Global Research Asia News

Axed Railway Raises Malaysia-Singapore Trust Deficit By , January 11 2021

Not long after ringing in the new year, disappointment set in for those on both sides of the Causeway separating Singapore and Malaysia.

On January 1, the two countries announced the termination of a multi-billion-dollar high-speed rail (HSR) that would

Cambodia Demolishes US-built Naval Facility By , January 08 2021

For the second time, Cambodia has demolished a US-constructed naval facility at Ream Naval Base, operated by the Royal Cambodian Navy.

The facility, built in 2017, was a relatively small boat maintenance building.

US State Department-funded media outlet Voice of …

Mass Protests by Indian Farmers By , January 07 2021

Over the last 22 days of 2020, farmers’ struggle jotted down 28 more protests on India’s map. These are just the bare facts as the final moments of the 2020 resistance included Vehicle Jathas, indefinite strikes and solidarity protests from

Debating Maoism in Contemporary China: Reflections on Benjamin I. Schwartz, Chinese Communism and the Rise of Mao By , January 07 2021

Nearly a century after its founding in 1921, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) again trumpeted the ideological contributions of its paramount leader.  The insertion into the Party Constitution of a reference to “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

A Deadly and Disastrous 2020 for the Philippines By , January 07 2021

A major volcanic eruption, massive flooding in several regions, surging COVID-19 cases, and a  worsening human rights situation are among the disasters that made the lives of Filipinos more miserable in 2020.

After more than four decades of inactivity, Taal …

Hearts Full of Scepticism, Indian Farmers Agree for Talks with Delhi Government By , December 30 2020

Talks between farmers and the Centre are all set to take place on December 30 afternoon as the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha sends a letter to the government confirming the appointment on December 29, 2020.

However, they reminded the central government …

US Government Role in Thailand’s “Student Protests” By , December 30 2020

This article was originally published in August 2020.

The Southeast Asian Kingdom of Thailand has tilted too far toward China for Washington’s liking. 

The country – with nearly 70 million people and the second largest economy in Southeast Asia – …

As World Sours on Coal, Top Producer Indonesia Tries to Sweeten It at Home By , December 30 2020

With consumption, travel and commuting all suppressed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from the Global Carbon Project calculate carbon dioxide emissions fell a record 7% in 2020. One key driver was lower demand for fossil fuels, including coal, the

Myanmar Government Eyes Town Status for Controversial China-Backed Project By , December 29 2020

Surveys have been conducted into granting town status to Shwe Kokko Myaing village, a controversial China-backed project in Myawaddy Township, Karen State.

The Moei River village on the Thai border, about 16km north of Myawaddy was once a Democratic Karen …

Tensions Between China and India May Soon Rise as Trump Approves Historic Tibet Act By , December 29 2020

US President Donald Trump signed into law on Sunday the historic Tibet bill. US Congress had passed this bill on December 21. The Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA), which supports Tibet in key areas, even includes possible sanctions against

Stealth Fighters and Long-range Missiles: Japan’s Cabinet Greenlights Record-breaking Military Budget By , December 29 2020

Japanese government has approved a hike in military spending to address an “increasingly tough” security environment, as the country struggles under the world’s largest debt and the pandemic-induced economic slump.

Japan’s cabinet approved on Monday the record-high $1.03 trillion budget

A Dalit and a Brahmin By , December 29 2020

This article was written by Sophie Michel, a 12 year old American girl, living in the United States. She is Global Research’s youngest author.

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“I hear the lower castes are finding this lack of monsoons rather difficult for their

China Building Great Wall on Its Soft Southern Underbelly By , December 28 2020

Political observers and Western diplomats are confounded over why China, in sharp contrast to its various, proposed connectivity initiatives in Myanmar such as superhighways and high-speed rail lines, is building a high-tech wall along its 2,227-kilometer border with Myanmar.

Is …

The Gold Comes Off: A COVID-19 Outbreak in Sydney By , December 23 2020

Australia has various advantages as an island continent.  It is monumental and only accessible in the most impractical ways.  It is discouragingly far and almost impossible to invade without a huge investment of personnel and material.  The decision to place

Pakistan Returns $1bn to Saudi Arabia and Turns to China for Loan Assistance By , December 22 2020

Cash-strapped Pakistan has returned $1bn to Saudi Arabia as the second instalment of a $3bn soft loan, and is turning to China to help pay the rest.

Saudi Arabia has historically never asked Pakistan to repay its loans.

