News Story: Indonesia launches guidance to tackle IS-linked group funding

JAKARTA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia launched on Wednesday a guidance to detect and cut down transfer of funds to finance terror activities of Islamic State (IS)-linked groups, contributing to regional and global fights against terrorism.

Head of Indonesia's government antiterrorism desk (BNPT) Suhardi Alius said the guidance, which is formed in a book, would lead Indonesian institutions and agencies tasked to combat terrorism in composing and implementing policies to trace and cut the fund transfers for terrorism activities.

The book showed the map of terror group funding network as well as the IS Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) figures in Indonesia.

"The book contains documents aimed at improving awareness of institutions and agencies over the illicit fund transfers and how to trace and cut them. It also indicates the risk of the fund transfers to regional and global security," Suhardi said in the book launching event held here.

He added that Indonesia sees increasing fund transfers activities for IS-linked groups in the country since 2014, indicating that threat of terror attacks carried out by the groups remained credible.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Vietnam, Australia hold foreign affairs, defence strategic dialogue

Sydney (VNA) – The fifth foreign affairs and defence strategic dialogue at the deputy ministerial level between Vietnam and Australia was organised in Canberra on September 27.

The event was chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy and Australia’s Deputy Secretary Defence People Rebecca Skinner and Deputy Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Gary Quinlan.

During the dialogue, the two sides agreed to continue boosting the Vietnam-Australia relations in the fields of politics, economics, trade, defence, security, agriculture, education and training, tourism and people-to-people diplomacy.

They exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, while pledging to maintain close coordination at multilateral forums, including the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and forums led by ASEAN such as the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum, in order to promote dialogue and cooperation, and maintain peace, stability and order in the region.

Read the full story at VietnamPlus

News Report: Latest US Sanctions on North Korea Will Result in Full Trade Embargo

Eunjung Cho, Jenny Lee

WASHINGTON — The latest executive order signed by President Donald Trump would, in effect, amount to a full trade and financial embargo, squeezing all the revenue channels North Korea maintains to finance its weapons programs, a former senior counterterrorism official said.

On Sept. 21, less than two weeks after the U.N. Security Council approved new sanctions, Trump turned up the heat on the Kim Jong Un regime with an executive order that widens U.S. authority to sanction any bank and company that finance or facilitate trade with the communist country or any individual involved in the North Korean industries, ports and trade.

“To prevent sanctions evasion, the order also includes measures designed to disrupt critical North Korean shipping and trade networks,” said Trump, in reference to a 180-day ban on ships that have visited North Korea or have been involved in a ship-to-ship transfer with a vessel that has visited North Korea from entering the United States. “For much too long, North Korea has been allowed to abuse the international financial system to facilitate funding for its nuclear weapons and missile programs.”

News Report: War of Words Impedes Complex North Korea Diplomatic Challenge

Brian Padden

SEOUL — The provocative rhetoric between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North Korean leadership is adding to an already growing sense of pessimism that peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is possible.

President Trump said Tuesday the use of military force would be “devastating for North Korea,” though it is not his “preferred option” to stop the Kim Jong Un government’s rapidly advancing nuclear and missile program.

The leaders of the U.S. and North Korea have exchanged not only threats of military retribution, but also derisive personal insults, with Trump calling the North Korean leader “little rocket man” and Kim calling the U.S. president a “dotard,” an archaic English word meaning old and senile.

News Report: Military Options Against N. Korea Fraught With Danger

Hwasong-14 Ballistic Missile preps for launch (July-4-2017)

Brian Padden

SEOUL — In his United Nations General Assembly speech Tuesday, American President Donald Trump said the United States is "ready, willing and able" to "totally destroy" North Korea in response to its "reckless pursuit" of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

His comments come just two days after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the U.N. Security Council would be "perfectly happy" handing responsibility for dealing with North Korea to the Pentagon. When asked about her comments, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday said there are military options the U.S. can take without putting Seoul at great risk, but he declined to go into detail when pressed by reporters.

But regional security analysts Grant Newsham with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo, and Bong Young-shik with the Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul have told VOA there are major risks associated with any of the measures that have been publicly discussed.

News Report: Leverage in Cambodia Key Question for US, EU

David Boyle

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — Radio Free Asia has joined the ranks of media outlets shuttered under the now almost blanket smothering of an independent press in Cambodia, as U.S. and European diplomatic efforts have failed, so far, to halt the county's descent into authoritarianism ahead of elections next year.

The closure of the U.S.-funded outlet, due to what it called intimidation, represents another escalation in opposition to Washington by Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Conciliatory overtones made in a news conference Tuesday by U.S. Ambassador William Heidt have failed to halt the government's campaign to paint Washington as the masterminds of a vast conspiracy involving all major opponents of the government.

"These are extraordinary allegations. The business of diplomacy is normally carried out with careful and respectful language, the kind of language I'm going to use today. Difficult messages are delivered privately first. Friendly nations seek ways to bridge differences," he told reporters.

Two days later, the government mouthpiece Fresh News posted an article declaring the United States "should take a helicopter to transport its citizens from Cambodia, as it did in April 1975."

