This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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President Donald Trump has returned to Washington after a NATO summit where leaders agreed to increase their military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, more than doubling the current target of 2%. The increase comes after years of pressure from Trump, who accuses other countries in the military alliance of not spending enough. “What he is interested in is catering to the military-industrial complex of the United States,” says Gilbert Achcar, emeritus professor of development studies and international relations at SOAS, University of London. “When he asks these NATO countries to increase their military expenditure, he means 'buy more U.S. weapons.' That’s what he is doing. He’s a salesperson for the military-industrial complex.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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Read a version of this story in Korean
Hungry North Korean soldiers are selling some of their military equipment to buy food, prompting officials to conduct inspections that have caught some soldiers without all their issued gear, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.
Though the country’s military is often said to be under-supplied, military-grade items tend to be of better quality than products civilians can obtain, so are viewed as desirable.
Weapons are used often during training, but personal gear like tents, lunch boxes, canteens and waterproof rice containers are not used as often, so some soldiers figure they won’t be missed.
RFA has reported in the past that soldiers often go hungry, and some of them even steal from residents get food.
The inspections began earlier this month, and will now happen on a regular basis, a resident of the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.
“The authorities recently determined that some young soldiers are selling their military-issued gear or giving it to people they know because they are hungry and need money,” he said. “In fact, quite a few soldiers during this inspection were caught without their gear that they were supposed to have.”
Two items — canteens and waterproof rice bags — are particularly sought after, he said.
Those who were caught without all their issued gear were going to be severely punished, he said.
“They will be questioned about how they disposed of their military gear,” he said. “Measures will likely be taken such as having them bring back their gear or paying for the missing items.”
Not fed enough
A unit in the northwestern province of North Pyongan conducted the surprise inspection by instructing the soldiers to assemble for a combat exercise in an open field, a resident there told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.
“I heard this from a soldier who frequently visits my house,” he said. “The items that were mainly raised during the inspection were military rice containers and personal tents. There was also unit that was missing several shovels.”
He said that the rice container is something that everyone needs, and that the tents can be used to cover holes in the roofs of homes and other buildings.
In North Korea, able-bodied men are required to serve 10 years in the 1.2 million-strong military after high school, from around age 18, while able-bodied women must serve seven years.
But rations can be small, and RFA has reported that new recruits plead with their parents for food soon after enlisting.
“Some newly enlisted soldiers are so hungry that they will secretly sell their military-issued supplies,” he said. “It will be difficult to completely eradicate this phenomenon unless chronic problems such as hunger are resolved.”
Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Ahn Chang Gyu for RFA Korean.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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One of Israel’s largest aerospace companies, Israel Aerospace Industries, has secured a contract to supply Vietnam’s military with two surveillance satellites worth US$680 million, the newspaper Haaretz reported.
The observation satellites would help Vietnam “address China’s provocations against its neighbors in the South China Sea,” the Israeli paper quoted unidentified defense industry sources as saying.
Radio Free Asia was not able to independently verify the information.
A Vietnamese source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject, said the government-owned firm Israel Aerospace Industries, or IAI, had a long history of cooperation with Vietnam and news of negotiations over a satellite deal had surfaced as early as 2018.
According to Haaretz, besides IAI, France’s Thales and the U.S. company Lockheed Martin were also offering surveillance satellites to Vietnam and “there could still be problems” for the Israeli contractor.
The paper cited Israeli sources as saying Vietnam was “a tough customer” and agreements can fall through because of domestic rivalry or pressure from other foreign contractors.
The Vietnamese client is believed to be the so-called General Department II of the Vietnamese army, or the military intelligence department, the newspaper said.
Satellites ‘too expensive’
Haaretz said that under the secured deal, the Israeli firm would sell two satellites to Vietnam, including “an optical imagery photography satellite and a synthetic-aperture radar satellite that provides a picture of the ground even at night or through complete cloud cover.”
One of them could be the OptSat 3000, an advanced electro optical satellite, equipped with a 70 cm aperture telescope and sensitive sensor and capable of delivering “better than 50 cm high resolution imagery of locations on Earth,” according to IAI.
Each satellite would cost US$300 million without launch facilities, “a price that space experts say is excessive,” the paper said, noting that in Vietnam corruption remained “rampant, even at the top.”
An Israeli Spyder mobile air defense system at the Vietnam’s Defense Expo on Dec. 9, 2022. (RFA)A businesswoman, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, who was believed to act as an intermediary for arms procurement from Israel to Vietnam, is on a Vietnamese wanted list for bid rigging and bribery but domestic media did not mention any defense deal.
