VIF Neighborhood News Digest: September 13, 2019

PAKISTAN

PM commends 58 countries, EU over Kashmir cause: Dawn
September 13, 2019

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday commended 58 countries and the European Union for supporting the cause of a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in the line with UN Security Council resolutions and international laws. The prime minister said in his tweet: “I commend the 58 countries that joined Pakistan in Human Rights Council on 10 Sept reinforcing demands of international community for India to stop use of force, lift siege, remove other restrictions, respect and protect Kashmiris’ right and resolve Kashmir dispute through UNSC resolutions. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Ready To Suppress Taliban In North: Dostum: Tolo
September 13, 2019

The First Vice President Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum on Thursday said he is ready to defeat the Taliban within six months if the Afghan government and the US provide him the chance. Speaking in a video conference in Kabul, Mr. Dostum said he has already provided his military plan for defeating the Taliban offshoots in the northern parts of the country with the Americans, the Afghan government and NATO. “I asked the president, the national security council, the US, NATO and our international friends to come and hear my plan and implement it. Neither there is a need for your ground forces nor other resources. Come and test us for six months. I don’t make this claim without any calculation,” Mr. Dostum said as the embattled Afghan security forces are tackling a rising Taliban insurgency in multiple fronts in the north. Click here to read... [3]

BANGLADESH

BNP announces 12-day programs seeking Khaleda’s release: Dhaka Tribune
September 13, 2019

As part of the party’s move to intensify its movement demanding the release of Khaleda Zia, BNP’s different associate bodies will stage a 12-day human-chain program in the city. The action program was worked out at a joint meeting of BNP and its associate bodies at the party’s Nayapaltan central office with its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the chair yesterday. After the meeting, Fakhrul announced the programs at a press conference. The programs will begin on September 15 with a human chain to be arranged by Jatiyatabadi Matshajibi Dal. Click here to read... [4]

Myanmar

Military road defies Myanmar national ceasefire, fuels insecurity: Al Jazeera
September 13, 2019

On the Thai-Myanmar border – Military control of a road-widening project through ethnic Karen territory in Myanmar's southeast is in breach of the country's ceasefire agreement, contributing to renewed fighting and possibly implicating government institutions, Al Jazeera has learned. The widening of the unpaved road to nearly 10.5 meters from 3.7 meters runs for nearly 40km through territory controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU), one of 10 ethnic armed groups to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the government and military - known as the Tatmadaw - since 2015. Click here to read... [5]

Sri Lanka

UNF to name Prez candidate next week: Daily Mirror
September 13, 2019

The UNF will announce its presidential candidate next week, Public Administration and Management Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara said today. He said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and UNP's Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa will soon meet leaders of the constituent partners of the proposed United National Front (UNF) led by the UNP to finalize the policy and work program of the UNF. They are expected to meet the leaders of the TNA, SLMC, All Ceylon Makkal Congress, Tamil Progressive Alliance, Ceylon Workers Congress, Democratic People's Front and the Hela Urumaya. Click here to read... [6]

Bhutan

Bhutanese delegation attends UNCCD COP14: Kuensel
September 13, 2019

Bhutan committed to ensure sustainable management of land resources and called upon all international partners to adequately support the country’s efforts during the ministerial round-table discussions of the Fourteenth Session of the Conference of Parties (COP14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Minister of Agriculture and Forests, Yeshey Penjor led a delegation to the high-level segment of the UNCCD COP14, which was held from September 9 to 10 in India. “Bhutan is committed to remain carbon neutral and emphasizes on the critical requirement to transition to a clean energy economy,” he said. Click here to read... [7]

Nepal

US Embassy officials meet with foreign secretary over Chinese statement about Dahal’s ‘disapproval’ of Indo-Pacific Strategy: The Kathmandu Post
September 13, 2019

US Ambassador Randy Berry met with Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi on Thursday to discuss a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that said ruling party Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal “disapproved” of the US-led Indo-Pacific Strategy. Dahal’s assertion, during his meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday that Nepal does not support the Washington-led Indo-Pacific Strategy had prompted the US Embassy in Kathmandu to seek a clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Click here to read... [8]

China

Hong Kong protests: three months on and the anti-government activists want their enemies to burn with them. Is there any end in sight? : South China Morning Post
September 13, 2019

They are strangers in a crowd. They do not know each other’s real names and have little clue how the other looks under the gas masks they call snouts, the 3M goggles and hard hats. But they regard each other as sau zuk, which means “hands and feet”, a Cantonese idiom to refer to how close they are that losing the other is like having a limb amputated. Click here to read... [9]

Xi stresses striving for national rejuvenation ahead of PRC's 70th founding anniversary: People's Daily
September 13, 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on the whole Party and nation to strive for realizing the two centenary goals and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the call when visiting a revolutionary memorial site in the Fragrant Hills in suburban Beijing ahead of the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Click here to read... [10]