Neighbourhood News Digest - 10 December 2024

Afghanistan

Shaheen Criticizes US for Actions Related to Doha Agreement – Tolo News

Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate in Qatar accused the United States of violating the Doha Agreement. Shaheen stated that the name of the Islamic Emirate was supposed to be removed from the blacklist three months after the agreement was signed, but no action has been taken in this regard so far. The head of the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate in Qatar stated that US "had promised that they would remove the blacklist within three months, but it has not been done and is still in place. They have not fulfilled this commitment. Another matter is that they said they would participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and encourage other countries as well, but this part has also not been completed. Sanctions imposed on Afghanistan are still in effect." Click here to read… [2]

China Provides Vital Aid for Over 27,500 Displaced Afghan Families – Tolo News

China has handed over aid packages for more than 27,500 displaced families to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These Chinese aid packages include blankets, kitchen sets, barrels, and plastic tarpaulins, which will be distributed to displaced families. Arafat Jamal, the UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, said during the handover ceremony: "Through this very generous assistance, we will be able to help 175,000 Afghans in need of assistance. The assistance provided is basic items that will help people to survive the winter." Welcoming China’s initiative, he called on the international community not to forget Afghanistan. Click here to read… [3]

Bangladesh

Foreign Secretary Misri conveys India’s ‘concerns’ about security of minority communities in Bangladesh – The Hindu

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on December 9, 2024 conveyed India’s ‘concerns’ over the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh and urged the interim government there to follow a ‘constructive approach’. Mr. Misri made the remarks while holding a Foreign Office Consultation with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Mohammad Jashim Uddin, in Dhaka. He also called on Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who urged India to “join his initiative to revive the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)”. Mr. Misri is the first high-ranking Indian official to visit the neighbouring country after the student-people uprising forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India in August. Bilateral relations have nosedived since the interim government took charge. Click here to read… [4]

Electoral reform commission: BNP places 17-point recommendation – The Doily Star

The BNP has submitted a 17-point recommendation to the Electoral Reform Commission, including changes to party registration policies, electoral code of conduct, and transferring control of the National Identification (NID) server back to the EC. Addressing a press briefing at the BNP chairperson's office in Gulshan yesterday, Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan outlined the party's recommendations, highlighting the significance for creating a level playing field. Click here to read… [5]

Bhutan

Govt. to procure combined harvesters from Japan – Kuensel

The government plans to import high-quality combine harvesters from Japan to address the country’s declining farm labour force, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Younten Phuntsho said during 10th Meet-the-Press on December 7. The shortage and delays in combine harvester availability during the peak paddy harvesting season have sparked national discussions. Lyonpo said that the government is currently negotiating with Japan to acquire additional combine harvesters. Member of Parliament (MP) for Lamgong-Wangchang, Sonam Tashi, raised similar concerns during the recent National Assembly session. “The outdated machines are causing delays in the paddy harvest in Paro due to frequent breakdowns and the overall shortage,” he said, adding that the government can help farmers to purchase the combine harvesters at subsidised rate to interested individuals or groups. Click here to read… [6]

Will China succeed in pulling Bhutan away from India? – Deccan Herald

On December 6, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk and Queen Jetsun Pema concluded their two-day trip to India. New Delhi reiterated the unique relationship which both sides share and its commitment to development and growth of Bhutan. Although India and Bhutan have close ties, in the last few years Beijing has been pressuring Thimphu to settle the border dispute. Bhutan and China have yet to establish diplomatic ties. Bhutan did, however, announce last year that it was getting closer to settling the border issues with Beijing. Bhutan is caught up in a balancing act of managing its friendship with India and the challenges to its sovereignty by China. China is using the carrot and stick formula to lure Bhutan to shake the yolk of India’s friendship. It is obvious that the immediate benefits of engaging with Beijing can be alluring, however, the issue for Bhutan is about sovereignty and the ideas of nationhood. Click here to read… [7]

Maldives

Parliament approves bills to allow authorities to intercept personal information– Adhadhu

Parliament today approved bills proposed by the government to allow authorities to intercept personal information and conduct surveillance in order to prevent cybercrime and other related offences. The bills passed by the People's Majlis on Monday were the Amendment Bill to the Criminal Procedures Act, the Amendment Bill to the Penal Code and the Amendment Bill on Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act. With these amendments, investigative agencies will be empowered to address cybercrime as a criminal offence and take many measures to prevent such crimes. It will mainly facilitate access to people's personal information. Some groups have expressed concerns about these amendments. Click here to read… [8]

Japan to provide USD 2 million to strengthen the work of ACC – Adhadhu

The Japanese government has agreed to provide USD 2 million in grant assistance to strengthen the work of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Foreign Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel and Japanese Ambassador Takeuchi Midori signed the Exchange of Notes at a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry. ACC President Adam Shamil and other senior officials of the anti-corruption watchdog attended the ceremony. Under Japan’s Economic and Social Development Programme, the assistance to ACC will improve its operational capacity and enhance its mobility infrastructure. Click here to read… [9]

