Day: July 31, 2022

Upstream dams and sand mining have caused significant erosion along the Mekong River in western Laos, according to experts, devastating riparian communities in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation with high waters and powerful currents.

But residents of those communities say they believe that other issues are to blame.

Brian Eyler, director of the Southeast Asia Program and the Energy, Water, and Sustainability Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., said upstream activities had created a “hungry river” phenomenon responsible for the severe erosion.

“There is a natural phenomenon called a ‘hungry river’ where a river which has been robbed of its sediments looks for new sediment to fill its course,” he said. “Sediment is taken out of a river system by upstream dams and sand mining, so when the river goes ‘hungry’ it pulls new sediment into it from river banks through erosion processes.”

“Upstream dams in China have removed more than half of the sediment from the Mekong mainstream and now that Laos has built about 100 dams, the effects are being felt even more severely,” he said.

If dams must be built, their designs should include sediment flushing mechanisms to allow sediment to pass through the structure, Eyler said.

If they don’t include the flushing systems, the situation will “get worse and worse because the river will get hungrier and hungrier as time passes,” he added.

Direct impact

The dams are part of Laos’ ambitious plan to become the “battery of Southeast Asia” and boost the landlocked nation’s economy by selling the generated electricity to neighboring countries like Thailand. But the projects are controversial because of their environmental impact, displacement of villagers, and financial and power demand arrangements.

Ian Baird, director of the Center for Southeast Asia Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said there are many factors responsible for the Mekong River erosion, including sand dredging and deforestation, though he agreed that the main cause is the “hungry water” phenomenon.

“This phenomenon takes place because all the dams on the Mekong River collect all the sediment, [and] the water released from the dams has less sediment,” he said. “When the water gets hungrier, it causes erosion along the Mekong River bank in the region below the dams.”

The erosion has a direct impact on riparian communities, causing the collapse of roads, and the washing away of land, forcing Laotians who live near the riverbank to relocate, Baird said.

“The villagers who used to grow vegetables like tomatoes and chili peppers in the dry season on the riverbank can’t do that anymore,” he said. “If they still want to grow vegetables, they’ll have to grow them on higher ground, to which they’ll have to pump the water up. They’ll have to pay for electricity [to do that].”

Growing vegetables on higher ground also means that the crops will not benefit from river sediment that acts as a natural fertilizer, so farmers will have to buy fertilizer as well, Baird said.

Many erosion ‘hotspots’

Lao officials point to other possible explanations for the erosion that wipes out houses and land in riparian communities.

In Bokeo province in the northern part of the country, an entire village of 300 households was lost to the river over the past 24 years due to powerful waves caused by ship movement, an official from the province’s Natural Resources and Environment Department told RFA.

“The culprit is the large and heavy ships weighing up to 100 tons running through the river,” he said. “The ships are the worst enemies of the riverbank. Their strong waves destroy the riverbank. Some waves are more than one meter (3.3 feet) high.”

At least 73 kilometers (45 miles) of the 179 kilometers (111 miles) of Mekong River bank in central Laos’ Borikhamxay province is severely eroded, said Vixay Phoumy, director of the province’s Public Works and Transport Department at the agency’s annual meeting on July 7. Only 21 kilometers (13 miles) of the stretch is protected by retaining walls.

“We have many hotspots in Thaphabath and Borikhan districts where the erosion is worse,” an official from the province’s Natural Resources and Environment Department told RFA. 

“From our inspection, we know that the riverbank slides down the most in the rainy season,” he said. “Of course, some homes and farmland have been washed away too.”

Farther downstream, strong currents in the Mekong have eroded about 90 kilometers, or nearly 50%, of riverbank, in Saravan province, an official of the province’s Natural Resources and Environment Department told RFA.

‘Our common problem’

The severe erosion is not confined to the Laos side of the Mekong River and affects banks on the Thai side as well, said Omboon Thipsuna, secretary-general of the Mekong Community Organizations Network Association, 7 Provinces, Northeastern Region (NCPO) in Thailand. 

