The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Burma to Seek South China Sea Resolution at ‘Pace Comfortable to All Countries’
- More Public Involvement Planned for Burma Charter Reform Campaign
- UN Chief Calls for Burma to Investigate Military Rape Claims
- Mandalay Chief Minister Facing Negligence Charge for House Fire
- The Invincible Spirit of Win Tin Lives On
- Thai Activist Who Opposed Lese Majeste Law Killed
- In India’s vote, Hindu Holy City Is Battleground
- Obama Uses Japan Visit to Reassure Wary Asian Allies
| Burma to Seek South China Sea Resolution at ‘Pace Comfortable to All Countries’ Posted: 24 Apr 2014 05:20 AM PDT  Nyunt Maung Shein (R), chairman of the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS), during a visit to the Maritime Institute of Malaysia. (Photo: mima.gov.my) This year, Burma's government is chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for the first time, having previously been ruled out of the position because of the country's military regime. As chair it will have to address 21st-century Asia's most complicated and potentially destabilizing issue: the dispute between China and its Asean neighbors, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, about overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea. Asean's most important meetings will be conducted at the end of the year. On May 10-11, the 24th Asean Summit will take place in Naypyidaw when Asean foreign ministers will gather. Last year's Asean chair Brunei won plaudits for its balanced handling of meetings over the dispute, but in 2012 Cambodia drew the ire of the Philippines in particular, due to Phnom Penh's perceived favoritism toward China. That history means Hanoi and Manila will likely be watchful for any repeat in Burma, where China is the most important trade partner, the biggest foreign investor and formerly a key ally to the military regime. Discussions on the South China Sea have hit a snag on establishing a Code of Conduct (CoC) that would set rules for parties in case of a dispute. Vietnam and the Philippines are vocal supporters of the initiative, but China prefers to resolve any dispute bilaterally. In 2013, a Joint Working Group of was formed in which China and Asean will further discuss the CoC. Irrawaddy reporter Kyaw Hsu Mon spoke with Nyunt Maung Shein, chairman of the government-affiliated Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS) and a former Burmese diplomat, about Naypyidaw's approach to South China Sea issue. QUESTION: What are the main reasons for the South China Sea dispute between China and the four Asean member countries? ANSWER: The dispute will not be solved quickly during Myanmar's chairmanship because there are complicated [disagreements over] ownership of [South China Sea] islands; and there are also many mineral, oil and fisheries resources… To solve this problem, there is a mechanism that is called the Code of Conduct [CoC] that needs to be developed. Currently, Asean member countries have been trying to draw up the CoC but it requires time. Asia is a fast-growing economic engine in the world at this time, these disputes should be ended in order not to harm Asia's image. Before the [24th] Asean Summit, international experts held a seminar and workshop to seek a solution which they will propose at the summit…. [Government] leaders will consider their solutions for this issue. Q: During Asean meetings in recent years, the chairman has not been able to resolve this difficult issue. What will Burma do in order to try to resolve the dispute? A: The resolution process will keep going and, as I said, it requires time. It moves in incremental steps, the process will gradually develop. All steps should occur at a pace that is comfortable to all countries involved in this dispute. We should not rush to try to get a result… China wants to gradually develop a resolution for this problem. We can't compare the results of last year and this year, and which one is more significant. Senior-level meetings have continued among Asean leaders until now, so it means there is improvement. Even drawing up the Declaration of Conduct, the DoC, took at least 10 years. [The DoC from the early 2000s states all China-Asean disputes should be resolved peacefully]. We already have the DoC, but we need to implement guidelines on how to apply this [in the case of the South China Sea]. During this time, we need to build up mutual trust between China and Asean countries. Q: China and Burma have a relationship that has been close for longer than other Asean countries. Will this play a role in resolving the South China Sea dispute, and is there a risk that Burma will appear biased in favor of China? A: Yes that's right, China is a neighboring country that has a long friendship [with Myanmar]; we have a good relationship. But on the other hand, there is also Asean unity and strategy, so we want to solve this problem peacefully and in an unbiased manner… But it's early to say what will happen as we haven't received the proposal from international experts for the upcoming summit. We have a Joint Working Group [between China and Asean] now to solve this dispute. Through this committee, we submitted the results [of the seminars] for discussion with senior officials. Q: What