https://www.voanews.com/z/600 asia https://www.voanews.com/Content/responsive/VOA/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.voanews.com/z/600 en 2024 - VOA 60 Sun, 15 Dec 2024 21:53:38 -0500 Pangea CMS – VOA Seoul, South Korea — South Korea's Constitutional Court says it has begun its first meeting on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. South Korea's opposition-controlled parliament on Saturday vowed to impeach Yoon over his short-lived martial law this month. Yoon's presidential powers have been suspended. The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon from office or restore his presidential powers, but observers say that a court ruling could come faster. The court says its first meeting on Yoon's impeachment began on Monday morning as scheduled. It gave no further details. Meanwhile, South Korean law enforcement authorities are pushing to summon impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree as the Constitutional Court is set to begin its first meeting Monday on Yoon's case to determine whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. A joint investigative team involving police, an anti-corruption agency and the Defense Ministry plans to convey a request to Yoon's office that he appear for questioning on Wednesday, the police said, as they expand a probe into whether his ill-conceived power grab amounted to rebellion. Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Saturday over his Dec. 3 martial law decree. His presidential powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him. If Yoon is dismissed, an election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days. Yoon has justified his martial law enforcement as a necessary act of governance against an opposition he described as "anti-state forces" bogging down his agendas and vowed to "fight to the end" against efforts to remove him from office. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have poured onto the streets of the country's capital, Seoul, in recent days, calling for Yoon's ouster and arrest. It remains unclear whether Yoon will grant the request by investigators for an interview. South Korean prosecutors, who are pushing a separate investigation into the incident, also reportedly asked Yoon to appear at a prosecution office for questioning on Sunday but he refused to do so. Repeated calls to a prosecutors' office in Seoul were unanswered. Yoon's office has also resisted a police attempt to search the compound for evidence. Previous cases In the case of parliamentary impeachments of past presidents — Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2016 — the court spent 63 days and 91 days respectively before determining to reinstate Roh and dismiss Park. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who will serve as the country's acting leader while Yoon's powers are suspended, and other government officials have sought to reassure allies and markets after Yoon's surprise stunt paralyzed politics, halted high-level diplomacy and complicated efforts to revive a faltering economy. Liberal opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, whose Democratic Party holds a majority in the National Assembly, urged the Constitutional Court to rule swiftly on Yoon's impeachment and proposed a special council for policy cooperation between the government and parliament. Lee, a firebrand lawmaker who for years drove a political offensive against Yoon's government, is seen as the frontrunner to replace him. He lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon by a razor-thin margin. Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of Yoon's conservative People Power Party, separately criticized Lee's proposal, saying that it's "not right" for the opposition party to act like the ruling party. Kweon, a Yoon loyalist, said his party will use existing PPP-government dialogue channels "to continue to assume responsibility as the governing party until the end of President Yoon's term." Yoon's Dec. 3 imposition of martial law, the first of its kind in more than four decades, harkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders the country has not seen since the 1980s. Yoon was forced to lift his decree hours later after parliament unanimously voted to overturn it. Yoon sent hundreds of troops and police officers to the parliament in an effort to stop the vote, but they withdrew after the parliament rejected Yoon's decree. No major violence occurred. Opposition parties have accused Yoon of rebellion, saying a president in South Korea is allowed to declare martial law only during wartime or similar emergencies and would have no right to suspend parliament's operations even in those cases. https://www.voanews.com/a/south-korean-investigators-request-that-impeached-president-appear-for-questioning-/7902508.html https://www.voanews.com/a/south-korean-investigators-request-that-impeached-president-appear-for-questioning-/7902508.html Sun, 15 Dec 2024 20:41:05 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Seoul, South Korea — North Korean state media KCNA on Monday reported on the South Korean parliament passing President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment vote Saturday. Yoon was impeached in a second vote by South Korea's opposition-led parliament over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, which shocked the nation. KCNA had reported for the first time on Dec. 11 South Korea's martial law crisis which was sparked on Dec. 3. On Monday, KCNA did not offer much commentary, but called Yoon's defiant televised remarks on Dec. 12 "a press statement spliced with lies and obstinacy" and noted the rally in front of South Korean parliament that called for Yoon's impeachment. It also noted media reports on various South Korean military and police officials' suspension from duties and ongoing investigation into Yoon. After the impeachment vote passed Saturday, South Korea's acting defense minister, Kim Seon-ho, called on the military to maintain preparedness and ordered commanding officers to work promptly to stabilize their troop commands. On Saturday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has begun using North Korean troops in significant numbers for the first time to conduct assaults on Ukrainian forces battling to hold an enclave in Russia's Kursk region. https://www.voanews.com/a/north-korean-media-report-south-korean-president-yoon-s-impeachment/7902225.html https://www.voanews.com/a/north-korean-media-report-south-korean-president-yoon-s-impeachment/7902225.html Sun, 15 Dec 2024 17:38:27 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korean lawmakers have impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his attempt to impose martial law, a high-stakes move that must now be approved by judges. In a Saturday vote, 12 conservative lawmakers joined opposition forces to impeach Yoon, who is just halfway through his single five-year term. The impeachment suspends Yoon’s powers until the Constitutional Court decides whether to formally remove him from office. In the interim, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as acting president. In Washington, the White House said Saturday that U.S. President Joe Biden had spoken with Han, reaffirming, the statement said, "the ironclad commitment of the United States to the people of the ROK," using the abbreviation for South Korea’s formal name, the Republic of Korea. Biden, the statement said, expressed confidence the alliance between the two countries would "remain the linchpin for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region" during Han’s tenure. Minutes before the vote, Yoon’s ruling People Power Party announced its opposition to impeachment but allowed members to vote freely, unlike the case of last week’s boycotted effort. The decision, combined with the secret ballot, ultimately tipped the scales against Yoon. The final vote was 204 in favor and 85 against. Outside the National Assembly, a crowd estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands erupted in cheers. “It is really a matter of common sense versus nonsense,” said 48-year-old Seoul resident Lee Shin-mu, who attended the protest with his wife and middle school-aged son. “I always believed that, if we just gave it some time, then impeachment would eventually happen.” Yoon declared martial law on December 3 — the first such decree since South Korea became a democracy in the 1980s — but lawmakers overturned the order within hours. In a speech following his impeachment, Yoon remained defiant, insisting his impeachment was just a pause in his presidency. "Although I am stopping for now, the journey I have walked with the people over the past 2½ years toward the future must never come to a halt. I will never give up," Yoon said. Yoon has defended his move as legally justifiable, framing it as necessary to send a “strong message” to opposition lawmakers, whom he accused of being North Korea sympathizers obstructing his agenda. He also echoed far-right claims, suggesting that April’s legislative election was fraudulent. The Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule on Yoon’s impeachment, but the process is filled with an unusual amount of uncertainty. Normally, six of the court’s nine justices must vote to uphold impeachment. However, with three seats vacant since October, all six remaining justices must agree for Yoon to be removed. Daniel Pinkston, a Seoul-based international relations professor at Troy University, said he thinks it is likely the court will uphold the impeachment. “It seems clear to me that he violated Article 77 of the constitution, which requires the president to notify the National Assembly ‘without delay’ that martial law has been declared,” said Pinkston. “Yoon didn't do that. Furthermore, there is testimony from the police and the military that Yoon ordered them to prevent National Assembly members from convening in the building,” he said. Many of the protesters were optimistic about the court upholding the verdict. “Just like how the impeachment did not happen right away, there might be challenges, but if people continue to raise their voices, I believe we will eventually win,” said Lee Su-hyun, a 30-year-old woman who lives in Seoul. If the court upholds the impeachment, South Korea must hold a presidential election within 60 days. If the court exonerates Yoon, he would return to office but could still face charges related to the martial law attempt. Yoon is currently under investigation for treason, with three separate government probes underway. His office has been raided multiple times, and he is barred from leaving the country. Prosecutors have not ruled out arresting him. While in office, South Korean presidents are immune from prosecution except in cases involving rebellion or treason. Han, the prime minister and caretaker president, is also in a politically precarious position. The opposition says it may impeach Han for his alleged role in the martial law attempt. Han, who has said he “consistently” opposed Yoon’s efforts, has vowed to participate in the investigations. https://www.voanews.com/a/south-korea-s-parliament-votes-to-impeach-president-over-martial-law-order-/7901206.html https://www.voanews.com/a/south-korea-s-parliament-votes-to-impeach-president-over-martial-law-order-/7901206.html Sun, 15 Dec 2024 10:05:35 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (William Gallo, Lee Juhyun) Suva, Fiji — Seven foreigners including four Australians and an American have been hospitalized after drinking cocktails at a five-star Fiji hotel resort, health officials said Sunday.  