“The main cause is the upstream dams releasing and holding water,” she told RFA. “It’s obvious that the sediment has disappeared.”

“The water goes up and down,” she said. “They [riparian residents] see it tumbling down every day.”

Thipsuna called for bilateral talks between Laos and Thailand to find a solution to the erosion issue.

“It’s our common problem,” she said.

The Sanakham Dam, a proposed hydropower project on the Mekong mainstream between Xayaburi and Vientiane provinces in Laos will make the erosion worse, she said, adding that water levels currently can go up to four meters (13 meters) high daily.

The cash-strapped Lao government can only afford to build erosion-prevention barriers in a few locations, leaving the residents of many other areas to deal with the issue on their own.

“The Mekong River bank erosion has been occurring for years, causing a lot of concerns to our riparian residents,” said a villager in the town of Paksan, capital of Borikhamxay province. “The erosion has caused a lot of damage every year. The authorities haven’t said anything [because] they don’t care about this.”

A resident of the Sangthong district of Vientiane noted severe erosion there as well, but said limited government funding may prevent the erection of an erosion wall.

“The authorities conducted a survey recently and planned to build a revetment,” he said. “The problem is that the government budget for building revetment is limited. The plan might be delayed further.”

Further studies needed

An official with the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment told RFA that the government is well aware of the erosion problem and its impact on land and natural resources. 

“The cause of the erosion is sand dredging,” said the official. “As for the fluctuation of water, it needs more study to prove whether the fluctuation is caused by dams and/or climate change.”

Meanwhile, the Thai government appears to be making more headway in addressing the issue. It set aside 4 billion baht (U.S. $110 million) to build barriers in 181 hotspots in eight riparian provinces along the Mekong River between 2021 and 2024.

Translated by Max Avary for RFA Lao. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomed the arrival of 13 distressed Filipinos from Sri Lanka who returned to the Philippines on 30 July 2022. The repatriates, composed of six females, two males, and five minors,  are part of the 114 Filipinos who have signified their intent to return to the Philippines because of the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

 

The Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, together with the Philippine Embassy in Bangladesh (which has jurisdiction over Sri Lanka) and the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Colombo, has been steadfast in monitoring the situation and alleviating the concerns of Filipinos in Sri Lanka. The distribution of financial assistance is currently underway.

 

“The DFA continues to assist all distressed Filipinos overseas, including undocumented contract workers. We are coordinating with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and other concerned agencies during this transition period, as the DMW sets up its Migrant Workers Offices abroad,” said Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. de Vega.

 

“The DFA shall always stand ready to assist in repatriating distressed Filipinos, true to our mandate of being guardians of the welfare of our overseas kababayan,” he added.

 

The 13 Filipinos, whose return tickets were funded by the DFA, arrived aboard a commercial flight from Colombo. They comprise the 1st batch of returnees from Sri Lanka, with more expected to arrive in the next few days and weeks. The DFA plans to complete the repatriation of 114 Filipinos by the second week of August, should there be no complications.

 

 

Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs

Experts see a fiery speech this week by Kim Jong Un as a bid to cast an expected seventh nuclear test as a justifiable response to full-scale joint military drills by the U.S. and South Korea, which are set to resume within weeks.

 

In the speech Wednesday, marking the 69th anniversary of the armistice that brought the Korean War to an uneasy close, the North Korean leader said his nuclear arsenal was “fully ready” to demonstrate its power “promptly true to its mission.”

 

He blamed the U.S. for “instigating” South Korea and “openly waging large-scale joint war games, which gravely threaten the security of our state.” Kim said the military drills are driving North Korea-U.S. relations to “a point of fierce collision.”

 

The threat comes as the U.S. and South Korea have assessed that North Korea has completed its preparations for what would be a seventh nuclear test.

 

Military cooperation between Washington and Seoul, meanwhile, has intensified, with a resumption of joint military drills set for late August. The exercises were canceled or scaled back during the previous Moon Jae-in government to hopes of encouraging inter-Korean dialogue.

