epubdos : Afghanistan
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO:
SCA & Staff
DATE:
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 6:30 AM ET

Afghanistan
Taliban Returns Its ‘Eye For An Eye’ Justice To Afghanistan (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [3/5/2024 4:14 PM, Abubakar Siddique, 235K, Negative]
With the recent execution of three convicted murderers in separate incidents, the Taliban has sent a very public message that its infamous "eye for an eye" approach to justice has been restored in Afghanistan.

"Qisas," or retributive Islamic punishments that can include killings at the hands of victims’ families, were a trademark of the Taliban’s first stint in power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

After a nearly 20-year reprieve under new governance, the hard-line Islamist group has vowed since its takeover in 2021 to revive the practice in its push to reimpose its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

The public shootings of the three men in the past two weeks show the Taliban was issuing promises, not threats.

In a throwback to the executions carried out in stadiums under the previous Taliban regime, all three were executed by heirs of their victims in front of spectators.

On February 22, Syed Jamaluddin and Gul Khan were shot dead inside a soccer stadium in the southeastern province of Ghazni. "One was shot eight times while the other received six bullets," an eyewitness who requested anonymity told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.

Days later, on February 26, an unidentified man shot Nazar Mohammad inside a sports stadium in the northern province of Jawzjan. The shooter was avenging the death of his brother, Khal Mohammad, two years ago.

Such "eye for an eye" forms of justice, which include qisas as well as corporal "hudood" punishments such as amputations for lesser crimes, are carried out for crimes and offenses considered to violate God’s boundaries.

The recent executions are not the first since the Taliban returned to power.

In December 2022, just a month after Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada ordered the return of Islamic punishments, a convicted murderer was shot dead by his victim’s father in front of hundreds of onlookers in the western Farah Province.

Last June, a man convicted of killing five people was executed in the eastern Laghman Province, according to the Taliban, which did not say how the sentence was carried out.

Since Akhundzada’s order, the Taliban has also flogged, stoned, or amputated the body parts of hundreds of people for crimes such as theft and adultery.

The executions and punishments have been condemned by Afghans and abroad, and experts have questioned their validity under Islamic law and say they are mainly intended to incite fear.

Islamic Shari’a law can only be implemented as part of an overarching governing framework under a legitimate government accountable to the people, according to Afghan Islamic scholars.

"Judges who rule on such punishments must be famous for their fairness and in-depth knowledge," said professor Fazluminullah Mumtaz, an expert in Islamic jurisprudence. He added that judges "are obliged to have a thorough understanding of the jurisprudential and Shari’a aspects of the sentence and its execution."

That is not the case under the Taliban, which has gutted the Afghan judiciary and whose government is not recognized by any country.

The hard-line Islamist group has scrapped or suspended all laws implemented by the previous government, which constitutionally allowed for Islamic law while also adhering to international legal and rights norms.

And since taking over in 2021, the Taliban has fired thousands of judges, public prosecutors, and lawyers and replaced them with loyalists, most of whom are clerics.

"The Taliban government does not even have relative legitimacy and it operates in a legal vacuum," Subhanullah Misbah, an Afghan legal expert, told Radio Azadi.

The Taliban has effectively recreated its "Islamic emirate" of the 1990s, under which such punishments became a hallmark of its brutal take on Islamic law.

The group’s insistence on pursuing its vision of Shari’a is widely seen as one of the reasons the Taliban has strongly resisted demands by Afghans and the international community that it allow the establishment of an inclusive government.

Its refusal to bend, despite initial promises to adhere to international law, has given the Taliban a monopoly on power but has also increased its isolation globally and fomented domestic political and economic crises.

All this, Misbah says, means the Taliban has failed to gain the qualifications required to determine the course of Islamic law. "No one in Afghanistan will oppose the implementation of Shari’a, but the Taliban first must meet the prerequisites for implementing such laws," he said. "Implementing capital punishments now will only spread fear in society."

Under the previous government, capital punishment was allowed in compliance with international law, and death sentences -- mostly by hanging -- were carried out in prisons.

But the return of public executions have alarmed the United Nations and global rights watchdogs. "Public executions are a form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, or punishment," said Jeremy Laurence, a spokesman for the UN Office for the High Commissioner on Human Rights.

In a February 28 statement, he pointed out that such execution was arbitrary and "contrary to the right to life protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Afghanistan is a state party."

Amnesty International has called an immediate halt to such executions. "Carrying out executions in public adds to the inherent cruelty of the death penalty," said Livia Saccardi, Amnesty International’s deputy director for South Asia. "And can only have a dehumanizing effect on the victim and a brutalizing effect on those who witness the executions."

Some rights campaigners oppose the death penalty globally and frequently oppose its implementation, including in Muslim countries where it is rooted in or inspired by Shari’a. Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite Iran are among the world’s leading executioners. All executions, including qisas, in these countries are justified according to their interpretation of Islamic law.

Graeme Smith, a senior Afghanistan analyst at the International Crisis Group, says that the Taliban’s approach to justice did gain some legitimacy among Afghans, particularly in rural areas in the south and east of the country, when the group was fighting against the pro-Western government from 2002 to 2021.

Smith says this was because some Afghans -- frustrated by the rampant corruption in the Kabul-run court system -- preferred to take their cases before the insurgents. "Human rights organizations will rightly condemn these executions," he said. "However, it’s worth remembering the recent history in Afghanistan, where many executions happened secretly."

After a communist coup in April 1978 toppled a republican government, Afghanistan witnessed large numbers of extrajudicial killings under communist, Islamist, and pro-Western governments.

"Many aspects of that violent legacy are still to be uncovered as journalists and other investigators gain access to former battlefields," Smith said.
Pakistan
Pakistan’s Bhutto, hanged 44 years ago, didn’t get a fair trial, rules top court (Reuters)
Reuters [3/6/2024 4:44 AM, Asif Shahzad, 1141K, Neutral]
Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was hanged 44 year ago after being convicted of murder, didn’t get a fair trial.

Bhutto, the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) now run by his grandson and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, was hanged in 1979 after a trial under the military regime of late General Zia-ul-Haq.

"We didn’t find that the fair trial and due process requirements were met," said Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa in remarks telecast live of the ruling that he said was a unanimous decision by a nine-member bench headed by him.

The ruling came in response to a judicial reference filed by Bhutto Zardari’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during his tenure as president in 2011. It sought an opinion by the top court on revisiting the death sentence awarded to the PPP founder.

"Our family waited 3 generations to hear these words," Bhutto Zardari said later in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The court will issue a detailed order later.

"It is an admission of colossal miscarriage of justice under Zia’s martial law regime," said Yousuf Nazar, London-based political commentator and a close aide of the late prime minister.

Rights groups say Haq’s 11 years of dictatorship were marked by an assault on democracy, persecution and jailing of PPP workers and public flogging of opponents and critics.

Nazar said the regime also pushed the conservative Muslim nation into extremism and militancy by propping up and backing militant groups to fight a U.S. proxy war against the then Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

"It led to an unprecedented level of support for and patronage of religious extremists at the state level," he said.
Long wait for families of PTI leaders jailed over 2023 protests in Pakistan (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [3/5/2024 7:00 AM, Staff, 2060K, Negative]
A court in Pakistan is set to hear the bail petition of Aliya Hamza Malik, a former parliamentarian who has been in jail for nearly 10 months for protesting against the arrest of her Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Nationwide street protests had erupted in Pakistan after Khan was briefly arrested over corruption charges on May 9 last year, days after he lost a confidence vote in parliament.

Khan’s supporters, furious with his sacking, which they alleged was orchestrated by his political rivals and the powerful military, stormed government buildings and military installations on May 9 to protest against his arrest.

The deadly demonstrations had killed at least 12 people and led to the arrest of hundreds of PTI leaders and supporters, some of them still in custody.

Malik, 46, was accused of setting fire to a police station in the eastern city of Lahore, the country’s second largest, during the protest. She was also charged with attacking the residence of a military commander, called Jinnah House, in the same city.

Malik denied both accusations. In January, she was able to secure bail in the Jinnah House case.

The bail hearing scheduled in the Lahore High Court on Wednesday on the case related to the attack on the police station will be the fifth since her arrest.

“One time the prosecutor was on holiday. In the past three hearings, the investigator said he did not bring the evidentiary record. Once the judge was on leave,” her husband Hamza told Al Jazeera.

“We hope this time she can finally be released and come home to be reunited with her family.”

They ‘abducted her’

Malik’s ordeal began on the evening of May 10, 2023, a day after the protests as the government launched an unprecedented crackdown on PTI, the main opposition party.

She was home with her family in Lahore when she heard a sudden and persistent pounding on her front door.

Moments later, nearly a dozen police officers, some in plain clothes, broke the door and barged in, waving guns and sticks. For the next 10 minutes, the all-male contingent ransacked the home, shattering the mirrors and breaking cabinets and TV sets.

Their phones, laptops and even air pods were seized, with the raid ending with Malik’s arrest, Hamza said, all without an arrest or search warrant.

“They basically abducted her, with guns pointed at our three teenage daughters and my mother,” he said, adding that no male member of the family was present at the time.

“If this can happen to a high-profile ex-parliamentarian, then imagine what a common man with little resources must be going through.”

On the same day, Ejaz Chaudhry, another PTI leader and serving member of Pakistan’s Senate, the upper house of parliament, was also arrested for allegedly inciting violence through a series of posts on his X, formerly Twitter, account.

Though a court in capital Islamabad dismissed the charges and ordered his release, the 67-year-old politician was rearrested at the court and transferred to a Lahore prison where he remains in custody in nearly a dozen cases, including the attack on Jinnah House.

Like Malik, he also denies the accusations.

Chaudhry’s son, who did not want to reveal his name for fear of reprisals, told Al Jazeera his father was accused of committing multiple offences within minutes of each other in separate cities.

“That is just humanly impossible. It just shows how ridiculous these cases are,” he said.

The son said proceedings in only two of Chaudhry’s cases have commenced so far, both conducted internally within the jail, circumstances he described as “lacking all transparency”.

“No media is present to cover the trial. We have little idea what goes on except from what we hear from our lawyers and my mother,” he said, adding that only one family member is allowed to attend the trial.

Moreover, the families say no evidence related to the attack on Jinnah House has been presented in the court in 10 months.

“The Lahore Cantonment is a highly monitored area. No CCTV camera footage showing who entered or who instigated [the violence] has been shown so far,” Chaudhry’s son said.

‘Crossed all lines’

Lawyer Khadija Siddiqi said the authorities “crossed all the lines” in their pursuit to arrest the alleged perpetrators of the May 9 riots.

“The mass arrests instilled so much fear barely anyone was willing to talk about it,” Siddiqi, who has represented several people jailed in connection to the attacks, told Al Jazeera.

The Lahore-based lawyer said one of her clients, a gardener, was detained when he happened to be in the cantonment area where he worked in the houses of military officers. Days later, he was picked up by the police while taking his eight-year-old daughter to a hospital for dialysis, and sent to jail.

Siddiqi said the events of May 9 were used by the government to “banish the PTI from Pakistan’s political landscape” ahead of the crucial general election held last month.

“By arresting its leaders and supporters, the state wanted to demotivate people from supporting the party. They wanted to demolish it in its entirety,” she said.

The crackdown on the PTI that started in May continued for months, culminating in the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Khan in August. In subsequent months, Khan was convicted in at least three cases, including leaking of state secrets, corruption and even an “unlawfully held” wedding.

Khan insists he is innocent and accuses the military of targeting him to keep him out of politics. The military denies the allegation.

Controversial election

Meanwhile, Khan’s PTI was stripped of its election symbol earlier this year for allegedly violating electoral laws, forcing its candidates to contest the February 8 election as independents. The chaotic vote saw large-scale allegations of rigging and an unusual delay in the announcement of results.

The PTI-backed candidates, however, emerged from the crisis as the largest bloc in the parliament, winning 93 seats in the 336-member National Assembly, 266 of which are directly elected. The other 70 seats are reserved for women and religious minorities and are assigned to parties based on their performance in the polls.

The hung verdict saw Khan’s archrival and three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) again forming an alliance with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), with Sharif’s younger brother Shehbaz Sharif elected prime minister for a second term.

The PTI says the vote was rigged by the “establishment”, a euphemism for the military, to help the Sharifs return to power, and has demanded a judicial inquiry into the events of May 9.

Malik also contested the recent election from behind bars against Shehbaz’s son Hamza. She received more than 100,000 votes, losing by a margin of 5,000 votes to her PMLN rival. Her family and PTI have also accused the election authorities of vote tampering and plan to challenge the results in court, insisting Malik actually beat Hamza.

For the last 10 months, however, accepting the harsh realities of prison life and its effect on their loved ones have been tough for the families of the jailed Malik and Chaudhry.

Chaudhry’s son says his father was forced to sleep on a thin foam mattress for six months despite having diabetes and heart disease. He said his father required a specific diet recommended by his doctors, a provision that was denied for months and only granted when he was briefly hospitalised.

Moreover, the harsh winter only added to Chaudhry’s woes in prison, his son said. With no central heating, his request for a heater in his cell was rejected, with the prison authorities dismissing his concerns by simply telling his father to “wear warmer clothes”.

Similarly, Malik’s husband Hamza said she has lost 7kg (15.4 pounds) in jail and was once rushed to a hospital after she complained of heart palpitations.

Hamza said his daughters had started sleeping in their parents’ room for some time, fearing more unannounced visits from the authorities. “The girls miss her very much,” he said.

“Despite her professional obligations, she was involved in every part of their lives. She would find time to help them with their school work, make sure they were eating right, and that their health was good.”

A recovering cancer patient, Hamza said the attention on his wife’s legal cases has left him with little time for anything else. He owns a kitchen equipment and utensils company in Lahore.

“I have a business to run, which is being affected as I am not able to give it my full concentration. I am running around everywhere, from the jail to the courts, or meeting lawyers late at night,” he said. “I have been suffering a lot.”

‘Can’t bend people’s minds’

Chaudhry’s family had similar grievances, and then some more.

When the authorities could not find Chaudhry on May 9, his whereabouts unknown, they detained members of his extended family, including his brother-in-law and a nephew.

Their rented home was also raided and ransacked, said his son. When they vacated the place, they lost their security deposit and had to pay for damage worth millions of rupees.

In the crackdown that followed the May 9 riots, several jailed PTI leaders announced they were parting ways with Khan, or even quitting politics altogether. Analysts said some of the exits appeared to be forced and likely orchestrated by the military.

However, Malik and Chaudhry remained with the PTI.

Chaudhry’s son said when his mother first met his father in jail, the senator told her not to ask him to “surrender”. “He knew these were politically motivated charges. They can never be proven in court,” he said.

Hamza recalled a similar situation. “She got several offers to quit the party,” he told Al Jazeera. “They said she could be out of jail the next day, but she outright refused.”

When asked who he thought had made the offers, he replied: “It doesn’t make a difference if I say who it was or wasn’t. Everyone knows.”

Analyst Imtiaz Gul said the PTI’s strong showing in the polls was the “result of a combination of thumping support for Imran Khan and the rejection of the civil-military status quo”.

“The continued incarceration of the PTI leaders underlines the resolve of the authorities to turn them into examples for deterring others from being so outspoken,” he told Al Jazeera.

