MYANMAR
The military-backed government has removed or destroyed at least 15 statues of General Aung San, a national hero who led the struggle for independence from British rule in 1948 and is the father of the democratic leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate – currently under house arrest – Aung San Suu Kyi. Since former General Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as the new president in April, the removal of Aung San’s statues from public spaces has increased in Magway, Bago, Yangon, Ayeyarwady, Sagaing and Mandalay. According to the government, the statues are “disproportionate and incorrectly shaped” and are not “in accordance with the law”. The statues were erected across the country between 2015 and 2020 during the government led by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD). In a statement on 8 July, the NLD said it had participated in their construction in accordance with the will of the people and with contributions from individual citizens.
CHINA – JAPAN – TAIWAN
China has evacuated over 600,000 people today in anticipation of Typhoon Bavi’s arrival in Wenzhou, the country’s main eastern city. It had previously hit the Sakishima archipelago in southern Japan with heavy rain and violent winds, and had brushed past the northern part of Taiwan. Although it continues to slow down and weaken as it moves, the typhoon still poses a threat due to the moisture at its core and remains as large as the whole of France.
TURKEY
Six graves and a fountain within the Surp Garabet Armenian cemetery in Üsküdar, in the Istanbul metropolitan area, were damaged in an attack on 7 July. This was reported by the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, which stated that an as yet unidentified individual climbed over the boundary wall to enter the grounds and damage six graves. In a statement, the Patriarchate described the incident as “one that has deeply saddened our community” and said it had been immediately reported to the police.
THAILAND – GULF
The Thai labour court has accepted a petition filed yesterday by three Thai seafarers seeking compensation following a deadly attack on their cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz in March, during the Israeli-US war against Iran. The petition, seen by Reuters, seeks damages of at least one million baht ($30,000) for each seafarer from companies and agencies linked to the ship’s owner, Precious Shipping (PSL.BK). Three crew members died in the 11 March attack on the Thai cargo ship; three survivors say they are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and that the compensation paid so far is insufficient.
INDIA
Police said yesterday they had arrested dozens of people for violence and vandalism during this week’s protests over the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in the town of Baruipur, in the state of West Bengal, about 30 km from Kolkata. An innocent person had been lynched by the angry mob. Protesters had been blocking roads and setting vehicles alight since the girl’s body was found in a pond on 5 July, a day after she went missing. Police also shot one of the four men who had been arrested for the girl’s rape and murder. The suspect, Prabhas Mondal, was shot in the early hours of 8 July whilst attempting to flee the crime scene, to which he had been taken as part of the investigation.
SOUTH KOREA – USA
China’s growing restrictions on rare-earth exports have strengthened the existing mineral alliance between Washington and Seoul, a partnership worth billions of dollars. Rare earths are used in a wide range of products, but are essential for defence applications ranging from fighter jets to missiles. Those sourced from China account for around 90 per cent of the market and are prized because they retain their magnetic properties even at high temperatures. To counter Beijing’s dominance, the United States is doubling its domestic mining output, collaborating with Korean companies such as LS, Posco and Korea Zinc to draw on their expertise in refining, materials and magnet manufacturing.
RUSSIA
The Moscow Duma has approved a package of laws tightening the rules on the residence in Russia of migrant workers and their children. The amendments stipulate that the children of foreign nationals working on a work permit must leave Russia upon reaching the age of 18, or obtain a work permit within 30 days. Each migrant will also be required to pay a fixed personal income tax for themselves and for each dependent child; if their income falls below the subsistence level for themselves and their family members, their permit will be revoked.
KYRGYZSTAN
Operations to remove debris from the Alamedin River have begun, as announced by the regional office of the Environmental and Technical Supervision Service of the Ministry of Natural Resources in Bishkek. Photos had appeared on social media showing the river literally inundated with plastic bottles, packaging, polystyrene and other household waste. The debris was cleared jointly by representatives of the various institutions involved, with the participation of many volunteer members of the public.
