SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS

epubdos : Afghanistan

Prepared for the U.S. Department of State

Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

By TechMIS
www.TechMIS.com

Mobile User Copy

TO:	SCA & Staff
DATE:	Monday, September 23, 2024 6:30 AM ET

Afghanistan

As Taliban starts restricting men too, some regret not speaking up sooner (Washington Post)

Washington Post [9/22/2024 2:00 AM, Rick Noack, 52865K, Negative]
As the Taliban starts enforcing draconian new rules on women in Afghanistan, it has also begun to target a group that didn’t see tight restrictions on them coming: Afghan men.

Women have faced an onslaught of increasingly severe limits on their personal freedom and rules about their dress since the Taliban seized power three years ago. But men in urban areas could, for the most part, carry on freely.

The past four weeks, however, have brought significant changes for them, too. New laws promulgated in late August mandate that men wear a fist-long beard, bar them from imitating non-Muslims in appearance or behavior, widely interpreted as a prohibition against jeans, and ban haircuts that are against Islamic law, which essentially means short or Western styles. Men are now also prohibited from looking at women other than their wives or relatives.

As a result, more are growing beards, carrying prayer rugs and leaving their jeans at home.

These first serious restrictions on men have come as a surprise to many in Afghanistan, according to a range of Afghans, including Taliban opponents, wavering supporters and even members of the Taliban regime, who spoke in phone interviews over the past two weeks. In a society where a man’s voice is often perceived as far more powerful than a woman’s, some men now wonder whether they should have spoken up sooner to defend the freedoms of their wives and daughters.

“If men had raised their voices, we might also be in a different situation now,” said a male resident of the capital, Kabul, who like others interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity or that only their first names be used due to fears of drawing unwanted scrutiny from the regime. “Now, everyone is growing a beard because we don’t want to be questioned, humiliated,” he said.

The Taliban’s new rules governing men pale in comparison with restrictions the government has placed on girls and women, who remain banned from going to school above sixth grade, barred from universities and were recently prohibited from raising their voices in public, among many other rules.

But newly empowered religious morality officers, known for their white robes, have been knocking over the past four weeks on the doors of men in some parts of Kabul who haven’t recently attended mosque, according to residents. Government employees said they fear they’ll be let go for having failed to grow their beards, and some barbers now refuse to trim them. Increasingly, male taxi drivers are being stopped for violating gender segregation rules, by having unaccompanied female riders in their cars, or for playing music.

The new laws give the morality police authority to detain suspects for up to three days. In severe cases, such as repeated failure to pray in the mosque, suspects can be handed over to courts for trial and sentencing based on their interpretation of Islamic sharia law. Violations of the new rules are expected to be punished by fines or prison terms. But people found guilty of some infractions, for example adultery, could be sentenced to flogging or death by stoning.

Amir, a resident who lives in eastern Afghanistan, said he supported the Taliban up until the latest restrictions. But he now feels bullied into submission by their morality police.

“We all are practicing Muslims and know what is mandatory or not. But it’s unacceptable to use force on us,” he said. He added, “Even people who have supported the Taliban are now trying to leave the country.”

Most men interviewed for this story live in Kabul, the country’s most cosmopolitan city, or other urban areas. Residents of more conservative and traditional parts of Afghanistan said they have noticed barely any changes. A male resident of rural Helmand, in southern Afghanistan, said no one in his village has concerns and such rules have long been customary there. “No morality police has showed up here so far. They focus on the cities,” he said.

The new restrictions appear to reflect a broader shift in the balance of power inside the Taliban, with the most conservative elements either gaining influence or seeking to assert themselves more aggressively in urban areas, according to Western officials and Afghan critics of the Taliban.

The Ministry of Vice and Virtue, which directs the morality police, could not be reached for comment. A former senior official with the Ministry of Vice and Virtue denied that the ministry is increasingly turning into a shadow law enforcement agency, saying its primary responsibility remains preaching. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is no longer authorized to respond to journalists.

The new restrictions on women include a ban on them raising their voices, reciting the Quran in public and looking at men other than their husbands or relatives. Women must also cover the lower half of their faces in addition to donning a head covering they were already expected to wear.

The crackdown by morality police in urban areas, where some religious rules had been rarely enforced, has heightened anxiety among women. For men, it has come as a shock.

A 36-year old male driver in Kabul said the new restrictions feel “enormous” and pose a growing hardship for his work. His revenue has declined by 70 percent since late August, he said, partly because the Taliban has begun enforcing a rule that bans women from traveling alone in taxis.

Even in some government offices, a new sense of dread has set in. A former Taliban supporter recalled how a friend, who still works for the regime, recently had his salary withheld because his beard wasn’t sufficiently long.

“We are hearing that some of the civil servants, whose beards were shorter than the required length, were barred from entering their departments,” said a government employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists.

For the past three years, Afghan women often felt alone in their anguish. Some grew exasperated by their husbands’ silence or growing support for the Taliban, which tried to win public favor by building roads and repairing tunnels.

Several women said they hope their protests will soon be joined by Afghan men. “Men were silent from Day 1, which gave the Taliban the courage to keep imposing such rules,” said a 24-year-old female resident in Kabul. “Now, the Taliban is finally losing men’s support,” she said.

Others are skeptical whether criticism of the rules can make a difference.

In interviews, several Kabul residents said they have begun in recent weeks to look more seriously into leaving the country.

“But if more young people flee this country,” said a male Kabul resident, “there won’t be any hope at all."

Iran condemns a Taliban delegate’s failure to stand for the Iranian national anthem (AP)

AP [9/20/2024 10:00 AM, Staff, 456K, Neutral]
Iran expressed its deep displeasure Friday over a Taliban delegate’s failure to stand during the Iranian national anthem at an event in Tehran, state-run media said, following a similar incident in Pakistan earlier in the week.

The incident involving the Taliban delegate to the Islamic Unity Conference in the Iranian capital Thursday followed an episode in Pakistan in which a Taliban diplomat did not stand for the Pakistani anthem on Wednesday. Both host countries considered the gestures disrespectful, and in both cases Taliban officials have said it is customary in their country to sit when music is played.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the caretaker of the Afghan Embassy in Tehran on Friday to condemn the act by the Taliban delegate, Azizorahman Mansour, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported. The ministry called it an “unconventional and unacceptable action by the Afghan envoy.”

The Islamic Unity Conference is an annual event held in Iran to promote unity and solidarity among various Islamic sects, particularly between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

The Taghrib News Agency, which reports on Islamic world news, published a video from Mansour apologizing for his behavior at the conference, but saying it was in accordance with the norms in Afghanistan.

“In our country when we sing songs, we sit. I followed that norm,” Mansour said. “We apologize to the people who were upset.”

IRNA quoted the Afghan Embassy chief as saying the action by Mansour was a personal act and did not reflect the views of the Taliban government. Following the incident Wednesday in Pakistan, the Taliban had released a statement saying the diplomat did not stood up there because music was part of the anthem.

Iran and Afghanistan have a 960-kilometer (570-mile) long border, and it became has become a lifeline for many Afghans who have flocked to the neighboring country to search for work. Iranian authorities say about six million Afghans are in Iran. Activists believe the number is much higher.

Iran doesn’t formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan, and has called for the formation of an inclusive Afghan government that involves all ethnic and religious groups. However, Iran maintains political and economic ties with Kabul and has allowed the Taliban to manage the Afghan embassy in Tehran.

Pakistan

Pakistani Taliban deny attacking convoy of foreign ambassadors in restive northwest (AP)

AP [9/23/2024 2:11 AM, Munir Ahmed, 456K, Neutral]
The Pakistani Taliban on Monday denied involvement in a bombing attack on a police convoy that was escorting foreign ambassadors in the country’s restive northwest, as authorities said they were still trying to determine who was behind the attack, which killed a police officer.

The ambassadors and senior envoys were traveling on Sunday to the Swat Valley, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, when the attack occurred in Malam Jabba, one of Pakistan’s two ski resorts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, denied detonating the improvised explosive device that hit a police vehicle accompanying the convoy.

One police officer was killed and four others were wounded in the attack, which drew strong condemnation from Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials.

The envoys were all unharmed, but the attack suggested there was a security breach, analysts said.

“For sure it was a security breach because the convoy’s route was only known to police, and the bomb disposal unit had reportedly cleared the route,” said Abdullah Khan, a defense analyst and managing director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.

“Some insider (appears to have) leaked the information about the travel plans of the foreign ambassadors to the militants,” he added.

Khan said the attack signaled a shift in the approach of insurgents, who previously targeted security forces.

Pakistani defense analyst Syed Muhammad Ali said there was a need for better coordination between federal authorities and police about such high-profile visits to the northwest, which has witnessed a surge in violence.

Those traveling in the convoy were ambassadors and officials from Indonesia, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Iran, Russia and Tajikistan. All of them later returned to the capital, Islamabad, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a statement, TTP said it had nothing to do with the attack. TTP is a separate group but also a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary and have even been living openly in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, which also emboldened the Pakistani Taliban. The situation has strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government, which says it does not allow anyone to use its soil for attacks against any country.

Authorities are still investigating to determine whether there was a security breach, since details about the convoy’s travel plans had been circulated only to officials. Authorities said they were also collecting information to determine who planted the IED device along the route.

Sunday’s attack came months after a suicide bomber in northwestern Pakistan rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle, killing five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver in Shangla, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The Chinese victims were construction workers and engineers who were working on Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan. Since then, Pakistan has beefed up security for foreigners and envoys traveling in the region.

Attack on foreign diplomats’ convoy in Pakistan kills police officer, police say (Reuters)

Reuters [9/22/2024 11:18 AM, Mushtaq Ali, 88008K, Negative]
A roadside bomb hit a convoy of foreign diplomats visiting northwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing a police officer in their security detail, police said.

Swat district police officer Zahidullah Khan said the diplomats were visiting the Swat valley area on the invitation of the local chamber of commerce to showcase it as a potential tourist destination.

"The squad that was leading the convoy was hit by a roadside bomb," he said.

Another four police officers were wounded, Khan said. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, which was condemned by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The bomb exploded as the convoy was en route to a hill station and ski resort called Malam Jabba, police and government officials said.

All the nearly dozen diplomats were safe and were heading back to Islamabad, police said.

"All the ambassadors remained safe in the attack and had been shifted to a safe place before their departure to Islamabad," Deputy Inspector General of police Mohammad Ali Gandapur told Reuters.

The nationalities of the diplomats were not immediately clear.

A Pakistani foreign office statement said the diplomats had returned safely to Islamabad, without giving details of their nationalities. "Such acts will not deter Pakistan from its commitment towards the fight against terrorism," it said.

Pakistani counter-terrorist forces maintain a strong presence in the Swat valley, which has long been a hotbed of Islamist militant insurgency. The militants have stepped up their attacks since late 2022 after breaking a ceasefire with the government.

In 2012, Islamist militants shot and wounded Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai in the valley.

Soldiers and police cordoned off the area after the bombing, and started a search operation, a senior security official told Reuters, adding that a curfew has been imposed in the area.

The Sports Star and Tabloid Fixture Staring Down Pakistan’s Army (Wall Street Journal)

Wall Street Journal [9/23/2024 12:02 AM, Saeed Shah, 810K, Neutral]
In August, Pakistani officials approached the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan with an urgent request: Postpone a rally planned for the following day in the capital, Islamabad, for fear of clashes with another protest.

Azam Swati, a former senator in Khan’s party, drove through the night to the jail housing Khan. Seated across a glass separation wall, the two men spoke for almost two hours. Khan called off the rally.

“Asim Munir, this country is now a tinderbox,” said Khan, who believes his jail meetings are bugged, addressing Pakistan’s army chief, according to Swati. “But I will not be the one to light the fire.”

Imprisoned over a year ago, Khan, a cricket star turned politician—or “Prisoner 804” as many call him—is locked in a confrontation with the military, which has controlled the country’s politics for decades. From jail, he still makes decisions big and small for the party he built. Since prison rules allow him to meet his legal team, he has appointed lawyers to many of the party’s top positions.

The army’s falling out with Khan, which led to his dismissal as prime minister in 2022 and then imprisonment, has pushed the nuclear-armed country of 240 million into political and economic turmoil.

Since being ousted from power, he has galvanized popular anger with the heavy-handed role the army—which staged coups in the past—has in the country’s affairs.

Khan told The Wall Street Journal in an interview from jail that he would fight on.

“The people of Pakistan, including those typically disengaged from politics, recognized the injustice,” the 71-year-old said of his ousting, in written responses to questions.

The army says it doesn’t interfere in politics.

“The Pakistan army is a national army, and it has no political agenda,” military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters this month.

The mantle of pro-democracy dissident is an unlikely finale for Pakistan’s golden boy. The former captain of the national cricket team was feted for his sports prowess, and his romantic ties and nightclub outings in London were fixtures in British tabloids. Then the loss of his mother invigorated his faith and propelled him toward politics.

Khan’s candidates took the most seats in this year’s election, despite handicaps put on his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s campaign and widespread allegations of rigging by the authorities, which the government and military deny.

“The people and I won” the election, Khan said, adding that no part of society “is truly free in Pakistan at the moment.”

The face-off between Khan and the military establishment is set to intensify.

Tens of thousands of Khan’s supporters gathered at a party rally in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday.

In recent weeks, courts have suspended or overturned convictions for corruption and leaking state secrets handed down to Khan. However, Khan, who denies any wrongdoing, remains in jail on other charges.

Meanwhile, the coalition government formed by Khan’s opponents with support from the military, headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has struggled to establish legitimacy. The administration is seeking constitutional changes that could blunt the power of the courts.

“The nation teeters on the brink of moral and financial bankruptcy, and its people, disillusioned, see no hope in the current imposed government,” said Khan.

Pakistan’s defense minister said Khan could face a secret military trial for orchestrating protests last year that erupted at military installations. Some charges could carry the death penalty.

“His aim was an insurrection within the army and total chaos,” said Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the defense minister.

Cricket star, tabloid fodder

After making a debut as a teenager on Pakistan’s national cricket team, he was admitted to Oxford University with the help of a cricket-obsessed history professor there, though Khan conceded in a later documentary that his grades “were not that brilliant.”

