July 16, 2022 – Page 3 – Asean Tribune

July 16, 2022

Argentina insists Uruguay-China FTA must go through Mercosur; says China trying to break up the bloc

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina’s Foreign Ministry has declared that Uruguay’s negotiations with China towards a Free Trade Agreement must go through Mercosur.

”The Secretariat of International Economic Relations emphasized that Uruguay’s decision to begin talks soon to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, without the participation of Mercosur, is in the evaluation stage,” the diplomatic document highlighted.

Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou announced earlier this week that his country and China had finalized the feasibility studies and were now moving forward with their intention to reach a bilateral FTA.

Lacalle had already voiced his plans in September even though Mercosur rules ban members (namely Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay) from unilateral talks with other countries or blocs.

Argentina’s Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eduardo Valdés of the ruling Frente de Todos (FdT) Friday said China was breaking up Mercosur with such a deal.

“On the part of Lacalle Pou of Uruguay, it hurts me, but the fact that China is finalizing it hurts me even more,” Valdés said while decrying the current global situation amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian war.

War “is the impossibility of dialogue, the lack of civilization; it generates global changes again and the regions that suffer the most are the ones that are farthest from the conflict: Africa, Latin America,” he said.

In this context, some people such as arms dealers and food sellers make a profit, he added.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

July 16, 2022

Armed Soldiers Surround Sri Lanka’s Parliament as Lawmakers Choose New Leader

NEW DELHI — Armed masked soldiers were part of the security detail around Sri Lanka’s Parliament Saturday as lawmakers met to choose a new president. Roads near the building in Colombo, the capital, were closed.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in Friday as Sri Lanka’s interim president a day after Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled to Singapore, stepped down as the country’s top leader.

In a statement, Wickremesinghe said he will initiate steps to bring constitutional changes to clip the enormous powers vested in the president, and to strengthen law and order.

Rajapaksa’s resignation was formally accepted Friday by the speaker of Parliament, who said that a new president would be elected within a week to serve the remaining two years of the president’s term.

Saying that the election will be done in a “swift and transparent manner,” the speaker of Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, called on people to “create a peaceful atmosphere” to implement the democratic process.

His appeal came after a chaotic week, in which protesters stormed the president’s and prime minister’s residences and offices, after Rajapaksa defied monthslong calls to step down. They only vacated the buildings on Thursday, saying they had achieved their objective of demonstrating people’s power and wanted to ensure their struggle remains peaceful.

The 73-year-old Rajapaksa’s resignation marks a major victory for the protest movement that had demanded his exit after an economic crisis left the island nation struggling with runaway inflation and severe shortages of fuel and medicine, as foreign exchange reserves ran out.

In Colombo, the jubilant celebrations that erupted overnight after the news that Rajapaksa had resigned, continued in the morning with many calling it a “historic moment.” At the main protest site that has sprung up in the city, outside the presidential secretariat, volunteers cooked and distributed a traditional rice milk pudding that is served at celebrations.

“I am a bit numb, but I am really relieved. Rajapaksa was incompetent and had to go. He failed to provide for the people although he had such a huge majority in Parliament,” said Udith Erosh, an activist and protester. “But the real struggle begins now to move the country forward from the utter chaos and humanitarian crisis that we are facing.”

The movement began with small candlelight vigils and gradually swelled to include university students, professionals, trade unionists and even Buddhist monks, who were once Rajapaksa’s staunchest supporters. Many were first time protesters, who said they were forced to come out into the streets because of the hardships they were facing.

Rajapaksa and his family, who held key posts in the government, including that of prime minister and finance minister, controlled about 70% of the national budget and are widely blamed for mismanagement leading to the country becoming virtually bankrupt. It was a rude shock for a nation once hailed as a success story among developing countries with a well-educated population and a large middle class.

Seen as being close to the Rajapaksas and accused of alleviating pressure on Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign after he accepted the prime minister’s job in May, Wickremesinghe also is under pressure from protesters to quit.

Wickremesinghe had earlier said he will step down when a new administration is in place and called on political parties to elect a new unity government, but the ruling party has said he will be their choice for the next president. The main opposition party wants its leader, Sajith Premadasa, to head the country.

Political observers said it is imperative for lawmakers to set aside their differences and arrive at a consensus.

