BJP’s anti-Muslim rhetoric has deep, dark historical roots – Asia Times

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More than 960 million people have registered to cast ballots in India over the course of six months, making this the largest poll in the world.

Current Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) campaign and traveling extensively throughout the nation to deliver a message that he hopes will win the party’s overwhelmingly in the election.

He is both a well-known and controversial number. Modi’s remarks are drawing heating for their anti- Arab rhetoric. At a campaign rally on April 21, 2024, he referred to Muslims as “infiltrators“.

He later doubled down on those remarks, suggesting that if India’s largest opposition group, the Indian National Congress, came to power, the success of Hindus had been snatched and given to communities that “have to some children”, a relatively lightly veiled reference to Indian Muslims.

Such language highlights a dread that Modi and the BJP have frequently stoked: that Muslims may pose a significant risk to India’s Hindu-majority population.

Although Modi has since claimed that his conversation did not specifically address Muslims, his thoughts were undoubtedly taken as they were.

To some observers, the speech serves as an indication that the BJP campaign’s campaign is trying to secure a two-thirds supermajority in Parliament. According to the discussion, Modi is trying to combat voter apathy by appealing to the group’s Hindu foundation in the face of rising economic inequality and youth unemployment.

As an Indian writer of public health, I think it is crucial to understand how anti-Muslim language came about and how it fits with growing concerns about the Hindu majority’s decline in India.

Doubts of a Muslim acquisition

Political and administrative picture has been a source of skepticism in India since the days of English colonialism.

In 1919, the American granted Indians a limited company, American politicians were allowed to create legislation in specific fields, such as health care and education, but not on law and order.

After the 1931 population, Indian leaders – primarily Hindus, but also some Muslims – and American officials expressed concern about the ostensibly quick rate of population growth in India, which at the moment was growing by over 1 % annually.

These officials started promoting new birth control methods to American women, in keeping with similar efforts around the world.

However, colonial officials and Hindu administrators had to deal with the fact that Indians of all religions were averse to birth control propaganda in order to effectively persuade a large number of women to adopt household planning practices.

These skepticisms stemmed from social practices that were prevalent in both Hindu and Muslim communities, including marriage, baby marriage, and seclusion practices.

Policies that attempted to stifle American women’s standard lives, including birth control, were widely regarded as harmful forms of imperial control.

Role of British settlers

Hindu nationalist organizations created a unique narrative while the English used these social practices and suspicions to make the claim that all Indians were to blame for the rapid population growth and the accompanying poverty and hunger.

These border organizations, which gained popularity as a political power in the 1930s, popularized the notion that procedures that promoted people rise were particularly widespread among the Muslim community.

The Indian National Congress group and the Muslim League were at odds with one another at the same time. The League was established in 1906, but it soon started pressing for a independent country for Indian Muslims in the late 1930s.

Before the American era, there were divisions in American society. British colonial leaders made these personalities and divisions more restrictive by categorizing Indians into caste and religion, putting different communities in conflict with one another.

The British were able to defend the notion that Indians were capable of self-government and progressive politics without the supervision and control of colonial rule.

Although the American emigrated from India and Pakistan in 1947, growing Hindu-Muslim tensions after division continued to influence home planning propaganda in separate India.

Hindu separatists had anticipated the establishment of a one country with Hindu majority rule. In this context, they saw the establishment of Pakistan as a country and nation-state for South Asian Islamists as a huge failure and a reduction for India.

Also, the majority of Hindu guys and some women served as post-partition leaders and officials in India because the majority of the educated and wealthy Muslim classes ended up in Pakistan.

In the wake of the colonial period views of Muslims, Indian policymakers and administrators created and put into practice health care and education coverage. Preexisting views of Muslim hyperfertility in American policymakers specifically grew more deeply ingrained after split.

Population control applications

Officials at all levels of government assumed that the adoption of birth control may be lessened as India’s second significant population control program was launched in 1951.

In fact, the factors that influenced the rate of absorption of IUDs, oral contraceptives, and tubectomies in postindependence India were more influenced by geographical ( whether people lived in rural or urban regions, were from the country’s north or south ), as well as school position.

Population control has been one of the main objectives of Indian policymaking since 1951 as part of a campaign to end poverty and promote public health. However, the misconception that Indian Muslims are unwilling to participate in population control measures has fueled the perception that Islam is” superstitious” or “backward” in the eyes of the public.

This stereotyping has been felt by Indian Muslim communities across the country, particularly in northern India, according to research. Muslims claimed to be disproportionately targeted by population control initiatives.

These worries among the Muslim community grew more severe as a result of the state’s aggressive forced sterilization policy under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the 1970s.

Using religion for politics

Modi’s party, the BJP, was formed in 1980 but failed to win significant elections until the 1990s.

In the 1980s and 1990s, their main organizing pushed for the destruction of a mosque built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya, which is renowned as the site of Rama’s birthplace.

In 1992, Indian Hindu fundamentalists attacked the wall of the 16th-century Babri Masjid Mosque with iron rods at a contentious holy site in the city of Ayodhya. Photo: Asia Times files / AFP / Douglas E. Curran

The BJP promoted fears of a Muslim demographic dominance in India by promoting demands for” taking back” the land on which the Babri Masjid was built with worries of a Muslim majority.

But such fears are unfounded. Despite the Muslim minority growing from 11 % in the mid- 1980s to 14 % today, its representation in Parliament has actually declined, from 9 % in the mid- 1980s to 5 % today.

Since the BJP took control of India in 2014, party leaders have relied on historical reassurances about projected increases in the number of Muslims to help them win successive state and national elections and pass laws like the Citizenship Amendment Act, which discriminates against Muslims.

BJP leaders have accused Muslim men of forcibly converting Hindu women to Islam through “love jihad,” a fabricated claim that Muslim men deceive Hindu women to increase their demographic appeal.

The most recent iteration of a long history of Hindu demographic fears has proved to be a lasting one thanks to Modi’s most recent statement making reference to” those who have too many children.”

Clemson University’s assistant professor of history is Archana Venkatesh.

This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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China’s gray zone social media war comes to America – Asia Times

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China uses a variety of “gray zone” strategies to combat a number of adversaries while being fairly intense and no egregiously aggressive. One such technique is used within the United States: cultural media-based hidden influence operations.

Recently, Foreign government-related action has grown more alarming. &nbsp, Previously the principal danger was People’s Republic of China ( PRC ) propaganda lulling the US into uncritical acceptance of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP ) foreign policy agenda. &nbsp, Nowadays, the Chinese government is adding its mass to the troops tearing at America’s national material from the inside.

Prior to recently, the primary goals of PRC-sponsored social media messages directed at Americans were to foster a positive perception of China and its current state and to advance Beijing’s point of view on issues involving Taiwan’s social relationship with China, the treatment of Tibetans and Uighurs, and the restrictions of civil liberties in Hong Kong. &nbsp,

The language used in social media posts was comparable to what US-based Chinese officials were saying when they gave speeches and TV discussions or wrote articles for magazines.

