VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: September 13, 2022

Afghanistan

Education Minister’s Remarks Trigger Strong Reactions: Tolo News

The remarks of the education minister regarding girls' schooling has faced a strong reaction inside and outside Afghanistan. In a visit to Uruzgan province, the, acting Minister of Education, Noorullah Munir, said that people do not want their girls to attend school in the current situation. Click here to read... [2]

Pakistan Increases Tariff on Afghan Fruits, Concerning Traders: The Khaama Press

Afghan fruiterer and exporters worried about their gross income amid increasing tariffs by Pakistan, according to sources, as the country announced looking for new markets to export coals out of Afghanistan. According to farmers, Pakistan increases customs tariffs in fresh fruit exports every year, when most harvest their best products – mainly fruits. Click here to read... [3]

Bangladesh

Report: A grim picture of human rights in Bangladesh: Dhaka Tribune

Citing numerous cases of sexual assault, violence against women and children, murder after rape, deaths by law enforcement agencies, and political violence, the monthly human rights violations monitoring report of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has painted a grim picture in Bangladesh during January-August this year. Click here to read... [4]

Prolonged Rohingya stay impacts Bangladesh’s stability, says PM Sheikh Hasina: The Hindu

In August, the refugees marked the fifth anniversary of a mass exodus of more than 700,000 Rohingyas into Bangladesh who were fleeing a harsh crackdown by Myanmar's military Bangladesh's Prime Minister said on Monday that the prolonged stay of more than 1 million Rohingya refugees in crowded camps in the country has become a serious security and stability concern. Click here to read... [5]

Bhutan

“

Carbon Negative” — The First of Its Kind - Harvard International Review

As the world’s richest countries fail to meet emissions reductions targets year after year, the small kingdom of Bhutan, tucked away in the Himalayas with a population of less than one million people, became the first country to reach carbon neutrality. In fact, Bhutan is now actually carbon negative—a term coined by former Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay that refers to the fact that Bhutan currently offsets over four times as much carbon as its economy emits. Click here to read... [6]

Royal Friendships connect Bhutan and the UK - The Statesman

Relations between Bhutan and the United Kingdom is characterised by historical contact since the 18th century, recent cooperation in Bhutan’s development process, the education of many Bhutanese students in the United Kingdom, and the friendship between members of the Royal families of the two countries. Click here to read... [7]

Maldives

Simplifying the process of developing land use plans is important: President - Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that it is important to simplify the process of developing land use plans of outer islands. The President made this remark at the second session of the third Viavathi Raajje Conference, on Sunday. During the session, President Solih noted that amending laws, if necessary to address recurring issues that arise while formulating the plans is also important. Click here to read... [8]

Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives stand neck-deep in Chinese debt: Forbes - The Print

Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives are among the biggest debtors of China. Pakistan owes USD 77.3 billion of external debt to China, according to Forbes. Maldives’ debt to 31 per cent of its Gross National Income (GNI). Maldives’ total debt amounts to MVR 86 billion by the end of 2020, MVR 44 billion of which is external debt, reported The Island Online. Click here to read... [9]

Myanmar

Military Crony Linked to New Ownership of Ooredoo’s Myanmar Unit - The Irrawaddy

Qatari telecom Ooredoo’s operation in Myanmar is now de facto owned by Zaw Win Shein, a military crony and the adopted son of a general who served as a minister in the military proxy Thein Sein administration, which ran Myanmar from 2011 to early 2016. Click here to read... [10]

Geopolitics keeps Myanmar's junta close to India, China - New Indian Express

Notwithstanding the growing level of intolerance against dissenters that has led to executions, unwarranted jail terms and arrests, the military junta-led government in Myanmar due to geopolitics and its strategic location has managed to retain its clout with India, China and Russia. Click here to read... [11]

Prolonged Rohingya stay impacts Bangladesh’s stability, says PM Sheikh Hasina - The Hindu

Bangladesh's Prime Minister said on Monday that the prolonged stay of more than 1 million Rohingya refugees in crowded camps in the country has become a serious security and stability concern. Click here to read... [5]