But earlier …

Chang’e-5 Completes Lunar Trip, More Space Missions Planned By and , December 22 2020

On the freezing grassland in Siziwang Banner, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a Chinese national flag was placed right next to the re-entry capsule of Chang’e-5 lunar probe, whose epic predawn landing on Thursday provided the perfect climax to

First Duterte Crushed Marawi, Now He Is Ignoring It By , December 20 2020

Six months after the end of the 2017 battle of Marawi in the southern Philippines, residents were allowed into ground zero for just a few hours to retrieve whatever they could of their possessions destroyed in the five months of

“This Is the Time to Unite”: Trade Unions, Labourers Support the Farmers’ Protest By , December 20 2020

Between 28 November and 14 December, I visited the ongoing farmers’ protest at the Singhu and Tikri borders between Delhi and Haryana, and Ghazipur border between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The agitation began on 26 November as part of a

Why Japan Lags in the COVID-19 Vaccine Race By , December 19 2020

For readers who might wish to compare its message with the usual image of a competent Japanese pharmaceutical industry – one that remains among the largest in the world after the US and China, with a world market share of

Health and Wealth in India – Farmers’ Lives Matter By , December 18 2020
Parliament’s Winter Session Cancelled, Shiv Sena Smells a Rat By , December 18 2020

Government does away with session citing Covid concerns, but Opposition parties see refusal to hold even a truncated session as means to avoid addressing pressing issues

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The Winter Session of the Parliament has been cancelled this year. It will …

This Book Turns Everything You Thought You Knew About North Korea Upside Down By , December 18 2020

How 70 years of CIA deceit and mainstream media complicity convinced the American public that North Korea was the Bad Guy and the U.S. was the Good Guy—when it was almost always the other way around

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In the United …

Hints Hun Sen Starting to Look Away from China By , December 18 2020

When Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced this week that his country will order its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines from the United Nations-backed COVAX facility, it was notable that Cambodia’s first inoculations were not coming from China.

“Cambodia is …

Myanmar’s Perennial Ceasefire Talks By , December 18 2020

Cease-fire and talks for peace are normally welcome news. But the politics in Myanmar is anything but normal, hence such talks do not necessarily signify prospects for peace, ephemeral or lasting.

This week the Spokesperson for Myanmar Tatmadaw or the …

As Bangladesh Hosts over a Million Rohingya Refugees, a Scholar Explains What Motivated the Country to Open Up Its Borders By , December 18 2020

Over 1.1 million Rohingyas continue to remain stranded in crowded camps in Bangladesh while the international community fails to provide a resolution to the crisis.

When in 2017 this lower-middle-income, majority Muslim country opened its borders to the Rohingya fleeing …

Winds of Democracy in the Philippines By , December 18 2020

What struggles to build a democratic society truly fulfill the aspirations of the people? IBON will briefly share our experience in the Philippine context and look forward to discussions to enrich this from different perspectives. The winds of democracy are

America, Nepal and the Royal Coup By , December 18 2020

On 15 December 1960 (पुस १) exactly 60 years ago, King Mahendra ordered the jailing of Prime Minister BP Koirala and other political figures, many of whom the Nepali people had put in power 18 months earlier in Nepal’s

The Life and Death of a Servant of God By , December 17 2020

Swirls of creamy pearl and lavender, sunset streaks across sky blue, and the pulsing shades of floral bloom flow through the Facebook page of Mary Rose Sancelan. The pastel hues carry psalms of gratitude and faith, and a few cries

Mass Vaccination Is Beginning Around the World, but New Zealand Will Wait for a COVID Jab By , December 16 2020

The first people in the UK will be getting a Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday, while in New Zealand, the wait could be for several more months. Here’s the government’s plan to vaccinate Aotearoa.

Mass vaccination efforts against Covid-19 are underway …

What to Expect from Relations Between China and Australia? By , December 16 2020

Relations between China and Australia worsened significantly in 2020, reaching the lowest level in its history. Between spying scandals, fake news and trade tariffs, ties between both countries have diminished, impeding various possibilities for international cooperation. However, the recent agreement

Djab Wurrung: Fighting to Save Sacred Trees By , December 16 2020

On the same day Victorians were celebrating Premier Daniel Andrews’ announcement of the easing of the 112-day COVID-19 lockdown, the state government oversaw the felling of a 350-year-old tree sacred to the Djab Wurrung people in central Victoria. The

India’s One-Day General Strike Largest in History By , December 16 2020

Farmers and agricultural workers from northern India marched along various national highways toward India’s capital of New Delhi as part of the general strike on Nov. 26.