“That the people spoke through the election demonstrated that coercive measures could work for the time being but cannot bend people’s minds.”
Chief of Pakistan’s largest bank likely to be included in new finance team, sources say (Reuters)
Reuters [3/5/2024 11:45 AM, Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam and Asif Shahzad, 11975K, Neutral]
The chief executive officer of Pakistan’s largest bank, HBL, is likely to be tapped for a top position in the finance team of newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, two sources told Reuters, ahead of talks with the IMF for a fresh bailout deal.

Pakistan urgently needs a fresh IMF agreement to shore up its struggling $350 billion economy which is suffering from high inflation, low reserve and high external financing needs.

Muhammad Aurangzeb, currently the CEO of HBL, is likely to be appointed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Finance, two sources said - one in the finance ministry and the other with direct knowledge of discussions.

A final decision is yet to be taken. Sharif has to pick a cabinet after being sworn in on Monday - most importantly a finance team, with Pakistan’s current $3 billion, nine-month IMF programme expiring next month.

Spokespeople for Sharif’s party and HBL did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Local broadcaster Geo News also reported that Aurganzeb would get the post of finance minister, citing sources close to the prime minister, but the banker does not have a seat in parliament which is required by law to become a full minister.

It was not immediately clear if Aurangzeb, even as special assistant, would be the de facto finance tsar with Sharif or someone else holding the additional portfolio of finance minister.

Aurangzeb had also served as the CEO of JP Morgan’s Global Corporate Bank based in Asia, and has extensive experience working with global markets.

Besides the IMF deal, Pakistan also needs to attract foreign investment to bring in funds to shore up its low reserves, which are critical to meeting a large external financing needs, as well as kick starting its flagging economy.

After taking the oath, Sharif immediately met finance officials and advisers, directing them to open talks with the IMF for an Extended Fund Facility - a long tenure package which analysts say is mandatory to save the country from default.

Aurangzeb was a part of that meeting, a video of the gathering shared with journalists by the government’s information team showed.
India
India Cautious on Contracted Russian Oil as US Sanctions Bite (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [3/5/2024 11:33 PM, Rakesh Sharma, 5.5M, Neutral]
India’s state-run oil refiners are shying away from contracted Russian crude supply as the once-booming trade becomes much harder under tighter enforcement of US sanctions.

The biggest state-owned refiner Indian Oil Corp. will likely reduce the amount of crude received under so-called term supply, while Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. have decided against making firm commitments to take contracted oil next financial year, six people familiar with the matter said, asking not to identified because the information is private.

The three refiners had been in talks with Russia’s Rosneft PJSC to secure about 500,000 barrels a day — equivalent to a third of India’s daily imports — to try and reduce reliance on one-off purchases that can often be more expensive. The lukewarm response to a suggested contract clause that would address supply disruptions added to the caution from Indian refiners, the people said.

Indian Oil has an existing long-term deal with Rosneft, but contracted supply would have been a first for HPCL and BPCL.

Russia is still the biggest supplier to India, but there are signs refiners are buying more from other producers, including Saudi Arabia. The state-owned companies are also seeking contracted crude from the Middle East and West Africa, but the deals are likely to be more expensive than Russian oil, the people said.

State refiners are expected to meet 40% of their crude needs in the financial year starting April 1 through one-off purchases, or spot deals, meaning big volumes of oil from Russia could still flow to India, four of the people said.

Last year, Indian Oil entered into a series of deals with Rosneft, Sakhalin-1 LLC and Gazprom Neft PJSC to take 24.5 million tons, or 492,000 barrels a day, for the year ending March 31, two of the people said. That compares with a pre-war contract with Rosneft in 2021 to take 2 million tons over a year.
India rejects UN concerns over fair participation in upcoming election (The Independent)
The Independent [3/5/2024 6:54 AM, Alisha Rahaman Sarkar, 3055K, Neutral]
India has dismissed concerns raised by a top UN official over its electoral process as "unwarranted" ahead of the upcoming general elections.

At least 960 million people in India would vote this summer in the world’s largest electoral process to select a new prime minister and members of the lower house of the parliament.

Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, on Monday voiced concern over increasing restrictions on civic spaces in India and the need for a fair election.

"I am, however, concerned by increasing restrictions on the civic space – with human rights defenders, journalists and perceived critics targeted – as well as by hate speech and discrimination against minorities, especially Muslims," he said, while presenting the global update to the council.

Mr Turk added: "It is particularly important in a pre-electoral context to ensure an open space that respects the meaningful participation of everyone."

India’s permanent representative Arindam Bagchi said his concerns do not reflect the reality of the world’s largest democracy.

"In any democracy, argumentation is natural. It is imperative that those in positions of authority do not allow their judgment to be clouded by propaganda," Mr Bagchi said.

"We have no doubt that as in numerous occasions in the past, the Indian people will freely exercise their vote to choose a government that they believe can best give voice and flight to their aspirations," he added.

Mr Turk in his statement welcomed India’s supreme court decision to strike down a seven-year-old electoral funding scheme that allows individuals and companies to anonymously donate funds to political parties.

He said the order upheld the "right to information and transparency".

The move was seen as a setback for prime minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been the largest beneficiary of the system it introduced in 2017.

The five-judge bench led by chief justice, DY Chandrachud, found the electoral bonds scheme to be in violation of a person’s right to information and free speech.

From 2018 to 2023, anonymous donors gave more than £1.5bn to political parties through these bonds, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms, an election watchdog.

It said between 2018 and March 2022 nearly 57 per cent of these donations went to the BJP, while the opposition Indian National Congress party received only 10 per cent.

The apex court had ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) to stop issuing the bonds and provide details of donations made through the bonds. India’s poll body was directed to publish the information by 13 March on its website.

However, the bank has requested the court to extend the deadline till 30 June, which appears to be much after the conclusion of the general elections.

The bank claimed to have issued 22,217 bonds to various political parties between April 2019 and 15 February this year, Live Law reported.

Congress party leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused the Modi administration of "using the largest bank of our country as a shield to hide its dubious dealings" through the bonds.

"The tenure of this Lok Sabha will end on 16th June and SBI wants to share the data by 30th June," he raise, crying foulplay.

"Now a desperate Modi Govt, clutching on straws, is trying to use SBI to bulldoze the Supreme Court’s judgment," Mr Kharge added.
India’s top diplomat points to ‘new phase’ in Japan defense ties (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [3/5/2024 3:17 PM, Kiran Sharma, Satoshi Iwaki, and Nupur Shaw, 293K, Positive]
Defense ties can be an "important element" of India’s relations with Japan and should focus on collaborative procurement in the South Asian nation, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told Nikkei in an exclusive interview ahead of a three-day visit to Tokyo.

"Where defense is concerned, we expect partners to be competitive," Jaishankar said at his office in New Delhi. "Also, the emphasis has now shifted to procuring from ‘Make in India’ ventures. Japanese companies should explore more collaboration. We are poised to enter a new phase of our ties and it is in our mutual interest that this focuses on contemporary opportunities."

Jaishankar’s visit to Japan starts Wednesday and comes as the two countries work to build on closer ties, forged between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and late former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe. Current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Modi made reciprocal visits to each other’s countries last year, pushing cooperation on Indo-Pacific security, infrastructure development and support for the emerging economies of the so-called Global South.

The interview was held as Indian and Japanese forces were conducting the fifth edition of joint military exercises called Dharma Guardian in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan.

Apart from the prospects for joint defense production, Jaishankar said that during his visit he would highlight the "enormous potential" of cooperation on new and critical technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, renewables, electric mobility and more. India last week approved its first semiconductor fabrication plant and two assembly units to be developed jointly by local conglomerates and companies from Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.

The minister also discussed a range of other themes, such as relations with the new government in nuclear arch-rival Pakistan, and whether India and China -- the most and second-most populous nations -- are reshaping the global order.

Jaishankar agreed that India and China are key players in a global power shift, and acknowledged a Goldman Sachs projection that by 2075 they will be the only two economies worth more than $50 trillion. "But to be accurate," he stressed, "there are others [shaping global change] as well, including the Gulf, ASEAN, Latin America and Africa."

India, he added, "has never been closed to the world or seen itself as apart, and its tradition has been one of continuous and intensive interactions."

"There is also a strong element of fairness and equity in India’s approach to international affairs. India tends to be naturally consultative, collaborative and transparent. These are all attributes which will benefit the changing world," he said.

Even so, India is at odds with several neighbors. Asked about three of these awkward relationships -- with China, Pakistan and the Maldives -- he insisted that they are "naturally not comparable."

"With China, the main issue is to ensure continued adherence to past commitments, maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas and arriving at a sustainable equilibrium," he said. India and China have been locked in a lingering standoff in the Ladakh region along their Himalayan border since their forces engaged in deadly hand-to-hand combat in 2020.

On Pakistan, where Shehbaz Sharif was elected prime minister for the second time on Sunday, Jaishankar described India’s approach as "wait and see."

For decades, India and Pakistan have been unable to overcome disputes over the territory of Kashmir and the issue of terrorism, regularly accusing each other of being behind militant threats. Sharif’s camp, led by his brother and three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has repeatedly signaled that it wants better ties with Pakistan’s neighbors.

Jaishankar stressed, "With Pakistan, it is to end cross-border terrorism emanating from that country [that is] so necessary for the future of the relationship."

"Every country normally wants good relations with its neighbors, we also want good relations with our neighbors," the diplomat said. "But we want our neighbor to behave how a good neighbor would behave. What does a good neighbor do? A good neighbor has trade, cultural exchanges, a good political relationship. A good neighbor doesn’t do terrorism. To me, the terrorism issue is a very obvious issue."

On the Maldives, which recently elected a pro-China government, Jaishankar said India wishes to continue a wide-ranging partnership focused on development and public needs. "This is effectively pursued through being sensitive to each other’s interests. Where the Indian Ocean is concerned, it is best served by stronger cooperation among its constituent states."

Elsewhere, India’s positive relations with two bitter geopolitical enemies -- the U.S. and Russia -- have stirred much debate and discussion. Jaishankar called New Delhi’s ties with Washington "a force of stability" in the Indo-Pacific region, while praising "exceptionally steady" relations with Moscow. On Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, roundly criticized by Western allies but not explicitly condemned by the Modi government, the external affairs minister said India "will not hesitate to contribute to efforts toward dialogue and peace."

While Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden have made a show of strengthening their ties, one bone of contention is the Khalistan movement under which Sikh separatists -- mostly settled overseas -- call for an independent homeland in the northern Indian state of Punjab.

The issue hit headlines last September when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced "credible" allegations linking Indian agents to the June murder of a Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a Vancouver suburb. India called the accusation "absurd." Two months later, U.S. authorities said they thwarted an alleged conspiracy to assassinate another Sikh separatist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, on American soil -- and reportedly issued a warning to India over concerns that the government could have been involved in the plot.

Jaishankar, who has repeatedly defended India on the issue, told Nikkei that "terrorist, extremist and separatist forces should not be given political or operational space in any country."

"This should be a matter of principle, not just restricted to a particular case," he said. "That responsibility is even more so where democratic nations are concerned. As we have seen in the past, utilizing or co-habiting with such elements comes back to bite the sponsors. We should never nurse the illusion that terrorism is just the problem of other people. I can only hope that the right lessons are drawn by the right people."

India is headed for a general election due in April and May, with Modi seeking a third straight five-year term. But the polls have focused attention on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindu nationalism and what some critics say is a lack of tolerance for diversity. Modi’s inauguration of the massive Ram temple in Ayodhya in January was widely seen as a brazen appeal to the BJP’s Hindu base.

"Such views are based on either superficial understanding of India or motivated politics," Jaishankar insisted. "We are a deeply pluralistic society and our inherent unity is the basis for that pluralism. Quite frankly, India is far more appreciative of diversity than any other country that I have seen."
India seeks return of citizens from Russian front line in Ukraine (Financial Times)
Financial Times [3/5/2024 7:00 AM, John Reed, Jyotsna Singh and Polina Ivanova, 1.9M, Neutral]
India is working to bring back about 20 of its citizens who ended up on the Russian side of the front line in Ukraine after their families said they were lured there under false pretences.

The men’s plight has made national headlines in India, discomfiting a government that has good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin but says it has “strongly taken up” the issue of the men unwittingly conscripted into Moscow’s army.

“We have got some of them out and are working on getting the rest out now,” the ministry of external affairs told the Financial Times.

In a statement last week, the ministry said it was “actively pursuing” all the relevant cases involving Indian nationals for an early discharge from the Russian army.

In interviews, relatives of some of the men said they had been lured to Russia by promises of work with the army away from the war’s front line and of permanent residence in Russia on the borders of the EU, which is a coveted destination for job-seeking Indians.

In September, a social media influencer started posting about jobs in Russia on his Hindi-language YouTube channel Baba’s Vlogs. In one video, he posted about demand for food delivery boys in Russia; in another, he spoke about jobs for “helpers” for the Russian army.

Strolling on the streets of St Petersburg, the YouTuber spoke about the wonderful climate in Russia, the prospects of a Rs100,000 ($1,206) a month job with the Russian army, and free food and accommodation after three months of training.

Mohammed Imran, from Hyderabad in south India, said his 30-year-old brother Mohammed Asfan “got trapped” after watching a Baba’s Vlogs video that claimed he would be able to work for the Russian army in Moscow and become eligible for permanent Russian residency in less than a year.

The missing man’s brother said he planned to travel to Russia this week to search for him. “The boy became trapped,” said Imran. He said his brother reached Moscow in November and was given an agreement to sign in Russian, then taken to the front line in Ukraine in December, after which he lost track of him.

Imran said that in January, one of his brother’s colleagues who was also working for the army told him that Asfan had been injured by bullets in the leg.

Separately, a group of young men from India’s northern Punjab and Haryana states who went to Russia around the new year sent a video to relatives on Sunday appealing to authorities for urgent help. In the video, one of the men claimed they were misled by a man who offered to show them around and that they ended up in Belarus, where they were “handed to the Russian army” for entering the country without a visa.

“They are about to send us to the front line, please help us return to India urgently,” one of the men, Gurpreet Singh, told his cousin Balraj Singh Sandhu, who spoke to the FT.

“The government of India has good relations with Russia and we are very hopeful that they will do whatever they can,” he said. “But we want the boys to be evacuated out of there quickly.”

The prospect of foreign mercenaries for Russia’s army was first raised shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine when the Russian defence ministry claimed about 16,000 Syrians would join Russia in the fight.

This did not materialise, but groups of individuals from several developing countries have been spotted in the Russian ranks, according to the Conflict Intelligence Team, an independent group that closely monitors Russian military recruitment.

Most are enticed to Russia by local recruiters who promise salaries equal to what Russian contract soldiers earn, or about $2,000 a month, CIT estimated. This figure is substantial compared with the average wages in countries such as Cuba and Nepal from where foreign recruits have hailed, though CIT questioned how much was actually paid out.

The total number of foreign recruits is not large, however. “It may be a few thousand from all countries. It doesn’t hugely affect the size of the Russian fighting force,” CIT said.

Using funeral announcements and social media posts, journalists and volunteers tracking Russian casualties have counted just over 250 foreign nationals killed fighting in Ukraine with Russian forces as of December 2023.