He became one of the all-time greats in a sport followed by billions.

Khan’s strength was tenacity, said Osman Samiuddin, a cricket writer based in London. “He would not back down against a better team,” said Samiuddin.

In the 1992 World Cup, with his team flagging, Khan rallied the players in a now-famous dressing room speech, urging them to “fight like cornered tigers.” Pakistan went on to win the tournament.

He is now calling upon those competitive instincts in his clash with the military, said Aleema Khanum, a younger sister. “This is a game of pressure,” she said.

For years, Khan lived a freewheeling life in London, a familiar face in the city’s nightclubs. He didn’t drink alcohol or smoke, instead ordering a glass of milk, friends said.

In 1995, he married 21-year-old British heiress Jemima Goldsmith. She converted to Islam and they settled in Pakistan. Princess Diana stayed with them on a private visit to Pakistan the following year.

The death of his mother from cancer years earlier drew him closer to the mystical form of Islam she had followed—and gradually led him to leave behind what he called a “pleasure-seeking existence” in his 2011 autobiography.

Later, after entering politics, his religiosity played to the conservatism of Pakistan’s new urban middle class, offering a vision of an Islamic welfare state that takes care of the poor.

His first marriage ended in 2004, with Jemima Khan moving back to London with the couple’s two sons.

After a short-lived second marriage, Khan quietly wed his spiritual guide in 2018. A conservative Muslim who was married and was the mother of five when they met, she wore a full veil in public. Months later, he was elected prime minister.

Khan was initially allied with the army—his opponents say it was the military that helped him become prime minister, something both deny. But relations soured, as happened with previous prime ministers. It was in part due to Khan’s push for a foreign policy more independent of the U.S., he says. Washington has for decades had deep ties with the Pakistani military, more recently to combat terrorism.

As part of that effort, Khan was in Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Khan says there was also friction over a key security official whom he insisted stay in a post longer than the military wanted.

The army declined to comment.

Military pressure peeled off some of Khan’s allies in parliament and brought together the opposition, which mounted a no-confidence vote that ousted him in April 2022, according to politicians involved from both sides.

Then, in November 2022, Khan was preparing to address a crowd from a makeshift stage on the back of a truck, as a religious song played.

Suddenly gunfire broke out.

Faisal Javed, a senator for Khan’s party who was with him, said that they both fell to the floor when the shooting began. Khan was shot in the legs.

Khan accused senior army officers of being behind an assassination attempt. The authorities have said that the gunman, caught at the scene, was a lone religious fanatic.

Later the same month, Sharif, who became interim prime minister after Khan was ousted, picked Munir as the new army chief. As prime minister, Khan had fired Munir as chief of the country’s spy agency and has branded him “king of the jungle.”

‘Prisoner 804’

The army has long characterized its mission as a jihad, or holy war, protecting a nation with a religious foundation—a role that Khan has co-opted.

“Imran Khan has managed to capture the slogans of piety and patriotism which always used to be under the custody of the establishment,” said Niaz Murtaza, a Pakistani newspaper columnist.

One of Khan’s several convictions earlier this year appeared to be an attempt to undermine his standing as a devout Muslim. After probing the details of his wife’s menstrual cycles in a case that many Pakistanis felt was a violation of privacy, a judge ruled that their marriage violated Islamic tenets because three menstrual cycles hadn’t passed since her divorce from her previous husband. The seven-year sentence was later overturned but his wife too remains in jail.

When Khan was arrested in May 2023, supporters took out their anger on the army, vandalizing monuments to fallen soldiers, gutting a fort and ransacking the official home of a general—making off with strawberries from his freezer and a peacock from the garden.

Some 10,000 were arrested, along with many leaders of Khan’s party. Khan blames infiltrators for the violence.

The crackdown meant that candidates of Khan’s party had to campaign for the election in the shadows, often holding events online. With the help of artificial intelligence, the jailed Khan even gave an election speech through a virtual avatar.

Khan’s tech-savvy party has tapped into Pakistan’s widespread smartphone use to reach rural areas and the working class, said Umair Javed, an assistant professor of sociology at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

The authorities have responded by blocking social-media platform X after supporters of Khan levied allegations of election rigging there. The army chief calls critics of the military on social media “digital terrorists.”

“There can be no compromise or deal with the planners and architects of this dark chapter in our history,” Munir said in May, marking the first anniversary of the protests.

Khan’s spirits remain high, visitors say.

He is allowed an exercise bike, a bar to do chin-ups, and a resistance band in his windowless cell. Reading takes up much of his day, particularly the Quran. A recent request was Leo Tolstoy’s novel about a Chechen rebel, Hadji Murat, who meets a grim end.

A biography of Iqbal, an early 20th-century poet and political thinker whom Khan has long admired, and whose ideas helped lead to the creation of Muslim-majority Pakistan, sits in a pile of books in his cell. During a brief release from jail last year, Khan tweeted a line from a poem by Iqbal: “A Muslim is a servant unto God alone; he does not bow down to any Pharaoh or Tyrant.”

Pakistani Opposition Rally Ends After Power Cut In Lahore (Radio Free Europe)

Radio Free Europe [9/21/2024 1:05 PM, Staff, 1251K, Neutral]
Thousands of supporters of the opposition Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) party rallied in Lahore to demand the release of imprisoned leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, but the gathering was cut short after authorities shut off power to the lights and sound system at the site, local media reported.

PTI leaders traveled from Peshawar to Lahore to meet up with other supporters from throughout the country.

PTI was given permission to hold the rally from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m., at which time the power was cut at the meeting place.

Government leaders insisted they had given the PTI “free hand and ensured their security” but that only about 3,000 people had shown up, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Militants in Pakistan kill 9 troops in separate attacks in the northwest (AP)

AP [9/20/2024 10:13 AM, Staff, 456K, Negative]
Militants killed nine Pakistani troops in separate attacks in Pakistan’s northwest, security officials said Friday.

The assaults happened in the tribal districts of North and South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.

Militants attacked a military post after midnight in the village of Misha, South Waziristan, killing six troops. An additional 11 troops were injured. In North Waziristan, militants attacked a patrol on Thursday, killing three security forces.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, which uses the province as a base.

Security officials confirmed the incidents on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Pakistan’s military issued a statement Friday about both attacks, but it gave a death toll only for the South Waziristan attack. It did not say that troops died in the attack in North Waziristan.

India

Biden, Modi Announce Plans for a New Chip Plant in India (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg [9/23/2024 3:45 AM, Swati Gupta, 5.2M, Neutral]
The US and India reached an agreement to work together on setting up a semiconductor fabrication plant in the South Asian nation, giving a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to bolster manufacturing in the country.

The proposed plant will make infrared, gallium nitride and silicon-carbide semiconductors, according to a White House readout that followed a meeting between the US President Joe Biden and Modi in Delaware on Saturday. The setting up of the facility will be enabled by support from the India Semiconductor Mission as well as a “strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech Inc, and the U.S. Space Force,” according to the readout.

India’s strategic geopolitical position in Asia has provided a fresh spotlight on the country and the opportunities it can afford in the field of technology. In the last decade, Modi has repeatedly stated that he would position India as an alternative to China, and it has already begun to pull away some of its manufacturing from Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co.

Earlier this month, India’s technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the South Asian country is attempting to develop the entire chip value chain. India aims to increase its electronics sector to $500 billion by the end of the decade.

The two countries also announced efforts to fund projects “catalyzing India’s domestic clean energy supply chain build out” for about $1 billion through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Modi is visiting the US for the annual Quad summit and in the three-day trip, he is holding bilateral meetings with its leaders, addressing the United Nations General Assembly and meeting with the Indian diaspora and American technology industry executives.

On Sunday, Modi met with Sundar Pichai of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Jensen Huang of Nvidia Corp. and David Ricks of Eli Lilly & Co.’s among others, and also addressed an Indian diaspora event in Long Island, New York. The next Quad meeting is scheduled to be held in India in 2025.

US officials meet Sikh activists ahead of Biden-Modi meeting (Reuters)

Reuters [9/20/2024 6:11 PM, Sarah N. Lynch, 37270K, Neutral]
Senior U.S. officials met with Sikh advocates on Thursday to discuss threats facing Sikhs in the United States, including a foiled murder plot against a prominent activist last year, several attendees told Reuters.

The meeting with senior White House and U.S. intelligence officials came two days before President Joe Biden is to meet India Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The United States has been pushing India to investigate the murder plot against dual U.S.-Canada citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, as it continues its own criminal investigation into India’s possible involvement.

The officials briefed a group of Sikh advocates about the government’s ongoing conversations with India in a closed-door meeting organized by the National Security Council, according to the attendees.

The White House and the Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Biden will have a one-on-one discussion with Modi on the sidelines of a joint meeting of the United States, India, Japan and Australia on Saturday. India has featured prominently in Washington’s stepped-up diplomacy to deepen strategic partnerships aimed at countering the influence of China and Russia.

While the U.S. has expressed concern over the Sikh incident, it has so far emphasized the importance of the relationship with New Delhi, given shared security interests.

Senior U.S. officials on Thursday sought to assure the Sikh community that Washington remained committed to protecting Americans from acts of "transnational repression" - a term that refers to efforts by a government to harass, threaten or harm people on foreign soil.

They also provided an update on efforts by U.S. law enforcement to educate local police about the threats and to encourage Sikhs to report any threats or harassment.

"Yesterday, we had the chance to thank senior federal government officials for saving lives of Sikh Americans and for vigilance in protecting our community," said Pritpal Singh, the founder of the advocacy group the American Sikh Caucus Committee, who attended the meeting.

"We asked them to do more and we will hold them to their assurances that they will."

Last September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country’s intelligence agency were pursuing credible allegations that Modi’s government was behind the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh separatist who was vocal in supporting the creation of a new separate Sikh state in northern Indian called "Khalistan."

Two months later, the U.S. Justice Department charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with trying to arrange the murder of Pannun, another prominent Sikh separatist, at the behest of an unnamed Indian intelligence official.

India has denied involvement in both incidents.

Gupta has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial in New York City, while four other Indian nationals in Canada are facing charges of murder and conspiracy in the death of Nijjar.

This week, Pannun filed a civil lawsuit against India over its alleged attempt to have him killed.

Following Nijjar’s killing, Reuters has reported that the FBI and the Canadian Royal Mounted Police privately warned at least seven Sikh activists that their lives could be in grave danger, including Pritpal Singh.

Since then, many Sikh activists in the United States and Canada, including some elected officials, have said they continue to face threats and harassment.

India Prime Minister’s U.S. visit brings him to New York and celebration of cultural ties (AP)

AP [9/22/2024 3:29 PM, Staff, 31638K, Positive]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, continuing a multiday U.S. visit, addressed a cultural celebration on Long Island Sunday, where he praised the United States’ return of nearly 300 antiquities to India and relayed news of his country’s dual win at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, to an enthusiastic crowd.

"I just got some very good news," Modi told an estimated 13,000 people inside Nassau Veterans Coliseum for an event billed as a celebration of cultural ties between India and the United States. "In the Chess Olympiad, in both the men’s and women’s tournament, India has won gold medals," he said to applause in a speech that was translated into English for an online audience.

Modi was reelected in June following a marathon election in which more than 640 million votes were cast over a span of six weeks in the world’s largest democratic exercise.

"This year, 2024, is a very important one for the entire world," he said. "On the one hand, there are conflicts raging between several countries in the world, there is tension. And on the other, democracy is being celebrated in several countries of the world. India and America are also together in this celebration of democracy."

Modi’s appearance in New York came a day after he attended a summit hosted by President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, for leaders of the so-called Quad that also included Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan.

Also Saturday, Modi accepted the return of 297 antiquities spanning thousands of years that had been stolen or trafficked from India. The U.S. has returned nearly 600 such cultural artifacts to India since 2016, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

On Monday, the prime minister is expected to attend a United Nations summit in advance of this week’s General Assembly.

Sunday’s event was sponsored by the not-for-profit Indo American Community of USA.

Modi calls India’s diaspora its ‘strongest ambassadors’ in N.Y. speech (Nikkei Asia)

Nikkei Asia [9/22/2024 5:11 PM, Jack Stone Truitt, 2376K, Positive]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rapturous crowd of more than 13,000 on Sunday in the suburbs of New York City, praising the Indian diaspora before underscoring his country’s growing role on the world stage.

"All of you are, and always have been, the strongest brand ambassadors of India," Modi said, delivering the speech in Hindi to a packed arena on New York’s Long Island, almost exactly 10 years following an address he gave at Madison Square Garden soon after becoming prime minister in 2014.

Since then, Modi has given addresses in various U.S. cities including San Jose in 2015, Houston in 2019 and Washington last year.

Modi, who won a third term in parliamentary elections this year, also said that India would open new U.S. consulates in Los Angeles and Boston, based upon feedback from the Indian American community.

U.S. Census Bureau data shows 4.8 million Indian Americans nationwide as of 2022, nearly two-thirds of whom are immigrants. They are also the country’s highest-earning ethnic group, with a median household income of $145,000 as of 2022 compared with $100,000 for Asian Americans overall.

"In whichever society we live, we make great contributions," Modi said. "In America, as doctors, researchers, tech professionals, scientists or as other professionals. You have flown the flag high."

The speech was the centerpiece of an event put on by the Indo-American Community of USA, an advocacy group for the Indian American community, and coincides with Modi’s visit to the U.S. for the United Nations General Assembly and a summit of the Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, hosted by President Joe Biden.

Modi met on Saturday in Delaware with Biden and their fellow quad leaders Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, where the group announced new maritime initiatives in the Indian Ocean.

"Wherever I go in the world, I hear only praise from every leader about the Indian diaspora," Modi said, citing a commendation from Biden during their meeting. "It was a moment that touched my heart, this respect for 1.4 billion Indians. This respect is for you."

For many of the Indian Americans attending, Sunday’s event was the first time seeing this large of a gathering explicitly for their community.

"It’s a fantastic experience. The energy is ‘wow,’" said Shoba Viswanathan, a vice president of development and civic engagement at Indiaspora, a nonprofit Indian American advocacy group based in San Francisco.

