly contained the next day. The spill was estimated to be 350–700 cubic feet. Brunei Shell Petroleum Company, which operates the rig, said it is investigating the incident but denied its platform was the source of the spill.

Laos

E-payment systems put in place to make aid disbursement in Laos more accountable. The World Bank is setting up electronic disbursement and signature systems to help the Lao Ministry of Finance spend aid money more efficiently and accountably, and make it easier to access the funds and track results. Deputy finance minister Santhiphab Phomvihane briefed ministry officials the second week of January on the new technologies. Between 1977 and 2010, Laos received more than $1 billion in aid for development, but has been troubled with cumbersome procedures and a lack of transparency.

Mekong Delta

The Netherlands awards contract to DHV to develop the Mekong Delta. The Dutch government has awarded a consultancy contract to the DHV Consortium to advise on water systems, land usage, scenario development, and water governance in a Mekong Delta development project being undertaken by a Vietnam-Netherlands partnership on climate adaptation and water management. The Netherlands announced January 23 that the 18-month $988,000 project will be financed by its Partners for Water program.

Timor-Leste

Qatar, Timor-Leste strengthen bilateral ties. Timor Leste’s prime minister, Xanana Gusmao, and Qatar’s prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, signed a series of agreements January 21 to strengthen ties between their countries. The agreements seek to protect investments, encourage trade and economic relations, and cultivate technical cooperation. They were signed during a two-day official visit to Qatar by Gusmao.

Human Rights Watch World Report 2012

Human Rights Watch released its World Report 2012 January 22, with mixed results for ASEAN. While noting efforts at reform in several Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Singapore, and the Philippines, HRW noted troubling human rights violations in all of them. Some highlights from the 676-page report include the following:

Cambodia

• Continued abuse of the law to intimidate government critics, use of torture to extract confessions, and forced evictions and land seizures.

Indonesia

• Imprisonment of Moluccan and Papuan activists for peaceful protest continues, as do human rights abuses by soldiers in those regions; growing concerns over impunity for religious violence and Islamist vigilantism.

Malaysia

• Disappointment with Prime Minister Najib Razak’s reform efforts, particularly with new laws governing freedom of assembly; opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s trial raises questions about judicial independence and fairness.

Myanmar

• Promising signs of reform, including prisoner releases, but too many remain incarcerated and abuses by the military continue.

Philippines

• Politically motivated killings and torture by soldiers in conflict areas continue despite pledges by the Aquino administration to end abuses.

Singapore

• Relaxation of prohibitions on campaign rallies and online electioneering during elections were improvements, but the government maintains strict control of the media; continued reliance on the death penalty for drug convictions remains a concern.

Thailand

• Rise in imprisonment of online dissidents and prosecutions under lèse-majesté law are worrying, as is the continued violence in the restive south and the habit of refusing entry to refugees and asylum seekers.

Vietnam

• Suppression of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly; increasing crackdown on bloggers, dissidents, religious activists, and others.

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Looking Ahead

Lecture on investing in Asia at Georgetown University. The Asian Studies Program, Global Human Development Program, and Landegger Program in International Business Diplomacy at Georgetown University will host a lecture February 3 on investment strategies in Vietnam, China, and India with Rebecca Fannin, author of Startup Asia. The event, entitled “Startup Asia: Top Strategies for Cashing In on Asia's Innovation,” will be held in Georgetown’s McCarthy Hall, McShain Lounge, from 12:00 noon to 2:30 p.m. Please RSVP here.

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