Commentary: Politics is a family business in Indonesia – again

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ACTIVITIES OF PERFORMING Elections IN INDONESIA

how the world has changed. It definitely helps to get related to Jokowi if you want to succeed in Indonesian politics.

Look at the family trees, please. Mr. Raka, 36, is not only running for evil political office; in 2020, he was also elected mayor of Solo, his hometown. Due in large part to Jokowi’s popularity and social wealth, the young politician won with a landslide & nbsp. & nbsp,

Then there is Kaesang Pangarep, a younger child who is 28 years old and is better known for his YouTuber charm than his political background. Last month, the Indonesia Solidarity Party( PSI) was founded to support younger voters.

Finally, in 2020, son-in-law Bobby Nasution, & nbsp, was elected mayor of Medan. His campaign heavily relied on family ties, giving the impression that the central government would give him special consideration because of his wealthy place. & nbsp,

Any claim that his household benefits because he is the head of state has been dismissed by Jokowi. He told me in an appointment in 2020 that I didn’t stop Indonesians if they want to vote them in. The general public decides. & nbsp,

However, even the charismatic leader The & nbsp, with his consistently high approval ratings, won’t be immune to the public’s displeasure with what seems to be dynastic politics re-emerging in the archipelago. & nbsp,

According to Alexander Arifianto, top fellow at the Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore, a vote for Gibran as vice president may guarantee that Jokowi can continue to exert influence in the background during the Prabowo management. Social kingdoms are not uncommon but not particularly successful in Indonesia. Additionally, they invite open criticism after being publicly declared”& nbsp,

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Snap Insight: Two Chinese ministers fired in three months – Xi Jinping must put domestic affairs in order

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WELLINGTON: On Tuesday, October 24, Li Shangfu was suddenly fired as China’s defense secretary after being conspicuously absent for more than two weeks. It puts an end to weeks of intense rumors about his whereabouts but brings up new concerns about the management staff of President Xi Jinping.

This is the second high-profile dismissal in three weeks; Qin Gang was abruptly removed from his position as foreign minister in July following a likewise enigmatic presence. In these assets, both people are currently China’s leaders with the shortest tenures.

NO INSURANCE IS Democratic LOYALTY.

There is no proof that General Li was fired as a result of his social loyalty. He was one of Mr. Xi’s most dependable generals and a defense” prince” whose father took part in the Long March. He advanced quickly through the ranks.

He oversaw the purchase and design of arms and led Mr. Xi’s effort to modernize the government. He oversaw many space missions and was a seasoned head of China’s ambitious space program. He took over for Wei Fenghe as position councilor and defense secretary in March.

He showed social allegiance to Mr. Xi as the military’s outward experience. General Li reportedly referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as an” extraordinary” leader who made” important contributions to promoting world peace” during his visit to Moscow in April, reiterating Mr. Xi’s commitment to the” no-limits” partnership with Russia.

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Commentary: Bangkok mall shooting highlights growing threat of modified guns

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” GHOST Cannons” IN 3D – PRINTED

A three-dimensional object is created using a 3D printing and digital design document as part of the engineering process known as” 3D printing.” While 3D printers has several architectural uses, malicious actors have also used it to create weapons.

The technology has become more affordable and simple to use since the earliest 3D-printed piece was produced in 2013.

Australia, North America, and Europe have seen the greatest growth in the use and production of 3D-printed firearms. Legal and terrorist organizations, especially right-wing cells, have made an effort to produce, usage, and trade 3D-printed firearms.

Right-wing extremist Stephan Balliet attacked a Hebrew synagogue in Halle, Germany, in 2019 while brandishing an assault weapon with 3D-printed parts. Since then, a number of far-right sites in the UK, Finland, Iceland, Spain, and Australia have made an effort to employ 3D-printed weapons.

While producing destructive 3D-printed weapons requires a lot of skill and work, it provides operating security for criminals and terrorists. It minimizes contact with the outside earth and lowers the likelihood of government surveillance by enabling offenders to build weapon in the health of their homes.

The weapon are unregulated and therefore challenging to identify, giving rise to the term” touch guns.”

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Commentary: Who decides the cessation of violence in Myanmar?

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NO Close CAN BE SEEN.