“The hope is that the political parties can come together because restoring the economy has to be a collective effort and everyone must share the responsibility,” says Jehan Perera at the National Peace Council research group in Colombo.

Source: Voice of America

July 16, 2022

ASEAN FOUNDATION and ASEAN CULTURE HOUSE second joint exhibition and MOU signing in Busan, Republic of Korea

The exhibition presents 15 Republic of Korea and ASEAN Nations artists’ artworks representing diplomatic encounters, moments of friction, and strategic alignments as the repercussions and pragmatics of friendship between Afrika and Southeast Asia

Busan, The ASEAN Foundation and ASEAN Culture House / Korea Foundation co-organise the exhibition “To A Faraway Friend: Beyond Afro-Southeast Asian Affinities”. The exhibition opens on July 2, 2022 and runs until October 2, 2022.

It is the third exhibition project of Afro-Southeast Asia by KONNECT ASEAN. To A Faraway Friend extends the discursive and regional scope of the previous exhibitions held in Singapore (In Our Best Interests: Afro-Southeast Asian Affinities during a Cold War) and Manila (Cast But One Shadow: Afro-Southeast Asian Affinities) to the Republic of Korea. As its title suggests, the exhibition focuses on the repercussions and pragmatics of friendships to explore geopoetic affiliations and geopolitical aspirations of Afro-Southeast Asia and beyond.

Curated by an international team comprising Carlos Quijon Jnr from the Philippines, Kathleen Ditzig from Singapore, and Sooyoung Leam from Korea, this special collaborative project truly reflects the essence of the KONNECT ASEAN programme, the ASEAN Foundation’s arts programme supported by the Republic of Korea.

The opening events also include a VIP Opening Reception and MOU signing on July 4, 2022 between the ASEAN Foundation and Korea Foundation. Representing the ASEAN Culture House is the Executive Vice President, Jong Kook Rhee, while the ASEAN Foundation is represented by the Executive Director, Dr Yang Mee Eng. The MOU aims to promote and expand friendly exchanges and mutual understanding through arts and culture. The continued collaboration between ASEAN Foundation and ASEAN Culture House under the banner of KONNECT ASEAN highlights the importance of multilateral collaboration in re-strengthening our efforts to promote ASEAN awareness and identity in the post-pandemic era.

About KONNECT ASEAN

ASEAN has, since its inception, done much to facilitate people-to-people exchange in the arts sector across Southeast Asia to encourage dialogue and debate. This unique space for artistic discourse that allowed for pluralistic notions of what constituted a regional artistic identity and aesthetic is one of ASEAN’s great legacies and is widely discussed, researched, and acknowledged by a new generation of art historians and curators.

In 2019, the Republic of Korea celebrated 30 years of diplomatic relations with ASEAN. In the same year, the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF) supported KONNECT ASEAN – An ASEAN-Republic of Korea Arts and Cultural Programme. Administered by the ASEAN Foundation, KONNECT ASEAN signals both an eagerness by ASEAN to revitalise its once integral role in contemporary visual arts and Korea’s sincerity in establishing closer ties with ASEAN.

Source: Asean Foundation

July 16, 2022

Visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of the Kingdom of Thailand, 17 to 19 July 2022

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of the Kingdom of Thailand is visiting Singapore from 17 to 19 July 2022 to attend the 18th Flora of Thailand Conference, organised by the Singapore Botanic Gardens (National Parks Board) as Guest-of-Honour. Her Royal Highness will deliver an address at the Opening Ceremony, which will be officiated by Minister for National Development and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration Desmond Lee. Her Royal Highness will tour the National Orchid Garden and Botanical Art Gallery.

During her visit, Her Royal Highness will be hosted to separate meals by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean. Her Royal Highness will also visit Northlight School, and receive a briefing by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

July 16, 2022

Sri Lanka’s Ousted President Says He ‘Took All Possible Steps’ to Prevent Crisis

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s ousted president, who fled overseas this week to escape a popular uprising against his government, has said he took “all possible steps” to avert the economic crisis that has engulfed the island nation.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation was accepted by parliament Friday. He flew to the Maldives and then Singapore after hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters came out onto the streets of Colombo a week ago and occupied his official residence and offices.

