Asean Tribune

As Taiwan approaches its presidential elections in January, the spotlight falls on candidates leaning towards establishing agreements with China and those favoring the continuation of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) leadership. 

But amid rising concerns over stagnant wages and affordable housing, no opposition figure currently poses a significant challenge to the DPP’s Lai Ching-te, the incumbent vice president.

Polls suggest that if the DPP secures a victory, it might not solely be due to their policies but rather because of the divided opposition.

Opposition leaders, former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT), have been reportedly under pressure to potentially unify their bid for the presidency.

Last Saturday, efforts towards this collaboration were visible when the campaign managers of both leaders met in Taipei, exploring the formation of a “blue-white alliance,” reflecting the party colors of KMT (blue) and TPP (white).

While Hou’s team proposed an open primary to determine the leading presidential candidate between the two parties, Ko’s side suggested determining based on opinion poll averages. 

The KMT employs an open primary system for electing its leaders, where candidates receive direct votes at polling stations across the island. The party has utilized this system based on its long-standing political presence in Taiwan since 1949. This presence began when the party, also recognized as the Nationalists, relocated to Taiwan following their defeat by the Chinese Communist Party.

In the upcoming vote, the decision will determine the order of a joint ticket: whether it’s Hou-Ko or Ko-Hou, indicating the roles of president and vice president, respectively.

 

However, Ko has dismissed the open primary proposal from KMT.

“Ko thinks the KMT offer was just an attempt to show off their local organizational strength. It wasn’t a serious offer,” says Taiwan-based Californian lawyer Michael Fahey.

Separately, Taiwan watcher and pollster Courtney Donovan Smith noted the challenges faced by the relatively new TPP.

“Ko and the four-year-old TPP are struggling to establish themselves as a distinct party, and no doubt Ko is mindful of the experience of a similar party,” said Smith. “The People’s First Party, which accepted the vice-presidential slot on a unity ticket in the 2004 election but failed to effectively differentiate themselves from the KMT and have slid into irrelevance since.”

There are other formidable obstacles to a joint ticket. Both Hou, a former police officer and current mayor of New Taipei City, and Ke, a trained doctor popular for his straightforwardness, are not keen on taking a secondary role to the other.

“A ‘Ko-Hou’ ticket is impossible, and the chances of a ‘Hou-Ko’ ticket, I believe, are less than 10% likely,” Liao Da-chi, a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University’s Institute of Political Science, told Radio Free Asia.

“The KMT, with its 14 mayors and 38 legislators, cannot possibly play second fiddle. Moreover, Hou You-ih has only been re-elected as the mayor of New Taipei City for less than a year. It would be a significant risk to give that up for a vice-presidential position. What would be the point?”

Local issues count

The recent Taiwan News “weighted poll of polls” shows Ko is ahead of Hou by about 5%. Lai from the DPP has an average support of 32%-35%, with Ko at 18%-20% and Hou at 15%-18%.

Terry Gou, billionaire and Foxconn founder, polls at around 10%, but he suggests having additional “hidden supporters.” Observers believe Gou may seek a pivotal role after the election, especially as local issues gain prominence in Taiwanese politics.

 

Many Taiwan elections in the past have turned on the China issue, said Roy Ngern, a Taiwanese labor and wages activist who described the January elections as “different.”

“While the two major parties still draw voters based on using China as the key campaign agenda, there has emerged a group where other issues take center stage and these seem to be around livelihood issues like Taiwan’s high housing prices and stagnant wages,” said Ngern.

There are significant numbers of younger voters, argues Ngern, who “are eager for Taiwan’s elections to be normalized around local livelihood concerns … due to their distrust of KMT which is not seen as committed to Taiwan’s statehood, and due to the belief that the DPP has broken its promise of improving the livelihoods of Taiwanese over the last two terms.”

Ngern added: “These voters are gravitating to the … TPP, in the hope that Ko Wen-je might refocus, addressing the stagnant economic situation in Taiwan.”

While this does not mean that Ko is likely to win the presidential election – particularly given the unlikelihood of being able to join forces with the KMT – it does signal that the DPP, if they do win, will not do so on a strong wave of support.

Ngern said he thinks there’s “disappointment arising from the fact that Tsai [Ing-wen] was elected on her promise to the youths of improving livelihoods but has failed to do so … and Ko has been adept at positioning his campaign to reflect their concerns.”

“Eventually, the DPP cannot be using democracy and human rights as a rallying cry, without meaningfully enhancing the labor rights and livelihoods of Taiwan’s workers,” said Ngern.

Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.

The global water crisis poses a significant threat, endangering approximately US$58 trillion – roughly 60% of global GDP – in annual economic value, food security, and sustainability, an environmental group said in its inaugural assessment of the economic value of water and freshwater ecosystems.

