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Philippines, China agree on improved maritime communications, ‘calm’ approach
The DFA said that Filipino and Chinese diplomats had “frank and productive discussions” to de-escalate the situation in the strategically and economically important waterway during a bilateral consultation on the South China Sea. .....»»
Philippines, Indonesia agree to boost ties
MANILA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of the Philippines and Indonesia on Wednesday agreed to strengthen bilateral ties. Indonesian President Joko Widodo was received in the morning by his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos during a three-day official visit in Manila. After the meeting in the presidential palace, Widodo said during a news conference that he discussed with Marcos ways to e.....»»
Israel demands UN chief’s ouster
Israel’s outspoken ambassador to the United Nations has called for the resignation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for criticizing the country’s war with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Gilad Erdan made the call in a post on X, saying the UN chief has “expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder.” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, meanwhile, canceled a meeting with Guterres in response to the UN chief’s speech during a Security Council session on the Gaza crisis. The UN leader had alleged “clear violations” of international law as Israel pounds Gaza in response to the 7 October assault by Hamas and called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Guterres also said that the Hamas attacks did not occur “in a vacuum,” pointing to “56 years of suffocating occupation” endured by the Palestinians. “How you can agree to a ceasefire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence?” an angry Cohen said in response. Rejecting tying the violence to the occupation, Cohen said Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinians “to the last millimeter” with its withdrawal in 2005. The post Israel demands UN chief’s ouster appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘In what world do you live?’ Israeli FM asks UN chief after Gaza criticism
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Tuesday denounced UN chief Antonio Guterres over his criticism of Israel's Gaza campaign, as Cohen recounted graphic details of Hamas attacks on civilians. "Mr. Secretary-General, in what world do you live?" Cohen told Guterres at a Security Council session on the crisis. Cohen later told reporters that he had canceled a meeting with Guterres. The United Nations leader earlier had alleged "clear violations" of international law as Israel pounds Gaza in response to the October 7 assault by Hamas and called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Guterres also said that the Hamas attacks did not occur "in a vacuum," pointing to "56 years of suffocating occupation" endured by the Palestinians. "How you can agree to a ceasefire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence?" Cohen said in English. Rejecting tying the violence to the occupation, Cohen said Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinians "to the last millimeter" with its withdrawal in 2005. Israel shortly afterward imposed a blockade of the impoverished territory, in place ever since, after Hamas took power, and it still occupies the West Bank. Israel's outspoken ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign -- writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the UN chief has "expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder." A spokesman for Guterres said the secretary-general would go ahead with a meeting Tuesday with representatives of families held captive by Hamas in Gaza. He will attend in the presence of an Israeli mission representative but not Cohen, the UN spokesman said. The post ‘In what world do you live?’ Israeli FM asks UN chief after Gaza criticism appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Crown Prince ‘sorry’ over strained Kuwait-Phl ties
Kuwait’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, went the extra mile to iron out the diplomatic irritants between his country and the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Saturday. Marcos said the Kuwaiti royal approached him on the sidelines of the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh for a brief meeting. “He said,” Marcos told reporters, quoting the Crown Prince, “‘Can we have a quick chat for just three to five minutes?’ He assured me it wouldn’t take long, and we readily agreed” to discuss the labor-related discord between our two countries.” The President said that following the Kuwaiti side’s initiative, he was all-in for resolving the problem. In their discussion, the Crown Prince expressed his dissatisfaction over the actions taken by his own people, and said he disapproved of the strained relations between his country and the Philippines. “The words that he used were, ‘Do not listen to them. These words come from small people. I do not agree with what they have been doing,’” the Crown Prince told him Marcos said. Marcos said Crown Prince Mishal also “absolved” the Philippines of any need to apologize for trying to protect its citizens working in Kuwait who had been abused. “There is no reason for you to apologize to us. In fact, I will apologize to you,” Marcos quoted the Crown Prince, who cited the enduring support for Kuwait by the President’s late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. “We will fix it, and we will make it right because we love the Philippines,” the Crown Prince said, according to Marcos. In 2018, the Philippines imposed a temporary ban on the deployment of new workers to Kuwait after the body of a Filipino domestic worker, Joanna Demafelis, was found in a freezer in her employer’s home. The ban was lifted in 2020 after the two countries signed a bilateral labor agreement that included provisions for increased protection for Filipino workers. However, tensions between the two countries flared up again in 2023 after the body of another Filipino domestic worker, Jullebee Ranara, was found in the Kuwaiti desert. The Philippine government accused the Kuwaiti government of failing to protect its workers and suspended the deployment of new workers to Kuwait. Kuwait responded by suspending the issuance of all visas to Filipinos, including tourist visas. The post Crown Prince ‘sorry’ over strained Kuwait-Phl ties appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Unite for peace