Justifying nuclear test on joint drills

 

Gary Samore, who served as White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction in the Obama administration, said it was “not unusual” for North Korea to threaten to use nuclear weapons against the U.S. and South Korea.

 

But Kim is making new threats now “because he’s preparing for the seventh nuclear test, and he will blame the U.S. and the ROK for holding military exercises that increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula and pose a threat to North Korean security,” Samore said, using the acronym for South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.

 

Samore said Kim was portraying Washington-Seoul military cooperation as a threat “to justify his decision to carry out a nuclear test.”

 

The South Korean Defense Ministry announced on July 22 that Seoul would resume full-scale exercises with the U.S. involving live field training from August 22 to September 1. The exercises will include combined air carrier strike group training and amphibious operation drills.

 

​VOA’s Korean Service asked the North Korea Mission to the U.N. in New York City for a comment on the upcoming Seoul-Washington drills but did not receive a reply.

Bruce Klingner, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said Kim criticized the resumption of joint drills “for escalating tensions and bringing the peninsula to the brink of war.” North Korea, he said, “again depicts itself as the aggrieved party rather than the violator of U.N. resolutions.”

 

Pyongyang conducted 18 rounds of weapons tests this year, including multiple launches of ballistic missiles in violation of U.N. resolutions.

 

Samore said Pyongyang’s portrayal of the nuclear test as a response to hostile acts by Washington and Seoul would also “give the Chinese and Russians an argument for not supporting any additional U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea.”

 

Warning against military expansion

 

In his speech, Kim also warned that his forces were prepared for “any kind of military clashes with the United States.” Naming South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for the first time but without using his title, Kim blamed Yoon for “aggravating military tension.”

 

Evans Revere, a former State Department official with extensive experience negotiating with North Korea, said Kim’s “direct attacks” on Yoon signaled his “rejection of Yoon’s North Korean initiative,” including his offer of major assistance in exchange for an end to Kim’s nuclear programs.

 

During his inauguration speech in May, Yoon said Seoul would offer an “audacious plan” to improve North Korea’s economy and people’s quality of life if Pyongyang began genuine denuclearization. Yoon’s office said Monday that the details of the plan were being discussed, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News.

 

Experts said further that Kim’s threat showed Pyongyang’s willingness to stand up to the Yoon government’s renewed alliance and military cooperation with the U.S.

 

Harry Kazianis, president of the Rogue States Project, said Kim’s threat showed North Korea was “willing to confront the U.S.-ROK alliance,” which may mean more nuclear and ICBM tests when the timing is right for the regime’s benefit.

 

Revere said, “Pyongyang needs to respond to the new ROK government’s tougher stance on South-North relations and Seoul’s reference to the ROK’s ‘kill chain strategy.’ ”

 

That strategy, developed a decade ago to deter North Korea’s nuclear development, involves launching preemptive strikes against Pyongyang’s missiles, key facilities and senior officials if Seoul ascertains an attack is imminent.

 

The South Korean Defense Ministry ​met with Yoon on July 6 and announced it ​would set up a strategic command by 2024 that directs preemptive strike strategies.

 

Also, under the Yoon government, the U.S. Army held live-fire drills using Apache helicopters stationed in South Korea from Monday through Friday for the first time since 2019. The training took place at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex near the Demilitarized Zone dividing the North from the South.

And on July 5, the U.S. Air Force dispatched five F-35 stealth fighters from its Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska to South Korea and joined South Korea’s F-35s for a 10-day training, according to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) spokesperson David Kim. The dispatch was the first publicly announced arrival of F-35s since 2017.

 

 

Source: Voice of America

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Sunday she is leading a congressional delegation to Asia but did not mention whether she will defy China by making a stop in Taiwan.

 

In a statement, Pelosi said she is leading a group of five other Democratic Party lawmakers to Asia “to reaffirm America’s strong and unshakeable commitment to our allies and friends in the region.”

