Regional News Updates: 2015-11-19

Myanmar leadership transition meeting delayed until end of year

Myanmar says it will take more than a month before opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi can meet with senior officials to discuss the transition to the next government. Information Minister Ye Htut dismissed concerns saying, “We don’t see any problem at the moment. What President [Thein Sein] has said all the time was to maintain and support stability in the transition period. In the meantime, [opposition leader] Aung San Suu Kyi herself has urged supporters of her party to remain calm. I don’t think there’s much to worry about because most people also believe stability is important at this time.” The meeting’s date is being proposed after the Union Election Commission completes its work, which includes some 100 complaints NLD and could ultimately place the party in a minority position.

HRW says police abuse against Afghan refugees soars

Human Rights Watch says police abuse against Afghan refugees in Pakistan has “skyrocketed” during the past year. The report asks Pakistan to act definitively to end what the group calls the “rampant police harassment.” While hostility toward the Afghan community is not new in Pakistan, it has increased dramatically after last December’s militant attack on a school in Peshawar that killed 145 people, mostly children. The report’s findings are based on interviews with refugee families and says the situation for those living in Pakistan is “increasingly precarious.”

Obama brings up South China Sea at APEC

While Beijing didn’t want the South China Sea disputes to rear its head at the 2015 APEC summit, US President Obama wasn’t having any of it. Obama announced that during a conversation with Philippine President Aquino, “We agree on the need for bold steps to lower tensions, including pledging to halt further reclamation, new construction, and militarisation of disputed areas in the South China Sea.” Obama also announced over US$250 million in maritime aid to regional allies - including a warship for the Philippines. Chinese President Xi Jinping continues to call for dialog, but is not offering to halt his programs.

Will Ban or won’t Ban visit North Korea?

News was abuzz this week about whether or not UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon would make the trip to Pyongyang to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. After the KCNA reported that Ban would arrive next Monday and stay for four days, the Secretary General’s office released a statement that that wasn’t the case. However, it does appear that some discussions are underway but noted that unless an official statement is made, anything else is speculation.

Social Networks reportedly banned in Bangladesh

The BBC is reporting that Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Viber, and WhatsApp services have been blocked in Bangladesh. This comes as the nation’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences of two men convicted of genocide and rape by a special war crimes tribunal dating back to the country’s independence battle in 1971. Human rights groups have condemned the war crimes tribunal, stating it does not meet international standards.

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