The hotel guests were taken to hospital on Saturday night suffering "nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms," Fiji's health ministry said in a statement.  They fell ill after drinking a cocktail prepared at a bar in the luxury Warwick Fiji resort on the Coral Coast, about 60 kilometers west of the capital Suva, it said.  A ministry spokesperson said the guests, aged from 18 to 56, included four Australians, one American and two foreigners who live in Fiji, whose nationalities were not given.  All seven were initially taken to the nearby Sigatoka hospital.  Due to the severity of their conditions, they were later transferred to the larger Lautoka Hospital on the island's west coast, the ministry spokesperson said.   Fiji police are investigating the incident.  Australia's foreign ministry said it was providing consular assistance to two families but declined further comment citing "privacy obligations."  Australian public broadcaster ABC said it understood a 56-year-old Australian woman was under constant surveillance in hospital and a 19-year-old female compatriot was suffering "serious medical episodes."  Two other Australian women aged 49 and 18 were in a critical but less serious condition, the ABC said.  Fiji's health ministry did not specify the cause of the illness but warned people to ensure drinks and food consumed during the holiday period were safe.  In a separate incident in Laos last month, two Danish citizens, an American, a Briton and two Australians died of suspected methanol poisoning following what local media said was a night out in the town of Vang Vieng.  https://www.voanews.com/a/fiji-says-7-foreigners-hospitalized-after-drinking-cocktails-/7901944.html https://www.voanews.com/a/fiji-says-7-foreigners-hospitalized-after-drinking-cocktails-/7901944.html Sun, 15 Dec 2024 08:48:40 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Agence France-Presse) SYDNEY — The five remaining members of the Australian "Bali Nine" drug ring flew home Sunday after 19 years in jail in Indonesia, ending a saga that had frayed relations between the two countries. Indonesian police arrested the nine Australians in 2005, convicting them of attempting to smuggle more than 8 kilograms of heroin off the holiday island of Bali. In a case that drew global attention to Indonesia's unforgiving drug laws, two of the gang would eventually be executed by firing squad, while others served hefty prison sentences. "The Australian Government can confirm that Australian citizens, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj have returned to Australia," Canberra said in a statement. "The men will have the opportunity to continue their personal rehabilitation and reintegration in Australia." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the men returned in the afternoon, and he had thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for his "compassion." "Australia shares Indonesia's concern about the serious problem illicit drugs represents," Albanese said. "The government will continue to cooperate with Indonesia to counter narcotics trafficking and transnational crime," he told reporters. "These Australians spent more than 19 years in prison in Indonesia. It was time for them to come home." The Australian government did not give further details on the agreement with Jakarta. Firing squad An Indonesian minister told AFP the five men had left the country as prisoners but "all the responsibilities for them" had now passed to Australia. The men were accompanied on their flight home by three officials from the Australian Embassy, another Indonesian official said. The Australian government said it had consistently advocated for the men and provided consular support to them and their families during their incarceration. It asked the media to respect their privacy. Australia's national broadcaster, ABC, said the men were now free, and would not have to serve further prison time at home. The men had been given temporary accommodation and had made voluntary undertakings to continue their rehabilitation, it said. It is not uncommon for foreigners to be arrested for drug offences in Bali, which attracts millions of visitors to its palm-fringed beaches every year. Muslim-majority Indonesia has some of the world's toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers. Accused "Bali Nine" ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed by firing squad in 2015 despite repeated pleas from the Australian government, which recalled its ambassador at the time. Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen died of cancer in 2018, months before Renae Lawrence was released after her sentence was commuted. Heroin-lined suitcase Australian police came under criticism after the Bali Nine's arrests for alerting Indonesian authorities to the drug-smuggling ring despite the death penalty risk. The release of the Australians followed weeks of speculation that a deal for their return was in the works. In November, a senior Indonesian minister said Jakarta aimed to return prisoners from Australia, France and the Philippines by the end of this year. France last month requested the return of its citizen, Serge Atlaoui, a welder arrested in 2005 in a drugs factory outside Jakarta, according to a senior Indonesian minister. Earlier this month, Indonesia signed an agreement with the Philippines for the return of mother of two Mary Jane Veloso, who was arrested in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6 kilograms of heroin.  https://www.voanews.com/a/bali-nine-drug-ring-prisoners-fly-home-to-australia/7901855.html https://www.voanews.com/a/bali-nine-drug-ring-prisoners-fly-home-to-australia/7901855.html Sun, 15 Dec 2024 04:21:29 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Agence France-Presse) OKAPI WILDLIFE RESERVE, Democratic Republic of Congo — Scattered along the banks of the Ituri River, buildings cram together, cranes transport dirt and debris scatters the soil. The patches of trees are a scant reminder that a forest once grew there. Nestled in eastern Congo's Ituri province, the Chinese-run gold mine is rapidly encroaching on an area that many say it shouldn't be operating in at all - the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, an endangered World Heritage site. The original boundaries of the reserve were established three decades ago, by Congo's government and encompassed the area where the Chinese company now mines. But over the years under opaque circumstances, the boundaries shrunk, allowing the company to operate inside the plush forest. The reserve was already on the endangered list, amid threats of conflict and wildlife trafficking. Now the rapid expansion of the Chinese mines threatens to further degrade the forest and the communities living within. Residents and wildlife experts say the mining's polluting the rivers and soil, decimating trees and swelling the population, increasing poaching, with little accountability. "It is alarming that a semi-industrial mining operation is being given free rein in what's supposed to be a protected World Heritage Site, that was already on the danger list," said Joe Eisen, executive director, of Rainforest Foundation UK. Spanning more than 13,000 square kilometers (5,000 square miles), the reserve became a protected site in 1996, due to its unique biodiversity and large number of threatened species, including its namesake, the okapi, a forest giraffe, of which it holds some 15% of the world's remaining 30,000. It's part of the the Congo Basin rainforest — the world's second-biggest — and a vital carbon sink that helps mitigate climate change. It also has vast mineral wealth such as gold and diamonds. Mining is prohibited in protected areas, which includes the reserve, according to Congo's mining code. Issa Aboubacar, a spokesperson for the Chinese company, Kimia Mining Investment, said the group is operating legally. It recently renewed its permits until 2048, according to government records. Congo's mining registry said the map they're using came from files from the ICCN, the body responsible for managing Congo's protected areas, and it's currently working with the ICCN on updating the boundaries and protecting the park. The ICCN told The Associated Press that in meetings this year with the mining registry the misunderstandings around the boundaries were clarified and the original ones should be used. An internal government memo from August, seen by AP, said all companies in the Reserve will be closed down, including Kimia Mining. However, it was unclear when that would happen or how. The document has not previously been reported and is the first acknowledging that the current boundaries are wrong, according to environmentalists working in Congo. Rights groups in Congo have long said the permits were illegally awarded by the mining ministry based on inaccurate maps. Shifting boundaries and rules Eastern Congo's been beset by violence for decades and the Okapi Reserve's endured years of unrest by local militia. In 2012, in Epulu town, a local rebel group slaughtered several residents including two rangers, as well as 14 okapis, the latter were part of a captive breeding program. The reserve's also been threatened by artisanal — small scale — mining, by thousands of Indigenous peoples who live in and around the forest. The Muchacha mine — the biggest in the reserve and one of the largest small and medium scale gold mines in the country — spans approximately 12 miles (19 kilometers) along the