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Chinese soccer fans bemoan 0-7 loss to Japan as ‘Day of Humiliation’

Editor4 months ago09 mins

Read a version of this story in Chinese Chinese netizens reacted with embarrassment and frustration to the men’s national soccer team’s humiliating 0-7 loss to Japan in a World Cup qualifying match, with some calling it a “Day of Humiliation.” “Ah! It’s simply embarrassing to talk about. As a Chinese, I am ashamed,” sports enthusiast Zhao Xiang told Radio Free Asia. “This is practically a joke.” “Why can’t we solve these problems?” he asked. “I don’t think the physique of Chinese people is an issue. Koreans and Japanese are also Asian and they make it to the (World Cup). Why can’t we?” Japan is one of Asia’s strongest teams, competing in every World Cup since 1998. Meanwhile, China has only managed to qualify once, in 2002 – so getting beaten isn’t terribly surprising. But losing by such a lopsided score in Thursday’s match in Saitama, north of Tokyo, was hard for many Chinese fans to swallow. Japan’s Takumi Minamino fights for the ball with China’s defender Liu Yang during their World Cup qualifying match in Saitama, Sept. 5, 2024. (Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP) Despite its relative lack of success in the world’s premier tournament, China is a soccer-crazed nation. President Xi Jinping, a fan himself, once expressed his hope for China to host and even win the men’s World Cup one day. “Sept. 5 is a day of humiliation for Chinese soccer,” said an online media outlet run by the government of Shandong province. Chinese citizens have a complex relationship with Japan, owing to the troubled history between the two nations, which fought major wars against each other during the 20th century and found themselves aligned on opposite sides of the Cold War. EXPLORE OUR WORLD CUP QUALIFIER COVERAGE North Korea falls 0-1 to Uzbekistan to start 3rd round of World Cup Asian qualifiers Asian qualifier outlook round 3: North Korea Podcast: RFA Insider EP10 (Timecode 17:32) While thousands of Chinese tourists have flocking to Japan each year, Chinese social media regularly erupts in Japan-bashing sentiment, such as when Japan released wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant last year into the ocean, sparking fears about tainted seafood. ‘Real gap’ It was the worst loss for China’s men’s team since 2012, when the team suffered a 0-8 shellacking to perennial world powerhouse Brazil. The Chinese women’s national soccer team has performed much better, competing in eight World Cups, with the 1999 team finishing 2nd in that year’s tournament. The women’s team is ranked 18th in the world, while the men’s team is ranked 87th. Zhang Yuning, a former player of the Chinese team, said the match “demonstrates the real gap between Chinese and Japanese football.” “It is ultimately reflected in the score, which demonstrates the difference between Chinese and Japanese football,” he said. China’s Fernandinho, Alan, Dalei Wang and teammates after their 0-7 World Cup qualifier loss to Japan in Saitama, Sept. 5, 2024. (Issei Kato/Reuters) He said the Chinese team should acknowledge the gap and try to perform better in the upcoming matches. According to Chinese media reports, Fan Zhiyi, another former national player, also criticized the home team by stating that the loss to a powerful team like Japan was understandable, but it was terrible that Japan was allowed to score so easily. “If it weren’t so far from here, I would have really jumped into the Huangpu river,” Fan said, referring to Shanghai’s main waterway, in a widely circulated video. “How many football association presidents have we had? Has anything changed? It’s just changing the syrup without replacing the prescription!” Competing for spots Thursday’s match was the start of the third round of China and Japan’s world cup qualifying campaign, and they are competing with 16 other Asian teams for spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by Canada, Mexico and the United States. Wataru Endo opened up the scoring for Japan in the 12th minute, and China managed to keep the Japanese out of the goal for the rest of the first half until the second minute past regulation, when Kaoru Mitoma found the back of the net. Goals rained down on China in the second half, with Takumi Minamoto scoring in the 52nd and 58th minutes, followed by Junya Ito at 77, Daizen Maeda at 87, and Takefusa Kubo at 5 minutes past regulation. China’s head coach Branko Ivankovic on the sidelines during the World Cup qualifying round football match between Japan and China in Saitama, Sept. 5, 2024. (Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP) Many fans on social media blamed the loss on China’s new manager, Croatian Branko Ivankovic, who was handed the reins in February, but others clapped back. “Stop blaming the head coach and demanding for his resignation after the game,” netizens said. “It doesn’t matter who the coach is. … (we should) just withdraw from the competition. … We can’t afford the embarrassment.” Others suggested that China withdraw from international soccer altogether. With the defeat, China sits at the bottom of the Group C standings, and will look to regain its footing on Tuesday vs Saudi Arabia in Dalian. Also in Group C, Bahrain upset Australia 1-0 and Saudi Arabia and Indonesia played to a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, in Group B, Palestine turned heads earning a scoreless draw against heavily favored South Korea, and in Group A, North Korea lost to Uzbekistan 0-1. Translated by Li Yaqian. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