They included citizens of Nepal, Iraq and Zambia, but the vast majority came from countries of the former Soviet bloc.

For comparison, about 100 to 200 Russian soldiers are killed per day, according to CIT, across the entire front line.

Many people from central Asia travel to Russia as migrant workers, and a scattering of reports have appeared of men from these countries being coerced into signing contracts with the Russian army.

Russia has also sought to entice foreigners to join its military by offering a simplified path to citizenship for anyone who signs a one-year contract with the army — a law introduced in September 2022, six months into the full-scale Ukraine war.
India cautions nationals in Israel to move to safety (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [3/5/2024 7:07 AM, Staff, 2060K, Negative]
India’s embassy in Israel has advised its nationals in Israeli border areas to move to safer parts after a missile attack near the frontier with Lebanon killed one Indian citizen.

The warning, issued on the embassy’s X account on Tuesday, advertised helplines offering further advice to citizens. Thousands of Indian workers have been hired to replace Palestinians blocked from entering Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

The advisory specified that the embassy was in touch with the Israeli authorities “to ensure the safety of all our nationals” following the death on Monday.

The Indian’s death was confirmed in a statement issued on X by Israel’s embassy in New Delhi.

The attack, which the embassy claimed was carried out by Hezbollah, struck workers cultivating an orchard in the Israeli village of Margaliot. Two other Indians were reportedly injured, along with at least five other foreign workers.

The Indian Express newspaper identified the dead victim as a 31-year-old from the town of Kaikulangara in the southern Indian state of Kerala. He had reportedly moved to Israel two months ago to work on a farm in Margaliot.

Israeli construction companies have reportedly requested that the government in Tel Aviv allow them to hire up to 100,000 Indian workers to replace Palestinians whose work licences were suspended after the Gaza offensive began in October.

Al Jazeera reported in January that Indians have been queueing up to apply for tens of thousands of jobs advertised.

The apparent success of the recruitment drive has given the lie to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims that India is becoming a global economic powerhouse on the back of booming gross domestic product (GDP).

Modi established warm relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he began his premiership in 2014 in the now world’s most populous country.

The Hindu nationalist government has stood staunchly behind Israel amid its war on Gaza, overturning decades of support for the Palestinian cause.

The conflict has become a lightning rod for sectarianism in India, with right-wing social media accounts driving local anti-Muslim sentiment and spreading fake news far beyond its borders.
Farmers’ protest: March to restart amid tight security at Delhi’s borders (BBC)
BBC [3/5/2024 10:22 PM, Staff, 14192K, Neutral]
Thousands of Indian farmers are trying to march once again to the capital Delhi to demand minimum price guarantees for their crops.

The farmers had suspended their strike at the end of February after a young farmer died during the protest.

To prevent the march, Delhi’s borders are heavily barricaded and police have been deployed.

Farmers’ protests have restarted even as India is just months away from holding general elections.

Farmers are an important voting bloc in the country and analysts say the federal government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not want to antagonise them so close to the polls.

When the farmers’ protests first started in the beginning of February, the government had held talks with unions to stop them from marching to Delhi from the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Talks with the government broke down at least three times after the authorities could not meet all of their demands.

Apart from assured pricing, the farmers have also demanded pensions for the elderly and asked the government to waive their debts.

The protesters have said the government should double the number of work days under rural employment guarantee scheme from 100 to 200. The farmers also want India to withdraw from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and scrap all free trade agreements.

On Wednesday, as per the call given by two farmers’ unions, farmers from across the country will try to converge in Delhi using public transport including metros and buses. The farmers have also given a call for "rail roko" - trains to be stopped - for four hours on 10 March.

The protesters’ demands are an offshoot of 2020 farmers’ protests which took Delhi by storm. At the time, the farmers were demanding that the government scrap three proposed farm laws that loosened rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm produce.

Farm unions had said that the proposed rules could put them at a disadvantage by opening the markets for free trade by big companies. After months of protests, the federal government had withdrawn from implementing the proposed rules in November 2021.

While this was seen as a huge victory for farmers, they had withdrawn from the strike only after the government made other promises including setting up of a committee to look into implementation of minimum support price for all crops.

Farmers now say that the government has walked back on the additional promises which were made in 2021.

The protests turned violent in February when police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, while a 22-year-old farmer died at the Punjab border. State authorities in Punjab had told the BBC that the young man had died of a bullet wound to the head. His family had refused to cremate his body demanding action on police personnel who had allegedly fired at the protesters.

The farmers unions had suspended their protests till the end of February as a mark of respect to the man who had died. It was at his funeral prayers on Sunday that the protesters announced their decision to restart their march to Delhi.
Indian Police Arrest 8 in Connection With Alleged Gang Rape (VOA)
VOA [3/5/2024 2:23 PM, Staff, 761K, Negative]
Police in India said Tuesday they have now arrested eight people in connection with assault and gang rape of two Spanish travel bloggers late last week in eastern Jharkhand state.

Police said they found the two — who are husband and wife — late Friday in the state’s Dumka district where the couple had been camping. Police said the two looked as though they had been assaulted. When they were taken to a local hospital, the wife told the doctor she had been raped.

Three people were initially arrested Saturday, and, at a news conference Monday, police announced they had arrested five more men in connection with the incident.

Police Superintendent Pitamber Singh Kherawer told reporters police had taken confessions from the men and were preparing charges.

The couple had been documenting their trip on the social media site Instagram, where they have more than 200,000 followers. On Saturday, the husband and wife posted a video detailing their account of the assault at knifepoint. The video has since been taken down.

The case once again calls attention to India’s high levels of sexual violence. India’s National Crime Records Bureau reports 31,516 rape cases were recorded in 2022, an average of 86 cases per day. Experts suggest the actual figure is likely much higher due to the stigma connected with the crime as well as a lack of faith in police.

The issue was brought into international attention following the 2012 gang rape and killing of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus. The attack sparked nationwide protests and prompted new laws and stronger penalties for rape.
India women’s commissioner criticised over response to Spanish tourist’s rape (The Independent)
The Independent [3/5/2024 7:26 AM, Arpan Rai, 3055K, Negative]
The chief of India’s top women’s rights body is facing scrutiny for “victim-blaming” and “failing to act on complaints” of sexual assault in the wake of the gang-rape of a Spanish tourist in the country.

Rekha Sharma, the chairperson of India’s federal National Commission for Women (NCW), lashed out on Monday at a comment by US-based writer and journalist David Josef Volodzko who warned solo travellers of “unsafe” conditions in the country for women.

His comments were made in the context of the alleged gang-rape of a 28-year-old Spanish-Brazilian tourist and the physical assault of her 64-year-old husband in the Dumka district of Jharkhand where they had set up their tent for the evening on Friday night.

The couple, who were found by the roadside around 11pm on 1 March by a patrolling police vehicle, posted a video recounting the assault.

Responding to the video, Volodzko said the level of “sexual aggression” he witnessed while living in India for several years was “unlike anywhere else I have ever been”.

“I never met a female traveller who had not been groped or assaulted or worse, even if they had only been in [the] country for mere days. I love India. It is and always will be one of my favourite places in the world. But I have advised female friends who asked me not to travel there alone,” he said on his X account.

Ms Sharma called the journalist irresponsible for not reporting these alleged incidents.

“Did you ever report the incident to Police? If not than you are totally an irresponsible person. Writing only on social media and defaming whole country is not good choice (sic),” she said, resharing his post.

The reaction provoked anger and shock in the country as several people, including the journalist himself, accused the NCW of failing toacknowledge the Dumka incident and instead focusing on hitting back at those sharing their experiences of sexual harassment for “defaming” India.

The NCW, he said, has a “deplorable habit of blaming women” in distress.

“I am not Indian, so take my view for whatever it is worth, but my Indian friends do not seem to have much respect, if any, for NCW and one reason for this is because it has a deplorable habit of blaming women when they are attacked, raped, or even murdered. NCW makes India less safe for women when it does these things,” Volodzko said.

He added: “Sharma herself has faced criticism for failure to respond to complaints filed by women’s rights groups over credible allegations of women being publicly stripped naked, beaten by mobs and raped in public. And yet here she is with the gall to accuse me of defaming India.”

In July last year Ms Sharma was accused of not taking any immediate action after receiving a complaint about an incident where two women were paraded naked in the violence-hit northeastern state of Manipur.

Ms Sharma said at that time she had reached out three times to the authorities in Manipur over incidents of violence against women but received no response from them, according to reports.

The opposition Indian National Congress party’s spokesperson Lavanya Ballal Jain accused the women’s body chief of “passing the buck”.

“Have you read NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma’s latest tweet. Please read, this is how she victim shames and passes the buck when it comes to discharging her duties. Her mentality only emboldens, rapists and molesters,” she said on X.

Indian actor Richa Chadha also criticised Ms Sharma’s response. “Rekha Sharma is more worried about perception rather than the ground reality of rape, perhaps she doesn’t get time to read the newspaper. Do tag her in the future, when you come across news of rape and sexual violence, so she is aware,” she said.

Swati Maliwal, Delhi’s top official heading the city-state’s own commission for women, called out the assault and asked officials to arrest the accused.

“It is a matter of shame for our country that a tourist woman from abroad was gang-raped and beaten by 7-8 criminals. We should be ashamed our country’s name is being tarnished across the world,” she said on X.

She urged the state government of Jharkhand to investigate the case as soon as possible and sentencing the criminals.

Speaking to The Independent, the NCW chief said she took issue with Volodzko’s general statement that India had sexually regressive men and women should not travel there alone.

“These unfortunate incidents happen everywhere in the world and we must take on them and condemn them in strongest possible words but telling them that the country is unsafe is not acceptable to me,” Ms Sharma told The Independent.

The survivor earlier revealed in an interview with Spanish TV channel Antena 3 that she was raped in turns by the men for about two hours while some watched. Pitamber Singh Kherwar, the police superintendent of Dumka, told reporters that the patrol van transported them to a nearby health centre for medical care.

The incident has sparked a debate on the safety of women in the country. Many women travel influencers also voiced their concerns on social media. A hashtag asking for justice for the victim was also shared widely among the biking community.

Reassuring women travellers in India and those considering visiting, Ms Sharma urged people to reach out to the police in cases of they experience any incidents of harrassment.

“I would like to say that, God forbid, if any untoward incident, sexual or otherwise happens to you please reach out to the police or NCW. Police – because it will be the first contact point and if you don’t get help from them we are there any time of the day or night,” she told The Independent.

In 2022, close to 90 rapes were reported daily in India, according to data from the India’s federal body National Crime Records Bureau. However, the actual number is likely higher, as a significant portion of cases remains unreported due to a prevailing stigma surrounding victims and a lack of trust in police investigations.
How the Ram Mandir Has Transformed India (Foreign Policy)
Foreign Policy [3/5/2024 6:00 AM, Ariel Sophia Bardi, 315K, Positive]
At the end of January, devotees from far and wide congregated in this northern Indian city before a new temple to pay tribute to Ram, the warrior-deity hero of the ancient Sanskrit epic the Ramayana. The gleaming temple built in Ram’s honor—the Ram Mandir—had been inaugurated less than a week before, but the carpet leading to gender-segregated metal detectors already looked threadbare.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the site’s consecration on Jan. 22. The day after, half a million worshippers flooded Ayodhya. They discarded their shoes behind a metal barricade. Men in knit neon-orange caps lunged up the polished sandstone, pausing to touch each step. The temple’s pillars were wrapped in lilies, roses, carnations, and a blue floral peacock with a cascading tail. The milky white sanctum glimmered like a mirage.

“Jai Shri Ram!” chanters bellowed. (“Victory to Lord Ram!”) Inside the temple, devotees locked eyes with the black-stone Ram Lalla, the site’s main idol, for a few seconds before being ushered along by uniformed guards.

To many Indians, Ram Mandir’s opening embodies the revival of a Hindu golden age, a time predating Mughal invasions and Britain’s colonial chokehold. At a ceremony to lay the temple’s foundation stone in 2020, Modi said, “Ram Temple will be a modern signifier of our ancient culture; it will be an example of our patriotic fervor; it will be a symbol of the strength of will of our citizens.” The trust set up that year to manage the temple’s construction released a 3D animation on YouTube detailing each stage of the process. One commenter declared the temple a “soul-fulfilling achievement of lost glory.”

To others, Ram Mandir symbolizes the waning of a pluralist India that offered safe harbor to religious minorities for centuries. Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have consolidated their base by politicizing Hindu religious and cultural identity. India’s main opposition, the secular Indian National Congress party, declined to attend the star-studded temple opening. Prakash Ambedkar, a former member of parliament and founder of the anti-caste Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi party, tweeted that the BJP was “trying to appropriate God.”

Now in Ayodhya, weeks after the temple’s consecration, illustrated posters of Ram—sky-blue skin, traditional bow in hand—still plaster the streets. He is joined by larger-than-life cutouts of Yogi Adityanath (the BJP chief minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh, where Ayodhya is located) and an orange-clad Modi. They tower over a statue of Tulsidas, a 17th-century sage who popularized the Ramayana by translating it into the regional dialect.

As India looks ahead to general elections this spring, the shrewdly timed inauguration of Ram Mandir—which is still under construction—has fulfilled one of the BJP’s most ardent campaign promises.

Ram Mandir’s hallowed grounds were once home to a 16th-century mosque, the Babri Masjid. Built under the first Mughal emperor, Babur, in 1528-29, the mosque emerged as a flash point for Hindu-Muslim tensions in the mid-1850s, when Hindu groups alleged it lay on top of the location believed to be the birthplace of Ram.

In 1856, Britain’s East India Company annexed the region home to Ayodhya. The British built a wall to separate Hindu and Muslim worship. The next year, in a rebellion known as the Sepoy Mutiny, Hindu and Muslim soldiers rallied against a common British target—temporarily allaying tensions surrounding the Babri Masjid. “Hindu-Muslim unity during the rebellion showed the British that they [could not] rule without playing one against another,” journalist Valay Singh told Foreign Policy. Singh is the author of the book Ayodhya: City of Faith, City of Discord.

From then on, divide and conquer was the colonial modus operandi. By 1885, the Ayodhya site dispute became the subject of litigation. A petition to build a Hindu temple on the site was dismissed in court. Further communal riots followed in the 1930s. Then, just two years into India’s independence in 1949, a Hindu ascetic broke into the Babri Masjid, where he planted an idol of Ram. Onlookers heralded it a divine apparition. Authorities officially declared the site disputed and locked the mosque.

A right-wing Hindu nationalist organization launched the movement to build a temple at the Babri Masjid site in 1984. Its slogan—Mandir wahi banayenge, or “we will build a temple right there”—was embraced as a rallying cry by the BJP. In 1992, Ram Temple activists famously charged the mosque and hacked it down with axes and hammers; worshippers filed past cleared rubble to offer prayers to Ram.

A decade later, Hindu pilgrims, many of them women and children, were killed in the state of Gujarat on their way back from Ayodhya when a Muslim mob set fire to their train carriage. Hindu militias targeted Muslim families in retaliation; according to a 2002 Human Rights Watch report, they collaborated with police and BJP state officials. Modi was chief minister of Gujarat at the time. (Last year, Indian courts acquitted 68 of the accused, to cheers of “Jai Shri Ram!”)

