US may block Indonesia nickel on forced labor issues – Asia Times
Indonesian nickel has been added to the list of products that are made under forced labor by the US Department of Labor, potentially causing a major setback for the East Asian nation’s effort to become a major global supplier of sought-after battery materials for both Western and Chinese companies.
The report cites media coverage and numerous reports by Organizations on working conditions at the nickel smelters located on the islands of Sulawesi and Maluku in eastern Indonesia. It has no immediate constitutional or regulation ramifications.
Employees from both countries work in partnership with Chinese and Indian companies and patrol the industrial parks where they reportedly face unfair pay, forced extra, and constant surveillance. Foreign workers are also subject to restrictions on their actions and passport expropriation.
Staff who spoke to Asia Times in Morowali, a center of Sulawesi that has grown to be a hotspot for the business, repeated similar claims while also bringing up unsafe working conditions.
According to Muhammad Taufik, a contractor at Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park and a part of the Serikat Buruh Industri Pertambangan federation,” we’re dealing with not only rotating technology but also with economic issues like working at hills, which frequently leads to injuries.” ” Creation is prioritized over protection”.
Between 2015 and 2023, some 91 staff died in deadly workplace accidents linked to the copper processing market, according to studies by Trend Asia, a Jakarta-based organization that works on conservation issues.
The worst injury was in December 2023 when a furnace explosion killed 21 staff – 13 Indonesian and 8 Taiwanese. The Indonesian Association of Nickel Miners did not respond to Asia Times ‘ request for comment on the claims made by the Department of Labor and the staff.
The industrial gardens where the alleged abuses occur are at the center of Indonesia’s metal industry and the Indonesian administration’s business plan, which emphasizes adding value to minerals rather than exporting them as natural materials.
Many of the government’s designated national strategic initiatives have advantages, including faster regulatory approval and greater security from the military and police.
Visitors or workers who object to the environmental impact or working problems assert that they have been the subject of abuse and analysis from authorities. The US Department of Labor report provides more support for some people’s claims that Indonesia needs to tackle its metal industry.
The head of research at Jatam, a Jakarta-based NGO that tracks abuses in the mining industry,” We always demand an end to this crazy nickel project and a thorough evaluation of nickel downstream operations.” ” Because the social and environmental costs are too high.”
This, nevertheless, seems doubtful without an additional drive. The Indonesian government is betting greatly on a plan of “downstreaming” its ample supplies of copper ore as a way to growth. In 2023, Indonesia accounted for 40.2 % of global nickel production, according to S&, P Global research.
According to Macquarie research, Indonesia’s share may increase to as much as 75 % over the next four to five years as it continues to grow and other global producers are unable to compete with its prohibitively low prices.  ,
Indonesia is already nearly entirely in charge of the world’s production of MHP, a powdery green blend of nickel and cobalt that has become the preferred feedstock for many battery manufacturers.
Indonesia’s industry now finds itself caught in the crosshairs of both ESG ( Environmental, Social and Governance ) concerns and geopolitical tensions.
So far, the industry has been built as a Chinese-Indonesian partnership. China has provided the capital, technical know-how and markets in the form of its booming EV industry. Indonesia has supported the mines and used export bans and tax breaks to entice Chinese companies to build refineries in Indonesia.
The Indonesian government is currently making an effort to diversify and move further up the value chain to produce batteries and EVs in Indonesia. South Korean companies LG and Hyundai have also begun production in Indonesia along with Chinese battery and electric vehicle producers CATL, Wuling, and BYD.
With the exception of America’s Ford, Western refiners and automakers have dragged their feet on investing in Indonesia. Projects that have been rumored or questioned by companies like Tesla, Volkswagen, and BASF have either failed to materialize or have collapsed.
The industry’s negative impact on the environment and labor conditions have not improved matters. Due to the US-led “derisking” of their supply chains from China, an equally significant factor is the reluctance to work with Chinese companies.
Batteries and EVs are only permitted to receive generous tax credits under the US Inflation Reduction Act if they use minerals from nations that have no free trade agreements with America, which Indonesia does not. Subsidy conditions also severely restrict the amount of exposure these supply chains can have to Chinese companies.
Meanwhile, the European Union will soon launch a Battery Passport setting strict standards, including due diligence requirements, on social and environmental risks.
Senior executives at Indonesian nickel companies tell the truth, but senior executives say that Western companies are interested in working with them because their domestic governments’ regulations make it difficult to do so.
The latest US Department of Labor report will add to those complications. Discussions between the US and Indonesia to reach a” critical mineral agreement” to allow Indonesian nickel to enter US markets and receive subsidies have stalled.
Concerns about Chinese influence in Indonesia’s supply chain have also been raised by prominent US senators. Federal agency allegations of forced labor will only add more to the mix.
However, without Indonesian nickel, America will struggle to meet its goals for EV adoption and decarbonization, according to Tim Bush, chief battery materials analyst at UBS, who spoke to Asia Times earlier this year.
EV adoption is already falling behind projections in America, partially due to the relatively high costs of American electric vehicles, while more affordable Chinese vehicles are subject to 100 % tariffs.