Sri Lanka’s parliament met Saturday to begin the process of electing a new president, and a shipment of fuel arrived to provide some relief to the crisis-hit nation.

Dhammika Dasanayake, the secretary-general of Sri Lanka’s parliament, formally read out Rajapaksa’s resignation letter, the contents of which had not previously been made public.

In the letter, Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka’s financial crisis was rooted in years of economic mismanagement that predated his presidency and in the COVID-19 pandemic that drastically reduced Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals and remittances from foreign workers.

“It is my personal belief that I took all possible steps to address this crisis, including inviting parliamentarians to form an all-party or unity government,” the letter said.

Parliament will meet Tuesday to accept nominations for the post of the president. A vote to decide the country’s leader is set to take place Wednesday.

Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, an ally of Rajapaksa who is the sole representative of his party in parliament, has been sworn in as acting president until then.

Wickremesinghe is one of the top contenders to take on the role full-time but protesters also want him gone, leading to the prospect of further unrest should he be elected.

The opposition’s presidential nominee is Sajith Premadasa.

The potential dark horse is senior ruling party lawmaker Dullas Alahapperuma.

Urgent relief program

Wickremesinghe said Saturday he would implement an urgent relief program to provide fuel, gas and essential food items to Sri Lankans who are struggling because of the economic situation. He also promised to enter dialog with protesters on reducing government corruption.

Sri Lanka’s economy is likely to contract by more than 6% this year as political instability and social unrest affect discussions on financial relief with the Internation Monetary Fund, the governor of the country’s central bank told The Wall Street Journal.

Over 100 police and security personnel with assault rifles were deployed on the approach road to parliament Saturday, manning barricades and a water cannon to prevent any unrest.

Columns of security forces patrolled another approach road to parliament, though there were no signs of any protesters.

Street protests over Sri Lanka’s economic meltdown simmered for months before boiling over July 9, with protesters blaming the Rajapaksa family and allies for runaway inflation, shortages of basic goods, and corruption.

The Rajapaksa family had dominated politics in Sri Lanka for years and Basil Rajapaksa, brother of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, resigned as finance minister in April as street protests surged and quit his seat in parliament in June.

Dayslong fuel queues have become the norm for the island nation of 22 million, while foreign exchange reserves have dwindled to close to zero and headline inflation hit 54.6% last month.

Sri Lanka received the first of three fuel shipments Saturday, Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. These are the first shipments to reach the country in about three weeks.

A second diesel consignment will also arrive Saturday, with a shipment of petrol due by Tuesday.

Source: Voice of America

July 16, 2022

Text of Speech in Conjunction with National Youth Day 2022

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, Salam Sejahtera and Salam Keluarga Malaysia.

1. Alhamdulillah, thanks be to Allah SWT because due to His bounty and grace, we can gather together to celebrate the National Youth Day 2022 or HBN 202 2, themed ‘ This is Our Time ‘.

2. This year’s National Youth Day celebration is very interesting because it is held outside the capital. HBN 2022 chose Tuaran, Sabah which is famous for its resorts and tourist destinations as the location to celebrate Malaysian Family youths from all over the country.

3. Nunu Habar (how are you in Dusun language) and Yanbar (in Bajau Sama language)

4. National Youth Day 2022 is held here to meet the youth’s demand for the National Youth Day celebration to be held outside the hustle and bustle of the city, and the Tuaran, Sabah election can be translated with a large youth presence today.

5. I would like to congratulate the youth of Sabah, Tuaran, and the whole country who are present today. Thank you to the Sabah State Government, especially the YAB Chief Minister of Sabah for the support and encouragement to make the National Youth Day 2022 in Tuaran, Sabah a success this morning.

My dear Malaysian family,

6. National Youth Day is the Government’s recognition of all the efforts and success of all youths who are the backbone in the development of the country and the integrity of the Malaysian Family.

7. Nearly 21.4 percent or the equivalent of seven million out of 32.7 million Malaysians are youths aged between 15 to 30 years, while youths aged 15 to 40 years reach almost 15 million people.

8. Indeed, this figure is very significant, thus influencing every national development plan. Therefore, the aspirations and views of the youth are important for the Government to chart the future direction.

9. What is planned today, will be inherited by the next generation of Malaysian Family youths because ‘Youth is the trigger for the future revolution of the country’.