sort of political and economic impacts can the South China Sea dispute have on Burma? A: There won't be an impact politically, but economically. Maritime routes run through the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea between China, Japan, Korea and Western countries. One third of all maritime trade passes through this Strait, one ship every minute passes through this sea lane. It's a really big issue, so we need to try our best to resolve this problem during our chair in this year. Q: Will the South China Sea dispute be the single biggest issue for Burma during its Asean chairmanship and the upcoming 24th Asean Summit? A: It will be one of the issues at this summit. The rest of the issues are also important, such as reviewing the Asean Charter, and the most important [other issue] is to implement the Asean Economic Community [AEC] next year, in 2015. We have a big responsibility to plan the implementation of the AEC one year ahead. The South China Sea will only be one of the important issues in this Summit. China is a biggest trade partner for the Asean member countries, so there are also other, positive relationships between both sides. The post Burma to Seek South China Sea Resolution at 'Pace Comfortable to All Countries' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| More Public Involvement Planned for Burma Charter Reform Campaign Posted: 24 Apr 2014 04:27 AM PDT  Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi discusses constitutional reform with leaders of 88 Generation Peace and Society in April. (Photo: 88 Generation Peace and Open Society / Facebook) RANGOON — Burma's main opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the leaders of the former students' group 88 Generation Peace and Open Society met earlier this week to discuss how to garner greater public involvement in their joint campaign to amend the 2008 Constitution. The meeting, which took place at Suu Kyi's lakeside villa in Rangoon, was attended by Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Jimmy, Mya Aye and Pyone Cho—all prominent leaders involved in Burma's 1988 student uprising. It was the fourth meeting between the Nobel peace laureate and the student leaders, who earlier this year announced an alliance to push for changes to the country's military-drafted charter. Jimmy told The Irrawaddy that the meeting involved further discussions about their constitutional reform efforts, in particular how the public can become more involved in order to push parliamentarians to pay attention to the campaign. "People need to be more involved. They say 'the Parliament's voice is the people's voice.' But now is the time to see to what extent they listen the people's voice. We will push them by all means to do it," he said. According to the student leader, Suu Kyi said during the meeting that she would respond to the proposal to increase public involvement on behalf of the National League for Democracy, after discussing the plan with her party's Central Executive Committee. The NLD and 88 Generation Peace and Open Society—formerly known as the 88 Generation Student Group—have been meeting since February in an attempt to present a united front calling for constitutional amendments ahead of national elections in 2015. Demonstrations have been held across the country in support of constitutional reform. They have agreed to first target Article 436 in the Constitution's Chapter 12. The article gives the military a veto over constitutional reform, stating that amendments require approval of more than 75 percent of all MPs—at least a quarter of whom are from the military. The article also calls for a nationwide referendum to approve amendments to certain parts of the charter. The post More Public Involvement Planned for Burma Charter Reform Campaign appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| UN Chief Calls for Burma to Investigate Military Rape Claims Posted: 24 Apr 2014 03:06 AM PDT  Burma Army soldiers on parade in Naypyidaw on Armed Forces Day on March 27. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) The chief of the United Nations has officially called on the Burmese government to conduct full investigations into allegations of rape and sexual assault made against its soldiers, according to a document made public this week. A report to the UN Security Council from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon titled "Conflict-related Sexual Violence," addressed the issue of sexual violence in 20 countries around the world, including Burma. "I call on the Government of Myanmar to fully investigate and respond to current and historical human rights violations and abuses, including crimes of sexual violence," Ban Ki-moon said in the report, which is dated March 13 but has only just been made public. He urged the government "to work to develop a comprehensive protection and service response for survivors" of sexual violence, with the UN's support. Burmese women's organizations and campaigners, who have long called for allegations of sexual violence by the military to be independently investigated, welcomed the secretary-general's intervention. The Thailand-based Women's League of Burma (WLB) in January said in a report it had documented more than 100 cases of soldiers raping women