The protracted deliberations over joining AUKUS pillar two suggest New Zealand is hoping questions of security, trade and domestic opinion will be solved in time. That’s unlikely.
In a fresh assault on Wong Former Prime Minister Paul Keating has accused Foreign Minister Penny Wong of rattling “the China can” and declared the chief of ASIO, Mike Burgess, runs “a goon show”.
Young Southeast Asian leaders want greater opportunities to connect with like-minded Australians on issues related to the environment and social and human rights.
The prime minister has the foreign stage coming to him as he prepares for the special ASEN summit in Melbourne. But with the Dunkley Byelection only days before, he may have other things on his mind.
South-East Asia is anxious about the Ukraine war’s impact on regional economies. For New Zealand, that presents more pressing geopolitical priorities than confronting China.
If ASEAN demands its member nations try to stop illegal and unregulated fishing, but without requiring matching financial commitments, we will continue to lose the battle against illegal fishing.
It is the time for ASEAN to reevaluated the implementation of 5 Points of Consensus and explore more effective measures that could put pressure on Myanmar’s military junta.
Myanmar’s two-year resistance to the brutal military regime barely registers in the West. But Ukraine shows that Western military force can be successfully used to support a democracy under siege.
While we should be extremely thankful that some political prisoners are being released from Myanmar’s jails, we should also recognise they should never have been there in the first place.
Indonesia could initiate and encourage a military-to-military engagement with Myanmar, so that Myanmar can consider the example of Indonesia’s military reform.
The AU needs to address two main problems to steer Africa into a prosperous future – the use of unconstitutional means by some leaders to cling to power and disregard for the rule of law.