"It’s a huge group of people who are highly motivated, with an eagerness to lean into the Indian diaspora identity," she said. "It’s a great time to be an Indian American."

The bulk of Modi’s speech focused on highlighting much of the progress India has made under his leadership, with an emphasis on basic infrastructure like clean water and toilets for millions in a country that has overtaken China as the world’s most populous.

While many countries struggle to regain pre-pandemic levels of gross domestic product growth, India has been the world’s fastest-growing large economy -- with the International Monetary Fund projecting a 7% increase for 2024-25.

Outlining the vision for his third term, Modi unveiled what he called a "PUSHP" mantra -- progressive, unstoppable, spiritual, humanity first and prosperous -- pronounced like "pushpa," the Hindi word for flower.

"All the five petals of the pushpa together create a developed India," he said.

Though Modi became the first Indian prime minister to win a third consecutive term in more than 60 years, his grip on the world’s largest democracy may not be as strong as it was. His Bharatiya Janata Party won 240 seats in the election that ended in June, down from the 303 it held previously and well below the expected result based on pre-election polling.

With the United Nations General Assembly set to begin, Modi underscored India’s growing role in international affairs. But given India’s diplomatic history as an advocate for the Global South and the Non-Aligned Movement, Modi differentiated India’s influence from an approach intended to increase power.

"We don’t burn like fire," he said. "We are the sun that gives brightness," he said.

Nevertheless, in tackling global challenges from new economic growth to climate change, "India’s role will be crucial," Modi said.

PM Modi at the UN and the US: The Morning After (The Diplomat)

The Diplomat [9/23/2024 12:00 AM, Donald Camp, 1.2M, Neutral]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rarely missed the High-Level Week at the United Nations during his years in office. Like most world leaders, he likes the visibility, the chance to meet fellow heads of government, and the opportunity to project his accomplishments on the world stage. But there is also the American stage to perform on. In recent years, he has met the incumbent president and generally found opportunities to meet the Indian diaspora and promote Indian trade and investment.

This weekend Modi checked some of those boxes. However, this has been a truncated visit – September 21-23 – and he skipped the General Assembly. He met President Biden during the annual summit of the Quad (the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India) in Delaware. Modi conducted global business as well, including India’s bid for permanent membership in the Security Council and leadership of the Global South.

The United States and India

President Biden and Modi had a bilateral meeting on Saturday at Biden’s home in Wilmington on the sidelines of the Quad Summit. As Biden might say, this was a “big freaking deal.” A meeting at the White House has protocol significance and a meeting at the U.N. has global visibility. But Biden opened his personal home to Modi (and the other Quad leaders). This reflects a degree of comfort and intimacy in the relationship that is unprecedented since President Dwight Eisenhower invited Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, to his home in Gettysburg in 1956. This was likely the final meeting between the two leaders and is the culmination of a personal relationship that has grown significantly over the years.

As at past summits, a ludicrously long joint statement listed virtually all the initiatives underway between India and the U.S., far more than could have been discussed by the two leaders. The very length obscures the important developments, such as recent progress on defense sales, including of sophisticated armed drones, and U.S. appreciation for Modi’s recent trip to Ukraine. Clearly, a conscious decision was made to avoid any mention of China or the war in Gaza even though those topics surely figured significantly in the private talks. It is clear that the partnership has grown dramatically over the past 25 years, and in the past four under the Biden administration.

But Biden will soon be history. Donald Trump or Kamala Harris is the future. Modi must tread carefully in this U.S. election season. He embraced Trump – literally, as well as figuratively – during Trump’s presidency. In his bombastic style, Trump announced Modi would be “coming to meet me,” though the Indian government declined to formally confirm the meeting. Much as he and Trump appear to admire each other – in style, as much as in substance – Modi is a good enough politician to watch the ballot box before he jumps into anyone’s embrace.

Especially given his productive relationship with the Biden administration, meeting Trump but not Harris would have been awkward.

India on the World Stage

Last year, Modi hosted an International Yoga Day event at the U.N. Headquarters with thousands of invited guests practicing their asanas under his instruction. This year, the major public event was off the U.N. campus: a gathering of the Indian diaspora on Long Island in a 16,000-capacity arena. This was significantly smaller than Houston’s NRG stadium, where he appeared with Donald Trump in 2019 at the “Howdy, Modi” rally and addressed a crowd of 50,000 people.

Notably, Modi is not taking the opportunity to address the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) this year and, like last year, has deputed Foreign Minister Jaishankar to do so in his stead. He instead participated in the pre-UNGA Summit of the Future, hosted by the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, where U.N. reforms, including of the Security Council, were on the agenda. Unlike the General Assembly, Modi and world leaders only had a few minutes rather than the 15-minute slot allotted to each country during High-Level Week speeches.

The Security Council: India’s Goal and Biggest Frustration

India has led the effort to expand the Security Council beyond the post-war structure that was created in 1945 and slightly expanded in 1965. Not many countries would dispute India’s assertion that the five-nation permanent members, the winners of World War II, reflect an outdated geopolitical scene. The problem as India has discovered is finding the formula that would replace that outdated structure.

U.S. President Barack Obama took a big step when he declared that India is a “natural candidate” for a permanent seat when the Council is expanded – a fact that was reaffirmed by President Biden in their Wilmington meeting Saturday and in the Quad declaration as well.

But no one has yet found a structure that would be approved by consensus within the General Assembly, avoid a veto in the Security Council, and be approved by the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. took another big step on reform last week when U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced support for two permanent seats in a reformed Council for Africa and one elected seat for small island developing states. She also said the U.S. supports text-based negotiations, a process which India has long sought. This announcement will give some impetus for Security Council reform but no one is under the impression that we will see Council expansion in the near future.

Without permanent status, India competes with all the other Asia-Pacific nations for a two-year term every six to ten years. India came off the Security Council in 2022 and will not be elected again before 2028, while Pakistan will take a two-year seat in January 2025. It is particularly galling to India to see Pakistan occupy (albeit temporarily) a seat at the high table of global policy that India believes is its right by virtue of its population, and growing economic and security clout.

Modi used his presence at the U.N.’s Summit of the Future to reiterate India’s Security Council reform goals. But it is odd that he decided to forego the larger forum of the General Assembly to argue India’s case.

Wooing the Global South

India sees itself as the voice of the Global South. China disagrees. To prove their point, both countries are wooing the countries of Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania. China brings the greater resources although its Belt and Road Initiative has proven to be a double-edged sword. India brings soft power – through Bollywood and more – and in some parts of the world a significant diaspora. Modi noticeably included the African Union when he hosted the G-20 last September and made sure the the grouping would be a permanent member of future G-20 meetings.

Apart from “Africa Summits” in Delhi or Beijing, New York is the best locale to lay on the diplomatic efforts. The secretary general’s “Summit of the Future” provided the opportunity to rub shoulders with African leaders. Staying around New York for a few days more for the UNGA would have allowed for a lot more encounters as well as formal bilateral meetings.

Prime Minister Modi had his dramatic meeting in Wilmington with President Biden and his multilateral moment with the other Quad leaders. He checked the U.N. box but not as enthusiastically as he might have. And the Quad itself received an added push as India looks forward to hosting the next summit in 2025.

India rules out joining world’s largest trade deal, accuses China of ‘very opaque’ trade practices (CNBC)

CNBC [9/22/2024 10:03 PM, Lee Ying Shan, 48828K, Neutral]
India’s commerce minister rejected the idea of joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest trade deal, maintaining that it is not in the country’s interest to be part of a free trade agreement with China.

“India is not going to join the RCEP because neither did it reflect the guiding principles on which ASEAN was started, nor is it in the nation’s interest to do a free trade agreement with China,” India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal told CNBC’s Tanvir Gill in an interview.

The RCEP deal was signed in 2020 by 15 Asia-Pacific countries — which makes up out 30% of global GDP — and came into force in January 2022. The countries are the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and five of their largest trading partners, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Negotiations for the RCEP started in 2013 and initially included India, which some members viewed as a counterbalance to China. However, in 2019, India chose not to join RCEP, citing unresolved “core interest” issues. Back then, India did not expand on what some of those core unresolved interests were.

Goyal noted that at that time, India already had a free trade agreement with ASEAN, Japan and Korea, as well as a bilateral trade with New Zealand worth $300 million.

“It was not in our farmers’ interest, RCEP did not reflect the aspirations of our small and micro medium industries and sector, and in some form, was nothing but a free trade agreement with China,” he said.

“When you see from the lens sitting outside the country, you don’t realize how difficult it is to compete against a non-transparent economy,” the minister continued, in reference to China.

“Certainly nobody back home would like to have an FTA with [a] non-transparent economy, very opaque in its economic practices, where both trading systems, political systems, the economy — the way it is managed — is completely different from what the democratic world wants.”

Goyal also accused China of using the World Trade Organization’s policies to its advantage, flooding various economies with goods at low prices which often do not meet quality standards.

From solar panels to cars to steel, China has recently been churning out more goods in an economy that has been slow to absorb, resulting in a surge of cheap exports to foreign markets.

Semiconductor ambitions

The minister also made a strong case for India to become a Taiwan “plus one” semiconductor country.

“China Plus One” is a phrase used to describe a supply chain strategy that sees companies diversifying manufacturing and sourcing, by continuing operations in the mainland while also expanding into other countries. This approach aims to reduce risks linked to complete reliance on a single country’s market or supply chain.

Spinning off that idea, Goyal thinks India can become an alternative place in the region for companies that want to diversify outside of Taiwan for semiconductors.

“We are encouraging [the] semiconductor industry in a big way. We started building up the ecosystem, which is essential before we can see more and more foundries coming into the country for the actual chip making,” Goyal said.

“We expect the demand for semiconductor products to be about $100 billion by 2030, and will grow exponentially thereafter,” he said, adding that interest in India’s semiconductor industry is expanding “by leaps and bounds.”

India aims to establish itself as a major chips hub similar to the U.S., Taiwan, and South Korea, actively seeking foreign companies to set up their operations in the country.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three semiconductor plants, bringing the total count of plants under development in India to four. One of those plants is a joint venture between Tata Electronics and Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. The plant, which is set up in Dholera, Gujarat state, is expected to deliver its first batch of semiconductors by late 2025 or early 2026.

Asked if India can be Taiwan’s “plus one” in the semiconductor space, Goyal said that his country’s size, democracy and rule of law means it is a “safe habor.”

“It provides an alternative where you will always have a youthful population in life, huge demand, and you will have the rule of law to back it. I think that’s a very compulsive case,” he said.

The world recognizes that excessive concentration in any one region is fraught with serious risks, Goyal added.

India’s chip strategy has two main components: attracting foreign companies to establish operations and invest in the country, as well as forming partnerships with other major semiconductor nations, such as the U.S. In 2021, the government approved a $10 billion incentive program for the sector, which is also available to foreign companies.

As of 2024, Taiwan, the world’s chipmaking powerhouse, is expected to hold around 44% of global market share, followed by China with 28% and South Korea with 12%, according to a report. The U.S. and Japan account for 6% and 2%, respectively.

The authors of the report, Taiwan consultancy Trendforce, said Taiwan’s global capacity share in advanced manufacturing processes is expected to decrease to 40% by 2027, while South Korea’s could see a 2% decline. In the same time period, China’s is expected to increase by 3% to 31%.

India’s Manipur on high alert over influx of 900 militants from Myanmar (Reuters)

Reuters [9/21/2024 9:26 AM, Tora Agarwala, 37270K, Negative]
India’s northeastern state of Manipur has been placed on high alert after intelligence reports of a potential influx of 900 suspected Kuki militants from Myanmar, a senior security official said on Friday.

An organisation that represents the Kuki community, however, denied the security official’s allegations and called for his resignation.

Kuldiep Singh, Manipur’s security adviser, told reporters the information regarding the militants had been shared with various intelligence agencies.

Since May 2023, Manipur has been embroiled in violence between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities, driven by disputes over economic benefits and quotas.

"The border police have been alerted, and combing operations are underway," he said, adding that hill districts, home to Kuki tribes, were put under heightened vigilance.

Denying there had been an influx of Kuki militants from Myanmar, the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), the main body representing the community in the state, accused the security adviser of spreading false information about the community while failing to ensure their safety.

"We no longer feel secure under his leadership...we would like to call for his resignation," a KSO statement said.

The Kuki people, residing in southern Manipur, share ethnic ties with the Chin tribe in Myanmar.

The latest intelligence follows reports of attacks involving explosives delivered by drones that officials allege were carried out by Kuki militants. Kuki representatives have denied the attacks were carried out by people in their community.

In response to the attacks, Meitei protesters have held large gatherings in Imphal, demanding action against Kuki militants.

Despite efforts to quell the unrest, sporadic clashes persist, with the latest violence resulting in 11 deaths earlier this month. Since May of last year, the conflict has resulted in at least 237 deaths and displaced over 60,000 people in Manipur, which is home to 3.2 million people.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeatedly attributed the violence to an influx of refugees following Myanmar’s 2021 military coup.

Last year, the government revoked a long-standing policy permitting visa-free movement along the 1,650-km (1,000-mile) porous border, and announced plans to construct a border fence at a projected cost of 310 billion rupees ($3.71 billion).

These measures have drawn criticism from Kuki groups due to their ties across the border.

Manipur remains divided into two ethnic enclaves - a Meitei-controlled valley and Kuki-dominated hills - separated by a no-man’s land monitored by federal paramilitary forces.

India’s Muslims await Supreme Court ruling on ‘bulldozer justice’ (VOA)

VOA [9/21/2024 8:06 AM, Shaikh Azizur Rahman, 4566K, Negative]
Rights advocates in India are looking to a Supreme Court hearing October 1 in hopes of a permanent ban on so-called bulldozer justice, in which state governments frequently demolish the homes of people — often Muslims — who have been accused of crimes.

After hearing a batch of petitions against punitive demolitions on Tuesday, the justices ordered that until the October 1 hearing, "there shall be no demolition anywhere across the country without seeking leave" of the court.

According to the Housing and Land Rights Network, more than 153,000 homes have been demolished in the past few years by state governments, displacing about 738,000 people.

