APSNet Semi-Weekly Bulletin, June 19, 2008

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APSNet 19 June 2008

  1. 5 ASEAN Nations Set to Pursue Nuclear Plan
  2. East Timor’s Unready Police
  3. Local Forces to Pave the Way to Victory
  4. 230 More British Troops to Be Sent to Afghanistan, Browne Announces
  5. Indonesia, the Ahmadiyya and Radical Islam
  6. Indonesia: Communal Tensions in Papua
  7. Indonesian Military Chief Admits Lack of Weapons for Military Exercises
  8. Migration and Climate Change

1. 5 ASEAN Nations Set to Pursue Nuclear Plan, Kamol Sukin, Nation, 2008-06-18

Regional cooperation with ASEAN countries on nuclear power development in Thailand is going well and a feasibility study for Thailand’s first nuclear power project will start next month. Thai Energy Ministry deputy permanent secretary Norkun Sitthiphong said yesterday that ASEAN countries have sent a clear signal to allow nuclear power development in Thailand as well as in other member countries.

2. East Timor’s Unready Police, Jesse Wright, Asian Sentinel, 2008-06-17

The United Nations appears set to end its training of local police, many of whom are still unfit to be in uniform, leading to fears that carnage will begin again in a country ill-prepared for it. As the UN mandate in Timor ends in February 2009, the mission is eager to get the police out the door.

3. Local Forces to Pave the Way to Victory, Daniel Flitton, Age, 2008-06-18

Despite all the first-hand experience gained by some of the State Department’s brightest political analysts, there is still no clear plan for how the US will escape the intractable conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most observers argue political settlements are needed. Yet the path to “victory” really boils down to the hope that local governments will eventually take greater control. That’s it.

4. 230 More British Troops to Be Sent to Afghanistan, Browne Announces, Andrew Sparrow, Guardian, 2008-06-16

An additional 230 British troops will be sent to Afghanistan, Des Browne announced today. The defence secretary said 400 posts would be removed, while at the same time, 630 new posts would be created. This will bring the total number of British troops in Afghanistan to 8,030 by spring 2009. The additional deployment will take British troop numbers in Afghanistan to their highest levels, Brown said.

5. Indonesia, the Ahmadiyya and Radical Islam, Stephen Crittenden with Merle Ricklefs, Maya Muchtar and Anand Krishna, ABC, 2008-06-18

Last week the Indonesian government has issued a joint ministerial decree telling the heretical Muslim Ahmadiyya movement to ‘stop spreading interpretations and activities’ which deviate from orthodox Islam. That decree has implications for other minorities as well, including liberal and reformist Muslims.

6. Indonesia: Communal Tensions in Papua, ICG, 2008-06-16

Indonesian Papua has seen periodic clashes between pro-independence supporters and government forces, but conflict between Muslim and Christian communities could also erupt unless rising tensions are effectively managed. National and local officials need to ensure that no discriminatory local regulations are enacted, and no activities by exclusivist religious organisations are supported by government funds.

7. Indonesian Military Chief Admits Lack of Weapons for Military Exercises, Suhartono, Kompas, 2008-06-16

Indonesian military commander General Djoko Santoso acknowledged that although the 2008 joint military exercise was carried out smoothly and safely, they were still lacking equipment for operations in such a large exercise area. The lack of equipment was evident in the limited number of transport aircraft for the air personnel as well as combat aircraft for the formation of one complete aerial combat squadron.
* Indonesian language.

8. Migration and Climate Change, International Organization for Migration, 2008 [961 KB, PDF]

The problem is one of time (the speed of change) and scale (the number of people it will affect). But the simplistic image of a coastal farmer being forced to pack up and move to a rich country is not typical.  Temporary migration as an adaptive response to climate stress is already apparent in many areas. But the picture is nuanced; the ability to migrate is a function of mobility and resources (both financial and social). In other words, the people most vulnerable to climate change are not necessarily the ones most likely to migrate.

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