South Korea, Japan ‘ready to stop North Korea hiding behind Russia’

Editor4 months ago05 mins

Leaders of South Korea and Japan said they would maintain their readiness to stop North Korea hiding behind Russia in its provocative acts, Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea’s deputy national security adviser, said on Friday. Kim was speaking after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met for talks in Seoul that included ways to deepen cooperation, even as Kishida prepares to step down at the end of the month. Kishida arrived for a two-day visit and talks with Yoon, their 12th summit in about two years. It was their last summit, as Kishida will not seek reelection as prime minister and leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party after three years in the job. During the summit, Kishida called for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through a “unification doctrine” that Yoon announced last month, which focuses on expanding North Koreans’ access to external information and proposes establishing an official dialogue channel between the two Koreas to discuss various issues. Yoon, in his opening remarks at Friday’s summit, said it was important to maintain the positive momentum in relations with Japan. He added that the two countries have a chance to raise their relations to another level when they mark next year’s 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties and that working with Kishida on improving relations was the most meaningful development since he became president. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a meeting at the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, Sept. 6, 2024. (Lee Jin-man/Pool via Reuters) Relations between the two U.S. allies have been fraught for years because of South Korea resentment of Japan’s behavior during its occupation of Korea before and during World War II. But Yoon and Kishida have been able to build a close relationship as a result of Yoon’s decision last year to resolve a long-standing dispute regarding Japan’s wartime mobilization of Koreans for forced labor by compensating victims without contributions from Japanese firms. The two leaders have since resumed a “shuttle diplomacy” of holding meetings on the fringes of international conferences and visiting each other as needed. Their restored relations have also substantially enhanced trilateral security cooperation with the United States, as all three of the allies warily watch North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and the missiles to carry them. RELATED STORIES Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo reaffirm Korean Peninsula denuclearization commitment Tokyo, Seoul target North Korea-Russia arms deal with sanctions Yoon, Kishida aim for better ties; island issues may constrain South Korea has been trying to bolster cooperation with regional partners in response to deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia. On Wednesday, Yoon met New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. They condemned North Korea’s nuclear weapons development and its military cooperation with Russia, including the North’s export of ballistic missiles to Russia in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Yoon and Luxon denounced Russia’s war against Ukraine, while pledging to support Ukrainian sovereignty and its efforts to secure a just and lasting peace, according to a joint statement. Edited by Mike Firn.