The global society frequently sees the conflict in Myanmar as a civil war between rival political parties. For example, the objectives of the Myanmar people are not mentioned in a 2021 Chinese foreign ministry speech.

However, a sizable portion of Myanmar’s community sees the ongoing and, in some areas, fierce resistance to military rule as sparked by an uprising within the nation. Peaceful demonstrations against the military government continue in countless urban and rural areas.

According to the NUG’s Ministry of Defense, there are more than 400 metropolitan rebel forces and on 259 PDF units that have been set up globally, operating in 250 township-based units. Although the Ministry of Defense at NUG makes an effort to impose a code of conduct for PDF employees, many local PDFs sometimes break it.

The NUG and its PDFs are seen by some ethnic resistance organizations more as allies in the fight against the federal government( or in this case, the SAC ) than as the head of their coalition. The NUG finds it challenging to control the distinct resistance forces because conflicts within ethnic resistance organizations have resulted in unintended civilian casualties. The NUG essentially lacks the ability to enforce its principles regarding the treatment of” dalan”( informants ) or its code of conduct for armed resistance personnel without an efficient chain of command.

Despite providing incentives to soldiers such as promises of advertising and allowing the plundering of villages, the SAC even appears unable to keep an efficient chain of command. According to reports of abandonment, desertion, and small mutinies, the SAC is unable to fully control its security forces.

It is important to note that abandonment rates in the Myanmar war have previously been high, despite the NUG’s assertion that more than 13, 000 soldiers and police officers have defected since the coup’d start. 4, 701 deserters were recorded in one military place alone in 2005, during a time of better army control, but since 2022, military defections appear to have decreased.

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Commentary: China’s youth unemployment problem has become a crisis we can no longer ignore

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BRILLIANCES IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

There is a disconnect between school curriculum and work market needs despite the rapid growth of higher education.

Programs frequently prioritize principle over practical abilities, leaving graduates unprepared for the workforce. For instance, engineering students may concentrate on theories and equations but neglect practical applications like internships.

Furthermore, the market is flooded with overqualified applicants, particularly in the engineering, finance, and healthcare industries. This disparity encourages many people to pursue more education.

A remarkable 135 percent increase over the 2.01 million test-takers in 2017 resulted in a full of 4.74 million students taking the graduate entrance exam in 2023. This pattern makes youth poverty and poverty worse.

Effect ON THE WIDER

The youth employment issue in China has a ripple effect that should not be understated. High unemployment rates can cause civil unrest, especially in countries with a sizable adolescent population, according to UNICEF warnings.

The Chinese Communist Party has long upheld its autocratic stance by securing a sociable license based on prosperity and economic stability.

China may undergo a major internal energy shift if rising youth unemployment undermines this license by encouraging political radicalization or disengagement.

For unrest could spill over into international relations in a world that is interconnected worldwide. Particularly among countries with nearby financial ties to China, civil unrest can make a country less firm and thus less appealing to foreign investment.

Given China’s crucial role in global supply stores, such an inner turmoil also poses a threat to destabilize supply chain worldwide.

Domestic strife and social unrest can have an impact on a nation’s foreign relations, as demonstrated by historic examples like the Arab Spring and Brexit.

The Arab Spring resulted in the overthrow of numerous governments, local unrest, an impact on world oil prices, and the need for European nations to reevaluate their overseas policies.

Similar to how Brexit affected international trade agreements, caused democratic restructuring, and forced the European Union to reevaluate its foreign policy as a whole.

Although youth unemployment is a worldwide issue, we cannot afford to ignore it given the scope of the issue in China and its potential wider effects on connected markets.

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Commentary: To bring back nightlife, Hong Kong needs to upgrade its night markets

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REMEMBERING THE ICONIC NIGHT Businesses OF HONG KONG

Instead of starting from scratch, as visitors have argued, resources could be used to modernize Hong Kong’s aging day markets. & nbsp,

With its long history, Temple Street is probably the most well-known evening market in Hong Kong. The state has been urged to make the night market a current tourist destination by the Yaumatei Temple Street Association of Hawkers and Shop Operators.

With its fortune-telling companies, city appearances, and singing stalls, the Temple Street night market had a lot of local flavor, but the food selection was lacking. Additionally, the Hong Kong Hawkers Association acknowledged that foreign visitors are not likely to find the dry goods stable appealing because they primarily sell products made in China.