This contrasted with the communication promoted by the Russian government, which usually denigrated the US government and exacerbated deeply entrenched private social and political issues in the US, suggesting that the Russian government’s intention was to foster social unrest in America.

This appeared to be in line with the individual Russian and Chinese relations with the US. &nbsp, Vladimir Putin wanted to hurt the United States. &nbsp, He held strong animosity over

  • the loss of Russia’s great power status in the 1990s,
  • degrading US treatment of Russia as a result of the growth of NATO and disrespect for Russian tastes as America engaged in wars in Iraq, Libya, and Syria,
  • the release in 2016 of the thus- called Panama Papers, which Putin&nbsp, said&nbsp, was an effort by the US government to offend him, and
  • punishment from the US against Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea. &nbsp,

Putin is likely to welcome an economic decline and lawlessness in America.

On the other hand, China needed American to keep purchasing Chinese products, sending Chinese students to school, and bringing cutting-edge systems there. Thus, the purpose of Chinese strategic communication was to end any threats to American business continuity.

The United States has continued to try to develop good sentiments toward China. &nbsp, During the 2022 election battle in the United States, PRC- linked entities&nbsp, promulgated messaging&nbsp, friendly of China- pleasant prospects in a few political races. To support the Chinese propaganda about Xinjiang and another contentious political issues, TikTok has produced, promoted, and distributed brief videos to millions of its users.

However, there is now a much lighter component to PRC communication.

The US director of national intelligence&nbsp, notes&nbsp, “growing]PRC] efforts to actively exploit perceived US societal divisions”, through which” the PRC aims to sow doubts about US leadership]and ] undermine democracy”.

According to&nbsp, Clint Watts, general manager of Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center,” More recently, ]PRC government ] efforts have shifted to exploiting existing partisan divides in the US”, including” the Chinese actually going into US audience spaces, masquerading as Americans and posting inflammatory content around current events or social issues or political issues”.

A&nbsp, report&nbsp, by Microsoft published in April 2024 found attempts by the PRC to” stretched conspiratorial narratives on various social media platforms” .&nbsp, Accounts that appear to be CCP- affiliated “post about contentious US regional issues such as global warming, US border policies, substance use, immigration and cultural tensions”.

As an example, these messages said the dangerous August 2023 fires in Maui, Hawaii resulted from the US defense testing a “weather weapon” .&nbsp, Foreign- linked accounts also published speculation that the US government&nbsp, caused&nbsp, the disaster of a coach in Kentucky in November 2023 and was “hiding things” in the aftermath.

Microsoft concluded that the apparent objective of such posts is “encouraging mistrust of and disillusionment with the US government” .&nbsp, In another&nbsp, report&nbsp, also published in April 2024, Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center assessed that Chinese government- sponsored social media activity “aims to destabilize” the US and other democracies.

There are two key factors contributing to the change in the content of PRC-promoted messaging in the social media platforms used by Americans.

The first was the coronavirus pandemic. &nbsp, Just before the virus began to severely impact the United States in early 2020, US President Donald Trump was &nbsp, praising&nbsp, the Chinese government for its counter- pandemic response and&nbsp, touting&nbsp, a bilateral agreement that was supposed to end the” trade war” and restore normalcy to US- China trade relations. &nbsp,

As US fatalities mounted, however, Trump&nbsp, blamed&nbsp, China for unleashing a “plague” on the US. &nbsp, The PRC government responded by ratcheting up its criticism of the US government. &nbsp,

Chinese officials and government- controlled media not only decried the botched management of the pandemic in the US but extended the critique to add the argument that America’s political system is&nbsp, broken&nbsp, and that the US&nbsp, does not&nbsp, deserve&nbsp, a role in global leadership. In PRC strategic communication, greater emphasis on these themes grew to be a new standard.

Russia’s expanded invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022, gave it a second boost. &nbsp, The war pulled China into stronger diplomatic support for its” no limits” quasi- ally. This has resulted in a closer harmonisation between the propaganda messages from Russia and China. &nbsp, The Chinese government, for example, &nbsp, repeats&nbsp, the Russian position that NATO is responsible for causing the war.

Russia and China are working to delegitimize US influence and the liberal political outlook that threatens both Xi Jinping and Putin as the conflict in Ukraine has intensified the sense among the democracies of an increasingly dangerous authoritarian bloc.

Researchers have &nbsp, found&nbsp, large numbers of China- linked social media accounts spreading pro- Trump and anti- Biden messaging, suggesting that China prefers Trump over Biden as the next US president.

Which of the two major party presidential candidates for the Russian government is unquestionably the best option for the Russian government. Trump has frequently criticized US aid for Ukraine as well as the NATO alliance and has consistently held a friendly and respectful stance toward Putin.

For Beijing, however, the question is more complicated.

Biden’s significant, foreseeable negative effects on the PRC. He would continue to thwart Chinese requests for more open access to US markets and technology. The Biden administration continued to impose tariffs on Chinese imports from the Trump era and stifled China’s access to cutting-edge technologies. &nbsp, Biden’s team has also repaired and strengthened US alliances in the Asia- Pacific region, obstructing PRC domination.

Trump, however, poses a risk to China. Trump is respectful and respectful toward Xi and has occasionally uncritically absorbed CCP views like” Korea actually used to be a part of China.”

Trump, on the other hand, appointed advisors to the White House during his first term that significantly weakened US policy toward China. Trump himself has at times harshly criticized China, as during the pandemic. &nbsp, He recently&nbsp, said&nbsp, he might increase tariffs on Chinese imports into the US to over 60 %. &nbsp, At his worst, Trump might be worse for China than Biden.

Has Beijing’s top leadership now decided that if America descended into chaos, its interests were best served by pursuing a compromise? Given that CCP officials continue to say that their goal is to give China the best chance to extract wealth and know-how and not Washington stop worrying about national security.

They also want Americans to feel less confident in supporting the world’s liberal democratic system of government. &nbsp, Chinese leaders want to fortify their country against demands for political liberalization.

This is part of the reason why the PRC government keeps&nbsp, harping&nbsp, on the importance of the” Bali consensus” in US- China relations. According to Beijing, this” consensus” is a list of five policy renunciations that Biden agreed to during his meeting with Xi in Bali in 2022, one of them his assurance that” the United States does not seek to change China’s system” .&nbsp, ( There is no parallel list of policies that China renounces in the Chinese summary of the meeting, and the US&nbsp, official readout&nbsp, does not include a list of five US renunciations. )

It is ironic and expected that the Chinese government is a part of such a campaign.

It is ironic because Beijing so&nbsp, often&nbsp, and so&nbsp, strenuously&nbsp, insists&nbsp, that” China never interferes in the affairs of other countries” .&nbsp, PRC officials specifically deny that China ever has or ever will attempt to influence the US electoral process, &nbsp, saying&nbsp, the accusation indicates American “paranoia” and a penchant for” slinging mud at China to divert attention” from US governance failures.