Israel in recent years has become one of the top defense suppliers to Vietnam as it seeks to diversify its arms and military equipment procurement to reduce dependence on traditional partner Russia.
It is estimated that Vietnam has bought about US$2 billion worth of equipment from Israeli companies, including air defense systems, drones and radar systems.
“These technologies, especially radars, are what Israel is really good at,” said Yusuf Unjhawala, a defense analyst in Bangalore, India.
The satellites may be costly but Vietnam “needs its own tools of surveillance,” Unjhawala told RFA.
Vietnam and China are locked in a complex territorial dispute in the South China Sea, where China holds an expansive claim of up to 90% of the waterway.
IAI was present at several defense exhibitions in Hanoi to showcase its products and is reportedly aiming to establish a joint venture to manufacture military hardware in Vietnam.
Edited by Mike Firn
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Staff.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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We speak with a Greenlandic member of the Danish Parliament, Aaja Chemnitz, about incoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans to make America larger, in part by taking ownership of Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark. Greenland’s prime minister rejected the idea this week, saying, “We are not for sale and will never be for sale.” Trump’s statement on Greenland was made as he announced he was picking PayPal co-founder Ken Howery as his pick for United States ambassador to Denmark. “We’re open for business. We’re not for sale,” says Chemnitz. “The decision on what should happen with the future of Greenland is up to the Greenlandic people.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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Mainland Chinese shoppers are once more converging on stores in Hong Kong, but this time, they’re not in search of infant formula, clean cooking oil or Yakult probiotic drinks.
They’re buying up large quantities of sanitary towels and other feminine care items, spurred by reports of contaminated and discolored cotton filling in similar products made just across the border in mainland China and sold in Chinese stores.
“The quality’s more acceptable,” a resident of neighboring Guangzhou city shopping for sanitary products at one store in Hong Kong told Radio Free Asia in a recent interview. “I’m not so worried about using them because there are guaranteed standards.”
“I wish Chinese state-owned enterprises and regulatory authorities would follow up on safety issues around Chinese sanitary towels,” said the woman, who gave only the surname Zhang for fear of reprisals.
“I don’t buy them there anymore,” a woman who gave only the pseudonym Chen told RFA. “I only buy them here.”
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More than 340 million women aged 15 to 49 use sanitary napkins in China, with sales of such products worth around 98 billion yuan, or US$13.4 billion.
Yet many mainland Chinese women don’t trust feminine care products that are made in China.
Chinese companies have been embroiled in a string of public health scandals affecting foodstuffs in recent years, including other incidents involving Sudan Red in foods, melamine-tainted milk, used “gutter” cooking oil and cadmium-tainted rice.
Skimping on quality
Women have been taking to social media in recent weeks to report quality issues in sanitary products made in mainland China, including reports of substandard cotton filling that has been recycled from questionable sources, is discolored or contaminated.
A social media video last month showed one raw material supplier telling a blogger that the recycled material being sold as filling for sanitary towel manufacturers “came from diapers.”
Another blogger cut open a Sanwu brand product on camera, finding “inexplicable black blobs and foreign objects” in the filling, including a human hair.
Chinese manufacturers have also been accused of skimping on quality, including supplying sanitary towels that are several centimeters shorter than their advertised length.
“It’s a hot topic on Douyin right now that some sanitary towels just aren’t long enough,” a Shenzhen resident who gave only the surname Shen for fear of reprisals told RFA in a recent interview. “Some have been said to be unhygienic, with filling that looks black when you shine a light on it.”
Following social media complaints on Douyin and Xiaohongshu, government-backed media The Paper tested 24 different brands, finding that 88% of them were at least a centimeter (0.4 inches) shorter than advertised.
Chinese industry standards allow a discrepancy of up to 4%, which would equate to about 10-15 millimeters, suggesting that the discrepancies may not be illegal.
A worrying situation
More worryingly, social media users carried out their own private laboratory tests on Chinese-made feminine care products, finding that many products currently on the market have excessive levels of bacteria, harmful chemicals or the wrong pH, and could be harmful to women, leading to health problems, including bacterial vaginitis and pelvic inflammatory disease.
The reports prompted many women to take to social media in the hope of locating “safe” brands of sanitary products, spawning a wave of sellers on the social media platform claiming to have goods made in Hong Kong and Japan.
Sanitary products sold in personal products stores like Hong Kong’s Watson’s are often made in Hong Kong or Japan, to far more stringent safety standards.
In one social media video, a customer service representative of feminine products manufacturer ABC told a customer who complained: “If you don’t think this is acceptable, you don’t have to buy them.”
The company’s products were later removed from the shelves of its Tmall flagship store following a social media outcry.
A number of Chinese companies have made public apologies, while ABC has said that it is “deeply sorry” for its “inappropriate” customer service response, according to multiple media reports.
Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Roseanne Gerin.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Wei Sze for RFA Cantonese.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan plans to spend NT$70.6 billion (US$2.2 billion) on U.S. weapons next year, confirming recent speculation that it would make big new purchases to signal its commitment to President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that it pay more for U.S. “protection”.
Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims to have sovereignty over, heavily relies on U.S. support to counter Beijing’s growing military pressure, although it lacks formal diplomatic ties with the United States, which adheres to a “one China” policy.
“Taipei has signed contracts with the U.S. for 21 procurement projects, totalling NT$716.6 billion, with final payments scheduled to be made in 2031,” said the island’s defense ministry on Monday.
“Of this total, approximately NT$373.1 billion has already been paid, while NT$343.5 billion remains unpaid and will be disbursed according to the payment schedule,” the ministry added.
Next year’s NT$70.6 billion budget will be spent on weapons including portable short-range air defense missiles and radar system upgrades, according to the ministry.
Soldiers stand next to M1167 TOW carrier vehicle at the Fangshan training grounds in Pingtung, Taiwan, Aug. 26, 2024. A partnership between Washington and Taipei grew significantly during Trump’s first term and further deepened under President Joe Biden amid intensifying U.S.-China rivalry.
Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen made history with a landmark phone call to Trump following his 2016 election victory, sparking a strong backlash from Beijing.
Trump also bolstered ties by ramping up arms sales and increasing diplomatic engagement, with Taiwan purchasing US$18 billion in U.S. weapons during his first term – US$4 billion more than the two terms of the Obama administration.
However, during this year’s campaign, Trump adopted what media called “bluntly transactional diplomacy” and criticized Taiwan’s insufficient military spending and its semiconductor dominance, arguing it was “stupid” for the U.S. to provide free protection.
The president-elect also signaled doubt as to how quickly and effectively the U.S. could help defend the island against a Chinese invasion.
This sparked speculation in Taiwan that it may make significant new arms deals early under the next U.S. administration to demonstrate its commitment to addressing Trump’s concerns, with media reporting that Taiwan had approached Trump’s team regarding a possible US$15 billion weapons package.
The island’s defense minister, Wellington Koo, dismissed the report last week but said: “Communication and proposals for necessary weaponry would continue under the existing military exchange mechanisms with the future Trump administration.”
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His ministry said on Monday that Taiwan’s arms purchases from the U.S. were based on assessments of enemy threats and informed by experience from recent global conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine.
“Budget allocations are determined based on annual defense funding availability, the progress of individual projects, and delivery schedules,” the ministry added.
In response to criticism from lawmakers about delayed deliveries of U.S. arms, the ministry said there had been disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but noted manufacturing had gradually resumed post-pandemic, with delivery timelines accelerating.
A report by the Cato Institute, a Washington-based think tank, shows that as of August 2024, the cumulative value of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan that have yet to be delivered had reached $20.53 billion.
Shu Hsiao-Huang, an associate research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said some items requested by U.S. allies might not align with the current needs of the American army, which led to delays in production.
“Some new equipment faced integration issues, which requires system adjustments to meet customer demands,” said Shu, adding that certain weapons, such as Stinger missiles, had also become difficult to obtain due to high demand globally.
A recent proposal submitted to Taiwan’s legislature for review shows Taiwan’s weapon purchases from the U.S. included 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks, 66 F-16V fighter jets, 29 HIMARS rocket systems, and 100 Harpoon land-based missile systems.
Edited by Taejun Kang.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Alan Lu for RFA.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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Read RFA coverage of this story in Uyghur.
China has launched an investigation into PVH Corp., the U.S. parent company of fashion brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, for suspected discriminatory measures by refusing to purchase cotton and other products from its northwestern region of Xinjiang, home to 12 million Uyghurs.
Analysts said the measure appears to be a retaliatory response by Beijing against companies complying with U.S. laws that ban the import of materials and products from Xinjiang suspected of using Uyghur forced labor.
“China is attempting to retaliate against U.S. sanctions on Xinjiang region by imposing its own sanctions on companies that follow U.S. sanctions,” said Anders Corr, principal of the New York-based political risk firm Corr Analytics. “It’s a very bad idea.”
“Beijing is trying to tell Calvin Klein not to follow U.S. law but to follow Chinese law,” he said.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday that PVH Corp. must provide documentation and evidence within 30 days to show it did not engage in discriminatory practices over the past three years.
“The U.S. PVH Group is suspected of violating normal market trading principles and unreasonably boycotting Xinjiang cotton and other products without factual basis, seriously damaging the legitimate rights and interests of relevant Chinese companies and endangering China’s sovereignty, security and development interests,” the ministry said in a statement.
Earlier this month, China adopted a resolution condemning a series of U.S. sanctions against the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and providing support for affected companies.
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In response to the measure, Alison Rappaport, PVH’s vice president of external communications, said the company maintains strict compliance with relevant laws and regulations in the countries and regions where it operates.
“We are in communication with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and will respond in accordance with the relevant regulations,” she said, without further comment.
Genocide
In 2021, the U.S. government declared that China’s repression of Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang, including mass detentions, the sterilization of women, forced labor and cultural and religious erasure, amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity. Legislatures in several Western countries passed similar declarations.
To punish China and get it to change its policies, the United States and other countries have banned the import of products from Xinjiang produced by Uyghur labor. About 90% of China’s cotton is produced in Xinjiang, most of which is exported.
Since June 2022, the U.S. government has blacklisted companies in China that make products linked to forced labor in Xinjiang under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, or UFLPA.
The law also authorizes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities found responsible for human rights abuses in the northwestern region.
More than 80 companies are now on the entity list.
This May, the U.S. Homeland Security Department added 26 Chinese textile companies to the entity list under the act, restricting them from entering the U.S. market.
Consequences
Henryk Szadziewski, research director at the Uyghur Human Rights Project, said China is using the measure to lash back over criticism of its policies in Xinjiang.
“This is very much a message to multinational corporations that they should not comply with sanctions and other kinds of bans placed on entities operating in Xinjiang,” he said. “It definitely is a countermeasure to what is being done outside of China.”
Nevertheless, multinational companies that adhere to U.S. sanctions and exclude forced labor products from their supply chains could face repercussions in China, Szadziewski said.
“If you do want to operate in China, you really have to operate by their rules and not by the rules of elsewhere,” he said.
Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcom Foster.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Uyghar for RFA Uyghur.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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High-end properties in Malaysian cities are attracting buyers from China as they move here for educational opportunities and to expand businesses, particularly in industries tied to efforts to establish a semiconductor hub in Southeast Asia, analysts said.
Post-pandemic sales have shown an influx in demand, causing property prices to surge by 15% since last year, according to the owner of a property firm in Penang, home to major global semiconductor factories. Other hot spots in Peninsular Malaysia are Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur.
There has been an uptick in interest since early 2023, with roadshows and projects targeting international markets, said Tan Kian Aun, president of the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents, or MIEA.
“In 2022, Chinese buyers were still reluctant, but since last year, we are seeing renewed interest,” he told BenarNews.
Earlier this year, local media reported that 24,765 Chinese nationals had participated in the Malaysia My Second Home program. It allows foreigners to get long-term visas to live in the country.
Penang is particularly attractive to Chinese buyers because of cultural amenities and because 40% of its population comprises ethnic Chinese Malaysians. The island has seen renewed interest in factories related to the manufacturing of batteries for electric cars, with Chinese businesses either renting or building new commercial properties, Tan said.
A crowd gathers at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 26, 2023. (S. Mahfuz/BenarNews) 
The 15% rise in property prices in upscale areas has been caused by increasing demand from students and businesses, according to Long Soo Keat, principal owner of Shijie Property, a Penang firm.
“We noticed this trend since last June, especially with students and businesses seeking to stay on the island,” Long told BenarNews, adding that Chinese customers prefer premium areas with modern amenities for food, entertainment, education and shopping.
“The properties cost over 1 million ringgit [US$212,200] or have rental prices starting at 4,000 ringgit [US$850] a month,” he said.
In the southern peninsular state of Johor, businesses from mainland China are keen on purchasing land for factory operations in the areas of Kulai and Pulai — mostly for microchips, said Chia Zi Jin, a Johor-based realty consultant.
He noted that favorable conditions for raw material sourcing and manufacturing were attracting Chinese investors.
“There has not been much interest yet to buy residential property in Johor but more Chinese nationals are looking to buy land, especially in the northern part of the state which is still cheaper than the southern part of the state, which is closer to Singapore,” he told BenarNews.
In July 2023, real estate analysts said they expected property values at the Forest City project in Johor to fall because Chinese developer Country Garden was facing financial woes that could disrupt resale and rental values.
However, in a Facebook post earlier this month, Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi said Forest City’s Special Financial Zone was expected to be finalized in August. The zone is expected to attract financial institutions willing to invest in the project.
In May, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced plans by his government to invest 25 billion ringgit, or US$5.3 billion, in expanding the local semiconductor industry and to train 60,000 local engineers as part of this.
Link to Singapore
In Johor Baru, the upcoming Rapid Transit System, or RTS, link with its neighbor, Singapore, is driving property demand in the Malaysian coastal city.
Chia described it as a “game changer.”
Set to open in early 2026, the RTS is expected to integrate with the Thomson-East Coast Line on Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit system, significantly reducing travel time caused by traffic congestion at the Johor Causeway, which connects the Malaysian state with the Lion City.
A bus crosses the Johor-Singapore Causeway from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Nov. 29, 2021. (Vincent Thian/AP)
Chia said Singaporeans and Chinese nationals who work in Singapore were buying properties in Johor because of the currency exchange rate ranging around one Singapore dollar to about 3.5 ringgits.
“With RTS, they could go to Singapore in five minutes rather than getting stuck in a causeway jam for three hours,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia known for the iconic Petronas Twin Towers and Merdeka 118 — the second tallest building in the world — continues to attract Chinese investors to expand e-commerce and to open data centers, MIEA’s Tan said.
Chinese investors are also buying and renting properties in Sepang, a township 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Kuala Lumpur, largely due to the presence of Xiamen University Malaysia which offers degrees in the sciences, cybersecurity and communications, according to Tan.
One of the main reasons to study in Sepang is the cheaper cost of living compared to big cities in Beijing or Shanghai.
“The students come here because the township has modern facilities and there is a community of students here,” Tan said.
About 2,200 Chinese are among the 7,500 students from 44 countries studying at Xiamen’s first branch outside of China, according to Malaysian state news agency Bernama.
Overinvestment
Economist Yeah Kim Leng of Sunway University attributed the increasing Chinese interest to trade and investment ties between Malaysia and China. But he also warned that overinvestment by the government could lead to resource shortages and increased prices.
Skyscrapers, including the Petronas Twin Towers (L, rear) fill the Kuala Lumpur skyline in Malaysia, June 7, 2023. (S. Mahfuz/BenarNews)
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority reported that Chinese investments in Malaysia had reached 11.6 billion ringgit, or US$2.5 billion, in the first nine months of 2023. This is a significant portion of the 225 billion ringgit, or US$47.8 billion, total approved investments in the country during this period.
“This favorable environment has led to an increased interest from Chinese investors in setting up their businesses in Malaysia, with property being a core part of their operations,” Yeah told BenarNews. “Real estate ownership serves as a base for their activities.”
Still, he said, adequate resources and skilled labor are essential to sustain the influx of investment without causing harm.
For instance, he said too many data centers and energy-intensive industries could cause water and energy shortages.
“We must be cautious of not overheating the market,” Yeah said. “Overinvestment could result in excessive demand and strain on resources and drive up the prices.”
BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Minderjeet Kaur for BenarNews.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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Russians have begun a second day of voting in a presidential election that has seen sporadic protests as some, defying threats of stiff prison sentences, showed their anger over a process set up to hand Vladimir Putin another six years of rule.
By midday of March 16, Russian police had opened at least 15 criminal probes into incidents of vandalism in polling stations, independent media reported.
More than one-third of Russia’s 110 million eligible voters cast ballots in person and online on the first day of the country’s three-day presidential election, the Central Election Commission (TsIK) said after polls closed on March 15 in the country’s westernmost region of Kaliningrad.
Balloting started up again on March 16 in the Far East of Russia and will continue in all 11 time zones of the country, as well as the occupied Crimean Peninsula and four other Ukrainian regions that Moscow partially controls and baselessly claims are part of Russia.
Putin is poised to win and extend his rule by six more years after any serious opponents were barred from running against him amid a brutal crackdown on dissent and the independent media.
The ruthless crackdown that has crippled independent media and human rights groups began before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched, but has been ratcheted up since.
Almost exactly one month before the polls opened, Putin’s most vocal critic, opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, died in an isolated Arctic prison amid suspicious circumstances as he served sentences seen as politically motivated.
Some Russians expressed their anger over Putin’s authoritarian rule on March 15, vandalizing ballot boxes with a green antiseptic dye known as “zelyonka” and other liquids.
Among them was a 43-year-old member of the local election commission in the Lenin district of Izhevsk city, the Interior Ministry said on March 16.
The official was detained by police after she attempted to spill zelyonka into a touchscreen voting machine, the ministry said. Police didn’t release the woman’s name, but said she was a member of the Communist Party.
Similar incidents were reported in at least nine cities, including St. Petersburg, Sochi, and Volgograd, while at least four voters burned their ballots in polling stations.
In Moscow, police arrested a woman who burned her ballot inside a voting booth in the city’s polling station N1527 on March 15, Russian news agencies reported, citing election officials in the Russian capital.
The news outlet Sota reported that that woman burned a ballot with “Bring back my husband” handwritten on it, and posted video purportedly showing the incident.
There also was one report of a firebombing at a polling station in Moscow, while In Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, a 21-year-old woman was detained after she threw a Molotov cocktail at an entrance of a local school that houses two polling stations.
“It’s the first time I’ve see something like this — or at least [such attacks] have not been so spectacular before,” Roman Udot, an election analyst and a board member of the independent election monitor Golos, told RFE/RL.
“The state launched a war against [the election process] and this is the very striking harvest it gets in return. People resent these elections as a result and have started using them for completely different purposes [than voting].”
Russia’s ruling United Russia party claimed on March 16 that it was facing a widespread denial-of-service attack — a form of cyberattack that snarls internet use — against its online presence. The party said it had suspended nonessential services to repel the attack.
Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers proposed amendments to the Criminal Code to toughen punishments for those who try to disrupt elections “by arson and other dangerous means.” Under the current law, such actions are punishable by five years in prison, and the lawmakers proposed to extend it to up to eight years in prison.
No Serious Challengers
Before his death, Navalny had hoped to use the vote to demonstrate the public’s discontent with both the war and Putin’s iron-fisted rule.
He called on voters to cast their ballot at 12 p.m. on March 17, naming the action “Noon Against Putin.” HIs wife and others have since continued to call for the protest to be carried out.
Viral images of long lines forming at this time would indicate the size of the opposition and undermine the landslide result the Kremlin is expected to concoct.
Putin, 71, who has been president or prime minister for nearly 25 years, is running against three low-profile politicians — Liberal Democratic Party leader Leonid Slutsky, State Duma deputy speaker Vladislav Davankov of the New People party, and State Duma lawmaker Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party — whose policy positions are hardly distinguishable from Putin’s.
Boris Nadezhdin, a 60-year-old anti-war politician, was rejected last month by the TsIK because of what it called invalid support signatures on his application to be registered as a candidate. He appealed, but the TsIk’s decision was upheld by Russia’s Supreme Court.
“Would like to congratulate Vladimir Putin on his landslide victory in the elections starting today,” European Council President Charles Michel wrote in a sarcastic post on X, formerly Twitter, on March 15.
“No opposition. No freedom. No choice.”
Ukraine and many Western governments have condemned Russia for holding the vote in regions it occupies parts of, calling the move illegal.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres added his voice to the criticism on March 15, saying he “condemns the efforts of the Russian Federation to hold its presidential elections in areas of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation.”
His spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, added that the “attempted illegal annexation” of those regions has “no validity” under international law.
Many observers say Putin warded off even the faintest of challengers to ensure a large margin of victory that he can point to as evidence that Russians back the war in Ukraine and his handling of it.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
This content originally appeared on News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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North Korea is forcing its citizens to buy large decorative photos depicting a recent rocket launch to display in their homes as a sign of patriotism. But the people are pushing back, saying the launches and the photos themselves are a waste of money that could be better spent on feeding the people, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.
“On Jan. 28, each neighborhood-watch unit distributed decorative photos to each household which show scenes from the satellite launch,” a resident of the northeastern province of North Hamgyong, who requested anonymity for personal safety, told RFA Korean. “Residents who refused to receive the photo were forced to take them, saying it was an order from the Party.”
The vinyl-coated photo placards depict the night-time rocket launch of the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite, the Manrikyong-1, which was successfully launched into orbit in November, after failed launches in May and August, said a resident of the northeastern province of Ryanggang.
It’s rather large for a photo, 29 centimeters (11 inches) long and 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) wide, and is being sold for 1,500 won (18 US cents), a resident from the northern province of Ryanggang said. In the past, the government gave away more items for free to its people, but now it is struggling financially.
This is the first time that the government is distributing photos of satellite and missile launches.
The North Hamgyong resident said that people are complaining that they have seen enough news about the satellite in state-run TV and newspapers, and that posting them in their homes seems excessive.
“But the head of the neighborhood watch unit threatened the residents, saying ‘If the Party orders you to post them at home, you will follow the order at all costs,’” he said.
The war-like images on the placards also rubbed some residents the wrong way, the resident said.
“They dislike seeing missile launches because they believe that every time a missile or satellite is launched, several years’ worth of food for the people is thrown into the sky,” he said. “Launching missiles or satellites is an action that increases hunger among residents.”
For some of the poorer residents, the photos are expensive,” the North Hamgyong resident said.
“People would refuse them even if they were offered money to take the placards, but the authorities are going door to door asking us to pay for them,” he said. “Poor residents do not have even 1,000 won (12 cents). Some people are explicitly saying that they would rather receive food than satellite launch photos.”
People are not thinking about rockets, though, the Ryanggang resident said.
“For residents who urgently need to make a living, the military situation between North and South Korea must take a backseat,” he said.“No matter how much the Party emphasizes the military standoff and instills a warlike atmosphere, most people show no response or interest.”
Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Kim Jieun for RFA Korean.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by ProPublica.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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Laos is set to sign agreements with Thailand to sell electricity from three dams being built on the Mekong River, despite opposition to the projects’ construction voiced by villagers and NGOs, according to Lao and Thai sources.
The agreements between the two countries name the Luang Prabang Dam, Pak Beng Dam and Pak Lay Dam, all in northern Laos, as the power sources, sources say.
“All of these projects are moving forward,” an official of the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines told RFA on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “The dam developers are ready to begin construction of those dams as soon as the power purchase agreements are signed.”
The agreements between Laos and Thailand are scheduled to be signed in May this year, according to a March 15 report in the Bangkok Post.
Developers of the Pak Beng Dam are now making changes to the dam’s design, however, and the Lao government has not yet finished a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) required for the Luang Prabang Dam by UNESCO, RFA’s ministry source said.
Developers will provide missing or incomplete documents if work on any project is delayed, the official said. “And the Thai side will then decide when and which dam will enter their market.”
Speaking to RFA this week, Lao villagers and NGO representatives in Thailand reiterated their opposition to the proposed dams, pointing to negative effects on the region’s ecosystem and the planned displacement of thousands of villagers living downstream.
“People here are opposed to the dams, especially the large dams, said one villager living in Oudomxay province’s Pak Beng district near the site of the planned Pak Beng Dam. “They don’t want the dams because they are the ones who will be affected.
“However, here in Laos they just discuss their opposition among themselves and not with the authorities,” the villager said, speaking like RFA’s other sources in Laos on condition of anonymity.
“There will be too many damaging impacts,” agreed a villager living near the Luang Prabang Dam site in Luang Prabang province’s Chomphet district. “Most villagers here don’t want this dam to be built, because the Mekong River is the main source of food for their families. If this dam is built, all our fish will disappear.”
Hannarong Yaowalerd, chairman of the Foundation for Sustainable Water Management in Thailand, said that Thailand should wait for more studies to be completed before signing deals allowing the proposed dams to begin operations.
“The Pak Beng Dam needs to be technically improved,” he said. “And as for the Luang Prabang Dam, the most concerning issue now is the impact it may have on Luang Prabang Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We don’t need to sign the agreements now.”
The Thai government is now pushing for the agreements to be signed because it wants to satisfy the interests of the dams’ developers, Yaowalerd said.
‘Not listening to concerns’
A representative of the Love Chiang Khong Group, a Thai NGO in Chiang Rai province bordering Laos, meanwhile said the Thai government is refusing to listen to the concerns of Thai people likely to be affected by the dams.
“They don’t care about cultural, historical or heritage sites. They also won’t care about damage to the ecosystem,” he said, also declining to be named. “The Mekong River is common property. Everyone depends on it.
“The government’s Procedure for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA) is only ceremonial and meaningless,” he added.
According to the website of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), a multi-nation group monitoring water flows and other conditions on the river, the Luang Prabang Dam built in Luang Prabang’s Chomphet district by Thailand’s Xayaburi Power Company and PetroVietnam Power, will cost $3 billion and displace 2,285 villagers.
Construction of ports, a workers’ camp, power lines and water supply for the project are now complete, “and all heavy equipment has been brought in and an access road now 80 percent finished,” a Chomphet district official told RFA on Friday.
The Pak Beng Dam, built by China Datang Overseas Investment, will cost $2.4 billion and affect 5,726 villagers, according to the MRC. An access road to the dam’s work site is now also in place, an official of Pak Beng district in Oudomxay province said.
And the Pak Lay Dam, built in Xayaburi province by Gulf Energy Development and a Chinese state enterprise, Power China Resources Ltd., will cost $2.13 billion and affect 4,800 villagers in the province. “A road, power line, water supply and workers’ camp are now 80 percent complete, and some heavy equipment is now in place,” a district official said.
Laos has staked its future on power generation in a controversial bid to become the “Battery of Southeast Asia,” exporting electricity from more than 50 large and small-scale dams on the Mekong River and its tributaries.
Though the Lao government sees power generation as a way to boost the country’s economy, the projects have faced criticism because of their environmental impact, displacement of villagers and questionable arrangements.
Reported by RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Richard Finney.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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Thailand has agreed in principle to buy more electricity from Laos after the two Southeast Asian neighbors signed an agreement that expands energy cooperation between the two Mekong River neighbors.
The memorandum of understanding, signed by both countries’ respective ministers of energy March 4, promotes clean energy, and creates more opportunities to invest in Laos’ energy sector, an official of the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines told RFA’s Lao Service Monday.
Laos has staked its future on power generation in a controversial bid to become “The Battery of Southeast Asia,” exporting electricity from more than 50 large and small-scale dams on the Mekong River and its tributaries.
Selling the excess energy has been a problem for heavily indebted Laos, which has agreements to buy the power from the dams at a fixed rate, but sells it at market rates, which has been lower due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Though the agreement paves the way for Thailand to purchase more power from Laos, prices still must be negotiated.
“The next step will be for each dam developer to negotiate prices and a power purchase agreement directly with the buyer, Thailand,” the Lao energy official said on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.
The energy official also said that Laos plans to build even more dams including at least five more on the Mekong River mainstream. Though he acknowledged that selling energy from the dams has been difficult recently as neighboring countries have their own power surpluses. Thailand, however, remains Laos’ largest market.
Laos’ state-run power company Électricité du Laos (EDL) is optimistic about the deal, an EDL official told RFA.
“Data shows that the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand is the most reliable buyer of our power,” the EDL official said.
Environmentalist opposition
Thai environmental advocacy groups criticized the agreement, saying that it would promote more degradation of the Mekong River’s ecology and impact riparian communities.
“It’s not fair. The Thai government claims that the economy will recover after the COVID-19 pandemic and electric vehicles will be on their way, so they are saying they will need more power. But that’s just what they claim,” Witoon Permpongsacharoen from the Mekong River Energy and Ecology Network in Thailand told RFA.
“Laos on the other hand isn’t listening to any criticism. Its government always believes that building dams is the only way that they can develop the country, but that’s not always true,” Permpongsacharoen said.
He pointed out that Thailand has a 41 percent surplus of power, and it doesn’t need more from Laos.
“The Thai government made this decision only for the interest of the Thai investors. They don’t care about the environmental and social impact of this deal. They don’t care that the dams are going to make climate change worse and create more methane in our air,” he said.
The move only helps dam developers, a member of the Love Chiang Khong Group, a Thai riparian activist organization told RFA.
“We in this group have been aggressively opposed to all these dams. It’s clear that the investors who are going to build dams in Laos do not care about the people,” said the activist, who requested anonymity to speak freely.
“We’re going to continue to fight against these dams and for the people, not to mention all the aquatic species and wildlife in the Mekong region,” the activist said.
According to a report published by the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines, Laos has contracts to sell power to most of its neighbors, with Thailand on the hook for 10,500 megawatts. Laos is projected to be able to produce as high as 28,000 megawatts by 2030.
Laos has built dozens of hydropower dams on the Mekong River and its tributaries in pursuit of its controversial economic plans.
Though the Lao government sees power generation as a means to boost the country’s economy, the projects have faced criticism because of their environmental impact, displacement of villagers and questionable financial arrangements.
Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