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a reminder of how autocracies care little about causing death and destruction. The war is a gross violation of human rights and the principle of peaceful settlement of international disputes as codified in the United Nations Charter, which has helped maintain the rules-based international order and kept the world in relative peace since the end of the Cold War. [caption id="attachment_178304" align="aligncenter" width="1101"] Dr. Wu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) | illustration by Glen Tolo for the Daily Tribune[/caption] The war’s humanitarian and economic fallout has also shown that, in a globalized world, crises cannot be contained within national borders. It is, therefore, imperative to deter similar threats to global security from happening elsewhere. Taiwan—a democracy that is home to over 23 million people and that I proudly represent—continues to confront enormous challenges posed by China. Since the mid-20th century, the People’s Republic of China has vowed to take control of Taiwan and refused to renounce the use of force, despite never having ruled Taiwan. For decades, the people of Taiwan have remained calm in safeguarding the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. However, as China’s economic and military might has grown stronger, it becomes increasingly aggressive in flexing its military muscle to intimidate Taiwan, thereby threatening our democratic way of life. This includes sending warplanes and ships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and encroaching into our air defense identification zones. It has also intensified gray-zone tactics, such as disinformation and economic coercion, in an attempt to wear down our will to fight. The PRC’s expansionism does not stop at Taiwan. China’s use of gray-zone activities in the East and South China Seas are designed to expand its power and substantiate its hawkish territorial claims. In addition to signing a security agreement with Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, the PRC has been securing ports for future military use in the Indian Ocean. All of these maneuvers are causing grave concerns that peace is becoming more difficult to maintain. Ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is in everyone’s best interest. Half of the world’s commercial container traffic passes through the Taiwan Strait each day. Taiwan produces the majority of the world’s semiconductors and plays a key role in global supply chains. Any conflict in the area would have disastrous consequences for the global economy. In recent years, bilateral and multilateral forums have repeatedly emphasized that the peace and stability over the Taiwan Strait is indispensable to global security. While we can all agree that the war must be avoided, how to best do so requires inclusion, dialogue and, most of all, unity. The United Nations remains the best platform for global discourse. UN officials speak often of joint solutions, solidarity, and inclusion in tackling the pressing issues of our time. Taiwan is more than willing and able to take part in these efforts. However, Taiwan continues to be excluded from the UN due to China’s distortion of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. This resolution neither states that Taiwan is a part of the PRC nor gives the PRC the right to represent the people of Taiwan in the UN and its specialized agencies. In fact, the resolution only determines who represents the member-state China, a fact that the international community and China itself recognized following the relevant vote in 1971. The subsequent misrepresentation of Resolution 2758 contradicts the basic principles upheld by the UN Charter and must be rectified. The 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which will center on the theme “rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity,” is timely in light of a number of broad global challenges. For example, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals were designed as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity. Yet the most recent SDG progress report showed that just 12 percent of SDG targets were on track, while progress on 50 percent has remained insufficient. And on more than 30 percent, we have stalled or even regressed. While there are no easy answers, the first step is dialogue. As a truly global institution, the UN can serve as a champion of progress. We call on the UN to uphold its principle of leaving no one behind by allowing Taiwan to participate in the UN system, rather than excluding it from discussions on issues requiring global cooperation. A good first step would be to allow Taiwanese individuals and journalists to attend or cover relevant meetings, as well as ensure Taiwan’s meaningful participation in meetings and mechanisms regarding the SDGs. Ukraine’s incredible bravery and resilience have inspired countries around the globe. The war there has forged a new sense of togetherness in the world. Unity is crucial to pushing back against Russia’s aggression and to preserving universal values, such as human rights and global peace, more broadly. It is vital to make China and other authoritarian governments aware that they will be held accountable and to urge them to settle differences through peaceful means. Allowing Taiwan to meaningfully participate in the UN system would benefit the world’s efforts to address pressing global issues. This would also demonstrate the UN’s determination to unite for global peace at a critical juncture when the future of the world is at stake. We are stronger together. Now is the time to act on this fundamental principle by including Taiwan. The post Unite for peace appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Unite for Peace in the World and Taiwan’s Inclusion in the UN