State and local governments often justify the action by saying the buildings were unsafe or illegally constructed, but the demolitions often target individuals who have been accused but not convicted of crimes. Many of the demolitions have taken place in states ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP.

Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch, said Indian authorities are using "summary and abusive punishments against people, mostly Muslims," by demolishing their properties.

"This violates the basic principle of justice. In courts, government lawyers claim that the properties were illegal. But it is unlawful to arbitrarily demolish properties without due process," Ganguly told VOA.

"Yet, shockingly several BJP leaders have openly said that they believe in such bulldozer justice."

Collective punishment without the sanction of law

Former Indian Supreme Court Justice Madan Lokur told VOA in an interview that in his view, the residential houses are being demolished as a form of collective punishment without the sanction of law.

"Houses are demolished on suspicion of being encroachments or being illegally constructed. Residential houses cannot be constructed overnight. Were the municipal authorities sleeping when the alleged illegal construction was going on? Surely, they are guilty of dereliction of duty," Lokur said.

After firebrand monk and Hindu nationalist BJP leader Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, or UP, in 2017, he declared that he would make the state crime-free. Adityanath asked his officials to take the "strictest possible actions against all criminals" in the state.

Soon, the police and other civic officials in UP started taking "anti-criminal" actions, including the demolition of illegal constructions.

In 2022, after Nupur Sharma, a BJP spokesperson, made an allegedly offensive comment against the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims in UP staged a protest rally. Soon after, the state authorities demolished many houses and shops owned by those who had taken part in the rally.

The same year, after communal tension broke out between Hindus and Muslims in the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh, the authorities pulled down at least 50 houses and shops — all owned by Muslims.

Over the past few years, houses, shops and other "illegal" structures owned by accused criminals, communal violence rioters and others have been demolished in states including UP, MP, Haryana, Assam and Maharashtra — in most cases where the BJP was in power.

Over the past two years, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, a leading organization of Islamic scholars in India, filed multiple petitions to the Supreme Court seeking orders to prevent governments from demolishing homes or shops as a form of extrajudicial punishment.

While hearing one petition filed by Rashid Khan, a Muslim autorickshaw driver, the court observed on September 2 that punitive demolitions cannot be justified, even if the property belongs to someone accused or convicted of a crime.

On August 17, authorities demolished Khan’s one-story house in Udaipur, in Rajasthan state, which he had rented out to two families.

Khan, who filed a petition with the Supreme Court last month seeking compensation from the state, said he believes his home was targeted in a punitive action because the 15-year-old son of one of his Muslim tenants had been accused of stabbing his Hindu classmate to death on August 16.

On September 13, while hearing another petition, the court observed: "Running a bulldozer on the property of an accused is akin to bulldozing the law of the land."

The court noted that it does not oppose the demolition of unauthorized structures. But it said the demolitions are not being carried out in accordance with proper procedures.

"First issue notice, give time to answer and seek legal remedies, before going for demolition," the court said, adding that it would soon issue national guidelines on the demolition of illegal structures.

NSB

Fears grip ethnic minorities after deadly violence in Bangladesh (Reuters)

Reuters [9/21/2024 8:57 AM, Ruma Paul, 37270K, Negative]
Ethnic minorities in Bangladesh’s southern hilly region are living in fear after clashes in which four people were killed and dozens wounded, police and witnesses said on Saturday.

Sectarian violence, sparked by the lynching of a Bengali man on Wednesday, has displaced scores of ethnic families after homes and businesses were set on fire in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) bordering Myanmar and northeast India, they said.

A 72-hour road and waterways blockade, called by student-led ethnic groups, is underway in three hilly districts of Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban in the CHT, home to several indigenous tribal groups.

The protesters are calling for punishment of those responsible for the unrest, which escalated on Thursday, leading to the deaths of at least four men from ethnic minorities.

Many families in Khagrachhari and Rangamati have fled, leaving behind burning houses and businesses.

Despite heavy army, police and Border Guard Bangladesh patrols, residents remain on edge.

"A tense situation is prevailing... Police and security forces are jointly patrolling, hopefully, peace will restored soon," said Ahsan Habib, deputy inspector general at Chittagong Range Police.

The Bengali man’s lynching triggered retaliatory attacks on ethnic minority communities, officials said.

Dozens of houses and businesses, primarily belonging to Buddhist minorities, were set on fire or attacked. Buddhist temples became targets, and loudspeakers in local mosques were used to incite Bengali mobs, witnesses said.

In response, local authorities have imposed Section 144, a curfew-like measure, in Khagrachhari and Rangamati.

The interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohammad Yunus, which took power after deadly protests that led to the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last month, has expressed deep regret over the violence. It has told all security forces to exercise maximum restraint and prioritise the safety of all residents.

A high-level committee will be formed to investigate the violence, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said after a meeting with local political leaders and various organisations.

In the 1980s, the government resettled thousands of landless Bengali families in the 5,500 sq miles (14,200 sq km) CHT, fuelling tension between the new settlers and indigenous groups.

In 1997, the then government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed a peace accord with the Shanti Bahini, a tribal guerrilla group, ending a 25-year insurgency that sought political autonomy for the region.

Classes resume at Bangladesh university at heart of protests (Agence France-Presse)

Agence France-Presse [9/22/2024 12:20 PM, Staff, 4566K, Negative]
Students returned to classes at Bangladesh’s Dhaka University on Sunday after a weeks-long shutdown sparked by a student-led uprising that toppled autocratic prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Tens of thousands demonstrated on campus and in the surrounding Shahbagh neighbourhood as protests against job quotas morphed into a nationwide struggle to end Hasina’s 15 years of iron-fisted rule.

As the protests swelled in July, authorities shuttered the campus as part of a crackdown on the demonstrations that killed hundreds.

Several of the top student protest leaders were enrolled at the university, some of whom were snatched by plainclothes police and held in custody for several days.

On Sunday the lecture halls were full again, with students chatting in groups along tree-covered walkways and buying drinks and snacks at canteens.

"I feel so much better coming back to class after a long time," said Arpita Das, who studies political science.

"It was like a new students’ reception as our teacher welcomed us in class with flowers."

Das said she was present during a pitched battle on campus in July, when protesters and students backing Hasina’s Awami League party fought each other with rocks, sticks and iron rods.

"We were used to the routine of going to classes, study and exams," she said.

"We were in so much uncertainty about whether we could resume class again and complete our studies," she added.

Classes had started again in all but four or five departments said assistant proctor Mohammad Mahbub Quaisar, who was appointed after previous administrators loyal to Hasina resigned.

"Students are attending in a joyous mood," he said.

Hasina’s government was accused of widespread abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killing of political rivals.

More than 600 people were killed in the weeks leading up to Hasina’s ouster in early August, according to a preliminary United Nations report that said the toll was "likely an underestimate".

Since her departure for exile in neighbouring India, cabinet ministers and other senior members of Hasina’s party have been arrested, and her government’s appointees have been purged from courts and the central bank.

In the leafy streets of the Shahbagh neighbourhood, colourful new murals exhort the public to "destroy the iron doors of prison" and celebrate Bangladesh’s "rebirth".

"It was like we were in an oppressive era when we could not say anything," said masters student Kalimulla Al Kafi, 25, of the crackdown ordered by Hasina.

"Today it feels like I am attending classes with freedom."

"We can express ourselves freely."

Cascading disasters push residents of a Nepalese valley to the brink (AP)

AP [9/20/2024 10:29 PM, Niranjan Shrestha, 44095K, Negative]
In between the Himalayas’ towering mountains, the town of Melamchi is no stranger to extreme weather, and its landscape bears the scars of years of floods and landslides.

Located just 50 kilometers (31 miles) outside Kathmandu, lush green mountainsides are dotted with landslips and rubble. Amid the debris, people live and work, and children play.

Saroj Lamichane, a 24-year-old resident of the region, says he still remembers "the terrifying sound of the flood." Lamichane fled that night, returning only to collect belongings wedged between boulders and broken walls.

Many houses in Melamchi are on stilts to avoid the worst of the flooding. Still, floors are covered in a layer of loose rock. Windows have been ripped out of walls. And some buildings still slant after Nepal’s devastating 2015 earthquake.

Farms are also not spared.

Sukuram Tamang, 50, lost his land and field to floods in 2021, and his home was damaged in a landslide this year. When The Associated Press visited, Tamang stood holding one of his goats - a literal handful of what survived Melamchi’s incessant weather extremes.

"Even the little that remained has been swept away by floods earlier this year," said Tamang’s wife, Maya. "The river used to be a 20-minute walk from our house but during the floods, we were shocked to see it overflow and wash away everything we had."

Another farmer, Sita Pandit, 50, took a loan to rebuild her home that was destroyed in the earthquake. But one year after construction finished, her new home was swept away by the 2021 floods. Rocks and debris now cover her farm.

In a 2021 report, the Kathmandu headquartered International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development found that cascading hazards are becoming more common in Nepal and the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

Rising temperatures are leading to heavy glacial melt and glacial lakes overflowing. They also lead to shifting rainfall patterns which bring heavy sediments downstream, said Sudan Bikash Maharjan, one of the authors of the 2021 report.

Maharjan said local and federal governments need to be better prepared and give people time to evacuate.

Until then, many work hard to rebuild their old lives. People reconstruct homes among the debris or build new ones entirely. They walk and live among pieces of homes and furniture. Layers of mud cover up the lives they once lived.

Leftist Leader Elected President as Sri Lanka Rejects the Old Order (New York Times)

New York Times [9/21/2024 4:14 PM, Mujib Mashal and Pamodi Waravita, 831K, Neutral]
The Marxist candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, was elected president of Sri Lanka on Sunday, riding a wave of popular anger at the established political order that ran the South Asian nation’s economy into the ground.

The remarkable turnaround for Mr. Dissanayake, after he had won only 3 percent of the vote in 2019, lifts his half-century-old leftist party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, to the center of a political landscape shattered by widespread protests two years ago. The popular outpouring of anger culminated in the toppling of the strongman president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the capital city, Colombo, on a navy ship as protesters jumped into his pool and fried snacks in his kitchen.

Mr. Dissanayake, 55, had in recent years led a rebranding effort of an organization once known for deadly insurrections: building a large coalition, softening its radical positions and pitching it as the alternative to the deeply rooted politics of patronage that has brought only hardship to many of the island nation’s roughly 23 million people.

“The people have placed their trust in me and my political movement,” Mr. Dissanayake said on Sunday evening after the election commission officially declared him the winner. “Everyone — those who voted and didn’t vote for me — we have a responsibility to take this country forward.”

Mr. Dissanayake secured 42 percent of Saturday’s high-turnout vote, about 80 percent. His closest competitor, the opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, received about 33 percent of the votes cast.

In a sign of how enormous a swing it is in the island nation’s political landscape, Mr. Dissanayake’s immediate challenge will be forming his cabinet. In Sri Lanka’s system, cabinet ministers must come from the Parliament, where his party has only three seats.

His officials said the new president has constitutional options to oversee the work of the ministries while he calls for new parliamentary elections in the coming months, in which his party will have the momentum.

“Parliament will be dissolved because this Parliament already lost the mandate,” said Bimal Rathnayake, a member the political bureau of the new ruling party.

While congratulations and concessions trickled in early Sunday morning as the overnight vote count continued, Mr. Dissanayake’s official victory had to wait until late in the day as the results required another round of counting that included voters’ second and third choices.

In Sri Lanka’s ranked-choice election system, voters can mark one candidate on their ballot or list three candidates in order of preference. If no candidate gets 50 percent or more of the vote, a second round of counting factors in the preferences of voters whose first choice did not make it to the top two.

At the end of a peaceful and orderly vote on Saturday, the government had made a surprise announcement of an overnight curfew as the counting continued. But a statement of support from Mr. Dissanayake’s camp suggested it was a coordinated effort to prevent violence, rather than anything sinister.

There was also praise from leaders of the country’s minority groups, as well as from activists for an election campaign that, unlike divisive past campaigns, had happened largely “without recourse to racial or religious chauvinism.”

It is the first time a presidential election in Sri Lanka has appeared genuinely multipronged, in contrast to a history of direct competition between coalitions formed by the two parties that have dominated ever since the nation became a republic in 1972.

While officially more than 30 candidates were contesting, the majority of the votes were split among three front-runners.

The popular protest movement that forced the powerful Rajapaksa clan out of power in 2022 threw the political landscape wide open, the anger reshaping the dynamics down to the local level. While Gotabaya Rajapaksa had put accusations of war crimes during the country’s bloody civil war behind him to win a handsome mandate in 2019, his management of the economy led to his downfall: The country ran out of foreign exchange for imports, as people lined up for fuel and food.

Before its fall, the Rajapaksa government had become a family affair, with various relatives serving as president and prime minister, as well as helming several ministries and key positions. But its fall has been so thorough that Namal Rajapaksa, the family’s 38-year-old political heir and presidential candidate in the current election, was a distant fourth, with a single-digit share of the votes.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, the 75-year-old political survivor who stepped in as interim president after Mr. Rajapaksa fled the country when protesters surrounded his home, has helped stabilize the country and negotiated a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund.

But Mr. Wickremesinghe was also trailing far behind in Saturday’s vote, with his roughly 17 percent of the votes putting him in third place — a sign of anger over his austerity measures that have pinched the poor hard, and of his lasting public image as part of the discredited old guard.

Mr. Premadasa, the opposition leader, had also tried to fashion himself as offering an alternative with more capable hands in his team to handle the economy. But he was formerly in Mr. Wickremesinghe’s party before a messy public parting also split the party support base.

Mr. Dissanayake positioned his National People’s Power coalition, built around his old J.V.P. party as its largest partner, as the best positioned to deliver the public demands of the protest movement for cleaning up Sri Lanka’s deeply entrenched political patronage and corruption. He brought in new faces at the top, and focused on reaching out to and mobilizing women, who were particularly hard hit by the economic collapse. He also softened his own party’s old radical Marxist messaging.

His efforts appeared to have resonated with a tired public ready for change.

“I’m voting for the Compass this time,” said Saman Ratnasiri, 49, an auto-rickshaw driver in Colombo, referring to the election symbol of Mr. Dissanayake’s coalition. He said he had never voted for Mr. Dissanayake before, but he wanted to give his outfit a shot after other leaders had failed him.