However, Indonesia stands to lose out too. Iron phosphate EV batteries, which use no nickel and are cheaper, are gaining global market share.
Nickel and cobalt batteries with higher price tags will still have their place, but probably more so in wealthy markets like the US and Europe, where consumers are willing to pay extra for higher performance and wider range. Which means Indonesia’s nickel could soon be smuggled out of the markets where it is most lucratively in demand.
Rakesh Saxena freed from jail, will be deported
Bangkok Bank of Commerce’s loss is blamed on an American accomplice.
PUBLISHED: 10 Sep 2024 at 15: 22
Following his release from prison, police have detained Bangkok Bank of Commerce ( BBC ) collapse kingpin Rakesh Saxena, who will be deported.
The company’s collapse through incompetence of great under-collateralised funding in 1995 marked the start of the Eastern” Tom Yam Kung” financial problems.
A resource said financial crime reduction officers received 72-year-old , Saxena, an American nationwide, from the Medical Correctional Institution on Monday and took him to Police General Hospital for health care.
However, they were coordinating with India to handle his imprisonment.  ,
Saxena was born in Madhya Pradesh, India’s Indore area. He was convicted of misappropriation from 1994 to 1996 while an assistant to the later Krirkkiat Jalichandra, next leader of the BBC.
The misappropriation was estimated at US$ 75 million. Following the BBC’s demise in 1995, he was charged in 1996.
The larceny contributed to the company’s disappointment, which precipitated the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
Saxena fled to Canada and was detained it in July 1996.
In November 2008, a French jury decided against his extradition after he had been charged with a long extradition proceeding, and he was finally allowed to go on test in Thailand.
The Supreme Court sentenced him to a full of 335 years in prison in 2022, gave him a 33.5 million baht fine, and gave him the right to pay back about 2 billion ringgit to harmed events. By regulation, his true word was capped at 20 years.
On the event of His Majesty the King’s sixth-cycle holiday on July 28 this time, he was granted royal mercy after serving for 15 years.
Saxena was initially detained at Bangkok Remand Prison while her trial was pending, according to a supply at the Department of Corrections. She eventually moved to Klong Prem Central Prison. According to age-related condition, he was moved , to the Medical Correctional Institution and remained there until his launch on Monday, Sept 9.
Six men arrested over links to global syndicate that conducts ‘malicious cyber activities’
ARRESTS A 42-year-old Taiwanese person who was detained at a condo along Bidadari Park Drive is one of the suspects. Authorities discovered a computer with entry credentials to websites owned by well-known hacker groups.  , Five devices, six mobile phones, income of more than S$ 24, 000 ( US$ 18,Continue Reading
Six men charged over links to global syndicate that conducts ‘malicious cyber activities’
MALWARE TOOLS Determined
At a landed estate along Mount Sinai Avenue, three Foreign nationals, Yan Peijian, Huang Qin Zheng, and Liu Yuqi, were detained.
Hua, 38,  , was found with devices containing files obtained without approval, such as private information of persons outside Singapore. This includes physically identifying data about international internet service providers.
Huang, 35, was found with a computer containing several computer hackers equipment. He is suspected of planning attacks, including exploiting risks in internet machines.
Liu, 32, was in possession of a computer containing several professional program to handle malicious, such as PlugX.
According to , Malpedia, an online tool documenting malicious problems, PlugX is a remote access troy that can be used to completely control a victim’s machine. The malware’s capabilities include executing distant commands and allowing its user to discover file systems after it gains entry.
In total, the government seized seven devices, 11 mobile phones and income of more than S$ 54, 000 ( US$ 41, 400 ) from the three men in the Mount Sinai Avenue residence.
All three were charged with targeting platforms to “scan for available ports and utilize vulnerabilities”, according to cost plates. Apparently, Huang and Liu collaborated with a specific individual referred to as” Bevis.”
Chinese federal Sun Jiao, 42, was arrested , at a condo along Bidadari Park Drive.
Authorities discovered a computer that had credentials to obtain websites owned by well-known hacker groups.  ,
Five devices, six cellular phones, income of more than S$ 24, 000 and bitcoin fair about US$ 850, 000 were seized.
PM’s heart gesture has petitioner in a tizzy
Ruangkrai Leekitwattana is suing for a decision regarding whether Paetongtarn disrespected her in her outfit.
PUBLISHED: 10 Sep 2024 at 14: 59
Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a frequent applicant, discovered yet another possible serious offence against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for making a mini-heart movement while wearing her legal services standard.
Mr. Ruangkrai has been doing extensive research in the morality section of the Constitution, including the fine print that the Pheu Thai Party is currently seeking to dissolve because it is “dominated” by Ms. Paetongtarn’s parents, Thaksin.
In his latest submission of paperwork to the National Anti-Corruption Commission ( NACC), he is asking it to look into whether Ms Paetongtarn’s action during a photo session on Sept 7 violated sections 17, 21 and 27 ( 2 ) of the constitution.