It will take time to invest in Temple Street to build a thriving day business. Details have not yet been disclosed, but the Hong Kong Tourism Board has stated that it is collaborating with trade associations and authorities organizations to prepare meals markets and colorful events to” enhance the overall feeling of Temple Street.”

Short-term promotion is one way to keep Hong Kong’s economy and entice residents and visitors back into the nightlife of the city.

Halloween celebrations and fireworks displays have been planned by Night Vibes Hong Kong, which is in keeping with the administration’s design. Even so, these monuments have been a yearly occurrence in Hong Kong for at least ten years, leaving locals and tourists wanting more.

Unlike Singapore, Hong Kong does not have an F1 race or Taylor Swift music to promote the town. To revive the town that was once dormant does require more ingenuity.

Award-winning columnist Jacky Leung has worked for numerous Hong Kong TV and radio news channels. Now, he resides in London.

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Commentary: Thailand’s hopes of boosting economy with tourists will take a hit after Bangkok shooting

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In recent years, Taiwanese tourists have been crucial to the Thai tourism sector. Prior to the pandemic, there had been a sharp increase in the number of Taiwanese tourists visiting Thailand, reaching an astounding 11.14 million in 2019 and generating about US$ 17 billion in hospitality revenue.

However, China’s zero-COVID scheme resulted in a sharp drop in visitor immigrants. In 2020( almost all in January ), the number dropped to 1.25 million, and in 2021, it was just 13, 043.

The Thai hospitality sector sought to fill this void by diversifying its tourist publications.

TRAVELING Hindu VISITORS TO THAILAND

India became a more effective and tempting source of tourists for Thailand during the crisis.

In 2022, the relief of travel restrictions for international visitors signaled a turning point. For the first time, the number of Indian arrivals( 444, 136 ) overtook that of Chinese immigrants( 105, 860 ) during the initial eight months of that year.

Importantly, Thailand developed into a desirable location for Hindu weddings held abroad. These extravagant celebrations, which were frequently held at opulent resorts and cost between 10 million and 30 million baht( US$ 274, 000 to US$ 823,000 ), significantly increased tourism revenue.

The Thailand Indian Wedding Association’s leader, Ram Sachdev, expressed worries to the Nikkei newspaper in 2022 about concentrating only on the quantity of weddings for American tourists more than their caliber. He has argued that Thailand may attract more American wedding guests by offering crucial assistance and subsidies given the number of such events taking place around the world.

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Commentary: Why Taiwan’s defence priorities might need a rethink

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The conflict in Ukraine has taught us that asymmetrical actions are crucial in an effort to win over an even larger, more powerful adversary. Little drones, transportable missile systems, and electronic war have all proven useful against the powerful Russian troops.

Another compelling case is maritime helicopter warfare. The Soviet army in the Black Sea was surrounded by autonomous ships and innovative strategies. Taiwan insists on attempting to compete with a competitor who is far ahead of the competition despite the fact that symmetry at lake offers crucial rewards.

Taiwan unveiled its first homemade submarine on September 28. It was once thought to be” mission impossible ,” but it won’t go into service for another two years. Taiwan intends to construct eight of these ships, but also when they are all completed, China’s estimated 60 submarines will outnumber them.

Top defense researcher Michael Lostumbo at Washington-based think tank RAND Corporation thinks Taiwan needs to concentrate its security efforts more specifically. He contends that Taiwan must create a better purchasing record than the one it sent to the US in order to live an assault. & nbsp,

The 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taipei ordered in 2019 were a mistake, but the late requested Reaper robots imply that the country may be revising its military strategy. However, some people find it difficult to observe.

Taiwan’s military resources will be used for items that will either be destroyed or spent very fast today and for many years to come, according to Lostumbo in a report.

This is made worse by the fact that technology issues may delay the distribution of 66 US-made F-16 soldiers until 2026.

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Commentary: Breaking the vicious cycle of haze and climate change in Southeast Asia

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TO Alleviate HAZE, GET ON THE Earth

South Asian maritime haze pollution is recognized as a complex issue that necessitates multi-stakeholder engagement with local communities, municipal governments, corporations, and civil society.