“If we don’t get it right this time also, then I might as well forget about this country,” he added.

The economy was a central issue of the campaign, with poorer people continuing to feel the pinch of the austerity measures as the interim government increased taxes and reduced subsidies. The economic collapse saw poverty rates double, with a quarter of the population living below the poverty line.

All of the main candidates were largely in favor of the economic stabilization efforts around the I.M.F. bailout package and the macrovision of increasing taxes and increasing exports to correct a lopsided economy, said Umesh Moramudali, a Colombo-based economist.

Mr. Dissanayake has said that he would like to revisit the debt sustainability with the I.M.F. in the hopes of getting more relief for the poor and middle class. Mr. Moramudali said the new president might find some face-saving ways in which he manages certain small concessions for his political base without throwing the program into uncertainty that derails the recovery.

“All three of them categorically mentioned that they will not derail from the I.M.F. program,” Mr. Moramudali said. “I think that stems from the fact that they understand the potential downsides of leaving an I.M.F. program in a situation like this.”

Socialist to lead Sri Lanka in major shake-up amid financial crisis (Washington Post)

Washington Post [9/21/2024 5:13 AM, Karishma Mehrotra and Hafeel Farisz, 52865K, Neutral]
Marking a new era in Sri Lankan politics, a socialist has won an election to be the next president, beating out mainstream parties that have ruled since independence, in the first election since the island nation’s disastrous debt default in 2022, according to early returns Sunday.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, known as AKD, heads a Marxist party that was involved in armed uprisings in the 1970s and 1980s but has long been out of power.

Having risen from the ashes of a brutal government crackdown and rebranded itself over recent decades, the party is now leading a leftist and social democratic coalition that has tapped into popular anger by promising to renegotiate a bailout program with the International Monetary Fund, fight corruption and usher in a social revolution.

Dissanayake drew a little over 40 percent of the vote, including in the south, which had been a bastion of the country’s two mainstream parties.

Roughly 75 percent of 17 million eligible voters headed to polls Saturday, in the first election since one of the country’s worst financial meltdowns, with significant repercussions for its economic recovery. With no candidate reaching the 50 percent mark on the first count, the country tallied second preferences on votes for the first time in history.

After Sri Lanka’s default two years ago, protesters flooded the presidential palace, forcing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee and eventually resign. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was voted into power by Parliament after Rajapaksa’s ouster, was seeking another term. But there were also more than three dozen other candidates vying to convince voters that they are best placed to guide the country through a much-needed financial recovery.

What could the result mean?

Rajapaksa had cut taxes right before the pandemic, gutting state revenue and ushering in an unprecedented debt default and skyrocketing inflation. Global financing was at the heart of the election, and two neighbors stuck in a major geopolitical battle — China and India — are closely watching how events unfold.

“We recognize that India and China have global ambitions,” said Harini Amarasuriya, a member of Parliament from the leftist coalition. “We aren’t averse to investment at all. We just want it done the proper way. We don’t want any corruption.”

For decades now, Chinese loans have propelled major infrastructure projects in the country, contributing to its debilitating debt. India, with some assistance from the United States, has begun playing catch-up.

Some contenders pulled foreign investments into electoral focus. Dissanayake said he would cancel the $442 million wind power project run by the Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, saying it threatens the country’s “energy sovereignty.”

Adani is also working on a port project in Colombo with American financial assistance.

What were the main issues?

This election was a referendum on austerity measures that were implemented soon after the financial crash. Wickremesinghe had sought help via a $2.9 billion IMF bailout, which required the state to introduce measures such as raising taxes and privatizing several state companies.

Many of those economic troubles continue to distress Sri Lankans, with the cost of living and taxes remaining central concerns.

However, the country’s economy has more recently grown beyond expectations, with slowing inflation. Just a couple of days before the election, the country received another boost with a draft deal to restructure its $12.5 billion in foreign debt.

But the macro changes seem not to have shifted the mood on the ground. Poverty levels continue to rise, according to the World Bank, with more than a quarter of the population living below the poverty line.

Sri Lanka’s election, said Nilanthi Samaranayake of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the East-West Center, has brought to the fore “tangible electoral consequences” of global banks’ impact on a developing economy.

Who was on the ballot?

There were nearly 40 candidates, but the race became a three-way battle for the first time in the island’s history.

The incumbent, Wickremesinghe, 75, ran on a call to keep the IMF program and its austerity measures in place. With many tenures as prime minister, he was seen by voters as part of the old guard responsible for Sri Lanka’s economic plunge. But Wickremesinghe has taken credit for pulling Sri Lanka out of extreme economic instability.

Two other top candidates called for a renegotiation of the IMF deal.

Opposition candidate Sajith Premadasa leads a centrist group that broke away in 2020 from Wickremesinghe’s party. The former cabinet minister, whose father was assassinated when he was president, campaigned on lowering taxes and the cost of living by renegotiating the IMF bailout. He previously lost to Rajapaksa in the 2019 presidential contest.

But the key challenger was Dissanayake.

“We want to ensure that there are more social protection measures for the poorer,” Amarasuriya, of his leftist coalition, told The Washington Post.

The nephew of the deposed president, Namal Rajapaksa, is the latest member of Sri Lanka’s most powerful political family to have run for office but was not seen as a top contender.

Who was expected to win?

Analysts had said the election would be incredibly tight. Some early surveys showed Dissanayake in the lead, with many supporters among the protesters who stormed the presidential palace in 2022.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, a supporter of incumbent Wickremesinghe, told The Post that the IMF program was a well-thought-out agreement.

“Many parties have promised renegotiation of the agreement with the IMF, but I don’t think that is a realistic goal or possibility,” he said. “Discontinuity or even the specter of it would have serious repercussions.”

Marxist Anura Kumara Dissanayake sworn in as Sri Lanka’s president (AP)

AP [9/23/2024 4:27 AM, Krishan Francis and Bharatha Mallawarachi, 456K, Neutral]
Marxist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s president on Monday after an election that saw voters reject an old guard accused of leading the country into economic crisis.

Dissanayake, 55, who ran as head of the Marxist-leaning National People’s Power coalition, defeated opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and 36 other candidates in Saturday’s election.

Dissanayake received 5,740,179 votes, followed by Premadasa with 4,530,902.

In a brief speech, the new president pledged to work with others to take on the country’s challenges.

“We have deeply understood that we are going to get a challenging country,” Dissanayake said. “We don’t believe that a government, a single party or an individual would be able to resolve this deep crisis.”

Just before the swearing in, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena resigned, clearing the way for the new president to appoint a prime minister and a cabinet.

The election came as the country seeks to recover from its worst economic crisis and resulting political upheaval.

He’s the ninth person to hold Sri Lanka’s powerful executive presidency, created in 1978 when a new constitution expanded the office’s powers.

Dissanayake’s coalition is led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, or People’s Liberation Front, a Marxist party that waged two unsuccessful armed insurrections in the 1970s and 1980s to capture power through socialist revolution. After its defeat, the JVP entered democratic politics in 1994 and has been mostly in opposition since then. However, they have supported several previous presidents and been part of governments briefly.

The NPP also includes groups representing academics, civil society movements, artists, lawyers and students.

Dissanayake was first elected to Parliament in 2000 and briefly held the portfolio of agriculture and irrigation minister under then-President Chandrika Kumaratunga. He ran for president for the first time in 2019 and lost to Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Dissanayake’s first major challenge will be to act on his campaign promise to ease the crushing austerity measures imposed by his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe under a relief agreement with the International Monetary Fund.

Wickremesinghe has warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay the release of a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion.

That economic crisis resulted from excessive borrowing to fund projects that did not generate revenue, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government’s insistence on using scarce foreign reserves to prop up its currency, the rupee.

It led to shortages of essentials such as foods, medicines, cooking gas and fuel in 2022, triggering massive protests that forced then-president Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

Wickremesinghe, then prime minister, was elected by Parliament to fill the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term.

Central Asia

The West Cautiously Extends Migrant Worker Options For Central Asia (Radio Free Europe)

Radio Free Europe [9/22/2024 11:08 PM, Chris Rickleton, 235K, Neutral]
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was tight-lipped on the details of the migration deal that his country finalized with Uzbekistan on September 15.

The agreement allows the "necessary immigration of highly talented workers that we need in Germany," Scholz said after talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev.

At the same time, simple, “unbureaucratic” procedures were agreed to "so that those who have to go back must go back,” Scholz added in comments made in Samarkand and published on his office’s website.

The last part of those comments may have had a domestic audience in mind.

Germany is one of many Western countries where migration -- illegal migration in particular -- is a hot-button issue being tapped into by the political right.

But it is also one of the few areas in which Western countries can, in the short term, honor their pledge to deepen ties with Central Asia -- a region whose strategic stock has gone up since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine.

In Berlin’s case, “the German government finds itself in a bind,” said Yan Matusevich, a researcher and journalist focused on Eurasian migration.

“It is trying to appease anti-immigrant sentiment among the population with the recent electoral successes of the far right while addressing the dire labor shortages that are hampering the German economy. As a result, you get these agreements that are designed to display harshness against irregular migrants, but provide opportunities for skilled migrants and students,” Matusevich told RFE/RL.

Labor Schemes Grow, Numbers Low

The traditional migration destination for Central Asians leaving job-light economies has been Russia, where millions of nationals from the region reside.

But a rarely easy life for migrants from major labor-senders Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan has hit new levels of difficulty because of the war, after military recruiters began targeting both naturalized and nonnaturalized Central Asians for the front lines.

Since March and the deadly Crocus City Hall attack in which nationals of Tajikistan were implicated, difficult has become impossible for many, thanks to a massive increase in raids on migrants at their workplaces and homes, with more and more Central Asians also being turned back at Russia’s borders.

All three of those countries have attempted to engage Moscow over this alarming new normal, only to receive the reply that Russia’s approach to migration policy is now very much security-first.

And that means a very real window of opportunity for the West to court those Central Asian countries, for whom remittances equate to anywhere between 10 percent of gross domestic product (Uzbekistan) to over 40 percent (Tajikistan).

But results so far are modest and are likely to remain so, according to experts.

In the United Kingdom, where anti-immigration sentiment spilled into riots last month, the Seasonal Workers Scheme attracts thousands from Central Asia every year.

Demand for the scheme is high across the region, a fact that has given rise to scams and predatory behavior on the part of agencies advertising the placements.

But while migrants can often earn two or three times in Britain compared to what they can get in Russia, the overall remittance value of migration between Central Asia and the United Kingdom is still lower than destinations with longer-established migration ties to the region such as South Korea.

In Germany’s case, too, the numbers are small.

A September 15 report on the agreement by the Hamburg-based weekly Die Zeit pointed out that there are currently just 13,700 Uzbeks living in the country.

Meanwhile, “only around 200 Uzbeks are in Germany without a residence permit...less than 0.1 percent of all 225,000 migrants in Germany who are required to leave the country,” Die Zeit reported.

Neither Berlin nor Tashkent have offered insight as to how those numbers will change.

But the agreement is “in line with similar agreements with other countries,” including Kenya, Morocco, and Georgia, according to Beate Eschment, a researcher at the Berlin-based Center for East European and International Studies (ZOIS).

“The debate about migration here is completely muddled and irrational at the moment and, unfortunately, the government’s policy seems to be the same. It is not communicated enough that we need workers and that they can only come from abroad,” Eschment told RFE/RL. She added that she fears Uzbeks arriving in Germany “will experience hostility toward foreigners,” given the current environment.

In September 2023, Germany and Kyrgyzstan signed a declaration of intent for a migration agreement, which is expected to occur in the near future.

The official phrasing was almost identical to Scholz’s regarding the sealed deal with Uzbekistan, detailing an aim “to open pathways for skilled workers to Germany and obligate Kyrgyzstan to readmit its nationals who have no right to stay in Germany.”

It is expected that agriculture, home-care nursing, and construction will be the priority sectors that the prescreened Uzbek placements will target.

Afghan Question And ‘Disappointment’ For Central Asia

For the moment then, a big migration boost for Central Asian countries from Europe looks unlikely.

But media reports in Germany have suggested that Uzbekistan may have a trump card in negotiations on the topic, amid ongoing talks on cooperation over the controversial deportation of Afghans back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Scholz gave a circumspect response to a media question about progress in those negotiations while he was in Uzbekistan, citing only "confidential discussions about cooperation in many areas."

But in the wake of a deadly knife attack in the western town of Solingen, Berlin announced last month that it had begun deportations of Afghan nationals for the first time since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover.

The first such flight saw 28 Afghan nationals with criminal records in Germany sent back home as part of a deal mediated by Qatar.

“Germany doesn’t want to have anything to do with the Taliban and that is where Uzbekistan comes in handy,” Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin told RFE/RL, noting Tashkent’s cooperative relationship with the group.

Scholz was in Uzbekistan ahead of a visit to Kazakhstan where he held talks with the leaders of the five Central Asian countries on September 17.

That followed up Germany’s first ever “5+1” talks with the region in Berlin this time last year -- part of a flurry of diplomatic activity that the region enjoyed in the second year of the war in Ukraine as Western governments seek to secure deals for natural resources and enforce compliance on sanctions against Russia.

But while interest in Central Asia from Germany and Europe as a whole has “risen significantly,” the five may have felt “disappointment” with the lack of actual progress in their respective relations with Berlin since then, argues Stefan Meister, a Central Asia expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations.

“If you talk to Uzbek or Kazakh officials, you can understand that they had high expectations after the meeting with Scholz last year,” said Meister. "They hoped that Central Asia would be a priority for Scholz and that Germany would start investing significantly more in the region.”

And, although Germany is seeking resources to replace a once-heavy dependence on Russia, fresh investments into the authoritarian and corruption-prone region haven’t flowed thick and fast, Meister said in an interview with RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service.

“After the memoranda and statements, there was no significant action from Germany, at least not to the extent that they had hoped for,” he said.

