Cambodia: ten environmentalists arrested for 'conspiracy against the government'

Today's news: coal use reaches record levels in Indonesia and the Philippines ; Pakistan's government plans to begin a new phase of expelling Afghan refugees, while the Taliban meet with UN officials in Doha; North Korea shifts the transmission of its television programmes from a Chinese satellite to a Russian one; Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Central Asia from today.

CAMBODIA

Ten activists of the Cambodian environmental group Mother Nature were arrested on charges of conspiring against the government and insulting the king under the lese majesty law, reported the group's founder, Alejandro Gonzales-Davidson, who added that three members were arrested after documenting the pollution of the Tonle Sap River in Phnom Penh in 2021, while the lese majesty charges relate to the group's (internal) dissemination of political cartoons.

INDONESIA - PHILIPPINES

The use of coal for electricity generation has reached a record level of 62% in 2023 in the two most populous countries in South-East Asia, surpassing even China in percentage terms. This is according to a report published by the think-tank Ember. The analysis points out that the region is extremely vulnerable to climate change and both Indonesia and the Philippines could increase their use of solar and wind power to reduce emissions. However, these technologies need better political support to attract investment, the experts commented.

PAKISTAN - AFGHANISTAN

The Pakistani government plans to expel another 800,000 Afghan refugees from its territory after sending back nearly 600,000 in November last year. Islamabad justifies these actions by citing the increase in terrorist attacks by armed groups from Afghanistan. If they do not leave voluntarily, the refugees risk arrest. Meanwhile, at a meeting in Doha with the Taliban, the UN expressed concern about the exclusion of girls from higher education.

NORTH KOREA

North Korea, which was using a Chinese satellite to broadcast its television programmes, moved to a Russian satellite, South Korea's Unification Ministry explained. Although the South Korean public is banned from accessing Pyongyang's state media, Seoul's authorities and media outlets need the satellite service to monitor the North's propaganda and announcements, such as those concerning missile tests.

CHINA - CENTRAL ASIA

The CHINESE Foreign Ministry announced the schedule for President Xi Jinping's visit to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan from today until 6 July, when he will take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, which will focus on economic and energy issues, as well as international political issues, including the war situation in Ukraine.

RUSSIA

The minor peoples of Siberia and the Russian Far East continue to protest against the new 'gold fever' that is pushing to open new mining sites in their native places, provoking reactions from the inhabitants who gather with flocks and herds around the geologists studying the territory, led by the alkyšy, the chiefs entrusted with the 'custody of the land'.

IRAQ

The Iraqi government announced that it had arrested three people linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), accused of planning a series of attacks across the country, including one against the 'Ceyhan pipeline linking Kirkuk, Erbil and Duhok to Turkey', explained a spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Baghdad. The Iraqi authorities, who stepped up their activities after a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, claim that PKK cells active in Kurdistan are trying to target Turkey's business interests. The PKK has rejected the accusations and denied involvement.

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