Since the 1990s, ASEAN has been actively working to reduce haze, and in 2015, the Singaporean government passed a law prohibiting intergovernmental waste. Researchers have spent years carefully analyzing the haze’s underlying reasons, factors, impacts, and implications. But the issue keeps coming up every season.

It is now time to move beyond the realms of diplomacy and academia and engage the public to convince towns, businesses, and institutions that it is in their best interests to protect peat. Simply put, every effort we make to keep our coal reserves in our peatlands may contribute to the prevention of our climate and haze.

In this regard, the region’s current speed in using carbon prices tools and the creation of voluntary carbon emissions trading markets( as Indonesia has just done ) may provide a window of opportunity to encourage stakeholders to scale-up their conservation efforts and produce high-quality carbon credits that can be monetized.

For instance, the United Kingdom has developed the Peatland Code, a cutting-edge organic capital financing mechanism that uses an independent standard to provide independent validation and verification for projects involving the restoration of peatlands.

Through this, the UK has been using a combination of public and private funding to register about 200 peatland jobs in its nationwide registry and track the total amount of emissions reduced and the place restored. The need for individualized job reviews is replaced by the Code, which reassures investors of best practices.

Development toward these opportunities in the peatlands of Southeast Asia may be diverse. According to international standards, the results may be measurable, actionable, and factual.

In the current brass environment, this may be difficult, but the advantages are well worth it. For peatland populations, this might lead to better standard of living. The same could contribute to corporate conservation moves. They may improve national carbon products account for governments. It might eventually signify for the area the realization of the” Haze-Free ASEAN” perspective.

At the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s ASEAN Studies Centre, Sharon Seah serves as Senior Fellow and Coordinator. At the University of Malaya’s Department of International and Strategic Studies, Helena Varkkey teaches climate politics and leadership as an associate doctor. This article first appeared on the website Fulcrum of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

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Commentary: Online scams in Southeast Asia create double victims – those targeted and those forced to carry them out

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Local STRATEGY IS REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE SCAM OPERATIONS

Daring gets have been made by some patients. A group of 60 Taiwanese people left a game in Bavet city, in the province of Svay Rieng, Cambodia in September of last year. This came shortly after a group of 40 Vietnamese swam across the valley to Vietnam’s An Giang territory after breaking out of tainted Chinese-run game in the state of Kandal in Cambodia. The waters officially carried some of them away.

There are now many efforts at recovery. According to reports, Thailand intended to free up to 3, 000 Thais who were reportedly being held in Cambodia.

But, as businesses grow, gangs begin to draw people from countries other than Southeast Asia. 11 Indian citizens were rescued from the Golden Triangle in November of last year. Authorities in Lao were following an advice from the American embassy after victims were persuaded to operate as IT specialists in Dubai, Singapore, and Thailand by offers of well-paying jobs and pre-arranged flights, visas, or passports.

According to the UNDOC report,” foreign NGOs have identified over 40 nationalities of smuggling victims in con compounds in Southeast Asia … targeted because of their English and Italian language skills, as well as their acquaintance with social media and bitcoin.”

The impact of local warriors in the area appears to have grown after the 2021 revolution in Myanmar, with little influence being held by the central government to combat crime. The pro-junta troops are frequently the ones who commit crimes.

A new town in Myawaddy, southeast Myanmar’s Kayin ( Karen) state, close to the Thai border, is called Shwe Kokko, which in the local dialect means” Chinatown.” The Karen Border Guard Force, which is affiliated with Myanmar’s Tatmadaw military, now controls it.

A local casino boss supports transboundary crimes in the Kokang Special Administrative Zone, which is governed by the Tatmadaw-allied Border Guard Forces( BGF ) and borders China’s Yunnan province, according to a US Institute of Peace report.

The onslaught work in the area have grown stronger. A gambling power was detained in Bangkok in June, and Thailand’s Electricity Authority turned off energy to a Shwe Kokko casino at its request. and a sizable group of Chinese citizens who were reportedly involved in crime just returned home.

But these are small ways. There is no established local plan to eliminate South Asian con operations.

Jitsiree & nbsp, Thongnoi is a freelance journalist based in Bangkok who focuses on China’s role in Southeast Asia, the Mekong region, and Thailand as well as political and economic development in Thailand. This remark first appeared on The Interpreter, a blog run by Lowy Institute.

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