Central Asia’s High-Stakes Gamble With The Taliban (Radio Free Europe)

Radio Free Europe [9/22/2024 2:38 AM, Farangis Najibullah and Khursand Khurramov, 1251K, Neutral]
Central Asian countries are taking steps to broaden relations with their southern neighbor, the Taliban-led Afghanistan, despite the hard-line group’s increasingly restrictive policies, particularly toward women.

Kyrgyzstan removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations earlier this month, Turkmenistan resumed work with Afghanistan on a major gas-pipeline project, and Uzbekistan signed $2.5 billion worth of cooperation agreements with Kabul during the Uzbek prime minister’s high-profile visit to Afghanistan in August.

Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev said on September 6 that the measure aims to "secure regional stability and further develop ongoing dialogue."

On September 11, Turkmen and Taliban officials held a ceremony to mark the resumption of the much-delayed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas-pipeline project, which is designed to transport up to 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan to South Asia each year.

The ceremony in the Turkmen border town of Serhetabat was attended by former President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, the head of the powerful People’s Council of Turkmenistan, while the Taliban delegation was led by its prime minister, Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who is on a UN sanctions list.

Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhammedov joined the ceremony via a video link.

The estimated $10 billion TAPI project was first designed in the 1990s but was repeatedly delayed due to war and instability in Afghanistan.

Turkmenistan hopes the proposed 1,800-kilometer pipeline will become a key source of revenue for cash-strapped Ashgabat.

And Afghanistan would earn about $500 million in transit fees annually, a major boost to its budget.

The future of TAPI, however, remains in doubt due to Western sanctions on the Taliban administration and the absence of official recognition of the government in Kabul that could hamper funding and investment in the project.

No country in the world has formally recognized the Taliban government.

High-Profile Visit

In August, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Oripov went to Kabul, marking the highest-level visit by a foreign government official since the Taliban took power in Kabul three years ago.

During the visit, Uzbek and Taliban officials reportedly signed investment and trade deals worth about $2.5 billion in the energy, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors.

Afghanistan and Kazakhstan announced in August 2023 that they were planning to increase bilateral trade to $3 billion.

Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s largest economy, was the first country to delist the Taliban as a terror organization in December 2023.

But while Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were quick to make visits to Kabul after the Taliban returned to power, Tajikistan was the only Central Asian country to take a harsh stance on the new rulers in Afghanistan.

‘Accepting Reality’

Dushanbe’s position has been largely linked to its ethnic, linguistic, and historic connection to the mainly ethnic Tajik opponents to the Taliban, which is predominantly ethnic Pashto.

But Tajikistan now appears to be softening it policies toward the Taliban in a move that Tajik experts describe as “accepting reality.”

Tajikistan exports electricity to Kabul and has established several markets in border towns where local merchants from the two sides sell goods. The governments also reportedly discussed cooperation in the fight against militants who target Tajikistan from inside Afghan territory.

Both Dushanbe and Kabul have a shared interest in defeating the Islamic State-Khurasan terrorist group, which has recruited many militants from Tajikistan.

Afghan media reported that the head of Tajikistan’s state Committee for National Security, Saimuddin Yatimov, had a meeting with Taliban intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq in late August. Tajik authorities have neither confirmed nor denied those reports.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Dushanbe-based expert told RFE/RL’s Tajik Service that “given Tajikistan’s vast shared border with Afghanistan, the threats of terrorist attacks, and economic incentives, Tajik authorities have no choice but to opt for geopolitical cooperation” with the Taliban.

Some experts claim that China and Kazakhstan have played a role in convincing Dushanbe to change its attitude toward the Taliban administration.

Addressing high-ranked officials from members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Almaty in June, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev called the Taliban “a long-term factor” and highlighted what he described as “the importance of developing trade and economic cooperation with modern Afghanistan.”

Kazakhstan Detains Russian Citizen Wanted By Moscow For Anti-War Stance (Radio Free Europe)

Radio Free Europe [9/22/2024 11:15 AM, Staff, 1251K, Negative]
A Russian citizen has been detained in Kazakhstan after Moscow put him on an international wanted list after he condemned the invasion of Ukraine.

Yevgeny Nakaznenko, who has been living in Kazakhstan since 2007, was detained in Almaty while trying to board a flight to Istanbul on a business trip.

Nakaznenko runs a foreign language school in Kazakhstan.

Moscow opened an investigation into Nakaznenko on charges of spreading “false” information about the Russian Army and "encouraging terrorism."

Russian President Vladimir Putin outlawed criticism of the war and the country’s armed forces just weeks after he launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Hundreds of Russian citizens have been charged under the law, with many handed lengthy sentences.

In a video post on his Instagram account, the businessman -- who is of Ukrainian ethnicity -- condemned the war and voiced his opinion about Russian politics, although it is unclear if that was the post that triggered the arrest warrant.

A pro-Russian Kazakh blogger, Anton Budarova, who saw the video, called on Russian authorities to punish Nakaznenko, according to opposition journalist Yevgenia Baltatarova.

An Almaty court has placed Nakaznenko in pretrial detention until the end of October. He faces possible extradition to Russia.

OVD-Info, a human rights group, said Nakaznenko was unaware of the charges against him and was not trying to flee Kazakhstan.

Russia put Nakaznenko on its list of “terrorists and extremists” on August 8, by which time police had opened their case against him.

Nakaznenko is not the first Russian citizen detained by Kazakhstan at the request of Moscow for anti-war comments.

Tens of thousands of Russians have moved to Kazakhstan to avoid a so-called "partial military mobilization," which Putin announced in September 2022.

The Kazakh government under President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has been trying to maintain a careful balance between Russia on the one-hand and Ukraine and the West on the other since the start of the war.

While not openly condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Toqaev has publicly stated that his country would not recognize parts of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions occupied by Moscow’s forces as Russian territory.

Sustained By The Syr Darya: How One River Keeps Tajik Farmers Afloat (Radio Free Europe)

Radio Free Europe [9/21/2024 3:02 AM, Petr Trotsenko, 1251K, Neutral]
Tajikistan’s northern Sughd Region is a rich agricultural basin thanks to the Syr Darya River that transits the area. For 144 kilometers the river flows through Tajikistan -- barely enough for the multiple demands on its water from cotton, rice and fruit farmers, to two major hydropower stations.

RFE/RL photo correspondent Petr Trotsenko followed the river through Tajikistan to see how the Syr Darya River sustains life and influences geopolitics in Central Asia.

It’s 4:30 a.m. when we set off to meet local farmers in Tajikistan’s Sughd region. In these parts, you need to get your work done before the sun begins baking the landscape. During the week we spent in the region, the air temperature reached 50 degrees Celsius nearly every day.

Some 93 percent of Tajikistan’s territory is mountainous, and the people know the value of fertile land. Along the border with Uzbekistan, the floodplain of the Syr Darya River is well utilized by local farmers. Most grow cotton. Farrukh Zabitov, head of the Fariza farm, got lucky with geography. His field sits right on the banks of the Syr Darya. But he pays for the time the water pumps that irrigate his fields are running.

"This year, the price of water increased by 150 percent," he says. "Previously we paid 20 somoni ($1.80) per hectare for one hour of watering; this year, we paid 50 somoni."

At the same time, "the price of cotton dropped so much that I couldn’t make any profit from it," the farmer says.

Three years ago, 1 kilogram of cotton sold for 15 somoni, but in 2023 the price of 1 kilogram of cotton didn’t rise above 5 to 6 somonis. "It would be good if we could get at least 10 somonis per kilogram this year," Zabitov said.

Cotton production is one of the most important industries in Tajikistan’s economy. Some experts associate the drop in cotton prices with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions leveled at Moscow.

Russia, which was one of Tajikistan’s main cotton buyers, is reportedly buying fewer raw materials due to the difficulty Russian businesses now face selling finished products to other countries.

"It has become very difficult," Zabitov says, before turning back to his work. In summer, every minute in the cotton fields counts.

During my visit to Tajikistan, I heard from several farmers that growing cotton has become unprofitable. Land taxes are increasing, water and fertilizer are expensive, and cotton has to be sold for a pittance.

Most of the farmers here worked on collective farms under the Soviets. As the U.S.S.R. collapsed, many of those workers ended up being able to lease the land of the farms from their newly independent state.

Farmer Abdullo Niyazov is one of those who rents a plot of land and has worked his fields for more than 30 years. Niyazov grows cotton on one of his plots and apricots on the other. The state requires the farmer to grow some cotton; otherwise, he says, he would grow only apricots. The fruit trees require little attention, and there is always a steady market for dried apricots.

Niyazov’s entire family are involved in picking apricots from their 25 trees. The harvest is a critical time -- if the fruit is not picked in time and dried properly, it will rot.

Explaining how he irrigates his fields from the Syr Darya River, Niyazov tells me, "We have a ditch running through here, and a pump is installed with a water meter," he says. "We pay a bit more for the water because our plot is far away from the river."

He maintains the pump at his own cost.

"The apricot trees don’t need much water, but cotton is very thirsty. We’ll see what our income is like in the autumn," he says.

We met Nehmatullo Mirsaidov, a journalist and expert on agriculture and water resources, in one of the teahouses on the banks of the Syr Darya in Khujand, Tajikistan’s second-largest city. A cool breeze from the river offered relief from the baking heat of the plains.

The expert says that stresses on the river are increasing due to drought, the shrinking of glaciers due to climate change, and the inefficient use of water, mostly by cotton farmers.

"The water of the Syr Darya is not being used wisely. In particular, it is being used inefficiently in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which grow significantly more cotton than in Tajikistan," Mirsaidov says.

"I believe one way to solve the water problem is to reduce cotton production and switch to horticulture," he says. "Despite the fact that the land is leased to private farmers in Tajikistan, the state still requires them to grow cotton. Ideally, cotton should only be grown in sufficient quantities to be processed domestically. However, it seems it is profitable for some to buy raw materials from farmers and sell them on the foreign market."

According to Mirsaidov, cotton cultivation is gradually decreasing in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan; however, cotton still remains those countries’ main agricultural product. The specialist suggests the shortage of irrigation water could be solved by introducing modern technologies such as drip irrigation or by using rainwater.

"Of course, it is not cheap, but sooner or later we have to do it," the specialist says. "We need to attract funding from abroad, but foreign investors tend not to be interested in Tajikistan because our land is not privately owned. There is no guarantee that foreign investors will not lose their money tomorrow."

In the Sughd region on the Syr Darya River, there are two hydroelectric power plants (HPPs), Farhad and Kairakum.

The Soviet-era Farhad Dam is located in the territory of Tajikistan, but its power station is owned by Uzbekistan. The unusual arrangement is a result of a conflict over the facility that erupted amid Tajikistan’s 1992-97 civil war.

A long-running dispute between the two countries was resolved only in 2018 when Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed an agreement in which Tajikistan agreed to guard the facility while operation of the power station would be carried out by Uzbeks.

Most of the people living on the Tajik side of the border here are ethnic Uzbeks but speak Tajik well and consider Tajikistan their homeland.

Azat is a 57-year-old ethnic Uzbek who oversees the pump that delivers water from the Syr Darya River up to the mountain villages of the Spitamen district. He used to work as a teacher.

"Now there are no male teachers left in schools, only women," said Azat, describing how his teaching career ended. "That’s because the monthly salary is low. I made an average of 700 somonis ($65) a month. It’s impossible to support a family on such a pittance."

Now he works at the pump part-time and tends livestock at his home nearby.

Azat makes sure the six pumps at the station push out the right amount of water to those who need it.

"You call and tell me to send water, and I’ll turn on the pump and the water will flow," Azat says proudly of his role in irrigating the district.

"This year, there has been enough water in the Syr Darya, but last summer there was very little," Azat says. "Everything depends on the snowfall. If the snow falls heavily in the mountains, there will be a lot of water.

"Much of the water flows into the Syr Darya from the Andijan and Osh glaciers in Kyrgyzstan. When there is a lot of water, Kyrgyzstan allows more water to flow here; and when there is less water, they don’t want to lose any. They also have their own land and people."

Around 55 kilometers east of the Farhad power station, the Kairakum HPP has been operating since 1957.

Behind the dam of Kairakum, the Syr Darya is backed up in a massive reservoir known as the Tajik Sea.

The artificial lake is crucial for the region. In 2021, amid a severe drought, Tajikistan allocated some 315 million cubic meters of water from the reservoir to Kazakhstan.

Along the shore of the Tajik Sea, locals swim and fish, while farmers grow cotton, rice, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

In a rice paddy that runs up to the edge of the reservoir, Abdullahob expresses gratitude for his farm’s proximity to the water. The 54-year-old is able to harvest up to 2 tons of rice in a good year. At a local market, he nets enough profit to provide for his family.

"The variety of rice I grow is called kenja. It’s good for pilaf because the grains are small," Abdullahob says. "Everything grows well here. If you are vigilant and apply fertilizer at the right time, the yield will be good. Of course, a lot of water goes into the rice, but that water flows right back into the sea. Rice and water are twins."

Abdullahob wants to work here at least until he retires and then pass it on to his children or grandchildren.

"The most important thing is that I am healthy enough to work," he says. "And that there is water."

ISKP intensifying online propaganda targeting Russia and Central Asia (EurasiaNet – opinion)

EurasiaNet [9/20/2024 4:14 PM, Lucas Webber and Louise Meloy, 57.6K, Negative]
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP) has emerged as the most globally ambitious and active branch in both its operations and propaganda of all radical Islamic groups.

ISKP is presently implementing a regionalization and internationalization strategy that has increasingly focused on extending its reach into Central Asia, as well as appealing to associated diaspora elements elsewhere, especially in Russia. The movement’s Central Asian contingent has accounted for a notable share of ISKP-linked activity outside of Afghanistan, but a rising number of instances of terrorist activity are more recently involving Russian nationals, Chechens, and others from its Caucasus region. Jihadism expert Aaron Zelin’s dataset found ISKP to be linked to 12 plots in 2023 and 19 thus far into 2024 – targeting Tajikistan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the United States, India, Iran, and Turkey.

The branch’s Al-Azaim Foundation for Media Production established Tajik and Uzbek media wings in 2022 with great success in building support. More recently ISKP launched a Russian language branch that is increasingly extending its reach online using platforms such as Telegram, Rocket Chat, Threema, Element and others.