Then, in 2019, India’s Supreme Court sanctioned the construction of a new Hindu temple on the site of the Babri Masjid. In its verdict, the Supreme Court denounced the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid but justified its decision based on Hindu “faith and belief” that the site was Ram’s birthplace. It awarded five acres to a Sunni trust in Uttar Pradesh to build a mosque complex in Dhannipur, a village 15 miles from Ayodhya’s Old City. Construction of the mosque is slated to begin after Ramadan ends in April, when Indians head to the polls.

“This entire city belongs to Ram,” said Tulsi Ram Shastri, priest of a small temple in Old Ayodhya. Likened to Jerusalem for decades, Ayodhya—one of India’s seven sacred Hindu cities—is Ram’s kingdom in the Ramayana. The Old City spatializes Ram’s mythological biography. There is the palace of Sita, Ram’s wife, where devotees make offerings of jaggery-sweetened rice pudding. A faded edifice is believed to be the remains of a royal court.

Nothing still standing looks millennia-old, but many locals blame the Mughals for that. “God himself could not live in his house for 500 years,” Shastri told Foreign Policy, referring to the land once occupied by the Babri Masjid. “Where else should we build a temple, if not there?” A younger priest interrupted him. “Don’t say ‘Babri Masjid,’ he chided. “Say ‘disputed site.’”

On the wall of Shastri’s small temple hangs a portrait of two young men: Ram and Sharad Kothari, brothers who were killed in 1990 when Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister ordered police to fire on Ram Mandir activists who attempted to breach the Babri Masjid and hang Ram flags. “I saw that,” Shastri said. “Instead of water flowing through the drains in the street that day, there was blood.”

Old Ayodhya’s sacred geography doubles as a memorial. The narrow lane that bore the most fighting in 1990 is still nicknamed “Shaheed Gali,” or Martyr Street. Bitterness lingers. While many people in India and abroad see the Ram Mandir as evidence of the Hindu right’s dominance over Indian politics, here in Ayodhya’s Old City, the BJP’s actions are perceived as a salve. “The sacrifice of my brothers and several others did not go in vain,” the Kothari brothers’ surviving sister recently told the Indian Express, lauding Modi’s temple inauguration.

Martyr Street is now lined with stalls selling orange Ram flags. Indian musician Jagjit Singh’s devotional melody “Hey Ram Hey Ram” blasts from loudspeakers. A man lifts his purple fleece to reveal a bullet scar on his lower abdomen. He said he was shot by the police in 1990. “Now I’m very happy,” he said, smiling. “Not only the temple is here, but everything is getting developed.”

The transformation of Ayodhya into what many are now calling a “Hindu Vatican” has ruffled feathers among residents. Thousands of homes and small businesses were demolished to make way for the temple complex. “What is happening in the name of development is that they’re breaking apart existing constructions,” said Anay Kumar Gupta, the owner of a small South Indian eatery along Ayodhya’s main road, now renamed the Ram Path. He said that his restaurant’s square footage was halved when the road was expanded. “The government didn’t take care of us, even though we’re subjects of Lord Ram.”

More critically, the idea of a Hindu Vatican presupposes only one version of Hinduism, a vast and syncretic faith system. A singularized Hindu narrative also overshadows other regional histories: Jain, Buddhist, and Muslim. “All these sites of confluence are turning into sites of conflict,” Singh, the journalist, said.

Umar Altaf, a New Delhi-based video artist from the Kashmir region, traveled with his camera to Ayodhya disguised as a Hindu. “I had a tikka [forehead mark] on my head, because I didn’t want to get identified as a Muslim,” he said. Altaf is making a documentary about what he calls the “psychological impact on Muslims” of India’s Hindu right. “What my grandfather used to say about India, I can’t see that country now,” Altaf said. “He used to brag about the cultural harmony.”

Ram Mandir’s opening has also spawned new controversies. Weeks after the inauguration, a local court in Varanasi, another sacred city in Uttar Pradesh, ruled that Hindu worshippers could access a Mughal mosque to pray after emboldened right-wing Hindu groups claimed that it had been built over a temple to the Hindu god Shiva.

Eighty miles west of Ayodhya sits Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is nicknamed the “City of Nawabs” for its late-Mughal mosques and palaces (nawabs were local Muslim rulers during the Mughal empire). In the run-up to the elections, BJP posters line traffic-clogged roundabouts and Ram flags billow from rooftops. Lucknow is home to the headquarters of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation, the Muslim trust established to oversee the construction of the new mosque in Dhannipur after the 2019 verdict that allowed the Ram Mandir project to go ahead.

In 1857, Lucknow was also where Hindu and Muslim sepoys (troops) joined forces and stormed the Residency, a British residential complex dating back to 1775. Today, the site is a ruin-filled park near the banks of the Gomti River. The Sepoy Mutiny, known patriotically in India as the First War of Independence, “was the only instance in recent history when Hindus and Muslims have stood together,” said Athar Husain, the secretary of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation. In addition to the new mosque, the foundation also plans to build an archive and museum in Dhannipur dedicated to Hindu-Muslim unity in 1857 and beyond.

To Husain, the new temple and the mosque construction are not at odds. “They have identified [Ayodhya] as the Kingdom of Ram,” he said. “We have no problem with that, because we are also part of this land.”

At the Residency, a small museum already attempts to unite India’s fractious history. It displays valiant portraits of both Hindu and Muslim freedom fighters. Rani Lakshmibai, the Brahmin-born rebel queen who led counterattacks on the British by horseback, is depicted drawing a long sword. Begum Hazrat Mahal, who helped mount the rebellion against the British after her nawab husband was deposed, smiles enigmatically under a sequined veil.

Cannonball holes are still visible in the Residency’s stone walls. But the booms of artillery feel distant. All is quiet, save the cries of mynas and peacocks. Muslim women stroll around the leafy grounds in sheeny abayas, Hindu women in salwar kameez and sindoor. How many histories can overlap? “There’s a pain, as conjoined twins have pain,” Husain said of Hindus and Muslims in India. “But they know how to exist together.”
NSB
The Maldives Is a Tiny Paradise. Why Are China and India Fighting Over It? (New York Times)
New York Times [3/5/2024 4:14 PM, Alex Travelli and Maahil Mohamed, 831K, Neutral]
Between a few flecks of coral in the Indian Ocean, a ribbon of highway more than a mile long swoops up from the blue. Since 2018, the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge has connected this archipelago’s hyper-dense capital, Malé, and the international airport — expanded by Chinese companies — one island to the east.

But China is not alone in chasing friendship with the Maldives. A 20-minute walk across the capital, next to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, an even longer sea bridge will link Malé with islands to the west. This one is being built by Indian workers, with money from India.

The Maldives, a tiny tourism-dependent country of 500,000 people, barely registers as a blip alongside India and China, the world’s most populous nations. Yet every blip counts in the two giants’ competition for influence across South Asia, and that has set the Maldives on a zigzagging course between them.

India, at the heart of the vast region, has long been its most powerful economic and military force. Still, China has made significant inroads with its much larger financial resources, signing infrastructure deals and securing access to ports in countries surrounding India.

The Maldives’ location makes it a strategic priority for both of Asia’s superpowers. China needs a military presence on the Arabian Sea to safeguard its access to oil from the Persian Gulf. And India, which has been clashing with China along their Himalayan border, wants to make sure that the Maldives, its island neighbor, doesn’t become too cozy with Beijing.

In January, India found itself in a sudden blowup with the Maldives over a perceived threat to the islands’ tourism lifeblood. But the great-power competition across the Maldives’ sky-blue lagoons has yet to reach a boil. Gains and losses are marked more by the tilts of the Maldives’ own politicians — more pro-India at some points, more pro-China at others — and, most of all, by the money that both sides spend to win Maldivian hearts and minds.

From his high-rise office looking out over Malé’s marina, Mohamed Saeed, the Maldives’ minister of economic development and trade, puts his country’s needs in stark terms. Its economy is now worth about $6.5 billion a year, of which $6 billion is earned by tourism, and most of the rest by fishing tuna. The goal is to make it a $12 billion economy within the next five years.

The Maldives discovered tourist dollars in 1972, and it now draws more than a million visitors a year to the “water villas” that branch out from wooden boardwalks and define its high-end resorts.

The country became a democracy only in 2008, with the election of a charismatic young leader, Mohamed Nasheed. The current president, Mohamed Muizzu, was elected five months ago, in the latest swing of the pendulum between India and China. Mr. Muizzu took office after campaigning on an “India Out” platform, which called for expelling about 80 Indian military personnel stationed across the Maldives to provide support.

Mr. Saeed, a Muizzu appointee, was also a cabinet minister during the last “pro-China” government, when the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge was opened. He oversaw a free-trade agreement with China. But these days he sticks to the line that Mr. Muizzu’s government is pursuing only a “pro-Maldives” policy.

There is no preference for China, he says — “we extend our invitation of free trade to all countries,” because “we would like to get the best value for our tuna.”

Pursuing cordial relations with China and India simultaneously might seem the wisest course. But that became more difficult, said Mimrah Ghafoor, a writer and former career diplomat, as both countries stepped up their influence campaigns just as the Maldives was making its transition to democracyChina has the deeper pockets, with development banks that dwarf India’s. But, Mr. Ghafoor noted, if China “has mostly carrots,” India “has both carrots and the stick.” That is because the Maldives depends on its near neighbor in times of intense need.

Mr. Ghafoor rattled off a list of crises in which Indian help proved indispensable, from fighting back a coup launched from Sri Lanka in 1988 to rescue work after the tsunami of 2004 to a delivery of 1,200 tons of freshwater by airplane and tanker during a shortage in 2014 — a time when the Maldives was led by a China-leaning president.

Beyond money and geography, there is another important difference between India and China as competitors, one that was illustrated during the Maldives’ flare-up with India earlier this year.

Three junior ministers attacked India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, on social media after he had promoted his country’s own paradisal atoll, an even smaller and far less developed archipelago called Lakshadweep. These “India Out” Maldivians inferred a threat to their economy. In the much louder backlash, nationalistic Indians urged a boycott of the islands.

The disruption to relations offered a contrast with China, which exerts supreme message control. That gives it the ability to negotiate effectively with smaller countries behind closed doors. Beijing may be less comfortable with the Maldives’ new democracy than New Delhi is, but it has navigated relations just as adeptly.

One fierce democracy advocate, Eva Abdulla, a high-ranking member of Parliament, is proudly pro-India. But mostly she is anti-oscillation.

“Flip-flopping on foreign policy is clearly not good for us,” she said. Not in terms of security, and “it doesn’t allow for any kind of stability in development projects.”

Ms. Abdulla, a cousin of Mr. Nasheed, the former president, argues that there are many reasons to stand by India as a partner. She mentions their cultural affinities, as South Asian democracies. Along with hospitals and schools on the far-flung islands, India funds things like a cultural center in Malé, to promote yoga and Indian dance.

Mr. Modi’s pro-Hindu policies at home rub many the wrong way in the Maldives, which is supposedly a 100 percent Muslim society. Even so, “we can’t afford a fistfight with India,” Ms. Abdulla said. On this, she and the president, Mr. Muizzu, whose parties will be battling each other in parliamentary elections in April, agree.

Mr. Muizzu has stepped up his calls for a generic Maldivian nationalism, in favor of the islands’ own language and its Islamic values, while steering clear of an anti-India tone. He has reluctantly made good on his promise to expel the Indian military personnel, but India has not quit its development projects.

One of the most visible is a giant expansion of an airport on the island of Hanimaadhoo, an hour’s flight north from Malé. It is home to one of the planes used by the Indian airmen. And it is the kind of project that makes some Maldivians fear that their sovereign territory is being prepared as a potential battleground in somebody else’s war.

Hanimaadhoo, population 2,664, hardly seems to need the extra runways being built by an Indian firm. Nor do the little-touristed islands nearby. Yet digging machines are at work 24 hours a day, in effect re-engineering the delicate island to make it capable of landing enormous aircraft. A similar airport, built by Indians at the opposite end of the country, makes Hanimaadhoo seem like part of a pattern.

Maldivians are not the only ones to think that. An Indian laborer at the site named Ranjit said he thought it was obvious why India needed to build a military-ready facility here. “China is coming,” he said. “Don’t you see the Chinese ships getting ready?”

On Feb. 22, the Xiang Yang Hong 03, officially a Chinese research vessel, pulled into Malé. The Maldives’ government said it was just a port call. But as with the Indian airport projects, the ship left an air of ambiguity about possible military uses in its wake.
Maldives signs China military pact in further shift away from India (CNN)
CNN [3/5/2024 11:36 PM, Helen Regan, 14K, Positive]
Maldives on Tuesday said China will provide it with “military assistance,” in the latest sign that the Indian Ocean archipelago’s pro-China shift is well under way following the election of President Mohamed Muizzu last year.

The Maldivian Defense Ministry said it signed an agreement with Beijing Monday “on China’s provision of military assistance” and that the deal would foster “stronger bilateral ties,” according to a post on social media site X.

Details of what the assistance would entail were not released but the ministry said the deal was “gratis” — or given for free.

The move is part of a push by President Muizzu since taking office in November to develop closer relations with China, following his “India Out” election campaign that promised to remove Indian troops from Maldivian soil and reassert “lost” national sovereignty.

In January, Muizzu set a deadline of March 15 for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed in the archipelago nation, according to the president’s office. An update from his office last month said negotiations had agreed troops would leave in stages, with the first withdrawing before March 10 and the rest before May 10.

According to Reuters, there are 77 Indian soldiers and 12 medical personnel from the Indian armed forces in Maldives. India has also given Maldives two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft, which are mainly used for marine surveillance, search and rescue operations and medical evacuations, Reuters reported.

The new deal with China marks a significant shift in Maldives’ foreign policy from Muizzu’s pro-India predecessor, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The tiny South Asian nation is regarded internationally as a tourist destination popular for its white sand beaches and turquoise lagoons.

But the archipelago of nearly 1,200 low-lying coral islands, with a population of fewer than half a million people, spreads over a swathe of strategically important waters and shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean.

Given their geographic proximity and strong historic and economic ties, India was for decades Maldives’ closest partner and New Delhi viewed the region as part of its traditional sphere of influence.

But Maldives has long found itself in the middle of a geopolitical tussle with both India and China vying for influence.

China has increasingly expanded its footprint in Maldives, most visibly through large-scale infrastructure projects such as the $200 million China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.

Analysts have previously told CNN that a Chinese presence in Maldives could affect Indian security, given the island chain’s proximity to India’s western coast.

In January, Muizzu traveled to Beijing for a state visit and the two countries signed 20 agreements that included cooperation on infrastructure, trade, economy, green development, grants, and other development projects.

That includes about $127 million in aid to develop roads in the capital Male and build 30,000 social housing units, according to a news release from the president’s office.

During the trip, Muizzu hailed China as “one of the closest allies and developmental partners of Maldives.”

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters Tuesday that Beijing is “committed to working with the Maldives to build a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.”

“Normal cooperation between China and the Maldives does not target any third party and will not be disrupted by any third party,” she said.

