Day: August 6, 2022

PHNOM PENH — Foreign ministers of nine Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members wrapped up their annual summit Saturday with a plea for peace in the South China Sea, warnings to Myanmar’s junta and plans to bolster COVID-19-injured economies.

Prak Sokhonn, the Cambodian foreign minister and host of this year’s summit, was blunt in his assessment of the weeklong meetings, describing the sessions as frank, candid, lively and heated.

“This is a critical time of great uncertainties for the region and the world,” he told journalists at a Saturday morning news conference, when he lamented, “It was not easy … even Superman cannot solve Myanmar’s problems.”

However, ASEAN members did overcome some of their differences and, backed by most dialogue partners including the U.S., Japan and Australia, issued a 29-page communique covering a broad range of issues that put the military dictatorship in Myanmar on notice.

It said recent developments in the conflict-ridden country, including the execution of four opposition activists shortly before the summit began and an inability of the military to make progress on a five-point peace plan, were extensively discussed.

“We were deeply disappointed by the limited progress in and lack of commitment of the Naypyidaw authorities to the timely and complete implementation of the Five-Point Consensus,” the communique said, adding that the “next steps” were being considered.

ASEAN had been widely criticized for its soft response to last year’s coup in Myanmar and a split emerged, with Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei forming a troika demanding a harsher response, while Thailand, Cambodia and Laos were accused of aiding the junta.

But Cambodia’s foreign minister said Myanmar’s execution of four democracy activists last month had upset all ASEAN leaders and indicated a significant shift in attitudes, saying the military leadership, banned from attending ASEAN summits, had failed to build any trust within the bloc.

“And without this trust, the fighting will continue and the political process will never start because no one will come if they fear for their life, so building trust is the most important,” he said.

Analysts said the “next steps” would be decided over the next three months and any further moves, which could include sanctions, recognition of Myanmar’s opposition and total isolation of the junta, would be announced at the ASEAN leaders summit scheduled for November.

China- Taiwan tensions

Tensions in the South China Sea, another divisive issue among ASEAN’s 10 member nations, spilled over as Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Taiwan. China responded by declaring a seventh live-fire zone on Taiwan’s east flank, deploying jets and firing rockets.

In Phnom Penh, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi abandoned slated talks with his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, after Tokyo signed on to a G-7 statement calling on Beijing to resolve tensions around the Taiwan Strait in a peaceful manner.

Yi also walked out of a gala dinner, which a Chinese government spokesman said was due to his tight schedule and China’s COVID-19 protocols. But sources said Yi, who waved as he entered, was irritated at the sight of Hayashi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and immediately left.

In his opening remarks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged Yi to “take no notice of the problems and crises created by Washington and hope for the best.”

Blinken told a news conference the Chinese response to Pelosi was excessive and U.S. aircraft carriers remain on standby.

“The world will see us continue to support the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and advance our shared goals throughout the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “That is what the region expects of us – to be steady and responsible.”

On the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting, Blinken met with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi.

The three expressed their commitment to deepening their trilateral partnership to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region, the three nations said in a statement.

They also reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and appreciated ASEAN’s statement about the importance of deescalating tension in the Taiwan Strait.

The secretary and the foreign ministers expressed their concern about the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) recent actions, including the use of large-scale military exercises. They condemned the PRC’s launch of ballistic missiles, the statement said.

They urged the PRC to immediately cease the military exercises, adding that there is no change in the respective one China policies, where applicable, and the basic positions on Taiwan from Australia, Japan, or the United States.

Cambodia has been sharply criticized for acting as a Chinese proxy within ASEAN in return for aid and investment. When it last chaired ASEAN in 2012, no communique was issued for the first time in the group’s history, after it was scuttled by Phnom Penh, creating a furor.

Not so this year, although China was not mentioned by name in this week’s communique.

However, in a clear reference to Beijing, the communique said the South China Sea was discussed and some ministers expressed concern over “land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area, including damage to the marine environment.”

It added the issues had “eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region.”

The communique also noted the need to recognize the United Nations Convention on the Law and Sea (UNCLOS), another sore point with China.

UNCLOS’s “integrity needs to be maintained,” it said, adding, “the convention sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out.”

In the lead up to the summit, the Philippines, under recently elected Ferdinand Marcos Jr., made it clear it would reassert the country’s maritime claims under a 2016 landmark ruling in The Hague that rejected most of Beijing’s claims over reefs and atolls under UNCLOS.

Beijing rejected the court’s decision.

ASEAN summits are often derided as little more than a talkfest, but this year’s earned praise for the bloc’s desire to play a centrist role in resolving disputes in the South China Sea and for a shift in attitudes on Myanmar.

“They’re extremely concerned about this and you have almost unprecedented criticism of a fellow ASEAN member,” said Bart Edes, a professor of practice at McGill University in Montreal, in regard to Myanmar.

“You’ve heard this from Cambodia, you’ve heard this from Malaysia and I think that ASEAN countries are sensing the weakness behind the regime. They are facing an armed opposition from many different corners within the country. Their status quo can not last.”

Source: Voice of America

NAIROBI — Candidates in Kenya’s August 9 presidential election are wrapping up their campaigns after parties spent heavily in often lavish displays of wealth.

Despite economic woes and a massive rich-poor gap, spending in Kenya’s election was among the highest in the world, raising concerns about its impact on the nation’s democratic development.

“Kenyan elections are among the most expensive in the world in terms of the cost [incurred by] the electoral management body, but also in terms of on-the-ground financing,” said Tom Wolf, an American pollster and political researcher in Nairobi.