Cambodian civil servant caught up in dragnet is brother of government critic

Editor4 months ago010 mins

Read RFA coverage of this story in Khmer. As a Cambodian civil servant, Hay Vannith’s only apparent wrongdoing was being related to an ardent critic of Hun Sen. But even that was enough to get him arrested at a busy border crossing last month as he attempted to flee into Thailand. Three weeks later, the 28-year-old Ministry of Health official remains in detention at Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh. He is one of nine still being held following a crackdown in August aimed at critics of a decades-old regional economic cooperation agreement with Laos and Vietnam. Hay Vannith and the eight others are accused of plotting to overthrow the government and can expect to be prosecuted, Prime Minister Hun Manet – the son of long-time leader Hun Sen, who is now Senate president – said Thursday at a graduation ceremony for law students and trainees in Phnom Penh. All told, Hun Manet announced that 66 people were arrested last month ahead of planned – but never carried out – protests against the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Triangle Development Area, or CLV. All but the nine were released. Cambodian scholar Hay Vannith is seen in a screen grab of a Zoom call posted on social media. (VOA) But friends say Hay Vannith has not been involved in political activism – unlike his brother Hay Vanna, an opposition figure who lives in Japan. “From what I have known and shared with him for almost a decade, he has nothing to do with politics, and has no political interest or rivalry against the current government,” said Chiva Sum, a former classmate of Hay Vannith’s at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. “These allegations are falsified in a political manner,” he said. ‘Unlawfully detained’ A joint statement from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch last week criticized the mass arrests, saying that activists and others were “unlawfully detained and charged for peacefully expressing their views.” The 1999 CLV agreement was aimed at encouraging economic development and trade between Cambodia’s four northeastern provinces and neighboring provinces in Laos and Vietnam. Debate over the deal has resurfaced over the last several months, with some activists expressing concerns that it could cause Cambodia to lose territory or control of its natural resources to Vietnam, mostly through the use of land concessions to private investors. The prospect of losing sovereignty or land to Vietnam is a politically sensitive issue in Cambodia, with opposition politicians often using anti-Vietnamese rhetoric. Overseas Cambodian activists organized protests on Aug. 11 against the CLV in South Korea, Japan, Canada and Australia. One of them was Hay Vanna. Hay Vannith and other relatives of Hay Vanna had been worried about their safety since July 23, when Senate President Hun Sen gave an angry speech on state-run television that specifically threatened the activist’s family. Cambodian scholar Hay Vannith is seen in a booking photograph following his Aug. 16, 2024, arrest in Phnom Penh. (Confidential source) “This person by the name of Hay Vanna, who lives in Japan, commented on the so-called ceasing of the four Cambodian provinces to others,” Hun Sen said. “But you shouldn’t be confused – you have family members here in Cambodia,” he said. “And they who are living here, must not be arrogant. After hearing his message … you must stop, or else.” Tense political environment Hay Vannith was born in Kampong Cham province, the fourth child in a well-to-do family. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biological engineering, he studied at Kansas State University in the United States on a Fulbright scholarship. He earned a master’s degree in food science in 2023, and returned to Cambodia to work at the Ministry of Health’s National Institutes of Public Health. At first, Hay Vannith didn’t consider leaving Cambodia in response to Hun Sen’s threats, according to Chiva Sum, who lives in Japan. He was focused on his work at the ministry, engrossed in his pursuit of scientific knowledge and wanted to continue preparing for a return to the United States for doctoral studies. Also, he believed he would be overlooked by authorities amid the tense political environment due to his lack of interest and involvement in national affairs, his longtime friend said. RELATED STORIES Cambodian political activist’s brother arrested at Thai border crossing Cambodia arrests 30 amid warnings over anti-CLV demonstrations Hun Sen warns of more arrests related to Vietnam-Laos cooperation deal But by mid-August, a heavy police and military presence could be seen in every major city and along highways, where authorities set up checkpoints and began making arrests in an effort to prevent the protests, which had been planned for Aug. 18 throughout Cambodia. Other family members successfully made it out of Cambodia on Aug. 5, according to Hay Vanna. Eleven days later, Hay Vannith was arrested at the Poipet border crossing in northwestern Cambodia. Authorities didn’t confirm his whereabouts for four more days. A day later, on Aug. 21, a recorded confession was posted on the government spokesperson’s Facebook page. In the audio clip, Hay Vannith said that his brother instructed him “to carry out a plan to mobilize the people with an intent to overthrow the government and absolutely oppose the CLV through the means of sharing on Facebook and Telegram.” Authorities have also distributed a typed confession signed with Hay Vannith’s thumbprint. Legal observer Son Chumchoun told Radio Free Asia that prosecutors will have to show other evidence that supports the confession. Coerced statements go against the principle of the rule of law – even if the accused has signed with a thumbprint, he said. Unlike other previous cases, where detainees in political cases were released after they acknowledged their wrongdoing, the authorities haven’t released Hay Vannith, Son Chumchoun said. RFA hasn’t been able to reach the Ministry of Health for comment on the arrest. Translated by Sum Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.