They carried placards with slogans against the anti-farmer, pro-corporate laws that were passed

Abuse on the Mainland: Australia’s Medevac Hotel Detentions By , December 16 2020

Governments that issue press releases about the abuse of human rights tend to avoid close gazes at the mirror.  Doing so would be telling.  In the case of Australia, its record on dealing with refugees is both abysmal and cruel. 

West Papuans: An Indigenous People that the World Forgot By , December 16 2020

In December 2018, Survival International began receiving disturbing reports from the Nduga region of West Papua. Church leaders were saying that congregations from 34 churches in the Papuan highlands were missing. A violent military operation by the Indonesian army had

China Restricts Australian Coal Imports Amid ‘Deteriorating Relationship’ Between Canberra and Beijing By , December 16 2020

China appears to have formally restricted imports of Australian coal in favour of both local production and imports from other suppliers, in a move that threatens the $14 billion export industry.

A Monday report in Chinese state media outlet The
What Lessons Can We Learn from Protests in India? By , December 15 2020

In the last one decade we are witnessed three major protests in different issues, but the outcome of each protest was the same. The protesters became popular but the issue lost in between the crowd of protesters. The issues are

Bangladesh Wins and Loses in China-India Rivalry By , December 15 2020

This was originally published in October 2020.

Bangladesh is in the middle of rising Indian and Chinese competition for South Asian influence, a position that could benefit or imperil the Muslim majority developing nation of over 161 million people.

On …

Australia’s Stop Adani Campaign in Solidarity with Indian Farmers’ Protests By , December 15 2020

As a people-powered movement that has prevented the Adani company from digging its climate-wrecking coal mine for ten years, the Stop Adani movement stands in solidarity with Indian farmers leading mass peaceful protests against [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi and [Gautam]

Papua Sawmill Loses Legal Timber Stamp over Allegations of Permit Forgery By , December 15 2020

A major sawmill operation linked to widespread deforestation and corruption in Indonesia has had its legality certification revoked by the licensing authority over allegations of a forged permit, meaning it will not be allowed to export any wood products.

Operator …

Red-tagging in the Philippines Has Gone to a Terrifyingly Alarming Level By , December 11 2020

Red-tagging in the Philippines is getting to be quite fearfully alarming. The new wave all started some couple of months ago when certain showbiz celebrities were warned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff himself to

“Five Eyes Spy” Agreement Threatens New Zealand’s Independence and Relationship with China? By , December 11 2020

Diplomacy is always a tightrope but what happens when your old mates turn on your new friends and demand you line up with them?

Today, The Detail looks at the stoush over “the club” – the Five Eyes security agreement

Video: Thailand: US Openly Backs Anti-Government Mob By , December 11 2020

US Senators Bob Menendez and Dick Durbin introduced a resolution openly siding with the anti-government and anti-monarchy mobs in Thailand. 

I have exposed the US government’s funding and backing of these mobs for years – and now the US government …

How Australia Sabotaged Its Own Interests in Relations with China By , December 11 2020

The destruction over the past five years of Australia’s mutually beneficial diplomatic and trade relationship with China was probably a successful ’Five Eyes’ information warfare operation,  facilitated by the Australian political class’s own foolish arrogance and ignorance towards China.  Australia

Irresponsible Happenings: Australia’s Juukan Gorge, Rio Tinto and the Never Again Report By , December 11 2020

“Never Again.”  These words are used with boring, stage managed frequency by political and company figures who should know better.  They title the interim report from the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia investigating the destruction of rock shelters at

Why Modi’s “Green Response” to China’s “Belt and Road” Is Doomed to Fail By , December 10 2020

This article was originally published on June 7.

India was once known as the Crown jewel of the British Empire before gaining independence in 1946. Sadly, like most of the post WWII history, that leap to independence was tainted by

Palm Oil Giant Wilmar Unfazed as Watchdogs Cry Foul over Papua Deforestation By , December 10 2020

An area of natural forest the size of 1,500 football fields has been cleared since January in an oil palm concession in Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua by a company that ultimately supplies major traders and global brands.

The deforestation …

World Economic Forum 2021 Moved to Singapore Due to COVID-19 By , December 10 2020

The next World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Annual Meeting is being moved to Singapore, given the COVID-19 situation in Europe. The global summit, which brings top leaders in politics, business and academia together, will be held between 13 and 16

Indonesia: Of Corruption and the Feasibility of Death Penalty as a Deterrent By , December 10 2020

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) recently arrested two of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)’s Cabinet ministers.