 

The trip will include stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, the statement said. The group already stopped in Hawaii, where it received a briefing from the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command, it added.

 

Pelosi is expected to arrive in Singapore on Monday for a two-day visit, according to broadcaster CNA, citing the Singapore foreign ministry. On Monday afternoon, the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore is to host a reception, its website said.

 

U.S. media reports Friday suggested Pelosi was tentatively planning to stop in Taiwan. Pelosi herself has indirectly spoken about such a possibility, even though her office has not confirmed it, citing security protocols.

 

It would be the highest-level U.S. visit to Taiwan since 1997, when former House Speaker Newt Gingrich led a congressional delegation there.

 

China had repeatedly warned Pelosi’s trip would be an unacceptable violation of what it sees as its sovereignty over the self-ruled island.

 

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war, with the defeated nationalist forces fleeing to Taiwan and setting up a government that later grew into a vibrant democracy.

 

Since then, China’s Communist Party has vowed to take Taiwan, using force if necessary, even though the island has never been led by the Communist Party.

Chinese leaders strongly object to U.S. shows of support for Taiwan’s government, which they see as illegitimate.

 

In a Thursday phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a blunt warning over Taiwan, saying “those who play with fire will perish by it,” according to a Chinese government readout.

 

China’s foreign ministry has also vowed Beijing would “act strongly” and “take countermeasures” in response to a Pelosi visit.

 

White House officials said Friday they saw no evidence China’s military was preparing major action against Taiwan.

 

China announced Saturday it was holding “live-fire” military exercises off its coast facing Taiwan. The drills, which were set to last from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. local time, occurred near the Pingtan islands off Fujian province, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency. The report did not specify what type of weapons were used in the exercises.

 

On Sunday, a spokesperson for China’s air force said Beijing has the “firm will” and “sufficient capability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The spokesperson, who was quoted in state media, also said China had various fighter jets that can circle “the precious island of our motherland.”

 

China has flown an increasing number of warplanes through Taiwan’s self-declared air defense identification zone in recent years, greatly raising tensions in the Taiwan Strait. In recent weeks, Chinese state media editorials have warned Chinese fighter jets could follow and intercept Pelosi’s plane.

 

Hu Xijin, a fiercely nationalistic commentator for the Communist Party’s Global Times, even suggested in a tweet that the Chinese military has the right to “forcibly dispel” any U.S. aircraft traveling or escorting Pelosi to Taiwan.

 

“If ineffective, then shoot them down,” Hu said in the tweet, which was later removed because it violated Twitter guidelines.

 

Despite China’s warnings, a large, bipartisan chorus of lawmakers had urged Pelosi to not back down, saying China should not be allowed to dictate where U.S. officials visit.

 

“It would make it look like America can be shoved around,” former House Speaker Gingrich told VOA’s Mandarin Service earlier this week. Gingrich said he supports Pelosi’s trip, which will likely only amount to “an irritation” to U.S.-China ties.

“I think this is at one level a lot of noise about nothing,” Gingrich said. “I think if she holds her ground, and if the Biden administration doesn’t act timidly and almost cowardly, I think everything will be fine.”

 

Taiwan is one of the most dangerous points of tension in an increasingly fraught U.S.-China relationship.

 

The United States formally cut official relations with Taiwan in 1979 when it switched diplomatic recognition to China. However, the United States has continued to supply Taiwan with defensive weapons as mandated by the U.S. Congress.

 

U.S. presidents have long used a policy of “strategic ambiguity” toward Taiwan – essentially leaving their options open in the case of a Chinese invasion of the island.

 

However, Biden’s recent comments have raised doubts about that approach. Since taking office, Biden on three occasions has said the U.S. is committed to defending Taiwan.

 

Biden has been cautious, though, on the prospect of a Pelosi visit. Earlier this month, Biden said the U.S. military does not think a visit would be a good idea.

 

Pelosi’s possible visit comes at a sensitive moment for Xi, who is expected to use a Communist Party Congress later this year to secure a controversial third term as China’s top leader.