Taiwan’s chips industry ‘key reason’ for world to protect island: Lai

Editor4 months ago04 mins

UPDATED Sep. 2, 2024, 02:07 ET. Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said the island can take advantage of its semiconductor industry not only to promote the development of the economy but also as a key reason for the world to protect the island. Commenting on a rumor circulating in the U.S. that Taiwan’s semiconductor industry could be the very reason for China to decide to attack Taiwan, Lai said he would try his best to protect the island’s security. “Since TSMC’s operating system is very complex, not any group of people could just take it and continue to operate it,” he said during a televised interview on Sunday. TSMC, or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company. In the first quarter of 2024, TSMC recorded a market share of 61.7% in the global semiconductor foundry market, while its closest competitor, South Korea’s Samsung, occupied 11%. Since controlling semiconductor production and distribution can reshape global economics and trade as well as establish a new technological order, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has become crucial in the strategic competition between the U.S. and China. Lai said the purpose of any Chinese invasion of Taiwan would not be about acquiring more territory, but rather about the desire to change the “rules-based world order” in order to achieve hegemony. Counting on the international community’s support for Taiwan, the Taiwanese President said the Taiwan Strait issue was “not only a Taiwan-China issue, but also an Indo-Pacific issue, and even a world issue”. This echoes remarks made last month when Lai urged the world’s democratic countries to come together and act to prevent China from expanding authoritarianism. “China has even weaponized trade. Using various pressures and threats, it’s politically manipulating not just Taiwan, but also Japan, Korea, Australia, Lithuania, Canada, and other countries,” said Lai last month. RELATED NEWS China’s ‘growing authoritarianism’ won’t stop with Taiwan: Lai Ching-te China says it ‘destroyed large network’ of Taiwanese spies Taiwan proposes biggest ever defense spending of US$19.7 billion China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that should be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. The democratic island has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese civil war. Regarding a rumor about his visit to the U.S., Lai said during the Sunday interview that he had no plans to do so, stressing that there were already “very good” channels of communication between Taiwan and the U.S. Edited by Mike Firn. This story has been updated to clarify a translation of Lai’s remarks.

EXPLAINED: Why does the South Vietnamese flag spark tension?

Editor4 months ago08 mins

South Vietnam’s yellow flag with three red stripes – which represented the anti-communist republic until the end of the Vietnam war in 1975 – sparks strong, opposing emotions among Vietnamese, depending on who you’re talking to. And recently, it’s been getting a lot of attention online in Vietnam. Social media users have been digging up footage of Vietnamese celebrities performing at events in the United States where the yellow flag appeared in the background, with the aim of embarrassing them. They’ve “outed” a string of celebrities, including singer Myra Tran, who in 2019 performed at the U.S. funeral of a former soldier in the South Vietnamese army, prompting her to apologize. But for ethnic Vietnamese in the United States, the flag holds deep emotional significance, and they say there’s nothing to apologize for. The conflicting sentiments around the flag show the lingering divisions that persist nearly 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War. What does the flag represent to the Vietnamese diaspora? The 1975 victory of the North Vietnamese forces brought the country under communist rule and triggered a mass exodus of Vietnamese in the southern part of the country to flee to the United States, Canada and elsewhere. To those Vietnamese refugees and immigrants, the flag represents their lost homeland – the Republic of Vietnam, which existed from 1955 until 1975, a land that some of their loved ones died to protect. Student protesters in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) display the South Vietnam flag during a protest against Premier Nguyen Khanh, Aug. 31, 1964. (Nguyen Van Duc/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) It is also a symbol of resilience of those who resisted communism and overcame immense challenges to build new lives, and, most importantly, their enduring stance against communism. Many Vietnamese immigrants have used the flag to express hatred for a communist regime that ousted them from their country. Activists have lobbied local officials to recognize the flag representing the displaced overseas Vietnamese community. In the United States, the flag has been formally recognized by 20 states and 85 cities as of 2023, according to a resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last year that seeks to recognize the flag as a symbol of the Vietnamese immigrant community. In cities like Westminster, California, home to a large Vietnamese American population, the flag is displayed during community events, protests and memorials. Virginia’s Eden Center, the East Coast’s largest concentration of Vietnamese businesses, also flies the South Vietnamese flag alongside the U.S. flag. “Since I was born, I’ve always seen the yellow flag with three red stripes everywhere, and I know that it is the flag of the Vietnamese people,” 23-year-old Phuong Anh, born and raised in southern California, told RFA Vietnamese. What does it represent to Hanoi? In Vietnam today – represented by a red flag with a yellow star – the old South Vietnamese flag is considered a symbol of treason and defiance against the government. Showing it is seen as subversive, potentially leading to severe penalties, including imprisonment. The flag is often associated with the so-called “reactionary forces,” a term the Vietnamese government uses to describe those who oppose its rule, including former South Vietnamese officials, their descendants, and members of the Vietnamese diaspora who fled the country after the war. State-controlled media work hard to make sure images of the yellow flag do not appear in publications or on broadcasts, even if it is in a news report about an election campaign in the United States or a sports event. In January 2022, for example, Vietnam Television postponed airing a soccer match in Australia due to fans waving red-striped yellow flags in the stadium. How does the flag remain an obstacle? The flag, as a symbol of resistance to communism, worries the Vietnamese government as it could spark opposition and dissent at home and abroad, according to experts. In Vietnamese educational and propaganda materials, the yellow flag is depicted as something to be disavowed. As a result, many in the country are angry or hostile when they see the flag. The tension surrounding the flag shows the legacy of the Vietnam War and the deep divisions it created. It leaves many overseas Vietnamese questioning whether the Vietnamese government is ready for reconciliation with the diaspora community and moving forward from the past. “We can only achieve reconciliation if we understand the pain of our people,” said Johny Huy, a Vietnamese in North Carolina. “I believe these are things our nation needs to acknowledge, we need to recognize and accept the suffering of those who had to flee and escape after 1975.” Edited by Malcolm Foster.