In his presidential address on February 5, Muizzu said Maldives must fortify its military capabilities and its defense force was about to achieve round-the-clock surveillance capabilities over the nation’s 900,000 square kilometer Exclusive Economic Zone.

The government will also not renew an agreement that enables foreign countries to measure and map the oceans and coasts of Maldives, he said.
Breaking Barriers to Justice: Nepal’s Long Struggle for Accountability, Truth and Reparations (Human Rights Watch)
Human Rights Watch [3/5/2024 4:14 PM, Staff, 190K, Neutral]
It has been almost two decades since the civil war in Nepal ended in 2006 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The former Maoist insurgents have been demobilized and an elected assembly has adopted a federal, republican constitution. Conducting a transitional justice process remains the major outstanding commitment of the peace agreement. A moment of opportunity now exists to deliver a truth and justice process that is sought by victims, and one that would help protect the rights of all Nepalis in the future.

On his visit to Nepal in October 2023, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that Nepal is closer than it has ever been to beginning a meaningful transitional justice process. The government has pledged to enact a new law, with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal saying in December 2023, "The victims want the speedy advancement of this process. The government too shares the same aspiration. There is no situation to remain in confusion and doubt.”

But the draft bill that is before parliament, while it contains some good provisions including for reparations, still needs significant amendments if it is to meet standards set by Nepal’s Supreme Court, and clearly established in international law, as well as victims’ justice needs. Under the bill as it currently stands, some of the gross violations of human rights described in this report may be placed outside the scope of Nepal’s transitional justice process.

There is a risk that – if the law falls short – the process will unravel again, failing victims and everyone else with a stake in completing the peace process or strengthening the rule of law in Nepal.

This report by Human Rights Watch and Nepal-based Advocacy Forum-Nepal describes survivors and victims’ decades-long search for truth, accountability, and reparations. There has been little or no progress in the 62 cases of conflict-era extrajudicial killings filed before Nepali courts with the support of Advocacy Forum-Nepal (see appendix), which we have tracked through a series of five previous reports since 2008. In defiance of court orders to investigate these killings, successive governments instructed police not to act in these cases, claiming that all conflict-era violations must be handled by a transitional justice process that has never been in operation.

As the table in the appendix shows, these families of victims of extrajudicial killings have typically received “interim relief” payments, but recommendations by the National Human Rights Commission to pay them compensation have been inconsistent, and frequently such recommendations (when made) have not been implemented.

Victims of the armed conflict between Maoist insurgents and government forces from 1996 to 2006, which killed up to 17,000 people and left up to 3,288 “disappeared,” have long been denied justice and reparations. They have gone to Nepali courts, to transitional justice commissions established by government, to the United Nations, and foreign jurisdictions. But accountability efforts at the domestic level have repeatedly been stalled by authorities that remained committed to impunity.

In addition, many survivors of sexual violence, who have faced severe social stigma, were unable to register their cases when conflict-era human rights violations were being recorded by the government between 2016-2018. Unlike the victims of some other crimes, survivors of sexual violence and torture and ill treatment never received financial “interim relief,” although many suffer from lasting physical and psychological injuries.

In several of the cases described in this report, witnesses and relatives of the victims alleged that commanding officers were directly responsible or were present when violations occurred. Some of the worst, well documented, human rights violations occurred in Banke district and the adjoining Bardiya district, in southwest Nepal. Families said that they found no remedy after engaging with the dysfunctional transitional justice institutions that have existed to date, and that they are still struggling financially.

One of the alleged perpetrators of torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings at the Chisapani army camp in Banke district, identified by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Nepal’s National Human Rights Commission, as well as by witnesses who spoke to Human Rights Watch and Advocacy Forum, is former army captain Ramesh Swar. His former commanding officer, then army major (later brigadier general) Ajit Thapa is also alleged by OHCHR and the National Human Rights Commission to be responsible for torture and enforced disappearances. Although several complaints have been filed against them the police have not acted. While Swar and Thapa are yet to be prosecuted and have the right to defend themselves in proceedings where they have the presumption of innocence, these are only two examples among many alleged perpetrators where the police have not acted to investigate allegations, while the victims and their families continue to wait for truth and justice.

Until Nepal implements a transitional justice process that meets international standards, foreign governments and the United Nations should tighten vetting measures to prevent alleged perpetrators of serious violations who continue to obstruct justice from receiving international appointments. Alleged perpetrators who do travel abroad should be investigated under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which enables national authorities to investigate and prosecute certain of the most serious crimes under international law no matter where they were committed, and regardless of the nationality of the suspects or their victims.

Accountability for serious crimes under international law is an essential component of any credible transitional justice process, but it is not the only element. The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence has identified five pillars of a transitional justice process. They are: truth, justice, reparation, memorialization, and guarantees of non-recurrence. Nepal has so far failed to deliver any of these.

Many survivors and families of victims are in urgent need of relief and reparation for the harms they suffered and are living in difficult circumstances because of ongoing harms from the conflict, such as the loss of a wage-earner in their family, or injuries they sustained including psychosocial injuries. In numerous statements made during and after Secretary-General Guterres’s October 2023 visit to Nepal, victims’ groups called for a process that includes all the different elements of transitional justice, including accountability and reparations.

Nepal’s Crisis of Impunity

In 2014 Nepal’s legislature adopted the Commission on Investigation of Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation Act (TRC Act), which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015 because it failed to meet Nepali and international legal standards, especially by providing amnesties for serious crimes.

“Amnesties for these atrocities would convey to Nepalese society that some people are above the law,” UN experts had noted in July 2014, warning that, “Legislation which should enable the country to come to terms with its past, may further entrench impunity.”

It is now widely recognized by human rights defenders that a lack of accountability for conflict-era violations has led to a crisis of impunity in Nepal. The police and security forces are rarely, if ever, investigated for deaths in custody allegedly resulting from torture, or the killing of protesters. Nor are politicians and officials held accountable for widespread corruption that undermines public services and impinges economic and social rights.

Although the Supreme Court ruled against the TRC Act in 2015, two transitional justice bodies provided for in that law – the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (CIEDP) – were established that year. While the law has been suspended, the two commissions have continued to exist, although neither has completed a single investigation.

Advocacy Forum lawyers have consistently requested updates from police and prosecutors every three months on the 62 investigations tracked by Advocacy Forum and Human Rights Watch since 2006. They are repeatedly told that conflict-era cases are no longer being pursued because they will be processed by the two transitional justice mechanisms (the TRC and the CIEDP). In several of these cases, the Supreme Court itself has ordered a prompt investigation into killings. In acquiescing to government orders, the police ignored court directives. The fact that the police are choosing to obey executive orders over rulings by the judiciary exposes deeply rooted problems of the rule of law and political interference in the police.

This pattern of impunity is maintained in numerous cases of human rights violations committed since the conflict ended; there has been little or no attempt to hold alleged perpetrators to account, further eroding the rule of law. The government has failed to act on hundreds of recommendations by the National Human Rights Commission to prosecute alleged human rights abusers, or numerous recommendations of the UN Human Rights Committee.

The recommendations made in this report include measures that would help to prevent ongoing abuses by security forces and hold those responsible to account.

Legislation Before Parliament

On March 19, 2023, the newly elected coalition government led by Prime Minister Dahal tabled a bill in parliament titled A Bill Prepared for the Amendment of the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, 2071 (2014).

The bill includes several positive provisions. It guarantees the right to reparation, although it provides few details of how this will be done, as well as interim relief for some victims who were left out of earlier relief packages. It guarantees the right of the families of victims of enforced disappearance to their relatives’ property. It also mandates the TRC to study the root causes and impact of the conflict and recommend institutional reforms.

Under the proposals, the TRC and CIEDP would investigate alleged crimes committed during the conflict. Cases classified as “serious violations of human rights” could be referred to and prosecuted in a special court. However, the bill’s definition of “serious violations” – which includes rape and “serious sexual violence,” enforced disappearance, “cruel or inhuman torture,” and a definition of unlawful killing that remains to be finalized – excludes numerous serious crimes under international law including some acts of torture and some unlawful killings thus creating a significant accountability gap.

In a separate category from those crimes defined as “serious,” the bill defines “any acts against the domestic law, international human rights law or humanitarian law” as rights violations that cannot be referred to the special court. This language risks providing de facto amnesties to alleged perpetrators of some serious human rights violations and grave crimes under international law. Amnesties for serious crimes are contrary to international law and standards, and raise serious concerns for victims.

In particular, the definition of both “serious” violations and other violations of human rights stipulates that the offence was committed “in a targeted or planned manner against an unarmed individual or community.” This means that perpetrators of crimes committed against combatants, or in a non-targeted or planned manner, are excluded not only from any possibility of criminal accountability but also that the victims of these crimes are not eligible for consideration for other measures outlined in the bill, such as reparations.

In addition, the bill does not ensure the independent appointment of judges to the special court, nor the selection of qualified personnel to handle the complexities of serious crime investigations and prosecutions.

The government has come under pressure from victims’ groups, activists and international human rights organisations, the United Nations and others, to address the shortcomings of the bill including the critical issue of amnesties for serious crimes. On May 19, 2023, the Parliamentary Committee on Law, Justice, and Human Rights formed an 11-member sub-committee to propose amendments to the bill. The result of its deliberations became public in October 2023. Several of the sub-committee’s proposals, if they are adopted, would help to address some of the concerns that have been raised. However, the proposed amendments do not fully address several important shortcomings.

Under the proposed amendments, the requirement that any rights violation (whether defined as “serious” or not) must have been committed “in a targeted or planned manner against an unarmed individual or community” to fall within the scope of the process remains, excluding many victims and their families. Only crimes defined as “serious human rights violations” may be prosecuted, and these continue to exclude some war crimes and crimes against humanity, which, contrary to international law, would therefore be subject to amnesties. The status of the crime of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings was not settled by the sub-committee, but left open for further discussion.

Finally, the bill does not provide for the financial independence of the transitional justice bodies, and the sub-committee report does not address this. According to a recent report by the UN special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, transparent funding that provides sufficient material and human resources is key to guaranteeing the independence of transitional justice mechanisms.

While public debate and human rights activism have helped to introduce improvements to the bill, and there is important progress towards adopting a long overdue law on transitional justice, the draft law and proposed amendments do not currently comply with the rulings of the Supreme Court, international legal standards, or the demands of many victims. If it is passed without appropriate amendments, the law risks hindering the search for justice setting it back years once again. If it is appropriately amended, it can be the basis for a meaningful, nationally owned process that upholds the rights of victims by providing accountability and reparations, and benefit all Nepalis by strengthening institutions and the rule of law.

[Editorial note: consult full report at source link]
The Return of the Left Alliance in Nepal Changes Regional Power Dynamics (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [3/5/2024 10:58 AM, Rishi Gupta, 201K, Neutral]
The Left Alliance government is back in Nepal for the third time. The Maoist Center-led government broke ties with the Nepali Congress and has allied with its former arch-rival, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) or CPN-UML. The two other parties to join the coalition are the Madhdesh-based Janta Samajwadi Party and the debutant Swatantra Party, following an eight-point deal. It will be the third alliance government formed in Nepal since the National Assembly elections in November 2022.

With a history of short-term governments in Nepal’s 15 years of democratic progression, the current reconfiguration is no surprise, and it will be no surprise if the Maoists get back again with the Nepali Congress in months and years to come.

Power sharing, political discontent, ideological differences, underperformance, and pressure to restore Nepal to a Hindu state – a long list of reasons reportedly forced the Maoists to sever ties with the Nepali Congress. While the Nepali Congress expected the Maoist leader and current prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal (also known by his nom de guerre, Prachanda) to leave the alliance, it did not expect an overnight turnaround.

Power-sharing has been a thorn in the side of the Left Alliance in the past. Dahal and CPN-UML chief and former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, are both strong personalities who have previously clashed over who gets to occupy the prime minister’s post. Such disagreements led to the dissolution of a short-lived unity party formed by the merger of the Maoists and the CPN-UML.

There’s a strong possibility that Oli will once again vie for the prime minister’s position, given his history of ambition. With CPN-UML holding the largest share of legislative seats within the alliance – the CPN-UML accounts for 76 seats, compared to the Maoists’ 32) – Oli could potentially leverage this advantage to renegotiate the terms of engagement, a tactic he has employed in the past.

The Maoists and the CPN-UML have been in talks on restoring their alliance for at least six months. What led the two leftists parties to officially patch up their differences at the current moment?

Dahal reportedly conveyed to the Nepali Congress chair, former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, that external pressure forced him to join hands with CPN-UML and form a new government.

If this assertion is true, China emerges as a plausible factor, given its historical inclination toward forging alliances with leftist parties in Nepal. This notion gains credence in light of China’s past efforts, such as its unsuccessful attempt in 2020 to mediate the conflict between Oli and Dahal.

On the other hand, India has enjoyed a comfortable working relationship with the Nepali Congress and the Maoists. Although Maoists were a challenging party for New Delhi to get along with when Dahal first gained the prime minister’s seat in 2008, the two have come a long way in working together. However, the CPN-UML has advocated closer ties with the northern neighbor China; Beijing suits both their ideological requirements and their ultra-nationalistic outlook – which is primarily anti-India.

Amid the intense geostrategic maneuvers unfolding in the Himalayas between China and India, Nepal has emerged as a pivotal focal point for both Beijing and New Delhi. China views Nepal’s extensive border with its Tibet region as a critical security challenge, prompting Beijing to intensify efforts to strengthen its ties with Kathmandu under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Conversely, India seeks to uphold its longstanding “special ties” with Nepal, highlighting the complex interplay of strategic interests in the region.

China significantly boosted its influence in Nepal after successfully persuading the Nepali government, then under Dahal’s leadership, to join the BRI in 2017. The deal marked a major diplomatic triumph for Beijing and a setback for New Delhi. However, despite discussions surrounding the BRI in the last eight years, little progress has been made in its actual implementation. The comeback of the Left Alliance will be tempered with overtures to China, matching Beijing’s desire to infuse life into a stagnant BRI.

Beijing would like to replicate the Maldives-like diplomatic theatrics, where India is seen at a disadvantage, in Nepal. China will also want to infuse life into discussions on an extradition treaty with Nepal, which stands at the heart of Beijing’s wish to control and criminalize the activities of the Tibetan refugees in Nepal advocating and participating in the “Free Tibet” movement.

Meanwhile, India faces challenges in aligning with the Left Alliance for two key reasons. First, the energy trade between Nepal and India has grown crucial over the past couple of years. However, India strictly purchases power generated through its own investments in Nepal, refusing any power produced with Chinese involvement. With the CPN-UML now in government, Nepal may seek alterations in this arrangement despite the benefits of power trade in reducing its trade deficit with India.

Second, India stands to lose the smooth cooperation it enjoyed with the recently dissolved Maoist-Congress coalition. During the dissolved government, the Nepali Congress held the Foreign Ministry, fostering a favorable equation for India. Just last month, Foreign Minister N.P. Saud visited India for the 9th Raisina Dialogue, engaging with top Indian officials, including his counterpart, S. Jaishankar.

As concerns arise for India regarding the Left Alliance, there is also potential for shifts in the partnership between Nepal and the United States, a significant development ally. Particularly, there may be a slowdown in the implementation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) projects. Despite facing domestic and Chinese opposition, the Nepali Parliament finally approved a $500 million MCC grant from the United States in 2022, following a five-year delay.

