[Asia Round-up] East Asia trade pact to help ease tensions

Editor’s note: Followings are summaries of editorials from major Asian media on current issues.

East Asia trade pact to help ease tensions
[China, China Daily, 19-06-2013]

Free trade talks involving China, Japan and South Korea are predicted to ease political tensions and meet challenges of other FTAs. Shin Bong-kil, secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat commented that despite political turbulence and tensions, when it comes to economic interdependence, there is “a growing demand for a free, open and rule-based multilateral trading system to boost the economic welfare of the three countries.”

The secretariat for this FTA agreement was established in September 1, 2011 and the three countries are pursuing win-win-win results and mutual economic benefits. The first round of FTA talks was held in Seoul earlier this year in March, the second round of negotiations will be held at the end of July in Shanghai and the third in Japan at the end of the year.

The three countries are aiming at a comprehensive and high-level agreement, covering not only trade in goods, services and investment, but also areas such as intellectual property, transparency, e-commerce and the environment.

This FTA will create a common market of 1.5 billion people with a combined GPD of US$15 trillion, making it the world’s third-largest regional market following the North American FTA and the European Union.

The tail of a rotten fish
[Sri Lanka, The Island, 18-06-2013]

The Northwestern Provincial Councilor has been remanded for forcing a female teacher to kneel down in front of students and colleagues for reprimanding his daughter. The government did not hesitate to condemn this act of harassment even though the councilor will most likely quietly let off with a light punishment.

In Sri Lanka, there is a custom in rural areas of placing crowbars outside one’s house during thunderstorms in hope that the lightening will strike the crowbar instead of the house. Similarities can be found between this custom and the government’s actions in this incident: the government has made the councilor the object of public criticism to appease public rage.

However the government’s action in this incident cannot hide the overall deterioration of Sri Lanka’s party discipline, near collapse of the country’s rule of law and prevalent culture of impunity. The head of a fish is said to rot first. In this case, the councilor is the tail of the rotting fish, while the head is the government. Much needs to be done to control those abusing their power such as politicians, and political thugs.

Repatriating has benefits
[Malaysia, New Straight Times, 19-06-2013]

Prisoners are not cheap to keep. The country should not be blamed if it seeks a way to reduce costs through prisoner exchange programmes. In Malaysia, almost a third of the prison population are foreigners, hence the resort to the programme. An agreement with Thailand is already on board and soon with Indonesia.

Once signed, these agreements will mean the repatriation of foreign prisoners to their country of origin and Malaysians in foreign prisons brought home. But it is not a simple drill. The benefits are not hard to discern. The Britain finds the cost of supporting Nigerians in its prison system prohibitive and prisoners are better able to serve out their sentence at home. But incarceration implies the need for living quarters and when there is a sudden surge some arrangement must be agreed upon.

In Malaysia-Indonesia case, things will pan out differently from Britain-Nigeria case. There is an impression of flexibility in the way the law is interpreted in Indonesia. And there might be an inclination for some prisoners to opt for whichever prison regime is more forgiving. The defining factor on what forms these exchange programmes then, seems to be the domestic laws of the countries involved. Therefore, might not a brutal prison system in the country of origin discourage foreigners with criminal intentions from coming to Malaysia? For, they cannot escape the brutality they left behind.

Bring ROTC back!
[Philippines, The Manila Times, 18-06- 2013]

Filipino students were not too fond of the Reserve Officers Training Course (ROTC) when it was a requirement to complete college. Therefore, there was much rejoicing when the military training course ceased to be compulsory. Considering recent events that can be considered threats to national security, the government should consider returning the ROTC program as a must subject in all colleges and universities.

It has often been said that eternal vigilance is the price we pay for our freedoms. As such, citizens should not merely enjoy their guaranteed freedoms, but must also take an active part in guaranteeing them.

At present, the country has approximately 120,000 Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and about the same number in the Philippine National Police. In comparison, North Korea—a much smaller country than the Philippines in terms of population—has an army of about one million.

If the ROTC program were to be revived, coupled with the ongoing modernization of the AFP, the country would suddenly become more than half a million police and military force to reckon with, practically overnight. It would be better able to protect its boundaries, including its waters.

Sometimes, having sheer numbers is enough to send the message that the country is serious and more than capable of protecting its territorial integrity against invaders, from whatever nation.