- DETERRENCE: Pentagon report: China deploys MIRV missile
- DPRK: South announces new aid for North
- GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: South Korea: Sentenced to life: Conscientious objectors in South Korea
- CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Human cost of natural disasters: a global perspective
- AUSTRAL PEACE AND SECURITY: B-1 bombers brouhaha: minor dispute, big rift
DETERRENCE: Pentagon report: China deploys MIRV missile, Hans Kristensen, FAS Blog (11 May 2015)
US DOD states China has deployed 3+ MIRVs on maybe 20 DF-5 Mod 3 silo-launched ICBMs. It may MIRV mobile missiles soon. The MIRV-ICBM club is now five (China, UK, France, Russia, US). Why now? To offset US and Russian missile and warhead modernization, innovation, and deployments; and to compete for great power status.
- China’s assertive nuclear posture, state security in an anarchic international order, Baohui Zhang, Routledge (2015)
- China’s perspective on nuclear deterrence, Yunzhu Yao, Air & Space Power Journal, 24.1, Spring (2010)
- China making some missiles more powerful, David Sanger, William Broad, New York Times (16 May 2015)
DPRK: South announces new aid for North, Jang Jin-kyu, Joongang Daily (20 May 2015)
North Korea’s food situation and external activities were often strongly correlated; poor harvests in North Korea would lead to North Korea creating a military disturbance and receiving food in return. However, North Korea appears to be less concerned about receiving food and more concerned with other domestic matters including maintaining autonomy. The new condition is more likely due to reassessments of its security situation and possibly related to minor gains in efficiency in utilizing or distributing foodtstuffs.
- Dry winter sparks fears of another food crisis in North Korea, The Washington Post (8 February 2015)
- North Korea and small nukes: who to believe? Alastair Gale, The Wall Street Journal (21 May 2015)
- Back of the envelope on the DPRK’s new SLBM, Melissa Hanham, Arms Control Wonk blog (20 May 2015)
GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: South Korea: Sentenced to life: Conscientious objectors in South Korea, Amnesty International (13 May 2015)
Amnesty International released a report concerning the challenges faced by conscientious objectors to the ROK’s mandatory military service, with the ROK leading the world in the number of conscientious objectors jailed. Simultaneous to the report’s release, a ROK regional court acquitted a conscientious objector. Perhaps the ROK will be pushed again to consider a bill on alternative service that has been avoided since 2007.
- Amnesty International calls on South Korea to free conscientious objectors, Justin McCurry, The Guardian (13 May 2015)
- Korean court acquit conscientious objector, spurring introduction of alternative services, John Choi, Korea Bizwire (14 May 2015)
- 92% of world’s conscientious objectors are South Korean, Kim Kyu-nam, Hankyoreh (14 May 2015)
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Human cost of natural disasters: a global perspective, The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), Brussels (2015) [6.28 MB, PDF]
The review of disaster impacts (for last 20 years) reveals that there is still much progress to be made on tackling the underlying drivers of risk such as poverty and more proximal factors. We need to have better understanding of the specific risks that link negative impacts to disaster events. Sound studies are urgently required that may provide such evidence on ways in which disasters affect individuals, families and communities.
- Disaster statistics, The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction-UNISDR (2015)
- The rising cost of natural hazards, Holli Riebeek, Earth Observatory (28 March 2005)
AUSTRAL PEACE AND SECURITY: B-1 bombers brouhaha: minor dispute, big rift, Hugh White, The Age (19 May 2015)
Australian defence advisors are now split on how – and whether – to support US calls for alliance support from Australia over who or what will freeze China’s reclamation in the South China Sea? The SOP answer is get on board the USS Victory. Another is “nothing, really. China’s strategy is simply brilliant”. One possibility, hitherto unlikely, is that the Abbott government is already wavering, and the US is not amused.
- The moment Australia tilted to Beijing, Australia Financial Review (16 May 2015)
- Australia urged to send military to counter China’s control over sea lanes, John Garnaut and David Wroe, Sydney Morning Herald (15 May 2015)
- China’s South China Sea strategy: simply brilliant, William Choong, The Strategist (18 May 2015)
The Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly Report presents articles and full length reports each week in six categories: Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change and security, the DPRK, climate change adaptation and governance and civil society. Our team of contributors carefully select items that highlight the links between these themes and the three regions in which our offices are found — North America, Northeast Asia, and the Austral-Asia region.
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- Editor: Arabella Imhoff
Contributors:
- Deterrence: Peter Hayes
- DPRK: Roger Cavazos
- Governance and Civil Society: Dyana Mardon
- Climate Change Adapation: Saleem Janjua
- Austral Peace and Security: Richard Tanter