Cambodia announces fundraising effort for ‘border infrastructure’

Editor4 months ago04 mins

Cambodians are being asked to pay for infrastructure projects in a remote border area where an economic cooperation agreement with Vietnam and Laos has recently sparked criticism and protests from opposition activists. The projects would be aimed at developing four provinces in northeastern Cambodia that are part of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Triangle Development Area, or CLV. Prime Minister Hun Manet’s Cabinet announced the creation of a Foundation for Border Infrastructure Development on Monday in a statement that included the names of six banks where people could send money. It was unclear what infrastructure projects would be funded by the foundation. The provinces – Kratie, Stung Treng, Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri – are thinly populated. Money raised under the initiative would help the government “in the spirit of national unity, peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity, [to] promote stronger and more sustainable border development,” Hun Manet said. “Cambodians of all backgrounds, both inside and outside the country” are encouraged to contribute, the prime minister said. Several high-profile Cambodian businessmen have already posted messages on social media that showed their donation to the foundation. The 1999 CLV agreement between the three countries was aimed at encouraging economic development and trade between the four northeastern provinces and neighboring provinces across the border. But some activists recently began expressing concerns that the CLV could cause Cambodia to lose territory or control of its natural resources to Vietnam. Overseas Cambodians held protests in South Korea, Japan, France, Canada and Australia on Aug. 11. Planned demonstrations in Cambodia on Aug. 18 were never held after the government deployed security forces and arrested more than 30 people. The fundraising effort appears to be aimed at harnessing some of the nationalistic sentiment sparked by CLV critics, according to Oum Sam An, a former lawmaker for the former main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. “This is demagogic politics to deceive the people,” he told Radio Free Asia. “He is trying to show that his family is patriotic and didn’t cede any land to Vietnam.” RFA was unable to reach a government spokesperson for comment on the new foundation. Translated by Sum Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.