 

Observers have said Xi, China’s most powerful leader in decades, may want to send a tough message on Taiwan ahead of the meeting. But he may also want to preserve stability around a sensitive political moment.

 

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Friday there is “no reason” for increased tension with China because U.S. policy has not changed.

 

Kirby reiterated that Pelosi “does not need nor do we offer approval or disapproval” for travel. He added: “The speaker is entitled to travel aboard a military aircraft.”

 

 

Source: Voice of America

Opposition People’s Defense Forces in Myanmar are battling the ruling junta’s military with locally produced weapons, members of the PDF told VOA in recent weeks.

The PDF members, mostly students and farmers with no previous weapons manufacturing experience, said they figured out how to make the weapons from YouTube and from each other.

Most opposition troops are said to rely on these improvised weapons.

Some opposition armed groups in central Myanmar and in Kayah state, along the country’s eastern border with Thailand, have been producing and using handmade weapons, including rocket launchers, inflicting heavy casualties on junta forces.

The Tiger People’s Defense Force in Sagaing region’s Pale township has produced 15 rockets with a range of around three miles. Initially the group produced rudimentary rifles, bombs and mines, then moved to producing rocket launchers and ammunition within six months.

“We made 100 single-shot rifles and shared them with other groups in Sagaing region and produced 300 rounds for rocket launchers. All of those weapons are being used in battle,” said Bo Than Chaung, head of the Tiger People’s Defense Force information and weapons production team.

Another resistance unit, the Karenni Generation Z, active in Kayah and southern Shan state, has been producing 130 mm, 70 mm and 55 mm mortars since March. Kalay Bo, the unit’s spokesperson said it costs between $50 and $80 to make a mortar.

Karenni Generation Z can produce 20 rounds for 130 mm mortars per day. However, it must change locations whenever the junta finds out where it is operating, and it faces raw material and, most importantly, financial issues.

“At first, we were able to produce homemade hunting rifles to fight the military. However, we could not resist with these guns when the junta forces used automatic weapons, long-range artillery, jets and helicopters. That’s why we developed more advanced weapons to fight the military,” Kalay Bo said.

Armed resistance movements erupted across Myanmar shortly after the military cracked down on peaceful protests of last year’s military coup. Since then, the armed People’s Defense Forces have emerged. However, not all the groups are working together under a single command. The opposition National Unity Government has said 257 battalions have been established under the command of the NUG defense ministry and more than 500 PDFs are affiliated with the ministry.

Some PDFs are based in areas in Kachin, Kayah and Karen states in the east and Chin state in the west that are under the control of armed ethnic organizations that have been fighting for autonomy for years. Those units are receiving arms support from the Karen National Union, Kachin Independence Organization, and the Arakan Army – themselves ethnic organizations – as well as the NUG.

However, obtaining weapons for fighters in central Myanmar is difficult because of transportation difficulties and lack of funding. According to the resistance chapters, it costs at least $3,000 for an automatic machine gun on the black market. Because of the lack of weapons and insufficient funds, opposition groups have turned to producing weapons themselves.

One group, the Anti-Dictatorship People’s Revolutionary Army, or DPRA, with nearly 1,000 fighters, which operates mainly in Sagaing but also has launched guerilla attacks in the cities of Yangon and Mandalay, learned the technique for producing rockets from its ally, the Kani Guerrilla Force in Sagaing. Depending on the availability of raw materials, the DPRA said it manufactures 20 rocket launchers, 30 60 mm mortars, 20 roadside bombs and 30 8 mm rifles a month.

“We receive 10 million kyats [$5,000] a month from public donations and most of it is used for weapons production,” Linn Nway, a senior member of the organization, told VOA.

The DPRA estimates production costs at $175 for a roadside bomb, $35 for each 60 mm mortar and 8 mm rifle round, $75 for a rocket with a range of between three and five miles. “It takes three months to produce a rocket,” Linn Nway said.