A covert attempt by the Chinese government to subvert an adversary’s government is not surprising, because the Chinese government is already preoccupied with the threat of subversion. &nbsp, The 2013 internal PRC government memo&nbsp, Document No 9&nbsp, summarizes the Xi regime’s fear of” Western anti- China forces” overthrowing China’s political system by smuggling in liberal ideas and values.

The document argues that CCP authorities must “ensure that the media leadership is always firmly controlled by someone who maintains an ideology similar to the Party’s Central Committee” and that they must “allow absolutely no opportunities or outlets for incorrect thinking or viewpoints to spread.”

PRC leaders and the government-controlled media frequently mention the threat posed by” color revolutions” and place “hostile foreign forces” or “black hands” in China’s internal conflicts, which are in fact caused by dissatisfaction with Chinese colonization or CCP oppression.

Beijing will not fail to use the same tactic against its own adversaries if the Chinese government believes subversion from the outside is potentially effective.

Poor judgment and cynicism are attested by the numerous PRC officials’, including Xi, broken promises to behave ethically in international affairs. &nbsp, To dissuade Beijing from continuing to meddle in American politics, a US response is justified.

As with other Chinese gray zone operations, however, hitting back is problematic. The PRC does not hold real elections or hold open debate on domestic political issues, and China forbids the social media platforms the PRC uses to reach American audiences. &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp,

A possible proportionate US response would be to attack the ruling regime’s fear of losing legitimacy in the eyes of the Chinese population. &nbsp,

Xi’s government has already suffered a decrease in prestige because of widespread public&nbsp, pessimism&nbsp, about the government’s ability to successfully manage China’s economy, plus fresh bad memories of the government’s counter- Covid policy, which included draconian lockdowns followed by acquiescence to a mass die- off.

In 2012, a&nbsp, New York Times&nbsp, article&nbsp, documented the immense wealth built up by family members of PRC Premier Wen Jiabao. &nbsp, The expose clearly jabbed a raw nerve in Zhongnanhai, the Chinese government&nbsp, scrambled&nbsp, to censor the story and discussion of it, officially called it false and later expelled a&nbsp, New York Times&nbsp, reporter as retaliation.

Top-ranking Chinese leaders of the present are similarly susceptible to damaging revelations about their personal hypocrisy ( such as sending their children to American colleges ) from a trustworthy foreign source.

In normal times, the US could disregard Chinese social media influence operations as insignificant. Unfortunately, this Chinese push comes at a time when US domestic politics are polarized, conspiracy theories are prevalent, and procedures and institutions that are crucial to the proper operation of US democracy are in decline.

PRC interference reinforces harmful trends that are already occurring. This vile influencing behavior could lead to outcomes that Beijing may regret as well as be bad for America under such circumstances.

Denny Roy is a senior fellow at the East- West Center, Honolulu.

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PM courts investors in Italy

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Srettha on 5- morning excursion with list of priorities

PM courts investors in Italy
Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, meets with professionals from the Italian style home in Valdilana, Italy, on Friday. ( Photo: Thai Government )

Thailand and Italy will push for further assistance in the fields of clean energy, sports hospitality, medical science, pharmaceuticals, and military, according to assistant state representative Radklao Intawong Suwankiri.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his Roman equivalent Giorgia Meloni likely discuss them as part of their ongoing dialogue to strengthen bilateral relations as the prime minister is currently on a five-day attend to Italy as of Friday.

According to Ms. Radklao, this year marks the 156th celebration of the two countries ‘ diplomatic relations.

The prime minister will even ask European companies to invest in Thailand’s fashion industry, soft power, agrarian technology, food industry, and sustainability- linked bonds, as well as the government’s Land Bridge project.

Both sides may share their knowledge in GI ( geographical indication )- listed products, the development of SMEs, the space industry and food conservation.

Mr. Srettha will also advocate for important issues like the completion of the Thailand-EU FTA negotiations by 2025, and the future job of Thai employees who have come back from Israel.

Mr Srettha even met monday with Carlo Capasa, president of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, Attilio Fontana, the government of Italy’s Lombardy place, and Raffaele Cattaneo, the state’s secretary for international and European relationships.

Mr. Srettha met with professionals from Versace, as well as representatives from Zegna and Loro Piana, at the Milan-based style home.

Ms. Radklao claimed that the prime minister also brought textiles from the Sakhon Nakhon fashion houses to show them as part of efforts to spread native Thai wisdom in conventional indigo dyeing.

The spokesperson stated that the project is the product of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya.

Mr. Srettha led a group of Thai enterprise managers to the French Business Forum in France on Thursday before his trip to Italy.

Following on the findings of their previous meeting, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss trade and investment, the defense sector, soft power, and strengthening the France-Thailand strategic partnership in accordance with the Roadmap for Thai-French Relations ( 2022-2024 ).

At the conference, Mr. Srettha delivered a conversation. Ms. Radklao encapsulated the main factors.

The primary secretary stated that after taking office, he made his first official trip to France. His next visit to the two nations in three months demonstrated how close the two countries are together.

Next month, he invited the CEO of Comité Colbert to Thailand to encounter first- hand Indian culture and design.

Thailand hopes to learn from and work with a leader like France to advance its creative economy sectors, according to the PM.

He added that prominent Thai businesses were traveling with him and that it was the president’s priority to set the stage for meetings, connections, and collaboration between private sector parties.

Thailand is France’s third- largest trading partner in Asean. Mr Srettha said that under his administration, the country can and should become France’s largest partner in the region, Ms Radklao said.

There are around 30, 000 Thais living in France while some 40, 000 French nationals reside in Thailand, the second- highest number of French expats in Asia.

Last year, about 270, 000 tourists from France visited Thailand while France welcomed almost 200, 000 Thais.

Recently, the government launched its” Ignite Thailand” vision to establish the country as a global hub in eight sectors, including tourism, wellness &amp, medical, aviation and logistics.

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China unveils property stimuli amid falling sales – Asia Times

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After falling in house sales and purchase in the first four months of this year, China released an extraordinary bundle of measures to encourage homebuyers to enter markets on Friday. &nbsp,

The People’s Bank of China ( PBoC ) said it will establish a nationwide program to unleash 300 billion yuan ( US$ 41.5 billion ) in cheap funding to help state- owned- enterprises ( SOEs ) buy unsold homes.

The minimum down payment ratios for first-time purchases were reduced from 20 % to 15 %, and second-time purchases were reduced from 30 % to 25 %, according to the PBoC and the NFRRA. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Additionally, it stated that first and second home loan rates will be abolished nationwide at the lowest rate possible. &nbsp,

According to the central bank, central bank branches is then set lower mortgage rates in accordance with local circumstances. Financial corporations should set the minimum borrowing costs based on their business climate and customer threats, it remarked.