Ituri River and consists of several semi-industrial sites. Satellite images analyzed by AP show consistent development along the southwestern section of the Reserve, since it began operating in 2016, with a boom in recent years. Joel Masselink, a geographer specializing in satellite imagery, who previously worked on conservation projects in the forest, said the mining cadastral — the agency responsible for allocating mineral licenses — is using a version of the reserve's maps in which the area's been shrunk by nearly a third. This has allowed it to award and renew exploration and extraction concessions, he said. The mining cadastral told the U.N. that the boundaries were changed due to a letter from the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature, the body in charge of protected areas in Congo, but didn't provide a copy, said a report from U.N. experts. The ICCN told the AP it's never seen the letter and the boundaries used should be the original ones. Changing World Heritage Site boundaries needs to be approved by UNESCO experts and the World Heritage Committee, which analyze the impact of the modification, a spokesperson for the World Heritage Center told AP. The Center said no request to modify the Reserve's boundaries had been made and that cases of boundary modifications to facilitate development were rare. Civil society groups in Congo accuse some government officials of intentionally moving the boundaries for personal gain. "We all knew that Muchacha was within the reserve," said Alexis Muhima, executive director of the Congolese Civil Society Observatory for Peace Minerals. He said the discrepancy over the park's boundaries started when they realized the mine was producing large quantities of gold. The U.N. report said mines are controlled by the military, and some members are under the protection of powerful business and political interests, with soldiers at times denying local officials access to the sites. Residents, who once mined in the reserve, are infuriated by the double standard. "The community is worried, because the Chinese are mining in a protected area when it's forbidden for the community," said Jean Kamana, the chief of Epulu, a village inside the Reserve. Despite being a protected forest, people still mined there until authorities cracked down, largely after the Chinese arrived. Kimia Mining grants limited access to locals to mine areas for leftovers, but for a fee that many can't afford, say locals. Muvunga Kakule used to do artisanal mining in the reserve while also selling food from his farm to other miners. The 44-year-old said he's now unable to mine or sell produce as the Chinese don't buy locally. He's lost 95% of his earnings and can no longer send his children to private school. Some residents told the AP there are no other options for work and have been forced to mine secretly and risk being jailed. Losing land, animals and income During a trip to the reserve earlier this year, Kimia Mining wouldn't let AP enter the site and the government wouldn't grant access to patrol the forest with its rangers. But nearly two dozen residents, as well as former and current Kimia Mining employees from villages in and around the Reserve, told the AP the mining was decimating the forests and the wildlife and contaminating the water and land. Five people who had worked inside Kimia's mines, none of whom wanted to be named for fear of reprisal, said when the Chinese finished in one area, they leave exposed, toxic water sources. Sometimes people would fall into uncovered pits and when it rains, water seeps into the soil. Employees and mining experts say the Chinese use mercury in its operations, used to separate gold from ore. Mercury is considered one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern by the U.N. and can have toxic effects on the nervous and immune systems. One 27-year-old woman who worked as a cook for Kimia for six months and lives in Badengaido town, close to the mine, said the soil has become infertile. "(It's) poisoned by chemicals used by the Chinese," she said. The AP could not independently verify her claim. However, a report from the University of Antwerp that researched the impact of conflict and mining on the Reserve said chemicals used to purify gold, such as mercury or cyanide, can enter the ecosystems and pollute the soil. In the past, 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of peanut seeds would yield approximately 30 bags, but now it's hard to get three, she said. The loss of income has made it challenging to afford school and medical care for her siblings. Assana, a fisher who also worked in the mines and only wanted to use his first name, said it now takes four days to catch the same amount of fish he used to get in a day. While doing odd jobs for the company last year, the 38-year-old saw the Chinese repeatedly chop swaths of forest, making the heat unbearable, he said. Between last January and May, the reserve lost more than 480 hectares (1,186 acres) of forest cover — the size of nearly 900 American football fields — according to a joint statement from the Wildlife Conservation Society and government agencies, which said it was concerned at the findings. Aboubacar, Kimia's spokesperson in Congo, said the company respects environmental standards and pays tax to the government for reforestation. Mining is a crucial revenue stream for Congo and it "can't place a higher value on the environment than on mining," he said. Kimia is supporting the population and has employed more than 2,000 people, said Aboubacar. Conservation is an uphill battle Conservation groups are trying to protect the reserve, but say it's hard to enforce when there's ambiguity on the legalities. "On the one hand, Congo's law clearly states that mining is illegal in protected areas. On the other hand, if a mine is operating with an official permit, then that creates confusion, and that becomes hard to enforce on the ground," said Emma Stokes, Vice President of field conservation for The Wildlife Conservation Society. The internal memo, seen by AP, outlines discussions by a joint task force between the ICCN and Congo's mining registry, which was created to try and resolve the boundary issue. The document said it will trigger the process of stopping all mining within the Reserve and integrate the agreed upon map from the joint commission into the mining registry's system. UNESCO's requested a report from Congo by February, to provide clarity on what will be done to resolve the problem. But this comes as little comfort to communities in the reserve. Wendo Olengama, a Pygmy chief, said the influx of thousands of people into the Chinese-run mines has increased poaching, making it hard to earn money. During the authorized hunting season, he could capture up to seven animals a day, eating some and selling others. Now it's hard to get two, he said. Sitting in a small hut beside his wife, as she bounces their 3-year-old granddaughter on her lap, the couple says they want the Chinese company to provide business opportunities, such as cattle raising and teach people responsible hunting. "If the situation persists, we'll live in misery," said his wife, Dura Anyainde. "We wont have food to eat." https://www.voanews.com/a/chinese-gold-mining-threatens-a-protected-un-heritage-site-in-congo/7898474.html https://www.voanews.com/a/chinese-gold-mining-threatens-a-protected-un-heritage-site-in-congo/7898474.html Sun, 15 Dec 2024 02:36:28 -0500 AfricaEast AsiaChina Newswebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became South Korea's acting president after Saturday's impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, is a career technocrat whose wide-ranging experience and reputation for rationality could serve him well in his latest role.  With parliament's impeachment vote against Yoon passed after his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, Yoon is suspended from exercising presidential powers, and the constitution requires the prime minister to take over in an acting role.  In a country sharply divided by partisan rhetoric, Han has been a rare official whose varied career transcended party lines.   He faces a challenging task of keeping government functioning through its gravest political crisis in four decades, while also dealing with threats from nuclear-armed neighbor North Korea, and a slowing economy at home.  His tenure as acting president could also be threatened by criminal investigations into his role in the martial law decision.  Han, 75, has served in leadership positions for more than three decades under five different presidents, both conservative and liberal.   His roles have included ambassador to the United States, finance minister, trade minister, presidential secretary for policy coordination, prime minister, ambassador to the OECD, and head of various think-tanks and organizations.   With a Harvard doctorate in economics, Han's expertise in the economy, trade and diplomacy as well as a reputation for rationality, moderate demeanor and hard work has made him a regular go-to man in South Korean politics.   Han has been prime minister since Yoon's term began in 2022, his second time serving in the role after a stint as prime minister under former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2007-2008.   "He has served in key posts in state affairs solely through recognition of his skills and expertise, unrelated to political factions," Yoon said when appointing Han in 2022, echoing words used to describe him when previous administrations tapped him for key positions.  "I think Han is the right candidate to carry out national affairs while overseeing and coordinating the Cabinet, with a wealth of experience that encompasses public and private sectors."   Han has experience working with South Korea's key ally the United States, having been deeply involved in the process of signing the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement.  Fluent in English, he was appointed South Korea's ambassador to the United States in 2009, working in Washington at a time when current U.S. President Joe Biden was vice president, and contributed to Congress approving the Free Trade Agreement in 2011.  Han has also served as board member of S-Oil, a South Korean refining unit of Saudi Aramco.  "He is a civil servant through and through who didn't take on a political color despite working under [five presidents]," said a former high-ranking government official who declined to be identified.  