News Story: THAAD deployment hurts China-ROK trade ties - spokesman

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in the Republic of Korea (ROK) has affected China-ROK trade, a spokesman with China's Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

The deployment "seriously harms China's strategic security interests," spokesman Gao Feng said at a press conference.

"[China] hopes the ROK side respects China's major interests and legitimate concerns and properly deals with the issues in question," Gao said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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Story Quote: "and properly deals with the issues in question"

PacificSentinel: They are properly dealing with the issues in question, by installing THAAD no mater what China thinks, wants, does, or says! What some people completely forget is that money (trade) is secondary to security.

News Story: Seoul dismisses idea of petitioning WTO over China's THAAD retaliation

SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's presidential office Thursday dismissed the idea of petitioning the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China's economic retaliation for the deployment of a U.S. missile defense battery here, saying now is the time for joint efforts to rein in an increasingly provocative North Korea.

"We hope to address difficult issues between South Korea and China by further strengthening strategic communication and cooperation," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun told reporters.

"Now is a very important juncture for maintaining cooperation with China due to North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations," he added.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: Indonesian central bank unveils policy to prevent financing for terrorism

JAKARTA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian central bank has issued a rule to prevent financing terrorist activities and money laundering activities in the country, the Bank Indonesia said on Wednesday.

The rule is applied for non-bank financial services and money changers.

The policy is aimed at supporting the government's efforts to stop the flow of funds for financing terrorist activities, which have appeared amid progress in development of information technology.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: US Comes to Russia With 'Absurd' Request for More Sanctions Against North Korea

Given the US approach to its relations with Russia, it is "absurd" for Washington to expect Moscow's support for its sanctions plan for North Korea, Georgiy Toloraya of the Russian Academy of Sciences told Sputnik.

On Monday, the UN Security Council is to vote on a US-drafted resolution that would strengthen sanctions against North Korea in the aftermath of a reported sixth nuclear test.

The original version of the text called for a trade embargo on oil and textiles and a financial and travel ban for leader Kim Jong-un. China and Russia oppose sanctions that could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe in the country, which was already put under more sanctions in August. With that in view, the US has watered down the text in order to win the approval of the Security Council, although it still proposes a ban on North Korean textiles.

Georgiy Toloraya, Director of the Center for Russian Strategy in Asia at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Economics, told Sputnik that the US position, which expects Russia to support sanctions against North Korea while at the same time sanctioning Russia, is "absurd."

News Report: India to Provide More Assistance to Afghan Defense Forces

Anjana Pasricha

NEW DELHI — India will provide more assistance to Afghan defense forces and implement new development projects in the war-torn country.

The announcement came at the first high-level meeting held between the two countries after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a new Afghan strategy in which he called on India to step up its role in Afghanistan.

A joint statement issued at the end of a day-long conference between the Afghan and Indian foreign ministers Monday in New Delhi said they have agreed to strengthen security cooperation, and India will extend assistance for the Afghan forces to fight terrorism, organized crime, trafficking of narcotics and money laundering.

Afghanistan has long pressed for greater Indian assistance in defense supplies and capacity building as it struggles to fight Taliban insurgents who have taken swathes of territory.

News Report: Under Pressure - Major Chinese Banks Tighten Limitations on DPRK-held Accounts

Beijing has reportedly ordered its banks to block transactions for accounts held in China by North Koreans, tightening an already firm grip on Pyongyang’s trade with the Asian powerhouse.

Branch offices of at least three major state banks in the border city of Yanji, Jilin province, China, have suspended many transactions through accounts held by North Koreans, in keeping with new international sanctions against the regime, Kyodo News reported over the weekend.

The Bank of China, the China Construction Bank and the Agricultural Bank of China have blocked North Koreans from making deposits or remittances, as well as from opening new accounts.

Account holders can still withdraw money held in those accounts, however, according to reports.

Think Tank: A contested Asia - What comes after US strategic predominance? (Part 2)

Peter Varghese

PacificSentinel: Part 1 can be found HERE

The concept of a balance of power has lost its appeal to many scholars and practitioners of international relations. But in my view it still matters. I take comfort that the late Lee Kwan Yew, a shrewd observer of our strategic environment, understood both the importance of a balance in Asia and the need to view it as more than just a military balance. Lee observed: ‘In the old concept, balance of power meant largely military power. In today’s terms, it is a combination of economic and military, and I think the economic outweighs the military.’

Already such a de facto balance is in the making through the shared desire of the US, India, Japan and others to balance China. Each has its own geopolitical and historical reasons, of which the non-democratic character of China is by no means the primary driver. This is not a classic balance-of-power grouping. It’s an organic, not an orchestrated arrangement.

Where Korea eventually lines up is an open question. The ROK is an ally of the US. But what would be the disposition of a united Korea? Would it lean towards China or the US? Or, more likely, would it seek an independent path with or without nuclear weapons? A united Korea is likely to be a democracy, which suggests it will at least lean towards balancing China. But no one knows which options will eventuate, which is one reason China doesn’t want to push the North Korean regime to the point of collapse.