China perceives the MCC as a component of the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific strategy, countering its BRI. Hence Beijing aims to increase Chinese loans and subsidies to Nepal to enhance its influence.

To conclude, the re-emergence of Nepal’s Left Alliance signals a shift in power dynamics, impacting domestic politics and regional geopolitics. With China’s influence growing, Nepal’s foreign policy may tilt further toward Beijing, challenging India’s interests. This shift poses challenges for India, particularly in trade and diplomatic relations, while also affecting Nepal’s partnerships with other key players like the United States. The re-emergence of the Left Alliance underscores the complex interplay of ideology, geopolitics, and regional power dynamics in Nepal’s political landscape.
Sri Lankan president says he is seeking to defer loan payments until 2028 amid economic crisis (AP)
AP [3/6/2024 3:39 AM, Krishan Francis, 456K, Neutral]
Sri Lanka’s president said Wednesday that he is seeking a loan repayment moratorium until 2028 as the debt-ridden county tries to emerge from bankruptcy.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament the government is asking lenders to accept a plan to defer payments for five years and then pay down the debts from the beginning of 2028 through 2042.

Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in April 2022 and suspended repayments on some $83 billion in local and foreign loans amid a severe foreign exchange crisis that led to a severe shortage of essentials such as food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas, and hours-long power cuts.

“Our goal is to obtain temporary relief from debt defaults from 2023 to 2027. Subsequently, we plan to diligently work towards repaying the loans in the period from 2027 to 2042,” Wickremesinghe said.

By 2022, Sri Lanka had to repay about $6 billion in foreign debt every year, amounting to about 9.5% of GDP. The government aims to reduce debt payments to 4.5% of GDP through a negotiated debt restructuring, Wickremesinghe said.

Despite improve economic indicators and ends to the worst shortages, Sri Lankans have lost buying power due to high taxes and currency devaluation, while unemployment has remained high as industries that collapsed at the height of the crisis have not come back.

Last year, Wickremesinghe told Parliament that he is asking to reduce the loans by $17 billion.

Sri Lanka is currently under a four-year bailout program from the International Monetary Fund, through which $2.9 billion is to be disbursed in tranches after biannual reviews.

Sri Lanka has received two payments so far, after receiving promises of debt forgiveness from major creditors like India, Japan and China.

The government is currently talking to private creditors seeking a final agreement.

The worst economic crisis in Sri Lanka’s history created public unrest that drove then-President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

Since Wickremesinghe took over in July 2022, he has managed to restore electricity and shortages of essentials have been largely abated. Sri Lanka’s currency has strengthened, inflation has dropped from 70 percent to 5.9 percent, and interest rates have fallen to around 10 percent.

However, Wickremesinghe faces public anger over heavy taxes and the high cost of living.

Wickremesinghe said he hopes to exempt school books, equipment, health equipment and medicine from an 18 percent Value Added Tax in an effort to relieve some of that burden.
Sri Lanka committed to repaying debt within 2027-2042 schedule, president says (Reuters)
Reuters [3/6/2024 3:17 AM, Uditha Jayasinghe, 5.2M, Neutral]
Sri Lanka is committed to repaying its debt within the 2027-2042 schedule, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Wednesday, adding that successful debt restructuring negotiations will bring annual external debt payments down to 4% of GDP.

The island nation defaulted on its foreign debt in May 2022 after its economy ran into an unprecedented financial crisis triggered by a severe foreign exchange shortage.

Sri Lanka kicked off negotiations with its creditors after securing a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September 2022 but has still to reach an agreement with private bondholders.

The country reached an agreement with its bilateral creditors including India, China and Japan last November.

Sri Lanka is likely to stay in default until 2027 President Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament, which would allow time for the island nation to rebuild its economy and return to international financial markets to raise funds to resume debt repayments.

"Sri Lanka’s economy commenced its revival in the third quarter of 2023 and international financial institutions have forecast a potential economic growth ranging from 2% to 3% for 2024," he told lawmakers.

"If government revenue can be maintained at a substantial level then debt servicing will not impose a burden on the country."

Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves, which stood at less than $20 million in April 2022 at the height of the country’s crisis, have been rebuilt to over $3 billion, Wickremesinghe added.
Central Asia
Shaky Times: Residents Of Kazakhstan’s Biggest City Learning To Live With Earthquakes (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [3/6/2024 2:05 AM, Chris Rickleton, 235K, Neutral]
Many of the some 2 million residents of Kazakhstan’s largest city are getting used to describing earthquakes.

If the one that struck Almaty in January was the long, rumbling sort with a prominent aftershock, then the one that hit on March 4 was shorter but more violent, feeling somehow like an even greater test of what the city is made of.

"You need to understand that the epicenter of the last seismic event in January was 300 kilometers from Almaty," explained Rustambek Amrin, an official from the Emergencies Ministry, at a briefing on March 4. "That is, it took the tremor 10-20 seconds to reach Almaty. Today’s event was 30 kilometers from Almaty."

Amrin was explaining to journalists why sirens designed to work during a "seismic event" only came on minutes after the quake that sent city dwellers scurrying out of their apartments and quickly saw the city’s roads gridlocked with cars.

But it was the official’s point about distances that seemed most pertinent in the aftermath of the 5.0-magnitude quake.

From January to March. From 300 kilometers to 30.

Almaty’s earthquakes are not just getting more frequent. They are striking closer to home.

Suitcase. Train Station. Astana.

At least this one struck at a decent hour -- 11 in the morning.

The January 23 quake that had its epicenter in a remote stretch of neighboring China’s northwest region of Xinjiang hit right after midnight, when many in the city were asleep.

Given that Almaty had not experienced anything similar in a long while, the effect was chaotic. While nobody died, dozens sought treatment for injuries, including several who leapt from second- and third-floor apartment windows.

Gas stations ran low on supplies as drivers crushed into lines to stock up before driving somewhere, anywhere, to escape their homes and avoid the cold.

This week, as in January, Kazakh social media filled up with jokes about how attractive the chilly, sterile, but seismically safe Astana suddenly looked in comparison to the leafy, mountain-crowded city that it replaced as the country’s capital.

"Suitcase. Train station. Astana," was a common refrain, and one that many followed through on.

Plane tickets for major carriers flying between Almaty and Astana on March 4 quickly dried up, media reported, as images of cracked walls and other moderate damage proliferated online.

Children were sent home from schools -- many of which double up as gathering points -- although kindergartens mostly continued working.

"We were in a taxi," recalled one elderly woman of the moment the quake struck in an interview with RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service.

"I asked the driver, ‘Young man, is there a problem with your gasoline or are we getting shot at?’ He said: ‘Lady, it’s an earthquake. But what can you do? We are at the mercy of fate.’"

The Sound Of Sirens

Kazakhstan’s Emergencies Ministry said last week that 14 of its employees were disciplined in connection with the failed response to the January 23 earthquake. On that occasion, the city’s siren system failed to function, leading some angry residents to fire off accusations of budget-stealing.

Nurlan Atygaev, Almaty’s top emergencies official, said at the time that the authorities had not wanted to "sow panic" by turning on the sirens, which he said were typical for "strong earthquakes" of 5.5 magnitude and above.

This time the system was switched on, notwithstanding the fact that the earthquake was less than 5.5 magnitude, with loudspeakers warning citizens to turn off water, electricity, and gas, gather necessary documents, and leave their homes -- albeit after many already had.

Atygaev’s colleague Amrin explained that the proximity of the epicenter made it impossible for the sirens to sound any earlier. He also said the ministry plans to replace its SMS earthquake notifications, some of which arrived more than half an hour after the fact or not at all, with "momentary" push notifications in the near future.

The ministry has since forecasted a "70 percent likelihood" that a strong earthquake would not follow in the coming days.

Nagging doubts about Almaty’s earthquake preparedness grew louder in the wake of the devastating quake that hit parts of Turkey and Syria in February 2023, killing more than 50,000 people and leaving twice as many injured.

Then the talk dissipated.

But a year down the line, Almaty has experienced two nerve-rattling quakes in quick succession, although none as strong as the pair that in 1887 and 1911 destroyed large parts of its previous incarnation -- a modest, imperial Russian fort town called Verny.

Nowadays, Almaty is Kazakhstan’s sprawling financial center and construction has fanned out in all directions, including into the mountains where tremors are especially keenly felt.

Like this latest quake, the deadly convulsion that struck Verny in 1911 had an epicenter close to modern-day Kazakhstan’s border with Kyrgyzstan, a fact that led independent, Almaty-based seismologist Mukhtar Khaidar to talk of an "awakening" of the Chilik-Chon Kemin Fault. (The Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, felt strong tremors on January 23 but not on March 4.)

"There is nothing good in this," Khaidarov warned in comments widely cited by Kazakh media.

But Daulet Sarsenbaev, director of the government-backed National Center for Seismological Observations and Research, played down the suggestion, arguing that the epicenter’s coordinates indicated it was a "separate seismic event," pointing out that quakes in 2015 and 1990 could be traced to a similar area.

"As to [the idea] that it is an awakening of the Kemin fault, where the [1911] Kemin earthquake occurred -- this is just the assumption of one person with nothing behind it," he said.
Kyrgyzstan’s Repressive Turn Lands Bishkek on CIVICUS Watchlist (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [3/5/2024 10:54 AM, Catherine Putz, 201K, Neutral]
In the wake of its December 2023 downgrading of Kyrgyzstan’s civic space rating, from “obstructed” to “repressed,” CIVICUS has added the country to its latest watchlist. CIVICUS also raised its concerns about Kyrgyzstan during the general debate at the United Nations Human Rights Council session on March 4

CIVIUS, a global alliance of civil society organizations and activists, routinely releases a watchlist seeking to draw attention to a select few countries where there has been a rapid decline in the respect of civic freedoms. In its March 5 watchlist, Kyrgyzstan is highlighted alongside Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, and Venezuela.

“In Kyrgyzstan, once considered a relative haven of civil society and media freedom in Central Asia, the government is cracking down on dissent with unprecedented severity,” CIVICUS writes.

In the accompanying report, prepared in collaboration with the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), CIVIUS points to two legislative efforts – the draft “foreign representatives” acts and the draft law on “mass media” – alongside the arrest of journalists and activists as causes for concern about the deterioration of civic space in Kyrgyzstan.

“Since the beginning of 2024, the authorities have intensified their efforts to curb dissent, moving ahead with repressive laws and invoking flimsy legal justifications to shut down independent media and arrest and imprison critics,” the report’s introduction states.

The “foreign representatives” bill was adopted in its second reading in late February. Modeled on the 2012 Russian “foreign agents” law, the present Kyrgyz version has dropped the worrying addition of criminal penalties, but nevertheless has triggered widespread concern both inside and outside Kyrgyzstan. As CIVICUS explains:

Under the proposal, NGOs that are funded from outside Kyrgyzstan and engage in broadly defined “political activities” would have to register as “foreign representatives” and mark everything they publish with this stigmatising label. Failure to register could lead to severe sanctions: The Ministry of Justice could suspend their activities for up to six months without a court order and then petition the court to close them down. In order to ensure compliance with the law, the authorities would be given far-reaching powers to monitor NGOs – through intrusive unplanned inspections, being given access to internal documents and having their representatives attend events, including internal staff meetings.

Tara Petrović, a Europe and Central Asia researcher at CIVICUS, said in a press release accompanying the report, “Everywhere we’ve seen these laws implemented, they have led to the mass shutdown of NGOs. When we look at their inevitable consequences, we can see their real goal is the de facto abolition of independent civil society and the suppression of critical voices.”

The other concerning legislative effort is a draft law on “mass media” which, CIVICUS explains, “would grant the authorities extensive control over all forms of media in the country, expanding the grounds on which they can deny media outlets registration, obstruct their work and shut them down.” The law would require all “mass media” – for which the definition is extensively broad – to register with the state. Accreditation necessary to visit state and local government bodies could be withdrawn if, for example, the journalist or “the outlet they work for ‘tarnish the honor, dignity or business reputation’ of the relevant body.” Freelance journalists and unregistered outlets would not be able to obtain accreditation at all.

Finally, CIVICUS highlighted the pressure exerted by the state on journalists and activists, starting with the mid-January raid on the editorial offices of 24.kg and the arrest of 11 journalists, many with connections to Temirov Live. CIVIUS also noted the early February decision by a court in Bishkek to shut down Kloop, ostensibly on the basis of its “negative” coverage of the state.

CIVIUS also highlighted the “Kempir-Abad case,” which in January 2023 was classified “secret” by the Kyrgyz Ministry of the Interior. Sixteen months after two dozen activists, politicians, and journalists who had spoken out against the then-pending Kempir-Abad deal between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan were arrested, 11 remain in pre-trial detention, with the remainder released to house arrest. They faces charges of, among other things, plotting to seize power, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years.

CIVIUS urged the Kyrgyz parliament to reject the proposed laws and Kyrgyz authorities to “decisively to uphold respect for freedom of expression, association and assembly in Kyrgyzstan in accordance with the country’s international obligations.” They also urged Kyrgyz authorities to cease repressive actions against media and “stop using criminal prosecution as a tool of retaliation against critics.”
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan cheer as CASA-1000 sputters back to life (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [3/5/2024 4:14 PM, Staff, 57.6K, Positive]
A dormant project to build high-voltage power lines from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to electricity-starved Afghanistan and Pakistan has sputtered back to life.

Last month, the World Bank signaled that it would resume providing support for the $1.2 billion Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project, better known as CASA-1000, after it received requests to do so from Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.

“Construction in [Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan] is nearly complete and these countries have requested that CASA-1000 activities in Afghanistan resume to avoid the risk of the project becoming a stranded asset,” the bank said in a February 15 statement.

The decision has been greeted with considerable enthusiasm by stakeholders.

Over the weekend, Kyrgyzstan’s Energy Ministry issued a statement, co-signed by Pakistan and Tajikistan, commending the World Bank for its decision.

The statement further reaffirmed the readiness of the three governments “to provide full support in fulfilling the preconditions agreed with the World Bank Board for the resumption of construction.”

“This is a major step forward in the region’s commitment to energy cooperation,” the March 2 statement read.

Progress on CASA-1000 was paused in August 2021, in the wake of the Taliban seizing power. The World Bank says that around 18 percent of the towers in the Afghan section of the project had been erected by that stage

“About 95 percent of the materials and equipment needed to complete the project in the country had been supplied,” the bank said in a factsheet released last month.

But attempts by CASA countries to secure private funding to complete the work have proven unsuccessful, which prompted them to once more petition the World Bank.

The World Bank says the Afghanistan section of the project will be implemented in a ring-fenced manner to ensure eventual revenues are managed outside the country and not through systems administered by what the international community refers to as the Interim Taliban Authority, or ITA.

“During the project construction phase, the World Bank will make payments directly to the offshore accounts of international contractors and consultants, based on verification of invoices by the independent monitoring agency,” the bank said.

Speaking to the Bishkek-based Times of Central Asia, a spokeswoman for the National Electric Grid of Kyrgyzstan, Elzada Sargashkayeva, said that the expectation is that Tajikistan will provide 70 percent of the power delivered via the CASA-1000 grid. Kyrgyzstan will provide the rest, she said.