Maritime and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo and Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara were charged with bribery.

The former was accused of being involved in …

The Belt and Road Initiative in Malaysia: New Challenges for South East Asia By , December 10 2020

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of the largest in scale infrastructure projects in our history, which was proposed by the PRC as far back as 2013. Its main aim is to link via roads, railways, deep water

Australia: Exporting Weapons Is a Clear and Present Danger By , December 10 2020

Then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pronounced in 2018 that Australia should aspire to be in the top 10 military equipment exporters in the world within the next 10 years. Turnbull committed to a $3.8 billion loan scheme for arms manufacturers to

Myanmar’s Salween Peace Park — A Place for All Living Things By , December 09 2020

According to our calendar, the Karen People have lived in our forest home for 2,758 years. Our lands and waters play many important roles in everyday life and in our future prosperity. They are core to the subsistence practices of

Central Africa and South Asia: Worldlife Fund (WWF) Knew About Rights Abuses by Park Rangers, but Didn’t Respond Effectively By , December 09 2020

In March 2019, Buzzfeed News published the first of a series of articles tying international conservation giant WWF to violent and severe human rights abuses allegedly committed by park rangers working in Central Africa and South Asia. Based largely on

Australia’s Coal Mines: Adani Was a Bad Investment in 2014. It’s an Even Worse One Now. By , December 09 2020

2020 has not been a good year for thermal coal.

Trends that were already underway have accelerated as a result of the pandemic. As the energy source with the highest marginal cost of operation, coal has borne the brunt of

India’s Gulf Strategy Is Chasing Chinese Phantoms By , December 09 2020

The Chinese statement of December 2 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the ‘Question of Palestine and the Situation in the Middle East’ should trigger introspection in New Delhi. Without doubt, this must be one of

China Overtakes the US to Become EU’s Biggest Trade Partner as Beijing’s Economy Continues to Boom Post-COVID while the Rest of the World Slides into the Red By , and , December 08 2020

China has overtaken the U.S. to become the EU’s biggest trade partner while the rest of the world slides into the red due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  

The country pushed past the United States in the third quarter to become …

Canada, India Mudslinging over Sikh Farmer Protests By , December 08 2020

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comments in support of Sikh farmers protesting against new farm laws in India have been met with an unusually sharp rebuff from New Delhi.

“The situation is concerning and we are all very worried about

Imperfect Releases: Andrew Hastie, War Crimes Reports and Australia in Afghanistan By , December 07 2020

If one were to get into the head of Australian government MP Andrew Hastie, a security tangle of woe would no doubt await.  Having been a captain with the Special Air Services and having also served in Afghanistan, he

America-prompted Color Revolution in Thailand By , December 07 2020

American Wars by Other Means

The United States of America has been a world power for almost a century. This century saw the highest level of technological progress but it was also the most brutal century in terms of wars,

India: Pesticide Takeover Spells Trouble for Bees By , December 07 2020

When the history of the insect collapse of the early 21st century comes to be written, it is likely that failure to implement adequate corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices will be blamed.

In a recent example, in September when a …

China Uproots Hong Kong’s US-Backed Opposition By , December 06 2020

China finalised its campaign against protests in its Hong Kong territory when it expelled opposition politicians from Hong Kong’s government for endangering national security.

Following this move, opposition politicians still in office resigned in protest, leaving the territory’s government firmly …

War Itself Is a Crime, Let Alone What Australia’s SAS Did in Afghanistan By , December 04 2020

Major-General Paul Brereton presented his report into allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan as necessary for a more effective ADF. But if we’re horrified when the Army breaks the rules of war, we should also be outraged when it

Alleged Government-linked Land Grabs Threaten Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains By , December 04 2020

Rising across remote stretches of southeast Cambodia, the Cardamom Mountains harbor dense tropical rainforest, much of it native growth carpeting the range’s wet slopes. Due to its remoteness, the vast protected area has historically seen relatively little human activity, which

Australian Court Upholds Sacking of Academic for Criticising US and Israeli Militarism By , December 04 2020

A Federal Court judge last week set a chilling and far-reaching precedent for the further overturning of basic democratic rights and academic freedom, especially to express political or other dissenting views.