News Story: China, Pakistan agree to strengthen security cooperation

BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Pakistan agreed to strengthen anti-terrorism and security cooperation along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The agreement was reached when Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Pakistani National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua Friday in Beijing.

Hailing Pakistan's efforts in counter-terrorism, Meng called for strengthened anti-terrorism and security cooperation in the building of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

"China and Pakistan, as good friends, friendly neighbors and all-weather strategic cooperative partners, have always firmly supported each other's core interests," Meng said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: India looks to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation with Myanmar

New Delhi (VNA) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 5 began his two-day visit to Myanmar with an aim of intensifying bilateral ties in the fields of security and counter-terrorism, ANI News reported.

Issues involved in trade, investment, infrastructure, skill development, energy and culture are also discussed during his meetings with Myanmar leaders, the Prime Minister said.

This is Modi's first bilateral visit to India’s eastern bordering country. Earlier, in 2014 he was (in) Myanmar in 2014 for the ASEAN Summit. 

Read the full story at VietnamPlus

Think Tank: A contested Asia - What comes after US strategic predominance? (Part 1)

Peter Varghese

Those who indulge in the phoney debate about the need for an independent Australian foreign policy should pay more attention to the history of Australia’s Asia policy. There’s nothing derivative about Australia’s approach to Asia. The images of Asia in our historical imagination: Asia as alien, Asia as a security threat, Asia as an economic opportunity, Asia as the fulcrum of our core strategic and economic interests, all came from a distinctively Australian imagination. You can query its correctness but not its authenticity.

Those who insist Australia has no independent foreign policy usually mean we have the wrong foreign policy. That Australia could make an independent, much less an informed, judgement that our national interests are served by a close alliance with the United States is dismissed as sycophancy and a stubborn refusal to stand on our own two feet.

It’s true that many Australian governments have struggled with whether and how to disagree with the US. We’ve yet to fully learn when we can say ‘no’ and when we must say ‘yes’ to our ally. Too often we’ve seen the alliance as an insurance policy to which we need to make regular payments of acquiescence.

We should not fret about how compatible the alliance is with our interests in Asia.

News Story: Opposition whip calls on Moon to retool foreign, security policy

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- The floor leader of the minor opposition People's Party called on President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday to reshape his security and foreign policies, pointing to North Korea's escalating threats and perceived friction with the United States and China.

During his parliamentary speech, Kim Dong-cheol also demanded the "complete" replacement of Moon's security staff, which critics argue lacks expertise in military strategies and tactics.

Pyongyang's sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date Sunday has deepened skepticism over Moon's policy of rapprochement, which aims to denuclearize the communist neighbor through dialogue and sanctions.

"Now is not the time to mention dialogue (with the North). ... It is a phase that calls for stern pressure and sanctions," Kim said. "President Moon Jae-in has to acknowledge his policy failures and start anew."

Kim then proposed holding an emergency security meeting of the president and the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties.

"There is no such thing as 'again' or 'if' when it comes to security," he said.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: White House - U.S. focused on N. Korea's denuclearization, not talks

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- The United States is focused on denuclearizing North Korea through aggressive diplomatic and economic measures that do not currently include dialogue, the White House said Tuesday.

North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sunday, claiming it was a successful detonation of an H-bomb that can be mounted on a long-range missile.

Pyongyang has warned of more "gift packages" for the U.S. as Washington moves to slap further sanctions on the regime through the U.N. Security Council.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Report: Cause of Friction - Why Pakistan Has Chosen China Over the US

The cooperation between the US and Pakistan has recently been put to the test as Donald Trump accused Islamabad of supporting terrorists. In response, the Pakistani authorities canceled a planned visit by a representative of the State Department. Sputnik attempts to identify the real reason behind the fall out between the two long-term allies?

On August 21, during a speech at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia, US President Donald Trump announced Washington's readiness to change its approach to relations with Islamabad if the Pakistani side continues to support terrorists.

“The next pillar of our new strategy is to change the approach in how to deal with Pakistan. We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe-havens for terrorist organizations,” Trump said.

Such a direct accusation of sponsoring terrorism provoked Islamabad's response, and the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said that the criticism from US President Donald Trump is disappointing.

News Report: What Pyongyang Wanted to Tell Its Neighbors With Recent Missile Launch

Commenting on the recent ballistic missile test conducted by North Korea on Tuesday, political scientist Dr. Andrew O'Neil explained to Sputnik Radio why Pyongyang's recent missile test is qualitatively different from the previous ones and what message it actually sent its neighbors.

On Tuesday, North Korea fired a missile that flew over northern Japan’s airspace. The rocket passed over the Japanese island of Hokkaido, falling into the Pacific Ocean.

The Japanese military did not attempt to shoot down the missile, but issued a safety warning to citizens to take cover.

Dr. Andrew O'Neil, Dean and Professor of Political Science in Griffith Business School at Australia-based Griffith University, explained to Sputnik Radio what is so significant about this particular launch.