There have been indications for months that the World Bank would throw its weight behind completing the Afghan segment of the project.

In November, the bank approved the payment of $21 million in grants to Tajikistan for construction work and the “strengthening of local governance in communities in the project catchment area within Tajikistan.”

In September, Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev announced to parliament that the World Bank had allocated $13.8 million to Bishkek for a similar purpose.

The idea for CASA-1000, which had been under development since 2018, is for upstream nations Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to trade 1,300 megawatts of excess hydropower produced in summer with chronically electricity starved Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Just how much excess power those countries will have to spare, though, is an open question.

Tajikistan’s ambitions are contingent on its ability to complete the ambitiously colossal 335-meter-high Roghun hydropower plant. Work on the plant is proceeding apace, but costs are spiraling.

When work on Roghun started in 2008, the estimate for the overall cost stood at $3 billion. In 2016, officials upped that figure to $3.9 billion. In mid-2022, the Energy Ministry announced $5 billion would be needed for full project implementation. On February 1, Energy Minister Daler Juma offered a new forecast: $6.2 billion.

The first generating units were put into operation in November 2018 and September 2019, but there has been limited progress since then. President Emomali Rahmon has said the plan is to put the third unit of the Roghun hydroelectric power station into operation in 2025.

Kyrgyzstan faces similar challenges. Its hopes are pinned heavily on completion of another large facility, Kambarata hydropower plant-1, or HPP-1.

The head of the Cabinet, Akylbek Japarov, on March 4 gave a visiting delegation of high-ranking World Bank representatives a presentation on the Kambarata HPP-1 project. He twinned that with a plea for help in bolstering Kyrgyzstan’s energy security and independence.

“We call on international institutions to provide support in this direction,” Japarov said.
Blackouts in Tajikistan Highlight Energy Woes (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [3/5/2024 9:01 AM, Catherine Putz, 201K, Neutral]
Amid a cold snap last week, parts of Tajikistan – including the capital, Dushanbe – were without power. Residents of the capital complained of electricity, heating, and water shut-offs during the three-hour blackout. Meanwhile, some telecommunications services were also down.

A source at the Nurek hydroelectric power station told Asia-Plus, a Tajik media outlet, that the blackout was a result of an accident, but officials have not commented on the situation. Asia-Plus said it was unable to get comments from either the state-run power company Barki Tojik or the government.

Construction of the Nurek dam began in 1961 and its first generator was commissioned in 1972. At present, the dam, with an installed capacity of over 3,000 megawatts, supplies an estimated 50 percent of Tajikistan’s electricity – down from an estimate of 70 percent as recently as 2019.

A rehabilitation project was launched in 2019, financed by the World Bank ($225.7 million), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ($60 million) and the Eurasian Development Bank ($40 million); it is the first major rehabilitation effort at Nurek since 1972. In October 2022, the World Bank celebrated the inauguration of the first rehabilitated unit at the hydroelectric plant and noted that nine units in total are expected to be refurbished.

“Once completed, the rehabilitation will allow the Nurek HPP to increase winter generation by 33 million kWh — which is central to the Government’s efforts to ensure that energy demand can be met even during the coldest months,” a World Bank press release noted.

The World Bank’s investments in Tajikistan’s energy sector stood at around $641 million as of 2022.

Despite those investments, Tajikistan continues to wrestle with winter-time power outages across much of the country’s rural areas. While Dushanbe, and other major cities, have generally been spared regular outages, the same is not true of non-urban communities. And in recent months, Dushanbe has experienced more outages. According to Eurasianet’s reporting, “Under the annually imposed economy regime, which is meant to be ending sometime [in March], households outside the country’s largest urban centers endure blackouts from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.”

Meanwhile, construction costs at the mighty (and long hyped) Rogun dam have appeared to spiral upward. In 2016, when construction began anew nearly 40 years after the first effort to build a dam at the site, the cost was quoted at $3.9 billion. It was planned then that the first two turbines would be up and running by 2018; the first came online in November 2018 with the second beginning operation in September 2019. Six turbines are expected, but further progress has been scant and costs have soared. As Eurasianet reported last month, Tajik Energy Minister Daler Juma cited the cost at $6.2 billion (down from a June 2022 figure of $8 billion.)

The grand hope is that the rehabilitation of Nurek and the completion of Rogun will not only position Tajikistan to supply sufficient electricity to its own population during the winter but enable the country to increase summertime exports. That vision, however, may be undercut by the impacts of climate change on water levels in the reservoirs necessary to turn the turbines. Hydroelectric power is only as renewable as the water from which it generates electricity.

Tajikistan confronts many of the same issues as neighboring Kyrgyzstan, where water levels at the critical Toktogul reservoir are approaching a dangerous low point. Tajik authorities, however, are less transparent about the situation, as illustrated by the lack of comments on the blackout last week or available information regarding water levels at Nurek.

In the meantime, the Tajik population deals with the lack of electricity and the wintery weather. In late February, a family of six in Dushanbe died of carbon monoxide poisoning. They were heating their home with coal amid an electricity shortage. An unnamed official told RFE/RL at the time, two days before the larger blackout on March 1, that the outages in the capital were tied to a decrease in water levels at Nurek.
Turkmenistan: Kabul market (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [3/5/2024 4:14 PM, Staff, 57.6K, Neutral]
With Turkmenistan and its gas export dreams, intentions are strong, but implementation is faltering.

On March 1, Turkmen National Leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the father of the president, traveled to Turkey to attend the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.

During the visit, he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — an encounter celebrated with generous niceties. To mark his host’s recent 70th birthday, Berdymukhamedov arrived with the gift of an ichmek, a Turkmen sheepskin gown traditionally bestowed upon wise elders. A few days earlier, his son, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, approved a decree conferring the title Honorary Elder of Turkmenistan upon Erdogan.

In more serious business, officials from the two countries signed off on a pair of documents that could, in theory, set the stage for Turkmen gas exports to Turkey. One was a Memorandum of Understanding on accelerating cooperation in the natural gas sector, the other was a Declaration of Intent laying the foundation for joint ventures in the hydrocarbon sector.

This might sound a little hazy, but Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar was categorical about what it implies.

“With the signatures, we aim to ship Turkmen gas first to Turkey and then to global markets,” he tweeted on March 1.

Official Turkmen chronicles were more circumspect. In the loosest of terms, they alluded to discussions on the supply of Turkmen natural gas under a swap scheme. Turkmenistan also aspires to sell Turkey electricity.

Pending any dramatic, not to say unlikely, movement on the elusive Trans-Caspian Pipeline concept, a swap arrangement indeed looks like the most realistic option.

Turkey at present imports gas via pipelines from Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia. Turkmenistan, meanwhile, exports gas to Iran’s remote northeastern regions.

The natural solution would be for Iran, Turkey and Turkmenistan to make a three-way swap deal. A similar arrangement involving Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan collapsed in January and shows no sign of being revived soon, so there is notionally some spare capacity.

In another boon to Ankara and Ashgabat, Washington does not appear to be put out by the potential involvement of heavily sanctioned Iran in such a deal. In January, the U.S. ambassador to Turkmenistan, Matthew Klimow, told journalists that swap deals involving Iran did not, as far as the U.S. government is concerned, violate any sanctions.

“It will depend on how the deal is structured,” Klimow was quoted as saying in remarks translated into Russian by Interfax-Azerbaijan at the time.

In news of other slow-moving gas feasts, Muhammetmyrat Amanov, chief executive of the Ashgabat-based TAPI Pipeline Limited Corporation, reportedly stated on March 4 that Turkmenistan is working with the Taliban-run government in Afghanistan on “implementation of a strategy for the construction of a 150-kilometer section of the [trans-Afghan TAPI] gas pipeline” to Herat. The purpose of this spur of pipeline is to provide gas to industrial enterprises and households in Afghanistan’s western Herat province, Amanov said in remarks relayed by TASS news agency in a report that has not been posted online.

Exactly what aspect of implementation Turkmenistan is enabling is not clear, however.

The past week in Turkmenistan has been heavily Afghanistan-themed. A three-day trade fair of Afghan goods opened on March 4 in Ashgabat. The exhibition is designed to send a pair of complementary messages: one being that Afghanistan is open for business and produces a broad category of exportable consumer goods, another is that Turkmenistan stands ready to boost trade with its eastern neighbor.

And Kabul is eager to be seen as playing nice.

Speakers at the Turkmen-Afghan business forum held on the day of the opening of the fair included Afghan Commerce and Industry Minister Nooruddin Azizi. NewsCentralAsia, an outlet based out of Ashgabat, quoted Azizi as addressing one major elephant in the room in Afghanistan-Central Asia interactions of late: ongoing work by Kabul to build the 285-kilometer Qosh-Tepa canal, which may soon end up diverting up to 20 percent of water from the Amu Darya River. Azizi reportedly stated that Qosh-Tepa “will not impact the interests of Turkmenistan,” although he does not seem to have explained how it would avoid doing so.

Azizi also met for talks with Berdymukhamedov the elder and reportedly expressed interest in Afghanistan using the transit capabilities of Turkmenistan’s Turkmenbashi port.

In the here and now, it is Turkmenistan’s electricity exports that are making the difference for Afghanistan. Turkmen Energy Ministry official Myrat Artykov said at the business forum that Turkmenistan will in 2024 supply 1.8 billion kilowatt hours of electricity to Afghanistan. That is up from the 1.4 billion kilowatt hours delivered in 2023.

While electricity is at present delivered through 220 kilovolt power lines, Artykov says the plan for the “near future” is to install 500 kilovolt lines and thereby extend the reach of exports to Kabul.

The project to build the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan power line, known as TAP for short, will be implemented by Turkey’s Calyk Holding company, Artykov said in remarks quoted by RIA-Novosti news agency (not posted online). Work will be done over three phases: the first stage involves constructing a 375-kilometer, 220-kilovolt power line from a hydroelectric power station in Mary province, Turkmenistan, to Herat province. The second stage entails installing a 1,150-kilometer, 500-kilovolt power line from Mary to Quetta in Pakistan. The third stage will culminate in a 575-kilometer, 220-kilovolt power line extending from Herat province to Kandahar province.

Turkmenistan is selling electricity to Afghanistan at preferential rates.

None of this is to say Ashgabat appears willing to let down its guard. On March 1, a few days ahead of the Afghan trade fair, deputy foreign ministers of Russia and Turkmenistan met for clock-setting consultations in Ashgabat that touched, among other things, on “security and countering new threats.” The Russian envoy, Sergei Vershinin, voiced approval for Turkmenistan’s Afghanistan policy of emphasizing “economic restoration and political stability.”

Meteozhurnal, a weather-focused Russian website, normally brings miserable tidings about Turkmenistan. A February 29 report brought slightly happier news though. After noting that the town of Serhetabad saw some unusually heavy snow in late February, it added that the area has seen large amounts of precipitation for the first occasion in a very long time. The rain appears poised to help ensure Turkmenistan can avoid a repeat of the droughts that have blighted it for a few years.

In related news, Meteozhurnal concluded last month after a study of satellite imagery that reservoirs in Turkmenistan have this winter accumulated particularly large reserves of water. One expert consulted by Amsterdam-based Turkmen.news attributed this to the Amu Darya flowing at full capacity for the first time in three years. The apparent health of the river is explained as being the result of “natural causes,” but the reporting does not dwell on what these natural conditions might be.
Uzbek Insider Takes Over Gas Project Linked To Sanctioned Russian Tycoon Tied To Putin (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [3/5/2024 8:41 AM, Staff, 223K, Neutral]
Control of an $850 million gas-storage development in Uzbekistan linked to sanctioned Russian tycoon Gennady Timchenko, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been transferred to an obscure offshore firm owned by an Uzbek political insider with whom Timchenko has commercial ties, an RFE/RL investigation has found.

Expansion of the underground gas-storage facility at Uzbekistan’s largest gas field, near the town of Gazli in the southwestern Bukhara region, is overseen by a Russian-Uzbek joint venture called Gazli Gas Storage.

The majority shareholder in the venture, launched in a secretive 2018 deal with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev’s administration, was the Russian company Forus, which RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service last year found was owned by a proxy linked to Timchenko, a Kremlin insider who is under both U.S. and EU sanctions.

But a new investment program authorized by Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on February 14 revealed that the 60 percent stake in Gazli Gas Storage previously held by Forus had been transferred to a Hong Kong-based company called Daxon Holdings Limited.

Corporate records reviewed by RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service and Kristian Lasslett, a criminology professor at Ulster University, show that Daxon’s ultimate beneficiary is Uzbek energy tycoon Bakhtiyor Fozilov.

An investigation by RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service last year revealed that Fozilov is at the center of a Russian-Uzbek network of political insiders -- including relatives of former Uzbek security service officials -- profiting from Uzbekistan’s oil-and-gas sector.

Companies controlled by Fozilov, who serves as a key figure in Moscow’s energy ties with Tashkent, have received billions of dollars in contracts under Mirziyoev’s energy program, the investigation found.

That investigation, published in February 2023, also revealed that a secret Uzbek government report had warned that offshore control of the Gazli expansion placed the country’s energy security at risk by giving control over the strategic asset to the Timchenko-linked Forus, which the authors called a company of "dubious origin."

Fozilov’s control of Gazli Gas Storage, in which Uzbek state energy monopoly Uzbekneftegaz has a 40 percent stake, is now held through a nesting doll of Hong Kong offshore companies.

The secret report said the Gazli expansion, which envisions boosting storage capacity from 3 billion cubic meters of gas to 10 billion cubic meters by 2025, did not make economic sense, an assessment echoed in a confidential report by Boston Consulting Group that called the project "impractical."

Daxon, the 60 percent shareholder, is owned by three other Hong Kong-incorporated companies: Kenfame Limited and Denmount Limited, which are owned by Fozilov and hold 34 percent and 33 percent stakes in Daxon, respectively; and Sunworth Limited, which holds the remaining stake and is owned by Fozilov’s cousin, Sanjar Samiev.

Kenfame Limited was founded by Russian businessman Ivan Yegorov, who was identified in an August 2023 investigation by the Dossier Center as a business partner of Timchenko, a longtime close associate of Putin.

The investigation by RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service last year revealed that the founder of Forus, along with the Russian firm with which the Uzbek state partnered on the Gazli expansion, was a legal assistant named Aida Chachkhalia who has multiple ties to Timchenko and who was the sole Forus shareholder until December 2021.

Yegorov later obtained a 34 percent stake in Forus, while Fozilov and an anonymously owned Cypriot company called Kunlun Red Star Investment each took 33 percent stakes, the Dossier Center investigation reported, citing financial filings for Forus.

Following the Dossier Center investigation, the Ukrainian government imposed sanctions on Yegorov, citing his role in allegedly helping Timchenko evade sanctions.

Fozilov and Timchenko have other commercial ties as well. Fozilov is chairman of Eriell Group, a monopoly contractor in the Uzbek state energy sector that he previously owned through an offshore company together with Gazprombank and a Russian company called AMGA Consulting that shares a Moscow address with companies owned by Timchenko and his son-in-law.

The United States and the European Union have escalated their punitive sanctions targeting the Russian political and business elite following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Putin launched in February 2022.