PNG jolts donors over power grid roll-out as China sale dismissed

Editor4 months ago08 mins

The chairman of Papua New Guinea’s national power provider has called for a faster U.S. and foreign donor roll-out of promised electricity infrastructure while saying there is absolutely no plan to sell critical grid assets to China. At APEC’s Port Moresby meeting in 2018, the U.S, Australia, New Zealand and Japan pledged to fund new electricity infrastructure in the Pacific country with the goal of connecting 70% of PNG’s population by 2030. The deal was announced against a backdrop of growing concern in Washington and Canberra about China’s inroads with Pacific island nations, especially as an economic partner. But six years later, there is little to show in terms of electricity connectivity, according to analysts and industry insiders, with one donor admitting the “2030 target remains ambitious.” “It could be faster, and there are a lot more discussions that need to be made between the parties,” Moses Maladina, the chairman of PNG Power, told RFA affiliate BenarNews on the sidelines of an investment conference in the Australian city of Brisbane. Moses Maladina gestures in this photo posted to Facebook by PNG Power on March 8, 2022. (PNG Power/Facebook) “There is room for improvement. We just have to work closely and make sure we achieve the target.” Maladina, who is also the chairman of Kumul Consolidated Holdings, the government’s investment arm in state-owned infrastructure, ports, logistics and financial services, batted away reports that the power grid was for sale. Australian broadcaster Channel 7 claimed last week that management from PNG Power had traveled to China seeking investment in its power grid, triggering a furious denial from Port Moresby which accused the station of inflaming geopolitical tensions. Maladina said that legally and officially there had been no talks about any potential sale to Chinese investors. “From a shareholders point of view, there has been no discussion on it and absolutely no interest on our part to sell our transmission lines or our distribution lines in any way,” he said. Papua New Guinea is the most populous Pacific island country with an estimated 11.7 million people, but its economy is small, underdeveloped and plagued by infrastructure problems. Only about 13% of the population is estimated to have access to electricity, and even then it is unreliable and confined primarily in urban areas, according to the Asian Development Bank. In 2018, the Trump White House touted the Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership (PEP) as a “principles-based, sustainable infrastructure development that is transparent” – in an apparent rebuke of what it frequently said was China’s secrecy-shrouded development financing to poor nations. Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill (center), flanked by the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (far right), during the signing of a joint electricity deal at the APEC Summit in Port Moresby Nov. 18, 2018. (Reuters) Australia committed A$25 million in the first year of the multi-year PEP project. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not provide figures on overall investment by the time of publication. New Zealand has invested NZ$41 million (US$24.7 million) to date towards electrification in PNG under the partnership, including rural grid extension and renewable generation projects. “The constraints to broad based grid connection in Papua New Guinea are significant, including geography, land ownership structures and the regulatory environment, so a 2030 target remains ambitious,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a five-year US$57 million electrification program under the PEP in November 2020, but did not reply to a request for comment about its continued involvement. Mihai Sora, director of the Pacific islands program at the Lowy Institute, said the partnership’s 2030 target was looking increasingly out of reach. “The PEP was designed as a multi-party flagship development initiative that was intended to present an alternative to the BRI for PNG,” he told BenarNews, using the acronym for China’s globe-spanning infrastructure program, the Belt and Road Initiative. “But progress has been slow, complicated by the deep governance challenges in PNG’s domestic power sector, the rugged geography of PNG, the difficulty of coordinating so many separate partners, and low capacity among domestic stakeholders in PNG.” Sora said the strategic context during which the deal was signed in 2018 has become more pronounced today, as China vies for influence in PNG with the U.S. and its allies. However, it would be difficult for PNG to “pivot to China for the same kind of support in the power sector, given the work that is already underway on this project.” PNG’s Minister for State Enterprises William Duma demanded an apology from Channel 7 over its report, calling it “ridiculous.” But the broadcaster said it stood by the story. Duma’s demand was not the first time he has squared off with Australian media. He successfully sued the Australian Financial Review last year for defamation over claims that he acted corruptly in granting a petroleum license and won A$545,000 (US$340,000). BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

Hun Sen warns of more arrests related to Vietnam-Laos cooperation deal

Editor4 months ago05 mins

Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen on Monday again threatened to arrest anyone who tries to organize a demonstration in the country against an economic cooperation agreement with Vietnam and Laos that has been a subject of online debate over the last month. The 1999 agreement between the three countries was aimed at encouraging economic development and trade between Cambodia’s four northeastern provinces and neighboring provinces across the border. Last month, three activists were arrested on incitement charges after they spoke of concerns that the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Triangle Development Area, or CLV, could cause Cambodia to lose territory or control of some of its natural resources to Vietnam. The activists made the comments in an 11-minute Facebook video. An angry Hun Sen ordered the arrests and has spoken publicly about the CLV several times since then. On Monday, Hun Sen warned in a Facebook post of more arrests after overseas Cambodians set up a chat group on the Telegram app where plans for an Aug. 18 demonstration in Phnom Penh against the CLV were being discussed. The Telegram group was created following a weekend of protests against the CLV among overseas Cambodians living in South Korea, Japan, Canada and Australia. “My message to all brothers and sisters in this group, I listened to your conversation in the group long enough,” he said. “You are being incited by overseas people.” ‘Try it’ Hun Sen said he has spies in the Telegram group who have sent conversations and names to his private account. He added that he wouldn’t order the arrests for anyone who left the group. “We cannot let a few people destroy the peace of 17 million people. Some have seen the events in Bangladesh and compared the events in Cambodia,” he said. “Try it. If you consider yourself a strong person, please try.” Hun Sen stepped down as prime minister last year but remains a powerful force in the country. His son, Hun Manet, succeeded him as prime minister. Last week, Hun Manet warned Cambodians against protesting against the government, citing Bangladesh’s recent demonstrations in its capital that turned into deadly clashes and caused that country’s leader to resign. RELATED STORIES Cambodia’s prime minister warns against Bangladesh-like demonstrations Police arrest activists after Facebook video angers Cambodia’s Hun Sen Hun Manet has also tried to reassure Cambodians about the CLV, saying that the agreement won’t result in the loss of any territory. Soeung Senkaruna, the former spokesman for human rights group Adhoc, said Cambodians both inside and outside the country have the full right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by the Constitution and international law. Using force to keep people from expressing their opinions shouldn’t happen in a country “that the government claims enjoys democracy and peace,” he said. Translated Sun Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed.