He also inquired about whether the Supreme Court should hear the case under Section 235 ( 1 ) and whether she could face a political ban for life under Section 235 ( 4 ) for persuading other cabinet ministers to cross their thumbs and index fingers while posing at Government House while wearing their white uniforms.
Most government members followed her advice until a spokesman for the photo session informed them that the movement was inappropriate for those wearing dress.
Thai bloggers had mixed responses to the affair, though some saw it as an honest violation.
Mr. Ruangkrai claimed that the public’s access to the event’s videos on Tik Tok and other locations may damage the public’s belief in the premiership’s integrity.
Mr Ruangkrai, a former legislator and a part of the Palang Pracharath Party, has a lengthy track record of targeting officials he does not like, often properly.
Most importantly, he compelled Samak Sundaravej to leave the court-ordered position in 2008 after receiving an stipend from a TV cooking show.
However, Warong Dechgitvigrom, the nationalist head of the Thai Pakdee Party, plans to file a complaint with the EC on Wednesday to find out whether Thaksin Shinawatra has an excessive influence over the Pheu Thai Party.
Paetongtarn, 38, the youngest child of Thaksin and Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra, is the Pheu Thai president. After the Constitutional Court removed Srettha Thavisin on August 14 for an honest infraction related to appointing past Thaksin’s lawyer, former prosecutor Pichit Chuenban, she stepped into the responsibility of primary minister.
During a team photo on September 7th, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and some government ministers flash mini-heart signs. ( Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut )
Southeast Asia expected to boost coal trade as China approaches peak
Despite China’s highest need, Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines are expected to increase coal industry and consumption this decade, according to industry officials. In a presentation to the Coaltrans Asia conference, its chairman Priyadi stated that the Indonesian Coal Miners Association ( ICMA ) anticipates imports fromContinue Reading
Busy Mae Sai border market flooded out
PUBLISHED: 10 Sep 2024 at 14: 48
Normally bustling Sai Lom Joy business, on the frontier with Myanmar in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai city, was shuttered and under water on Tuesday, flooded by flow from the rain-swollen Sai River.  ,
The river sank on its banks on Monday evening after heavy rains had been pouring down the border region since Sunday night, according to the Chiang Rai public relations department.
The river rose swiftly as frightened investors closed their stores and moved , their products to security, it said. On Tuesday, the ocean was still up to one meter deep in some creek sites.
In some flooded areas, the Provincial Electricity Authority has stopped providing power to residents because they are concerned for their health. Around 300 customers would be without power until the floodwaters subside, according to the statement.
A busy, significant business called Sai Lom Joy is located along the Burmese boundary between Mai Sai and Tachilek.
District leaders were also looking into the flooding’s injury.
The Northern Meteorological Centre issued a warning on Tuesday that it would receive more heavy rains in the northwestern region until next Monday.
Summit drafts ‘blueprint’ for AI use in military; China opts out
The document’s emphasis on preventing AI from being used to proliferate weapons of mass destruction ( WMD) by actors including terrorist groups as well as the need to maintain human control and involvement in the employment of nuclear weapons were two additional details. There are many other activities in thisContinue Reading
South Korea summit announces ‘blueprint’ for using AI in the military
SEOUL: A global summit in South Korea on Tuesday ( Sep 10 ) announced a “blueprint for action” to govern responsible use of artificial intelligence ( AI ) in the military, with more practical guidelines than a similar document last year, but still legally non-binding. How many of the 96Continue Reading
China approves first domestic mpox vaccine for clinical trials
Beginning on Monday ( Sep 9 ), the first Chinese mpox vaccine has been approved for clinical trials in China. The company behind it claims that early studies show promising results and effective immunity protection against the highly infected virus.  ,
The shot was developed by Shanghai Institute of Biological Products, a company of Taiwanese state-owned medical large Sinopharm, which , was even responsible for China’s first COVID-19 vaccination at the top of the pandemic in 2020.  ,
There are presently no approved mpox vaccinations in China, and Sinopharm’s new vaccine is anticipated to play a significant role in the country’s control and prevention of the condition, according to the company on its Twitter account on Monday.  ,
According to the statement, the safety and effectiveness of the mpox immunization have been “fully demonstrated by scientific data,” adding that it provides good resistance security against the disease as seen in “non-human animal models.”  ,
A vaccination candidate in China normally goes through three clinical testing before receiving business approval, which can take years, even decades, according to Chinese news site China Daily.  ,
The new vaccine’s release coincides with a rise in mpox cases all over the world.  ,
Previously known as “monkeypox”, the highly infectious disease can spread quickly through close contact. Symptoms include fever, headaches, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions.
In 2022, China declared mpox a Class B infectious disease, which enables authorities to take preventive measures like limiting gatherings, suspending work and school, or closing off locations when a disease outbreak occurs.
After a newer and more contagious mpox variant was discovered, the World Health Organization in August declared a global public health emergency.  ,
China has to date reported more than 2, 500 mpox cases, which include caseloads in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.  ,
Chinese authorities announced thorough screenings for all foreign arrivals over the next six months earlier this month as they began increasing checks and other preventive measures.  ,
According to officials, this will also apply to all ships and aircraft entering China, as well as containers and goods.  ,