Han's role in leadership is expected to last for months until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove Yoon or restore his powers. If Yoon is removed, a presidential election must be held in 60 days, until which Han will stay at the helm.  The main opposition Democratic Party has filed a complaint against Han to be included in the investigations for failing to block Yoon's attempt at martial law.  If parliament decides to impeach Han, the finance minister is next in line among cabinet members to serve as acting president.  South Korea's Constitution does not specify how much the prime minister is empowered to do in carrying out the leadership role.  Most scholars say the prime minister must exercise limited authority to the extent of preventing paralysis of state affairs and no more, although some say he can exercise all the powers of the president, as the constitution puts no restrictions.   https://www.voanews.com/a/who-is-han-duck-soo-south-korea-s-acting-president-after-yoon-impeachment-/7901535.html https://www.voanews.com/a/who-is-han-duck-soo-south-korea-s-acting-president-after-yoon-impeachment-/7901535.html Sat, 14 Dec 2024 14:10:40 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) South Korean lawmakers have impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his attempt to impose martial law. In a vote Saturday, 12 conservative lawmakers joined opposition forces to impeach Yoon, whose powers will now be suspended until the country’s Constitutional Court decides whether to formally remove him from office. Here is more from VOA's Bill Gallo in Seoul. https://www.voanews.com/a/conservatives-join-opposition-to-impeach-yoon/7901349.html https://www.voanews.com/a/conservatives-join-opposition-to-impeach-yoon/7901349.html Sat, 14 Dec 2024 10:11:19 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (William Gallo) TOKYO — The partial transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam began on Saturday, 12 years after Japan and the United States agreed on their realignment to reduce the heavy burden of American troop presence on the southern Japanese island, officials said. The relocation started with 100 members of III Marine Expeditionary Force stationed on Okinawa moving to the Pacific island for the initial logistical work, the U.S. Marine Corps and Japan's Defense Ministry said in a joint statement. Under the plan agreed between Tokyo and Washington in April 2012, about 9,000 of the 19,000 Marines currently stationed on Okinawa are to be moved out of Okinawa, including about 4,000 of them to be moved to the U.S. territory Guam in phases. Details, including the size and timing of the next transfer, were not immediately released. The Marine Corps is committed to the defense of Japan and meeting operational requirements to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, and it will maintain presence in the region "through a combination of stationing and rotating Marines in Japan, Guam and Hawaii," the joint statement said. Japan has paid up to $2.8 billion for the building of infrastructure at the U.S. bases on Guam, and the United States will fund the remaining costs. The two governments will continue to cooperate on the development of Camp Blaz, which will serve as the main installation for Marines stationed in Guam. The Marines and Japan Self Defense Forces will conduct joint training in Guam, the statement said. Okinawa, which was under U.S. postwar occupation until 1972, is still home to a majority of the more than 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact, while 70% of U.S. military facilities are on Okinawa, which accounts for only 0.6% of Japanese land. Many Okinawans have long complained about the heavy U.S. military presence on the island and say Okinawa faces noise, pollution, aircraft accidents and crime related to American troops. The relocation is likely to be welcomed by residents, but how much improvement they will feel is uncertain because of the rapid Japanese military buildup on Okinawan islands as a deterrence to threats from China. The start of the Marines relocation comes at a time of growing anti-U.S. military sentiment following a series of sexual assault cases involving American servicemembers. On Thursday, a senior Air Force servicemember belonging to the Kadena Air Base was convicted of the kidnapping and sexual assault of a teenage girl last year, a case that triggered outrage on the island. The Naha District Court sentenced him to five years in prison. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-marines-start-partial-transfer-from-japan-s-okinawa-to-guam/7901262.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-marines-start-partial-transfer-from-japan-s-okinawa-to-guam/7901262.html Sat, 14 Dec 2024 07:19:15 -0500 USAEast Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korea's parliament has voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, a stunning fall from grace for a man who rose from political obscurity to the height of political power. His decades of achievement could be on the verge of crumbling due to a single, baffling decision to send out troops under martial law over vague claims that one of Asia's leading democracies was under threat. The impeachment suspends Yoon's presidential powers until the Constitutional Court determines whether to dismiss him as president or restore his powers. Yoon also faces investigations meant to find whether his December 3 decree amounts to rebellion, a crime that is punished by up to the death penalty in South Korea if convicted. Yoon, a staunch conservative and longtime prosecutor, went from political novice to president of South Korea in 2022, ending five years of liberal rule that saw failed efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis and a slackening economy. His time in office, however, was marked by near-constant friction with an opposition-controlled parliament, threats of annihilation from North Korea and a series of scandals involving him and his wife. Observers said he was impulsive, took criticism personally and relied too much on the advice of hardcore loyalists. No one thing explained his attempt to shut down the mechanisms of a democratic nation over his claim that "anti-state forces" were acting under the influence of North Korea. But there are strands in Yoon's background, and especially in the intense acrimony with the liberal opposition and his hardline standoff with North Korea, that help illuminate the defining moment of his presidency. A turbulent rise to top prosecutor Despite 2½ years as president, Yoon's career was overwhelmingly about the law, not politics. Yoon, 63, was born in Seoul to two professors, and went to prestigious Seoul National University, where he studied law. A major moment, according to Yoon, happened in 1980 when he played the role of a judge in a mock trial of then-dictator Chun Doo-hwan, who had staged a military coup the previous year, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. In the aftermath, Yoon had to flee to the countryside as Chun's military extended martial law and placed troops and armored vehicles at various places including his university. Yoon returned to the capital and eventually began a career as a state prosecutor that would last nearly three decades, building an image as strong-minded and uncompromising. Prone to confrontation But he also faced criticism that his personality was unsuited to high-level leadership. "President Yoon isn't well-prepared, and he does things off the cuff," Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership, said. "He also tends to express his emotions too directly. The things that he likes and dislikes are easy to see, and he tends to handle things with a small group of his own people, not the majority of people." During a parliament audit in 2013, Yoon, then a senior prosecutor, said he was under pressure from his boss, who said he opposed Yoon's investigation into an allegation that the country's spy agency had conducted an illicit online campaign to help conservative President Park Geun-hye win the previous year's election. At the time, he famously said, "I'm not loyal to [high-level] people." He was demoted, but after Park's government was toppled over a separate corruption scandal in 2017, then-President Moon Jae-in made Yoon head of a Seoul prosecution office, which investigated Park and other conservative leaders. Moon later named Yoon the nation's top prosecutor. A neophyte in politics Yoon joined party politics only about a year before he won the presidency, abandoning the liberal Moon after an impasse over a probe of Moon's allies. Moon's supporters said he was trying to thwart Moon's prosecution reforms and elevate his own political standing. The 2022 presidential race was Yoon's first election campaign. Yoon beat his rival, liberal firebrand Lee Jae-myung, by less than 1 percentage point in South Korea's most closely fought presidential election. Their campaign was one of the nastiest in recent memory. Yoon compared Lee's party to "Hitler" and "Mussolini." Lee's allies called Yoon "a beast" and "dictator" and derided his wife's alleged plastic surgery. Domestic political strife Yoon's time as president was dominated by frustration and acrimony, much stemming from his narrow victory and his party's failure to win control of parliament throughout his term. When Yoon declared the state of emergency, he said a goal was to eliminate "shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces" in an apparent reference to the opposition Democratic Party. In a fiery speech on Thursday, Yoon again defended his martial law decree and vowed to "fight to the end" in the face of attempts to impeach and investigate him. He called the Democratic Party "a monster" and "anti-state forces" that he argued has flexed its legislative muscle to impeach top officials and undermined the government's budget bill for next year. Claims of corruption also battered his approval ratings. Yoon recently denied wrongdoing in an influence-peddling scandal involving him and his wife. Spy camera footage in a separate scandal also purportedly shows the first lady, Kim Keon Hee, accepting a luxury bag as a gift from a pastor. Choi said he thinks Yoon likely planned the "clumsy martial law" edict to divert public attention away from the scandals. "He tried to massively shake up the political world," Choi said. "But he failed. He likely believed there was no other option." North Korea lashed out at his hard line If political squabbles and scandal set the tenor of Yoon's domestic presidency, its foreign policy was characterized by a bitter standoff