The ruling backed the University of Sydney’s February 2019 …

US Struggles for Relevance in Southeast Asia By , December 04 2020

While many around the globe are hopeful that a change at the White House means a change for US foreign policy – many of the most contentious and disruptive aspects of US foreign policy carried out over the last 4

Tens of Thousands of Indian Farmers Set Up Camp Outside Delhi Against Modi Government’s Pro-corporate Laws By , December 03 2020

Indian farmers have gathered outside the capital New Delhi in huge numbers demanding the withdrawal of the three laws. Their stand has forced the government to call for early talks

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Following the joint nationwide strike by workers and farmers …

As Heatwave Hits Australia, Polls Find 71% Support Net Zero Emissions by 2030 By , December 03 2020

Spring exited into summer with record temperatures soaring to more than 40° Celsius in much of New South Wales and South Australia over the final days of November.

It was a harbinger of already existing climate change and a reminder …

Philippines to be Asia’s Worst Economic Performer By , December 03 2020

Already reeling from one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in Asia, the Philippines has been battered by multiple storms in recent weeks, displacing more than 300,000 residents and claiming the lives of 69 people. 

The Philippines’ National Economic and Development …

Taiwanese Groups Protest Proposed Fukushima Water Dumping By , December 03 2020

Taiwanese environmental groups demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Taipei last Thursday to protest against a proposed plan by the Japanese government to dump 1.2 million tons of wastewater from the 2011 Fukushima disaster into

Doctored Indignation: Australia-China Relations By , December 02 2020

Clay foot diplomacy is all the rage in Canberra, and the Australian government has become a solid practitioner.  Having stuck its neck out across continents and seas to proclaim the need to investigate China over the origins of the novel

Chinese Anti-submarine Aircraft Enters Taiwan’s ADIZ By , December 01 2020

A Chinese military aircraft intruded upon Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday (Nov. 29), marking the 21st such intrusion this month.

A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft flew into the southwest corner of …

Chinese Premier Raises Four-pronged Proposal for SCO’s Future Development By , December 01 2020

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday made a four-pronged proposal for the future development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), calling for fostering a secure and stable development environment, consolidating integrated development, leveraging the catalytic role of sci-tech innovation and

Video: US-Backed Thai Mobs Remove Barriers at Army Base By , December 01 2020

After the government took extensive measures to protect the army base the US-backed anti-government protesters originally targeted as their next protest site – protest leaders switched the venue at the last minute. 

Immediately the protest guards began removing razor wire …

China Slaps 200% Import Tax on Australian Wine Amid Tensions By , December 01 2020

China on Friday added wine to the growing list of Australian goods barred from its markets in a trade war against Australia over disputes including its support for an inquiry into the origin of the coronavirus.

The Ministry of Commerce …

Homeward Bound: The Postwar Repatriation of Japanese Civilians in Shanghai, 1945-1948 By , December 01 2020

Introduction

The day was August 14, 1945.1 Fourteen-year-old Kageyama Tetsu was working at the Jiangnan Shipyard on the outskirts of Shanghai, an industrial complex that was once the crown jewel of Chinese industrial modernization. Since the early stage of

The Failure of Common Unity in the Philippine Social Experience By , November 30 2020

“If the justice system fails, the community will not.” I like this. But in the Philippines, every time the justice system fails, there’s no other recourse because there’s no community. This is sad.

Community is “common” “unity”. This is what …

The Women of Kendeng Set Their Feet in Cement to Stop a Mine in Their Lands. This Is Their Story. By , November 27 2020

Serene, prosperous, fertile. These words come to mind as I stand at the top of a hill in Tegaldowo village, on the island of Java, in Indonesia, one Sunday evening in 2019. It is an idiom used to describe this

Villagers Flee Their Homes After Myanmar’s Military Clashes with TNLA By , November 27 2020

Nearly 1,000 people in Mandalay Region’s Mogoke Township have left their villages due to clashes this week between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar’s military.

The clashes have occurred about 11km north of Mogoke since Tuesday evening.

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Should Americans Die for the Senkaku Islands? Joe Biden Says Yes. By , November 27 2020

President-elect Joe Biden says Americans might have to die for the Senkaku Islands. You know, the 51st state. Er, a distant U.S. territory. Er, a vital geographic outpost blocking invasion routes into America. Er, some uninhabited rocks claimed by

Brave Vandana Shiva Speaks Out Against the Great Reset By , November 26 2020
Ignore the Spin – Australia Unemployment Still Up, Says ACTU By , November 25 2020

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released unemployment figures for the month of October, and in its monthly labour force survey on Thursday revealed an increase of one-tenth of one per cent nationwide, bringing the figure up to