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a reminder of how autocracies care little about causing death and destruction. The war is a gross violation of human rights and the principle of peaceful settlement of international disputes as codified in the United Nations Charter, which has helped maintain the rules-based international order and kept the world in relative peace since the end of the Cold War. The war’s humanitarian and economic fallout has also shown that in a globalized world crises cannot be contained within national borders. It is therefore imperative to deter similar threats to global security from happening elsewhere. Taiwan—a democracy that is home to over 23 million people and that I proudly represent—continues to confront enormous challenges posed by China. Since the mid-20th century, the People’s Republic of China has vowed to take control of Taiwan and refused to renounce the use of force, despite never having ruled Taiwan. For decades, the people of Taiwan have remained calm in safeguarding the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. However, as China’s economic and military might has grown stronger, it has become increasingly aggressive in flexing its military muscle to intimidate Taiwan, thereby threatening our democratic way of life. This includes sending warplanes and ships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and encroaching into our air defense identification zones. It has also intensified gray-zone tactics, such as disinformation and economic coercion, in an attempt to wear down our will to fight. The PRC’s expansionism does not stop at Taiwan. China’s use of gray-zone activities in the East and South China Seas are designed to expand its power and substantiate its hawkish territorial claims. In addition to signing a security agreement with Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, the PRC has been securing ports for future military use in the Indian Ocean. All of these maneuvers are causing grave concerns that peace is becoming more difficult to maintain. Ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is in everyone’s best interest. Half of the world’s commercial container traffic passes through the Taiwan Strait each day. Taiwan produces the majority of the world’s semiconductors and plays a key role in global supply chains. Any conflict in the area would have disastrous consequences for the global economy. In recent years, bilateral and multilateral forums have repeatedly emphasized that peace and stability over the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to global security. While we can all agree that the war must be avoided, how to best do so requires inclusion, dialogue, and, most of all, unity. The United Nations remains the best platform for global discourse. UN officials speak often of joint solutions, solidarity, and inclusion in tackling the pressing issues of our time. Taiwan is more than willing and able to take part in these efforts. However, Taiwan continues to be excluded from the UN due to China’s distortion of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. This resolution neither states that Taiwan is a part of the PRC nor gives the PRC the right to represent the people of Taiwan in the UN and its specialized agencies. In fact, the resolution only determines who represents the member state China, a fact that the international community and China itself recognized following the relevant vote in 1971. The subsequent misrepresentation of Resolution 2758 contradicts the basic principles upheld by the UN Charter and must be rectified. The 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which will center on the theme “rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity,” is timely in light of a number of broad global challenges. For example, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals were designed as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity. Yet the most recent SDG progress report showed that just 12 percent of SDG targets were on track, while progress on 50 percent has remained insufficient. And on more than 30 percent, we have stalled or even regressed. While there are no easy answers, the first step is dialogue. As a truly global institution, the UN can serve as a champion of progress. We call on the UN to uphold its principle of leaving no one behind by allowing Taiwan to participate in the UN system, rather than excluding it from discussions on issues requiring global cooperation. A good first step would be to allow Taiwanese individuals and journalists to attend or cover relevant meetings, as well as ensure Taiwan’s meaningful participation in meetings and mechanisms regarding the SDGs. Ukraine’s incredible bravery and resilience have inspired countries around the globe. The war there has forged a new sense of togetherness in the world. Unity is crucial to pushing back against Russia’s aggression and to preserving universal values, such as human rights and global peace, more broadly. It is vital to make China and other authoritarian governments aware that they will be held accountable and to urge them to settle differences through peaceful means. Allowing Taiwan to meaningfully participate in the UN system would benefit the world’s efforts to address pressing global issues. This would also demonstrate the UN’s determination to unite for global peace at a critical juncture when the future of the world is at stake. We are stronger together. Now is the time to act on this fundamental principle by including Taiwan. The post Unite for Peace in the World and Taiwan’s Inclusion in the UN appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EU, Philippines agree to relaunch free trade talks