ISKP is now integrating its Russian propaganda section with its Tajik and Uzbek components, predominantly on Telegram, demonstrating increased coordination and heightened prioritization of the production unit.

In 2022, ISKP became more vocal in its online criticisms of the Taliban’s relations with Moscow for “befriending Russians, the murderers of Chechen Muslims.” It has also become increasingly overt about its intent to target Russia, urging supporters to “cast fear into the hearts of the sons of Putin and Russia, kill them with cars and knives.” With such calls to action, Al-Azaim was preparing the information space for a suicide bombing against the Russian embassy in Kabul the following month, resulting in the deaths of two staffers.

ISKP often assails Russia’s historical legacy of repressive action against Muslims, as well as its current security and diplomatic engagements in predominantly Muslim countries. In February 2023, for instance, Al-Azaim reminded its supporters about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the bloody wars in Chechnya, and its ongoing military intervention in Syria. Other stated grievances in its propaganda include Moscow’s contemporary influence in Central Asia, its engagement with private military companies and an armed footprint across Africa, where it is directly fighting Islamic State in multiple conflict arenas. ISKP also is critical of the Kremlin’s close ties with Iran and China.

It was the March 22 assault against Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, which killed at least 143 people and wounded approximately 80 others, that hyper-charged support for Islamic State among a segment of anti-Russia elements. ISKP has continued prioritizing Russia in its militant activities, as indicated by a planned follow-up attack against a busy shopping mall in Russia, which was reportedly disrupted with shared intelligence from Turkey.

Riding the momentum of the Moscow attack, ISKP published posters on messaging apps and social media sites in Russian, Tajik, Uzbek, and other languages issuing a “threat to all brutal Russians, including Putin,” promising they “will be massacred all together with your women and children” as revenge for the torture of prisoners. In the April issue of its flagship Voice of Khurasan magazine, titled “The Bear Bewildered,” ISKP boasted about the operation’s success, praised past attacks in Russia and the West, and directed supporters to commit further acts of violence.

More recently, the Russian branch of Al-Azaim has been focusing on the IK-19 prison break attempt near Volgograd, an incident officially claimed organized by IS Central. Russian-language content, including graphic footage of the attack, circulated on pro-ISKP channels claiming that attackers acted in retaliation for the global persecution and mistreatment of Muslims in Russia and worldwide.

Jihadism expert Riccardo Valle noted how “Al-AzaimRussia has intermittently praised or eulogized militants from the Caucasus region, such as Abdul Karim al-Ingushi, a militant killed in March 2024 in the Karabulak area.”

ISKP continues to operate active crowdfunding campaigns via dedicated propaganda channels, including magazines and encrypted messaging channels. In the wake of the Moscow attack, the Russian-language Voice of Khorasan, issue 2, published in June 2024, an ISKP poster solicited crypto donations in Monero (XMR), a popular privacy coin, in support for Jihad, while recent posts on RocketChat’s Al-Azaim Russia channel encouraged money transfers via TRC20 tokens. This is in line with recent evidence showing that IS-affiliated entities and their supporters have been moving away from popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin (subject to higher law-enforcement scrutiny), towards lesser-known, decentralized digital currencies, including on the TRON-Network.

Since 2018, several Islamist terrorist attacks and plots in France and elsewhere in Europe have been linked to young extremists from Russian North Caucasus republics, mostly Chechnya. In 2022, seven individuals from the North Caucasus were arrested for plotting an attack in Strasbourg, France, which was highly likely planned and directed from Afghanistan by ISKP operatives. In June 2023, a cell of three Chechen and Bosnian nationals were arrested in Austria for plotting to attack an LGBTQ parade in Vienna. The individuals raised money in online chat groups to buy weapons for ISKP, and one suspect intended to travel to Afghanistan to fight.

In May, the French DGSI arrested a young Chechen national suspected of plotting an Islamist terror attack during the Paris Olympics. The individual was reportedly in contact with known ISKP members through encrypted messaging apps. More recently, three ISKP-linked Chechen men were arrested in Belgium for plotting a terrorist attack.

Despite successful governmental efforts to disrupt its communication and dissemination networks, ISKP propagandists will almost certainly continue to exploit Telegram to promote its terrorist agenda, as well as fundraising and recruitment efforts. But given the enhanced scrutiny of Telegram of late, threat actors are also migrating to other, lower-profile channels to continue operations.

Indo-Pacific

Biden Hosts a Final ‘Quad Summit’ at His Delaware Home (New York Times)

New York Times [9/21/2024 4:14 PM, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, 831K, Neutral]
President Biden hosted the leaders of Australia, India and Japan at his home in Wilmington, Del., this weekend, seeking to use his fourth and final “Quad summit” to cement the alliance between the United States and Indo-Pacific nations and to counter China’s rising influence in the region.

Mr. Biden used the summit to expand both his “cancer moonshot” initiative and the Quad Fellowship, a scholarship program designed to build ties among the next generation of scientists and technologists. The four leaders also signed a maritime agreement and announced a joint Coast Guard mission.

The Quad alliance has existed for more than a decade, but Mr. Biden was the first president to convene a meeting among the leaders of the nations as a foursome. As the four posed for a photo on Saturday, Mr. Biden was asked whether the alliance would last beyond November. “Way beyond November,” he said.

“Our countries are more strategically aligned than ever before,” Mr. Biden said later, adding, “While challenges will come, the world will change, because the Quad is here to stay.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India echoed the president, saying, “The Quad is here to stay.”

Mr. Biden has often said that “all politics is personal,” and the decision to open his home in Wilmington — the first time he has invited foreign leaders there — reflected his conviction that deep relationships are the best way to forge constructive alliances. With just a few months left in the president’s term, this year’s summit had a personal touch.

On Friday night, when the president had a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, he gave Mr. Albanese a tour of his home and told those in attendance to get comfortable and take off their jackets. The first lady, Jill Biden, was not present; she stayed in Washington to host the first Back-to-School Night at the White House on Saturday.

“The vibe of it was sort of two guys, one at the other guy’s home, talking in broad strokes about where they see the state of the world, you know, swapping some stories from their respective political careers,” Jake Sullivan, Mr. Biden’s national security adviser, told reporters on Saturday. It felt, he said, as if “you had someone come over for a cup of coffee.”

Mr. Biden had one-on-one meetings with Mr. Modi and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan at his home on Saturday. After the session with Mr. Modi, the United States and India also announced a new joint clean energy initiative with a focus on partnerships in Africa, where China is making major investments in clean energy.

All four leaders met in the afternoon for a more formal session at Archmere Academy, where the president went to high school, and were to have an “intimate” dinner there in the evening, a White House spokeswoman said.

The president’s first Quad summit, during the coronavirus pandemic in March 2021, was virtual. Mr. Biden used the meeting to announce a partnership with Japan, India and Australia to finance a dramatic expansion of vaccine manufacturing capacity in India, which would in turn help address an acute shortage of Covid vaccines in Southeast Asia.

The Quad alliance reflects Mr. Biden’s belief that, in addition to bilateral meetings and large gatherings like the Group of 20, there is value in what Mr. Sullivan called a “latticework approach with multiple institutions, overlapping partnerships, different configurations.”

This year’s summit also addressed health issues. Later on Saturday, the president unveiled a new collaboration — the Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative — aimed at reducing cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific region. Some countries in the area, particularly poor and remote island nations, have especially high rates of the disease.

Mr. Biden is deeply invested in his moonshot initiative, which aims to “end cancer as we know it.” He inaugurated it in 2016, when he was vice president, at the request of President Barack Obama, after the death of Mr. Biden’s son Beau from glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

“In practice, the Quad Cancer Moonshot means more collaboration between our hospitals, research centers and cancer foundations, more investment in screenings, treatment and research, and more exchanges between our countries,” Mr. Biden said.

The initiative is being spearheaded by Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Australia, a country that has already made large strides in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer. The expanded moonshot program will focus on expanding cervical cancer screening; increasing vaccinations against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a common sexually transmitted infection that is the primary cause of cervical cancer; and treating patients.

It will be supported by Gavi, an international organization that works to expand access to vaccines. In June, Jill Biden, the first lady, announced a five-year commitment of $1.58 billion to Gavi.

India, a major vaccine manufacturer, will donate vaccines, Mr. Modi said. Japan will contribute technical expertise. Australia, which is on track to become the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer, will expand its existing work in the region.

“One in four global cervical cancer cases occur in the Indo-Pacific, and tragically, women in the Pacific die of the disease at up to 13 times the rate of women in Australia,” Mr. Albanese said. “These people are not numbers. They are our neighbors, members of our Pacific family, and we’re stepping forward to help.”

Quad group expands maritime security cooperation at Biden’s farewell summit (Reuters)

Reuters [9/21/2024 10:22 PM, Trevor Hunnicutt and David Brunnstrom, 2376K, Positive]
Leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the United States expanded joint security steps in Asia’s trade-rich waters as outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden hosted counterparts from the Quad grouping established due to shared concerns about China.

Biden, meeting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese near his Delaware hometown on Saturday, stressed the importance of maintaining the Quad, which he sees as a signature foreign policy achievement. He will leave office after the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election.

The leaders announced joint coast guard operations next year that will include Australian, Japanese and Indian personnel spending time on a U.S. coast guard vessel. The countries plan increased military logistics cooperation, officials said. They did not comment on where the coast guard activity would take place.

The leaders also planned to expand an Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness launched two years ago.

While the White House said the Quad summit was directed at no other country and that Beijing should find no issue with the initiative, Biden started the summit’s group session with a briefing on China. In a joint statement that did not name the Chinese government by name, the leaders condemned "coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea."

Analysts said new maritime security initiatives would send a message to Beijing and represent a further shift of emphasis of the Quad’s activities to security issues, reflecting growing concerns about China’s intentions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has objected to the Quad grouping as an effort to encircle Beijing and ramp up conflict.

Biden described Beijing as shifting tactics but not strategy, while continuing to test the United States in the South and East China Seas as well as the Taiwan Strait.

"We believe Xi Jinping is looking to focus on domestic economic challenges and minimize the turbulence in China diplomatic relationships, and he’s also looking to buy himself some diplomatic space, in my view, to aggressively pursue China’s interest," Biden said in remarks carried on an official event feed.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including territory claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. It also claims territories in the East China Sea contested by Japan and Taiwan. China also views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory.

The leaders’ joint statement included sharp language about North Korea, condemning its ballistic missile launches and "malicious cyber activity." A U.S. official said the leaders shared concern about Russian military assistance for North Korea.

The group is stepping up work to provide critical and security technologies, including a new open radio access network, to the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia, regions of intense competition with China.

A health initiative by the leaders is aimed at combating cervical cancer.

Lisa Curtis, an Asia policy expert at the Center for a New American Security and a former administration official, said India, which is not part of any military alliance, has been worried about perceptions that the Quad could be militarizing the Indo-Pacific.

"But I think China’s recent maritime aggression could be changing the equation for India and could be prompting India to become a bit more open to the idea of Quad security cooperation," she said.

Analysts and officials say Biden hosting the Quad is part of efforts to institutionalize the body ahead his departure from office and that of Kishida, who is stepping down after a leadership contest next week, and elections in Australia by next year.

Asked about the group’s staying power, Biden grasped Modi by the shoulder and said the group was here to stay.

Albanese called the Quad’s coast guard plan "very important" as the "four countries will have personnel on perhaps a single vessel, improving the interoperability and the cooperation that occurs", according to the transcript of a press conference he held in Philadelphia.

Before the summit, Albanese met with Biden at his home and discussed bilateral cooperation between the two close allies across defense and security, including in the Indo-Pacific.

The Quad met at foreign minister level under the previous administration of Donald Trump, who is running against Vice President Kamala Harris in November, and enjoyed bipartisan support, as reflected by the formation of a congressional Quad Caucus ahead of the summit. Biden elevated the Quad to the leader level in 2021.

Twitter

Afghanistan

Suhail Shaheen
@suhailshaheen1
[9/21/2024 11:30 PM, 734.7K followers, 69 retweets, 379 likes]
1/2 The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has both support of the people of Afghanistan and writ all over the country but still no representative or delegation from IEA is invited to participate in the current UNGA meeting.

Suhail Shaheen
@suhailshaheen1
[9/21/2024 11:30 PM, 734.7K followers, 11 retweets, 94 likes]
2/2 Such posture doesn’t solve any issue but rather deepens the gap and is against the policy of engagement with IEA which the UN claims to be following.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[9/20/2024 8:05 AM, 91.7K followers, 101 retweets, 163 likes]
New Update: Afghan education activist Ahmad Fahim Azimi is spending 11 months in prison for crime he has not committed. After Azimi rejected the court ruling on 1 April 2024, his case was referred for further investigation by Kabul Public Security Court. Since then, the investigation on his case has been delayed unjustifiably and no judgement has been made. Azimi continues to be kept in prison under false accusation in a grossly unfair trial. Amnesty International once again calls on the Taliban de- facto authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ahmad Fahim Azimi whose mental health continues to deteriorate. https://amnesty.org/en/documents/asa11/8045/2024/en/

Pakistan

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[9/21/2024 7:15 AM, 6.7M followers, 687 retweets, 2.6K likes]
Departing for New York to represent Pakistan at the 79th UN General Assembly. Looking forward to a busy week full of engagements. During our interactions we will take up global issues, promoting peace, development & climate action.Will present Pakistan’s perspective to the world, advocate our interests & strengthen international partnerships.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[9/20/2024 10:53 AM, 91.7K followers, 630 retweets, 1.2K likes]
PAKISTAN: The horrific spate of extrajudicial killings of people accused of blasphemy in Pakistan highlight the government’s ongoing failure to uphold their obligation to respect and protect human rights, including the right to life, freedom of religion or belief and prohibition of discrimination. Within a week, police have killed two individuals accused under Pakistan’s regressive blasphemy laws. On 19 September, a doctor accused of blasphemy was shot dead by police officers in a so-called ‘police encounter’ in Umarkot, Sindh; earlier on 12 September, a police officer shot dead a blasphemy suspect in custody in Quetta, Balochistan.

