The Ministry of Energy would like to restart atomic energy production in the Philippines in the province of Pangasinan with the construction of a 1,200-megawatt plant. In a pastoral letter, the bishops of the region where the plant would be built express their opposition: ‘After Fukushima, let us choose prudence, investing in renewable energies that guarantee safety, resilience and true long-term development for our people’.
The border dispute is not the only factor in restarting clashes. Scores of online scam centres operate along the border, run by criminal networks linked to Cambodian elites. Thailand considers them strategic military targets and is using the war to build up nationalist support ahead of upcoming elections. Thailand's opposition People's Party has called for a return to diplomacy.
The Philippine president urges Congress to focus on four reforms, including a bill limiting the power of large political clans. The Church welcomes the initiative, but doubts remain as to whether a Congress dominated by powerful clans will agree to curb their own influence.
The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has reignited, with new airstrikes and hundreds of thousands of displaced people on both sides. Domestic Thai political tensions are behind the military crisis. PM Anutin Charnvirakul's government, in difficulty and on the verge of parliament’s dissolution, is exploiting nationalist rhetoric to bolster support. Meanwhile, Cambodia is drawing militarily closer to Vietnam.
Recent massive flooding carried huge quantities of timber into a lake that covers more than 100 square kilometres, threatening colonies of endemic bilih fish. The government is mapping the accumulations. Entire villages have disappeared, while evidence grows that the disaster is linked to illegal logging.
According to the UNODC, poppy cultivation areas have increased by 17% in one year, especially in Shan State. Cannabis cultivation is also on the rise in Sagaing, now the epicentre of the resistance. While some areas are returning to junta control thanks to conscription and drones supplied by Russia and China, instability continues and international criticism of the elections announced by the military continues.