Direct economic benefits, such as water consumption for households, irrigated agriculture and industries, amount to a minimum of $7.5 trillion annually, the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) said in its new report, “The High Cost of Cheap Water,” released Monday.

However, the unseen ecosystem benefits – which include water purification, sediment delivery, soil health enhancement, biodiversity conservation, carbon storage and the protection of communities from extreme floods and droughts – are seven times higher at around $50 trillion annually, WWF estimated.

That figure is equivalent to 60% of 2021 global GDP.

The groupIt said the continuous degradation of rivers, lakes, wetlands, and aquifers threatens their economic value and irreplaceable role in sustaining human and planetary health while jeopardizing climate resilience in the 21st century.

More than two-thirds of the world’s large rivers are no longer free-flowing, and one-third of wetlands have been lost since 1970, according to a 2021 report by the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands.

Freshwater wildlife populations have, on average, dropped by 83%. 

Consequently, half of the world’s population is currently exposed to water scarcity at least once per month, while 55 million people are affected by droughts annually, the United Nations has said.

“We need to remember that water doesn’t come from a tap – it comes from nature,” said Stuart Orr, WWF’s global freshwater lead. 

“Water for all depends on healthy freshwater ecosystems, which are also the foundation of food security, biodiversity hotspots and the best buffer and insurance against intensifying climate impacts.”

“Reversing the loss of freshwater ecosystems will pave the way to a more resilient, nature-positive and sustainable future for all.”

The WWF report said that agriculture is the dominant consumer of water resources, responsible for nearly 70% of global water extraction.

The Mekong Delta is sinking and shrinking

The Mekong Delta, one of the world’s largest and most fertile deltas in Vietnam, faces an existential threat from rampant sand mining and dam construction, WWF said in its report. 

Spanning 41,000 square kilometers (15,830 square miles), the Delta is a linchpin of Southeast Asia’s economy and international trade, contributing to almost one-quarter of global freshwater fish catches. 

Favored by nutrient-rich sediment deposits and regular river flooding, the region has become an agricultural powerhouse responsible for producing nearly half of Vietnam’s rice, accounting for 95% of its rice exports. 

Additionally, WWF said that the Mekong River, boasting the world’s second-highest fish biodiversity after the Amazon, contributes nearly a quarter of global freshwater fish catches.

However, the group said the degradation of freshwater ecosystems – often linked to over-extraction of water for agriculture – is increasing the pressure on irrigated agriculture in many areas.

It added that demand for sand, primarily for construction and landfills, has soared to hundreds of millions of tons annually.

“As a result, the Mekong Delta has been sinking and shrinking,” causing detrimental consequences for the communities that rely on it, global rice production, and biodiversity, WWF explained.

According to researchers, sand extraction exceeds natural sediment deposition, alters river dynamics, diminishes water quality, and increases erosion along riverbanks and coastlines.

The situation has worsened with the construction of 11 mainstream dams in the Mekong, which could prevent up to 94% of river sediment from reaching the Delta, WWF said, adding that such activities pose a dire threat to biodiversity and fisheries in the region.

Annually, over 600 hectares (1,482 acres) of riverside and coastal land vanish due to erosion, while 1,808 homes in the Delta were lost between 2018 and 2020.

Furthermore, the shrinking of the Delta exacerbates saltwater intrusion, disrupting ecological balances, freshwater supplies, and agricultural yields, jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions.

Climate change intensifies these problems, bringing erratic rainfall patterns, more frequent and severe storms, and rising sea levels.

The Mekong Delta’s economic and ecological importance makes these threats regional and global threats that demand immediate attention and action, WWF said. 

Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.

The United States and South Korea issued a veiled warning to China for repatriating North Korean escapees, pledging to collaborate in addressing the human rights situation in the country.

The vow came as South Korea’s Foreign Minister, Park Jin, met with the U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues, Julie Turner, in Seoul on Monday. During their meeting, the allies confirmed their commitment to enhancing the human rights situation in North Korea, particularly concerning China’s return of escapees to the North.

“The North Korean people are living in extremely dire conditions,” Park told Turner, adding that the Kim Jong Un regime is pursuing nuclear weapons at the expense of its citizens’ basic rights.

The foreign minister then indirectly criticized China for sending escapees back to the North. Recent media reports alleged that “hundreds of North Korean defectors detained in China have been forcibly repatriated to North Korea,” Park said. “Under no circumstance should North Korean defectors be forcibly repatriated against their will.”

“That is our government’s position. And we’ve made it clear to the Chinese side,” the foreign minister continued. “My government is engaging in vigorous diplomatic efforts to ensure that North Korean defectors are not forcibly repatriated to North Korea, but rather in accordance with humanitarian principles.”