From May 18, the PBoC may also reduce the mortgage rates of the individual accommodation retirement account, a long-term cover savings plan made up of required regular deposits by both employers and employees, by 0.25 percentage points.

Stocks of the Hong Kong-listed Chinese engineers increased on Friday after many of them more than doubled in value during the week that ended Thursday. &nbsp,

Shares of China Vanke Co increased 19.4 % to close at HK$ 6.84 (88 US cents ) on Friday while shares of Sunac China rose 25.9 % to HK$ 1.85. &nbsp,

Agile Group gained 24.3 % to 92 HK cents while Guangzhou R&amp, F Properties surged 12.7 % to HK$ 1.33. &nbsp,

Poor house figures

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS ) released new economic data for January- April 2024 on Friday.

In the first four weeks, China’s estate investment fell 9.8 % year- on- yr to 3.09 trillion yuan. For the 23rd subsequent month, the number has been declining.

In January-April, investment in residential real estate decreased by 10 % to 2.34 trillion yuan from last year.

New home sales fell 28.3 % to 2.81 trillion rmb for the same time. New home sales slumped 31.1 %. &nbsp,

New home sales size decreased 20.2 % to 293 million square feet. New home sales level decreased by 23.8 % year over year.

In April, the average home price in 70 largest Chinese cities fell 3.1 % from a year ago, according to the NBS. It’s the biggest year-on-year drop since November 2014, in terms of terms of year on year.

” March and April are a classic great time, but both new house sales and sales volume have decreased year-on-year over the course of that time, demonstrating how severe the Chinese home markets are right now,” said Wang Xiaoqiang, chief scientist with the Zhuge Real Estate Data Research Center. &nbsp,

Wang claimed that new home sales volume in the first four months of this year decreased by 26.4 % from the same time last year, when most Chinese cities still adhered to Covid laws.

Zhang Hongwei, founder of Jingjian Consulting, said property activities may improve if some urban commercial banks start offering mortgage borrowers10- 20 % discounts in the coming few months. &nbsp,

SOE home purchases&nbsp,

He Lifeng, the vice president of China, stated at a teleconference on Friday that the government will make more efforts to address the risks associated with unfinished commercial housing projects, ensure the delivery of housing projects, and encourage the reduction of property inventory in the markets.

He claimed that local governments are permitted to purchase unsold homes at fair prices and turn them into affordable or rental housing units.

In the upcoming year, 21 national banks, including China Development Bank, policy banks, state-owned commercial banks, Postal Savings Bank of China, and joint-stock commercial banks, will be given loans worth 300 billion yuan at an interest rate of 1.75 %, according to PBoC Deputy Governor Tao Ling. The period of time can be extended four times. &nbsp,

She stated that the central bank will provide loans to national banks to cover 60 % of the scheme’s lending, allowing them to lend SOEs an additional 200 billion yuan, increasing the total to 500 billion yuan.

She suggested that national banks should grant loans to SOEs designated by local governments in accordance with market rules, while local governments should make their own decisions about whether to join the scheme.

” The SOEs for home purchases will be designated by local governments”, Tao said. ” They must not be local government financing vehicles ( LGFVs ) or companies related to local governments ‘ shadow financing” .&nbsp,

China’s total local government debt, including LGFV loans and shadow credit, was about 90- 110 trillion yuan, or 75- 91 % of the country’s GDP in 2022, according to a research report published last November by the 21st Century China Center of the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California San Diego. &nbsp,

Read: China to reboot markets with SOE home purchases

Follow Jeff Pao on X: &nbsp, @jeffpao3

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Johor police station attack: Suspect’s neighbours say no inkling of his family’s suspected JI links

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Prof. Ramakrishna claimed that Indonesian security forces had long ago eradicated the more violent groups that had developed in the sailing school.

However, he said,” It seems feasible that a younger generation of violent parts from this area could be gradually reviving.” He noted that police were already monitoring them as a result of the inquiries of more than 20 well-known JI people in Johor.

However, security consultant Chasseur Group, founder of security firm Chasseur Group, Munira Mustaffa, cautioned against interpreting a single event as a representation of JI activities in the area.

” Now, JI’s primary atom in Indonesia remains weakened due to a lack of leadership and is generally decentralised”, she told CNA.

” This event is very possible to have been an isolated event. Until we understand his problems, desires for launching the assault, and priorities, we may say with certainty that there is a larger plot”.

Ms. Munira stressed that the criminal’s papa has so far been the only one who has forged a link to JI.

” The authorities are arresting persons with suspected references. It remains to be seen whether they actually are people, she continued.

” Until we know with certainty that this is the case, I am optimistic about any claims of an effective JI body in Johor.”

In the same vein, RSIS’s Prof. Ramakrishna emphasized that further investigations are required to determine how much a potential resurgence of aggressive militancy has spread among the “affiliated with the ancient Luqmanul Hakiem pesantren.”

” RUDIMENTARY” ATTACK

According to Prof. Ramakrishna, the manner in which the incident took place appeared to be “very rudimentary,” involving what appeared to be a hapless artist who wanted to steal a gun from the authorities.

According to Assistant Professor Ahmad El-Muhammady, an associate fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism ( ICCT), the suspect may have been inspired by previous terrorist attacks that have occurred in Indonesia.

For example, in December 2022, a gentleman blew himself up at a police station in Bandung, killing an officer and wounding 10 people. The attacker was associated with Jamaah Ansharut Daulah ( JAD), a member of the Islamic State terror group.

Asst. Prof. Ahmad said that the suspect may be brought on by external factors like the Gaza conflict and the perception of injustice in relation to Israeli issues.

” A former member of JI used to tell me: You can kill the organisation, but you ca n’t kill the ideology. Some individuals still maintain the ideology’s consistency, and it may be spreading it covertly, he said.

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Bangladesh: Where a US ambo can still captivate a nation – Asia Times

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I recently came across reports about the possible appointment of a fresh US ambassador to Bangladesh while scrolling through Twitter on a new morning. Peter Haas may also go down as the most influential US minister in Bangladesh’s new history, but David Meale appeared to be on the verge of taking over.

Actually for a brief moment, the idea of a foreign minister exerting major impact in a democratic country of 180 million might look strange. But Bangladesh’s history of political instability has created opportunities for additional actors to act, exercise their authority and form the country’s course in many ways.

I had a casual conversation with a reputed senior journalist who I viewed as a mentor, and this unpleasant reality first came to mind. Over tea and biscuits, he dropped a facts weapon:” Faisal”, he said, “remember, in Bangladesh, just three people truly hold influence: the Prime Minister, the Indian High Commissioner and the US Ambassador”.

Years later, as my monitoring expanded from focusing on business and equipment to focusing on the wider social scenery, I realized his words were deep wisdom. They were unquestionably accurate.

Consider the time leading up to Bangladesh’s January 2024 federal election. For more than a year, the US Ambassador’s every shift was monitored and scrutinized below by a captivated state. Has accurred to prominence in news stories, yet for seemingly unimportant things like a home excursion to neighboring India.