Gymnastics silver medalist Nairman Kurbanov thrills Kazakhs and Uyghurs

Editor4 months ago07 mins

Kazakhstanis turned out in large numbers to welcome home gymnast Nariman Kurbanov from the Paris Olympics, where the 26-year-old ethnic Uyghur won a silver medal in the Men’s Pommel Horse – the first gymnastics medal for the Central Asian nation in the 30 years it has competed as an independent country. Kurbanov, who has been a gymnast since the age of six and holds degrees in coaching and law, was met at Almaty airport Wednesday by Kazakhstani sports officials and community leaders and activists representing the nearly 300,000 Uyghurs in Kazakhstan. “It’s been a few days since the finals of the Olympics, but I still can’t fully grasp the significance of my medal,” he told Radio Free Asia Uyghur. “My fans and sports enthusiasts from all over the country and abroad are not only congratulating me, but also expressing their gratitude for the joy I’ve brought them,” he added. “My parents and relatives were overjoyed to see my success. In particular, my father, who has always been by my side, is delighted by this blessing and feels as if he is in seventh heaven,” said Kurbanov, whose father coached him for much of his early career. Kazakhstan’s Nariman Kurbanov poses with his silver medal during the podium ceremony for the artistic gymnastics men’s pommel horse during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, Aug. 3, 2024. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP) In the Aug. 3 finals in Paris, Kurbanov scored 15.433 points, falling by a tenth of a point to gold medalist Rhys McClenaghan from Ireland with 15.533 points. “The entire population of Kazakhstan, including the Uyghurs, expected and believed that Nariman would earn a medal at the Olympics. Now, Nariman has won the silver medal and justified our confidence,” Bahar Rejapova, a Uyghur youth activist from Kazakhstan, told RFA. He noted that Kurbanov had become widely known in Kazakhstan since started competing in international competitions in 2018 or earlier and winning world titles. “I am not exaggerating when I say that his efforts and determination will serve as a great role model for us, the youth,” Bahar said. Veteran Kazakhstani trainer Tursun Sadirov told RFA Kurbanov’s silver medal was “a great honor for our country and our people” which called to mind the earliest medalists, including many Uyghurs, from the days when Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union and competed under the USSR flag. Independent Kazakhstan competed in its first summer games in Atlanta in 1996. “When I saw and heard Nariman carrying the blue flag of Kazakhstan, I was very happy and I thanked him, his parents, and coaches,” Tursun told RFA. “I express my gratitude to our young people like Nariman, who are introducing Kazakh sports to the world, and wish them great success.” Take a moment to read more Taiwanese boxing gold medal hopeful heads to final match in Paris Soaring price of shuttlecocks ruffles feathers in China Chinese police arrest Beijing woman for ‘defaming’ Olympic athletes Tibetan athlete fails to medal in her latest Olympics but is ‘happy’ Chinese state TV pulls plug on Taiwan’s badminton victory Chinese social media users slam athletes over failure to deliver gold Silver medallist Kazakhstan’s Nariman Kurbanov celebrates after the artistic gymnastics men’s pommel horse final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, Aug. 3, 2024. (Paul Ellis/AFP) The performance in Paris by Kurbanov, who is credited with inventing the difficult pommel move called “the Kurbanov,” has also reverberated among the Uyghur diaspora. “His silver medal achievement brings great joy to us all. For the Uyghur community, this is especially significant,” said Alimjan Hamrayev, a Uyghur professor and head of the Euro-Asia Uyghur Academy in Almaty. “Nariman Kurbanov’s success has greatly contributed to strengthening Uyghur-Kazakh friendship. His accomplishment has reinforced our historic bonds,” he told RFA. Kurbanov told RFA in an telephone interview Friday that support from Uyghurs around the world is “very nice.” “When I go on the world stage, I represent Kazakhstan, our entire country, but since I am a Uyghur, I feel the Uyghurs’ concern about me in Kazakhstan, and in Europe, and in America, and in Australia,” he said. “Everyone is sending me greetings from all over the world. All the Uyghurs are rooting for me, congratulating me, and it is very nice. It makes me very proud of our entire nation.” Translated by Alim Seytoff. Edited by Paul Eckert.