The European Union and the Philippines will restart negotiations on a free-trade agreement as they seek to accelerate "a new era of cooperation", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday. Talks began in 2015 under then-Philippine president Benigno Aquino but stalled two years later under his successor Rodrigo Duterte, whose deadly drug war strained diplomatic relations with the West and sparked an international probe. "I'm very glad that we have decided to relaunch negotiations for (a) free-trade agreement (FTA)," von der Leyen told reporters at a joint news conference with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila. "Our teams will get to work right now on setting the right conditions so that we can get back to the negotiations," she said, noting an FTA has "huge potential for both of us" in terms of jobs and growth. The European Union is the Philippines' fourth-largest trading partner and an FTA would be Manila's second bilateral deal after Japan. Marcos described the Philippines and the European Union as "like-minded partners" with "shared values of democracy, sustainable and inclusive prosperity, the rule of law, peace, and stability, and human rights". The Philippines enjoys a Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status that allows it to export 6,274 products to the European Union tax-free, but this is set to expire at the end of this year. Under the GSP+ scheme, which is extended to developing countries, Brussels cuts its import duties to zero on two-thirds of product categories in return for implementing 27 international conventions on human rights, labor rights, the environment, and good governance. Drug war Rights monitors and some EU members of parliament have urged the European Union to withhold a deal extension for the Philippines because of Duterte's anti-narcotics crackdown that claimed thousands of lives. The drug war has continued under Marcos even as he emphasized a greater focus on rehabilitation, but a local monitoring group estimates more than 350 people have been killed since he took power in June 2022. Human Rights Watch's EU director Philippe Dam said it was concerning that von der Leyen "could not be heard tackling human rights and civil liberties issues". "Make no mistake -- the human rights situation in the Philippines remains dire," Dam said in a statement. "The EU should not look the other way and should tie a future trade deal to concrete labor and human rights improvements and accountability for past violations." An EU official told journalists from Manila that Marcos has been taking "important steps" to improve his country's human rights record, though it remained a "work in progress". The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Marcos's overall posture as a leader "has facilitated our cooperation" even if other imperatives had also come into play, especially the need for Europe and the Philippines to reduce their reliance on trade with China. Von der Leyen, the first European Commission president to visit the Philippines, said the two sides had "learned the hard way the cost of economic dependencies". A free-trade agreement was the basis for diversifying supply lines and could also be "a springboard for a new technology cooperation to modernize the broader economy". She said the European Union would provide 466 million euros ($513 million) to help the Philippines develop "green energy" and plastics recycling, as well as provide satellite data to help it better prepare for extreme weather. The post EU, Philippines agree to relaunch free trade talks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EU, Philippines agree to relaunch free trade talks
The European Union and the Philippines will restart negotiations on a free-trade agreement as they seek to accelerate "a new era of cooperation", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday. Talks began in 2015 under then-president Benigno Aquino but stalled two years later under his successor Rodrigo Duterte, whose deadly drug war strained diplomatic relations with the West and sparked an international probe. "I'm very glad that we have decided to relaunch negotiations for (a) free-trade agreement," von der Leyen told reporters at a joint news conference with President Ferdinand Marcos in Manila. "Our teams will get to work right now on setting the right conditions so that we can get back to the negotiations," she said, noting an FTA has "huge potential for both of us" in terms of jobs and growth. The European Union is the Philippines' fourth-largest trading partner and a FTA would be Manila's second bilateral deal after Japan. Marcos described the Philippines and European Union as "like-minded partners" with "shared values of democracy, sustainable and inclusive prosperity, the rule of law, peace and stability, and human rights". The Philippines currently enjoys a Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status that allows it to export 6,274 products to the European Union tax-free, but this is set to expire at the end of this year. Under the GSP+ scheme, which is extended to developing countries, Brussels cuts its import duties to zero on two-thirds of product categories in return for implementing 27 international conventions on human rights, labor rights, the environment and good governance. Rights monitors and some EU members of parliament have urged the European Union to withhold a deal extension for the Philippines because of Duterte's anti-narcotics crackdown that claimed thousands of lives. The drug war has continued under Marcos even as he emphasized a greater focus on rehabilitation, but a local monitoring group estimates more than 350 people have died since he took power in June 2022. Von der Leyen, the first European Commission president to visit the Philippines, said the two sides had "learned the hard way the cost of economic dependencies". A free-trade agreement was the basis for diversifying supply lines and could also be "a springboard for a new technology cooperation to modernize the broader economy". She said the European Union would provide 466 million euros ($513 million) to help the Philippines develop "green energy" and plastics recycling, as well as provide satellite data to help it better prepare for extreme weather. It also wanted to help develop the Philippines' mining industry to secure the supply of critical raw materials. "We have a broad roadmap to bring our partnership to the next level," von der Leyen said. The post EU, Philippines agree to relaunch free trade talks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (15)
