NAPSNet 04 August 2011

• DPRK:North Korea to hold six-party talks without preconditions
• AUSTRAL SECURITY:Australia indispensable to US, Defence Minister tells Americans
• ENERGY SECURITY:S. Korea, India sign nuclear power cooperation pact
• GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Umyeon landslide victims to seek legal action
  
• DETERRENCE: Nuclear weapons stability or anarchy in the 21st century: China, India, and Pakistan
• CLIMATE CHANGE: Climate-related displacement and human security in South Asia

DPRK: North Korea to hold six-party talks without preconditions, Xinhua News (1 August 2011)

North Korea called talks with the US “constructive” and agreed to rejoin six party talks as soon as possible “without preconditions.” Wi Sung-lac, the ROK’s negotiator, said the DPRK should take “concrete action” before negotiations could resume and called a Fall meeting of the talks “too ambitious.” US Envoy Stephen Bosworth said that the US would discuss the results of the meeting with its allies and then determine “next steps.”

• U.S. ends “constructive” talks with North Korea, Reuters (29 July 2011)
• SKorean envoy calls for NKorean “concrete action” before restarting nuke talks, Washington Post (31 July 2011)
• The DPRK and the Warsaw Clause: An unnoticed change in US nuclear policy, Nautilus Institute (28 July 2011)

AUSTRAL SECURITY: Australia indispensable to US, Defence Minister tells Americans, Australian (29 July 2011)

In a key speech delivered in Washington, Defence Minister Stephen Smith pointed out that Australia has an integral role in the shifting geopolitical power balance. While stressing that Australia wants to maintain positive and cordial relations with China he said that it would be in the national interest of Australia for the US to be active and engaged in the Asia-Pacific, and that an Australia-US partnership would be mutually beneficial.

• The coming Asia-Pacific century: What it means for the Australia-U.S. alliance, Brookings Institution (27 July 2011)
• Complacency is the danger in Asia’s power games, Australian (1 August 2011)
• US in ‘denial’ over China’s Pacific strategy, Asia Times (28 July 2011)

ENERGY SECURITY: S. Korea, India sign nuclear power cooperation pact, Yonhap News Agency (25 July 2011)

Yonhap News Agency reports on the signing of a pact between providing a legal basis for ROK reactor exports to India.  The pact was signed after a meeting between President Lee Myung-bak and India’s President Pratibha Patil.  Lee sought India’s support for getting “into the nuclear power plant business”, including work in India’s nuclear and other infrastructure construction business. Other cultural exchange and trade issues were also discussed.

• Time for leadership: South Korea and nuclear nonproliferation, Arms Control Today (March 2011)
• South Korea’s global nuclear ambitions, Asia-Pacific Journal (22 March 2010)
• Korea nuclear exports: Why did the Koreans win the UAE tender? Will Korea achieve it’s goal of exporting 80 nuclear reactors by 2030? CERNA (12 April 2011) [PDF, 527.79KB]

GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Umyeon landslide victims to seek legal action, Korea Herald (31 July 2011)

Heavy rain in Seoul caused unprecedented damage and fatalities, leaving thousands homeless. Umyeon village, which suffered 18 fatalities, insists that this is a man-made disaster and is seeking legal action against the Seoul City government. Japan suffered damages due to the same storm; residents have blamed the Japanese government for failing to issue adequate forewarnings, claiming that the storm was a predictable disaster.

• Seoul officials under fire as storm toll hits 59, France24 (29 July 2011)
• Earthquake-ravaged Japan now overwhelmed by rain, Herald Sun (30 July 2011)

DETERRENCE: Nuclear weapons stability or anarchy in the 21st century: China, India, and Pakistan, Brookhaven National Laboratory (09 June 2011)

Graham’s Research about the China-India-Pakistan Nuclear competition examines nuclear arms competition between China, India and Pakistan and its impact on global nuclear stability. Unless the US changes its status-quo policy, these three states will: develop mutually incompatible nuclear doctrines; deploy large, mature, or massive arsenals due to political-bureaucratic drivers; and shift to nuclear war-fighting postures.  [PDF, 405.08KB]

• Report on discouraging a cascade of nuclear weapons states, International Security Advisory Board, US Department of State (19 October 2007) [PDF 360.21KB]
• Nuclear abolition and the next arms race, United States Institute of Peace Press (2009)
• North Korea’s strategic significance to China, China Security (2006) [PDF 414.51KB] 

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Climate-related displacement and human security in South Asia: A review of the social science research, La Trobe University (2011) [PDF, 557 KB]      

Susan Chaplin reviews the key issues facing South Asia regarding climate-related displacement and identifies the gaps in social science research in relation to responses to these key issues. She examines the relevant existing social science literature on environmental degradation, natural disasters and displacement, and on what triggers migration as an adaptation strategy for individuals, households and communities.    

• Compendium of IOM’s activities in migration, climate change and the environment, IOM (2009) [PDF, 3.13 MB]
• Enabling adaptation to climate change for poor populations in Asia through research, capacity building and innovation, ISET-Nepal (July 2008) [PDF, 6.35 MB]

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Editors

• Arabella Imhoff & Mihiri Weerasinghe

Contributors

• Deterrence: Peter Hayes
• Governance and Civil Society: Yi Kiho
• Climate Change Adaptation: Saleem Janjua
• DPRK: Scott Bruce
• Energy Security: David von Hippel
• Austral Security: Arabella Imhoff, Mihiri Weerasinghe