VIETNAM - CAMBODIA
Vietnamese police have arrested three people – including a Norwegian national and an Australian of Vietnamese origin – on charges of “terrorism”, during an operation which, according to a pro-democracy group, was carried out in Cambodia. The three men were identified by the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security late yesterday evening as Nguyen Duc Thuan, Ho Pham Hiep Huy and Thai Cong Truong Son. The three were arrested on 18 September whilst attempting to enter Vietnam illegally from Cambodia and are reported to have admitted to being members of Viet Tan, a US-based pro-democracy group which the communist government of Vietnam classifies as a terrorist organisation. According to the ministry’s statement, they were “illegally entering Vietnam to carry out terrorist and sabotage activities”.
IRAN – IRAQ – USA
Notwithstanding the flight ban that has effectively paralysed air traffic in Iran, US President Donald Trump’s administration appears intent on granting a (partial) exemption from the sanctions regime to allow flights used by Shia Muslim pilgrims. This will enable worshippers to travel from the Islamic Republic to the (only) holy city of Najaf, in Iraq, on flights operated by Iraqi Airways with the approval of the US Treasury Department for a period of one month. The possibility of a subsequent, more permanent authorisation has not been ruled out. Baghdad suspended flights to and from Iran on 25 September.
MYANMAR
The military government has arrested 21 people accused of transferring money to an online fundraising platform linked to the opposition-backed Government of National Unity (NUG). The authorities are reported to have identified over 2,700 people who provided financial support to the website “People’s Revolution Supply Family” (PRF), created by the NUG.
INDIA
The Supreme Court has called for those responsible to be held to account regarding a recent wave of rapes in the capital and neighbouring districts, stating that these incidents reflect a “failure of law enforcement”. Recently, hundreds of students demonstrated in Delhi calling for greater safety for women, after a teenage girl reported being gang-raped by three men in a park. In August, a 17-year-old girl was reportedly gang-raped on a bus by the driver and the conductor. The judges stated that public spaces – including parks and buses – must not become ‘high-risk’ areas due to a lack of lighting, surveillance or other basic facilities. Sexual violence is a serious problem throughout India: according to the National Crime Records Bureau, over 80 cases of rape are reported to the police every day.
JAPAN
Japan has convened, for the first time, a group of experts tasked with contributing to the development of national intelligence capabilities and counter-espionage measures; initiatives which, according to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, are essential for protecting the country from foreign threats. “Strengthening Japan’s intelligence capabilities is an urgent priority,” the Prime Minister stated at the conclusion of a closed-door meeting of the 17-member committee held yesterday. Takaichi cited growing geopolitical challenges as evidence of the need to reform the intelligence services, pointing to China and North Korea, which are bolstering their military capabilities; she also warned that “we are witnessing ever closer cooperation between China and Russia, as well as between Russia and North Korea”. The Japanese Prime Minister’s aim is to create a “Japanese CIA” by 2028 and to introduce an anti-espionage law to address certain security gaps compared with other nations of equal international standing.
THAILAND
The Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal challenging the legitimacy of the general election held on 8 February, ruling that the ballot papers used did not violate the secrecy of the vote. Nearly 38 million eligible voters went to the polls, resulting in a clear victory for Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party. The coalition government controls over 290 of the 500 parliamentary seats. The ruling averts the prospect of a snap election and has been welcomed by Anutin, whose party is seeking to win over public opinion amidst an ailing economy and – rejected – allegations of corruption and manipulation of the Senate selection process. The decision has been closely watched in a country where the Constitutional Court has been at the centre of two decades of political turmoil, with rulings that have led to the dissolution of parties, the annulment of two elections and the downfall of several governments.
RUSSIA
The Russian publishing house Individuum is to close its doors after 11 years in business. Its editor-in-chief, Aleksey Kiselev, announced the news, stating that “the books we have been working on over the past few months will certainly be published by other publishers: stay tuned for further updates in the trade press”. He did not give a reason for the closure, describing it as “sudden, but not unexpected”. The publishing house was founded in 2015, specialising mainly in contemporary non-fiction.
TAJIKISTAN
New regulations on medical testing for HIV have come into force. According to the decree, testing is now mandatory for employees of beauty salons, including beauticians, pedicurists, eyebrow specialists, facial and body cleansing practitioners and tattoo artists, as well as several other categories of citizens. These include HIV-positive individuals, minors, drug users, patients hospitalised during an epidemic, and those who have undergone surgery or received blood transfusions.
