VIF Neighborhood News Digest: January 03, 2020

PAKISTAN

Rare political accord on changes to Army Act: Dawn
January 3, 2020

In a rare show of agreement, the government and the opposition reached consensus on Thursday over the proposed amendments to the Pakistan Army Act a day before tabling the bill in the parliament to give three-year extension to Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. The legislation, titled Pak­­­is­tan Army (Amend­ment) Act-2020, will fix 64 years as the maximum age limit of the three services chiefs and the chairman of the joint chief of staff committee, with the prime minister having the prerogative to give extension to any of them in future after completion of their normal tenure at the age of 60 years and the president having the power to give the final nod. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban Agrees to Short-Term Reduction of Violence: Source: Tolo
January 3, 2020

The Taliban’s leadership will commit to reduce violence once a peace deal is signed with the US, said sources close to the group on Thursday amid a spate of attacks across the country. The reduction of violence will include a halt in conducting suicide attacks—and other kinds of attacks-- in major cities, and the Taliban will not block major highways, according to sources. Some senior members of the Taliban who recently traveled from Doha to Pakistan have returned to Doha, but they have not yet shared the outcome of their discussions with the US side, sources said. Click here to read... [3]

BANGLADESH

Threefold rise in border killing in 2019: Dhaka Tribune
January 3, 2020

When the death toll due to killing along the Bangladesh-India border went down in 2018, the downward trend was expected to continue. But the sharp rise in border killing in 2019 indicates the opposite. At least 43 Bangladeshi citizens were killed by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in 2019, a threefold increase from 14 in the previous year, according to data compiled by rights watchdog Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK). Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the paramilitary force in charge of Bangladesh’s border security, says the number of Bangladeshis killed by the BSF is 35, BGB Director General Major General Shafeenul Islam said at a press conference on Thursday. Click here to read... [4]

MYANMAR

Ministry details plan to address important health issues in 2020: Myanmar Times
January 3, 2020

The government will focus on several key health challenges facing the country this year, Health and Sports Minister U Myint Htwe said. They include patient safety, the public health and hospital information system, health literacy, and school health. The ministry will also pay more attention to the national medical supply chain management system; staff training; non-communicable diseases; medical, research, and public health ethics; e-health; budget management; implementation research; promoting an “Exercise is Medicine” program; and monitoring and evaluation. Click here to read... [5]

SRI LANKA

Political parties should get 12.5% votes to secure seat: New bill in the offing: Daily Mirror
January 3, 2020

Colombo District MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has worked a private member’s bill which, if enacted into law, will make it mandatory for political parties to get at least 12.5 percent of votes from a particular electoral district at general elections to secure parliamentary seats. Currently, a political party becomes eligible to get parliamentary seats if it polls more than five percent of votes at a respective district. Click here to read... [6]

NEPAL

Diplomats take to social media to promote Visit Nepal 2020, and beyond: The Kathmandu Post
January 3, 2020

A day before the government rang in the New Year and inaugurated Visit Nepal 2020 with an ostentatious display of fireworks and marching bands, Twitter was already abuzz with Visit Nepal posts, courtesy of the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal. Ambassador Hou Yanqui’s post, accompanied by her pictures from Patan Durbar Square, led to hundreds of replies, a majority of them thanking her for helping promote Nepal. A small section of Nepali Twitter users even complained about her “model-like photo shoot” which they deemed inappropriate for a diplomat. Click here to read... [7]

BHUTAN

The big disconnect between central and local governments: Kuenselonline
January 3, 2020

Efforts to amend the Local Government Act 2008 have been ongoing for more than a year. But it is going to take more time. The government feels there are barriers in the Act that do not allow the central government to work together with local governments. The LG Act, which was expected to be tabled in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament, has been postponed by a session. Click here to read... [8]

CHINA

Xi signs order for military training: China Daily
January 3, 2020

President Xi Jinping ordered the Chinese military on Thursday to further strengthen its combat training and exercises this year. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, signed the commission's first order for 2020 that listed priorities in the training of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force. Click here to read... [9]

Xi stresses solid auditing work: Xinhuanet
January 3, 2020

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has urged the country's auditing organs to fully perform their duties and improve auditing mechanisms. Xi, also Chinese president, chairman of the Central Military Commission and head of the central auditing committee, made the remarks in an instruction as authorities recently commended outstanding auditing institutions and individuals. Click here to read... [10]