January 2025 - Investigative Journalism Reportika

EXPLAINED: Why is an internet-famous Vietnamese monk on a trek to India?

Editor15 hours ago04 mins

A Vietnamese monk who he would no longer adhere to a vow of poverty as he continued to study the Buddhist virtues. A newspaper report said he had announced he would no longer be begging for alms to prevent disruption to “security, order, and social and political safety.” RELATED STORIES Vietnamese monk leaves Laos, enters Thailand Publisher’s partner says book about ‘barefoot monk’ hasn’t received approval Vietnamese followers of ‘barefoot monk’ question call for social media silence How TikTok made a barefoot Vietnamese ‘monk’ go viral Supporters were quick to question whether he had been forced to write the letter under duress, or whether someone else had wrote it for him. At about the same time, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs announced on its website that Thich Minh Tue had “voluntarily retired.” Why is he walking to India? But then in November, Thich Minh Tue announced that he wanted to go on a pilgrimage to visit religious sites in India, where Buddhism originated. The question remains whether he will be allowed to return to Vietnam after the pilgrimage, a Thai observer told BenarNews. The observer, who requested anonymity for security reasons, noted that Thich Minh Tue is being accompanied by Doan Van Bau, a former security official in the Vietnamese government who specialized in criminology and psychological operations. “It is unclear whether he was assigned to escort the monk out of the spotlight in Vietnam and lessen his influence there,” he said. Vietnamese monk Thich Minh Tue, center, walks in Chong Mek, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand, Dec. 31, 2024, as he arrives in Thailand from Laos.(RFA) A Thai police officer said Thich Minh Tue came into the country legally. “He didn’t indicate plans to travel to Myanmar, only stating he was coming for a pilgrimage, and we haven’t found any violations,” said Police Lt. Col. Kittipong Thanomsin of the border town of Chong Mek. “There are no concerns or need for special coordination, as we conduct regular checks as usual,” he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news outlet. “There has been no communication from Vietnam.” Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. BenarNews’ Nontarat Phaicharoen and Ruj Chuenban in Bangkok contributed to this report. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