and girls—the majority in war-torn Kachin and Shan states—since 2010. In a statement Thursday, the group said that it "welcomes this clear recognition of State failure to deal with past and present military sexual violence in Burma." WLB pointed out, however, that "previous government-led investigations into military rape have not only failed to deliver justice, but have led to further humiliation and intimidation of rape survivors and their communities." "We are still concerned about how the government would conduct [investigations] if they agreed to implement the UN secretary-general's recommendation," said Tin Tin Nyo, secretary of WLB, an umbrella organization representing 13 different ethnic women groups. Ban Ki-moon's report will be discussed at a Security Council debate on Friday on sexual violence. The United Kingdom-based Burma Campaign group issued a statement urging the British government to take a strong stance on the issue. "Burma Campaign UK welcomes the fact that the UN Secretary General is focusing more on sexual violence in Burma, and has called for investigations," said Zoya Phan, the group's campaigns manager. "However, the United Nations has made dozens of calls on the Burmese government to hold credible investigations into human rights violations, and all have been ignored. It is time the United Nations established its own investigation." Campaigners say the secretary general's comments follow years of documenting the abuses of Burma Army soldiers, and the impunity that usually follows allegations. Soldiers accused of rape are regularly punished internally by the military rather than in the civilian courts, if they are held to account at all. WLB's report in January noted of rape allegations against the military that, "Their widespread and systematic nature indicates a structural pattern: rape is still used as an instrument of war and oppression." It said allegations of rape by soldiers, which may constitute war crimes, should be independently investigated. Shortly after their report in January, presidential spokesman Ye Htut in an interview with Reuters denied the group's allegation that the military uses rape as a weapon, and asked for the group to share more detailed information about the allegations. Jessica Nhkum, the joint-secretary of the Kachin Women Association Thailand, who documents rape cases by the Burma Army, told The Irrawaddy that the problem was not going away. In the first quarter of 2014, new allegations have continued to emerge, she said. "Although we could not reach all areas in our war-torn Kachin State, even in the reachable areas—such as near Myitkyina, Laiza, Mai Ja Yang and in northern Shan State—we have documented several cases of rape by Burmese soldiers in 2014," she said. And with renewed fighting in Kachin State and northern Shan State breaking out during Burmese New Year last week, activists stressed that more rape cases may soon be reported. Soldiers have been accused of raping girls as young as 7 in Kachin State, as in one case from November 2013. And a 13-year-old girl in Mon State was allegedly raped by a soldier in January 2014, just as the WLB's report documenting rape allegations was published. The government in the past has repeatedly denied claims of rape by its troops. "We don't want the kind of reaction this time as we have examples of before," said Tin Tin Nyo. "As for the president's spokesperson's suggestion to release information to them for further investigation, it is impossible. We have to consider the safety of those women, who are already being victimized." The post UN Chief Calls for Burma to Investigate Military Rape Claims appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Mandalay Chief Minister Facing Negligence Charge for House Fire Posted: 24 Apr 2014 02:15 AM PDT  A fire truck sits parked outside the home of Mandalay Division Chief Minister Ye Myint on Saturday. (Teza Hlaing / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — The divisional chief minister in Mandalay is facing negligence charges after a fire broke out at his home last week. According to police, the fire at Chief Minister Ye Myint's home was caused by an overheated surge protector connected to an air conditioning unit. A case was opened by police in Mandalay's Aung Myay Thar San Township on Wednesday. "Since the minister is the head of his home and the most responsible person for the fire at his home, police filed a case against him," said a duty officer who requested that he not be identified by name. "The penalty for his negligence will be known only after the court hearing," he added. Police say the fire broke out around 8 pm on Saturday and affected parts of the two-story house's first floor. Damage was estimated at 1.1 million kyats (US$1,145). Authorities' handling of the incident has been widely criticized, however, by Mandalay residents who have questioned why it took so long to bring charges against the minister or make information about the fire publically available. On the same night, a fire at the Mandalay Hotel, located in the city's busiest market area, inflicted about 4.2 million kyats' worth in damages. The next morning, police announced the loss and charged the owner of the hotel with negligence. Mandalay's hot and dry climate makes the city