Highlighting the pattern of impunity for blasphemy related violence, the authorities have attempted to evade accountability as the family of the victim killed in Quetta has been pressured into forgiving the police officer under the country’s laws which allow for a victim’s heirs to forgive the accused in cases of murder or injuries.

Since May 2024, at least 4 people accused of blasphemy have been killed in mob violence in Sargodha (Punjab), Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Quetta (Balochistan) and Mirpurkhas (Sindh). Pakistani authorities should complete a thorough, impartial and independent investigation into the incidents and ensure those responsible are prosecuted in fair and transparent trials, without resorting to the death penalty. The government must also immediately repeal the blasphemy laws which have since long helped perpetuate discrimination and violence.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[9/21/2024 10:15 AM, 213.3K followers, 1.5K retweets, 4.4K likes]
All the arguing about how many people showed up at the latest PTI rally in Pakistan-and many did, despite restrictive conditions-obscures the fact that the party’s popularity and influence can be measured by a lot more than how many people show up at a rally.

India

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[9/22/2024 11:31 PM, 102.2M followers, 1.7K retweets, 5.4K likes]
Addressing the tech CEOs’ roundtable in New York. https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1OyJAZlgqRyxb

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[9/22/2024 9:35 PM, 102.2M followers, 1.7K retweets, 10K likes]
Met President Mahmoud Abbas in New York. Reiterated India’s support for early restoration of peace and stability in the region. Exchanged views of further strengthening long standing friendship with the people of Palestine.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[9/22/2024 8:22 PM, 102.2M followers, 3.9K retweets, 25K likes]
Had a fruitful roundtable with tech CEOs in New York, discussing aspects relating to technology, innovation and more. Also highlighted the strides made by India in this field. I am glad to see immense optimism towards India.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[9/22/2024 8:22 PM, 102.2M followers, 2.5K retweets, 21K likes]
Had a very good meeting with Prime Minister KP Oli in New York. The India-Nepal friendship is very robust and we look forward to adding even more momentum to our ties. Our talks focused on issues such as energy, technology and trade. @kpsharmaoli

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[9/21/2024 10:59 PM, 102.2M followers, 6.3K retweets, 31K likes]
Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties. I am extremely grateful to President Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India. @POTUS @JoeBiden

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[9/21/2024 9:18 PM, 102.2M followers, 6.5K retweets, 34K likes]
Glad to have met Quad Leaders during today’s Summit in Wilmington, Delaware. The discussions were fruitful, focusing on how Quad can keep working to further global good. We will keep working together in key sectors like healthcare, technology, climate change and capacity building.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[9/21/2024 3:50 PM, 102.2M followers, 17K retweets, 142K likes]
I thank President Biden for hosting me at his residence in Greenville, Delaware. Our talks were extremely fruitful. We had the opportunity to discuss regional and global issues during the meeting. @JoeBiden

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[9/21/2024 11:40 AM, 102.2M followers, 6K retweets, 48K likes]
Landed in Philadelphia. Today’s programme will be focused on the Quad Summit and the bilateral meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. I am sure the discussions throughout the day will contribute to making our planet better and addressing key global challenges.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[9/21/2024 9:48 PM, 213.3K followers, 2 retweets, 10 likes]
The Quad is very much about countering China, but China is not mentioned in public Quad documents/ statements. Today’s joint statement comes closer than ever before-reflecting Quad leaders’ growing concerns about increasingly aggressive Chinese actions.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[9/21/2024 2:52 PM, 213.3K followers, 54 retweets, 166 likes]
The White House meeting on Thursday w/Sikh activists wasn’t meant to sabotage US-India ties on eve of Modi visit. But it was the latest reminder that the Khalistan issue is now a real tension point in bilateral ties and will continue to be one no matter who wins the US election.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[9/22/2024 9:47 AM, 213.3K followers, 27 retweets, 162 likes]
US-India ties have at times been shaky in the Biden era, but Biden himself has a genuine interest in strengthening ties w/India. His meetings w/Modi in DE/NY will likely mark his last as president. An opportunity to put an exclamation mark on a partnership he’s long prioritized.

NSB

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[9/20/2024 9:02 AM, 91.7K followers, 232 retweets, 568 likes]
Bangladesh: Alarming incidents of violence were reported in Chittagong Hill Tracts as clashes between the Bengali settlers and the Indigenous community left at least three dead and more than 15 injured. Heavy gun firing was also reported, along with mob attacks against the Indigenous Peoples as dozens of houses and businesses belonging to the Indigenous Jummo community were set ablaze in Khagrachari and Rangamati districts. According to media reports, the latest violence erupted following the death of a man who was allegedly beaten by mob on suspicion of theft in Khagrachhari on 18 September. Amnesty International calls on the government of Bangladesh to immediately end the mob violence, work to prevent further escalation of violence in the area and address their underlying causes, including by upholding the obligations under the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord. The authorities must carry out a thorough, impartial and independent investigation into the attacks and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

Tshering Tobgay
@tsheringtobgay
[9/22/2024 6:38 PM, 99.6K followers, 18 retweets, 132 likes]
In a separate engagement, I met with H.E. Mr. K.P. Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal. I congratulated him on his fourth term in office and expressed confidence in his leadership to bring positive developments in Nepal.

Tshering Tobgay
@tsheringtobgay
[9/22/2024 6:38 PM, 99.6K followers, 11 likes]
I also conveyed my desire to work together to deepen the ties between our two nations across various areas of shared interest. I further took the opportunity to thank the Government of Nepal for generously providing land in Lumbini for a Bhutanese monastery…

Tshering Tobgay
@tsheringtobgay
[9/22/2024 6:38 PM, 99.6K followers, 7 likes]
…and I shared my hope that construction can begin once the lease agreement is finalized. We further discussed enhancing collaboration in key sectors such as tourism and trade.

The President’s Office, Maldives
@presidencymv
[9/22/2024 6:05 PM, 110K followers, 208 retweets, 227 likes]
President H.E. Dr @Mmuizzu meets with the Maldivian community residing around New York State to better understand their needs and cultivate meaningful connections.

The President’s Office, Maldives
@presidencymv
[9/22/2024 2:32 PM, 110K followers, 211 retweets, 212 likes]
President H.E. Dr @MMuizzu emphasises the importance of resilient infrastructure as a key enabler of economic growth, at the Maldives’ side event, "Building Productive Capacities in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)," at the @UN Headquarters. This event co-hosted by the Maldives, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and UNCTAD, focused on enhancing productive capacity and highlights progress on the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, economic diversification, and fostering resilient growth in SIDS economies. #MaldivesAtUNGA79 #UNGA79 #OurCommonFuture

The President’s Office, Maldives
@presidencymv
[9/22/2024 1:47 PM, 110K followers, 218 retweets, 213 likes]
The President reiterated the Maldives’ commitment to playing a more active role in the UN system, in his meeting with the United Nations Secretary General https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/31664#MaldivesAtUNGA79 #UNGA79

Embassy of Nepal, Washington, D.C.
@nepalembassyusa
[9/22/2024 8:07 AM, 3.5K followers, 2 retweets, 32 likes]
The Rt. Hon. KP Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal, leading a Nepali delegation to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), arrived in New York today. The delegation includes Minister for Foreign Affairs Honorable Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, senior government

Anura Kumara Dissanayake
@anuradisanayake
[9/23/2024 1:58 AM, 106.7K followers, 196 retweets, 1.3K likes]
This morning (23rd), I took oath as the 9th Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in the presence of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya at the Presidential Secretariat. I promise to fulfill your responsibility to usher in a new era of Renaissance for this country, and I look forward to your collective contribution to that.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake
@anuradisanayake
[9/22/2024 10:07 AM, 106.7K followers, 2K retweets, 8.9K likes]
The dream we have nurtured for centuries is finally coming true. This achievement is not the result of any single person’s work, but the collective effort of hundreds of thousands of you. Your commitment has brought us this far, and for that, I am deeply grateful. This victory belongs to all of us. Our journey here has been paved by the sacrifices of so many who gave their sweat, tears, and even their lives for this cause. Their sacrifices are not forgotten. We hold the scepter of their hopes and struggles, knowing the responsibility it carries. The millions of eyes filled with hope and expectation push us forward, and together, we stand ready to rewrite Sri Lankan history. This dream can only be realized with a fresh start. The unity of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, and all Sri Lankans is the bedrock of this new beginning. The New Renaissance we seek will rise from this shared strength and vision. Let us join hands and shape this future together!

M U M Ali Sabry
@alisabrypc
[9/23/2024 1:44 AM, 7.1K followers, 17 retweets, 239 likes]
As I conclude my public duties , I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported, guided, and constructively critiqued my efforts. Your trust and encouragement were the pillars that sustained me throughout this journey.

When I stepped into politics in 2019, I was driven by a single, clear vision to serve my country, particularly in reforming the justice system, a field to which I had already devoted much of my life. However, as many of you can appreciate, the road we set out to travel often shifts unexpectedly.

The world, and indeed our country, was soon besieged by extraordinary challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the far-reaching effects of the conflict in Ukraine, upended global stability, leading to one of the most severe economic crises in our nation’s history. It tested our resilience in ways we could not have imagined.

During these difficult times, I was privileged to serve in multiple roles first as Minister of Justice, then Minister of Finance, and finally as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Each position came with its own unique set of trials, and in each, I gave my very best to rise to the occasion and meet the demands placed upon me.

As Foreign Minister, I had the opportunity to engage with leaders, diplomats, and international organizations from around the world. Their unwavering support and partnership were invaluable as we sought to steer Sri Lanka through its economic recovery. I am deeply grateful for the solidarity they showed during some of our darkest hours.

Public service is never an easy road. It requires not just time and energy but also deep personal sacrifices. And when one strives to serve with integrity and honesty, those sacrifices can feel even greater. But as I reflect on this journey, I do so with a sense of pride in the contributions I was able to make, no matter how small, during such a challenging time for our nation.

Entering politics was not a path that came naturally to me. There were many challenges, both expected and unforeseen. Yet, through it all, I held tightly to the advice my father gave me many years ago: “Control what you can, and do not waste time worrying about what lies beyond your reach.” These words have been my constant guide, allowing me to move forward even when the road ahead seemed uncertain.

As I now step away from public office, I look forward to returning to my first passion, the practice of law. I am excited about reuniting with the profession that has always been my true calling and, above all, having more time to spend with my family something I have missed dearly during these years.

To the Presidents I served under, my colleagues in government, the dedicated public servants, our international partners, and above all the citizens of this great nation, thank you. Serving Sri Lanka during such a critical time has been one of the greatest honors of my life. While the road was not always smooth, I am proud of what we achieved together.

Of course, no journey is without its missteps. I made mistakes, as anyone would. But through every challenge and every difficult decision, I can say with absolute sincerity that I gave my best, never shying away from the task at hand or retreating into the safety of armchair criticism.

As I close this chapter, I will always carry with me the lessons and memories from this period of service. I remain hopeful, like all of you, that Sri Lanka will rise to meet its full potential in the days to come. Thank you once again.

Eran Wickramaratne
@EranWick
[9/22/2024 1:26 PM, 69.4K followers, 3 retweets, 87 likes]
Congratulations to Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake on being elected as the 9th President of Sri Lanka. I wish him the wisdom to steer the nation out of its economic and social crises. We fought hard and worked tirelessly, but respect the people’s choice. This election has, once again, demonstrated the power of the democratic process. It’s a reminder that ideological political battles are not fought on the streets, but in the ballot box.

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[9/22/2024 8:41 PM, 358K followers, 272 retweets, 2..8K likes]
06:00AM Royal College. We campaigned hard for @sajithpremadasa but it was not to be. It is now clear @anuradisanayake will be the new President of #SriLanka. In the spirit of democracy and goodwill I called and wished my friend the best in the arduous road ahead. #SriLankaFirst

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[9/22/2024 1:32 PM, 213.3K followers, 4 retweets, 22 likes]
Some will label the victory of Dissanayake, a Marxist who’s been critical of India, a win for China/loss for India. Not at all. Maldives’ Muizzu=useful case study. These leaders know they can’t risk losing Indian support, esp economic. They hedge & balance ties w/India & China.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[9/22/2024 1:32 PM, 213.3K followers, 7 likes]
Not to mention, Dissanayake, unlike Muizzu, wasn’t openly critical of/hostile to India on the campaign trail. And he was invited by New Delhi to visit India not long ago. Important not to get caught up in the zero-sum thinking often linked to matters of great power competition.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[9/22/2024 11:33 AM, 213.3K followers, 21 retweets, 123 likes]
Sri Lanka’s election was a referendum on the economy, but it was also about a desire for change and a clean break with the Rajapaksa family and the system that sustained it. With Dissanayake’s win, the election’s main candidate for change, the country has voted for exactly that.

Central Asia

Asel Doolotkeldieva
@ADoolotkeldieva
[9/22/2024 12:33 AM, 14.3K followers, 7 retweets, 22 likes]
Don’t know whether all border trade zones are like this. But this concept of Khorgos (China -Kazakhstan border) trade in cheap products made exceptional within highly securitized borders, barbed wire, countless checks on every little step is bizarre.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[9/20/2024 10:19 AM, 201.3K followers, 7 retweets, 33 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev received the credentials of the newly appointed Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from #India, #SouthKorea, #Mongolia, #Germany, #Israel and the #EuropeanUnion The President highlighted the critical importance of reinforcing international cooperation amidst current global challenges. The discussions focused on deepening economic ties and identifying prospects for joint projects with each country.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[9/20/2024 7:29 AM, 201.3K followers, 1 retweet, 15 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev was introduced to new initiatives aimed at improving the environment and promoting tourism in #Uzbekistan. The programs for the creation of green belts and the introduction of environmental standards in construction, as well as strengthening measures for nature protection and public control in the field of ecology are presented. Special attention was also given to developing a medical tourism program to turn Uzbekistan into a leading destination in Central Asia.

Navbahor Imamova
@Navbahor
[9/20/2024 12:16 PM, 23.7K followers, 11 likes]
Uzbekistan: Some progress, at least here, in the most southern city, Termez, if not in the capital, Tashkent. This is available at least at some central spots. Termez/Surkhandarya officials say they are working on tourist guides and street signs.

{End of Report}

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