A turbulent South China Sea: 5 things that may happen in 2025

Editor1 day ago55 minutes ago011 mins

TAIPEI, Taiwan/MANILA – The South China Sea has become one of the world’s most perilous geopolitical hot spots in recent years, with China stepping up the reinforcement of its expansive claims and countries from outside the region getting increasingly involved. Here are five areas to watch in 2025: Taiwan Strait The situation in the Taiwan Strait has been becoming notably more tense, with nearly 3,000 incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone between January and November 2024, as well as two major military exercises – Joint Sword A and B – coinciding with important political events on the self-ruled island. Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated in his in 1999 to serve as an outpost. In the last few years, China’s coast guard has been blocking and disrupting Philippine resupply missions to the ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, and the troops stationed there. On June 17, 2024, in an unprecedented confrontation, China coast guard personnel, armed with pikes and machetes, punctured Philippine boats and seized firearms during a Philippine rotate and resupply mission, wounding a Filipino sailor. Both sides later called for de-escalation. On Dec. 12, China said it had granted permission to the Philippines to resupply the “illegally grounded” warship on Second Thomas Shoal on a humanitarian basis. But the June 17 incident showed that the situation could easily escalate into conflict, especially given the proximity of Second Thomas Shoal to a Chinese naval base on Mischief Reef, an artificial island that China built and has fully militarized. Manila and Washington signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951 under which both parties are obliged to support each other in the event of an armed attack. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in November revealed that the U.S. military had set up a Task Force Ayungin, the Filipino name for the Second Thomas Shoal. Chief of the Philippine armed forces, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., told an RFA reporter in Manila that his country was pursuing a three-pronged strategy when it comes to maritime defense: to establish an effective presence; to create effective deterrence and modernize military equipment; and to leverage alliances and partnerships with like-minded nations. Beijing, however, is not expected to give up its demand that Manila removes the BRP Sierra Madre and leave the disputed shoal. For its part, the Philippines is determined to defend it. “We’ll never abandon our territory at Ayungin,” insisted Col. Xerxes Trinidad, the Philippine armed forces’ spokesperson. Vietnam’s island building Vietnam’s island building in the South China Sea has reached a record, with the total area created in the first six months of 2024 equaling that of 2022 and 2023 combined, according to a study by the Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). Between November 2023 and June 2024, Hanoi created 692 new acres (280 ha) of land across a total of 10 features in the Spratly archipelago. Vietnam’s overall dredging and landfill totaled about 2,360 acres (955 ha), roughly half of China’s 4,650 acres (1,881.7 ha). “Three years from when it first began, Vietnam is still surprising observers with the ever-increasing scope of its dredging and landfill in the Spratly Islands,” AMTI said. Vietnam occupies 27 features and has been carrying out large-scale reclamation works on some over the past year. <imgsrc=”” alt=”Satellite image of Barque Canada Reef, May 11, 2024.” height=”813″ width=”1500″>Satellite image of Barque Canada Reef, May 11, 2024.(AMTI/Maxar Technologies) A new 3,000-meter airstrip is nearly finished on Barque Canada reef, where the total landfill area more than doubled in one year to nearly 2.5 square kilometers, or 617.7 acres, by October 2024. Vietnam has had only one airstrip on an island called Spratly, measuring 1,300 meters, but besides Barque Canada, AMTI said that “it would be unsurprising” if Hanoi also considers runways on Pearson and Ladd reefs. New bases and runways “would give Vietnam a position on the other side of China’s ‘Big Three’ islands,” said Tom Shugart, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He was referring to China-developed Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief reefs, which are the largest artificial islands in the South China Sea. The next four largest are all newly expanded Vietnamese reefs. “Its progress in the last five months suggests that Hanoi is determined to maximize the strategic potential of the features it occupies,” said AMTI, adding that “it remains difficult to say when the expansion will end—and what new capabilities Vietnam will have once it has.” Code of Conduct in the South China Sea Malaysia is taking over as chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, from Laos this month and every time the chair changes hands, the question of a legally binding code of conduct (COC) for all competing parties in the South China Sea surfaces. China and ASEAN countries have been negotiating a COC after reaching an initial Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002. More than two decades later, it seems many obstacles remain despite Beijing’s repeated assertions that the consultation process is going well and agreement is close. Premier Li Qiang told an ASEAN summit in October that China and the bloc were “striving for early conclusion” of the code of conduct. China and five other parties, including four ASEAN countries – Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam – hold conflicting claims over parts of the South China Sea but China’s claim is by far the most expansive, covering nearly 90% of the sea. China is adamantly against what it sees as “a politicization” of the COC, as well as any “external interference” in the matter. Yet its assertiveness has prompted some countries to seek a counterweight from outside ASEAN. “Negotiations on the COC continue at a snail’s pace,” former Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon told Reuters news agency in October. “An agreement seems impossible,” said Philippine legal expert, former Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio. “China will never agree to some provisions, Vietnam to some others and so on. The target of concluding the COC by 2026, therefore,…

Laos shutters Chinese-owned potash mine over sinkholes

Editor2 days ago03 mins

Laos has ordered a Chinese-owned potash mine believed responsible for two massive sinkholes in Khammouane province to cease operations until further notice, and to fill the sinkholes in, an official told Radio Free Asia. On Dec. 4, a sinkhole measuring 20 meters (65 feet) wide and 10 meters (33 feet) deep opened up on farmland in Thakhaek district’s Pak Peng village. On Dec. 21, another sinkhole — about half the size of the first — formed nearby. Residents suspect the sinkholes are a result of excavation at a potash mine in neighboring Nong Bok district, operated by Sino-Agri International Potash Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Asia Potash International Investment (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., which is linked to entities directed by China’s governing State Council. After a month of central government inspections of the mine, the cause remains unclear. However, the company has been ordered to fill both sinkholes, a government official said Monday, speaking to RFA Lao on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “The two sinkholes will be filled up with dirt. The company will carry out this task,” the official said, adding that after meeting with central government officials, a cause has not yet been determined. RELATED STORIES Villagers blame Chinese potash mine for massive sinkhole in central Laos Second sinkhole discovered near mining operation in central Laos At Lao potash mine, flood of Chinese workers are displacing local laborers Because fault has not been determined, the company may not have to pay compensation, the official said. A Pak Peng resident told RFA that those who live near the sinkholes are terrified of further collapses. “They are scared. The sinkholes are right in the middle of the rice fields,” the villager said. Filling in the holes is only a temporary fix, a Lao expert told RFA. “Underground extraction is very dangerous. One day the mine will collapse,” he said. “Dirt is excavated and water flushes will cause more sinkholes over the next 20 years. It won’t be long before we start seeing the consequences.” Translated by RFA Lao. Edited by Eugene Whong. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Myanmar enacts cybersecurity law that aims to restrict use of VPNs