particularly fire-prone and residents are mindful to take precautionary measures as a result, adding an element of public anger toward a perceived delay in the police's response to the minister's house fire on Saturday. Security personnel assigned to Ye Myint also reportedly interfered in emergency crew efforts to extinguish the fire and prevented journalists from taking pictures or recording video of the blaze. A photojournalist with The Irrawaddy was told he could not photograph the scene of the fire, with no explanation for the prohibition provided. Security guards at the minister's home reportedly stopped some firemen from entering the compound because the emergency responders were not wearing full uniforms. The chief official of the division that includes Burma's second-biggest city last made national headlines in late January, when his convoy was hit by an explosive device that injured two people. Ye Myint was not harmed in the blast. The post Mandalay Chief Minister Facing Negligence Charge for House Fire appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| The Invincible Spirit of Win Tin Lives On Posted: 24 Apr 2014 12:34 AM PDT
The post The Invincible Spirit of Win Tin Lives On appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Thai Activist Who Opposed Lese Majeste Law Killed Posted: 23 Apr 2014 10:29 PM PDT  Thai protesters demonstrate outside a government building in Bangkok in early December. (Photo Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) BANGKOK — A pro-government activist who opposed a law punishing critics of Thailand’s monarchy was fatally shot Wednesday in the capital, police said. The killing came as tensions continue over the political fate of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose foes are trying to force her from office to make way for an appointed government to implement reforms. Police Col. Thanawat Watthanakul said Kamol Duangphasuk was shot by gunmen on a motorcycle in a restaurant parking lot in northern Bangkok. Kamol, a poet also known as Mainueng Kor Khuntee, was a member of the "Red Shirt" political movement which supports Yingluck and her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. "At this point, we have no idea who the gunmen were or what the motive of the attack could be," Thanawat said. Thailand has been plagued by political strife since a 2006 military coup ousted Thaksin from office, after demonstrators accused him of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Since the coup, Thaksin’s opponents and supporters have contended for power, staging sometimes-violent street demonstrations. Kamol was a strong opponent of Thailand’s lese majeste law, which provides up to 15 years in prison for anyone who defames the country’s monarchy. A newly formed vigilante group has threatened to hunt down people who oppose the monarchy, describing them as trash. Kamol’s poetry had a hard political edge, and he advocated that the Red Shirts organize in a military fashion at the local level in order to protect Yingluck’s government. Yingluck faces court rulings that could force her from office, in what her supporters call a "judicial coup." The judiciary is seen as part of the Thai establishment, which has long been hostile to Thaksin. Thaksin’s supporters believe the country’s elite felt their privileges threatened by Thaksin’s popularity, especially among rural and underprivileged citizens who benefited from his populist programs. More than 20 people have been killed and over 700 hurt since November in violence related to current anti-government protests. The post Thai Activist Who Opposed Lese Majeste Law Killed appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| In India’s vote, Hindu Holy City Is Battleground Posted: 23 Apr 2014 10:18 PM PDT  Abhinandan Pathak, a lookalike of Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), prays for Modi's victory in the general election inside a temple in the northern Indian city of Varanasi April 22, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) VARANASI, India — For tens of millions of Hindus, Varanasi is a place of pilgrimage. Crowded with ancient temples and shrines, its streets jammed with believers and tourists, this city on the banks of the holy Ganges River is where the devout believe they attain instant salvation. But in recent weeks Varanasi also has become the noisy battleground for India's most-watched contest in its national elections: Two of the country's most prominent politicians are facing off in a contest for the city's sole parliamentary seat. Holding aloft brooms—the symbol of the year-old Aam Aadmi, or Common Man's, Party—and waving them in the air, thousands gathered Wednesday at a rally in the city to show support for the upstart Arvind Kejriwal, an anti-corruption firebrand who leaped into the national spotlight when he won New Delhi's top job in a stunning upset late last year. Kejriwal is trying to knock off the heavily favored Narendra Modi, a prime ministerial hopeful from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP. Modi's carefully crafted and well-financed campaign presents him as a can-do politician who has turned his home state of Gujarat into a haven for business and industry—and has pledged to bolster India's growth. Despite the