Ambassador Haas was elevated to a prophecy position on chat shows and YouTube programs run by expelled Bangladeshis and well-known experts. Individuals hoped he would intervene and stop Bangladesh from becoming an totalitarian state.

Under the Biden administration, the expectation was that he would somehow re-establish voting right and a functioning democratic system, enabling Bangladesh to experience real politics, something the US supports internationally.

Haas a family brand

Well, that assumption on Haas was n’t simply false. Following the US’s sanctions against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven of its major former leaders only three months prior, he arrived in Bangladesh in March 2022.

A Bangladeshi military unit called RAB was accused of serious human rights violations, including judicial killings and disappearances involving political opponents of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has for the past ten and a half decades been in power in the South Asian country with an extraordinary iron grip.

Ambassador Haas had a huge success in Bangladesh since his appearance, giving prior consideration to meetings with human rights organizations and significant political parties. His numerous press appearances have been covered extensively in relation to the importance of completely, fair, and all-royal elections.

Some economists believed that his statements reflected a change in US plan. They saw it as a departure from examining Bangladesh only through the lens of India, as had been assumed for a while.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP ) gained new life as a result of the perceived support of the US. The group held significant rallies all over the country despite being plagued by various politically motivated legal cases brought against its users.

Regular Bangladeshis anticipated a better outcome in the future vote after going through two contested elections with restricted voting rights.

When the US made a fresh card plan for Bangladesh in late March of last year, the anticipation increased. According to that plan, the US would impede its visa applications for those found to be obstructing the election process. The news had a major influence on Bangladeshi world.

This is because Bangladeshis who are looking for education or employment opportunities have long sought out the US as their best place. It’s also broadly understood in Bangladesh that the US has considerable control over the government’s connections with other world powers, including the European Union, UK, Canada and Australia.

A restriction on US visa may also make it harder to obtain permits from these nations.

All kinds of rumors and rumors were fueled by the US card policy’s large nature. Popular due to a restricted local media environment, Bangladeshi protesters in exile published unfounded names of politicians allegedly targeted in untrue lists.

People are ruminating about potential US intervention in the long-running Awami League government in daily conversations and online.

With the new visa regulations, US Ambassador Haas has become a key figure in discussions about what the opposition parties have called “restoring democracy” in Bangladesh.

Seen as an embodiment of a potential US intervention, his popularity skyrocketed. Golam Maola Rony, the leader of the BNP, humorously described this situation as “god in the sky and Haas on earth” to protect them from oppression on a TV talk show.

The general public opinion of the US and Haas had grown to such a high level that when Israel began launching a disproportionate offensive against Palestinians in retaliation for Hamas ‘ attack, criticism of the US remained almost nonexistent, even among Islamic political parties.

This was unprecedented, as Bangladeshis were seen demonstrating against the US government in previous instances where anything happened in Palestine, knowing that Israel would be left in the middle of the Middle East without the US’s support.

Reality bites back

In mid- November, Bangladesh’s Election Commission declared the January 7 poll schedule. The BNP’s request that the election be held under a neutral caretaker government, a system that the country’s High Court had abolished, was not received.

In response, the party was adamant about avoiding the election based on its previous polls, where it won only seven out of 300 seats in a contest that was widely regarded as highly rigged. No free and fair poll could be conducted under a partisan government, it was certain.

As the BNP and its allies ‘ street protests grew more frequent throughout the nation, there was a period of unrest. Increased police response and legal proceedings followed these protests.

Coinciding with this political tension, the vital readymade garment ( RMG) sector, responsible for over 80 % of the country’s export earnings, was shaken by demonstrations demanding a minimum wage increase. Tragically, some workers lost their lives during these protests.

Adding to the anxieties, the US announced a new policy, the” Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labour Standards Globally”. With this directive, the US was able to impose sanctions, trade restrictions, and visa restrictions on nations that violate labor rights. Many Bangladeshis saw this as a potential threat of broad economic sanctions aimed at the RMG sector.

During that tense period, US Ambassador Haas’s actions became a constant source of national attention. Every action taken by the US ambassador and embassy was subject to thorough analysis, which led to speculation and conflict of interest.

By spreading false information, social media and even major news outlets exacerbated the situation. The investigation soared to the point where some national newspapers turned the story into a speculative one about Ambassador Haas’s family’s trip to India before Christmas.

The outcome of the January 7 election was a foregone conclusion right away because the main opposition party had boycotted, but all political parties and regular people had high expectations for the US’s reactions.

Within a day of the results, the US publicly criticized the fairness of the election while being concerned about opposition members ‘ arrests. It also emphasized the US’s” commitment to continued partnership with Bangladesh.”

According to the US, this partnership aims to “promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, support human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and strengthen people-to-people and economic ties.”

Begrudging acceptance

The absence of a US or other international intervention was seen by Awami League politicians as a disapproving of the results of the election by the West. The opposition eventually grasped the same reality: there would n’t be a US- led push to remove the Awami League government.

Finally, most analysts and activists were forced to accept the new political environment in the old setting after months of online activism and commentary. Some political pundits and analysts, however, are still dissecting the US’s moves and trying to make a sense out of its Bangladesh policy.

Should it adopt a more lenient stance or adopt a tougher strategy to encourage democratic reforms? Will it completely abandon its values-based approach in favor of a purely interest-driven strategy, or will it make an effort to strike a balance between the two principles?

The common people’s intense interest in the US, its foreign policy toward Bangladesh, and more recently, the American ambassador have all waned. Ambassador Haas quickly became a focal point for hundreds of millions of Bangladeshis for a while, likely without realizing it.

Many people thought of him as the embodiment of the supposed values-based relationship between the US and Bangladesh. That will most likely have ended with his coming departure and the lack of US-motivated change.

Faisal Mahmud is a Dhaka- based journalist.

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Sasakawa keeping China-Japan military lines open – Asia Times

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This week, Chinese military officers are visiting their Japanese counterparts, raising hopes for more stable diplomatic relations or at least greater experience with how to deal with any unforeseen crises. What it probably wo n’t do, however, is make any fundamental change in their East Asia stand- off.

On May 14, a committee of 20 People’s Liberation Army ( Army ) senior officials arrived in Japan for six weeks of markets with Japan Self- Defence Forces rivals. It is the first PLA visit to Japan in four decades, thanks to the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

The trip will stop at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Komaki Air Base close to Nagoya, and Maizuru Naval Base in the Japan Sea, west of Kyoto. The more significant US bases at Yokosuka, on Okinawa and elsewhere in Japan are not on the PLA’s tour plan.

Chinese officers last traveled to China in July 2023, but Beijing’s subsequent set reciprocal visit to Japan was postponed because it was upset that Japan had decided to release waste from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.