Daily Tribune reports during the term of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as a senator provided a window to his foreign policy now as the President. He had criticized the rejection of bilateral talks that China offered in July 2015 as having the effect of forcing the superpower to take a more hardline position in the West Philippine Sea dispute. China had proposed then that the two countries hold bilateral talks to resolve the maritime row. “China opened the door and we shut it. The Chinese said let’s talk and we snubbed them. It’s like the Philippine government itself was encouraging China to take and maintain an unbending stance on the issue,” Marcos had lamented. Marcos’ position was that the Philippines was not going to lose anything by accepting the Chinese invitation to a dialogue on the West Philippine Sea dispute. “So we talk, and tell them: We are not happy with what you are doing and we do not agree with what you are doing. But the next thing we say is: How do we fix this?” said Marcos, who was then vice chairperson of the Senate committee on foreign relations. Marcos had called on the government to engage China in bilateral talks after it aggressively built structures in areas the Philippines claimed as being within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. Marcos pointed out that there were three ways to resolve the dispute: By war, adjudication, or multilateral/bilateral agreements. “We do not want war. Arbitration is not one that is going to be recognized by the Chinese. So it has to be negotiations,” Marcos said. Interestingly, the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating the nine-dash line claim of China came almost exactly a year after Marcos made the statement. Cod Wars recalled In pushing for negotiations, he cited the so-called “Cod Wars” or the dispute over rich fishing grounds between the United Kingdom and Spain in the early 1980s. At the height of the tension, warships even rammed fishing boats. “In the end, what did they do? They came to a bilateral agreement to share and now they are working on that basis,” Marcos said. “We should talk to China bilaterally because it is still the best option. Our Filipino businessmen can also help by reaching out to their Chinese counterparts and friends in China to try to come up with a solution that would persuade both governments to, at least, sit down and negotiate or, at most, resolve the problem outright,” he said. Marcos said that rejecting China’s offer to hold bilateral talks with the Philippines was limiting the government’s strategic options. “We should not be snobbish. I can’t see any reason at all why we are not talking to China. On the contrary, there are more than enough obvious reasons why we should talk to superpower China,” he said. With China’s own geo-political interests and its concern over the presence of the Americans in the area, bilateral talks between Manila and Beijing “is not going to be easy,” he acknowledged. “We’re strategically important to any great power in the Asia-Pacific, but we have to play that role even-handedly. We have to stop thinking in terms of kakampi ko ang Chinese, kakampi ko ang Kano. Ang kakampi mo lang Pilipino (I’m on the side of the Chinese, I’m on the side of the Americans. The only side you’re on is the Filipinos’),” Marcos said. “What is the national interest, what is good for the Philippines, that’s all that we have to be thinking about,” he added. “It’s important for the Philippines and China to talk, that’s the first step.” “Even if we don’t manage to arrive at an agreement immediately, if we are talking there’s a chance that we might be able to reason with China to stop doing what it’s doing and continue talking. If we manage to do that, there is hope for a peaceful resolution,” Marcos said. The senator said the Philippines will be on the losing end if caught in the crossfire in case of a confrontation between the US and China. “The end game of all our diplomatic efforts is to secure an agreement with China over the disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea — that is what we should do,” Marcos said. (To be continued) The post Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (15) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Give LPE a chance
Newly appointed Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro made a deeply rooted statement about the peace talks between the Philippine government and communist rebels that have dragged on for several decades, with intermittent periods of very little progress and setbacks. Without mincing words, Teodoro said he had always been against entering into peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army. This is equally consistent with his position that communist rebels are welcome to return to the government fold given an existing program that offers “to help them, rehabilitate them and give them a new life.” Why is this so? For Teodoro, why engage in peace talks when there is Task Force Balik-Loob — a central coordinating body created by Administrative Order No. 10 dated 3 April 2018 that supervises the government’s reintegration efforts for members of the CPP-NPA-NDF, including their immediate family members. The task force is composed of representatives from the DND, DILG, OPAPRU, and other partner government agencies. I couldn’t agree with the Defense Secretary more. In a recent television interview, he said he was never convinced that the Philippine insurgency — the longest-running in Asia — was ideological. His explanation was clear. “This is all about taking power or whatever. The reason, even in other countries, the sole authority of the Communist Party in other countries is a dictatorship in itself. They call it the dictatorship of the proletariat.” We have in front of us a duplicity of the communist agenda — a pro-people advocacy on one hand, and the overthrow of the government on the other. The history of the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front, CPP’s political wing, is long and complex spanning several decades. When Corazon C. Aquino assumed the presidency after the People Power Revolution in 1986, peace talks were initiated and detained top communist leaders, including Jose Maria Sison and Bernabe Buscayno, were released. Since then, there have been several attempts at peace negotiations between the government and the Reds, facilitated by third-party mediators, including the Catholic Church, various civil society groups, and foreign governments. The most recent attempt at peace talks was in 2016 during the first year in office of then-President Rodrigo Duterte. It, however, broke down in 2017 after both sides accused the other of violating the ceasefire agreement. Duterte, exasperated by the insincerity, formally terminated the peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA in 2018 through Proclamation 360. Despite this, there have been sporadic calls for the resumption of the peace talks, particularly from civil society groups and the international community. More than 40 rounds of peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF since 1986 proved futile, marred by spoilers who used violence to attack the peace process. Or were these attempts aimed at forcing their way into negotiations, and alter a process so that their demands would be included in a settlement? Opinions vary, often dependent on political, social, and ideological perspectives. While some people argue that pursuing peace talks is the best way to end the decades-long armed insurgency, others are skeptical about the prospects as evidenced by the little willingness to negotiate in good faith, human rights violations, coupled with unreasonable and unrealistic demands. Peace is a priority for more than 110 million Filipinos who hope to see an end to the decades-long insurgency in the country. If top-level negotiated settlements fail, there is the Localized Peace Engagement or LPE — a viable alternative solution to the armed conflict. Introduced by the national government in 2017 after the breakdown of the peace negotiations with the Reds, let us give this community-based approach to peacebuilding a chance. After all, who wouldn’t want to address the underlying social, economic, and political grievances that fuel armed conflicts? The post Give LPE a chance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Warring generals agree to new truce
Sudan’s warring generals have agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire from Saturday, United States and Saudi Arabia mediators said on Friday. The ceasefire starts at 6 a.m. of 10 June, according to a joint statement from the mediators released by the Saudi foreign ministry on Friday. “Should the parties fail to observe the 24-hour ceasefire, facilitators will be compelled to consider adjourning” talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah which have been suspended since late last month, the mediators said. Multiple truces have been agreed and broken since fighting erupted on 15 April and Washington had slapped sanctions on both rival generals after the last attempt collapsed at the end of May. The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said it has “agreed to the proposal” adding in a statement it “declares its commitment to the ceasefire.” The paramilitary RSF, commanded by Burhan’s former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, later said in a statement: “We affirm our full commitment to the ceasefire.” Both statements said the truce could support humanitarian efforts, while cautioning against violations by their opponents. “If observed, the 24-hour ceasefire will provide an important opportunity... for the parties to undertake confidence-building measures which could permit resumption of the Jeddah talks,” the US-Saudi statement said. The fighting of the two generals has gripped the capital Khartoum and the western region of Darfur, killing upwards of 1,800 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Nearly two million people have been displaced, including 476,000 who have sought refuge in neighboring countries, the United Nations said. The post Warring generals agree to new truce appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese, US diplomats hold ‘frank’ talks in Beijing
The United States and China held "frank" and constructive talks in Beijing on improving ties and managing their differences, China's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink travelled to Beijing this week -- a rare visit to China by a senior US diplomat as Washington seeks to allay tensions between the rival powers. "The two sides conducted frank, constructive, and effective communication on promoting the improvement of Sino-US relations," China's foreign ministry said of Kritenbrink's meetings with senior Chinese officials, which took place on Monday. The US described Kritenbrink's talks with China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and diplomat Yang Tao as "candid and productive". China said the two sides discussed "properly managing differences in accordance with the consensus reached by the two heads of state at their Bali meeting in November last year". "Both parties agree to continue communication," its foreign ministry said. The meeting was part of "ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and build on recent high-level diplomacy between the two countries", the US State Department said. "The two sides exchanged views on the bilateral relationship, cross-Strait issues, channels of communication, and other matters," it added, referring to the Taiwan Strait. But US officials also "made clear that the United States would compete vigorously and stand up for US interests and values", the statement said. Beijing, too, said its diplomats had "clarified (China's) solemn stance on major principled issues such as Taiwan", which China claims as its territory and has vowed to retake one day, by force if necessary. The meeting came in the face of continuing tensions between the two powers over the South China Sea as well as Taiwan and a litany of other disputes. On Monday, the US warned that Chinese military "aggressiveness" that had caused near-collisions with US forces in the sea and in the air could soon lead to casualties. Last week, Washington said CIA Director William Burns had made a secret trip to China in May, hoping to shore up lines of communication with Beijing. The post Chinese, US diplomats hold ‘frank’ talks in Beijing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saudi, Canada to restore full diplomatic ties