Rare Earths Supply Stifled By Controversy In Myanmar - OilPrice.com

In last month’s MMI, MetalMiner reported how nations all around the globe were searching for alternatives to rare earth exports from China. After all, the ongoing Chinese property crisis and limited industrial output continue to strain the country’s rare earths industry. Aside from the supply problems, many nations simply want to break their dependence on Chinese rare earth elements. Click here to read... [12]

Human Rights Council Discusses Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar and in Sri Lanka - OHCHR

The Human Rights Council this morning held an interactive dialogue with Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar, followed by an interactive dialogue with Nada Al-Nashif, Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka. Click here to read... [13]

Myanmar: Military’s Real Weak Spot Is Economic Ineptitude – Eurasia Review

Sept. 7 marked the first anniversary of the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar’s declaration of a defensive war against the military. Few at the time gave them much hope against a well-armed and brutal military that had ruled the country for all but seven of the past 60 years. Click here to read... [14]

Myanmar Set For Blacklisting by Financial Watchdog - The Diplomat

Military-ruled Myanmar could soon join North Korea and Iran on a key international financial blacklist, dealing a blow to the military junta’s hopes of stabilizing the country’s economy. Nikkei Asia, citing four Western and Asian government officials familiar with the matter, reported yesterday that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is expected to approve Myanmar’s addition to its “call to action” blacklist next month. Click here to read... [15]

Fresh Influx of Myanmar Nationals Into India’s Mizoram State - The Diplomat

The Indian government and civil society organizations are engaged in hectic efforts in the border state of Mizoram to rehabilitate refugees who have crossed over from Myanmar following a recent eruption of violent conflict between government troops and a rebel outfit. Click here to read... [16]

Nepal

Nepal mocks green pledges by approving new oil pipelines - Kathmandu Post

Nepal has proposed to switch from petrol-powered automobiles to electric vehicles by 2031, and pursuant to this policy, the 2020-21 budget unveiled by the then KP Sharma Oli administration contained a strategic plan to lower oil imports, and with it, the resulting air pollution. Click here to read... [17]

Nepal and China agree to enhance cooperation on multiple fronts under the BRI framework -Kathmandu Post

Nepal and China on Monday agreed to increase their engagements and exchanges on governance, legislative and supervisory practices under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI). The understanding was reached between Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota and visiting head of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress Li Zhanshu after delegation-level talks in the parliament building on Monday evening. Click here to read... [18]

Nepal moves one spot up in Human Development Index, ranks 143rd- Kathmandu Post

Though the country climbed up one position in the ranking, the Human Development Index (HDI) value declined from 0.604 to 0.602 due to continued turbulence caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Human Development Report 2021-22 unveiled in Kathmandu on Monday. Click here to read... [19]

Pakistan

Flood dashboard launched as govt warns of more rains: Dawn

The government on Monday launched its ‘Digital Flood Dashboard’ to ensure transparency in the allocation of funds and to keep the nation informed about the rescue and relief activities in the flood-hit areas. Click here to read... [20]

Pakistan lacking ‘effectiveness’ on four FATF-linked goals: Dawn

The Asia-Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering has rated Pakistan’s level of effectiveness as ‘low’ on 10 out of 11 international goals on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terror (AML/CFT), even though the country is now compliant on 38 out of 40 technical recommendations. Click here to read... [21]

Ties with France to be deepened: PM: The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan was committed to further deepen its relations with France across all areas of mutual interest, saying continued engagement would further deepen mutually beneficial relations. Click here to read... [22]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka situation fragile, called for accountability- UNHRC: Daily Mirror

Presenting a report on SriLanka, acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Nashif told the Human Rights Council that the situation here was fragile and called for accountability. The report says Sri Lanka’s new Government should embark on a national dialogue to advance human rights and reconciliation. Click here to read... [23]

Govt. declare next Monday holiday and mourning day: Daily Mirror

The government to declare a special public holiday for government institutions on September 19 on account of the royal funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration has issued a letter to the ministry secretaries and head of government institutions. Click here to read... [24]

India raises Sri Lankan Tamil issue in U.N.: The Hindu

India on Monday voiced concern over the “lack of measurable progress” in Sri Lanka’s promised political solution to the long-pending Tamil national question, while making an unusual reference to the crisis-hit island nation’s “debt-driven” economy in the context of its current crisisClick here to read... [25]