Water is stored at Fukkushima in three different ways. At the back of this photo, two different types of above-ground water tank can be seen, and the workers are employed in an underground store lake. Photo: Wikipedia

The Japan-China Field Officer Exchange Program was established in 2001 by the privately held Sasakawa Peace Foundation, a non-profit firm with a headquarters in Tokyo.

Reverse visits were originally intended to be conducted every year, but the two parties ‘ tumultuous feud over command of the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands and subsequent controversy surrounding the Covid crisis ended everything.

However, 26 visits involving some 400 officials have taken place so far under the plan, with PLA representatives even paying calling on Japan’s Ground Self- Defense Force (army ), Chinese companies and actually farming villages.

In May 2023, amid tensions over the situation in the South China Sea and Taiwan, the foundation’s honorary chairman, Sasakawa Yohei, told The Diplomat that” At times like this, it is effective for the private sector to create a window for mutual understanding. It’s very important to hobnob together and have informal conversations. Even in the world, this military exchange is unique.

China’s Communist Party- run Global Times, known for its nationalistic stances, also favors the officer exchange program.

The China Institute of International Studies research fellow Xiang Haoyu, who believes that the resumption of bilateral military exchanges is a positive development that contributes to the rebuilding of trust, was quoted in an article published on May 14.

” China- Japan relations have started to bottom out and the beginnings of a gradual rebound,” according to the report from last year. While negative factors affecting bilateral relations, especially Japan’s dumping of nuclear- contaminated wastewater and some Japanese politicians ‘ hyping of]the ] Taiwan question, still exist, both sides have maintained some exchanges and gradually restored relations”, said Xiang. &nbsp,

That may be an optimistic or even opportunistic take on the actual situation, but it does offer some insight into China’s official position on the matter. The PLA officers ‘ visit received a scant amount of coverage in the Japanese press.

The Nippon Foundation and the Japanese motorboat racing organization were the foundations of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in 1986. &nbsp,

The Nippon Foundation’s history dates back to 1951, when Sasakawa Ryoichi persuaded the Japanese Diet to pass the Motorboat Racing Law, which authorized gambling at motorboat races to raise money for projects like the rebuilding of Japan’s maritime industry.

Sasakawa Ryoichi, a well-known right-winger, was a major player who forged a name for himself in rice speculating, mining, and other endeavors. In the 1930s, he used his wealth to finance a private air squadron. In 1939, he and his squadron flew to Rome to meet Mussolini, whom he called a “perfect fascist”. He gave his aircraft and related equipment to the Japanese military in 1941.

Sasakawa became an independent candidate for free speech in the Diet in 1942. He spent much of the war years in Manchuria and China, where he is rumored to have started highly profitable smuggling operations many years ago. He gets nowhere with that idea.

Sasakawa allegedly pushed the American occupation authorities into detaining him after the war for “instigating aggression, nationalism, and hostility against the United States.” He was the author of a book defending their actions after three years spent with the leaders of wartime Japan, seven of whom were hanged.

He then turned to anti- communist political activity and philanthropy. He and Syngman Rhee, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the unification church’s founder, and Chiang Kai-shek, who were in good terms.

The Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation was established in 1962, and it was granted the legal authority to administer grants made from motorboat racing proceeds. Naturally, Roy Sasakawa assumed the role of chairman.

The Nippon Foundation was given its new name in 2011 after working with the UN on maritime law, contributing more than US$ 70 million to the WHO’s fight against leprosy, and funding other philanthropic initiatives.

Sasakawa Ryoichi passed away in 1995 at the age of 96. One of his three sons is Sasakawa Yohei. In 2011, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation was transformed into a public interest incorporated foundation, which is one type of Japanese non- profit organization.

In June 2023, Sasakawa Yohei ( C ) holds a press conference. Image: Facebook Screengrab

In addition to these four regionally focused funds, the Sasakawa Pacific Island Nations Fund, the Sasakawa Pan Asia Fund, the Sasakawa Middle East Islam Fund, and the Sasakawa Japan- China Friendship Fund, it contributes to international exchange and cooperation.

Through the joint disaster prevention, rural health activities, and the military field officer exchange program described above, the Japan- China Friendship Fund aims to promote peace and mutual development between Japan and China.

Sasakawa Ryoichi created the Sasakawa Japan- China Friendship Fund as a means of “promoting permanent peace and mutual understanding between China and Japan.” At present, it serves as a back channel to China at a time of escalating tensions.

Follow this writer on&nbsp, X: @ScottFo83517667

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Controversy erupts over India’s electoral bonds, opposition calls it ‘world’s biggest scam’

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Since its founding, CPIM has been one of the biggest reviewers of political bonds and has made it known that the party may not accept donations made through the system.

Additionally, it is one of the petition in the Supreme Court case that brought a case involving the constitutionality of democratic bonds.

Critics claim that the BJP has now gotten the rewards because political parties have now squandered the majority of the donations.

NO UNDUE ADVANTAGE IN POLLS: BJP

But, the BJP said that despite getting a lion’s share of the money, it does not give the group an unfair advantage in the current vote.

The Lok Sabha ( House of the People ) is the party with the most members of parliament. But the amount received by the BJP is less than 40 per cent”, said one of the group’s officials Nalin Kohli.

It is a tiny sum in comparison to political parties that have received significantly more money but have a much smaller social existence than our MPs, according to the amount or proportional to our MPs.

Given that ruling parties typically have influence, spectators claimed that the BJP’s gain of more funds is certainly unforeseen.

” I’m not surprised that ( BJP) got the majority of the share. In fact, I’m surprised they did n’t corner 90 per cent of funds. Ruling parties wherever have an benefit”, said SY Quraishi, a previous election director of India. &nbsp,

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT RETURNS DONORS GET

Not just the fact that Mr. Modi’s gathering benefits overwhelmingly from poll donations worries critics.

These discoveries have heightened concerns about a social party-to-corporate installation in a federal election.

At least 30 commercial sponsors donated to political events, according to studies, after federal authorities began looking into revenue and money laundering against them.

Another report revealed that 33 businesses donated securities worth more than their gains, with three-quarters of those gifts going to the BJP.

Many people are questioning the compensation companies have received as a result of the discovery.

” The people who donate are no saints. There is no free meal. They give because they have vested passions, and they expect a reward, according to Mr. Quraishi. &nbsp,

According to one American media outlet, businesses that make significant donations to the BJP were given significant state contracts.

” It is a means to extract cash from businesses. It provides businesses with a means of offering deals for cash. It is perhaps the country’s biggest bribery scam”, said Congress head Rahul Gandhi. &nbsp,

In a new interview, Mr. Modi defended the electoral bonds, saying that the system was a good way to combat “black money,” which refers to money obtained through illegal methods.

Nothing has been put in place to exchange political bonds as a source of political funding so much.

According to projections from the Center for Media Studies in New Delhi, which tracks social spending, parties likely spent a total of US$ 14.4 billion to entice voters this election.