Some small opposition groups made up of around 50 members are incapable of combat with the junta forces because of a shortage of weapons and manpower. The groups depend heavily on their production of mines for guerrilla warfare against military convoys, bases, banks and buildings.

“Although we cannot fight with the junta forces, they are afraid of entering into the villages. They were ambushed by our group, which inflicted heavy causalities because of landmines we planted,” said Bi Lone, a leader of the Black Wolf Defense Force in Sagaing’s Monywa township.

Most of the PDF-produced weapons are rudimentary and insufficient to defeat the well-armed junta forces.

Many groups can only produce single-shot guns that can only be loaded with one bullet.

“Each time we shoot, we have to insert another bullet to shoot again,” Bo Than Chaung said.

Opposition groups say the lack of military-grade raw materials and of arms-making experience has cost lives and caused injuries and loss of materials when manufacturing weapons. In October, some members of Black Wolf Defense Force were seriously injured and a large quantity of raw materials, plus fighters’ property, including uniforms were destroyed in an explosion while making explosive devices, Bi Lone said.

Another issue facing the opposition groups is obtaining raw materials, such as iron pipes, lead, and gunpowder, as the military regime has restricted the transportation of metal, including iron and steel, into Sagaing. Goods coming into Sagaing are subject to strict inspections.

“We can manage to get iron, mostly we face shortage of gunpowder imported from India and the Thai border. We cannot make homemade bombs without it,” said Lin Nway. Under these circumstances, the price of raw materials has tripled, and it costs more than $150 for 35 grams of gunpowder.

Opposition groups say only 10% of their troops can be armed with commercially produced weapons, and the rest rely heavily on locally produced weapons. The groups are heavily dependent on public donations and selling their belongings to raise funds for weapons production, however, production can fulfill less than 50% of requirements. Under these circumstances, the opposition forces all say a lack of financial support is the biggest problem.

“We need at least 10 million kyats [$5,000] per month, however, the donation we normally receive is around 5 million kyats [$2,500],” said Bo Than Chaung. The group is working under the NUG but has not received any support so far.

“I hope, one day we will get weapons from NUG,” he added.

On July 9, the NUG’s defense ministry publicly shared its spending for military affairs. As of May, of the $44 million in military spending, about 63% went for weapons, ammunition and military operations and 22% went for weapons production. The NUG has said it needs at least $10 million a month to support the fighting forces.

 

 

Source: Voice of America

A Japanese man has been detained in Myanmar’s commercial capital Yangon, an official at Japan’s embassy confirmed Sunday, the latest foreigner ensnared in the junta-ruled nation.

A military coup last year sparked rolling protests and a deadly response from the junta, with more than 2,000 people killed and at least 14,000 arrested, according to a local monitoring group.

On Saturday, Japanese and local media said filmmaker Toru Kubota, 26, was detained near an anti-government rally along with two Myanmar citizens.

“I can confirm a Japanese national was detained yesterday in Yangon,” an official at the Japanese embassy told AFP Sunday, requesting anonymity.

The embassy is “in contact with the authorities and taking measures to secure their release.”

The Japanese official, who did not confirm the identity of the detained individual, said they had no information on whether he was arrested during a protest.

A junta spokesperson was not available for comment.

A small crowd rallied outside Japan’s foreign ministry in Tokyo on Sunday, holding placards of Kubota.

Several foreigners have been arrested in the military’s crackdown on dissent since the putsch.

Last year Japanese filmmaker Yuki Kitazumi was detained by Myanmar authorities while covering the coup’s aftermath.

Under international pressure he was released and returned to Japan in May 2021.

Kitazumi expressed shock over Kubota’s detention, and said he hoped he would be released “soon.”

“He is a documentary videographer and there is no reason for him to be arrested if he was gathering materials,” he said.

Myanmar’s junta has clamped down on press freedoms, arresting reporters and photographers, as well as revoking broadcasting licenses.

As of March this year, 48 journalists remain in custody across the country, according to monitoring group Reporting ASEAN.

 

 

 

Source: Voice of America