national attention given to their city, most residents have distinctly local concerns: frequent electricity outages, filthy streets and the millions of tons of raw sewage that flow into the Ganges. "Any candidate who can clean up this place has my vote," said Manik Dev Trivedi, who works for a software company, as he picked his way past heaps of discarded food and stray dogs. Both Modi and Kejriwal must campaign as outsiders. Neither man lives in Varanasi, a city of 1.2 million that votes on May 12 in India's five-weeklong election process in which 814 million people are eligible to cast ballots. Parliamentary candidates can choose to contest any district, and that choice normally reflects their election strategy. During his campaign, Modi has not played up his party's Hindu agenda, but experts say his decision to run in this holy city is meant to send a clear message to all voters about his commitment to the BJP's brand of religious nationalism, which emphasizes India's Hindu identity. The BJP also promises good governance at a time when the ruling Congress party has been plagued by repeated scandals, and its leader Rahul Gandhi has generally failed to inspire the public, leaving many analysts to predict that the BJP will likely emerge with the largest number of seats in the elections when results are announced on May 16. Across Varanasi, Modi's face is plastered on posters and billboards, and the lotus flower, the party's symbol, is everywhere, suspended above major intersections and hanging from street lights. Hordes of party activists wearing saffron caps or shawls roam the streets, confident in his triumph. "Modi has a vision for this country. His victory from Varanasi is a given, and he will win with a huge margin," said Tilak Raj Mishra, one of his supporters at the party's election headquarters in the city, an enormous portrait of Modi, festooned with marigold garlands, on the wall behind him. The race in Varanasi is also drawing attention because it lies in India's most populous—and arguably most politically important—state of Uttar Pradesh. With 200 million people, a comparable population to Brazil, the state is allotted 80 seats in the 543-seat in the lower house of parliament. It has a proud political legacy, too: Eight of India's 14 prime ministers have hailed from Uttar Pradesh. "The sheer size of the state and its population ensures that the party that holds sway in UP will be the kingmaker," said Chauthi Ram Yadav, a professor at the city's Banaras Hindu University. But some Indians are worried about Modi's rise—particularly Muslims, who make up about 18 percent of the state's population. His image has been tainted by the 2002 sectarian violence that ripped through his home state of Gujarat, killing nearly 1,000 Muslims. Modi, who has been chief minister of the state since 2001, is widely seen as doing little to stop the violence, and his fiercest critics have accused him of organizing the bloodshed. "As a Muslim, how can I vote for Modi?" asked Tahir Sheikh, a Varanasi college student. Modi denies playing a role in the riots, and has never apologized or expressed remorse for them. In December, under pressure to speak about the violence that has become a focal point of his candidacy, Modi spoke of his "anguish" over the bloodshed. The carefully worded statement appeared designed to convey that he had nothing to apologize for. True to his anti-establishment image, Kejriwal decided to run for office in Varanasi simply to face off against Modi, whom he accuses of favoring big business. Since his emergence on the national stage, Kejriwal has quickly gained a reputation of an erratic rabble-rouser. He has led protests and hunger strikes against government corruption. After just 49 days as New Delhi's chief minister, Kejriwal quit, claiming that the entrenched political system prevented him from carrying out real reforms. Instead, he said he would invest his energy in the national elections. His campaign here has focused more on local issues, and he has promised to build an effective sewage system, clean up the river and support the city's legendary sari weavers. In the Madanpura neighborhood, a warren of alleys flanked by buildings home to thousands of impoverished, mostly Muslim, weavers, the overriding concern is about declining demand for hand-woven saris amid a flood of cheaper mass-produced polyester versions. "In the last decade, the weavers have taken a beating," said Mohammed Azhar as he sat at a low table, using colored pencils to create floral sari patterns. "What can these politicians do for us?" The post In India's vote, Hindu Holy City Is Battleground appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Obama Uses Japan Visit to Reassure Wary Asian Allies Posted: 23 Apr 2014 09:47 PM PDT  US President Barack Obama meets with Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo April 24, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) TOKYO — US President Barack Obama used a state visit to Japan on Thursday to try to reassure Asian allies of his commitment to ramping up US engagement in the region, despite Chinese complaints that his real aim is to contain Beijing's rise. Obama is being treated to a display of pomp and ceremony meant to show that the US-Japan alliance, the main pillar