Political observers claim that the political bonds scheme’s funding has generally been used to finance that expenditure in order to earn what is shaping up to be one of India’s most expensive polls always.

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US opens door for China advances in the Pacific – Asia Times

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China and the US are competing for wet real estate, underwater resources and military edge among the South Pacific’s secluded island nations, a powerhouse contest to gain influence over their economies, airstrips, seaports and security forces.

China is commonly perceived as expanding its Belt and Road system across the Pacific’s wet” Blue Continent” to finally reach North, Central, and South America plus Antarctica, all the while empowering Beijing’s military, businesses, global policies and politics.

China won a victory on May 2 when the strategically important Solomon Islands elected pro-Beijing Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, 55, a former foreign minister in the country’s once-friendly state of incoming prime minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Because the two nations had signed a diplomatic Solomon Islands Security Agreement in 2022, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and their allies were now concerned.

The China-Salomon Islands agreement, according to critics, might enable Beijing to establish a military base on the islands, which are 2, 000 kilometers east of Australia. According to China and the Solomon Islands, the agreement would certainly lead to the establishment of a Chinese military center on the country’s 900 smaller islands or its six main islands.

In the event of an armed conflict between the big forces, Manele, the next foreign secretary, told Parliament in 2022,” We are no stupid to ask for a military base, as we ourselves could be the goal of a military attack in the future.”

He said,” Having a stable Solomon Islands is also about ensuring stable and prosperous Pacific region.”

China trained the Solomon Islands ‘ police, provided water cannon vehicles and boosted their anti- riot tactics after unrest, some of it anti- Chinese, disrupted the islands.

Protests, riots, arson and looting erupted in 2021 after the Solomon Islands switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 2019 when Manele was foreign minister. Australia, under its joint security pact with the Solomon Islands, sent police to the islands ‘ capital Honiara to quash the civil unrest.

On November 26, 2021, as rioting broke out in Honiara’s Chinatown and thousands of people refused to comply with a government lockdown order, flames rose from buildings. Photo: Asia Times Files / AFP via Getty Images / Charley Piringi

Manele was expected to maintain Solomon Islands ‘ friendly relations with China, which dramatically improved under the leadership of incoming prime minister Sogavare, who chose Manele as a candidate for prime minister. The Solomon Islands will be “friends to all, and enemies to none”, Manele said.

China’s recent construction of an airfield on Guadalcanal, the largest of the Solomon Islands, evoked chilling reminders of America’s World War II Battle of Guadalcanal to seize it from Japan.

Guadalcanal Island was the first major US military offensive to stop Japan from using the Solomons to bomb ships passing between the US and Australia in 1942.

Under intense enemy fire, US forces scurried west across the Pacific to defeat Japan after capturing control of the Solomon Islands and other island nations.

Today, many of the Solomon Islands ‘ 720, 000 citizens say they favor Manele not for his international stance, but in hopes his Ownership, Unity and Responsibility ( OUR) Party will upgrade the islands ‘ poor health care, transportation infrastructure, electricity supply, schools, employment opportunities, housing and other daily needs.

The Solomon Islands is one of the world’s poorest nations. To enable Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company, to build mobile telecommunications towers on its islands, China granted the Solomon Islands a$ 66 million loan.

The Solomon Islands and Australia also provided funding for Huawei’s 2018 contract for underwater telecommunication cables to and from the islands.

In a meeting billed as a” Ministerial Dialogue on Police Capacity Building and Cooperation Between China and Pacific Island Countries in Beijing,” the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and the Cook Islands sent delegates to hear China’s plan to strengthen law enforcement and security cooperation in 2023.

In a joint 2023 statement, the Solomon Islands reportedly agreed to Beijing’s positions on Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet.

” China has been on the front foot across the Pacific for many years, doing trade and security deals with island countries, while the US is only now stepping up with new embassies opening in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Tonga”, said Ben Bohane, a Vanuatu- based Pacific political analyst and photojournalist.

From the perspective of islands, the competition has given them for the first time as various powers try to court them, including Arab nations like Israel, Japan, and even India, according to Bohane in an interview.

Meanwhile, on the island nation of Kiribati, a” Chinese police delegation team works with the Kiribati Police Service to assist a community policing program, and martial arts kung fu, and an IT ( information technology ) department, assisting our crime database”, Kiribati’s acting Police Commissioner Eeri Aritiera told Reuters in February.

About a dozen uniformed Chinese police officers landed for a six-month rotation in 2023 and have since been updated.

When asked about Kiribati and China, the US State Department told government-run Voice of America (VOA ) in February,” We do not believe importing security forces from [ China ] will help any country.” After excluding Taiwan, Kiribati established relations with China in 2019 and is located two hundred kilometers south of Hawaii.

China is considering how to finance the reconstruction of Kanton Island, a coral atoll in Kiribati, which had been a major stopover for military and commercial aircraft during World War II.

Kanton will now be a tourist destination that Chinese tourists visiting other islands would enjoy visiting, according to China and Kiribati. If financed and built by China, the airstrip on Kanton would be for passenger flights, including within Kiribati’s chain of islands, but not for military use, Kiribati said.

Kiribati also receives financial assistance from the US, Canada, Japan, the European Union and others.

” Australia is supporting the Kiribati Police Service with major upgrades to its policing infrastructure, including a new barracks and headquarters and radio network”, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Department told Reuters in February.

The International Dateline intersects the Equator, and Kiribati’s islands are splattered across the map in four different areas.

Some islands are east of the dateline, while others are west of it, and some islands are north of the Equator, while others are below it.

One of the largest exclusive economic areas on earth is Kiribati, which asserts more than 3.5 million square kilometers of territorial rights in the Pacific Ocean.

” Pacific countries have long felt their infrastructure needs have not been met, so it is difficult for them to tell island nations not to accept assistance from China if traditional partners like Australia, New Zealand, and the US do n’t provide the wharves, roads, and airports,” Bohane said.

Under The Compacts of Free Association ( COFA ), Washington exerts some control over three island countries: Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau.

Palau’s Rock Islands. Palau, a tiny island nation in the Pacific, established one of the largest marine sanctuaries in the world, claiming to be interested in protecting the ocean for future generations. And the country’s Covid- free. Photo: The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Pentagon has the power to land troops and weapons on COFA’s territories under the agreement, which was signed in 2023, and to prevent other nations from doing so. Many COFA citizens who enlisted in the US armed forces as a quick way to become Americans after serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries are familiar with the US military.

After feeling economically exploited and destabilized by China’s overwhelming wealth, Palau President Surangel Whipps reportedly requested from the Pentagon to construct ports, bases, and airfields on its islands.

Under COFA, the US agreed to pay$ 7 billion over the next 20 years in assistance to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau. In February however,” the funding was dropped from the security supplemental in the US Senate, under pressure from conservatives who wanted to lower costs”, VOA reported.

” With no amendment process permitted, the funds could not be added back in”.

A mangled COFA could wreck the islands ‘ confidence in US backing, critics said. It “opens the door for China to make similar overtures to the COFA nations”, Hawaii’s Senator Mazie Hirono warned.

The US West coast is protected from China’s eastern shores by a Three Island Chain, a theory that was developed in the US during the US-Korea War to protect against China and the Soviet Union.

Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, and other islands in the increasingly militarized and contested South China and East China seas are included in the First Island Chain.

Further southward, the Second Island Chain connects Guam with the Mariana Islands, Palau, Yap, and islands farther south.

The Third Island Chain runs south from the Aleutian Islands, through the center of the Pacific and the Hawaiian Islands, to American Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand.

Since 1978, Richard S. Ehrlich, an American foreign correspondent reporting from Asia and the recipient of Columbia University’s Foreign Correspondents ‘ Award, has been based in Bangkok. Excerpts from his two new nonfiction books,” Rituals. Killers. Wars. &amp, Sex. — Tibet, India, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka &amp, New York” and” Apocalyptic Tribes, Smugglers &amp, Freaks” are available here.

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Squad ditches Quad to keep US heat on China – Asia Times

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In early April 2024, the fleets of four nations —Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States — held a seafaring training in the South China Sea.

Australia ‘s&nbsp, Warramunga, Japan ‘s&nbsp, Akebono, the Philippines ‘&nbsp, Antonio Luna, and America’s Mobile worked together in these waters to strengthen their joint abilities and – as they said in a joint&nbsp, statement – to “uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight and respect for maritime rights under international law”.

For Exercise Balikatan 2024, boats from the Philippines and the US operated alongside American and European naval forces a few weeks later, between April 22 and May 8.

For this Balikatan (” make- to- back” ), over 16, 000 forces participated in an area of the South China Sea that is outside the territorial waters of the Philippines. The Coast Guard of the Philippines participated in Exercise Balikatan along with the warships of these countries.

This is important because it is the ships of the Coast Guard that most often&nbsp, encounter&nbsp, Taiwanese ships in these global waters, portion of which are disputed between China and the Philippines.

Although China is not named in the standard documents accompanying these exercises, they are undoubtedly intended to be a part of the growing military action the US is engaged in along China’s maritime border. &nbsp,

The Philippine Navy&nbsp, BRP Lake Caliraya, was simultaneously attacked and sunk during the Balikatan practice by the military arteries from the Philippines and the United States. The Philippine National Oil Company gave the ship, which was made in China, to the military in 2014 as a donation.

The notion that it was the only ship in the Philippines ‘ army that was made in China did not go&nbsp, unnoticed&nbsp, within China. Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla- Taborlupa, a director of the military forces of the Philippines, &nbsp, said&nbsp, that this was “purely coincidental”.

The four major countries ‘ defence ministers met in Honolulu, Hawaii to explain the political repercussions of these martial exercises off China’s beach during Balikatan.

Australia’s Richard Marles, Japan’s Kihara Minoru, the Philippines ‘ Gilberto Teodoro, and the United States ‘ Lloyd Austin met for their next meeting to discuss their engagement in the region that they call the Indo- Pacific.

The officials ‘ public relations team began using the name” Squad” to send to these four nations just before the start of this appointment. Although they did not officially announce the establishment of a new alliance in East Asia, this fresh moniker merely serves as a de facto denotation of its life.

From Quad to Squad

In 2007, the leaders of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States met in Manila ( Philippines ) to establish the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue ( or Quad ) while their militaries conducted Exercise Malabar in the Philippines Sea.

The Quad did not initially involve the Philippines, whose president at the time—Gloria Arroyo—was trying to&nbsp, improve&nbsp, ties between her country and China.

The Quad did not develop because Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was angry with Washington’s growing antagonism towards Beijing. The Quad revived in 2017, when more in&nbsp, Manila, with a more honest plan to operate against China’s Belt and Road interests in the region, which subsequently- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson&nbsp, called&nbsp, “predatory economics”.

The US has been frustrated with India’s pain with the kind of pressure battle the US has been launching against China and Russia over the past two decades. India refused to stop buying discounted Russian energy, which was a pragmatic decision during an election period ( although India’s purchase of Russian energy has &nbsp, declined&nbsp, over time ).

When asked if India may consider being a NATO part, India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar&nbsp, said&nbsp, that India does not promote the “NATO mentality”.

The US government was irritated by India’s reluctance to engage in the full-fledged New Cold War with China, which led to the decision to leave the Triple and form the Club with the more resolute and determined Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

It is important to observe, however, that in April India&nbsp, delivered&nbsp, a batch of hypersonic BrahMos cruise missiles to the Philippines, sold for US$ 375 million and produced by a joint venture between wings manufacturers in India and Russia.

The fine print of the package does not hide the possibility that these weapons might be used in the fresh pressure campaign against China.

Pivot threats

Since its “pivot to Asia”, the US has sought to inspire China. The US trade war that began in 2018 generally fizzled out due to China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its attempt to build the superior production lines to avoid US trade regulations ( for example, when the US tried to prevent China from importing silicon chips, the Chinese&nbsp, developed&nbsp, their own production capability ).

The US’s campaign to pressure Taiwan into being at the forefront of its efforts has also failed. The inauguration of Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching- te on May 20 brings to the helm a man who is&nbsp, not interested&nbsp, in pushing for Taiwan’s independence, only 6 % of Taiwan’s population&nbsp, favors&nbsp, unification with China or independence, with the rest of the population satisfied with the status quo.

The US moved its gunsights to the Philippines because it was unable to create the necessary controversies about Taiwan. Although the Philippines and China disagree on the status of several islands in the waters between them, these disagreements do not suffice to compel either nation to go to war.

In April 2024, former president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte&nbsp, recalled&nbsp, that when he was president ( 2016- 2022 ),” there was no quarrel. We can return to normalcy. I hope that the ruckus can be stopped because Americans are the ones who are urging the Philippine government to go out and find a conflict and, perhaps, start a war there.

In March, President Marcos&nbsp, said&nbsp, that he is” not poking the bear” and does not want to “provoke” China. However, the Squad’s formation two months later indicates that the Philippines has now taken Taiwan as the country’s frontline for US provocations against China.

China’s vice chair of its Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, &nbsp, warned&nbsp, against “gunboat muscles”. ” Reality has shown”, he said,” that those who make deliberate provocations, stoke tensions, or support one side against another for selfish gains will ultimately only hurt themselves”.

This article was produced by&nbsp, Globetrotter and is republished with kind permission.

Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian, editor, journalist and chief correspondent at Globetrotter. He is also an editor of&nbsp, LeftWord Books &nbsp, and the director of&nbsp, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research.

He has written more than 20 books, including&nbsp, The Darker Nations&nbsp, and&nbsp, The Poorer Nations. His latest books are &nbsp, Struggle Makes Us Human: Learning from Movements for Socialism&nbsp, and ( with Noam Chomsky ) &nbsp, The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U. S. Power.

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