The expansion of Uzbekistan’s largest underground storage facility comes amid increased imports from Russian state gas giant Gazprom, which the Kremlin has used as a geopolitical lever in its dealings with consumers in Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Gazprom is set to deliver 2.8 billion cubic meters of gas to Uzbekistan annually through 2025 under a deal signed with Tashkent last year.

RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service sought comment from Fozilov, Timchenko, Uztransgaz, and the Uzbek government about Daxon’s new role as controlling shareholder of Gazli Gas Storage.

None responded in time for publication.
Indo-Pacific
Extreme Weather After Mild Winter Kills Dozens In Afghanistan And Pakistan (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [3/5/2024 11:06 AM, Staff, 223K, Negative]
Heavy snowfall and rains have killed at least 80 people in Afghanistan and Pakistan as extreme weather conditions wreak havoc in both countries.

Deluges have flooded communities and forced residents to flee in recent days, while blizzards and landslides in mountainous areas have closed major highways.

The current spell of wet weather follows a long, dry winter marked by unusually low precipitation.

On March 5, Pakistan’s newly elected prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, visited the southern coastal city of Gwadar, which was flooded after torrential rains began on February 28.

"Hundreds of houses were inundated with floodwater, which forced thousands to flee the city," said Aurangzeb Badini, a local administration official.

Badini added that the floods had killed five people and washed away or damaged more than 3,200 houses in Gwadar and the nearby towns of Jiwani and Pasni.

During his visit, Sharif distributed cash grants, tents, and food aid to Gwadar residents affected by the floods.

Some 1000 kilometers away in the mountainous northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, rain and snowfall killed at least 40 people and injured 62 more, according to the provincial rescue service.

"Most of the people were killed or injured because of collapsing houses," Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the rescue service, told RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal.

In neighboring Afghanistan, recent heavy snowfalls have led to the loss of 39 lives in different provinces, while scores more have been injured.

"The recent snow and rain have completely or partially destroyed 637 houses and killed over 14,000 livestock," said Janan Sayeq, a spokesman for the Taliban-led Disaster Management Ministry.

On March 4, Taliban rescue workers opened the high-altitude Salang tunnel, which connects northern Afghanistan to the capital, Kabul.

The two neighboring countries are some of the most vulnerable to climate change. They frequently face earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides and other natural disasters.
Twitter
Afghanistan
UNAMA News
@UNAMAnews
[3/6/2024 12:44 AM, 304K followers, 15 retweets, 21 likes]
Released today: Latest quarterly report of United Nations Secretary-General @AntonioGuterres on the situation in #Afghanistan. Read full report here: https://tinyurl.com/yc5ymbkz

OCHA Afghanistan
@OCHAAfg
[3/6/2024 2:28 AM, 55.4K followers, 1 retweet, 3 likes]
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan @IndrikaRatwatte recently visited the Kabul Informal Settlements to meet with #IDP & #returnee residents to better understand their needs & what additional humanitarian & basic human needs support is required.Watch his mission video https://twitter.com/i/status/1765278280758837542

Bilal Sarwary
@bsarwary
[3/5/2024 7:45 PM, 251.4K followers, 36 retweets, 61 likes]
In a large-scale operation, the Taliban’s notorious intelligence service, the GDI, has conducted numerous raids in Lashkargah city and surrounding villages. Over the course of last week, the GDI has detained 16 members of the former Afghan intelligence service (NDS), including former NDS directors and officers, all hailing from Helmand province. Long after the fall of the republic, Taliban’s reprisal killing of former ANDSF members goes unabated.

Sara Wahedi
@SaraWahedi
[3/6/2024 12:53 AM, 77.1K followers, 45 retweets, 93 likes]
Just last week, the Taliban executed people in stadiums, reminding the world of this image from 1999. Afghanistan’s past isolation hid their barbarism. Unchanged and remorseless, their ongoing brutality against women is a terrifying reality, now unfolding in calculated phases.

Mariam Solaimankhil
@Mariamistan
[3/6/2024 2:58 AM, 92.4K followers, 2 retweets, 7 likes]
In the face of baseless attacks & attempts to diminish us with old photos or made up tales, remember: they find no corruption or fault in us, so they resort to petty tactics. I stand proud of my journey, unshaken, fighting for a free Afghanistan. To my sisters: own your story, stay strong. We rise above low attacks, united in strength and purpose. #Empowerment #Resilience #FreeAfghanistan those pictures of me and my cousins are old…

Mariam Solaimankhil
@Mariamistan
[3/5/2024 4:12 PM, 92.4K followers, 5 retweets, 5 likes]
There’s a pivotal shift occurring - the Taliban’s window to change their approach and return Afghanistan to its people is rapidly closing. The stubborn, greedy and power-driven Mullahs could lead Afghanistan to another war, with the bloodshed once again on the Taliban’s hands. Give Afghanistan back to the Afghan people and go back to your Pakistani madrasas.
Pakistan
BilawalBhuttoZardari
@BBhuttoZardari
[3/6/2024 2:42 AM, 5.1M followers, 302 retweets, 466 likes]
More than 44 years after judicial murder and more than 12 years after presidential reference was filed; today a unanimous decision announce by CJP Isa. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not get a fair trial. The pursuit of justice was a labour of love by President Asif Ali Zardari in the name of his wife Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Our family waited 3 generations to hear these words. Jiya Bhutto! Long live Bhutto!

Hamid Mir
@HamidMirPAK
[3/5/2024 10:51 PM, 8.4M followers, 62 retweets, 375 likes]
Unbelievable. BJP worker arrested for raising Pakistan Zindabad slogan on the complaint of Congress worker. I hope that PTI workers will not be arrested for raising India Zindabad slogan on the complaint of PML-N workers. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/mandya-bjp-worker-arrested-for-raising-pakistan-zindabad-slogan-in-2022/article67916185.ece

Sadanand Dhume
@dhume
[3/5/2024 9:01 AM, 171.3K followers, 3 retweets, 10 likes]
Interesting debate: Did Imran Khan’s supporters do enough to prevent him from being removed from office and imprisoned? I would argue that Khan has enjoyed more passionate and enduring public support than any other leader in Pakistan’s history. Unfair to blame PTI supporters for his fate. As they say, in the casino of Pakistani politics the house (army) always wins.
India
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[3/6/2024 1:57 AM, 95.9M followers, 1.6K retweets, 4.8K likes]
Nari Shakti plays a pivotal role in shaping a prosperous and empowered India. Addressing a programme in Barasat, West Bengal. https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1MnxnMXoywVJO

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[3/5/2024 11:13 AM, 95.9M followers, 3.4K retweets, 13K likes]
INDI Alliance is rudderless and directionless. It’s a group of parties who only want to further their own families.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[3/5/2024 9:33 AM, 95.9M followers, 8.5K retweets, 57K likes]
Upon reaching Kolkata, went to the hospital and enquired about the health of the President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Srimat Swami Smaranananda ji Maharaj. We are all praying for his good health and quick recovery.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[3/5/2024 5:34 AM, 95.9M followers, 3.4K retweets, 12K likes]
Grateful to the people of Odisha for their affection. Addressing a public meeting in Jajpur. Do watch! https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1djGXNEgNwLxZ

President of India
@rashtrapatibhvn
[3/6/2024 2:40 AM, 24.2M followers, 23 retweets, 192 likes]
President Droupadi Murmu virtually inaugurated the Visitor Facilitation Centre at Rashtrapati Nilayam. The President expressed confidence that the VFC will further enhance the visitor experience at Rashtrapati Nilayam by serving as a one-stop facility for all visitors. @RBVisit

President of India
@rashtrapatibhvn
[3/5/2024 10:24 AM, 24.2M followers, 298 retweets, 3.2K likes]
President Droupadi Murmu interacted with children from various orphanages. They were invited to visit the Amrit Udyan under special category.
NSB
Awami League
@albd1971
[3/6/2024 2:36 AM, 636.5K followers, 6 retweets, 9 likes]
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister @saberhc said that DCs have been urged to safeguard #Bangladesh’s #environment, #ecosystems, and #biodiversity. He highlighted the need for comprehensive cooperation to prevent #environmentaldegradation. https://unb.com.bd/category/Environment/dcs-urged-to-safeguard-environment-and-biodiversity-environment-minister/132049

Awami League
@albd1971
[3/5/2024 11:01 PM, 636.5K followers, 18 retweets, 41 likes]
State Minister for @info_min_BD@MAarafat71 said only the registered and professionals online portals will be allowed to operate to ensure accountability and discipline in the media industry. He sought support of the DCs to combat #misinformation. https://tbsnews.net/bangladesh/only-registered-online-portals-be-allowed-operate-arafat-803866

The President’s Office, Maldives
@presidencymv
[3/6/2024 1:47 AM, 107.2K followers, 36 retweets, 35 likes]
This morning, President Dr @MMuizzu arrived in Mulah Island of Mulaku Atoll. The President and his delegation received a warm welcome from the residents of Mulah, upon arrival to the island.

The President’s Office, Maldives
@presidencymv
[3/6/2024 1:32 AM, 107.2K followers, 44 retweets, 42 likes]
This morning, President Dr @MMuizzu arrived in Naalaafushi Island of Mulaku Atoll. Upon arrival, the President and the delegation were warmly welcomed by the island’s community.

Brahma Chellaney
@Chellaney
[3/5/2024 7:27 AM, 262.5K followers, 67 retweets, 296 likes]
The regime of Maldives’ Islamist-leaning, pro-China president says China has agreed to provide free military assistance. But India has long provided free defense assistance to the Maldives, from security training to two helicopters and an aircraft for rescue-and-relief missions.

Brahma Chellaney
@Chellaney
[3/5/2024 7:44 AM, 262.5K followers, 10 retweets, 63 likes]
The regime is distancing itself from India and embracing China even as it faces growing debt distress. When Sri Lanka’s economy collapsed in 2022, it was not China but India that came to Sri Lanka’s rescue. Like in Sri Lanka’s case, China owns the biggest share of Maldives’ debt.

MOFA of Nepal
@MofaNepal
[3/6/2024 1:07 AM, 256.7K followers, 7 retweets, 26 likes]
Fifty-ninth session of the SAARC Programming Committee commences in Kathmandu today.

MOFA of Nepal
@MofaNepal
[3/6/2024 1:08 AM, 256.7K followers, 3 retweets, 14 likes]
In her remarks as Chief Guest, Foreign Secretary @sewa_lamsal underlined that SAARC is an important forum to pursue our common goals and hence, the need to generate new impetus within the organisation.

MOFA of Nepal
@MofaNepal
[3/6/2024 1:08 AM, 256.7K followers, 2 retweets, 8 likes]
The Programming Committee meeting is chaired by Joint Secretary (Regional Organisation Division) Ms. Rita Dhital and participating delegations are led by Joint Secretary/Director General of Foreign/External Affairs Ministry of SAARC Member States. @amritrai555

MFA SriLanka
@MFA_SriLanka
[3/5/2024 7:38 AM, 38.1K followers, 12 retweets, 17 likes]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes with deep sadness the demise of Mr. Kalyananda (Nanda) Godage, former Ambassador and member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service.

M U M Ali Sabry
@alisabrypc
[3/6/2024 12:34 AM, 5K followers, 4 likes]
Saddened to hear of the passing away of a senior Sri Lankan diplomat Kalyananda (Nanda) Godage, former ambassador and SLFS Officer. I recall his services to the nation in the realms of diplomacy. My thoughts are with the members of his family.

M U M Ali Sabry
@alisabrypc
[3/5/2024 5:07 AM, 5K followers, 5 retweets, 14 likes]
Pleased to meet with the Director of the U.S. Peace Corps Carol Spahn today. The English language teaching offered by the Peace Corps volunteers in the rural areas of the country has had a positive impact on the relations between our two countries @PeaceCorpsDir @MFA_SriLanka

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[3/5/2024 8:26 AM, 356.8K followers, 6 retweets, 27 likes]
(1/9) #COPF summoned @CBSL governing board today to discuss the recent salary hike for staff. The Gov board claims authority over remuneration for over 25 years, based on the 1950 CBSL Act and the new act. However, this salary revision doesn’t apply to the Governor or Gov Board

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[3/5/2024 8:26 AM, 356.8K followers, 1 retweet, 1 like]
(2/9) Concerns were raised by MPs about using "collective agreements" between trade unions to increase salaries when they haven’t been properly implemented. The @CBSL admitted this & pledged to address it.

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[3/5/2024 8:26 AM, 356.8K followers, 2 likes]
(3/9) MPs questioned the interpretation of Section 23 *(2)*, which states salaries can’t be based on profits. The CBSL clarified this means they must pay staff regardless of profit. The CBSL also stated their salaries don’t come from taxpayer money, but from profits.

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[3/5/2024 8:26 AM, 356.8K followers, 1 retweet, 3 likes]
(4/9) CBSL stated that profits derived from open market operations, investments, and currency production. A major debate centered on whether CBSL profits are "public finance." The @CBSL Governor believes funds outside the consolidated fund aren’t public finance.

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[3/5/2024 8:26 AM, 356.8K followers, 1 like]
(5/9) MPs worry this sets a precedent for other independent institutions to raise salaries. The AGs rep clarified: The new @CBSL Act allows them to decide remuneration, although funds from state institutions are classified as public finance. MPs expressed differing views…

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[3/5/2024 8:26 AM, 356.8K followers, 1 retweet, 1 like]
(6/9) … on public finance interpretation & the extent of #CBSL independence under the new act. Nonetheless, IMO there’s no legal impediment to increase salaries. But a huge moral & ethical issue given the current economic hardships.

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[3/5/2024 8:26 AM, 356.8K followers, 2 likes]
(7/9) MPs further questioned shift from Exam Board to the IBSL (under CBSL) for staff recruitment. This raises accountability & transparency concerns. The CBSL explained the Exam Board’s backlog due to COVID and the economic crisis, prioritizing OLs & ALs. They argued they…

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[3/5/2024 8:26 AM, 356.8K followers, 4 likes]
(8/9) …can’t wait for qualified staff during this critical time. The ideological difference between two schools of thought - for & against full #CBSL independence - was evident. IMO Fiscal & monetary policy must be as separate as "church & state”. We’ve learned from past…

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[3/5/2024 8:26 AM, 356.8K followers, 7 likes]
(9/9) …examples of fiscal dominance over monetary policy. Lastly #CBSL Governor questioned if it’s the increase itself or the % increased raises concerns. MPs agreed some increase is necessary, but the % is the main concern, thus to reconsider the decision within the Gov board
Central Asia
MFA Tajikistan
@MOFA_Tajikistan
[3/5/2024 7:34 AM, 4.5K followers, 1 retweet, 3 likes]
Meeting of the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs with the Ambassador of the United States of America https://mfa.tj/en/main/view/14531/meeting-of-the-first-deputy-minister-of-foreign-affairs-with-the-ambassador-of-the-united-states-of-america

Saida Mirziyoyeva
@SMirziyoyeva
[3/6/2024 2:03 AM, 17.1K followers, 1 retweet, 10 likes]
Uzbekistan is among the Top 5 countries with the best progress in gender equality #WorldBank Thank you to all those who perform heroic deeds daily, combating oppression and stereotypes, breaking through glass ceilings, and making our complex reforms possible.

{End of Report}
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