Derrick Makhandia, a program officer at Transparency International Kenya, agreed.

“It’ll cost you a bit more than 4 billion Kenyan shillings [$33.5 million] just to become a president,” he said.

A race for governor runs about $336,000, and a bid for parliament costs roughly $168,000, according to Transparency International Kenya.

Critics say the high cost of running for political office in Kenya has been a barrier for many women, the young and persons living with disabilities.

Beth Ngunyi is running for parliament in Kirinyaga County, her fourth attempt as an independent. She said it is too costly to run as a candidate for a political party because of the high nomination fee required.

“The higher the seat, the higher the money they demand,” she said. “And you’ve got to give them because if you don’t give them, they won’t even allow you to address the gatherings.”

Political campaigns around the world are inherently expensive. But observers say in Kenya, campaigns are largely unchecked and unregulated.

Because many people live below the poverty line, observers say voters are more susceptible to bribery by wealthy politicians, fueling a cycle of government corruption.

“Because of this unregulated spending, those in power always look towards corruption as a reliable source of money for their campaigns because they cannot afford to use their money, that would be too risky. What if they fail?” Makhandia said.

Kenya’s 2010 constitution requires the country’s electoral body, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, to develop campaign financing and spending regulations. All proposals by the commission have been rejected by parliament.

Unless checks and balances are put in place, observers say, politics in Kenya will remain almost exclusively for the rich.

Source: Voice of America

ACCRA, GHANA — U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Friday announced a $150 million package for Africa to help address food and humanitarian crises.

Speaking before a gathering of over 500 participants at the University of Ghana in Accra, Thomas-Greenfield said the world is facing unprecedented food crises, requiring what she termed an “unprecedented global response.”

“For our part, the United States is committed to this work. … But more funding is needed to address food security and to address crises that compound food security, like refugees and internally displaced people,” she said. “I am proud to announce nearly $150 million in new, additional humanitarian funding and development assistance, pending Congressional approval, for Africa.”

She said the new package, if approved by Congress, will increase U.S. humanitarian assistance to Africa to $6.6 billion since the beginning of this year.

The ambassador says worldwide food prices are 23% higher than a year ago, partly a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – the two countries combined provide over 40% of Africa’s wheat supply.

Thomas-Greenfield said the new U.S. funding will expand investments in fertilizer, grains and other crops in Africa to meet “the goal of increasing resilience to future shocks.”

It includes $2.5 million in new development assistance for Ghana and $20 million for Uganda, where Thomas-Greenfield stopped before visiting the West African country.

She said the new funding includes more than $127 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Africa to provide “lifesaving support to refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons, stateless persons and persecuted people across Africa.”

Condemning the war in Ukraine, she said the U.N. Security Council must be proactive to prevent food from being used as a weapon of war.

“The world needs to see how food insecurity increases the risk of conflict. And the Security Council needs to do a better job of stopping food from being used as a weapon of war,” she said.

Thomas-Greenfield said Africa has the potential to become its own breadbasket and must take advantage of the current situation to forge partnerships with civil society and the private sector to build the food systems and structures of the future.

Source: Voice of America

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in South Africa on Sunday, in what analysts say is an attempt to counter Chinese and Russian influence in the region.

Relations between the U.S. and South Africa became strained during President Donald Trump’s time in office. President Joe Biden has taken pains to repair them, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has proved contentious.

The secretary of state’s second trip to Africa, and his first to South Africa — the continent’s most developed economy and a key democratic ally — comes after a flurry of visits to the region by top Chinese and Russian officials.

Analysts say that after disregarding Africa for some time, the U.S. is now playing catch-up and trying to counter the growing influence of Beijing and Moscow in the region, in what some say has elements of a new “Cold War.”

Washington also wants to build support for Ukraine, as many African governments have been loath to condemn Russia’s invasion, in part due to the Soviet Union’s support for African liberation movements during the years when the continent threw off European colonial rule.

Steven Gruzd, head of the African governance and diplomacy program at the South African Institute for International Affairs, said he doubted South Africa would be pushed into criticizing Russia, its partner, along with China, in the BRICS group of countries.

“I think Secretary Blinken is not going to find a receptive audience for his message that South Africa must come down on the side of the West, and the U.S. in particular, on the Ukraine-Russian conflict,” Gruzd said.

Meanwhile, Bob Wekesa, director of the African Center for the Study of the United States at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, noted that China’s influence in Africa has grown considerably, and many African leaders look to Beijing for no-strings-attached infrastructure investments. Russia, too, to a far lesser extent, has made investments in the continent, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made a four-country visit to Africa last month.

“It’s actually true that there’s some form of Cold War, even if it’s not the kind of Cold War we saw from the end of the World War II, but it’s a form of geopolitical competition and the U.S. must, therefore, be prepared to be seen to be competing with other powers for influence in Africa,” Wekesa said.

Nontobeko Hlela, a researcher at the South African office of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, said negative comments about African and other developing countries by former U.S. president Donald Trump did nothing to improve relations.

“The U.S. will have to work hard to walk back some policy decisions and statements made by the former occupant of the White House,” Hlela said.

While in South Africa, Blinken will visit Johannesburg’s famous Soweto township, once home to liberation icon and first democratic president Nelson Mandela, as well as take part in South Africa’s Women’s Day celebrations.

On Monday, he will meet South African counterpart Naledi Pandor and launch the new U.S. Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa. Climate change, trade, health and food insecurity will all be topics of discussion.

America’s top diplomat then heads to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, which are in the middle of a conflict.

Source: Voice of America