Myanmar

Rebel group claims to have taken control of Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh in grinding civil war – CNN World

One of the most powerful ethnic minority armed groups battling Myanmar’s army has claimed the capture of the last army outpost in the strategic western town of Maungdaw, gaining full control of the 271-kilometer (168-mile) -long border with Bangladesh. The capture by the Arakan Army makes the group’s control of the northern part of Rakhine state complete, and marks another advance in its bid for self-rule there. Rakhine has become a focal point for Myanmar’s nationwide civil war, in which pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority armed forces seeking autonomy battle the country’s military rulers, who took power in 2021 after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Click here to read… [10]

Arakan Army takes last junta outpost on Bangladesh-Myanmar border– Myanmar Now

The Arakan Army (AA) announced on December 8, that its members had finally taken over the last uncaptured Border Guard Police (BGP) base on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, located in Rakhine State’s Maungdaw Township. “On December 8 at 9:30am, the AA successfully captured and neutralised the last remaining outpost of the military junta,” spokespersons for Rakhine State’s most powerful ethnic armed group said in a press release. Due to its importance for controlling the border, the AA and junta forces have been fighting over the now-captured outpost, known as BGP-5, for months. Click here to read… [11]

Nepal

Donald Lu urges transparency in BRI deal – The Kathmandu Post

Even as the recent agreement on framework for Belt and Road cooperation between Nepal and China continues to trigger heated debates in the country, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu has said that the BRI deal should be transparent. He also stated that before making any comment the US would wait until the text of the new agreement between Kathmandu and Beijing is made public. Before wrapping up his Nepal visit on Monday evening, Lu sat down with a group of journalists and shared what he had discussed with Nepali leaders and officials, including US priorities in Nepal, the ongoing transitional justice process and climate change. Click here to read… [12]

Nepal is bearing brunt of climate change impacts in disproportionate manner: Foreign Minister Deuba – The Kathmandu Post

Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba and the members of her delegation delivered Nepal’s oral statement at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 9 evening at the Court’s public hearings on the ‘Obligations of States in respect of climate change’. Speaking before the Court, Minister Deuba emphasised that despite Nepal’s snow-capped mountains and glaciers playing a crucial role in maintaining climate balance, supporting ecosystems, and preserving biodiversity, they were increasingly threatened by the rapid effects of global warming and consequent climate change. “We are having to bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change in a disproportionate manner. In fact, we are paying for a bad ‘karma’ we did not create,” Deuba stressed, according to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Click here to read… [13]

Pakistan

CM Maryam vows to transform healthcare, transport – The Dawn

The Punjab government has signed an agreement with a China firm to procure machinery and advanced cancer treatment methods for the first public-sector cancer hospital in Lahore, which is likely to open next year. The deal was signed during Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s meeting with Hygeia Medical Technologies President Lu Fu Liang in Beijing on December 9. Dr Liang and his team briefed her on interventional oncology and co-ablation treatment techniques, including the use of freezing and heating techniques. Click here to read… [14]

Pakistan emerges from crisis: US official – The Dawn

The United States is Paki­stan’s indispensable partner as economic partnership between the two countries has been a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship, US Charge d’Affaires, Natalie Baker said on December 9. Addressing the fifth Pakistan-America Busin­ess Forum Summit, Mr Baker said Pakistan looks to move beyond the economic crisis and implement difficult but necessary structural economic reforms to realise a more prosperous future. On December 10, he said, Pakistan is emerging from serious economic challenges and is looking to undertake difficult but desperately needed economic reforms, and the US will support Pakistan through this transition. Click here to read… [15]

Sri Lanka

ADB Approves Financing Facility for Sri Lanka’s Energy Sector Sustainability – Asian Development Bank

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $30 million Small Expenditure Financing Facility (SEFF) for the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), guaranteed by the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, to bolster the sustainability of ongoing and future energy sector projects. The facility will finance post-completion activities of ADB-financed projects, feasibility studies for advanced renewable energy technologies, preparatory work for transmission and distribution upgrades, and capacity building in emerging technologies. The first activity under the SEFF will enhance the operational sustainability of the Moragolla Hydropower Plant financed by ADB. Click here to read… [16]

US imposes sanctions on Kapila Chandrasena, Udayanga Weeratunga – The Daily Mirror

The United States has imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on two Sri Lankans — Kapila Chandrasena, former CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines and Udayanga Weeratunga, former ambassador to Russia — along with their immediate family members. These measures are part of ongoing US efforts to hold perpetrators of corruption accountable. Announcing the actions on International Anti-Corruption Day and just ahead of Human Rights Day, the U.S. State Department emphasised its commitment to promoting accountability for corruption and human rights violations worldwide. Click here to read… [17]