with North Korea. Yoon early on in his presidency promised "an audacious plan" to improve the North's economy if it abandoned its nuclear weapons. But things turned sour quickly, as North Korea ramped up its weapons tests and threats to attack the South. North Korea eventually began calling Yoon "a guy with a trash-like brain" and "a diplomatic idiot." North Korea took that trash theme literally, sending thousands of balloons filled with garbage over the border, including some that made it to the presidential compound in Seoul at least twice. Yoon's mention of North Korea as a domestic destabilizing force reminded some of an earlier South Korea, which until the late 1980s was ruled by a series of strongmen who repeatedly invoked the threat from the North to justify effort to suppress domestic dissidents and political opponents. https://www.voanews.com/a/a-look-at-the-south-korean-leader-who-has-been-impeached/7901232.html https://www.voanews.com/a/a-look-at-the-south-korean-leader-who-has-been-impeached/7901232.html Sat, 14 Dec 2024 05:44:08 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND — A New Zealand man playing his first-ever competitive Scrabble game in Spanish, a language he doesn't speak, has won the board game's Spanish-language world title. Nigel Richards, a professional player who holds five English-language world titles, won the Spanish world Scrabble championships in Granada, Spain, in November, losing one game out of 24. Richards started memorizing the language's Scrabble word list a year ago, his friend Liz Fagerlund -– a New Zealand Scrabble official -– told The Associated Press. "He can't understand why other people can't just do the same thing," she said. "He can look at a block of words together, and once they go into his brain as a picture he can just recall that very easily." In second place was defending champion Benjamín Olaizola of Argentina, who won 18 of his games. Nothing like the New Zealander's feat had ever happened in Spanish Scrabble, said Alejandro Terenzani, a contest organizer. "It was impossible to react negatively, you can only be amazed," Terenzani said. "We certainly expected that he would perform well, but it is perhaps true that he surpassed our expectations." Richards has done this before. In 2015, he became the French language Scrabble world champion, despite not speaking French, after studying the word list for nine weeks. He took the French title again in 2018. Recognized in international Scrabble over his three-decade career as the greatest player of all time, Richards' Spanish language victory was notable even by his standards, other players said. While compensating for different tile values in English and Spanish Scrabble, Richards also had to contend with thousands of additional seven, eight and nine letter words in the Spanish language -– which demand a different strategy. Richards in 2008 was the first player ever to hold the world, U.S. and British titles simultaneously, despite having to "forget" 40,000 English words that do not appear in the American Scrabble word list to triumph in the U.S. His victories are legendary in the Scrabble community, and games analyzed in YouTube videos watched by tens of thousands. Scrabble does not require players to know the definitions of words, only what combinations of letters are allowed in a country's version of the game, but native speakers have "a huge leg up," American Scrabble player Will Anderson said in a video summarizing Richards' Spanish win. Richards' mother, Adrienne Fischer, told a New Zealand newspaper in 2010 that he did not excel at English in school, never attended university and took a mathematical approach to the game rather than a linguistic one. "I don't think he's ever read a book, apart from the dictionary," she said. Fagerlund said Richards impressed her when he arrived at his first Scrabble club meeting at age 28. Two years later, in 1997, he cycled 350 kilometers from Christchurch to the city of Dunedin, won the New Zealand title on his first attempt and cycled home again. At the Spanish event he was shy and modest, organizer Terenzani said, but happily posed for photos and spoke with fans who approached him. "Although he did so in English, of course," Terenzani added. What motivates Richards, who now lives in Malaysia, is a mystery. He never speaks to reporters. "I get lots of requests from journalists wanting to interview him and he's not interested," Fagerlund said. "He doesn't understand what all the hoo-ha is about." https://www.voanews.com/a/new-zealander-who-doesn-t-speak-spanish-wins-spanish-world-scrabble-title-/7898420.html https://www.voanews.com/a/new-zealander-who-doesn-t-speak-spanish-wins-spanish-world-scrabble-title-/7898420.html Sat, 14 Dec 2024 02:42:39 -0500 Arts & CultureEast AsiaEuropewebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Jakarta, indonesia — Indonesia remains cautiously determined to join BRICS despite a threat from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to double tariffs on members of the Russia- and China-led bloc if it pursues its stated goal of establishing an alternative to the U.S. dollar in international trade. At a parliament meeting this month with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, legislators expressed their concern about Trump's threats. "Although we are confident in expanding our diplomatic relations, Indonesia's presence in BRICS may be considered as a departure from traditional trade relations with U.S. and the European Union," said Sumail Abdullah, a ruling party legislator with a role in foreign affairs. "Don't let this become a reality, because countries like Russia and China will certainly dominate BRICS." Foreign Minister Sugiono defended his decision to join BRICS, arguing that there are many benefits to being a member. "Essentially, BRICS is a good platform that we can utilize as our vessel to discuss and bring forward the interests of developing countries. It is also an implementation of our independent and active foreign policy," he told legislators at the December 2 session. Sugiono stressed the importance of strengthening Indonesia's economy by building food and energy security and developing downstream industries. Indonesia, he added, should be less reliant economically on other countries so it can better decide its own foreign policy. Although the BRICS countries have made it a goal to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar as an exchange currency, Sugiono said the issue was not brought up during the October 2024 BRICS Summit in Russia. However, the minister left the door open to reconsidering the decision in light of Trump's threat. "If we think there are things that could harm our national interests, then we can review our membership in BRICS. What is important is that our attempt to join any multilateral group is focused towards maintaining our national interests," he told the legislators. Indonesia's journey to join BRICS BRICS is a global economic cooperation organization that was formed in 2006 to focus attention on investment opportunities among its founding countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Indonesia expressed its desire to join the bloc at the October summit in Kazan, Russia, where Sugiono proposed several concrete steps to strengthen BRICS and Global South cooperation. President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly underlined his intention to befriend both China and the United States, saying Indonesia will not join any military bloc. Teuku Rezasyah, a professor specializing in diplomacy and foreign policy at Universitas Padjadjaran, told VOA that joining BRICS places Indonesia in the geopolitical center between the rival power blocs. "We're not only close with the U.S., the European Union, but also getting closer with Russia and China. As a result, we have more bargaining power, which will benefit us," he said at a national seminar. Teuku argued that the shared BRICS vision, as laid out in a 2021 joint statement, calls for a restructured global political, economic and financial architecture with a reformed United Nations at its center. He said this vision reflects a contemporary world that is more equitable, balanced and representative. Political benefits, challenges Although Indonesia has been invited to become a BRICS member since 2022, it did not officially express its intention until this October. Indonesia is currently a BRICS partner country, a status that applies to 12 other countries, including fellow ASEAN states Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Teuku said the organization "is commonly understood as an attempt to form a geopolitical bloc capable of counterbalancing the influence of Western-dominated global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank." Muhsin Shihab, an expert adviser on institutional relations at Indonesia's foreign ministry, said in November that by joining BRICS, Indonesia can increase its global clout and can help to shape the agenda of the Global South. But Tobias Basuki, co-founder of Aristoteles Consults, a political consultancy and legal services firm, said in an interview with VOA that he doubted Indonesia would gain much from joining the bloc because most of its political and economic goals can be achieved through bilateral ties with the BRICS members. Russia and China have more to gain from expanding the group's membership, he said, adding that they "have their own agenda and interests, which are not necessarily always aligned with the Global South's needs and interests. "So by joining BRICS, you're actually entering their playground. It may not give Indonesia the position that Prabowo wants to be as a bridge-maker between the two competing powers." Basuki said that "if Indonesia wants to be a leader of the Global South, then it's better to revive the [Indonesia-led] Asia-Africa conference and Non-Aligned Movement, which already has 120 countries, a true reflection of a Global South alliance." Apart from joining BRICS, Indonesia is also seeking membership at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which signals its ambition to align with global standards of governance and economic openness. https://www.voanews.com/a/indonesia-still-eyes-brics-membership-despite-trump-tariff-threat-/7901154.html https://www.voanews.com/a/indonesia-still-eyes-brics-membership-despite-trump-tariff-threat-/7901154.html Fri, 13 Dec 2024 22:15:56 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Devianti Faridz) Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Macau next week for a gathering