APAC Assistance Director Paul Quaglia discusses East Asia Pacific security issues.
SINGAPORE-MALAYSIA
- Singapore’s transport ministry raised concerns with Malaysia over the latter’s establishment of a permanent Restricted Area for military activities over Pasir Gudang from 2 January.
SOUTH KOREA DEMONSTRATIONS
- Economic based
- Attempt to reduce work time to achieve employability achieved the opposite
NORTH KOREA
- Kim Jong Un willing to have second summit meeting with Trump but threatens nuclear confrontation if sanctions persist
- September 2017 nuclear test triggered 2019 earthquake in North Korea’s North Hamgyong province
THAI ELECTIONS
- An election process controlled by the system itself
- The 2,761 road accidents nationwide over the first five days of the New Year holidays have claimed 314 lives.
- A son in law not feeling welcomed shoots dead six family members including his two small children
CAMBODIA
- Cambodia continues to be a democracy only in name
- Cambodia is now more under Chinese influence than it has ever been. It has been economically more and more under the control of China
INDONESIA
- In Yoygyakarta, an anti-terror policeman was found dead
- Elections in May where the one-term incumbent faces a challenge from yet another rightwing populist candidate.
- Two police officers were shot at by suspected members of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT)while attempting to move the body of a beheaded person at the village of Salubanga in Sausu, Parigi Moutong, Central Sulawesi on Monday.
- Indonesia’s tsunami early warning system:
- Donated by the world post the Aceh tsunami
- Not maintained
- Sold for valuable parts
- The system failed Lombok, Palu and Krakatau tsunamis
- Now Indonesia will install their own one
- Still no capability to police it
JAPAN
- Nine people were hurt, when a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve along Harajuku street in Tokyo