Editor2 days ago05 mins

Myanmar’s junta has enacted a cybersecurity law that will penalize unauthorized provision of virtual private networks, or VPNs, which many people use to circumvent internet restrictions to get access to news and information and to report on what is going on in their country. The law, which came into effect on Wednesday, is aimed at preventing cyberattacks through electronic technology that threatens national sovereignty, peace, and stability, as well as to effectively investigate and bring charges against cybercrimes, the ruling military said in a statement published in newspapers. Myanmar cracked down on the internet and the media after the military ousted an elected government in early 2021, sparking an armed uprising that has raised questions about the sustainability of widely unpopular army rule. With the media under the control of the military largely a mouthpiece of the generals, many people rely on VPNs to skirt control and get access to independent and foreign media and to send material out of the country. The law sets out a penalty of six months in prison and a fine for “unauthorized VPN installation or service.” A VPN service provider told Radio Free Asia that the law could be disastrous for his business. “It’s really bad for us,” said the service provider, who declined to be identified for security reasons. “Even if there’s demand, we don’t dare sell it. We’ll keep an eye on whether they actually take action on it or not. If they really crack down on providing VPN service, we’ll have to register officially.” The law also sets out jail for up to six months, and or a fine, for distributing, transferring, copying or selling information that is “inappropriate for the public” through electronic technology. It also sets out jail of six months to a year for anyone found operating an illegal online gambling system. Illegal gambling, often organized by gangsters from China, has proliferated in more lawless parts of Myanmar and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. RELATED STORIES After 2024 setbacks, junta forces now control less than half of Myanmar Acts of charity bring light to wartime Myanmar Air, artillery strikes set grim benchmark for civilian casualties in Myanmar in 2024 A legal expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told RFA that there should be a limit to the extent authorities can control online activity and the law posed a threat to public privacy and security. “If these technologies are used for gambling or for criminal purposes, there needs to be a provision to take effective action. However, we see that the law’s intent is to harm the public’s security and privacy,” he said. The law also states that Myanmar people living abroad can be punished. “Myanmar citizens residing in foreign countries shall be liable to punishment under this law if they commit any offense,” according to a copy of the legislation published in newspapers. Many Myanmar people living abroad try to report news from their country and organize opposition to the military via online communities. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Year in photos: Lens of empathy captures stories of resilience across borders

Editor3 days ago03 mins

WASHINGTON — Radio Free Asia photojournalist Gemunu Amarasinghe has had a distinguished career capturing images across Asia. His ability to access intimate moments sheds new light on the stories behind the struggle for freedom and human rights. In the special report, “In Washington, Myanmar democracy advocates push for a Breakthrough,” Amarasinghe captures the efforts of Myanmar’s National Unity Government in Washington, D.C., as Deputy Foreign Minister Moe Zaw Oo and press aide Aye Chan Mon navigate the complexities of international diplomacy. In “Nyah Mway: The boy who will forever be 13,” he delves into the tragedy of a young refugee from Myanmar who was fatally shot by police in Utica, New York. His photographs reveal the effect the incident has had on Nyah’s family and community, offering insight into broader issues of systemic violence and the experiences of displaced people in the United States. In “Five Years after a Summer of Protest, Hong Kong Exiles are Still Rebuilding Their Lives,” Amarasinghe chronicles the lives of Hong Kong activists who have resettled in the United States following the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Through his lens, Amarasinghe provides a comprehensive perspective on resilience and transition. Here are some of his photos: Aye Chan Mon, a press aide with Myanmar’s National Unity Government, works from home as her cat tries to intervene.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Buddhist monks chant at the burial of Nyah Mway, 13, in Utica, New York, July 6, 2024.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Hong Kong democracy activist Frances Hui stands outside the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, D.C., during a protest to mark World Press Freedom Day, May 2, 2024.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Huen Lam visits the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C., March 30, 2024.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Edited by Jim Snyder. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Will Xi Jinping Annex Taiwan in 2025?