“I look forward to a continuous robust engagement and to our active collaboration to bring about real change in the North Korean human rights situation.”

Park’s comments added weight to the announcement from South Korea’s Unification Ministry on Friday that it had lodged a protest against China regarding the suspected forced repatriation of numerous North Koreans. The escapees are viewed as a betrayal and a threat to the Kim Jong Un regime, and are often subjected to harsh punishments, including imprisonment, torture, and potentially capital punishment – according to testimonies of North Korean escapees. 

Human Rights Watch reported last week that Chinese authorities had forcibly returned over 500 North Koreans to the reclusive nation. The organization urged governments worldwide to condemn Beijing’s actions. Most of these North Koreans were civilians and religious figures who were arrested while attempting to travel to South Korea from China, Radio Free Asia has learned. 

Peter Jung, head of Seoul-based rights organization NGO Justice for North Korea, also told RFA that a large number of North Koreans had been repatriated through the North Korean-Chinese border, including children, and that the repatriations had taken place simultaneously in several areas.

Turner, who was sworn into office on Friday and began her inaugural three-day visit to Seoul Monday, vowed to work with South Korea in making a difference regarding this issue. 

“I am very much looking forward to working with you and others in the ROK government to further advance North Korea,” Turner said, referring to South Korea’s formal name. “The human rights situation in North Korea remains amongst the worst in the world.”

“The international community must come together to work to expose the regime’s human rights abuses and create concrete change to improve the lives of the North Koreans,” she added.

The U.S. and South Korean collaboration in gathering and disseminating information to provide an unfiltered view of the ground realities, may have the potential, albeit limited, to influence North Korea’s human rights situation. 

As two major international players with vested interests in the Korean Peninsula, their combined diplomatic and political weight could garner a broader international coalition to exert pressure on North Korea to change its practices.

“The nomination of a U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues, a post that has been empty for a while, conveys a significant message to the North Korean people,” said Ji Seong-ho, who defected from North Korea to South Korea, where he’s now a member of the national assembly.  “It’s a message that the allies will actively raise voices to protect basic rights of the ordinary North Koreans.” 

“It’s particularly crucial for both ROK and the U.S. to intervene and aid North Korean escapees in China, actively working to halt further forced repatriations,” Ji added. “We hope that such messages persistently resonate from Washington and the global community.”

Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn.

Two prisoners of conscience – Trinh Ba Phuong and Phan Van Hai – were beaten and had their feet shackled in a Vietnamese prison, the family of one of the inmates told Radio Free Asia.

The two were protesting against harsh treatment and human rights violations in Quang Nam province’s An Diem Prison.

Phuong is serving a 10-year term for “anti-state propaganda” under article 117 of the criminal code. Hai is serving a five-year sentence for the same offense.

Phuong told his sister Trinh Thi Thao about the harsh treatment during a visit on Oct. 12 and she shared the information with Radio Free Asia the following day.

“On Sept. 9, 2023, at Division 34, Phuong, Dung Truong [Truong Van Dung], Phan Cong Hai and Pham Van Diep staged a protest holding a banner ‘Down with Communists for violating human rights,’” Thao told RFA Vietnamese.

“ … suddenly Tran Thanh Viet, head of Camp No. 2, accompanied by more than 10 policemen, rushed in to take the banners of Phuong and others.

“ … the prison guards rushed into the protesting group, beat them, and then took them away for discipline.

“This group of policemen also strangled Phuong and pushed him against the wall, beating him and bruising his chest.

After that, an An Diem prison warden handcuffed Phuong and took him to the disciplinary area where he was shackled for 10 days.”

Phuong told his sister that Dung and Hai were also beaten.

The story was corroborated by Hoang Duc Nguyer, the younger brother of Hoang Duc Binh who is also being held in Division 34.

Binh told his brother he witnessed the protest and the prison warden’s response.

Phuong told his family that after his leg shackles were removed, he wrote a letter denouncing his beating and sent it to the Procuracy of Quang Nam province. He said he still hasn’t received a response.

Phuong, Dung and some other political prisoners also staged a protest on Sept. 2, demonstrating against China’s actions in the disputed South China Sea.

While the prison guards confiscated their banners there was no violence on that occasion and no one was disciplined, Phuong said.

RFA called the prison to ask about the claims but nobody answered. A reporter also called the Procuracy of Quang Nam province, but was told he needed to come to the agency to meet with officials in person.

Article 10 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments prohibits “torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment,” while Article 27 says prisoners have the right to “protected life, health and property, and respect for honor and dignity.”

In 2015, Vietnam also became a member of the U.N.’s Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan.