CAMBODIA Formally Withdraws From CLV-DTA Agreement

Posted by Asia Views | Sep 23, 2024 | 0 |

KhmerTimes-Sept 23, 2024

On Friday Acting Head of State Hun Sen publicly announced the withdrawal from the 25-year-old trilateral agreement to the public, citing the need to do so to stop extremists from using it recently to stir discord in the country. The National Assembly (NA) of Cambodia on Saturday formally notified the Laotian and Vietnamese National Assemblies of its decision to end the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Parliamentary Cooperation framework, marking the conclusion of a longstanding trilateral partnership. The decision comes in line with the Cambodian government’s broader shift in regional diplomatic and development strategies. “We would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincerest gratitude to the National Assemblies of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for their relentless efforts and unwavering dedication to strengthening parliamentary cooperation under the CLV-DTA framework,” Sudary said in the letter. On the same day, Cambodian Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea sent a letter to inform his Laotian and Vietnamese counterparts, Saleumxay Kommasith and Bui Thanh Son respectively, of Cambodia’s decision to withdraw from CLV-DTA. This formal notification follows a significant announcement by Hun Sen, who is also President of the Cambodian Senate and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), as well as the Acting Head of State, who declared Cambodia’s exit from the CLV-DTA framework on Friday night. Citing concerns over territorial integrity and the rise of extremist narratives, he explained the decision in a special message. The decision is seen as a strategic move by the Cambodian government to address national concerns and counter narratives that have caused unrest, as Mr Hun Sen stressed that the government will continue to prioritize development in the border regions through cooperation with other regional and international partners, including ASEAN, CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam), the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Read more at:

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501563909/cambodia-formally-withdraws-from-clv-dta-agreement/

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

CAMBODIA Formally Withdraws From CLV-DTA Agreement

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