marking 25 years since the former Portuguese colony's handover to China, state news agency Xinhua said Saturday. Xi will also attend the inauguration of Macau's incoming administration and conduct an inspection tour during the December 18-20 visit, according to Xinhua. Macau grew into a trading post with a mixed Portuguese-Chinese population and cultural heritage during 442 years of colonial rule before it was handed over to China on December 20, 1999. The city has since become the world's top casino hub by gaming revenue and a popular destination for Chinese tourists. It is the only place in China where casino gambling is allowed. Like neighboring Hong Kong, Macau operates under a "One Country, Two Systems" framework that promises a high degree of autonomy, its own legal system and stronger safeguards for civil liberties than on the mainland. Former top judge Sam Hou-fai will be sworn in as Macau's next leader on December 20, replacing Ho Iat-seng. Sam was the sole candidate in an election where only 400 pro-establishment figures — out of the city's nearly 700,000 people — were eligible to vote.  https://www.voanews.com/a/china-s-xi-to-attend-macau-25th-handover-anniversary-next-week-state-media-says/7901143.html https://www.voanews.com/a/china-s-xi-to-attend-macau-25th-handover-anniversary-next-week-state-media-says/7901143.html Fri, 13 Dec 2024 21:29:16 -0500 China NewsEast Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Agence France-Presse) WASHINGTON — The cancellation of an international forum in South Korea on Friday is feeding concerns that a carefully constructed multilateral partnership aiming at countering China could be in jeopardy if efforts to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol are successful. The rules-based maritime order was among the topics to have been discussed at the South Korea and Australia-hosted Indo-Pacific High-Level Forum, which has been postponed until further notice while Seoul deals with its political crisis. The forum was to have convened government representatives from 13 countries to discuss Indo-Pacific strategies, according to a statement issued by the South Korean Foreign Ministry on December 3. That night, Seoul was plunged into political chaos when South Korean President Yoon declared martial law and then rescinded it hours later. Opposition parties Thursday filed a second motion to impeach Yoon after a previous impeachment attempt failed. In a televised speech Thursday, Yoon vowed to "fight to the end" while opposition parties prepared for the next impeachment vote on Saturday over what they call Yoon's "insurrectionary acts." Uncertainty over South Korea's role Some analysts say progress on Indo-Pacific security under Yoon's leadership, especially South Korea's ties with the Philippines and Japan, could be reversed if Yoon is forced from office, leading to the election of a new government. "If a government comes in that is more friendly to China and is seeking to balance between the United States and the PRC [People's Republic of China], then the increased cooperation on security issues with the Philippines is likely to be downgraded," said Kenneth Weinstein, the Japan chair at Hudson Institute. "A greater burden will absolutely fall on Japan if South Korea is doing less" in the region, and their trilateral security ties with the U.S. "can be easily reversed if a government in Seoul does not believe in the spirit of Camp David," said Weinstein. This would be "a major blow" to U.S. efforts "to counter China's growing attempts at regional hegemony," he told VOA in a phone interview. Yoon has gradually increased his country's role in the Indo-Pacific through close cooperation with the U.S. and Japan. The country participated in a first-of-its-kind meeting with the United States, Australia, Japan and the Philippines in November to discuss plans for a free and open Indo-Pacific. South Korea and the Philippines upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership and agreed to bolster their defense cooperation a month earlier during Yoon's trip to Manila. That followed a trilateral summit in August 2023 at Camp David where the U.S., South Korea and Japan agreed to align their collective efforts toward the region. The Spirit of Camp David, a joint statement issued at the summit, underscored their efforts to sustain the rules-based order in the South China Sea, where China's aggressive behavior has alarmed many of its neighbors. The three countries signed a Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework (TSCF) in July to institutionalize their ties and a Trilateral Secretariat was established last month to implement the framework. Challenge to US efforts on China Daniel Sneider, a lecturer on East Asian studies at Stanford University, told VOA in a phone interview by that if the main opposition Democratic Party comes to power, it will probably "roll back the trilateral security cooperation." He said trilateral military exercises, which are the "substantive" result of policies pursued in the last two years, are "most in danger" of being canceled if there is a change in government in Seoul. The U.S., South Korea, and Japan held large-scale joint exercises in June and November in the East China Sea. Yoon can be impeached with a two-thirds majority of South Korea's 300-seat National Assembly and approval by six of nine judges in the constitutional court, where there are three vacancies. In that event, the country will hold a snap election to choose a new president within 60 days. A failed impeachment motion filed by the opposition parties last week included a paragraph criticizing Yoon for advancing close trilateral ties with Japan and the U.S. The ruling People Power Party boycotted the session, leaving it short of the necessary quorum. That paragraph was removed from the second motion filed Thursday. Other analysts said Seoul's relations with Tokyo and Manila are unlikely to change even if there is a change of government in South Korea. Rahman Yaacob, research fellow for Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute based in Sydney, said the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework, "has been institutionalized through the formation of the Secretariat," and that he doubts that a change of government in Seoul "will have a substantial impact on the operations of the TSCF." Yaacob added, "Given that Manila is embarking on military modernization, I believe Seoul will continue to maintain defense cooperation with Manila, driven more by the potential of sales of military equipment and less because of the Chinese factor." Yaacob told VOA via email that South Korea has been a critical supplier of modern military equipment to the Philippines, such as FA-50 combat aircraft for the Air Force and frigates for the Navy. Eric Ballbach, East Asia analyst at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs based in Berlin, told VOA via email that South Korean opposition parties "acknowledge the significance of trilateral cooperation in this changed geopolitical context." He added, "It was a smart move to institutionalize trilateral cooperation ahead" of any government change in Seoul. Although the large-scale Indo-Pacific forum was canceled amid the upheaval, South Korea held a three-way Indo-Pacific Dialogue with the U.S. and Japan in Tokyo on Wednesday and discussed ways to strengthen stability and maritime security in the region. Seoul also held a bilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue with Australia on Thursday and agreed to cooperate closely on maintaining a rules-based order in the region. https://www.voanews.com/a/political-turmoil-casts-uncertainty-over-south-korea-s-role-in-indo-pacific-/7901095.html https://www.voanews.com/a/political-turmoil-casts-uncertainty-over-south-korea-s-role-in-indo-pacific-/7901095.html Fri, 13 Dec 2024 21:22:35 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Christy Lee) The arrests in Azerbaijan of several journalists, including staff at the independent Meydan TV, have been condemned by the international community, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Azerbaijani authorities have detained Meydan TV's editor-in-chief, Aynur Elgunash, and four of her reporters. Also being held are freelancer Ramin Jabrailzada, who is known as Deko, and Ulvi Tahirov, deputy director of the Baku School of Journalism. All are charged with smuggling foreign currency and have been ordered to be held for four months in pre-trial detention. The journalists denied the charges and said the criminal case is a result of their journalism work. During the arrests, others were briefly detained and later released, according to local reports. Journalist Ahmad Mukhtar was placed in administrative detention on charges of petty hooliganism and disobedience to the police. Blinken in a statement called on Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release the journalists who he said were "arrested for their work on human rights." The media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, known as RSF, described the arrests as part of a strategy to silence critics of President Ilham Aliyev's administration. VOA reached out to authorities, but the calls went unanswered. Jeanne Cavelier, who heads RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia Desk, said the government has resumed its crackdown against journalists in the aftermath of COP29, the annual U.N. climate change conference that Azerbaijan hosted.  The Meydan TV arrests again prove the regime's "willingness to shamelessly target the individuals who dare to keep Azerbaijani citizens informed," Cavelier said in a statement. She added that Azerbaijan has detained 13 other journalists in the past year. RSF "calls on the international community not to turn a blind eye to these grave, systematic violations of fundamental rights," said Cavelier. Meydan TV in a statement described the arrests and questioning of its team as illegal. "Since the day we began our activities, our journalists have been arrested, they and their families have been subjected to harassment, and they have been subjected to various pressures and threats. Journalists who cooperate with us have been illegally banned from leaving the country," the statement said. Bahruz Maharramov, a member of the Azerbaijani parliament, questioned the criticism of the arrests. "If there are real suspicions based on valid, irrefutable evidence, why should any person's profession prevent those suspicions from being investigated?" he said.  "Why should we remain silent about the illegal actions of a mercenary network like Meydan TV, just because they are journalists? Where is the legality, where is the equality?" he told VOA. Regular pressure Meydan TV was founded in 2013 as an impartial and objective media organization. It has regularly faced pressure from the authorities, and in 2017 access to its website was blocked in the country. The network's social media accounts have been hacked multiple times and their contents deleted. Orkhan Mammad, an editor at Meydan TV, said that some of those detained were subjected to violence and that the authorities tried to forcefully extract statements from them. "Ramin Deko had bruises under his eyes. He was left without a lawyer for a long time. When Aynur Elgunash's house was searched, she was pinned against the wall, hit in the kidney region, and her computer was seized," he said. The lawyer for Tahirov, Bahruz Bayramov, told VOA that the assistant director of the Baku School of Journalism has no connection with Meydan TV. "They were just family friends with Aynur Elgunash. A large amount of money was seized during a search at Tahirov's house. However, Tahirov stated that the money belonged to his wife," Bayramov said. The money found was from her salary, the lawyer said. Zibeyda Sadigova, who is representing another of the journalists, Natig Javadli, said that there was no basis for the arrest. "We were not provided with the decision and protocols regarding the search of his home, so we were unable to review them. Natig said that his computers and phones were confiscated, but no money was found in the house,"  Sadigova said. The lawyer said that Javadli has been in journalism for 30 years and that the arrest is related to that work. "They seized his passwords without a court order. He was subjected to psychological pressure," the lawyer told VOA. Lawyers representing the journalists have filed an appeal against the pre-trial detention. Media crackdown More than 20 journalists and media workers have been arrested in Azerbaijan since late 2023 on allegations of smuggling and other crimes. Among those affected are journalists from Abzas Media, known for its corruption investigations, and the independent media outlet Toplum TV. The editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, Sevinj Vagifgizi, was among the Anti-Corruption Champions honored by Blinken on Monday.  "Vagifgizi has devoted more than a decade in exposing government abuses. She's also the one awardee who is not with us this afternoon," Blinken said during a ceremony. He noted that Vagifgizi had returned to Azerbaijan in November 2023, "knowing that she might be arrested on arrival." More than a year later, said Blinken, "she remains in detention." Azerbaijan's government has rejected international criticism of the arrests, calling it an "interference in Azerbaijan's internal affairs and the independence of the judiciary." Officials say that fundamental rights, as well as media freedom, are guaranteed.  Local human rights organizations estimate that there are more than 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. The country ranks 164th out of 180 on the RSF's World Press Freedom Index, where 1 reflects the best environment for media. Ulviyya Guliyeva contributed to this report.    https://www.voanews.com/a/blinken-calls-on-azerbaijan-to-release-meydan-tv-journalists-/7900843.html https://www.voanews.com/a/blinken-calls-on-azerbaijan-to-release-meydan-tv-journalists-/7900843.html Fri, 13 Dec 2024 17:32:14 -0500 Press FreedomEast AsiaEuropewebdesk@voanews.com (Aziza Goyushzade) A landmark hearing into nation-states’ legal obligations over climate change wrapped up at the United Nations’ top court in The Hague on Friday. The outcome could have implications for the fight against global warming — and for the big polluters blamed for emitting most greenhouse gases. Henry Ridgwell has more. https://www.voanews.com/a/landmark-climate-change-hearing-ends-on-question-of-reparations/7900784.html https://www.voanews.com/a/landmark-climate-change-hearing-ends-on-question-of-reparations/7900784.html Fri, 13 Dec 2024 16:28:46 -0500 Climate ChangeEast AsiaScience & HealthEuropewebdesk@voanews.com (Henry Ridgwell) BEIJING — The former coach of the Chinese men's national football team has received a 20-year-prison sentence for bribery, Chinese state media reported Friday. Liu Tie, who once played in the English Premier League as a midfielder for Everton, was found guilty of "leveraging his positions" as head coach of the national football and national selection team to receive bribes of more than 50 million yuan (about $7 million), by a court in the city of Xianning in the central Hubei province. Liu coached the Chinese men's team between January 2020 and December 2021. He was also charged with taking bribes between 2015 to 2019, when he worked for local football clubs. The investigation into Liu's conduct began in November 2022. He pleaded guilty to bribery and corruption in March of this year. His sentencing is the latest in a series of high-profile corruption cases involving Chinese football. In March, the former president of the Chinese Football Association, Chen Xuyuan, was sentenced to life in prison for bribery. Earlier this week, three other CFA officials received prison sentences for bribery, according to state media. https://www.voanews.com/a/china-jails-former-national-football-coach-for-20-years-for-bribery/7899981.html https://www.voanews.com/a/china-jails-former-national-football-coach-for-20-years-for-bribery/7899981.html Fri, 13 Dec 2024 04:10:41 -0500 China NewsEast AsiaArts & Culturewebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — A defiant South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a second impeachment vote on Saturday over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, a move that shocked the country, split his party and imperiled his presidency halfway through his term. Yoon rescinded his December 3 move to impose military rule barely six hours later, after the opposition-controlled parliament defied troops and police to vote against the decree. But it plunged the country into a constitutional crisis and triggered widespread calls for him to step down on the grounds that he had broken the law. Opposition parties plan to hold an impeachment vote at 4 p.m. (0700 GMT), with large demonstrations planned ahead of the vote. Yoon's conservative People Power Party boycotted the first impeachment vote a week earlier, preventing a quorum. Since then, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon has urged party members to vote for impeachment this time, and at least seven PPP members have said they would vote to impeach. The opposition parties need at least eight PPP votes to impeach Yoon, as they control 192 of the 300 seats in the single-chamber parliament and impeachment requires a two-thirds majority. Ahn Cheol-soo, a PPP lawmaker backing Yoon's impeachment, said in a Facebook post on Saturday that he would vote for impeachment "for the sake of swift stabilization of people's livelihood, economy and diplomacy." The PPP floor leader said on Friday, however, that the party's stance remained to oppose impeachment. PPP lawmakers were meeting Saturday morning to decide whether to change that position. The main opposition Democratic Party said on Saturday Yoon's "madness" could no longer be tolerated. "Refusing impeachment is treason against the people," the party said in a statement, asking more from the ruling party to join the impeachment. 'Fight to the end' If impeached, Yoon would lose authority but remain in office until the Constitutional Court either removes or reinstates him. In the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would serve as acting president. If the court removes Yoon or he resigns, a presidential election must be held within 60 days. Yoon is separately under criminal investigation for alleged insurrection over the martial law declaration and authorities have banned him from traveling overseas. He has not signaled a willingness to resign and in a speech on Thursday vowed he would "fight to the end," defending his martial law decree as necessary to overcome political deadlock and protect the country from domestic politicians who he said were undermining democracy. Yoon, president of Asia's fourth-largest economy, hopes political allies will rally to support him, but the fiery remarks appeared to find mixed reception among PPP lawmakers. A Gallup Korea poll on Friday found two-thirds of supporters of Yoon's party opposing the impeachment, though three-quarters of all respondents supported it. Protesters calling for Yoon's impeachment began gathering near the parliament on Saturday, while pro-Yoon right-wing rallies at the center of Seoul were due to start early in the afternoon. Some K-pop celebrities have slammed the president and plan to donate food and drinks for those participating in the rally to demand Yoon's impeachment. People have been using delivery apps to preorder food and coffee for protesters. Elected in 2022, Yoon was widely welcomed in Washington and other Western capitals for his rhetoric defending global democracy and freedom, but critics said that masked growing problems at home. He clashed with opposition lawmakers whom he has labeled as "anti-state forces," and press freedom organizations have criticized his heavy-handed approach to media coverage that he deems negative. The crisis and ensuing uncertainty have shaken financial markets and threatened to undermine South Korea's reputation as a stable, democratic success story. South Korean shares rose for a fourth straight session on Friday on hopes that the political uncertainty would ease after this weekend's parliamentary impeachment vote. https://www.voanews.com/a/south-korea-opposition-leader-says-impeaching-yoon-best-way-to-restore-order-/7899947.html https://www.voanews.com/a/south-korea-opposition-leader-says-impeaching-yoon-best-way-to-restore-order-/7899947.html Fri, 13 Dec 2024 02:00:52 -0500 East Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) BANGKOK — Fleeing an arrest warrant issued by Myanmar’s junta, journalist Nyan Linn Htet moved to neighboring Thailand three years ago. From there, the founder and managing editor at the Mekong News Agency has continued to provide coverage of issues affecting his home country. But a new draft law being considered by Thailand’s Ministry of Interior after a public consultation could damage the fragile existence that he and so many others in exile from Myanmar have.  