Philippines joins US-led allies in multilateral maneuvers in South China Sea

Editor5 months ago09 mins

The Philippines joined the United States, Australia and Canada in a two-day “maritime cooperative activity” from Wednesday to press for freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea amid maritime tensions with China. The navies and air force units of the four nations will operate alongside each other to enhance “cooperation and interoperability” in the disputed waterway, a joint statement said. “We stand together to address common maritime challenges and underscore our shared dedication to upholding international law and the rules-based order,” it said. “The activity will be conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other States.” The statement was signed by Gen. Romeo Brawner, the military chief of the Philippines, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo, Australian Defence Force chief Admiral David Johnston and Gen. M. A. Jennie Cargian, the chief of Canada’s Defence Staff. “Australia, Canada, the Philippines, and the United States uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” they said. The aim of the multilateral sail was to demonstrate a “collective commitment” to boosting international cooperation. The statement did not specifically say where the drills would be held, only that the maneuvers would take place “within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone” in the South China Sea. The Philippines last week carried out similar joint sails with Japan and with the U.S. separately in Philippine areas of the South China Sea. Coast guards from the Philippines and Vietnam meanwhile are scheduled to hold their own joint drills on Friday. In related news, China on Wednesday conducted air and sea patrols near Scarborough Shoal, a flashpoint in territorial tensions between Beijing and Manila, according to a report by Agence France-Presse. Analysts praise multinational maneuvers Chester Cabalza, president of International Development and Security Cooperation, a Philippine think-tank, hailed the defense deals with various allies. He noted that prior to this, Manila had also signed a groundbreaking Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan, another country with a territorial dispute with China. That deal would allow the exchange of troops for joint training with each other. He said the multilateral sails this week show the “global recognition” of Manila’s international arbitration award in 2016 in its territorial dispute with China over Scarborough Shoal. “It shows the legitimacy of its sovereignty rights in the disputed maritime domains of the South China Sea,” Cabalza told BenarNews. “It reaffirms the bone of contention that China alone is not the sole owner of these important sea lanes of communications and trade,” he said. He said the joint sails should work to “solidify” the belief that countries should follow the rules-based order in the disputed sea region, a key shipping route where experts say more than 60% of global maritime trade passes. Geopolitical analyst, Don McClain Gill at the De La Salle University in Manila, said the joint sails affirm the 2016 ruling but he emphasized that such activities need to be done on a regular basis. “Patrols and exercises are very important in ensuring the freeness and openness of the maritime domain, but it must be supplemented by other activities as well, such as capacity building and more robust and permanent deterrence posture in our area in the West Philippine Sea,” Gill told BenarNews, referring to South China Sea waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. “This is a very good indication that like-minded countries, three of which are part of the exercise, recognize that the Philippines is legitimately entitled to its sovereign rights and sovereignty based on UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral ruling,” Gill said, alluding to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. “This is significant in that regard and must be continued,” he said. “As we can see, the Philippines has become a fulcrum for maritime cooperation.” Countries such as Canada, which are far removed from the conflict, are also concerned because they are worried it may affect global trade and affect the stability in a “very critical maritime space,” he said. While global partnerships like the joint sail are important, he said this had not deterred Beijing from continuing with its activities in the South China Sea. But this should not be taken negatively by the Philippines, but rather as an “opportunity to explore what else could be done.” Last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met their Filipino counterparts in Manila and announced a U.S. $500 million infusion to help Manila defend its shores from threats posed by China. The funds would go towards strengthening Manila’s defenses in the South China Sea, and the monies came shortly after tensions and confrontations surrounding Ayungin Shoal or Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Manila maintains a rusting World War II-era ship in Ayungin, and a violent confrontation there in June saw a Filipino serviceman lose a thumb. Both sides have subsequently worked towards de-escalating the tensions, but it remains unclear how China would react to the joint sails this week. Jeoffrey Maitem contributed to this report from Manila. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

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