Saudi Arabia and Canada will restore full diplomatic relations, the kingdom said Wednesday, following a 2018 dispute over human rights that saw Riyadh expel Ottawa's ambassador and freeze new trade. The decision, also announced by Canada's foreign ministry, came after talks last year between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Bangkok. "It has been decided to restore the level of diplomatic relations with Canada to its previous state," Saudi's foreign ministry said in a statement. In 2018, the Saudi government expelled Canada's ambassador and recalled its own envoy to Ottawa, while freezing all new trade over vigorous calls for the release of activists jailed in the kingdom. On Wednesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said the two countries will "appoint new ambassadors" and a Canadian foreign ministry statement named Jean-Phillipe Linteau as Ottawa's new envoy to the kingdom. Saudi Arabia made no mention of its pick for ambassador. The latest announcement follows a frenetic stretch of high-stakes Saudi diplomacy triggered by the kingdom's surprise Chinese-brokered rapprochement deal with Iran announced in March. Since then, Saudi Arabia has restored bilateral ties with Syria and ramped up a push for peace in Yemen, where it leads a military coalition against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels. Saudi Arabia is also hosting representatives of Sudan's two warring generals, and, with the US, brokered a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire that took effect Monday. The post Saudi, Canada to restore full diplomatic ties appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Air strikes shake Khartoum as Sudan rivals agree 1-week ceasefire
Air strikes and artillery exchanges shook the Sudanese capital Saturday and armed men ransacked the Qatari embassy as the country's warring generals kept up their struggle for control even as they agreed to a brief humanitarian pause. With heavy fighting raging in Khartoum, the rival sides struck a deal on a seven-day ceasefire beginning the evening of May 22, the United States and Saudi Arabia said Saturday in a joint statement after talks in Jeddah. The ceasefire "shall remain in effect for seven days and may be extended with the agreement of both parties," it said. Multiple announced truces have been violated since fighting broke out five weeks ago, which the Saudi foreign ministry acknowledged in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency early Sunday. "Unlike previous ceasefires, the Agreement reached in Jeddah was signed by the parties and will be supported by a US-Saudi and international-supported ceasefire monitoring mechanism," it said. It said subsequent talks "will focus on additional steps necessary to improve security and humanitarian conditions for civilians such as vacating forces from urban centers, including civilian homes, accelerating removal of impediments to the free movement of civilians and humanitarian actors, and enabling public servants to resume their regular duties." The power struggle between regular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, erupted into fighting on April 15. The conflict has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, and displaced more than one million. The United Nations has warned of a fast-deteriorating humanitarian situation in Africa's third-largest country, where one in three people already relied on aid before the war. Saturday's ceasefire announcement comes two weeks after representatives of the warring generals first gathered in Jeddah for talks. By May 11 they had signed a commitment to respect humanitarian principles and allow in badly needed aid. But UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told AFP on Thursday that there had been "important and egregious" violations of that agreement, which fell short of a ceasefire. On Friday, Burhan sacked Daglo, giving his title of vice president of the ruling Sovereign Council to former rebel leader Malik Agar, and appointed three allies to top jobs in the military. A former rebel leader who signed a peace deal with Khartoum authorities in 2020, Agar said in a statement Saturday he was determined to try to "end the war" and press for negotiations. He also addressed Daglo directly saying "Sudan's stability can only be re-established by a professional and unified army". Integration of the RSF into the regular armed forces has been the main bone of contention between Daglo and Burhan. The force, which traces its origins to the notorious Janjaweed militia recruited in the early 2000s to crush a rebellion by ethnic minority groups in Darfur, is highly mobile but has a reputation for being ill-disciplined. Its fighters have been accused of widespread break-ins and looting, including at diplomatic missions and aid group offices. On Saturday, Qatar's embassy was the latest diplomatic mission to be attacked, drawing condemnation from Doha. "The embassy staff had previously been evacuated and... none of the diplomats or embassy staff were subjected to any harm," the ministry said. It renewed calls for "an immediate halt to the fighting". Qatar did not specifically identify Daglo's RSF as responsible but a statement from the pro-Burhan authorities put the blame squarely on the paramilitaries. The embassies of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have also come under assault in recent weeks. Saturday's attack came a day after Arab leaders meeting at a summit in Saudi Arabia urged Sudan's feuding generals to halt the fighting. Although the main fighting is being played out in Khartoum, the violence has also spread to the war-ravaged western region of Darfur, where the RSF has its roots. In South Darfur capital Nyala, fighting since Thursday has killed 22 people forcing civilians to flee for safer areas as shells crash on their homes, the bar association in Darfur has said. On Friday, the UN aid boss Griffith said he was allocating $22 million in emergency funds to help Sudanese fleeing the violence. The funds will help relief efforts in Chad, the Central African Republic, Egypt, and South Sudan where Sudanese have sought refuge, he said. The United States promised $103 million for Sudan and neighboring countries to support displaced people. The post Air strikes shake Khartoum as Sudan rivals agree 1-week ceasefire appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
No bending of Phl laws for Kuwait, says DFA