The Association and Foundations Bill was proposed in October. If passed, it would require nonprofits to register with the Minister of Interior and to have a minimum of 30 Thai staff members.  Noncompliance comes with fines of up to $3,000. The draft bill is concerning for journalists like Nyan, who have been working from exile in Thailand since the February 2021 military coup. Many registered their outlets as nonprofits, and do not have the capacity to comply with the law. "The new draft bill is one of the challenges for our exiled media," Nyan told VOA. "When it comes to making financial information available to Thai authorities, many local media can find it difficult to follow since they are currently operating with the financial support made by the donors or [nongovernmental organizations]." Thailand’s government says the bill is needed to counter national security concerns. But analysts say it would give authorities expansive powers and could make the work of Myanmar’s exiled media more precarious. Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, an advocacy lead at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, says the legislation could lead to interference in nonprofits, and would give authorities the power to dissolve organizations and put civil society organizations at risk of being deemed national security threats. "The draft act on Association and Foundations is yet another attempt by the authorities to monitor and control the work of civil society organizations, many of which take the form of either an association or a foundation," he told VOA by email. Akarachai noted that the law would give authorities "expansive powers" to close organizations on grounds such as "good morals of the people," "public order," or "national security." Failure to submit an annual report or balance sheet within 30 days could also result in being closed. Thailand is not alone in passing laws around foreign funding and national security. "The Ministry of Interior and related national security agencies seem determined to follow the lead of authoritarian neighbors like Cambodia and Vietnam in severely restricting civil society organizations, regardless of the damage it does to Thailand’s reputation and its ability to operate as a regional hub for international agencies," Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates, told VOA. The Thai government "need to live up their progressive principles and face down this conservative threat against people’s civil and political freedoms," he said. Safe haven Thailand, which has a 2,400-kilometer border with Myanmar, has seen thousands of people flee the conflict between opposition groups and junta forces. When Myanmar’s military seized power, it revoked some broadcast licenses and detained dozens of journalists, including a VOA contributor. Fearing arrest or retaliation, many journalists fled. In Thailand they found a temporary base, especially in border towns. But the threat of being sent back to Myanmar weighs heavily. Strict paperwork and requirements make it hard for Myanmar nationals to get proper media visas. Not all of them have the necessary documentation after fleeing their homes, and some are wanted by the junta over their coverage. Journalist Toe Zaw Latt says most exiled media chose Thailand because they had "nowhere else to go." It offers better facilities including internet connection and communications as well as "easy access to the sources," he told VOA. The journalist said he believes it would be impractical for the media to operate further away. And if the legislation comes into force in Thailand, he predicts many will evade it. "A lot [of journalists] will go undercover. I don't think any media want to legally register under Thai law, simply because they don't trust it, or [because it’s] very difficult," he said. In Nyan’s case, he says the majority of his 17-person team are based in Thailand. "We can’t afford to move back to Myanmar since it is crystal clear that we are at risk of being arrested, tortured or even murdered unlawfully," Nyan said. Myanmar is one of the world’s worst jailers of journalists, ranking second, only behind China. At least seven journalists have also been killed since the coup, according to data by the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ. Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative, described the draft bill as a danger for Myanmar media "that operate from Thailand and play crucial roles in supporting the many Myanmar journalists driven into exile since the 2021 coup." "Thai lawmakers should scrap this severe and wrong-headed legislation and allow Myanmar's exile media organizations to continue functioning without fear of reprisal," he told VOA via email. Nyan fears that a reduction in active exiled Myanmar media in Thailand will pave the way for Myanmar state media to spread disinformation. He says if the law comes into force and Myanmar media are forced to leave Thailand, it will mean there is only limited independent news in Myanmar. "This will result in having military’s disinformation, misinformation or hate speech campaigns proliferated seriously," he said. Editor's note: The third and fourth paragraphs have been updated to clarify details on the draft legislation. https://www.voanews.com/a/7899939.html https://www.voanews.com/a/7899939.html Fri, 13 Dec 2024 01:46:27 -0500 Press FreedomEast Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Tommy Walker) LOS ANGELES — The United States and its NATO allies are paying increased attention to military cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic, where the two countries have conducted joint naval exercises, coast guard patrols and strategic bomber air training. That cooperation includes more closely coordinated military drills, said Iris Ferguson, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Arctic and Global Resilience. She spoke during an online December 5 discussion hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The increasing levels of collaboration between Russia and the PRC [People’s Republic of China] and the unprecedented style of collaboration, especially in the military domain, give us again pause," said Ferguson. In October, the coast guards of China and Russia conducted their first joint Arctic maritime patrol. In July, four Russian and Chinese strategic bombers flew over the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea, marking the first time their military aircraft launched from the same airbase in northern Russia and the first time Chinese bombers flew within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. China and Russia also held joint naval exercises in the Bering Strait in 2022 and 2023. China has no Arctic territory of its own but is interested in growing opportunities for mineral exploration and a shipping route to Europe as climate change causes the Arctic ice cap to recede. "It is an interesting development showing that a level of cooperation that a few years ago we didn’t think will get to that level," said Stephanie Pezard, associate research department director at the RAND Corporation, headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The U.S. Department of Defense published a "2024 Arctic Strategy" in July that identifies Chinese and Russian collaboration as a major geopolitical challenge driving the need for a new strategic approach to the Arctic. Chang Ching, a senior researcher from the Society for Strategic Studies based in Taipei, said China's presence in the Arctic creates pressure on the U.S. and other countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). "In the past, Russia was the only traditional adversary in the Arctic, but now there is an additional challenge," Chang told VOA Mandarin this week. No immediate threat Other NATO members are responding to the increased military activities of Russia and China in the Arctic. Canada released a new Arctic Foreign Policy report December 6 to address its growing military cooperation with other like-minded nations in the region. The report recommends that Canada strengthen diplomatic and technological cooperation with NATO countries in the Arctic and like-minded nations such as Japan and South Korea. It also emphasizes enhancing Canada's military presence in the Arctic. Canada’s Arctic territory makes up about 40% of the country and more than 70% of its coastline. Canada, Finland, and the U.S. in November agreed to jointly build icebreakers, ships to cut through frozen waters, a decision driven at least in part by a desire to counter Russia's influence in the region. Despite their stepped-up joint military activities in the Arctic, analysts say China and Russia do not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. and its partners in the region. "I think it’s really important to not overstate what the PRC is getting from Russia as well," Ferguson said. "We know what it takes to operate with allies. We know the years of investment and trust building and interoperability required to make an alliance, and you know their flying in [a] circle together is not the same." Why is China in the Arctic? China is a new player in the Arctic. Beijing’s "Arctic Policy White Paper," published in 2018, stated that China's polar strategy focuses on issues such as climate change, environmental protection, scientific research, navigation routes, resource exploration and development, security and international governance. "China will not and has no intention of using Arctic issues to promote its geopolitical interests," said the Chinese Embassy to VOA Mandarin in an emailed response Wednesday to the comments made at the online CSIS discussion. "As a non-Arctic country, China is an active participant, builder and contributor to Arctic affairs, contributing its wisdom and strength to the change and development of the Arctic," the embassy statement said. However, Yang Zhen and Ren Yanyan, researchers at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, suggest that China-Russia naval cooperation in the Arctic is a way to counterbalance what they call the U.S.’s "maritime hegemony." Meanwhile, Beijing and Moscow have been developing Arctic shipping routes, especially for Russian oil and gas, as Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have largely halted the trade with Europe. https://www.voanews.com/a/china-russia-arctic-cooperation-a-us-national-security-concern/7899904.html https://www.voanews.com/a/china-russia-arctic-cooperation-a-us-national-security-concern/7899904.html Thu, 12 Dec 2024 23:02:04 -0500 USAEast AsiaEuropeChina Newswebdesk@voanews.com (Samuel Hui)