of America's security strategy in Asia, remains solid at a time of rising tensions over growing Chinese assertiveness and North Korean nuclear threats. "As you said, my visit here, I think, once again represents my deep belief that a strong US-Japan relationship is not only good for our countries, but good for the world," Obama told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the start of their summit. "Our shared democratic values mean that we have to work together in multilateral settings to deal with regional hot spots around the globe, but also to try to make sure we are creating a strong set of rules that govern the international order." Behind the scenes, US and Japanese trade negotiators for the two countries were working around the clock in Tokyo on a two-way trade pact seen as crucial to a broader trans-Pacific agreement. "We're continuing to work," a US official said on Thursday, before the leaders met on the first state visit to Japan by a US president in 18 years. "Autos and agriculture continue to be the focus, and our goal remains to achieve meaningful market access for American businesses, farmers and ranchers," the official said. "We've made some progress and worked around the clock." Even if Obama and Abe cannot complete a bilateral trade deal before the US president leaves Tokyo on Friday, they are likely to try to project a sense of progress on key issues. Balancing Act The diplomatic challenge for Obama during his week-long, four-nation regional tour will be to convince Asian partners that Washington is serious about its promised strategic "pivot" towards the region, while at the same time not harming US ties with China, the world's second-biggest economy. The difficulty of Obama's balancing act was underscored hours before he arrived on Wednesday night when Chinese state media criticized US policy in the region as "a carefully calculated scheme to cage the rapidly developing Asian giant." The official Xinhua news agency followed that on Thursday with a commentary that said: "…the pomp and circumstance Obama receives … cannot conceal the fact that Tokyo has become a growing liability to Washington's pursuit of long-term interests." Obama told Japan's Yomiuri newspaper that while Washington welcomed China's peaceful rise, "our engagement with China does not and will not come at the expense of Japan or any other ally." An Obama-Abe joint statement is likely to specify that tiny Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea, claimed by Beijing, fall under the US-Japan treaty that obliges Washington to defend Tokyo, Japanese media said on Thursday. This is standard US policy, but putting Obama's name to such a statement would reassure Japan on an issue that is a source of tension between Asia's biggest powers. Obama's trip will also include stops in South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. Leaders who will meet Obama are also keeping a wary eye on the crisis in Ukraine through the prism of their own territorial disputes with Beijing. Some of China's neighbors worry that Obama's apparent inability to rein in Russia, which annexed Crimea last month, could send a message of weakness to China. Message of Solidarity The Japanese government lobbied hard to get the White House to agree to an official state visit, the first by a sitting US president since Bill Clinton in 1996. Topping Obama's schedule on Thursday was an audience with Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace and a summit with Abe followed by a joint news conference. He will also visit the Meiji Shrine, which honors the Japanese emperor who oversaw the country's rapid modernization in the late 1800s. At an official welcoming ceremony by Emperor Akihito, Obama walked smiling past Japanese schoolchildren waving small US and Japanese flags, solemnly inspected a rifle-bearing military honor guard, and shook hands with Japanese dignitaries in front of the sprawling palace before heading inside with his hosts. Abe will be trying to soothe US concerns that his conservative push to recast Japan's war record with a less apologetic tone is overshadowing his pragmatic policies on the economy and security. "Japan has been walking on the path of peace for seven decades after the war," Abe told Obama at the start of their talks. "An alliance between Japan and the United States, which share such values as freedom, democracy and human rights, as well as strategic interest, is indispensable as a cornerstone for peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region." Obama and Abe are expected to send a message of solidarity after strains following Abe's December visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, seen by critics as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. In his remarks to the Yomiuri, Obama has already assured Japan that the bilateral defense treaty covers the disputed islets, called the Senkaku by Japan and the Diaoyu by China. The Obama-Abe joint statement will say the two allies will not tolerate any attempt to change the status quo there by force, a phrase that implicitly targets China. The post Obama Uses Japan Visit to Reassure Wary Asian Allies appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
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