The Philippine government has reiterated that compromising the protection of overseas Filipino workers is not an option to solve its bilateral issue with Kuwait. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs explained that all actions taken by the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine government are “solely to ensure the safety and welfare of our own nationals.” “Providing protection to a country’s citizens abroad is a well-established duty of consular offices under international law and conventions,” it said. The statement came after both countries engaged in bilateral talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait from 16 to 17 May, in a bid to resolve and determine the reason behind the visa suspension for Filipinos in the Gulf state. DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Eduardo de Vega echoed the same sentiment, stressing that violating the country’s law for the sake of another country’s request is “dishonorable.” Likewise, De Vega said that the Philippines is aiming for a long-term solution to its bilateral issues with Kuwait. “Our goal is a long-term solution. Not being a yoyo. Lift. Suspend. Lift. Suspend,” he said. “This kind of long-term solution will not be achieved in one round of discussions. The alternative would be for us to immediately agree to everything they insist on, or for them to agree to everything we insist on,” he added. He continued: “That is not realistic in diplomatic negotiations even with a friend and partner like Kuwait.” “And for us to violate our own laws mandating Philippine embassies to put up a center for Filipinos, just so that we could convince any foreign country to resume hiring our workers, would be dishonorable,” he said. “The Filipino people have more dignity than that,” he added. Unconfirmed reports attributed the suspension of visas for Filipinos in Kuwait to the Philippine Embassy’s move to establish a shelter for distressed overseas Filipino workers in the Gulf state. Despite the failure to resolve the matter, De Vega expressed its gratitude to the Kuwaiti government for allowing the Philippines to explain its side. “We thank Kuwait for the opportunity for us to present our side,” he said. The post No bending of Phl laws for Kuwait, says DFA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos: CoC needed to resolve SCS tension
INDONESIA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday evening said the ongoing conflict in the South China Sea cannot be resolved unless there is a Code of Conduct that clarifies the terms between ASEAN and China. In a media interview upon arrival here, Marcos said China's bilateral discussions with ASEAN member-states are only causing things "complicated." He said he intends to encourage his fellow leaders from Southeast Asia to seek a solution that would prompt the creation of a "new" Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. He expressed optimism that the regional group would be able to resolve the problems preventing the conclusion of the negotiations for the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. "What is the problem? What is the bottleneck? Where are we having a hard time? How can we fix that problem? That's what these meetings should be for. And I think we'll get to that point because everybody wants this to work. Everybody wants to have a Code of Conduct. So, what's getting in the way? Let's talk about it," Marcos said. He added: "I'll bring it up again because when we talked about the issues on the West Philippine Sea (or) South China Sea, tensions will not ease until we have the Code of Conduct. If we have the Code of Conduct, everybody will follow." Over the years, he said, everybody is talking to China. “I really believe that we will slowly, slowly get to the point where we can proffer and say this is what we want to look like," he said. "That (CoC in the SCS) makes things clearer. There should be no possibility of committing a mistake because the discussion should be clear.” Marcos acknowledged that the CoC negotiations in the SCS are "separate from the ASEAN Summit." "That's not something that will be done here," he said, adding that he has no plan of setting a deadline for the negotiations between the Philippines and China. Marcos said imposing a deadline is not ideal since there is already "progress" in the ongoing talks between Manila and Beijing. "The deadline is when it's done. Because if you set a deadline and it's not done, what then? It doesn't help anything. So, just keep going, keep going, keep going as hard as you can, as much as you can until you get an agreement on the fishing ground," he said. Meanwhile, he said leaders would likely address the issue of tension in the Taiwan Strait during the 42nd ASEAN Summit here. The discussion of the issue of tension in the Taiwan Strait, he said, is inevitable as ASEAN member-states have expressed grave concern. "Considering that we also agree on the concept of ASEAN centrality when it comes to regional concerns, that will be one of the most important subjects that we'll bring up,” he added. It has already been a considerable amount of time since ASEAN leaders last addressed the issue, he said. "The discussions on that, that we had goes to a year ago, a lot has changed in that time," he said. "Many changes occurred. That is why we have to really calibrate whatever it is that we are planning.” He clarified that the United States did not request the Philippines to deploy military troops in the event of a conflict arising from the increasing tensions concerning Taiwan. The Philippine government, he added, has made it explicitly clear that the American military bases in the country will not be used as staging areas for any military operations. The post Marcos: CoC needed to resolve SCS tension appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
German, French leaders urge swift ceasefire in call with Putin
BERLIN - German and French leaders called on the Russian president to agree on "an immediate ceasefire and a withdrawal of Russian troops" from Ukraine in a three-way phone call on Saturday.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Russian President Vladim.....»»
Philippines, China agree on importance of dialogue in sea disputes
The Philippines and China have agreed on the importance of dialogue during their bilateral talks on the South China Sea issue, which were held amid recent tensions triggered by the swarming of Chinese vessels in areas within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines......»»
Unilab launches hub for health policy issues
Unilab Foundation recently launched the Unilab Center for Health Policy to serve as a venue for stakeholders to examine health policy issues.....»»