Editor3 days ago3 days ago06 mins

In a chilling New Year’s address for 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that “no one can ever stop” China’s reunification with Taiwan, signaling an unyielding commitment to assert control over the democratic island. The speech has been widely interpreted as a veiled threat of forced occupation, intensifying fears of an imminent military confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region. Xi’s Hardline Stance: Reunification at Any Cost Xi framed the issue of Taiwan as a core national objective, leaving little room for compromise. “The complete reunification of our motherland is an unshakable mission,” he declared, reaffirming the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) long-standing goal of bringing Taiwan under Beijing’s control. Over the past year, China’s aggressive military maneuvers near the Taiwan Strait, including record-breaking incursions into Taiwanese airspace, have fueled speculation that Beijing is preparing for an occupation by force. Taiwan’s Resilience: Democracy Under Siege Taiwan, a vibrant democracy with a strong sense of national identity, has consistently resisted Beijing’s claims. President Lai Ching-te condemned Xi’s statements as a direct threat to Taiwan’s sovereignty, vowing to strengthen the island’s defenses. “Taiwan is not for sale, nor will it be bullied,” Lai asserted in his New Year’s response. The Taiwanese government has ramped up military spending, acquiring advanced weapons systems and forging deeper alliances with democratic nations to counter China’s growing aggression. However, the looming threat of an occupation continues to cast a shadow over the island’s future. A Pattern of Suppression: Lessons from Tibet and Hong Kong Beijing’s history of authoritarian expansion provides a stark warning to Taiwan. Tibet has endured decades of cultural and religious suppression under Chinese rule, while Hong Kong’s promised autonomy has been systematically dismantled in defiance of international agreements. Critics argue that Taiwan would face a similar fate under Chinese occupation, with its democratic institutions dismantled and freedoms crushed. Neighboring nations such as Vietnam, India, and the Philippines have also felt the brunt of China’s territorial ambitions, facing military incursions and aggressive claims over disputed regions. Check out our investigation report on the same titled, “The Geopolitical Weaponization of Maps by China”. Global Stakes: A Test for Democracy The international community faces a critical test in its response to Beijing’s ambitions. The United States, Japan, and other democratic allies have pledged support for Taiwan, viewing its independence as a cornerstone of regional stability. However, the prospect of a Chinese occupation raises the stakes significantly, potentially triggering a conflict that could destabilize the entire Indo-Pacific region. Xi’s rhetoric, coupled with China’s military posturing, underscores the urgency for the world to stand with Taiwan. Failure to act decisively could embolden Beijing to expand its authoritarian reach beyond Taiwan, setting a dangerous precedent for global security. Taiwan: A Beacon of Resistance As China tightens its grip, Taiwan stands as a beacon of resistance against authoritarianism. The island’s determination to defend its sovereignty sends a powerful message to the world: freedom and democracy must be protected at all costs. Xi Jinping’s vision of “reunification” is increasingly seen not as a peaceful resolution but as a prelude to occupation—a stark reminder of the CCP’s willingness to sacrifice global stability for its expansionist ambitions. The battle for Taiwan’s future has become a defining moment in the global struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.

Vietnamese monk leaves Laos, enters Thailand

Editor4 days ago05 mins

A Vietnamese Buddhist monk who became an internet sensation earlier this year has crossed from Laos into Thailand on his way to India. Thich Minh Tue, who gained fame in Vietnam after his ascetic lifestyle attracted a following as he traveled by foot across Vietnam, began a pilgrimage to Buddhist sites in India in late November. (Amanda Weisbrod/RFA) At about 10:30 am on Tuesday, he and five other mendicant monks left the Vang Tao border crossing in Laos and passed through the Chong Mek border crossing in Thailand after spending 19 days in Laos. People knelt in front of the border crossing and scattered flowers and sprinkled water on the road as signs of respect for the monks. At the Chong Mek border crossing in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province, about 100 people, mainly small traders and tuk-tuk drivers from Thailand and Laos, gathered to welcome the monks. About 20 Vietnamese YouTubers were also there early to report the news. RELATED STORIES Vietnam’s barefoot monk expected to cross from Laos into Thailand Viral barefoot monk’s journey to India explained (VIDEO) Publisher’s partner says book about ‘barefoot monk’ hasn’t received approval Thich Minh Tue, Vietnam’s ‘barefoot monk,’ enters Laos on pilgrimage to India Accompanying the monks on the walking journey through Laos were two well-known Vietnamese YouTubers — Doan Van Bau and Le Kha Giap. They were joined by four Thai volunteers handling logistics and two police officers from Ubon Ratchathani province who were dispatched to ensure order. Live video from YouTuber Doan Van Bau, who escorted the monks from Vietnam, shows Tue and monks Minh Tang, Minh Tri, Chon Tri, An Lac and Vo Sanh left Laos and entered Thailand without any problem when volunteers took care of the immigration procedures. Vietnamese monk Thich Minh Tue, center, arrives in Chong Mek, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand, Dec. 31, 2024, on his way to India.(RFA) Bau said one of the people accompanying the group will take care of procedural issues as they walk to Thailand’s Mae Sot province en route to Myanmar. Tue became known to many people when he walked from the south to north Vietnam in May. When arriving in the city of Hue in early June, Tue and a group of more than 70 people who followed him were suppressed and dispersed by the police during a midnight raid. They took Tue to his hometown in Gia Lai province to scan his fingerprints for citizenship identification. On Nov. 25, Tue wrote a letter expressing his desire to travel to India and visit Buddhist relics, and asked for advice on directions and procedures. Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Month: January 2025