My dear Malaysian family,

10. As of June 30, a total of 9,766 youth organizations have been registered under the Youth Organizations and Youth Development Act 2007 (Amendment 2019), Act 668. Of the total, 953 are registered in Sabah and in Tuaran alone there are 33 youth organizations.

11. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate among youths aged 15 to 40 years nationwide showed a decrease to 5.3 percent for the first quarter of this year compared to 5.9 percent in the same period last year.

12. This brings the number of unemployed in the first quarter of this year to 585,000 people compared to 627,000 people for the same period last year. This number is expected to continue to decline if we take note and take care of the various initiatives and programs available for youths.

13. Most recently, the Government through the strategic collaboration of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) and the Federal Director General of Lands and Mines (JKPTG) has focused more on urban agriculture.

14. This is a strategy to increase the involvement of youths in the agro -food sector in addition to the Young Agropreneur Program.

15. A total of 8,000 young entrepreneurs have received assistance covering grants, funding, as well as short -term courses, technical and financial advisory services.

16. Agro food can provide a lucrative income to its entrepreneurs if it is managed and worked diligently using the latest technology. It can guarantee the quality of production that can be exported to help increase national revenue.

17. Youth involvement in the agro-food sector will be strengthened through the implementation of the Agro Job Fair @ MAHA 2022 program next month which offers 5,000 job opportunities by participating companies.

18. In this regard, I call on interested graduates as well as youths to seize employment opportunities in this program.

My dear Malaysian family,

19. Although the National Youth Day is held at the national level in Tuaran, we still bring the Y-Career segment which is a career opportunity involving 30 companies that offer 1,000 job opportunities for local Malaysian Family youth.

20. Therefore, I recommend that the youths in Tuaran use this opportunity to fill the vacancies offered to ensure a better future.

21. Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), all ministries and agencies also provide various programs involving the youth so that they can continue to play a role in the development of the country.

22. The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP), for example, is implementing the Bank Rakyat UNIpreneur Program which involves 500 students from every 25 public and private universities starting this month.

23. The Young Entrepreneurship Engagement Talent (YOUNITY) program also produces franchise or pre-franchise entrepreneurs under KUSKOP. So far, it has received a total of 26 applications for funding amounting to RM4.31 million until the end of last month.

24. At the same time, KBS has developed the eMYInd System or Malaysian Youth Index, an integrated system that records information on youth development programs to enable the group to obtain information to participate in appropriate programs.

25. In addition, the Malaysia Techlympics Program by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation which I officiated earlier this year is expected to have the participation of one million young people who can cultivate their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

26. The program is also to dig out young talent as young as 7 years to 30 years in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, code, drones and also the field of technology.

27. To further strengthen the role of the Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) and other youth organizations, the Government has allocated RM5.5 million under the administrative assistance initiative provided they complete the Information to be Provided (MYKD).

28. To date, out of the allocation of RM5 million, 1.5 million has been distributed to youth organizations.

My dear Malaysian family,

29. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the youth generation into high users of technology and social media until they lead inactive lives.

30. The Malaysian Youth Index 2021 shows that the mental and physical well -being scores of youths are at a moderate level. Thus, it needs to be addressed through youth involvement in sports activities and lifestyle practices.

31. Accordingly, the Malaysia Sports League (MSL), a new cultural initiative for sports especially for youths, is targeting 133,000 participants and 2,232 programs benefiting five million participants nationwide.

My dear Malaysian family,

32. The Government believes that the New Model of Youth Development 2030 which is being drafted by KBS can be realized as the latest agenda to empower the youth element as a national resource and asset.

33. Before I end my speech, once again I would like to congratulate KBS and MBM for successfully organizing the program today.

34. I am informed that KBS has allocated RM1 million to assist the activities of youth associations. For that, I announced an additional allocation of RM1 million to be shared with youth organizations.

35. Secondly, I also discussed with the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports how important youth is to the country, the voice of youth will be heard by the government and your views are appreciated.

36. To that end, the government agreed to appoint a senator among the youth. I believe that with the presence of youth representatives in the Dewan Negara, the voices of the youth will be heard more.

37. With these words and with the words Bismillahirahmanirrahim, I officiate the National Youth Day 2022 Celebration.

Source: Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia