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Author Topic: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread  (Read 84493 times)

Azzuro

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #330 on: June 02, 2017, 08:32:19 am »

In other Phillippines-related news, an attack on a casino-hotel in Manila that left 37 people dead was identified as a botched robbery, not an IS terror attack as originally suspected:

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/philippine-police-say-manila-casino-gunman-killed-rule-out-terrorism
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/dozens-dead-after-gunman-torches-resorts-world-manila-casino-8905730

Also, I don't think the West, or at least the US, will hesitate to help Duterte against the IS threat, despite his war on drugs. They can't afford for IS to resurrect itself in Southeast Asia.
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smjjames

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #331 on: June 02, 2017, 08:51:10 am »

I can see China stepping in here. The way they could get neighboring nations to turn a blind eye to the South China Sea stuff is by creating a Pax China arrangement that benefits those other nations.

I don't think China would pay attention to it until they got directly attacked. They're big on not messing with other countries domestic affairs. Having China get involved in the Philippines would make Congress want Trump to get into action.

Also, Trump wouldn't hesitate to help the Philippines with the problem as he doesn't care about human rights.

In other Phillippines-related news, an attack on a casino-hotel in Manila that left 37 people dead was identified as a botched robbery, not an IS terror attack as originally suspected:

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/philippine-police-say-manila-casino-gunman-killed-rule-out-terrorism
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/dozens-dead-after-gunman-torches-resorts-world-manila-casino-8905730

Yeah, it was just a really, really, daring robbery (they didn't even try to kill anybody, for one) attempt which initially nobody died as a result of. Then this.

Ever the scavenging opportunists that they are, ISIS claimed it as being their doing, despite no evidence otherwise. I think Trump did them a favor by jumping the gun and calling it a terror attack.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2017, 09:04:22 am by smjjames »
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Sheb

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #332 on: June 02, 2017, 09:30:38 am »

I can see China stepping in here. The way they could get neighboring nations to turn a blind eye to the South China Sea stuff is by creating a Pax China arrangement that benefits those other nations.

I don't think China would pay attention to it until they got directly attacked. They're big on not messing with other countries domestic affairs. Having China get involved in the Philippines would make Congress want Trump to get into action.

Also, Trump wouldn't hesitate to help the Philippines with the problem as he doesn't care about human rights.

Well, if the Philippines invite China in it's different.
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smjjames

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #333 on: June 02, 2017, 09:38:04 am »

I can see China stepping in here. The way they could get neighboring nations to turn a blind eye to the South China Sea stuff is by creating a Pax China arrangement that benefits those other nations.

I don't think China would pay attention to it until they got directly attacked. They're big on not messing with other countries domestic affairs. Having China get involved in the Philippines would make Congress want Trump to get into action.

Also, Trump wouldn't hesitate to help the Philippines with the problem as he doesn't care about human rights.

Well, if the Philippines invite China in it's different.

I can still see congress freaking out over it though, given that the Philippines are supposed to be OUR ally, not Chinas.
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Frumple

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #334 on: June 02, 2017, 10:12:08 am »

Hey man, people can be allies with more than one political entity. Can even be a pretty good idea when a previous one has started to act in a way that could be uncharitably labeled "bugnuts".
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martinuzz

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #335 on: June 10, 2017, 11:19:43 am »

As the fighting in Marawi continues, and the city is still in the hands of IS, US elite forces have arrived to advise the Philippine army. According to the Philippine army, the US troops are not joining in any fighting, they are just there in an advisory role.

Despite Duterte's earlier demand that all US forces leave the Philippines, The US administration is worried enough about the rise of a new IS caliphate that they have decided to provide support after all.

Now all we need is some Russians, and we have all the ingredients ready for a new caliphate.
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smjjames

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #336 on: July 15, 2017, 09:26:50 am »

Indonesia fights back against China..... using nomeclature.

Yes really, they're fighting back by renaming the northern part of their EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) the North Natura Sea. With China saying 'Oh come on, this is ridiculous..."

Still, it's better than fighting back with bullets.
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martinuzz

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #337 on: July 28, 2017, 04:07:03 am »

Not sure where news about Paksitan should go. I guess I'll put it in this thread.

The High Court in Pakistan has forced the Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif to resign, after the names of his family members were found in the Panama Papers.
In the parliamentary history of Pakistan, there has never been a PM yet that managed to sit out his full 5 year term. Sharif was getting close, he became PM in may 2013.
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Loud Whispers

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #338 on: July 28, 2017, 04:29:59 pm »

China India clash over Bhutan
My sides were launched into deep space watching Chinese news, they brought an Indian professor up to discuss the whole matter. The Indian professor brought up very reasonable points that the Chinese roads were not at all vital to Chinese defence and there was no Indian invasion of China being prepared, yet the military presence of China right next to a land corridor vital to keeping lines of communication with 45 million Indians was of vital interest to India. If the Chinese just stopped constructing those roads, withdrew, India would withdraw and peaceful relations would resume, as this was all entirely unnecessary. The host cut him off xD

They then started talking about how their humiliation in Vietnam required them to engage in more successful military conflicts in order to show that China is much stronger now, which doesn't really bode well for the future of the states surrounding China
« Last Edit: July 28, 2017, 04:32:22 pm by Loud Whispers »
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Paxiecrunchle

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #339 on: September 18, 2017, 12:38:40 am »

Welp I found another one, Posting to watch.

RedKing

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #340 on: October 09, 2017, 10:07:13 am »

This went relatively unreported last week, but Oxford has rescinded the honors given to Aung San Suu Kyi, de facto ruler of Myanmar. The City of London is reportedly considering following suit.

The fall from grace has been depressing to watch. The Nobel Peace Prize winner (1991) fought for decades against the military junta in Burma, living under house arrest. Her party won overwhelmingly in the 1990 elections, but the vote was nullified by the military.

Fast forward to 2015, and the military this time abided by the results, allowing Suu Kyi's party to take control of the government, but had modified the constitution such that Aung San Suu Kyi herself would not be allowed to hold the Presidency. Kind of a dick move, but in the grander scheme of things, that's a pretty big win for democracy, right?

Weeeeeel.....the first signs of trouble were when Suu Kyi essentially stated, "Fuck those guys, I'm running the show regardless of what my title is."
And true to her word, although Htin Kyaw assumed the Presidency, it's been made clear that he has little independency or political capital of his own, and Suu Kyi makes all the decisions. Kyaw even created a new position of "State Counsellor" that functions akin to a Prime Minister, just for her. Not a terribly democratic way to run things.

The bigger problem has been in the last year or so, as the Rohingya (a Burmese ethnic minority who also happens to be Muslim) have been pouring across the borders into Bangladesh and Thailand, claiming that the military had been killing them and burning their villages to the ground. Independent observers and satellite imagery seem to confirm this. Despite Burmese law recognizing 135 different ethnic groups, the Rohingya are not among them (despite having a historical presence dating back to the 8th century and the precolonial kingdom of Arakan), and are denied Burmese citizenship. Indeed, the Burmese government has stopped using the term Rohingya and instead insists that they are Bengali illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

To be fair, the Rohingya have suffered discrimination and occasional attacks for decades, though the attacks were usually unorganized and led by Buddhist monks (btw, if you're burning villages and attacking people as a Buddhist monk, UR DOIN IT WRONG). Now though, the attacks seem to be coming from the military and are far more organized.

And the civilian government led by 'Shadow President' Aung San Suu Kyi? Complete denial of any problem, and a total blind eye to what's going on.  :-[

There's a whole lot of people around the world now regretting all the laud and honors they bestowed on Suu Kyi the last couple of decades, as well as Southeast Asia-focused NGOs privately distraught that someone put forward as a leading campaigner for democracy and human rights in the region has turned her back on both so quickly.

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martinuzz

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #341 on: October 09, 2017, 01:22:35 pm »

Has there ever been a precedent of a nobel prize being retracted?
If not, she makes a good candidate for being a first.

To give her some benefit of the doubt though, it is quite likely that the moment she speaks out against the Rohingya cleansing, she will be overhtrown by military coup and be killed. Myanmar is a democracy in name only, it's still the military junta pulling the strings in the majority of the country.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2017, 01:24:41 pm by martinuzz »
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Friendly and polite reminder for optimists: Hope is a finite resource

We can ­disagree and still love each other, ­unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist - James Baldwin

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scriver

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #342 on: October 09, 2017, 01:40:54 pm »

Has there ever been a precedent of a nobel prize being retracted?

No, and it's not allowed according to the Nobel Foundation's bye-laws.
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RedKing

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #343 on: October 09, 2017, 02:09:32 pm »

Has there ever been a precedent of a nobel prize being retracted?
If not, she makes a good candidate for being a first.

To give her some benefit of the doubt though, it is quite likely that the moment she speaks out against the Rohingya cleansing, she will be overhtrown by military coup and be killed. Myanmar is a democracy in name only, it's still the military junta pulling the strings in the majority of the country.
That's a possibility, but the military had generally had a policy of neglect towards the Rohingya, not active persecution. They wouldn't get involved if the locals decided to burn a village, but they weren't burning them themselves. Which makes sense, they wanted order and to minimize outside criticism of their rule.

Moreover, her stated intent to rule Burma regardless of the Constitution was....not something you expected to see. It makes it seem like the last two decades have been all about getting her family back in power (her father was the founder of modern Burma, the Communist Party of Burma, a military leader in the anti-Japanese resistance and one of the leaders of the revolution against British rule).
« Last Edit: October 09, 2017, 02:15:27 pm by RedKing »
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ChairmanPoo

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Re: RedKing's East Asian Politics Megathread
« Reply #344 on: October 09, 2017, 05:29:25 pm »

Quote
, if you're burning villages and attacking people as a Buddhist monk, UR DOIN IT WRONG
I dont know why people have this idealized version of Buddhism. It has its own share of fanatical nutcases, just like any of the others.   IIRC there are records of wars between momasteries for doctrinal differences
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